Girlfriend For Hire

Chapter 13: Tonight's The Night!

So tonight's the night, the night where everything gets to remind me of what my future is to look like, busy, boring and well.. lonely. Phillip is expected to pick me up at 6 on the dot, so that leaves me about 2 hours to get ready.  I walk to my closet and pick out the suit that picked up earlier in the day, just a standard black tux with a black tie (bows aren't my thing). I did the usual before any major event, take an iced bath, as weird as it sounds it helps me get rid of all the tension out of my body. I get dried up and get into shaving my face, as I kept looking up into the mirror, I stared hard at my face and couldn't recognise anything about myself anymore, it was like looking into the face of a stranger. I put on suit and some aftershave, sure enough after my long and tiresome flight Phillip had pulled up out front, I grabbed my duffle coat and made my way to the car.  

I looked out to what started as the busy L.A. Airport then before I knew it, I was dizzy from the passing streetlights and looking up at skyscrapers. Eventually we had made it to mum and dad's place 'Barclay Manor' with a stack of paparazzi gathered out front, Jeez it brings back memories now, but the good ones when we did things as a whole family. Phillip buzzed the gates and we sailed past a tons of flashing cameras, my throat started to tighten as we approached closer to the house, the realisation that Scarlett was going to be a no-show, and not just for tonight but I've pushed her well away for good. Phillip went to to open my door, but I insisted that I should instead, I proped up my suit blazer and walked through the main entrance. Within a matter of seconds I was greeted by heaps of people, most were dad's business partners and girls that were interested in filling up their "Spare time" with me later. I quickly excused myself and went to go find the rest of my estranged family, I figured where the most amount of noise in this large godforsaken place is where I would find my parents. 

Sure enough I spot my mother socialising with a group of important looking women, I continuously excuse myself as I weeve in and out of people, until I reach "her. "Mum!" I call out. After she takes a sip from her glass of champagne she quickly puts it down and rushes after me. "Marshall! Good you're finally here! Let's go find your father and brother before we can start."  It takes awhile but in the end we found both of them and proceeded to the front mezzanine to start the family event. During the speech I had zoned out like I was some lifeless robot, until the attention was drawn towards me. "Marshall? Would you like to say a few words?" My mother asked with tension all over her face. "Hmm? Sure of course I would.." I said with a reassuring smile. So of course I said all the good stuff about our family's biggest event of the year, mind you they owe me big time from travelling back and forth of 40 hours worth of flight time, just so my family can hold their last social strings together and also an excuse for my mother to get more attention. 

I chose to sit outside and alongside the pool, man I used to love spending all my time in it when I was a kid. I looked up and saw the lights that I had put up a while ago, shimmering off the waves from the water in the pool, it was the only thing that had put a quick joy throughout me, then just as soon as it came it had left me again. Suddenly my phone starts to go off, and it was a lot louder than I wanted it to be, so I scooted further down the back and into the garage. It was Felix. "Hey man, why are you calling, i'm out back." I chuckled. "I can't man, if only.. look I'm soo sorry I couldn't be there tonight, but Anastasia's quite sick, she's got a fever in fact... " I couldn't help but feel even worse when I could hear the stress and disappointment in his voice. "Don't bro, you're not missing out on much trust me, if you can tell me how to tie a noose through the phone that would be fantastic though.." I said sarcastically.. "Sorry but that is never going to happen buddy, ever.. anyway I'll let you get back to the party, it's more important, see ya soon Marsh..." 

A couple of minutes later dinner was ready and everyone was called into the main hall, where now I offically had no-one that I was interested in talking to or socialising with. I sat on one of the reserved front tables, the prudes is what I'd like to call it but that would just be oh so rude of me. Nonetheless I ate my food and nodded my head to whatever my parents and brother were saying to me. Then the subject of the who would step into my fathers position in running his company, and oh was I so looking forward to this. "I believe the boys should talk about between them don't you think honey?" My mum battered her eyes at dad. "Um, I'm right here you know.." I stopped from taking another piece of steak. "Yes, well you should start proving it more often hadn't you.." My mum tried to look down at me. "Have you forgotten what I've done for you? Flying back and forth from New York of all places, just so tonight could happen!" My voice was already almost at a shouting rate. "You know what I think it's time that we got some dancing happening.. don't you think?" Within an instant she walked up to the front stage and told everyone that they could dance. 

I could not believe what I had just witnessed, but I guess I should've seen it coming a long time ago. Soon enough my brother Weis had left to go home and look after Neve, and the rest of the prudes had gone up and started casually waltzing around the room. As I sit in my chair feeling like a suicide bomber about to explode, I see everyone being blasé and acting as if they can't even see me at all, you know what I didn't want them to notice me. I look at my food and as I try to finish it off I had completely lost my appetite, my anger has consumed me so much that all my other thoughts and desires have gone out the window.