Voilà

Playing Cupid

MICHAEL’S PERSPECTIVE

          Boy! Aryan’s expression in the lounge today was such a Kodak moment. His expression was like the expression of a guy who had just heard that the love of his life was getting married to someone else. I did not get the idea to take my phone out and click a picture. Well, you know, clever minds. They get a tad too busy.

          “Do you really think they like each other?” Nathan asked me when we left the airport.

          “You know I’m the last person whom you should be asking this question.” I replied.

          Soon after, we went McDonalds for dinner. Nathan did not want to cook and I did not know how to cook. Leave me on a deserted island and I’ll starve to death. I believe that Lady Fortune exists and I completely believe that she’s blind. Very blind. No wonder she bestows me with the presents that I dislike very much. In fact, I think dislike is a very mild word. I utterly detested the gift she had bestowed upon me as soon as I entered McDonalds. Gabrielle Montrose and Zack Willmannson were sitting at a table with their fingers entwined. Zack was looking at her as if he had consumed the love potion. Gabrielle was a very good actress, mind you. Her fake smile and not-so-romantic demeanor was pretty evident to everybody except her so-called boyfriend.

          When most of the girls and beautiful ladies at McDonalds ran towards me and Nathan for pictures and autographs, Gabrielle turned towards our direction to see what the commotion was about. Of course she had to be surprised. Nobody ever flocks around her. Nathan and I found it difficult to be in public places since we appeared on the covers of Voilà and other minor magazines. After that my lady fan following increased three folds, not that I’m bragging but it’s a fact. Well, I might be bragging, a little. A young, redhead girl asked me sign her chest but Nathan’s glare refrained me from doing so. Yeah, yeah good celebrity and all.

          Finally the crowd dispersed and the busboys ushered us to a private cabin. While we were waiting for our food to come, Gabrielle rushed towards us, her high heels making loud noises as they hit the marble floor. Zack, as usual, was following her in a daze.

          ‘Hey, Michael!” Gabrielle crooned. “Do you mind if Zack and I join you?” she sat down across the table from us before I could give my consent.

         “Do I have a choice to ignore you?” I asked her with a poker face.

          “What? Michael!” she said aghast.

          “You cannot behave like this with my girlfriend, you jerk!” Zack said haughtily. Well, that was something new from a loser. I stood up and laid a hand on his shoulder and to my satisfaction he cowered.

          “Are you sure about the statement you just made, Zack? Didn’t Gaby teach you calling me a jerk is not always a good idea?” I said in a calm and genial way with a big grin on my face. Normally, I would have just punched him in the face. Period.

          “Mikey, why are you being rude to me?” Gabrielle whined. Her heavily made up eyes were on the verge of spilling tears.

          “Being rude to douche bags is my middle name. Especially to those who call me ‘Mikey’” I stressed on the last work. Ugh. Mikey. It seems like a name fit for someone in a gang. Refusing to spoil my mood, I sat down to devour my McChicken.

          After this Gabrielle resorted to full fledged howling and it was hard for me to ignore them. She was sobbing like someone had died and Zack was comforting her like an undertaker. It beats me how someone has the self control to stand in front of the person who has insulted them. Not once but countless times. I sighed and shook my head. I had to do something as she was attracting attention to herself, which was precisely what she wanted. I turned towards her.