Not For Love

1. The Cherauno Hassle

Eda

Two months earlier,

Driving to my parent's house, an ominous feeling tugs at my heart. I ignore it. And not until I walk in the lounge and find my parents inside, quietly waiting do I regret my disinterest in it.

My brows furrow as my father smiles at me. "Is something wrong?" I ask, halting.

"Sit," my mother says.

I narrow my gaze but comply.

Father shifts in his seat a little, opens his mouth then closes it.

    Something is wrong.

"Clear up your schedule for tomorrow," my mother says instead of him.

     "Why?"

     "You'll be meeting Asher Cherauno."

      "Why would I meet Asher Cherauno?"

      "You will be marrying him."

      I blink. My father runs the palm of his hand over his face and sighs. I blink again. "I will what?"

      "Marry him. You will be notified of the timings and place tomorrow."

      "What the—"

•

"And that's it? You didn't say no?" Hanna, my childhood best friend, hollers on the phone, knowing all too well that is never an option. "How long will you do this, Eda? You even became a surgeon because your mom wanted you to. Now saying yes to what to wear, what to eat, what events to attend is one thing, marrying is something else."

    "I am aware."

    "Doesn't look like it."

    I grab my coffee from the hospital's cafeteria and walk down to the incoming elevator. "The word no doesn't exist in my house, Hanna. You know that better than anyone."

    "Still. Making you marry a complete stranger is too much."

    "Not a complete stranger. Apparently my mom has been a friend of Ivette Cheruano, since her medical school. She told me about how I met Asher once, when I was five, and how we would get along because of that." My mom is from a family of doctors—a whole chain of hospitals to their names—while my dad's family used to own a pharmaceutical business, which they expanded into a whole corporation. Business flows in their veins, I could say.

     Hanna's lets out an abrupt breath. "Wait. Ivette Cherauno. You're marrying Asher Cherauno?"

      Uncertainty roils in the pit of my stomach. "Yes. You know him?"

      "Well his mother is a really nice person to be honest. Him, on the other hand, has a somewhat questionable reputation at work. I don't know the details. But remember Ashley. Well she worked for him and every single person there is scared shitless from him. Did you guys get along when you were both five?"

      "I pushed him into a pool."

       Silence.

       For a moment.

       Ricochets of laughters almost burst my eardrums. I pull the cellphone back. "I'll tell that story to my next client. My best friend pushed Asher Cherauno into a pool. Please let me plan your wedding."

     "You'll accidentally get rich don't do that." The elevator arrives. I get in, pushing in the basement.

      "Please do that, mom. I feel like going to Paris this weekend," Isaac says from behind, clearly listening in to his mother's call. 

     "Focus on your homework, Isaac." She pauses, makes an admonishing sound then comes back. "What're you going to do then?"

    "Maybe I should just introduce some other guy as my boyfriend to his parents. That would work. Taylor Mendoza came to work in the neurology department."

     "The cute senior you used to stalk?"

     "I did not—" The elevator's door opens, another guy gets in, pressing in the first floor. I step away from him and lower my voice, "I didn't stalk him."

      "His shirt ended up in your bag by mistake?"

      "Oh my god! Hanna!" I blurt. "How many times do I have to tell you? It. Was. A. Mistake. He doesn't even remember that. He's the only way I can get rid of this Cherauno hassle."

     "You really think Taylor will agree to this?"

     "He doesn't have to."

"What?"

"Look I've done this more than a few times. I'll be meeting that Cherauno hassle soon. He'll cancel the marriage the day after."

     "Is it wise of me to ask how?"

     "Yes. Very. The easy part comes first: I act whatever the opposite of his type is. So—"

     "How're you gonna know his type?"

     I scoff. "Trust me, every guy I've ever met in this department has one thing in common. They want trophies more than wives. Someone beneficial to their business, can think but doesn't like to think too much, looks good, has taste but not too much to surpass them, isn't too decent nor too expensive, someone who won't embarrass them but not be more than them either. So I'll bet his type would either be Cinderella's stepsister or stepmother."

The guy behind me snorts, reminding me I'm not alone in the elevator. Oh boy. I turn to him. He looks straight ahead, masking himself with a nonchalant pretence. This is awkward. I decide to ignore it. As always. One thing I learned through out my life of continuously embarrassing myself is that I'm probably not going to meet the stranger I embarrassed myself in front of again.

But for good measure, I lower my voice. "Whatever it is, Mister Cherauno is going to think ten times before marrying a girl after this."

   We reach the floor the guy is supposed to get off at. When he doesn't move, I turn around and gesture him to.

   "I pressed it by mistake. I'm going down as well," he says.

I nod. Hanna asks who he is. I ignore the question. "Well then I come in with my final blow. Tell him I already have someone I love. Funny thing, Taylor won't even need to make an appearance or even know of his involvement."

    "Eda, just say no. It's time you do."

    "It's easier and funnier this way."

    "You're acting like a teenage girl."

    "If that is what it'll take."

Instead of another snapping reply I only hear a crash. After screaming a few words she comes back on. "I'll call you back. Isaac's made a mess."

   "Alright. Don't kill him." I hang up.

   The elevator finally opens to the basement parking and I get out. The guy doesn't get out.

    "Are you not getting out?"

    "Left my cellphone up."

  I furrow my brows, accessing him from head to toe as he fumbles with the elevator's controls. "Do we know each other?"

  "No." The doors close to his smile. Weirdly amused smile.

     What is his deal?