It was nothing but a business deal from the beginning.
The deal was sealed when Aminata was 8 years old and Xavier was 10.
To keep the business from falling apart, their parents have set for them to wed each other by the time Aminata is 18.
They w...
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Xavier and I walk in hand in hand instantly bombarded by the loud cheering and stares of our dads colleagues and people we don't even know.
I put on the fake smile I've mastered and pretend that everything is supposed to be the way it is right now. I put on the show that my father taught me to put on for the sake of his business.
From the looks of it, Xavier is too.
We get to our elevated seats that are throne-like and gives us a view of the entire reception. People dance, people drink, people sing. Having a much better time than the people who are getting married.
The people who are now officially married.
I make sure to keep the same expression on my face so no one catches the bored look that threatens to surface every five seconds. My feet hurt, i'm extremely tired and my face feels heavy from all the makeup but I can do this. Only a few more hours left.
I look to my left and see Xavier already looking at me. But something catches my attention and I shift my eyes away from him.
Father. The man responsible for all of this.
He's clearly become the man of the hour as people surround him and laugh at what he says as if he's the funniest being to ever walk the planet.
"Hey." Xavier says, snapping me out of my trance-like state. I turn my attention to him and raise a brow wondering what he wants.
"Don't let him ruin the night. We can just sit up here, drown them out and act like it's just the two of us." he says with a soft smile.
I just stare and blink at him. How he can act like this whole situation isn't drastic and life changing is beyond me. Although in reality, I think it's just a cover up. Neither of us wanted this. I do appreciate him trying to make light of this and make me feel better. If anything, he's doing better than me by not wallowing in pity.
I simply nod my head as he takes a hold of my hand caressing it softly. He talks to me and keeps me distracted and I actually find myself, once again, enjoying his company. He's not like the other guys in this line of business. The ones who treat their arranged wives like dog poop because of the decisions our parents make. Some women have even taken their own lives because of how horrible their arranged marriages have panned out and a majority of the men just moved on to other women and could have cared less. Because they are all the same.
But Xavier just shows and acts differently and if anything, I consider myself lucky. Of course being thrown into an unwanted marriage isn't great but at least this guy doesn't talk to me like i'm nothing.
I let out a little laugh at something he says and lean back in my seat with a slight feeling of relaxation. A little bit of light in a dark situation.
