The Arrangement

Introduction

He was handsome, though my taste in men was not exactly his appearance. His hair was a shaggy blonde, tossed around on his head as though the wind was his only brush. His skin was smooth, tan. He had a fit body, covered with simple blue jeans and a white t-shirt. His jaw was tense, creating a solid look to the edges of his face and creating a harshness to his appearance. He had accentuated cheekbones, smoothly flowing into his straight nose and plump pink lips that were turned down at the corner. Yet all of these features, no matter how appealing or unappealing, were nothing compared to his eyes.

His eyes were the most intriguing thing about him. They were a brilliant blue, glistening with a lost childlike sparkle. They were deep like the ocean, pulling you in with his waves of mixed colors and dragging you into his depths. But it got too dark too quick, and I did not want to stay, but his eyes pulled me back just as the ocean calls to every human to obey it, to respect it.

His eyes were not happy. No emotion can hide in your eyes. Your eyes are windows to the soul, and the soul cannot lie or deceive anyone.

"Tyler," a large voice cuts into my analysis of this man in front of me. I turn my attention to the large man beside Tyler, of which Tyler resembles exactly, only on a smaller body. "This is Jasmine, your fiancée." I hear the word yet again but it never fails to hit my gut and cause my stomach to writhe. I'm unsure whether the feeling is good.

"I know who she is dad. We've met, we've talked, and I still don't want to marry her." Tyler spits. The anger coming from him is long since pent up and it frightens me at how he can hold that much anger in him. It's dangerous to live life with such hatred in your heart.

"You have to, we've been over this. It was a deal made long ago and-"

"I wasn't there when you made it! This is being forced on me and I don't even have a say!"

"No! You don't! Because if you did, then these families would be be dead. I brought her here so we could have a nice dinner and you could once more get acquainted." Tyler's father, whose name I believed was Richard, was just as angry as his son.

"Such anger is here." My father says from beside me. I had almost forgotten he was there in all of my thoughts. "Can we not end this for a moment and enjoy this beautiful day that the Lord has made for us?"

"It's raining." Tyler snarls.

"And is not the rain essential for life and therefore a blessing upon our dry hearts?" My father asks calmly. I frown. Tyler was so angry.

"And are we not in America, where we don't talk using this twisted language you speak? We use incorrect grammar and that's our language. We contradict our rules in the English language and don't speak in riddles but rather abbreviate. I can't stand people who talk formal."

"And I greatly dislike you disrespecting my father." I voice my opinion and feel pride swell in me for standing up for my father. But his look of disapproval makes all of my pride dissipate.

"I don't care what you dislike. I dislike you so don't speak to me at all." Tyler snaps. I clench my jaw but lower my head. My father sighs.

"Can we enjoy a meal?" He asks Richard. Tyler's father nods. As one solemn group we enter the large, beautiful home that was of such extravagance it made me feel inadequate. My father gave me disapproving looks the whole way to the table and I knew my comment greatly ruined his mood. He was capable of standing up for himself and didn't need a woman to step in for him.

"Jasmine, please take a seat there." Richard indicates to a chair that someone, who I guessed was a servant, pulled out for me. I gave them my thanks and remained silent as Tyler slammed into the seat beside me. My father was on the other side of me and he started conversing with Richard about business.