Chapter 2

Roxanne

"We are here." I look outside to see a restaurant. I get out and look down at my attire, which consists of military cargo pants and an white crop top. Not very suitable for this type of restaurant.

I don't have a problem, but I hope he doesn't find it embarrassing. But if he had found it embarrassing he wouldn't have brought me here.

Suddenly my hand gets grabbed. I look beside me to see Isaac holding it, while giving me angry eyes.

"Never get out of the door by yourself." He grits out.

I nod my head and try to get my hand out of his hold. 

"Leave my hand, it's painful." I complain. He leaves my hand. He starts walking in. I don't take a step in.

Does he think after behaving with me like this he gets to take me eat. He can marry my sister and for that he doesn't have to know me. Besides, I don't want to know this type of person.

After realising that I am not following him, he stops. He turns and finds me, where he left me.

He walks back.

"What is it? Let's go."

"I don't wanna. Thankyou for inviting me. I will be leaving now." I politely decline. I turn away from him.

I get stopped by my hand. I look behind and see him holding it. I lift my eyebrow in question.

"What happened?" He asked. I turned back.

"Nothing." I shrug my shoulders. 

"Boss, people are watching." The man who brought me says to Isaac. Isaac looks around us. I do the same and sure enough people are watching.

"Let's just go in." Isaac says and pulls my hand, making me walk. I put all my strength on my legs.

I say loudly. "I don't wanna." 

"Let's talk inside. Don't create a scene here." He mumbles as he gets beside me, still holding my hand.

"I also don't want to create a scene. I just don't want to go in." I informed him still adamt on my answer.

"Roxanne...." My breath hitches. "Let's go in. Why are you being so stubborn? Just act like an adult."

I look at him and say. "Look, you don't have to know me just to impress my sister. She already is head over heels for you. So let me go back. It's already getting late." I looked away as it was getting hard to look him in the eyes.

"It's not to impress Emily. I wanted to know you." I scowl.

"Why?" I asked and looked at him. My breath hitches when I see his dark pink lips lifting up in a smile.

"We are going to be family. Isn't that a solid reason." I sign and nod my head and let him pull me. We get inside through the glass doors. A person was already waiting for us.

"Your table is ready, sir. Follow me." That man says as soon as we reach him. We start following him.

"Um, Isaac, you can leave my hand, now." I whispered. He doesn't say anything. "You know, I will follow you, so leave my hand."

"But I like this better." I scowl. That didn't sound right.

"But I....."

"Stop talking. We will get there soon." He interrupts me. We reach our table, which is in a secluded area and as soon as that man leaves, I jerk my hand away from him.

"Don't do that?" He threatened.

"What?" I play being ignorant. I make myself comfortable on the seat.

"Don't pull your hand from mine and don't sit without me pulling your seat." With that said, he takes a seat before me. 

"Stop dictating me." I grumbled, annoyed. I don't like him.

"Then start acting how I am saying." He retorts back. I lean back and look away.

I don't like him. He is controlling. I don't know what sis likes in him.

"Don't give me attitude."

"Aggh." I groan in irritation. "Stop commenting." I snapped. "You are being way too controlling. My sister may do whatever you want, but I am not her." 

Our food arrives. And I was thankful as that made him shut up. Very promptly I thrust a spoonful of spaghetti in my mouth so I don't have to talk to him.

He's annoying and makes me angry every second.

He gets the signal and follows suit. I eye his food and sure enough it's salad.

Very healthy.

I groan in irritation when I feel one strand of hair on my face. I keep my utensils down, to move that hair strand away but Isaac beats me. I look up when his hands don't retreat.

"You are beautiful." Blush creeps up on my face. I would have thought of it as a formality but the look which he is holding right now is intense. 

His hand slid down, from behind my ear. I shudder when his hand lightly touches my earlobe. His hand caressed my jaw. After sometime he retreats his hand.

"Thanks." I mutter, awkwardly. We continued with our food but after that food tasted bland for me. We left the restaurant. 

"I will book a cab." I informed him. My hand on my phone looking for cabs near me to book one.

"I will drop you." 

"No, it's okay." I mumble with divided attention. Suddenly, my face jerked up. My eyes widen, taken aback by the action.

"While talking to me, I want your undivided attention."

"I told......" He interrupts me. 

"I am still not finished. And since I brought you here, it's my responsibility to take you back. Now get in the car." My hold on my phone tightens in anger. But still I got inside his car.

The car starts moving and I look out the window. Because if I see him, the need to argue will take control of me.

"Me and my family will be coming today, to finalise the date of engagement." I just nod my head.

"Roxanne, I told you that while talking, I want your undivided attention." I huff and turn towards him. With straight lips, I stiffly nod my head.

"Good." Something flips in me when I see him smile and instantly look away.

"You need to be present there." 

"Why don't you rephrase it with 'Why don't you try to be present there?'. That sounded more...." I look at him. "kind and pleasing to hear."

He signs but nonetheless repeats the same word making me happy.

"I can't promise, but I will try." I chirp, happily. It's good when he does what I want. He just nods his head.

I will definitely be present today. I was never present whenever they came, most of the time I was at Brent's house and some of the time I didn't feel like meeting people. But today is special. Today my sister's engagement date will be finalised and I want to be there.

The car stops in front of my house's gate.

"Are you not coming in?" I asked.

"No. I have work." I nod my head in understanding.

"It was nice meeting you." I say out of politeness even if I felt the complete opposite. He laughs and I again look at him mesmerized by his laugh.

"It was anything but nice." He says and I laugh at that.

"But right now I think it was really nice." I informed him.

"Really?" I nod my head in affirmation. He is controlling but he is a nice man, I guess. "Then bye."

Before I can push the gate open he stops me. He gets out of the door and pulls the door open for me. Shaking my head I got out.

"Thankyou." With that I move inside. After sometime I turn and find him leaning on his car, with his eyes on me. Shaking my head I continue my walk. After I am in my room, I look outside and find the place empty.

"Let's take a short nap." 

*

I grab the pastel pink jumpsuit. And eye it. I put it on my body. I stand before the full length mirror and nod in positive to the jumpsuit. It hugs my body till my waist and it flares down.

I put my brown hair in a messy low pony. I keep my face bare, excluding the eye liner and nude lipstick. I hook a few gold jewelleries on my wrist, fingers, neck and ears.

With a nod towards my look I wear the white wedges and leave for downstairs.

"Hey dad." I greet my dad and kiss him on his cheeks. He was on his phone, typing away.

"Hey, kiddo. You look marvellous." He compliments.

"I know right." I wink at him.

"I am glad you decided to be present." I give him a smile and sit beside him.

"By the way, dad, is it compulsory for sis to marry that control freak?" He glares at me. "Sorry, I mean Isaac Rodriguez." I rephrase my words.

"Yeah, it is. Both of our grandfathers were friends and they had promised to make the both families relationship strong by bringing a marriage in it and coincidentally Emily and Isaac were borned at that time. And it's not like marriage is forced on them. Emily loves him and they were both in a relationship for years."

The doorbell rings.

We get on our feet. Mom and sis are already there. Sis in a gray bodycon dress looks very beautiful. As soon as sees me, she squeals.

"Oh my god, my baby sis is looking so beautiful." I blush.

"Don't exaggerate. You look more beautiful." I say.

"I am not....."

"Shut up you both." Mom says. Instantly that shuts sis and me. Rodriguez's family comes in. My eyes fall on Isaac, cladded in a black suit. His eyes are already on me. I look away.

It's awkward.

"Welcome." Mom asks them to sit in the living room. We all settle around.

"Finally we can see your younger daughter. She is beautiful." I give Mrs Rodriguez a small smile.

"So about the dates. We were thinking of having both of them engaged as early as possible and announce it publicly." Dad says.

"Yes you are right." Mr Rodriguez inputs.

"I have something to say." Isaac interrupts everyone. Everyone's eyes zone on him. His eyes were intensely looking at me.

"What is it, son?" Mr Rodriguez asked, being confused.

That was the time Isaac changed my life just with his few words.