DAYDREAM → PAUL LAHOTE

° 24

she doesn't want to, but she will since she promised.

Mera is standing at the stairs of the Blanchett manor while the party is downstairs, the party is full of a rich family that came from all over France. They were Mera's Aunt Coraline's friends. It is pretty boring down there because all people do is show their expensive things like it isn't noticeable.

Coraline will be pissed if she noticed that Mera is not downstairs. But Mera couldn't care less since men are always hitting on her which she wasn't fond of. She rather sleeps beside a cow than talk to worthless men who think they own every woman, they needed to be humble but Mera needs to keep her opinion to herself because she needs to act like a proper lady just like what her aunt Coraline told her to be.

"Mademoiselle Coraline Vous Cherche, miss. " The maid spoke, Mera sighed to herself before she proceed downstairs where she saw her aunt talking to somebody. (Miss Coraline is looking for you, Miss)

"Aunt Coraline," Mera called behind Coraline. Coraline turn her head around to look at Astraea before she smiled at her "Mera, Je veux que Vous Rencontres Gael et son adorable fils, Mateo." Coraline said as she pulled Mera to her side. Mera's eyes landed on a man who looks like a twenty-six years old man and someone who looks like his father.  (I want you to meet Gael and his lovely son, Mateo.)

"Mateo, why don't you take her somewhere else?" Gael asked his son, Mateo nodded and offered his hand to Mera. She doesn't have a choice other than to take his hand and act like she's glad he's being a gentleman.

Mateo pulled her gently towards the garden where no one other than them is there. It is quiet here though you can still hear people chattering from the inside

"I see you don't like being there." Mateo spoke as he pulled out his cigarettes and lit it up "you smoke." Mera said as she walked towards the swing that was tied up to a large tree. She's not planning to stand next to him to keep him accompany.

"The party will be over in just a few minutes, you don't need to worry much and I see you are not very much of a talker." He laughed. As he laughed, Mera is just becoming more irritated at him. This is what she hated the most, she hated it when people couldn't just stop talking.

"Your father wants you to marry me, doesn't he?" She said suddenly. She knows where this thing will go, she's just saving their time because she won't do what they want.

"Yes." He sighed, a devasted sigh
"I don't want you to," Mera said as she surveyed his face, it's not like she starting to like him, it's just she hasn't had a proper look at him

"The feeling is mutual." He seem so relieved when Mera said she doesn't want to be wed to him.

"Good because I'm not planning to marry some guy who thinks they're worth it." She snap, she needed to show him that marrying him wasn't on her to-do list.

"You wanna smoke?" Mateo asked, Mera, shake her head. She smokes of course but now is not the right time. Coraline could be watching her and she's not gonna like it if she saw Mera smoking especially when there are a lot of people around.

"Let's make a deal." Mateo said, "What deal?" Mera furrowed her eyebrows, out of all the men she talked to in her entire life here in France, Mateo is the different one. Not because of how good-looking he was, it's because of how the way he talks and starts a conversation. Most men Mera talked to were always bragging about their connection and their jewelry.

"My father will not stop till he gets what he wants and he wants your Aunt Coraline's money. That's why he wanted us to be wed."

"I'm not dumb, I know what your father wants. un homme comme ton père ne peut jamais faire confiance." she knew how a man like Gael thinks. They were all greedy and hungry for money, he knew that the Blanchett money will be passed into Mera once Coraline passed away, in fact, everybody knew. That is why families were so desperate for their sons to be wed to Mera. (a man like your father can never be trusted.)

"Then, help me. Let's help each other." He replied, he was somehow very convincing and Mera liked it when men always tried to please her and convinced her but she always hated them "Dites-moi l'affaire (Tell me the deal.)"

"We're gonna act like we like each other." He said, Mera almost laughed
"I will do it but I'm doing this for myself." She answered.

Mera stand up from the swing and began walking towards the door and then, Mateo suddenly spoke.

"I think walking out on me wouldn't help them believe that we like each other." Mateo chuckled, Mera, stopped walking before turning her body towards him "You're getting on my nerves." Mera groaned as she sat back on the swing.

"How about let's get to know each other." Mateo offered, Mera can see that he was very serious about the deal and wasn't fooling around like she thought he would be. "You're not my friend so why would I say yes?"

"Because it will help our deal, It's hard to act when you don't really know something about each other." He said, "How do you know? It's not like you used to take acting classes." She said quietly.

"I do actually." He admitted a smile had formed on Mera's lip "You're joking right." She smiled for the first time tonight, "Look at us, we are getting to know each other." He chuckled "No, I am getting to know you." She replied with a smile on her face, he's not that very irritating. Mera thought to herself.

"You are not that bad." Mera told him but she knew he already knew it "Yeah, every girl said that."

"Monsieur votre père vous cherche." A maid had entered the garden without them noticing her. It was Mera's maid, Louise. She always does this even though Mera told her a thousand times that she should not because it's rude and disrespectful.

"Let the deal begin." Mateo offered her his hand and didn't let go of it until they are outside the manor where Gael and Coraline is waiting. The rest of the guests had already gone home, it seems like Coraline didn't want to intrude on her niece and Mateo's conversation. That's why she didn't tell them that that party was over.

"I'm expecting to see you soon, Mateo." Mera hugs him as part of their deal. "Merci Hémera. Je te dois une faveur (thank you, Hemera. I owe you a favor)." Mateo whispered into her ears in Infront of Coraline and Gael.

Mateo smile at her one more time before he enters his fancy white limousine with his father. After Mateo had entered the limousine, the driver didn't waste any more time and drove off.

It felt good as she watch the limousine drove off, it felt like Mera had finished another task that her aunt had assigned to her. This deal is good because she doesn't have to meet several men once a week and because it's exhausting. since she became of legal age, she's been visited by countless men from across France.

"Hemera,"

She knew exactly where this conversation will go and she is ready for it.