Lilly climbed out of her car with a yawn.
After she hid in the storage during the party, she became too buried in her work. Time went on unknowingly and when she finally remembered to check her clock, she dashed out of the storage. She ran straight for the ballroom. It didn’t matter if she lacked etiquette. She needed to head back.
The cleaning crew whirled their heads towards her. They’ve gotten rid of most of the tableware and decor. Tables and chairs had been stacked in various groups. Some carried them out of the room for safekeeping. Others had ladders to take out the curtains.
Safe to say, she came back when it was over.
Her mother didn’t like it.
===
When Lilly turned on the lights in her hotel room, she yelped. Not only was she greeted by the sight of her mother on a couch but also her father was inside, standing behind it. How on earth Jaime convinced the hotel staff to let them in remained a mystery.
“Disappearing just after I called out to the person” Jaime began to say. Her voice betrayed no emotion, “I understand when you want to avoid my matchmaking ideas but really… that was quite rude of you to do.”
Lilly bowed her head. She had been too careless at the time. She knew that. She had already stepped away but she could still hear her mother’s voice. That should have been her sign to stay put and go back.
“I understand, mother” she mumbled apologetically.
Jaime huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, “I had told them you went to the restroom but when you didn’t come back, even if I used any excuse, they’d still suspect you fled the scene on purpose.”
Her daughter remained silent.
“This has to end” Jaime continued to say, “I’ll be taking my daughter-in-law’s idea.”
At this, Lilly snapped her head up. Her eyes beheld confusion and surprise. She had two daughters-in-law. Who did she mean? And what exactly was this idea she spoke of?
Jaime held up a finger, her eyes squinted at her daughter, “One date. Date one man for 6 months and I’ll stop setting you up. There’s no rush but until you do it, you can’t refuse any blind dates I’ve set up for you.”
“Mother, are you crazy?!” Lilly exclaimed.
“Don’t talk to your mother that way,” Oliver scolded. His wife patted his hand on the couch’s backrest. He released the tension he built up in his shoulder muscles.
“It’s alright, dear” Jaime told him softly. Then, she turned her attention back on their daughter, “I wouldn’t have come to this if you’ve stopped doing such things.”
“But then, the blind dates wouldn’t have a chance of stopping at all” Lilly reasoned, “Even when I refused, you wouldn’t listen to me. It was my only way to show you that I disliked it.”
Her mother took a deep breath, “Yes, I took that into consideration. That is why I used it for a bargain.”
“One man in 6 months?” Lilly repeated. She sighed out a scoff. How would she be able to fit in that in her schedule?
“Date one man for a duration of 6 months” Jaime clarified, “The relationship has to last 6 months.”
“What?” Her daughter gasped, “Mother, what era are you living in? Most of the time, dating doesn’t even last a month. On average, probably 3 months. 6 is undoable.”
“Half a year will show me your dedication and commitment to a relationship much more than 3 months. This is what I need to see to be reassured that you can be in a relationship if you wanted to. 3 months can pass by in a blur. If you’re both busy, neither of you would even notice the time. At the end of the 5th month, you must introduce him to us.”
“Introduce?” Lilly laughed without humor, “Why on earth would I need to do that if it would only end anyway?”
Jaime smiled, “My dear, you would be 5 months into the relationship. The time then would be different from now. Even if neither of you are willing to commit to a lasting relationship, you’ve spent a significant amount of time with each other by then. Of course, we’d need to meet this man who had been part of your life during this time.”
Lilly began to pant. She walked back and forth. From her parents’ perspective, she paced left to right. The moment her mother declared her terms, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to escape. The offer of being free from blind dates tempted her a lot. She wouldn’t need to miss out on a lot of events because of it anymore.
Will she be able to turn this to her advantage somehow?
Will she also need to resort to relationship contracts from the web novels and comics she’d heard about?
“Fine” she sighed, stopping in her steps. She faced her mother, “Can I really not rush it?”
“Of course” her mother nodded with conviction, “But like I said, you wouldn’t have a right to refuse any blind date I set up unless you’re in a relationship. Don’t even think about faking it. I’ll be asking Alex to keep an eye on you. I believe she also has something on the line. She wouldn’t risk losing it.”
Lilly shook her head slowly. Jaime Greenwood could be quite cunning when she wanted to be. She’d thought about her proposal from every angle. Any loophole would be similar to a tiny dot. It would be hard to see.
Yet, if she did that and her mother found out, she’d be tied down to agree to all of Jaime’s matchmaking ideas. Would that be a rish she’d be willing to take?
Jaime stood up from the couch, heading for the door. Her husband followed her closely with a hand on her back. Once they reached their daughter’s side, she said, “You don’t need to answer me now. But once I am able to find a blind date for you, I hope you’d know which answer to choose.”
===
Back in the present, Lilly craned her neck. She placed the conversation to the back of her mind. She had something more urgent to attend to. The points of her heels clattered against the pavement. Her maroon pencil skirt limited the movement of her legs. Her matching fitted turtleneck sweater suffocated her a bit.
She marched into the building without a care. Only a few janitors noticed her presence. Her face remained impassive. She roamed around, taking a familiar route. She hadn’t visited this place a lot but she still remembered the path she needed to take.
She peeked inside the door of the staff room. With no one visible at the front desk, she opened the door and walked over. The sound of a soft bell rang in the room. A female staff member stood up from behind the desk right on cure. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of the lawyer.
“May I help you?” Ms. Kich asked. She placed her hands on top of the table hidden behind the counter. She had never seen the woman in front of her before. Parents and guardians rarely came by. Only a few notable faces caught her eye. Most of them were linked to troublesome kids and needed to meet the principal to resolve matters.
She offered no smile as she waited for the woman to reach the counter.
“Yes, good afternoon” Lilly greeted her. Then, she pulled out her phone from her purse. She opened her email app. She showed her the screen that contained a message of agreement, which also stated the date and time, “I’m here for an appointment with Principal Parker. Is he available right now?”
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