Ch. 36..40: Love Slave to the Mafia Boss's Passion Chapter 36-40

Chapter 36: Complete Makeover

Suddenly the large round pattern on the ground started rotating and descending. I stared at it, slightly shocked. I honestly thought that the round pattern on the floor was just for decoration, apparently, that wasn’t so. After descending into the ground, the found platform resurfaced, this time with a bright red Ferrari on it.

For a moment, I felt like I was watching some sexy cars reveal at a motor show. Both the car and the way that it was transported up in style from the ground definitely made an impact. I couldn’t help staring at the red Ferrari sports car that was now parked in front of me. I hated to admit it but it was crystal clear that Hayden and I came from different worlds.

Not that I didn’t know that already, but seeing his blunt display of wealth was just rubbing the truth in my face a little bit too much.

"Stop staring and get in," Hayden said.

His hand grabbed my arm and began pulling me towards the car as he opened the passenger seat and shoved me into the car. The black and red leather seat of the sportscar made me feel out of place. Hayden got into the driver seat in a hurry and started the car. I successfully put on my seat belt just a split of a second before Hayden started driving…fast.

I knew that he was in a hurry and not in the best of moods but isn’t this driving a little too reckless? He’s trying to get us both killed in a car crash. Either that, of he wanted to kill me by giving me a heart attack. I screamed when he made a sharp turn that sent the car screeching as it skidded on the road. I grabbed whatever I could find to hang on to dear life.

"Can’t you drive any slower!" I screamed at Hayden in my fright.

"Then what’s the point of having a Ferrari?" Hayden asked sounding extremely bored.

"I don’t know…to show off?" I replied, sarcastically.

"If you think this one is a showoff, just wait till you see the rest of my cars…" Hayden said with clear annoyance.

I couldn’t care less about what car he had or how many. All I cared about at the

moment was to survive this ride. Plus, I still didn’t know where he was taking me.

"Where are we going? Can’t you tell me now?" I asked, impatiently.

"You’ll see…" Hayden muttered, his eyes on the road.

…

The car came to a screeching stop in front of a fancy building that had a large glass display. Anyone could tell that this place was a very upscale beauty salon. A place that I would never visit in my life…normally. However, now I am standing in front of this luxurious beauty salon with Hayden, and it reminded me that my life wasn’t exactly normal right now.

"What are you spacing out for?" Haydan said as he glared at me.

Without another word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me after him inside of the salon. His hand that held mine was warm and I felt my heartbeat quicken as I watched his broad back in front of me. I wondered why we were here. Does Hayden need an urgent hair cut or something?

"This is Bruno. Bruno this is Malissa…I want you to…upgrade her and fast," Hayden said as he introduced me to a middle-aged man.

I could tell immediately that Bruno was a stylist by the way he dressed, his aura and the way he looked in general. Bruno was just what you would imagine of a gay and talent stylist.

"Wow…where did you pick this…rough gem up? How much time do I have, baby?" Bruno said in a high-pitch voice as he looked me up and down as if appraising my worth with his expert eyes.

"Two hours max. You can manage, right?" Hayden replied hurriedly.

"Oh…of course, but it’s going to cost you…extra," Bruno replied with a bright smile full of teeth as he rubbed his thumb and index fingers together. Clearly gesturing for money.

"Yeah, whatever, just get started," Hayden said with a sigh before plopping down on a sofa as if his job was finally over.

"Over here, my lovely. My minions…over here please!" Bruno said to me as he gestured for me to follow him before calling out to his team members.

"Wait…Hayden?" I said, confused with what was going on.

Hayden just took out his phone and began playing with it without as much as glancing in my direction. He’s just downright ignoring me right now. What a jerk!

"This way dear. I’m afraid we don’t have much time to give you a complete makeover," Bruno said as he pushed my back, urging me deeper into the back of the building.

"A complete…makeover?" I asked in confusion. That was what he said, right?

"Yes dear. Complete makeover. Everything…you know, everything! Hair, nails, body scrub, makeup, clothes, shoes…and everything else," Bruno quickly explained.

When we entered the area at the back where I guessed the makeover would be taking place, I was greeted with another five members of Bruno’s team. They began working on me in their respective field of expertise, all at the same time. This was probably to save time since Hayden just gave them two hours only to work their magic.

Obviously, I have never had a full makeover done by professionals before because I couldn’t afford it and honestly, never thought that I had a need for it. However, I had watched in some series and could imagine what they were going to do to me. The biggest question was, why did Hayden bring me here to get a makeover?

As I lay on the bed, getting my hair washed and my scalped massage as a facial mask was placed on my face, I began thinking once again why Hayden had arranged this for me? Did he think that I looked so dissatisfactory that I needed a complete makeover?

That thought just pissed me off and I found myself balling my hands into fists in reflex. That guy is just insulting and driving me insane…

 

Chapter 37: Transformation

"Miss, please keep your hands relaxed by your side. I need to fix the shape of your nails before I start with the nail extensions…" a sweet voice said to me.

Oh right, they’re also working on my nails. I quickly relaxed my hand and placed them flat on the bed once gain so that they could continue working their magic on me. It was my first time getting a makeover at a salon like this and I was beginning to relax and enjoy myself. I mean, it was nice being pampered and the bed was relaxing.

That, however, does not mean that I had forgiven Hayden or given him credit for anything of this.

After the two hours was over, Bruno and his team was done with transforming me. My hair was cut and styled into long waves and curls that swept down to my shoulders and the middle of my back. My nails were now long and shapely with an ultra-neat French manicure.

Bruno had picked out a flashy mid-calf dark blue dress with sparkly sequins, a V-neck that I thought showed off a little too much of my cleavage and a slit that ran up too far up the side of my leg. When I tried on the dress, Bruno was so excited and convinced that he had made the right choice and no matter what I said could change his mind.

"It looks perfect on you like it was made for you. You look gorgeous, sexy, and fierce in it. This is it!" Bruno said with excitement as he clapped his hands together repeatedly.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and I had to say that I didn’t quite share his excitement. One of his team members helped me slip on a pair of pin-point high heel pumps with a high platform in front. I have never worn a shoe this high before in my entire life. The shoes were a matching color with the dress and went together quite well.

However, when I looked at my own reflection that was staring back at me, I hardly looked like my old self anymore. My hair was different, and I had a lot of make up on, making my eyes seem wider than before and my lips fuller. I guess this is what the current standard of beauty dictates as beautiful…

"Don’t you think that the dress is a little too…revealing?" I asked Bruno as I turned around from side to side to inspect my reflection from various angles. That only confirmed to me that the dress was indeed very revealing.

"Not at all. It is perfect and makes you look like an angel!" Bruno said proudly.

I could tell that he truly meant it and that left no room for arguments. On top of that, time was already running out. Bruno inspected me from head to toe one last time before handing me a piece of very expensive looking earrings of blue sapphires and diamonds. Are these real?

"Let me put these on you real quick and that should complete the look as the final touch…" Bruno muttered softly as his hands expertly began putting the earrings on me.

Once the earrings were on, I examined my reflection in the mirror and had to blink rapidly in astonishment. I never knew that adding earrings could truly bring out so much beauty. The earring sparkled in the light and made the outfit that I had on, and my facial features stand out a lot more than before.

"Hayden surely has great tastes…" Bruno said with satisfaction in his voice as he stepped back to examine my reflection in the mirror.

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Oh, you didn’t know? Hayden bought these earrings for you and told me to create a look around it. I think he said something along the lines of it suiting the beauty of your eyes…" Bruno said with a big smile on his face.

Hayden…bought these earrings for me? I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. Why would he do that? What hidden intentions did he have?

"I see. No, I didn’t know…" I mumbled vaguely as my mind still struggled to process what was going on.

"Come along now. We shouldn’t keep Hayden waiting any longer than he has to," Bruno said as he ushered me back to the front of the salon where Hayden was waiting.

It has been a little less than two hours since I left Hayden there on the sofa, I wonder if he’s still there. Bruno led me through the curtains and suddenly, I found myself back in front of the salon. Hayden was still sitting on the sofa with his eyes on the screen of his mobile phone as if I had only been gone for five minutes and nothing more.

Hayden’s eyes left the screen and glanced over at me when he heard the sound of my high heels clicking against the marble floor as I walked forward towards him. If Hayden was impressed with what he saw, he didn’t show it. His face was a handsome unreadable mask as his beautiful blue eyes took in my new look from head to toe, slowly and intently.

Without a word of praise or comment, he silently nodded his head firmly and took out his black credit card and handed it to a very please-looking Bruno.

I guess, he liked the transformation enough to pay for it. His eyes landed on my face and for the first time I saw some reaction in his emotionless face. A small smiled curled his lips and for a split second, I thought that his eyes suddenly had a gentle look in them.

However, his face and eyes reverted to their old emotionless self so fast that I was no longer sure if what I saw was just the result of my own imagination.

"Let’s go," Hayden said as he stood up from the sofa.

I quickly thanked Bruno and his team members on the way out before following Hayden back to his car that was parked out front. I realized that I still had no idea where we were headed…

Are we going on date?

 

Chapter 38: Fake Girlfriend

We arrived at our next destination which was one of the most famous luxury hotels in the city. Hayden parked his car right in front of the hotel lobby’s entrance where a valet dressed in a black suit came to assist Hayden. Without a word, Hayden placed his hand at the small of my back and began guiding me into the hotel.

"Don’t act so nervous…" Hayden whispered closed to my ear.

"It’s not like I can help it…" I whispered back.

How can I not be nervous about this? I felt like I was about to have a mental breakdown or a panic attack at any moment. Everything about this place and this situation made me feel out of place like a fish out of the waters.

"Hayden…I can’t do this…I’m very sorry," I whispered as I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

"Yes, you can. You look so beautiful tonight, I could mistake you for an angel that came down from the heavens to earth," Hayden whispered closed my ear.

"You’re so evil…" I hissed. I knew he didn’t quite mean what he said but I couldn’t stop myself from feeling a little happy at his compliments.

"So, I’ve been told…" Hayden said as he smiled charmingly at me without a care.

Now what?

…

A while ago while we were in Hayden’s car on the way to our next destination, I began demanding for answers to the endless streams of questions that were floating around in my head. I felt like my head was going to split open if I couldn’t get any answers to them.

"Why did you make me get a makeover?" I asked, demanding for answers.

"Because I can’t let you turn up dressed in rags and looking the way you usually do," Hayden answered matter-of-factly.

"Turn up where? Where are we going?" I asked, raising my voice a little to get his attention.

"You’ll find out soon. At least now you sorta look the part…" Hayden said, his eyes glued to the road.

"Look the part? What part?" I asked, getting more confused by the minute.

"Listen to me carefully because I’m only going to tell you this once. I’m taking you to a private party that one of my best friends is hosting. When you’re there all you have to do is act like you’re his girlfriend, ok?" Hayden explained so casually that I didn’t get his message at first.

"Ok…no wait! What? Me…act as your friend’s girlfriend?" I replied in shock.

Of all the crazy scenarios that I had imagined, faking to be his best friend’s girlfriend wasn’t on my list of crazy scenarios. Then again, Hayden asking me to go on a date with him was probably more far-fetched than what I’m facing right now.

"Isn’t that what I just said?" Hayden said with a hint of annoyance.

"No…that’s crazy. There’s no way that I’m doing that…" I said firmly, my voice getting louder.

"Guess you’ve suddenly got the 500 million dollars to pay my old man back now, huh?" Hayden asked, his tone so sarcastic that I wanted to box him in the ear.

I wanted to scream at him. How dare he rub my debt in my face like that? I hated what he was doing so much but as much as I hated to admit it, he was partly right. This was part of fulfilling the deal that I had made with his father. However, how am I supposed to act like a fake girlfriend for a guy that I have never met before?

"So…what do I have to do…exactly?" I asked after letting out a resigned sigh.

"Now you’re finally getting it. The friend that I’ve got to help out is the son of a very large conglomerate dealing with shipping and cargo and the like. Basically, his father is trying to get him to date an heiress to a rather big empire made of cash.

However, as you would expect the classic story to go, my friend has no interest in that girl and that is where you come in," Hayden explained before turning to wink at me.

"I guess I have to play the role of his girlfriend to get keep that girl away and to show her that he already has a girlfriend?" I stated my best guess. This is getting so messed up.

"Exactly right. So, during the party, he will introduce you as his girlfriend and you just play along. Simple," Hayden said.

He surely made it sound like it was nothing at all. Of course, he could say it however he wanted because he wasn’t the one all dolled up to fool the world.

"Why do I have to do this? Can’t you…hire some girl to do it instead? She’ll probably do a way better job than me," I said, trying to convince Hayden to change his mind and perhaps, turn the car around?

Hayden glanced my way and chuckled at little.

"You’re perfect because you can look decent while not looking like a hooker. If we’re going to convince that heiress then the girlfriend can’t be some supermodel or hooker, otherwise, she’ll just think that it isn’t a serious relationship," Hayden explained.

"Aha…" I mumbled, not quite buying his argument but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

The fake eyelashes that I had on felt heavy. My makeup was thick, my high heels were too high, the slit running up my thigh was too revealing, and the waist of my dress felt too tight. Overall, I felt like a walking disaster and couldn’t wait for this to be over and done with.

"We’ll be arriving soon. My friend’s name is Josh. He’s a decent looking guy…or so the girls say…" Hayden told me while he continued driving us to our next destination.

I sat back in my seat and prayed that I could somehow pull this off. I rolled my eyes at Hayden. At that point, I wanted to scream at him that I couldn’t care less what his friend was called or how decently looking he was…

 

Chapter 39: My Fake Boyfriend

A quick whiz of a private elevator ride took us up to the top floor of the hotel where the exclusive party was being held at the rooftop bar. The moment that the elevator door opened, it was like I was transported into another world or a parallel universe. Everyone in the party had the aura of being someone important or famous and they were all dressed the part.

I gulped as I felt my legs shaking. Now, I understood why Hayden needed to bring me to Bruno’s for a complete makeover. No way in hell, would anyone believe that I’m the host of this party’s girlfriend if I hadn’t played dress up. With my makeover, at least I could somehow blend in with this crowd.

Feeling so nervous and out of place, I glanced over at Hayden just to see that he looked so comfortable where he was. It was like he belonged naturally in this environment and that reminded me once again of how different we were.

"Follow me," Hayden whispered softly into my ears before I felt the warmth of his fingers gently circling my wrist as he took my wrist into his hand.

"Oh…ok…" I replied softly, slightly in a daze. My mind focused on the gentle touch of his hand around my wrist.

Hayden led me through the crowd until we came to an entrance that seemed to be restricted. There were two very big and tall guards standing on either side of the door. However, they nodded firmly in acknowledgement when they saw Hayden’s face. One of the guards bowed politely and opened the door for us to enter.

"Oh wow! Finally…you’re here, Hayden!"

A man’s voice called out excitedly the moment that we walked in through the door. I didn’t have to make a wild guess to realize that that voice belonged to Josh, one of Hayden’s best friends…and my fake boyfriend for the night.

"I wish I didn’t need to be here…but…" Hayden said to his friend in a monotone voice.

"Don’t be like that! You’re going to kill the mood," Josh said as he came to clap Hayden on the back.

"Yeah…whatever you say…" Hayden replied coldly, shrugging off Josh’s arm from around his shoulders.

I just stood behind Hayden as the two men spoke to each other, unsure what I should be doing in this situation. Do I introduce myself?

"Oh...and who would this stunning woman be?" Josh said as his eyes fell on me.

Now that he was up close, I had to say that Josh was way more than decent looking. He was at least worthy of the words ’super handsome’. Josh had very sharp and manly features, dark brown hair and matching eyes and a beard. His piercing only added to his alluring bad boy look and the thin white shirt he had on did nothing to hide his rip tan muscles that were underneath.

He wasn’t as tall as Hayden, but he was still very tall and his smile was stunning as well.

I guess just like how beautiful girls like to stick together, good looking guys probably did the same?

"This is Malissa," Hayden introduced me curtly.

"I didn’t know that you had a girlfriend," Josh said, his eyes never leaving my face. His intense gaze was starting to make me blush.

"She’s not my girlfriend but she’s going to be acting as your girlfriend for the duration of this party," Hayden stated factually.

"Oh…so she’s the one that you were telling me about. I honestly didn’t think that she would be such a beauty," Josh said as he smiled at me.

"Thank you…nice to meet you," I said a little shyly.

"The pleasure is all mine, trust me," Josh said, his smile reaching his eyes.

Josh seemed like a very nice and easy-going person. His way of speaking was kind, refined and well-mannered, although he could sound a little on the flirty side. However, I didn’t mind that.

"So, what do we do now?" Hayden asked, impatiently.

"Janine should be here soon…unfortunately," Josh said as he shook his head in dismay.

"Well, good luck to you both," Hayden said, clearly suggesting that his role was over and that whatever happened next wasn’t his problem.

"Have a seat, Malissa," Josh said as he gestured for me to sit on the long red velvet sofa.

Hayden sat down on a sofa on the opposite side without waiting for an invitation. I could tell that he felt totally at home in this place.

"Thank you…" I whispered politely as I approached the sofa and slowly sat down.

I wondered what I had to do exactly when Janine arrived. I still felt a little awkward around Josh and the fact that Hayden is just sitting there wasn’t helping at all.

"Don’t worry. I’ll do all the talking and you just need to follow along, that’s all," Josh said to me as if he could read the worry in my mind.

Josh came and sat down next to me. I wasn’t sure if I was overthinking it, but it seemed like he was sitting quite close to me…too close. I could feel the heat of his body as his body brushed against mine when he moved. I felt the head of his thigh next to mine and that just made me more nervous about this situation.

I glanced over at Hayden and saw that he was totally spaced out without a care in the world. That bastard clearly isn’t going to offer me any help at all. As far as I’m concerned, he might as well not be here at all. I felt so angry, knowing that I’m stuck in this bizarre situation because of him and he’s not doing anything to take responsibility.

"Umm…ok…" I mumbled in response.

Josh flashed me a reassuring smile and asked if I wanted something to drink. I knew that I wasn’t great at holding my alcohol, so I asked for some juice instead. I could definitely use the sugar right now. A waiter appeared in no time at all to serve my order. I sipped at the juice as I pondered what best to do in this situation.

Without another option, I decided to let Josh take the lead and just do whatever seemed to make sense at the time.

 

Chapter 40: Meeting an Heiress

"So, how do you know Hayden?" Josh asked as he tried to make light conversation with me.

Unknowingly, he’s causing both Hayden and me much discomfort. I glanced over at Hayden, begging him to answer the question. I bet Hayden had decided not to tell anyone about our strange living arrangement and relationship. I mean, even I decided not to tell anyone about our bizarre situation.

"She’s just a girl that I know…" Hayden answered vaguely.

"Oh yeah?" Josh replied, clearly dissatisfied with Hayden’s vague answer.

Thankfully, Josh didn’t push the topic any further and switched to asking me random questions about myself instead such as what I was up to lately. He showed genuine interest when I told him that I’m studying art. Overall, Josh and I seemed to get along just fine, and he was a very sociable person.

"Do you have a good memory by any chance?" Josh asked out of nowhere.

"I guess my memory is decent…" I replied, a little surprise at his seemingly random question.

"Good…read and remember this," Josh said as he took out a small piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it over to me.

I looked down at the paper in my hand and realized that it was a mini factsheet about Josh. Details such as his birthday, favorite food, favorite color was among the various things listed there.

"I see…" I muttered.

I guess I must learn this in case I’m asked. I found this quite amusing and began chuckling a little to myself.

"I see why you think this is funny," Josh said.

"Do you really think that she may ask these questions?" I asked.

"You never know…I hope these questions are the only thing she asks…" Josh muttered under his breath as if he was talking to himself.

I couldn’t help but notice that he was the stark contrast to his best friend, Hayden. I wonder how these two became best friends despite being polar opposites. The more I chatted with Josh, the more I managed to relax, and I began to enjoy myself and his company.

Reflecting on Josh’s situation made me realize that his situation wasn’t exactly that different from mine and Hayden’s. I guess parents of the rich and wealthy had a thing for arranging marriages for their children. The big difference was that I owed Hayden’s father a huge debt while the other girl in question was a rich heiress in her own right. I guess I could understand him…

I studied the paper and committed the details on the paper to my memory as best as I could.

"Miss Janine is here," a bodyguard came in to inform us.

At his notice, I sat up straight and alert on the sofa. Janine is here! Switch into fake girlfriend mode now! What am I supposed to do?

Josh sighed loudly and I could tell that he was dreading the arrival of this moment a lot more than I did. Slowly, as if his body weighted a ton, Josh got up from the sofa and extended a hand towards me.

"Let’s go face our princess…" Josh said as he beckoned me to take his hand.

Although I was confused, I decided to take his hand and he pulled me firmly to my feet. I guess we’re not meeting that Janine person here in this private lounge after all.

"We’re not meeting her here?" I asked.

"No…we’ll be meeting her in another room. This private longue is usually reserved for Hayden, me and a couple of our other friends," Josh explained as he headed for the door.

I glanced over at Hayden who was still seated. Was he honestly going to let me go with Josh alone? How heartless could this guy be. However, just when I reached the door, Hayden sighed loudly and got up from the sofa. I turned to look at him in amazement. For some reason, I felt more reassured now that Hayden was coming with us.

"What are you looking at?" Hayden asked as he walked past me and out the door.

For the life of me, I could never figure out what Hayden was thinking. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before following the two guys out the door. We followed Josh through the throng of people who were enjoying themselves. Dancing and networking seemed to be the main activity of his party.

Josh greeted and was greeted by many people along our walk there. Hayden was greeted by many people as well, but he only responded by a brief wave of his hand. We arrived at our destination much faster than I had thought.

Now that we’re standing right in front of the door to the longue where Janine was waiting for us, I felt extremely nervous. I could feel cold sweat on my hands.

"You don’t have to do anything…just hook arms with me and sit by my side, ok?" Josh said as he offered me a cheerful smile.

Josh took my left hand and placed it on the crook of his arm. I glanced over at Hayden nervously only to see his expressionless face staring back at me. His light blue eyes were completely void of emotions. The next moment, I heard the door opening and I was being led into the room by Josh.

This is it…

"Josh…and Hayden"

A woman with beautiful sun-tanned skin and long auburn hair greeted Josh and Hayden the moment that we entered the room. She obviously knew the two guys. After that she narrowed her eyes at me as she seemed to have registered my presence and how I was holding onto Josh’s arm. However, she did not say anything to me at all and perhaps, that said it all.

"It’s good to see you again," Josh said, sounding very diplomatic.

The smile that was on Janine’s plump lips fell and tension rose exponentially in the room. I tightened my hold on Josh’s arm as my nervousness returned. Janine’s presence was somehow very intimidating. I wasn’t sure if it was her beauty or the way she handled herself but there was something about her that felt like serious business.