Chapter 4
Estelle’s place was a quaint little villa in a picturesque little town just outside of the urban landscape. Set on a hill, she was surrounded by a river, fields of crops and flowers, and little cottages and houses at the foot.
“It’s a nice place for spring break for the college kids,” Estelle explained excitedly with a flick of her brown hair as I stepped into her abode. A homey place with tones of green, mustard, and brown. Stone and wood accents, very personalized furniture, and wacky pieces of art that fit right into the atmosphere. “It gets so pleasant here, and I get a good view on the people to observe their chemistry with each other.”
“Wait, isn’t that stalking?” I asked, a little shocked.
“Something their parents pay me for,” she shrugged, large blue eyes sparkling with mischief. “I don’t report back to them on anything, I only observe who works well with who and see if it’s sustainable long term.”
“Ever been a situation where the person’s brought in an outsider?”
“French people are becoming more relaxed about such things,” she said with a nod of approval. “Parents are more concerned about their children’s happiness over everything else. I think years of the same, repetitive system in the matchmaking industry has made everyone tired.”
“I wish America was like that,” I sighed. She led us to an open garden where the sunlight fell softly. Calling for her butler, she requested some fresh juice as we sat on comfortable chairs placed around a round glass table. “It’s all about keeping money in the few families that know each other. I do manage to get most of them married outside of them, though.”
“They would usually be the younger children, I believe.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “There’s a strange trend in the eldest children to do as their parents ask. Perhaps to look out for the younger ones. I’ve only met a rare few who go out of their way to get what they want.”
Now that I’d said it aloud, I realized it applied to Cristo as well. It was worse, seeing as how he was an only child. Selene wouldn’t let go of him very easily, and it didn’t help that she was excluded out of the will deliberately. Then again, she couldn’t have anticipated John’s illness. I guess she would’ve been an okay person had John been all right.
But Selene and John aside, I still had no idea how Cristo felt about his mother. There wasn’t much I was going to do to her, really. I’d set up Blair on it and she’d easily fallen into the ploy. She would take the brunt of the consequences, and Selene would be set up for a bad image that would hopefully play in favor of Cristo’s freedom. While I wouldn’t have a direct hand in Selene’s downfall, I did feel bad for initiating it. I was sly about it, but maybe I should’ve planned ahead a little more.
“You seem lost in thought,” she noted as the butler places our drinks before us.
I chuckled lightly to compose myself, “It’s the first time I’ve been this relaxed. I feel like my mind is catching up on some moments of stillness on its own accord.”
Estelle sighed dreamily, “You should think about getting a house in a nice place like this. Very quite and soothing. Even the rain is gentle here. Get a small house, clean it yourself. There’s only so much one can sit about without getting restless. People like us need it.”
It felt nice to be heard and have someone who understood where I was coming from. It seemed like Estelle had a solid way of working that didn’t require her to exert too much energy. Granted, it was slightly questionable. I knew Estelle worked as an undercover matchmaker, which made it easy for her to work on a contractual basis that was flexible. There was too much at stake for the clients to not co-operate with her. But she was also a sweet person who did not take advantage of people, and looked like the kind who knew how to work around tough people.
She was perfect.
We talked well into the afternoon until the sun started to set, and I could feel myself feel at ease as Estelle and I opened up to each other about our lives. Soon enough, I’d brought out the envelope and slid it towards her. She accepted it graciously, and we continued to talk. I honestly did not feel like going back home.
“It’s a common question,” she started, “but as a matchmaker, how easy is it for you to find love for yourself?”
I laughed nervously, “It hasn’t been a smooth ride. Even right now when I feel like maybe I might’ve found the one…there are just too many obstacles in the way.”
“How so?”
“For one, he used to be a client.”
“Oof…” Estelle winced.
I nodded solemnly, rubbing the bridge of my nose just at the thought of Selene, Blair, and their antics. “I just wish I knew how to make us work, but we can’t even trust each other to say where we are or what we’re doing.”
“I’m suspecting this is a case of forbidden love, is it not?”
“I was the one who enacted it mostly.”
Estelle tutted, “Perhaps you need to hire a matchmaker for yourself someday.”
We laughed, our voices floating gently into the beautiful evening sky. The breeze grew sweeter with the flowers around us, and the thought of having a little family in a place like this cropped up. Cristo and I with some pets. Maybe it could…grow a little.
“I have a way of figuring out if someone is worth my time,” Estelle said. “If he isn’t someone you would tell you deepest and darkest secret to, you’re wasting both your time.”
My body stilled, growing cold as I bit down on my lip. She was right, Cristo needed to know about my past if he was to ever understand how compatible the two of us are. Right now, I was just stringing him along and not opening up to him. He has yet to even know about my mom, or see her face.
Cristo doesn’t really know anything about me. I needed to change that.
With desperation in my bones, I get up quickly. I felt breathless, looking at Estelle gratefully as ambition returned in my heart. I wanted Cristo, and I wanted him to know everything I’d been through. I wanted to know what his life was like, and what I could do to make it better.
At least, I wanted to feel like we deserved each other even for a little while.
“Estelle, thank you,” I said breathily. “I…I need to go to him.”
“I wish you all the best,” she smiled at me kindly. With that, I was gone into the wind.