Naya was deep in thought as her mother tied the bow of her dress behind her waist. She felt ridiculous in that flowery knee-length dress, and to make matters worse, her mother had put a green bow in her hair. Her parents had dressed her up as a traditional girl who preserved old customs. Outdated traditions, that a woman only had to be a lady of the house.
She rolled her eyes when her mother showed her the sandal, all smiles. It was a pink shoe. She didn't know whether to laugh or throw up.
"Look at you, Naya! You look beautiful!" Her mother pointed at her in the reflection of the mirror, pride evident in her smile.
"I don't know, Mom. Maybe you're missing an apron..."
"Don't be ironic, Naya. You know your father doesn't approve of progressivism in our family."
Anna looked at her mother.
"I don't know whether to feel pity or anger towards you."
"Why?"
Naya took a deep breath.
"You let Dad make you live like this... Outdated, and it's hit me too! I wasn't born to stick my belly to the stove, cooking potatoes for a paunchy, ugly, bald husband, while he drinks beer and burps, while watching TV."
Naya's mother smiled.
"Stop talking nonsense, miss. Your fiancé is in the living room talking to your father while he waits for you to have dinner."
"Oh, Mom! Let me stop by the kitchen before you go to the dining room?"
"Poison doesn't kill werewolves, Naya."
"But it gives him a stomach ache. If he stays in the bathroom any longer, spreading the smell of his defecation around the house, maybe Dad will give up on this marriage."
Mom laughed.
"Naya, promise me you won't upset your father, please?"
"Uhmmm. Does that mean I can upset my fiancé?"
"Yes. But only after your father and I have left the room, so that you can get to know each other better."
Naya smiled at her mother and hugged her.
"Thanks, Mom."
"Now, let's go." She said, pulling away from the hug and the two headed for the living room.
Naya wasn't prepared to meet her boss in the living room, and he too seemed surprised when she entered, accompanied by her mother. He glanced down at her dress, then looked into her eyes, which were clearly debauched.
"Sir? I didn't expect you to visit us, I... I didn't know you knew my father, I..." She stammered and stopped. I could feel her face burning.
"It's good that you already know each other, but that raises a question; where do you know each other from?" Naya's father asked intrigued.
"He's the brother of a friend of mine, Dad." Naya hastened to explain, and looked at her boss, begging him to confirm her lie, in that look. If her father knew she was looking for a job, he'd probably lock her in the basement until her wedding day.
Naya's father looked inquiringly at Adam.
He stared at Naya again, then turned to his future father-in-law.
"We shouldn't waste time with futility. Since we don't need a presentation, we shouldn't wait any longer for dinner." He said, oblivious to the question in the man's eyes.
Naya's father agreed, to Naya's surprise, and invited everyone to follow him into the dining room.
Naya just pretended to eat, pushing the food around on her plate with her fork, while Adam ate as if he had been stuck without food for many days, and Naya's father argued about his work at the oil plant, and Naya's mother ate elegantly and in satisfied silence.
It was with satisfaction that Naya saw her guest finish dinner and ask for wine. It was a sign that they should go to the office. That dinner was a nightmare. She hadn't rehearsed anything for the occasion.
As they made their way to the office, the obvious truth dropped like a bombshell in Naya's head. Her boss was her fiancé! She didn't have time to think about it.
Naya's father handed her a glass with some wine and poured the 'fiancé' some too.
Then he said goodbye and left the two of them alone.
Naya only waited for her father to close the door behind him before placing the glass, with all the untouched wine, on the table and crossing her arms.
"Thank you for not talking about our meeting earlier today." She said, not knowing if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Adam stared at her coldly and sipped his wine before replying.
"You don't seem very modern to me now."
Naya suddenly looked at him, her eyes piercing. She remembered calling him a caveman. And those 1950s clothes really made her words hypocritical.
"They make me wear those clothes." She explained, holding back her anger.
Adam was enjoying himself, but he didn't let it show.
"Am I to understand, then, that a modern eighteen-year-old woman who still lives with her parents and obeys outdated dress codes like a little lamb is what you were trying to show me in the office?"
Naya gritted her teeth in anger.
"I wasn't there for personal reasons, I was there for professional ones!"
"It felt very personal when you called me archaic. I felt like a dinosaur, actually." He said, watching her intently, and finishing his wine, he held out the glass to her. "Pour me some." He said. It wasn't a request, but it wasn't an order either.
Maya looked at the bottle of wine on the table and, taking a deep breath, went over to him and poured it.
"Now drink your glass of wine, Naya. I don't like drinking alone."
She took the glass and tried a little.
"So... You're the... Fiancé?"
His eyes became amused and she realized it.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Naya. I'm not paunchy, ugly or even bald. But as the years go by, perhaps I'll live up to your expectations. It won't be hard to turn me into your 'ideal husband', with you wearing that ridiculous bow on your head all the time. Actually, drinking beer while watching TV sounds like it's going to be the most exciting part of this marriage."
Naya felt his face burn with embarrassment. He had overheard her conversation with her mother.
"I forgot to mention that I was a snoop, and stayed behind the door eavesdropping on other people's conversations."
Adam had a dark look on his face.
"Ah, Naya. I wanted to play with you for a few weeks before we got married, but I don't think we need to wait any longer."