CHAPTER 12

         Stephanie didn’t expect to be given the most difficult mission in her life and that was to make Jacob fall for her. When Jacob returned from his date, she couldn’t look him in the eye. She was also hesitant to take the paper bag with goodies from the nearby coffee shop.

            “It’s from Jenny,” Jacob said.

         She was more disappointed when it wasn’t him who bought the goodies but his cousin. “Thanks, that’s sweet of her.” She checked the goodies inside, and when it contained her favorite croissants, her eyes widen in excitement to pair it with coffee.

            Jacob wanted to grab the bag and threw it in the nearest bin but it would make him look like an immature having a tantrum. “Don’t you want to share it with me?” He jested.

            “Of course I will! Coffee?” She asked. “By the way, your mother came earlier and she wanted me to relay a message to you.”

            “Such as?” Jacob was interested in his mother’s latest style when she could have just sent him a message.

            “She said you have a date with Zanetta Matsuda tonight,” she delivered the messaged that Mrs. Gordon left for her son.

            Jacob squinted his eyes while he tried to recall someone named Zanetta, and then he dialed his mother’s phone. “Mom, when did Zanetta arrive?” He asked.

            Stephanie tightened her lips while she listened to his conversation with Carmela Gordon. His facial expressions told her that he was glad the woman returned to the country and she wondered if he has been waiting for Zanetta Matsuda all this time.

            “Here’s your coffee,” she put down the cup on his table along with a croissant.

            Jacob nodded his head to acknowledge the coffee and croissant which Stefan delivered to his table. “I’m not available tonight, Mom.” He said.

            Stephanie sighed with relief when Jacob declined meeting the woman, but it seemed that Carmela Gordon insisted because Jacob’s brows knitted together as he listened to his mother’s nagging on the other line.

            After he ended the call with his mother, Jacob groaned. “She said you know someone who can pose as a girlfriend for hire,” he stated and waited for Stefan to acknowledge the truthfulness on her mother’s claim.

            “Why do you need to hire a girlfriend when you’re going on a date?” She inquired.

            “So it’s true that you know someone,” Jacob got his confirmation. “Good. Can you call that woman for me? Tell her to meet me at the coffee shop later,” he ordered.

            Stephanie panicked that Mrs. Carmela Gordon didn’t waste the chance to put her to work. “I’ll call her later, Mr. Gordon.” She replied.

            “I’ll talk to her on the phone,” he added.

            Stephanie panicked even more and cold shivers ran through her body. “Miss Annie won’t talk to strangers, Mr. Gordon.” She lied but Jacob burst into laughter. “What’s funny?” She inquired because there was nothing funny in her answer.

            “Isn’t it funny that she won’t talk to a stranger but she’s willing to fuck anyone who can afford her services? Whoa, whoever this woman is, I bet that she’s amazing!” Jacob mocked the fictitious woman but she felt insulted especially when it was her who would show up at the coffee shop tonight.

            “An escort is different from a whore, Mr. Gordon.” She tried to explain, but the man only snorted.

            “You’re still young and naïve, Stefan. Why don’t you call her now while we’re having a coffee break,” he suggested.

            Stephanie checked her watch and said, “She’s still sleeping during this hour.”

            “I see, but will you be able to book her services for tonight?” He inquired.

            “Don’t worry about it, sir. Rest assured that she will come to the coffee shop later,” she assured him.

            “Really? You know her, right? Anyway, just tell her to dress accordingly because it’s fine dining.” He ordered.

            “Of course, sir. Enjoy your coffee before it gets cold,” she reminded him about the coffee and the croissant. “Oh, I almost forgot that your doctor called when you’re out of the office. He said you’re out of the coverage area and you missed your session last week,” she said.

            Jacob paled and made a mental note to call the doctor later. Lately, he was confused about his gender preference. Or should he say that after Stefan worked in the company, he was no longer sure about his gender preference? “Did he leave a message?” He asked.

            “Yes. He asked for you to return his call and he said it’s urgent,” she reported.

            “Thanks. You can go home early today,” he announced.

            “Why?” Stephanie asked.

            “I am tired, and I want to look good tonight,” Jacob replied.

            It was only three in the afternoon when she got to her apartment. She wanted to relax but she couldn’t! Her mind was overthinking at her meeting with Jacob Gordon later as a woman. She had been living as Stefan for a few months already and reverting to a woman would be a struggle. Still, she was glad that she didn’t throw her dresses.

The woman was a total mess after she broke up with her boyfriend. She had been telling Tracy that Mark wasn’t into her but she insisted that he loved her! What kind of boyfriend wouldn’t reply to his girlfriend’s messages? What kind of a boyfriend would allow his girlfriend to go to sleep without clearing any argument? What kind of a boyfriend who could ignore his girlfriend for more than two months and acted as if it wasn’t a big deal?

“I went to his apartment and he’s no longer there,” Tracy cried and ruined her make-up. She regretted her decision of letting him go. He might be the worst boyfriend in the universe but she loved him so much!

“My God Tracy! When are you going to accept it that he’s not the man for you?” She yelled at the woman who sobbed between her palms and Stephanie felt bad for shouting at Tracy. She moved closer to Tracy and embraced her. “I’m sorry, but you have to stop thinking about him, Tracy. Look at you! You don’t look the same as before!” Then, she ended up crying too.

“Stephanie, how am I going to go on living without him? How can I move on? For three years, he has been a part of me,” Tracy said while her tears wouldn’t stop coming out of her eyes.

“I’m here for you, and together let’s go back to the time before you meet him,” Stephanie assured Tracy that she would be her support system.

“It’s just hard,” Tracy said.

“I know, but what can we do about it? He’s already moved on, while are you are still holding on.” Stephanie explained.

“Stephanie…,” Tracy cried even more.

“Shhhh now, you’ll be fine soon. Don’t worry,” she promised, and let Tracy cried as much as she wanted. Then she went to the kitchen to get a cold beer and a chippy.  "Here, let's drink until we'll forget about our problem."

Tracy suddenly stopped crying when she noticed the changes in Stephanie's voice. She had been friends with the woman for so long and she knew whenever Stephanie has something to deal with...alone. "What's wrong?" She asked, but the woman only stared at her, and a few minutes later, it was Stephanie who cried. She felt bad for being insensitive earlier! 

"Jacob's mother found out I'm a woman," she replied and sighed continuously while she imagined herself being with Jacob tonight. Carmela Gordon asked her to seduce Jacob but she had no idea how to begin. 

Tracy was dumbfounded at Stephanie's revelation. "What should we do about it, Steph?" Tracy asked.

Stephanie chewed on her knuckles while trying to come up with a plan. She's worried about her future especially when Carmela Gordon threatened her for falsifying her records. She's scared, but she had no idea who could help her at the moment! "Honestly, I don't know. His mother gave me a difficult assignment and failure means I'll probably go to jail."

"What about Jacob? Did he already know about your secret?" Tracy worriedly asked because she's afraid of the consequences that Stephanie would probably face in the future.

Stephanie shook her head to say no to Tracy. "Do you know how scary he is? I don't  want him to found out about me, Tracy." She replied.

"Then, how are you going to keep it as a secret? It was his mother who found out about your secret, Steph! What if she would inform her son?" Tracy provided Stephanie a different scenario that would probably cause more problems in the future.

"That's why I agreed to do anything that his mother asked me to! I want to keep this job, I mean, I went through a lot to get it, but in the end, I might go to jail for faking my identity." Stephanie said.

Tracy narrowed her eyes towards Stephanie and wondered if Stephanie would be able to accomplish anything with Jacob's mother. "You'll do anything? Such as?" She just hoped that Carmela Hidalgo wouldn't require her friend to do something illegal.

"Such as seducing her son as Stephanie," she replied.

"Are you serious? How are you going to do that with your bald head?" Tracy exclaimed at the complications. 

"Have you forgotten that I got a wig after shaving my hair? But, you can still help me, Tracy. Help me with my make-up later," she said. Tracy has always been good with make-up and she needed an expert especially when she had to hide the tattoos on her neck. What a piece of work, she thought!

"You know what, I don't feel good about this, Steph," Tracy informed Stephanie about her hunch that something could go wrong in the future. One mistake would never be corrected with another mistake, and she believed that Stephanie was bound to lose a lot in the process.