The Magazine

Lincoln Eldridge Lopez.

"What a man." Liliana sighs dreamily and her twin brother rolls his eyes in contempt. He reaches over to tug at the magazine gripped tightly between her hands and Liliana whines. She struggles for a few seconds before begrudgingly releasing it.

"Behave." Lorenzo eyes her pointedly and her hands lift into a sign of surrender. "We need to get to father's event before Melanie calls and chastises us." His words carry humor, but they both know how accurate his concerns are. She looks between him and the Magazine of the best lawyer she has ever seen in action (and they're merely two years apart in age), but finally sighs in defeat.

"Fine." She blows her blonde fringe away from her face and then follows her brother towards the shop's exit. His hands are tucked comfortably into the pockets of his jean and the sleeves of his black dress-shirt is rolled up by the elbows. Liliana looks down at her elegant black dress and huffs. She wishes so much to be in a comfortable jean and a T-shirt.

The passersby eye them strangely as they stroll down the sidewalk in their semi-formal attire, but Lorenzo pays them no mind. Liliana, on the other hand, pulls into herself and rushes to walk beside her brother.

"I hate this." She tugs resentfully at the velvety material of the dress and pouts.

"Behave." Lorenzo smirks over his shoulder and she raises her fist to hit him. He manages to dodge in time, sniggering in childish enjoyment.

"I swear that's the most redundant word in your vocabulary."

"On the contrary," He pauses in front of the entrance to their father's company and pushes the door open for her. "It's a word reserved mainly for you." He grins smugly and her lips part in disbelief. "Milady." He bows sarcastically with his right hand hugging his stomach and his left still holding the door.

"And they say chivalry is dead." The only reply she receives is a disinterested shrug. She sighs. The building inside has been made up rather festively for the ground floor of a lawyer's firm, with strings of colorful garlands hanging from the walls and white wool spread out over the floor to give the illusion of snow. Lorenzo eyes the receptionist ominously, but tugs Liliana towards her nonetheless.

"Ah, the Fernandez siblings. Thank you for arriving on time for once." Liliana doesn't think she has ever heard anyone's words drip with such clear sarcasm and she takes a small step closer to her brother. When the secretary's sharp eyes narrow, Liliana mirrors her hostile demeanor.

Melanie Sanchez is a stern woman with her greying hair always pulled back into a tight bun - perhaps the reason for her constant scowl. Her tight, grey pencil skirt and crisp white dress-shirt is always ironed perfectly. She'd be the ideal woman if she didn't despise children as much as she does.

"Ah, Miss Sanchez. As unremarkable as ever." Liliana's words drawl as she imitates the woman in front of her with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Melanie Sanchez scowls at her and straightens her back.

"Your father is waiting inside. Please do try not to embarrass him."

Liliana's temper flares and she steps towards the woman, but Lorenzo grabs her shoulders and leads her towards the doors to the left. She huffs, blows at her fringe and then follows his lead. Lorenzo glances up at the polished wooden doors and hesitates. His shoulders tense and his hands curl into fists by his sides. The atmosphere is sombre as he rests his palms against the doors. He takes a breath to compose himself, sends her a comforting smile and then pushes the doors open.

Inside, soft classical music dances through the room and voices fill the air in a symphony of low hums. To the corner there is a violin and a piano accompanying each other, and servers in elegant black suits or long black dresses glide through the room with silver trays, carrying various forms of appetizers. Liliana reaches for a crab appetizer, but Lorenzo slaps her hand away. She eyes him innocently and gives a small shrug when he rolls his eyes.

"If you're planning on using your crab allergy as an escape, you might as well not eat anything. I'll string you up by your feet if you disrupt dad's party tonight."

Liliana sighs, tugs her fringe behind her ears and clamps her hands behind her back. "Very well, brother. Tonight, I shall be the most ladylike you have ever seen me," She pauses and gives him a moment to thank her before continuing. "Of course, that comes with a condition." She listens as his groan echoes throughout the entire room, surprised that no one turns to acknowledge them.

"Of course, there is always an ultimatum with you." He looks down his nose at her with his head held high, making him seem disinclined to endorse her rebelliousness. "Out with it, my troublesome sister."

Liliana stifles her laughter and straightens her back. "I do recall a certain someone putting a certain magazine back in a certain shop and leaving a certain someone else heartbroken." Her blue eyes seem to shimmer with mischief and Lorenzo's eyes look up at the ceiling as he mutters to himself.

"I'm sorry, are you perhaps talking about-" His right hand strategically pulls something from inside his shirt and Liliana's eyes widen in shock. "This?" In his hand is the very magazine that she had clung to in the shop. His lips pull up into a smug grin and he holds the magazine out towards her. Liliana reaches forward, but he pulls back just before her fingertips can graze the surface.

"Behave." He pats her head, hands her the magazine and then disappears into the crowd of finely dressed adults. Liliana watches his back as he disappears and grins excitedly. Her eyes sweep the room before she sprints towards the glass doors of the balcony on the other side. A hand snatches her upper arm a few steps away from the doors and she almost cries.

"Liliana Elena Fernandez!" The voice scolds and her spine straightens uncomfortably.

"Yes?" The only time her voice can be heard as meek and insecure as this, is when some form of authority caught her doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing.

"Can you please act like a proper lady for once?" Miguel Emiliano Fernandez grips the upper half of his daughter's arm firmly as he drags her towards an obscure corner of the room.

"Dad." She whines, dragging the word out and he sends her a scolding glare that quiets her. She allows her body to go limp and he finds himself having to scoop her up into his arms to move her. "I'm sorry you saw me running in a dress." She throws her arms around his neck theatrically, almost causing him to drop her.

"Liliana, behave yourself." He snaps under his breath, and she sighs melodramatically. He finally manages to reach the corner with his protesting daughter and lowers her to the ground.

"Congratulations. You've just kidnapped a young woman." She holds her hand out towards him as if meaning to congratulate him,

"Liliana Elena Fernandez." He stares at her pointedly and then holds his hand out towards her. She grins and grabs it, but he pulls away, slaps her hand and then holds his hand out towards her again. Liliana's eyebrow raises and then she tilts her head to the side in confusion.

"Yes?"

"The magazine, Lilita." The use of her nickname makes her melt, and she sighs heavily before finally surrendering the very thing her brother utilized to bribe her into behaving. "Thank you." He rolls it up and calls a server over. Liliana watches in horror as her father hands the server her prized magazine and tells him: "Give this to your daughter. She's a fan, is she not?"

"Papito!" She cries and lunges for the server, but Miguel grabs her hands and pulls her to stand by his side. "My sweet Lincoln, no! Don't take him away!" The server stares at her wide-eyed and hesitantly turns - quite comically - and leaves after her father shooed him away.

"Lilita. Pull yourself together this instant."

Liliana eyes her father irresolutely, pulling away slightly. After a few seconds of them watching each other, she acquiesces and folds her hands together in front of her, interlocking her fingers. Miguel sighs and finally his expression relaxes. He places a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder and then pats it a few times.

"I know that you have never enjoyed these theatrics of a large room with dancing pairs and eloquent conversations, but you are of age now. Your mother, bless her soul," He draws an invisible cross on his chest, kisses his hand and then looks up at the ceiling before continuing. Liliana eyes him oddly, noting that her mother is still alive and well, and that she herself probably gets her flare for the dramatics from her father. "She was hoping that by nineteen you would be able to accept this reality. Accept who you were always meant to become." He pats her shoulder again and then turns her around to look at the crowd of people completely engrossed in their own worlds.

"This is your reality, Lilita." Across the room Liliana can see her brother laughing with a young lady. She's beautiful. Her dark blonde hair is drawn back into a neat, stylish bun. Her skin is pale and painted with the perfect amount of make-up, and long silver earrings dangle down to tickle the skin of her exposed shoulders.

An unsettling feeling gnaws at Liliana's stomach. That is the kind woman her parents want her to be. Elegant, poised and simply put, perfect. Something Liliana has never wanted to be. Her dreams stretch far past the walls of this corporate hall. Far past the elegant dresses and fake theatrics.

"Your mother and I have decided that it is time for you to marry." His words very nearly cause Liliana to choke on her own saliva. Her exclamation of disbelief is so loud that even her brother and the beautiful woman turn to look at them in concern.

"Compose yourself, Liliana."

"Y-you're not," She pauses to try and calm her beating heart. "Surely you are not being serious."

"We have thought about this for long enough to make the decision, Liliana. This is non-negotiable. I have invited you to today's event to introduce you to your betrothed." He grabs the wrist of his fumbling daughter and pulls her through the crowd. Liliana is so baffled that by the time she finally manages to compose herself, they are standing behind a man wearing a seemingly expensive navy-blue suit. She eyes his back skeptically, and despite herself, she must admit that he seems rather handsome from behind.

"Mr. Lopez, if I may." Miguel places his hand on the man's shoulder and his lips stretch into a friendly grin when the man turns around. "Allow me to introduce my daughter, Liliana."

Liliana's breath hitches in the back of her throat and she takes a startled step back. The man returns her father’s grin, his perfect white teeth glinting in the light of the chandeliers. His brown eyes are soft, and his eyebrows perfectly trimmed. His chocolate brown hair is styled back neatly and the gel he used makes his hair seem almost black.

"Close your mouth, dear." In her daze Liliana didn't even notice her mother approaching until she felt her finger gently press below her chin. Liliana turns to look at her mother in horror and she merely chuckles behind her hand. "I told your father that if there is any man in this world that could turn you into a lady, this would be that man." Her words are teasing, and Liliana's cheeks heat up so much that she regrets not plastering her face with make-up.

Not wearing make-up has always been the only rebellion her parents permitted without so much as a word and she has always been extremely proud of it, but for the first time Liliana wishes the ground would swallow her whole.

"L-lincoln," Her voice fights against the embarrassed knot in her throat. "I'm going to marry Lincoln Eldridge Lopez?" Her voice is a pitch higher than normal, and her blue eyes are stretched so wide she can almost feel them pop out of her skull. Lincoln chuckles bashfully, almost as if he finds the sound of his full name a tad embarrassing. He reaches a careful hand towards her and lifts her hand to his lips, kissing it gently.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He releases her hand while she still stares at him as if she's a fish out of water, fighting for its life. "Or should I say - future wife?" He chuckles bashfully once more, and Liliana very nearly loses all stability in her legs.

"Uhm." She pauses and her mother pushes her closer to him. "Charmed?" Her awkwardness is overwhelming and only when her brother comes to stand beside Lincoln, does she feel like she can breathe again. At least until he opens his big mouth.

"Lincoln, it's been a while." He holds out his hand as greeting. "I see you've finally met my sister." He glances at Liliana with a small smirk. "Has meeting her changed your mind, yet?"

I'm going to kill him.

Lincoln smiles and shakes his head. "I'm quite looking forward to getting to know her." Liliana barely manages to collect herself and clears her throat.

"I still think you'll regret it. She's quite a handful." Liliana's eyes widen and she sends her brother a look of utter disbelief. When the music dies down, Liliana watches horrified as the entire crowd turns to look at them.

"I think we'll get on just fine." Lincoln smiles warmly and offers her his arm. She takes a breath, accepts it and follows him towards an opening in the crowd. Once they stop, the music starts to play again, and he rests one hand on her waist while taking the other in his hand.

"Shall we dance, Miss Fernandez? Or would you prefer to read your magazine?"

As if she wasn't feeling embarrassed enough. Her cheeks tint a very bright red, and she refuses to look him in the eye. The thought that he saw her fighting over the magazine with her father has her so mortified she can't imagine keeping a steady pace as they dance.

"N-no." She pauses. "I don't know what you’re talking about."

"Oh? Then I must have imagined it then." She doesn't reply and keeps her eyes glued to his chest as they sway to the serene rhythm of the music. "I wasn't expecting that."

"W-what?" She curses her own stuttering.

"I've never seen a girl fight over a magazine featuring me before."

Liliana wishes she was home so that she could fall onto her bed face-first and wallow in self-pity. "Well, it was a gift." As far as she's concerned, he doesn't need to know all the details.

He makes a sound of acknowledgment. "I've also never seen someone being bribed with a magazine featuring me before."

He. Saw. Everything? Liliana has never felt this petrified in her life.

"It seems like what you're trying to say is that you've never met a girl like me." Her tone comes out snippy before she can stop it and he surprises her by chuckling to himself.

"That, you can say again."

Liliana's heart beats so fast that her eardrums start to ring and she has to bite down onto her bottom lip to keep focus. Talk about a dream come true. Am I really dancing with THE Lincoln Eldridge Lopez? Her thoughts race as they finish the dance and he pulls away.

"I look forward to many adventures with you, Miss Fernandez."

Their eyes stay locked for a few seconds before she manages to form a sentence. "You haven't even asked for my permission yet." Honestly, she has to at least try and keep some of her dignity, even if it is through a false bravado. His eyes widen in surprise and for a moment he fumbles over his words.

"I will be honest with you, Miss Fernandez. It is very rare that someone leaves me stumped." He laughs to himself and then reaches for her hand. He kisses it gently. "Miss Liliana Fernandez-"

"Elena." She interjects. "My middle name is Elena." Her voice is strong, yet soft and he smiles genuinely.

"Miss Liliana Elena Fernandez, will you please do me the honor of allowing me to court you?" His words are old-fashioned and Liliana finds it difficult to stifle her excitement. Although she can't see it, she is almost certain her eyes are glistening as bright as an emerald. While holding his hand and smiling up at him, Liliana takes a deep breath.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Will you ask me again tomorrow so that I can make sure this is not a dream?"

His laughter resounds throughout the hall. His hand squeezes hers and he pulls her just a little closer to him.

"If you say yes, I promise to ask you every single day."

Do dreams come true? Perhaps some do, and perhaps some require action. But one thing is for sure, if you are given the opportunity to be courted by the man of your dreams, you would be an idiot not to take it.

"I think that'll work."

Although Liliana has no idea what to expect of the future, she will always remember that on this day she was one of the only people who ever managed to stump Lincoln Eldridge Lopez.