He took a deep breath and shut his mouth. She won that round. But it would be a long day ahead and there's still war looming ahead.
After a few minutes, they parked at the Nuvali. Even the personnel and the security guard at the parking-ticketing booth were aghast when they saw her. They just ignored them and Deive's pout.
The guards were frozen at first when they passed for security. "S-Sir, are you with someone?" the lady guard asked cautiously.
"I am with my..."
"Girlfriend," she answered right away. "I am beautiful right?" Then she flashed a smile to the lady guard.
She gulped and was hesitant to do a body search. "S-Sir, isn't she dangerous? I mean, won't she hurt our customers?"
Deive just laughed at them even if he was not comfortable. "Oh! We are on our way to a costume party but we have to buy something inside..."
"Costume party? Okay. As long as she won't harm the customers," said the male security guard.
The lady guard was adamant to do a body search first. She heard her uttering a prayer as she searches her body for a weapon. She wanted to scare her some more but she didn't want to entice any more trouble. They would nab her and that would be dangerous for both her and Deieve was already pissed off.
Deive pulled her hand when they entered the mall before the security personnel keeps on questioning them. "Jeez! Maybe they thought you are a lunatic. You must change your look later. I can't explain your costume to everyone, Callea."
"If you don't want me to create problems for you, you shouldn't have forced me out of the house," she said with an arrogant tilt on her chin.
Callea felt cold. Aside from the cold aircon inside the mall, the shoppers' eyes were focused on her. They were trying to make out her face. She suddenly felt uncomfortable and put her head down. She just kept on walking while using her hair as a shield. She felt good because of the collective terror that she saw in their eyes. Right. She should not be ashamed of who she is. Not her problem if people are scared.
"Look! There's a dirty beggar here," said a teenager and pointed at her.
"Maybe she's an actress and there's a shooting here," said the girl.
"Maybe it is for a horror film."
"Why is the handsome guy with a woman who looks cursed?" asked the group of gays.
"Mommy, I am scared of ghosts," cried a little girl around four years old. She hid behind her mom's skirt while clinging to it.
"It is just a costume, honey. Don't be scared," said the mother who gave her a frightened smile when Callea looked at her. "Maybe it is for Halloween."
"What Halloween? It is only March," the husband argued.
"Then perhaps it is for Holy Week. Can we just go? She is giving me creeps!" said the woman and covered the eyes of her daughter.
"Hihihihi!" Callea giggled like a witch so people would be more frightened to come near her. "Look, Deive! They are scared of me."
"You are enjoying this, right?" Deive asked through his gritted teeth. "You are practically dancing with glee while people almost have a heart attack. You are one of a kind, Callea."
"Of course. I earn by scaring off people. I enjoy internalizing and living off my character. This is a rewarding experience. Maybe I can act in a horror film someday or be a mainstay for horror house in theme parks." Deive's face darkened and he clenched his fist. Perhaps he wanted to choke her. She was glad to piss him off.
"You wish! That won't happen. I won't let my bride work on a horror house or a horror film," he growled then pulled her inside the beauty salon.
Callea was aghast and tried to stop him so she won't make it inside. "W-Wait, Deive. I don't want to go there." She didn't want anything that has to do with beauty and anything that would lessen her scary look.
"Good afternoon, Sir!" the receptionist greeted in a cheerful voice. Make that flirty because she bit her lips when she saw Deive. Her flirty look was gone when the receptionist saw Callea who was giving her some stinky eyes. "M... Ma'am?" the receptionist asked and looked at her intently. As if she was trying to find if she was a woman or a human or a non-human who was not part of this world.
"Hello!" Callea greeted the woman then lightly brushed her hair so she could only see her eyes. The woman was teary-eyed and gulped in fear. She looked like she wanted to run and hide but she couldn't because they were still customers.
"Bring me your best stylist. I want a complete make-over for her," Deive commanded then pointed at her.
"Y-Yes, Sir!" the snappy answer of the receptionist and was glad to get away from them. She returned with a gay stylist.
"Hi, Sir! I am Joselito, the goddess of beauty. Are you the one who wants a make-over, Sir?" The stylist played with the tips of Deive's hair. "You don't need a make-over, Sir. You are already perfect. You don't need to change a thing about yourself. Maybe we can enhance it a bit. Do you want a bit of highlight or you want us to wax your body?"
"No, not me. It is my girlfriend who needs a make-over."
The stylist had an animated shock on her face when he looked at her while holding his chest. "She's your girlfriend. Is she from the afterlife?"
"Want to check if I am real?" Callea offered and held her hand.
Joselito attempted to hold her but pulled back her hand hid behind Deive. "Sir, does she bite? We are not insured here. And anti-rabies is expensive."
"The anti-rabies for my bite has not been invented yet," Callea said in a cool voice.
The stylist stomped her feet in fear. "Sir, I think your girlfriend is an aswang." (Aswang - in Philippine folklore, it is a human who eats human innard and attacks its victim at night)
Deive gave her a stern look then brush the hair off her face. "Don't worry. She's a human. Just do something about her hair. Do whatever it takes to make her more... human. I will give you a handsome tip. Okay?"
Then we are good, Sir. I will do everything to make your girlfriend look more human," Joselito declared with so much enthusiasm. When money talks, no task is scary. He laid his hand. "This way, Ma'am. I will make you more beautiful than Catriona Gray and Pia Wurtzbach."
Callea was disappointed. Scaring the stylist was not effective at all. But Deive was not over yet and whispered to her, "Be nice. Don't create any more scenes if you don't want me to take your picture and sent it to your grandfather. The fate of Villa Celesta is in your hands."
She gave him a sharp look but he only smirked at her. He found out her weakness. She had no choice but to march to the hair wash chair where the salon personnel who will wash her hair was waiting.
She could survive this. Anything for Villa Celesta.