Mask of A Legend

by Stephen Andrew Salamon

  “Don’t worry, I put the clean sheets on, and a rose on each of their beds, everything’s perfect. . . . Besides, we don’t know if these girls are going to be like the ones Stephen brought home in the past,” Relinda said. She threw the old sheets in a clothes closet that was directly to the side of her, and then walked back to Sylvia. “I heard that Legend girl was pretty nice, I read in Glam magazine, there was a whole article about her. But, I don’t know about that Dina character!”

  “Would you listen to yourself, you sound like a fan, for crying out loud. You know damn well that those articles or magazines lie about these models’ lives, and just say what the public wants to hear,” Sylvia said, wiping a piece of sweat out of the crevice of one of her wrinkles. “Every single girl that boy has brought home in the past was either a bitch . . . or a bitch!”

  “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit?” Relinda asked. A limo pulled up to the circular-formed driveway and pulsated its lights against the window.

  Sylvia looked out again: the lights shined into her cataracts and a pulsating pain followed. “No, I don’t think I’m overreacting whatsoever,” replied Sylvia, rubbing her eyes and facing toward Relinda. She turned her face back at the window and saw the limo parking. “Every girl who Stephen brought home called me either old bag or old geezer. Then, when they ask me how they look, they bitch at me if I reply, ‘Well, I’m too old to answer a question like that’, and they keep on bitching about it.”

  The limousine doors opened and out walked three figures.

  “That’s because you answered them with a smart-alecky reply. Listen, I’m sure these girls won’t call you, or even me, any names, just wait and see. Maybe these girls aren’t bitches,” Relinda explained. Sylvia looked out the window again and saw the three figures talking and standing by the limo.

  “Relinda, every girl Stephen brings home he wants to have sex with. Therefore, he doesn’t care about the way they act, and for that, they are considered a bitch, whore, slut.” The three figures began to walk toward the doorway. “Alright, they’re coming.”

  Relinda ran to the staircase and inhaled a quick breath, then gave out a huge yell, “Alright, troops line up, they’re coming.” Suddenly, three other maids came running down the stairs. A man, holding a chef’s hat, ran out of the kitchen, and two men with tuxedos on came running out of another room that was directly by the kitchen door. “Alright, everyone line up.” They all ran on the first step and stood in a single line. Relinda then walked over to Sylvia and said, “Alright, whether they’re bitches or not, just remember to put that great mask on that you always have when there’s guests in the house!”

  “Listen, I have been their maid for eighteen years, ever since Stephen was born, I know the drill,” Sylvia reminded. She put on an anchor’s smile that lifted her wrinkles, and showed her false teeth. “See, now is this a face of an old bag who hates every single girl Stephen brings home?”

  Relinda started laughing and the others followed.

  Meanwhile, Stephen, Dina and Legend walked up to the front door. Legend ogled at this massive sight. She stared at the large white door, and the long, massive structure that was called ‘home’ to Stephen. “Now, Legend and Dina, I know you’re going to like Sylvia, but just remember what I told you . . . She’s very old, and she’s kind of grumpy once I leave the picture. She’ll act nice while I’m there, but once I leave, you’re going to see her true colors, but don’t be alarmed, she’s harmless,” Stephen explained. Dina leaned against the doorway, waiting impatiently for him to find his keys.

  “Listen, Stephen, if she’s mean to me, I’m going to let her know,” Legend said. Dina began to smile unnoticeably.

  “Well, I’m going to treat her with dignity and the utmost respect, don’t worry, Stephen. I just love old people,” Dina said. Her mental mask was growing stronger.

  “Yeah well, I love old people, too, but if they act mean to me, I’m going to let them know,” Legend said. Dina began smiling more. Dina’s mental mask excelled toward Stephen, just as she wanted it to.

  “You know, Legend, I wish you would have the same morality as Dina, it would help. Sylvia is like my mother, so please be kind to her.” Stephen then opened the door and caught Dina from falling into the foyer.

  “I will be kind to–”

  Sylvia and Relinda walked up to them and caused Legend to stifle her words. They walked into the foyer, Sylvia holding out her arms and giving Stephen a tight hug.

  “How’s my honey doing?” Sylvia asked. Stephen released his hug from her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “I’m doing fine. I would like you to meet Legend and Dina. Dina and Legend, this is Sylvia.”

  Legend held out her hand toward Sylvia and shook it gently.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Legend said.

  Dina walked in front of her and held out her hand also toward Sylvia.

  Dina wanted to go a step more into showing Stephen that her inner character was better than Legend’s. So she gave Sylvia a huge hug, and said, “You are more beautiful than Stephen said you were!”

  “Why thank you,” said Sylvia. Legend gave a jumbled look toward Dina. She was confused as to why Dina put on that dramatic scene and gave Sylvia a tight hug. The games she plays.

  “Listen, Stephen, I’m going to get some sleep now, I’m really tired. So, it was nice meeting you, Sylvia,” Dina said, fake smile and everything. She started to walk up the stairs and turned around, with a smile. “Oh, oops, I’m sorry, I don’t know where my room is!”

  “Oh, it’s alright, honey, I’ll show you,” Sylvia said. She walked toward Dina and up the staircase with her, while all the other workers spread out and went in different directions.

  Meanwhile, as Dina and Sylvia walked up the stairs, Stephen turned to Legend and said, “Now, my father is probably upstairs in his den, so follow me!” He walked up the stairs and Legend slowly faced toward him, without moving a bit. “What’s wrong?”

  Legend wasn’t moving.

  “No, nothing, I was just admiring your beautiful house as all,” she replied.

  “Thank you, but you could admire it later, because my father really wants to talk to you about something important.”

  “Boy, you’re really pushy when it comes to business. What is it your father wants to talk to me about?” Legend then followed Stephen up the massive staircase, looking about and admiring this vast sight.

  “I don’t know, all I know is it’s about something important. It’s probably another contract.” They came up to the second floor and walked on a blue carpet that stretched down an enormous hallway, with paintings at either end of it.

  They came up to a door that read ‘OFFICE’, and Stephen opened it. Once opened, a voice came out of nowhere and said, “Well, it’s about time you guys got here.” His father got up from a brown, leather seat and headed across his book-filled room with a smile on his face. He came up to them, adding, “Welcome, Legend, welcome to my home!”

  “Thank you, Mr. Drakson, it’s a very nice home indeed.”

  Mr. Drakson guided her into his den and offered her some coffee.

  “Please, you’ve been with us for a while now, call me William,” he said with a laugh. Legend grinned and grabbed her cup of coffee. “Now, I have a project for you specifically, it’s going to be in three days, and this is something that only comes once in a lifetime. Are you up for it?”

  Stephen sat down on a leather couch, but she still stood. “Well, what is it first?” she asked. She gaped toward Stephen, and then back at William.

  “I like this girl,” William said. He smiled at Stephen, then turned to Legend.

  Meanwhile, as William explained the project to Legend, Dina and Sylvia finally reached the guest bedroom on the fourth floor. They talked and laughed while they entered it, as Sylvia said, “You’re a very nice young woman!”

  “Thank you,” said Dina. She lay down on the bed, right away, and massaged her neck. As she lay down, she
rolled her head toward her pillow, and poked the back of her head with the rose that was placed on it by Relinda. She gave out a loud yell. “What the hell is this?”

  “Oh, I’m truly sorry, I forgot that Relinda placed it there,” Sylvia replied in sincerity. Her old body went over to the rose and picked it up.

  The pain from the rose shocked Dina’s mental mask and made it vanish from sight. Dina said, “Well, that’s just great. Thanks to your stupidity, I got a small hole in the back of my head!” Dina’s sarcasm caused Sylvia to laugh, because Sylvia thought she was a nice, gentle girl. Sylvia thought Dina was only joking, or kidding around about such a small cut, that was only an accident. “What the hell are you laughing at, you old shit? I’m bleeding here, and you find it funny.”

  Sylvia looked down at the floor, like a timid lamb, scared and muddled as to why Dina said that so cruelly. She then realized Dina was an evil girl, or her term that she so often uses, ‘a bitch’. Sylvia stared at her suspiciously, trying to figure out Dina’s true evil character, her true colors that make her a bitch. But suddenly she gave up the search, and just smiled to Dina, like she did for all the girls whom Stephen brought home in the past. Nevertheless, even though Dina took off her mental mask toward Sylvia, she still kept on hers when she said, “I’m sorry, Dina.” She then walked up to Dina. “I am sorry, Dina, I forget that the–”

  “First of all, you call me ma’am, and secondly, get me a cold, damp rag, so I don’t bleed to death,” said Dina.

  Sylvia gave her a ticked-off face expression.

  But, even though Sylvia’s mind was angered toward Dina, she still kept on her mask. “Yes, ma’am, I’ll be right back.” Sylvia pivoted her body toward the doorway and exited Dina’s room, saying under her breath, “What a bitch. Another silver spoon thinking she’s gold. One down, and one more to go. . . .”

  While Sylvia went to get Dina a damp rag, Legend was sitting next to Stephen on the leather couch, and hearing William finish with, “So, will you do it?”

  “Well, I’m kind of, sort of, well, I’m not good at giving speeches. I mean, these are abused women, and it’s a charity event, I don’t know if it’s such a good idea to have me giving a short speech up there, and then saying at the end that I’m wearing a ‘Jack Fronter’ ensemble. Why do I even have to mention that I’m wearing his clothes?” she asked.

  “Well, like I explained to you before, he’s doing you a favor by giving the public a chance to see the real Legend. After all, no money is changing hands, the only thing he wants from you is to have you say you’re wearing his clothes. I mean, that’s a small favor as to having you up on the podium, saying a speech, and getting even more media attention, and more famous than you already are.

  “Other than that, you just have to say a simple speech, and then walk off the podium, while waving your hands to the TV camera, that’s going to have millions of viewers to it, and then waving your hands to all the women who are going to be there. In three days, Legend, you are going to go beyond a simple supermodel, you’re going to be beyond famous, you’re going to be a goddess,” William explained with excitement. “I already had some of my employees write out your speech, and so far they wrote everything that the public wants to hear.”

  Legend turned toward Stephen, and gave a simple smile, and then faced William again. She got up from the couch, placed her coffee on a coffee table, and said, “Alright, if it’s going to help abused women, then I’ll do it. But, just as long as no money is switching hands, I’m there.”

  William gave her a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you.” William’s office door opened up and in came Sylvia. “Why hello, Sylvia, what can I do for you?” he asked. Sylvia stared at Legend with vicious eyes, and then turned to William.

  “Oh, I was just saying that I’m going to go to bed now. I already showed Dina to her room, and gave her everything she needs. Um, she poked her head on a needle thorn, but I already gave her a rag to help clean the wound.”

  Stephen got up from his seat. “Is she alright?” Stephen asked.

  “Oh, yes, it’s just a simple flesh wound,” Sylvia said.

  Stephen walked out of the room and raced toward Dina’s bedroom.

  “Sylvia, before you go to bed, would you please guide Legend to her room?” William asked. Sylvia turned to Legend and felt that she was exactly like Dina. Sylvia felt that Dina was a bitch, and so that means that Legend was also.

  For that, Sylvia said, “Sure, after all, I know many blondes who could get lost in their own closet. Follow me, ma’am!”

  Legend looked at her with uncertainty as to why she said such a rude comment. Legend followed her down the hallway and entered her bedroom. “Is this my bedroom?” Legend sat down on her bed and started rubbing her neck.

  “Well, Mr. Drakson did tell me to take you to your room,” Sylvia replied. Legend lay down on her bed and accidentally poked the back of her neck with a rose that Relinda placed there.” Ouch!” she shouted, turning around and finding the rose.

  Sylvia already knew the reaction she was going to get out of Legend, which would probably match Dina’s reaction. For that, Sylvia tried to avoid Legend calling her names, so she took off her mental mask and said with defense, “Well, I didn’t know there was a rose there, ma’am. Besides, you should look where you lie next time.”

  Sylvia stared at Legend, watching and getting ready for Legend’s reaction. Suddenly, Legend gave out a laugh and said, “You’re right, I should have seen the rose. Well, it’s just a simple cut, it’ll heal.”

  Sylvia walked toward the doorway and began to exit the room, saying in a silent way, “Trying to put on the innocent mask with me, what a bitch. . . .”

  Legend pulled over her bedspread covers and closed her eyes, when suddenly a knock came at her window. She shot up, not knowing where the noise was coming from, and then walked about her room, in search of the noise, waiting for it to be heard again. A second knock came, and Legend turned toward her window and saw a shadow of a man, the moonlight shining its silhouette. “Who’s there?” She opened up her window and saw that it was Mark, standing on a balcony that she didn’t know was there. “Mark, what are you doing here?” She submerged herself into his eyes, entering into a trance of love again.

  “Well, I do live across the street, Legend.” He gave her a silent kiss and entered her bedroom.

  “I was just about to go to sleep.” She felt uncomfortable that he was entering her room, in which a single bed stood. She looked at the bed, not knowing if he was going to want to lie in it. “Mark, honey, sweetie, I really have to get to bed now . . . I have an early appointment tomorrow with MG magazine, a photo shoot.”

  “Alright, well, I’ll just leave you be, and let you get some rest, my little beauty. I’ll just go see what Stephen’s doing,” he said. He gave her another kiss and walked toward her doorway. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

  “Alright, goodnight,” she said. He left her room and walked down the hallway. He passed by a room, hearing moaning noises coming from it, and causing him to look and see what was happening. He saw Stephen and Dina lying in bed, kissing each other heavily, and getting ready to do something else that Mark wished he would be doing with Legend.

  He gave out a cough on purpose. Stephen asked, “Who’s there?”

  “Oh, it’s me, Mark, I have to talk to you urgently.”

  Stephen got up from the bed, zippered up his pants and buttoned up his shirt.

  “I’ll be right back,” Stephen said to Dina. She kissed him one last time before he disappeared from the room. Stephen came up to Mark. He gave a twitch to his face, signaling to Mark that he was upset at him for disturbing his pastime. He turned around to look at Dina again, and then said, “You know, dude, you couldn’t have picked a better time to talk to me. Can’t we talk later, I have to get some sleep, I have a big day tomorrow. I have to go with Legend to a photo shoot, and then I have three modeling shows to do!”

  “Stephen, I have to talk to you
about something important, please say you’ll listen,” Mark said. They walked down the half-lit hallway.

  As they walked, Stephen turned to him and said, “Alright, what is it?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Stephen and Mark wandered down the staircase and arrived in the dark foyer. “Mark, come on, what is it?”

  Stephen checked to see if the front door was locked, turned to Stephen and said, “Well, guess what I heard when I was coming home from Julienne Stiles’s home?”

  “Who’s Julienne Stiles again?” They continued to walk toward the back of the house. They exited through the back door and Mark still stayed silent, like he didn’t hear Stephen’s question. They stepped out to the humongous pool that the flowered backyard held, and a single water fountain that was surrounded by green shrubs. Stephen asked again, “Dude, who is she again? I forgot.”

  “Oh, she’s a, well, she’s a new supermodel that was recently discovered. Well, I heard that the–”

  “Mark, what were you doing at her house?” The moonlight shined over his face, and Mark could see some suspicion in his eyes.

  “You know, the same things that I, as well as you, always do,” he laughed.

  Stephen still stared at him with suspicion. “Mark, please tell me you didn’t–”

  “I did, I got laid by Julienne Stiles. Aren’t you jealous now?” Mark said, smiling. Stephen still stared at him with suspicion, but now shock was added. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Mark, did you forget that you have a girlfriend, who is crazy about you, up in that room right there?” Stephen pointed to his house, up at a window, where Legend was.

  “I know, but you know how it is, sex, sex, sex.” Stephen shook his head. “Listen, it was nothing, you know how it is,” Mark added, noticing Stephen was upset.

  “Listen to me, Mark, Legend’s a special girl, you can’t do the things you did in the past, when you’re still with her. She’s not like the rest, she’s different.”