Chapter 56: 56. Invitation
As expected, walking out of the elevator and moving toward the exit, I spot Alicia sitting there with a magazine in her hand, at that very sa ti, she lifts her head from the magazine and our eyes et.
And I must confess, deep down, I feel a pull at my heart. And I know what it is. It’s that familiar fear I always get when Alicia sees
with sothing of mine. The fear that sheep will take it from .
For a mont, that instinct to run and hide what belongs to
fills . To think I was being so brave just a mont ago. Just one look at her is enough to make my bravery crumble.
But then I feel his hold on my hand change. Instead of just pressing our palms together, he interlocks our fingers. His hold is firm and reassuring.
I turn my gaze away from her, "Let’s go." I say with a smile at Duke.
The Alicia I know must be seething on the inside right now. There is nothing she hates more than being ignored. The fact that I just saw her and looked away ans I ignored her.
Coupled with the fact that I’ve been ignoring her for a while now, it’s about ti she reaches her limit of self-control. And if my calculations are right, she’ll explode any minute now—
"Champagne!" Hah, she’s still so predictable.
"Champagne! I am talking to you." She’s almost running towards us. I can see her desperately trying to control her facial expressions as she makes it closer and closer to us.
"Ma’am please stand back." So security personnel instantly move in front of Duke and I. "We’re going to ask you to leave quietly." They say to Alicia.
"Oh, I didn’t an to be rude or anything." I can’t help the scoff that escapes my mouth. Her acting is still top notch. "I just needed a minute with my cousin."
Cousin? She makes
laugh, seriously.
The security personnel looks at
as if asking for my permission. I give him a slight nod and they move aside but not before staring at Duke, silently asking for his permission too.
He gives them a slight nod and they allow her passage to .
"Champagne it would seem your eyesight has gotten worse seeing that you locked eyes with
and did not see
sitting there."
"That’s not the case. I can see most things, it’s just that my brain tends to blur out certain objects it perceives as unimportant, so I don’t have to waste my eye staring at unpleasant things." I say with a straight face, and I can swear I heard Duke chuckle, but when I look at his face, it’s expressionless.
Alicia on the other hand is clearly fighting heaven and hell to maintain that straight face. "Mr Grand, it’s always a pleasure to et you." She stretches her hand toward Duke.
"Dearest, is eting her giving you any pleasure right now?" He asks .
Well, in a way... Yes, I feel imnse pleasure seeing this look on her face. Seeing how desperate she is to gain not just his attention but mine too. Indeed, it gives
great pleasure.
"Actually, for , it does." I say while staring her straight in the eye. "But it shouldn’t for you."
"Then I’m afraid, Miss Gold, that the feeling isn’t mutual. I’m not pleased to see you at all." He says the words in such a languid manner that if I was on the receiving end of those words, I’d be vexed beyond control.
Just like Alicia right now. She’s fuming as she withdraws her hand back to her side.
"Champagne, mom has asked
to invite you to her birthday party." She rummages through her bag and pulls out two invitation cards.
"It’s going to be a simple gathering with just family and close friends. That’s why I ca here today, to invite you and Mr. Grand." She forces a smile over her face. Even that forced smile is beautiful.
"You’re both family, after all."
I have no idea when a boisterous laughter escapes my lips. It’s so loud and undignified. It doesn’t befit the image of a boss, but I can’t help it.
Oh my gosh, that cracked
up to the point of tears. "Family?" I laugh again, "Yeah, I almost forgot." I say as I accept the invitation cards. "We are family, are we not?" I laugh again. "We are very close family mbers. So close that we even shared every man I’ve ever been with." I say those words in a lower tone. But not too low that she won’t hear .
And she hears and the loon on her face is worth it.
I have no idea what they are thinking by inviting
to their birthday party. Aunt always hated seeing
at her birthday parties.
One thing is certain though, they are planning sothing again...
"I’ll_ No_" I wrap the hand holding the invitation cards around Duke’s arm and say with a smile, "We will think about it.
"Lets go... dearest." I think I’m going to have to think of another na to call him other than dearest.
...
"Are you going to attend?" Duke asks as he drives us.
I look at the cards in my hands again, "The date is the 13th of March. We still have a lot of ti to think about it." I simply say. He hums and nods.
For so reason the mood in the car is dull, I don’t like it. "What are we having for lunch?" I decide to lighten the mood.
He chuckles softly as if he can understand what I’m trying to do. "Whatever the Lady desires." He says and moves one of his hands from the wheel and holds onto my own.
I smile and nod to myself satisfactorily, "Alright, I want uh... Japanese." I say.
"Let
guess, omurice?"
I gasp and laugh, "How did you know?"
"Tsk, you’ve really watched too many ani. But if that is what my fair lady desires," He takes the back of my hand to his lips and places a kiss there, "I will get you to the best Japanese restaurant in the city!" He declares.
"Yoshi!!" I exclaim in Japanese and he laughs brilliantly. It’s a lovely laugh. One I want to keep seeing and hearing.
...
Lunch was aweso, I ended up exhausting all the exclamations of ’good, great, aweso and wonderful’ that I’ve learnt from all the Japanese comics and ani I’ve read and watched.
As for the rings, well, it turns out Duke already ordered for customized rings. He confessed this fact to
just in the middle of devouring my omurice which almost made
choke.
Who would have thought he was already planning to give
a ring?
I’m telling you, the more I spend ti with this man, the more I get to know him, and the more I get to know him the more I want him for myself.
Mine and mine alone.
...
Now it’s about 12 in the night and I’m standing in front of Duke’s door, with a pillow hugged to my chest.
Dejavu, I know.
How did I end up like this?
Well, after returning from work, we had dinner with the twins, after which they made us engage in an art class that was solely supervised by the two of them. It didn’t take long for it to turn into a competition, with the twins ruling
as the winner just because I’m mummy.
We put them to bed early. They asked that I tell them the story of David and Goliath in the Bible. Apparently, Emily and Fredrick always told them the story. With Duke’s permission, I told it to them and by the ti I was done telling, Shelly was long gone and Renny was slowly drifting to slumber land.
After putting them to bed, I went straight to my room, but not without receiving an unplanned goodnight kiss from Duke.
I thought the kiss would keep
awake, but it didn’t, I must have fallen asleep the mont my head hit the pillow.
But then, the sleep didn’t last. I woke up from a nightmare.
I thought I had completely gotten over Rowan, but it turns out his words still haunt my dreams.
He was again confessing his love to the younger , telling
how he would give it all for , to make
happy, but then just when I was reaching that height of happiness, I see the two of them, Rowan and Alicia, making love in my old house.
However, suddenly, the entire surroundings change to a place I recently entered.
It changed to Duke’s bedroom.
And Rowan... is no longer Rowan.
It’s Duke and Alicia.
She’s naked.
He’s naked.
And he’s holding her in his arms.
Making love to her... Vehently.
And a cold sizzle throughout my body.
I scream...
And I woke up.
And that’s how I’m here in front of his door, with a pillow pressed on my chest.
I don’t think I can sleep away from him tonight.
I know I’m being foolish and my fear is irrational, but I’m too scared that if I’m away from him for even a second, she would co and take him away.
And all I will be able to do is scream... Just like I was doing in that nightmare.
Dear God, take this fear away from .
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