“Hold it!”
I ran towards the elevator but I watched the man in it stand still, eyes focused on me like a devil as I struggled. He had his hands buried in his pocket without budging.
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“I said, hold it!” I said sternly as I finally caught up right in time before the elevator closed up.
I was breathing heavily and as I managed to catch my breath, I looked up at his face that was staring down at me.
“Hmm. Quite athletic,” he said.
His voice was deep. It has some depth to it that I can’t explain and his eyes. Oh, his eyes were gorgeously intimidating.
“I…I said hold the doors.”
“Uhmm…” he cleared his throat as he turned around to face me with his hands still in his pockets.
“It wasn’t so clear, I must say.”
“You knew I was talking about the door.”
“You could mean hold still. For me to hold still.”
“What?”
“I’m saying. Your words were ambiguous,” he replied and the elevator door chimed open. “Ha. I guess, I'm stepping out.”
He was dressed in a grey suit that gave off the same bossy aura he was exhibiting. I watched as he swayed his hips in his pants with one foot right in front of the other in all masculinity.
I scoffed at his retreating back as the elevator door slowly closed up and then, my phone rang.
“Hey, Christian!”
“Oh, heyyy. That sounds pretty aggressive.”
“Please, don’t mind me. I guess humans tend to have an impact on your mood.”
“Hit me with the anchor.”
“Oh, it’s nothing that serious,” I retorted.
“Still might be interesting,”
The elevator door dinged open and I stepped out with my free hand clutching my novel and laptop to my chest as I walked out of the library
“There was this…how should I put it…”
“Weird? Random? Crazy? Trying to act like a clown when he is not?”
“I think random would have been the right word if he didn't look like that.”
“He? Look like what though?”
“All masculine and bossy and pompous and tall and…and gorgeous.”
Christian sighed at the other end and I chuckled.
“Enough of him. How’s Piper?”
“Don’t remind me about how hell of a day I have had. When will the holiday be over, please.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t speak about her like some seventy-year-old aunty,” I laughed as I waited outside the library for my cab.
Just around the corner, I saw three black cars parked and in one of those cars, the mighty young man from earlier stepped in with a sunshade perched on the bridge of his nose.
I knew he was rich! I said to myself.
“Who?” Christian asked.
“What? Nah. It’s nothing.”
“Well, I asked if you could stop by for dinner. That’s if you do not mind,”
I thought for a while before giving in.
“Sure!” I said with a smile as my ride pulled up in front of me.
“You should be prepared though. This is going to be a different type of dinner and you don’t have to worry about Piper. The babysitter would be here.”
“Are we going somewhere far?”
“Not exactly but we are going somewhere…different.”
Navigating life with Christian in it has made life a little less appalling. How we grew from the teacher and parent relationship to being friends is what I cherish.
“I don’t wanna be shocked.”
“Oh, sweetie. You will be!”
Lionel
I looked her dead in the eyes and said. “You are the worst human to walk this surface!!” to be honest, I had no idea where that came from but I couldn't help it.
She gasped, her head obviously spiraling around this evil speaker.
“Stop staring. Get a napkin!”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry!” she said, hurrying away to grab a napkin and back as she began to wipe my pants.
“What the heck do you think you’re doing?” She looked frightened and confused. She had no idea what else she was meant to do or what she was doing wrong.
Everything was just pissing me off. After that phone call, everything irks me.
“I’m sorry, Mr Lionel,” she said softly with a devastated look. One thing about me, I never raised my voice even though I was discontented but I spoke with the utmost scorn.
“It’s okay, Liv. You can leave,” my friend Allen said and she nodded with a sad expression on her face before walking away.
“What’s wrong with you, Thomas?!” Allen’s voice was stern as well as his look.
“Don’t call me that!” I furrowed my eyebrow, waving him off before taking a sip of my drink.
“You act like one.”
“Like a Thomas?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him for a while before bursting out in loud laughter and he joined. “What does that even mean?”
“I mean, I have no idea as well,” he giggled. My smile was slowly fading off and his face was fitting into my facial expression.
“I need to be home in the next two hours.”
“Home as in “home” or h-o-m-e?”
“Dude. What are you even saying? I’m talking about the estate.”
He kept a straight face. He knew how much I hated going home. Facing my dad and good lord, Liam who was my elder brother.
“I could come with you if you want.”
“It's dinner. Father wants to introduce us to his business associates and to make some memories before he forgets them again the next minute.”
“Come on. Don’t sound like a bad child.”
“You know I’m not the one who fits in that category.”
“Yeah, Liam does,” Allen said and we both laughed and nodded.
After hours of preparing and being on the plane, I finally got home.
“I do not miss this place!” I said to myself as I buttoned my suit, standing in front of the properly lit estate.
I walked in and the staff by the door slowly pushed the giant doors open. As I stepped in, I was greeted by the subtle piano and violin going on in the background and indistinct voices.
I let out a deep breath as I approached my brother.
“Lionel,” he called as he pulled me in for an awkwardly tight hug. “Oh, sweet little brother. How good it is to see you!”
“I’m not very sure of that,” I responded as I pulled out of the hug, adjusting my suit.
“That's not so welcoming of you,” he grinned and I scoffed.
“Where is Father?”
“There,” he pointed at the front where he was sitting in his wheelchair facing everyone.
“Hello, everyone,” he started and the whole room went quiet with their focus on him. “I believe everyone knows the reason why this dinner is being held.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Liam whispered to me and I gave him a side eye before looking back at Father.
“Today, I would like to introduce my two sons to the business world. Lionel…Liam. Come forward.”
As we stood before the crowd, my eyes scrolled through everyone in the whole room and my mind traveled back to how I didn't want to be a part of this world.
Just as I was going to withdraw my stare, the whole room seemed to freeze as my eyes settled on her.
The girl from the elevator. Her look was distinct, it was hard to forget her.
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