“A bottle of Rosé for the lady" Damien ordered, laughter still clinging to his voice "I'll have the usual."The others called out their drink orders, Ian included, the waiter, a young woman in a black mini dress fishnet stockings and neon green stripper heels, penned down our drink order and left. “When was your last game you?” Damien implores accusingly. Rollings flicked his fingers as if doing a mental calculation, a platinum cuff around his wrist above the sleeves of his navy blue sweater pushed off his forearm exposing golden skin pulling taut around his thick biceps as he gestured “He’s only attended twice since...” a nudge of his chin at me.I looked between the two men, did they mean me? What were they talking about? And what did that have to do with me?The man who has uttered only one word since our arrival shifted slightly, his tatted hands shuttling a deck of red cards between his fingers.Beside me Ian shifted, his thigh meeting mine as he spread his legs to get comforta
My heart was in my throat when Rollings upturned his card, Ronan tossed his to the table with a huff. Beside me, Ian smirked. “Damn, should have folded” golden boy growled. And then it was Saint, Ian, and I. Why was I shaking? I could barely keep my ass on the stool.While holding my cards because it was a better option than Rollings’s hand.“Show us what you got shortie” I almost had my cards flat to my chest, I can’t believe I forgot him. “You first” Damien laughed his straight white teeth gleaming against the tanned skin of his face. No one had to tell me he was the aggressive loud loud-mouthed one in the group. Rollings is obviously the pretty boy ex superstar, I mean he was America’s golden boy. Talented and attractive. Quinn played the part of a filty rich arrogant CEO, obviously. Ian… sometimes he could be teasing and light, cool evening. Other times intense and single mindedly focused. It was almost strange that I used to be terrified of him when we first met, and how h
“Are we gonna keep playing or are you boys tired of losing?” Someone scoffed and Damien tossed back his drink, in one go. “Oh, I can go all day shortie”“Watch it,” Ian growled. "Last warning"That infuriating smile remains and I get the feeling he was doing it to needle Ian which makes me smile.I would never understand the dynamics of male friendships, they were constantly cursing out and ribbing at each other, the amount of curse words that flew about was enough to make me blush or feel the need to scrub my ear after this evening.I let out a sigh of relief when Saint goes back to shuffling the cards and the game continues. Crap, that was intense. “I’m out” Ian announced, two games later, cards abandoned on the table. And only a handful of chips left. “I can give you some of mine” was that allowed? He was kind enough to lend me some of his at the beginning after all. He dipped his chin and I felt his breath fan my ear, trailing his fingers over my arm “I’d rather play with you
I hate this.I hated every moment of this. I so badly want to toss the bags at Monica and tell her to carry her bags herself if she wanted so many purchases. This is what you get for being a people pleaser Katy. I chastise internally. Sometimes I wished I could just open my mouth and say half the things I think about. defend myself for once. But I don’t, I try, but the words just... don’t come. A few times, I’ve even gone as far as rehearsing the words in front of the mirror, straightening my spine and shoulders to project confidence. No, I can’t help you today. Sorry, I’ve already made plans. And the most important from when I was six, No, I do not wish to give you my toy. Darn it.So I wish and wish and wish Some more-“Oof!” I screech, as I bounce off a hard surface, the bags flying from my arms and the contents spilling out and falling down on my butt, my right elbow protests as I landed slightly to the side. I suck in a deep breath, waiting for the pain to pass as I silently
“This is your fault you know?” Eunice says from the front of the car. “If only you hadn’t wasted so much of my precious time doing something so little we would be at the clinic already,” she says for the third time, beating her palm on the steering wheel.Looking down at my hands, I bite my lips wondering how this is my fault when it was them two who spent hours at the mall shopping for dresses because Monica insisted she needed something new and then we went back to the house for them to get changed.While I waited, I had fallen face first unto my bed, my mind consumed by thoughts from the mall when I heard Eunice screamed my name. I hurried to her room to see a display of new garments spread on her bed her rage clear on her face. “What is this nonsense?” She snapped, pointing a finger behind her. I had to confess about my fall at the boutique and that we had to bag the purchases for a second time. Fuming, she sent me to mop the living room and vacuumed the rugs until there wasn’t a
As I’m still crying it takes me a second to grasp his last statement. I look at my father.A marriage?“I’m not getting married dad” Monica says with a shocked laugh. “I’m going to be a supermodel like the Hadid sister or Kendal Jenner, I’m not going to ruin my future by marrying so old sleazebag with a pot belly, no way” she laughs once more flipping her chocolate strands over her shoulders.She didn't use to be this bad, when we were little girls, she loved dad when he took us to the park and got us ice cream or toys during his travels, but as time went on, we saw less and less of him as the company took off. I'm not sure if this new attitude toward Dad is a kind of coping mechanism, to detach herself from Dad before he passes so she doesn't miss him much when he's gone. Dad breaks into a fit of coughs, his hands jump to his chest and he leans to his side, I stand up to assist him, ”Careful Dad” I say softly, every nerve-racking cough from his chest twisting my insides and making
“To-day?” I stammered, my eyes wide in disbelief. I’m shaking my head my lips parting and closing. Dumfounded, I try to tell them that I’ve changed my mind just this morning. I don’t agree anymore. “I guess the old man must be in a hurry huh?” Monica comments before slapping a hand over her lips to cover her giggling. "Monica..." her mother chaisted. "Sorry, sorry"I closed my eyes, trying to get my bearings, “Why so soon?” “I don’t make these decisions my dear, but it is not good for the company to remain without leadership, the stocks are wavering it is the main reason they want the new CEO on board effective immediately, I thought you were all aware?” Eunice’s features remained unmoving so I suspect she must know about it to an extent, I don’t know much pertaining to it, only that Dad had to step down, and neither of us can lead a company so never paid it any mind. “What’s with the rush? today?” clearly I’m still hung up on that, “I don’t even know who the man is” the urge to
With a final intake of breath to steel myself, I cross to the door the same time it is pushed open to reveal the same man from earlier, the one who held the car door to receive me and Mr. Alfred this morning, he might have also been the one who drove us here, but I hadn’t been paying attention. He gives me a curt nod before taking a step back and to the said, motioning with his hand for me to walk ahead of him. Don’t tremble, Katy, I think to myself. I say the words again and again that I’m doing this for Dad because he is sick and he asked me to. You can do this Kate. I say once more, flexing my fingers trying not to strangle the banquet of roses I’m holding, willing my knees to hold me up, just keep breathing, I think as we come to a stop in front of what must be the marriage register. The driver walks up and pushes the door open without knocking. With a dip of my chin, I enter. The first thing I realize is that this is a private affair thank God, I dont think I would