Chapter 10

Cornelius

I awoke to the light that hit my eyes without warning.

Who drew the curtains?

Lifting my head slightly, I felt a sharp pain pierce my head. Great! A freaking hangover. I barely remember what happened yesterday and normally when I drink too much there's always a naked woman lying beside me. Turning around and sitting up, I tried to take in my surroundings.

Purple sheets? A vanity table? Closet? Woolen rag? A familiar scent of lavender? Where was I? I turned to the nightstand, a picture frame greeting me. Was that? Lydia Hayden and her dog?

I didn't. No. Calmly standing up, I moved around searching for things like my phone. I slept on her bed? With my clothes on? Then where did she sleep? Seeing my Italian loafers on the farthest corner of her room, I put them on taking my wallet on the nightstand.

One word for this morning. I was confused. I had left Lydia's place two hours ago, went to my penthouse took a long shower and now? I was at work trying to focus on the papers infront of me but I couldn't. Accompanied with the migraine were flashes from yesterday. Drinking at the bar, the bartender helping me to a taxi, me giving him some address and from there... nothing.

Not a clue of what happened at Lydia Hayden's house. Question was, what really happened yesterday?

"Man I have some serious documents that need signing!" Jay barged right in, his voice pissing me off.

"Jesus Jay! Can you please lower your voice!" I muttered.

Slamming the documents intentionally on my desk, he grinned,"Oh man I didn't know you had a hangover. Is this loud enough for you?"

He shouted and I gritted my teeth

"You imbecile. Get the hell out!"

Laughing timidly, he winked angering me further by telling me to 'get a life!'

I leaned my back against my swivel chair enjoying the sound of complete and utter silence. God! I so needed to get a life. And just when I thought I could enjoy the peace and tranquility, my phone buzzed against my desk...

"Hallelujah, he picked up!"

"What do you want? Don't tell me she called you to make me go back home, cousin"

"Who called me? Ok maybe she did maybe she didn't. But I missed you. So I was wondering..."

Here we go again.

"Mmh-hmm"

"I want to invite you to one of my shows in Paris"

Paris?

"Nik, you know very well how I get bored at your fashion shows. Sorry to say this but I'm not going. Tell Cain to go"

After all Cain was her brother not me.

"I had a feeling you would say that but tell you what. You come to Paris with a plus one and I'll get mom off your back. Deal?"

"No"

"Nel you do know that mom is planning to say with you in LA, don't you?"

Really? Hell no!

"Mmh...why do you want me to come so bad?"

"I love you but other than that I want to impress some fashion critic who has an insanely huge crush on you. So? Are you in?"

"Fine"

"Remember the plus one"

"Yeah whatever"

"Thursday and don't be late"

And she hung up way before I could ask whether the critic was hot or not.

Again my phone buzzed and without looking at the caller ID, I picked it up. Maria Nicole was one stubborn woman and when it came to things like designing clothes, damn she would literally drag you by the ear just to see her 'masterpieces'. Which was no surprise why she called again... probably to remind me to wear something nice...learn some french while I was at it.

"Yeah...yeah I'll learn some few french words, Niks" I spoke first and what followed was some uneasy breathing.

"Justin? Remember me, it's Fiona" Which Fiona? Fiona. Fiona? Oooh Fiona! Lydia's mother,"you probably must be at work but something happened to Dia. Can you please come check on her? She's in a rough state"

And the call ended. Lydia Hayden in a rough state? What? She had a bad hair day? She lost some killer news that would probably bring down some business tycoon in LA?

Lydia Hayden never in a million times looked like someone who'd be brought down by anything or anyone. One of the qualities that made her outshine the rest of the female population I'd slept with. Still?

What was this new feeling? The feeling of somehow wanting to see why she was in 'a rough state'? Had I said something last night that upset her? The thought of me doing something to her last night scared the shit out of me? As soon as the thought of me physically manhandling her last night came to mind, I was quick to take my car keys rushing over to her place.

xXxXxXxX

Twenty minutes later, I was outside her door. Should I knock? God! Why was I so nervous?

Filling my lungs with much needed air, I knocked twice.

The blonde from the other day, Jessie if I was not wrong opened the door her face concorted with what I would call sadness.

"Justin,"Fiona was the first to welcome me with a hug,"she's in her room. She won't talk to us. Maybe you'd give it a try"

What was going on? The anxiety was killing me so bad? A thin sweat ran down my spine. Had I really done something bad to Lydia? Lydia's dad sat afar off on her bean bag unpertubed by anything.

Swallowing a huge gulp of saliva and like a meek sheep, I knocked on her bedroom door. The same door that I had casually walked out in the morning.

"Lydia"

"Lydia"

"It's Justin. Open the door"

"Lydia?"

I turned my head towards the two women wide eyed staring at me. Did they really think I would convince Lydia to open the door? Me of all people? She hated me! She detested me!

Surprisingly the door creaked open, and I stepped inside.