chapter 6

FRANK

Whatever I was about to say was cut short when Michael arrived, but my eyes secretly followed Andra.

"Frank."

"It's good you made it to your goddaughter's birthday. Have you seen her? She's truly a woman now."

I just nodded, my gaze shifting toward Andra's direction. She was talking to a guy and looked like she was enjoying herself. I gripped my necktie, suddenly feeling as if I were suffocating.

"Do you remember what I told you?" I asked, turning to Michael with a serious expression. The smile on his face vanished.

I noticed Marie approaching us.

"What exactly are you referring to?" he asked in return.

"About Andra," I answered, flashing a quick smile at Marie as she reached our side.

"Let's talk about that some other time. By the way, who is she?" Michael said, quickly changing the subject.

"Marie, this is Michael, Andra's father," I introduced.

"Hello! So you're the father of the birthday girl. You still look so young," Marie greeted cheerfully.

I let them talk because my eyes were glued to Andra. She was still talking to that guy, and I could feel my irritation building up.

"I'll leave you two for a bit," I excused myself, not even waiting for them to respond.

I stopped in my tracks when Marie suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going, Frank?"

"Restroom," I answered, walking away without another word.

Once inside, I let out a harsh breath and loosened my necktie. I stared at the mirror, forcing myself to calm down before stepping back out, but I didn't expect to run right into Andra.

I immediately grabbed her by the hand, pulled her into the women's restroom, and dragged her inside one of the cubicles.

"Wh-why did you bring me in here?" she asked.

I just stared at her with a serious expression; I honestly didn't even know what had gotten into my head or why I brought her here.

"Dad might see us," she said again, a trace of panic in her voice.

"I don't give a damn," I answered.

"Really? And what about the woman you brought with you?"

I couldn't answer right away. Taking advantage of my silence, she shoved past me and hurried out. I called after her, but she was already out the door.

Fuck!

I ran a hand through my hair in pure frustration and stepped out of the restroom, shaking my head. I walked straight back outside and headed over to Michael.

"Frank, so you two go way back," Marie said.

I just glanced at Marie and Michael, my mood already completely ruined by Andra. Michael handed me a glass of liquor, and I downed it in one swift motion.

"I'll leave you two for a moment," Michael excused himself.

"Is something wrong, Frank?" Marie asked a moment later.

"Nothing," I answered shortly. My eyes swept across the venue until they landed on Andra, who was busy chatting with her friends.

"Your goddaughter is stunning. I'm sure she has a lot of men after her."

I turned to Marie, catching her looking at Andra.

I didn't respond to her comment, though I noticed she had shifted her gaze back to me.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning my attention to her.

"Not really, but I kind of want to go home now, Frank."

"Why? Are you not feeling well?" I asked flatly.

"I have a headache."

"I'll have someone drive you home," I replied.

"I'd rather you take me, Frank. I'm just more comfortable when I'm with you."

I paused, taken aback by the tone of Marie's voice and the lingering way she was looking at me.

"Alright," I answered, stepping away from her for a moment to walk over to Michael.

 ____

 MARIE

I suppressed my growing irritation; it felt as if I was actively competing with Frank's own goddaughter. As much as I tried to deny it, I could sense that Frank harbored feelings for Andra. But their age gap is massive, not to mention she's his goddaughter. I can only hope my suspicions are entirely wrong.

I watched Frank as he seemed to bid his goodbyes to Michael, a rush of triumph hitting me. I honestly thought he was going to refuse to take me home, so this felt like an absolute victory. I grabbed a glass of liquor from a passing waiter and downed it in one go.

Just a little liquid courage because I fully intend to seduce Frank the moment he drops me off at my condo later.

"Let's go," he prompted. I smiled and immediately hooked my arm through his.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your goddaughter?" I asked.

He froze, his gaze immediately scanning the venue. I looked around as well, but just like him, I couldn't spot Andra anywhere.

Frank started walking, and I smiled secretly to myself; for a second, I thought he was actually going to try and look for Andra. I made sure to press my chest flush against his arm, doing it completely on purpose.

When we reached his car, I feigned dizziness, acting as though the drink had hit me hard.

"Just close your eyes for a bit," he said.

I nodded and smiled, shutting my eyes just as he told me. All sorts of scenarios flooded my mind as I plotted exactly what I needed to do to make Frank claim me tonight without him ever realizing that this had been my plan all along.

The moment we finally arrived at my condo, I stepped inside, buzzing with anticipation. I noticed him heading straight to the kitchen to drink some cold water.

I immediately followed him. I timed it perfectly so that the second he turned around, we would collide and exactly as I planned, we did. He caught me by the waist, his eyes locking onto mine. My heart was pounding so loudly, and I felt my knees go weak just taking in how dangerously handsome he is.

Is he going to kiss me?

My mind was screaming as his gaze dropped to my lips. Slowly, he leaned down until our lips finally met. I wrapped my arms around his nape, just about to deepen the kiss and respond, when a sudden ringtone shattered the silence.

It came from Frank's pocket. He immediately pulled away, leaving me incredibly frustrated that my moment was ruined. Fuck! Who the hell is interrupting us?

"Michael?"

I stared at Frank the second that name left his mouth. Without another word, he turned on his heel and rushed straight out the door.

I was left standing there, absolutely seething. He didn't even bother to say goodbye, he just bolted and left me hanging. Damn it! Why the hell did Michael have to call him right at that exact moment? Could this be about Andra? Are they making him go back to her birthday party?

I downed the glass of cold water out of sheer frustration, completely at a loss for what to do next. I didn't know whether to stand up or just lie down; I kept glancing at the door, desperately hoping that Frank would suddenly walk back in. But nothing. I stayed up late, fighting off sleep until exhaustion finally took over, and he never returned.

Never mind. There will be plenty of other days for me to claim Frank, and I honestly can't wait to finally have a taste of him.