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Chapter 27 Daphne

27 Daphne

The annual Greenway Group charity gala is always a stunning event. This year there are chandeliers hanging from the venue’s high, decorated ceilings, candlelit tables and a live jazz band playing ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Frank Sinatra. Everyone’s dressed impeccably, from the servers to the guests, and all I can smell is a mix of niche fragrances all battling it out in an imaginary projection contest.

Milosh guides me to the seating chart, his hand against the small of my back, thumb rubbing languid strokes against the fabric of my dress. I lean into his touch as I lazily search for our names, not really putting much effort in so I can prolong this as much as possible.

We drove here mostly in silence, with light jazz music filling the space. Tension crackled high in the air in anticipation of what we were about to let ourselves do, and it took every ounce of self-control not to touch him or play with his hair. But now we’re here I can play with it as much as I want.

As soon as Milosh handed the car keys to the valet his hands found mine and they haven’t left my body since. Not that I’m complaining.

‘Daphne!’

When I hear Isabella’s all-too-familiar voice I turn around and plaster a smile on my face. It’s not that I’m not happy to see her; I am. It’s just that she interrupted a perfect moment that I don’t know if I’ll ever get back.

‘Bella, hi!’ I give her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek when she comes to join me and Milosh.

‘I’ve already checked what table you are: table seven, next to me and Eddie at table eight.’ Her eyes find Milosh and her smile turns a little too seductive for my liking. ‘Hi, Milosh, good to see you again.’

‘Yep,’ is all he says as he slips his hands into his pockets.

Isabella gives me a look that suggests she wants to talk to me alone, so after an internal huff I turn to Milosh. ‘Would you mind getting me a drink, please? Non-alcoholic?’

He looks between me and Bella before nodding. ‘Sure.’

He walks off and leaves us staring after him.

‘Daph, he looks good,’ is the first thing she says to me. ‘As in, really good. As in, if I could, I’d drop Eddie for him in a heartbeat.’

‘Isabella, you love Eddie.’

‘Yeah, I do, so that should tell you all you need to know about how good your boyfriend looks.’

I watch him as he orders a drink for me at the bar while a petite brunette tries to talk to him.

‘Ew.’ Me and Isabella grimace in unison when she starts grossly caressing his arm then moves on to his chest before he stops her. He captures her arm and holds it firmly before saying something inaudible to her, then practically flicks her hand away.

‘Ugh, he’s even loyal, too,’ Isabella groans. ‘Is there anything he can’t do?’

‘Not really, no.’ The funny thing is, that’s not even a lie. I think back to earlier in my room when I was teaching him a basic waltz and how quickly it came to him. He almost immediately knew how to lead me in the dance, purely by instinct, and was able to pick up steps with no difficulty whatsoever.

‘How’s it going with you two?’ Bella turns to look at me.

‘It’s going good.’ I smile. ‘Really good.’

‘Are you doing anything with him for your birthday?’

‘I don’t know. I mean, I don’t have anything planned but he might,’ I lie. I haven’t told Milosh it’s my birthday in a few days, purely because it doesn’t matter and he’s had a lot more pressing issues to deal with. And it’s not like we’re actually dating so there’s no need for him to know.

‘Oh, he’s definitely gonna surprise you, in one way or another.’ She looks back at him with a knowing smile.

‘Where are the tables?’ I ask, in desperate need of a new topic.

Originally when I told Milosh we were going to need to fake date tonight, I was pretty excited. I get to live out the relatively new fantasy of us actually being together without any consequences or awkward conversations. But now that we’re here, all it’s done is make me realize how lonely my life actually is. Yes, I’m always surrounded by people but I still have that hole in my heart. That ache for something more.

I will for ever be grateful for my father, my friends and my house staff that have turned into somewhat of a second family to me, but I want more. I want non-platonic affection. I want someone to call my boyfriend and it actually be real. I want birthday surprises and little ‘just because’ gifts. I want the opportunity to learn someone’s love language, and show them how much they mean to me through it.

Faking has its perks, but that’s all it is at the end of the day. Fake.

I watch as Milosh gets handed our drinks and makes his way back to us, his eyes solely focused on me. When he watches me like that it warms my heart. It makes me believe he may actually feel something too. In the short time I’ve been at the gala, I’ve come to realize that I don’t just want someone to call a boyfriend, I want it to be Milosh.

‘Oh, they’re on the other side of the hall,’ Bella announces half-heartedly as she recognizes someone across the room.

‘You go talk to them,’ I suggest. ‘Milosh and I will find our table and talk to you more later.’

‘Okay, great,’ she says, completely disregarding me, walking away. I laugh after her, but my laughter dies as a large warm presence enters my personal space.

‘She’s just a joy,’ Milosh says, handing me a champagne flute. ‘It’s the non-alcoholic one.’

‘Thank you,’ I reply softly. ‘And she’s not that bad, she’s just a little oblivious to social cues sometimes.’

‘She has the attention span of a gnat.’

I just about choke on my drink when an uncharacteristically heavy cackle fights to leave my mouth.

‘Mr Petrov, there are some things we just don’t say out loud.’ I’m still fighting the remnants of a laugh as he looks at me with that bored expression on his face. ‘No matter how true they may be.’

‘Hmm,’ he hums, completely disregarding everything I just said. ‘Shall we go and sit down?’

‘Sure.’

We begin to walk towards our table but are stopped before we get there.

‘Daphne?’ I hear a male voice calling from behind me.

I turn around to see my Cousin Camilla and her fiancé waving, walking over to us.

‘Hi!’ I say and sign, after I pass my drink to Milosh. ‘Milosh, this is my Cousin Camilla and her fiancé Oscar Huang. Oscar and Camilla this is my boyfriend, Milosh.’

A boyfriend, Daph? Bella told me you had one but I didn’t expect him to look like this , Camilla signs, eyebrows raised. She gives Milosh a once-over. To be fair, I get it, he’s gorgeous.

I mean, look at the arms, I had no choice, I sign back, but don’t repeat that part out loud. She laughs and turns her attention fully onto Milosh, waving a hello.

‘Hi,’ Milosh says to Camilla and Oscar, taking Oscar’s outstretched hand for a brisk shake. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know sign language but it’s nice to meet you.’

‘Honestly, neither did I until I met Cam,’ Oscar replies verbally and in sign. ‘But she’s really good at lip reading, so just enunciate your words and you’re good for now.’ To that, Camilla nods her head, smiling before looking back over to Milosh.

So, Milosh, tell me, what exactly are your intentions towards my cousin? Oscar starts translating as she signs.

He looks to me for a moment, his jaw ticking and his eyes moving from my mouth to my eyes before he turns back to Camilla and shrugs. ‘To love her the way she deserves to be loved.’

Well, that was a statement and a half.