Chapter Forty-two
“I’m so sorry I’m late!” A beautiful female rushes up to our table, her long flowing blonde hair falling over bare shoulders. She’s stunning, with tan skin and a light dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Big, blue eyes, framed by lush black lashes, flick between the six of us sitting around the table, the first course already completed and cleared away.
“Savannah!” Sebastian shoves out his chair, enveloping the blonde in a tight hug. She’s in a floor-length, off-white gown, simple in design but on her, she makes it look elegant and intricate.
I see my best friend wince and look away quickly from the two of them embracing, but then Malakai also stands and hugs her, followed by Dean and then Killian, who holds onto her far longer than the others did.
“You said you weren’t coming,” Sebastian says, glancing at me.
“I know!” She dances between her feet, “I wasn’t sure I’d make it back!”
“Shit,” Sebastian turns to me and Willow, “Olivia, Wils, this is Savannah, my sister.”
“Oh!” Willow stands quickly, offering her hand, “Hi!”
I shake her hand after and quickly find a member of staff to bring up another chair and place setting for her, putting her next to Sebastian and Dean.
Malakai leans back in his chair, throwing his arm over the back of mine. I almost jump when I feel the brush of his fingers down my spine.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you look?” He leans in and whispers.
I watch Sebastian and his sister catching up across from me, purposely keeping my face blank when the rest of me is in riot mode, “You did.”
“This place looks amazing,” He tells me, “You did all of this on your own?”
I glance at him, “Yes, the previous planners quit before it was done.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
I nod slowly, “More than anything else I’ve done.” I admit. “Not sure I’m cut out just to sit behind a big desk, all alone in a stuffy office.”
“You’re not,” his fingers continue to move across my bare skin, ignoring the rest of the table in favor of providing me with his undivided attention. “You have far too much energy to sit behind a desk all day.”
I nod in agreement, “I’m thinking of taking it over completely. My managers already run this place fine without me and all I need to do is paperwork every now and then. They don’t need me to manage this place like my dad did.”
He nods, completely invested in what I have to say, even with the riot of sound all around us.
“Olivia!” Savannah calls for my attention and breaking eye contact with Malakai, I turn to face her. She’s young, maybe early twenties and now I know she’s Sebastian’s sister, I see the resemblance.
I fall into an easy conversation with her, trying to keep my attention on her words when Malakai’s hand is still brushing across my spine.
“You’re a dancer, wow!” I beam, “I always wanted to dance but two left feet stopped me.”
She laughs, “It’s a lot of discipline,” she nods, “But I love it. It’s why I was late; I was on tour and we weren’t due back for another week but our last show was cancelled so it was chaos to try and get on a flight. I got back maybe two or three hours ago and then I had to find a dress!”
“Well, I’m glad you made it.” I glance around the table but my attention snags on Killian. He watches Savannah the same way Malakai watches me. Like nothing and no one in the room matters more than she does.
Interesting.
No one else has seemed to notice but he follows her every move, listens to every word and I wonder what that story is.
The main course is served, stopping the conversation momentarily as wine is refilled and plates are placed in front of everyone. But while we eat, everyone still talks, laughs, except for Malakai who appears to be favoring watching and listening over joining the conversation.
It goes that way for much of the meal, even through dessert, and when the tables are fully cleared and dinner complete, Willow and Savannah get up from the table to go to the bar.
“She’s lovely,” I say to Sebastian.
“She’s young,” He grumbles, “And doesn’t understand how dangerous the world is.”
I snap my head back, “I’m sorry?”
“He doesn’t like her traveling so much,” Dean explains.
“Oh.”
Sebastian shrugs and then grimaces when he sees something over my shoulder.
I try to turn but Malakai wraps his arm around my shoulder, stopping me, but he’s stiff, alert.
“Malakai,” the overly sweet voice churns my stomach. I’ve only been in her presence a couple of times, but I know the voice. Know the sound. “You look handsome.” Regina comments.
The cloying scent of her perfume stuffs itself up my nose but still, Malakai keeps a tight hold on me, stopping me from looking at her. I turn panicked eyes to Bast, but he shakes his head at me, curling his lip when his eyes snap to Regina. Glad to know I’m not the only one at the table who dislikes the woman.
“I didn’t realize you were still coming,” Malakai says flatly.
“I wouldn’t miss this,” She giggles, “It’s your event after all. And the Lauder hotel is one of the nicest hotels in the city. I’ll never pass up the opportunity to be here.”
I make a note to ban her account. Petty? Absolutely. Do I give a fuck? Nope.
But it also makes me wonder if she knows who I am. Surely if she knew this hotel belonged to me, she wouldn’t be so willing to be here since her dislike for me is pretty clear. But I’m not important enough to her for her to do even a little bit of research. I’m just in her way and a problem to clear.
She wants Malakai.
Jealousy turns over in my stomach and it’s a feeling I despise. He told me I had nothing to worry about with her, and maybe I don’t, and maybe I shouldn’t feel any kind of way toward her, but that little envy monster inside of me disagrees.
There’s no way I can deny my feelings toward Malakai have shifted, not when the idea of her being so close to him makes me want to pull her hair out.
“Will you save me a dance?” She asks, and I can imagine her fluttering her lashes.
“No.” Malakai answers in a tone filled with disdain. “Now please excuse me, my wife needs a drink.”
He gets up, bringing me with him and still, I haven’t laid eyes on her, nor does it appear I will as I’m steered away from the table and walked to the bar.
“She doesn’t belong in the same space as you,” Malakai whispers, “I apologize if you thought that was rude.”
“I don’t like her. Does she not realize this is my hotel?” I ask.
He chuckles, “Not many do. Unfortunately, I work closely with her father, but clearly, she hasn’t put your surname and this hotel together.”
“My sympathies.” I grimace, joining the girls at the bar. “I actually need to go to the bathroom.”
“Oh, I’ll come!” Willow pipes up, “Sav?”
“Nah, I’m going to catch up with the guys,” She smiles before she plucks up her drink and makes her way back to the table.
“She’s nice,” I say to Willow.
“Mm,” Willow agrees, “Not going to lie, thought she was someone else when she came to the table.”
“You thought she was with Bast?”
She nods, “I didn’t like it which is weird because we’re just friends.”
I purse my lips and don’t say a word. I push open the door to the bathroom, locking myself in a cubicle to do my business and Willow does the same. The door opens a few seconds after, and the woman’s heels click on the marble tiles of the floor. There were only two stalls so she’s waiting for one of us to finish.
I’m the first one done, so after I flush, I make sure my dress is all in place and hurry out of the stall only to stop abruptly when I see who is staring back at me from the mirror.
Regina looks gorgeous in a full black dress, the cut low and risqué but on her body, it looks incredible. Sheer panels work up the sides of her dress, revealing no panty line and her strawberry blonde hair tumbles in waves around her shoulders.
Her makeup is all glam, bright red lipstick and smoky eyes. She has this femme fatale vibe going on and it annoys me.
Cooling my expression, I choose to drop her glare and step up to the basin, turning on the water before I reach for the soap.
“He’ll get bored.” She says. I still feel her eyes on me but choose to keep mine down, watching the soap work into a lather between my palms.
“We all know it. I don’t know why you keep trying.”
I don’t correct her that, I am, in fact, not trying anything. Malakai wanted this marriage, not me. Things may have changed a little since then, but we started because of him.
“Being the other woman is not a pretty look.” She continues.
I can’t help it, I laugh.
“Firstly,” I meet her stare in the mirror, “To be the other woman would imply Malakai was with someone else.” She curls her lip, “Secondly, I’m the one with his ring on my finger and his last name attached to mine, which would suggest any woman that isn’t me, would be the other woman.”
“You can put a collar on any stray,” She spits, “but it doesn’t make it a pedigree. We all recognize trash when we see it. You don’t belong here.” This bitch did not just refer to me like I am a dog.
I can hear Willow scrambling to get out the stall, but I don’t need her to back me up on this.
“I don’t belong here?” I laugh without humor, “Where do I belong, Regina?”
“Wherever it is you crawled out from.”
“Do you know who I am, Regina?” I ask her seriously.
“You’re not worth knowing.”
“Look, I don’t know what weird claim you think you have on my husband but fighting with me is not going to win you any battles. Desperation is not a good look.”
“Malakai is mine. So how about you just disappear.” She shrugs and gives me a fake as fuck smile.
“Malakai is not an item one can pick up and put in their pocket. That man can’t be owned.”
“And that right there is why you’re not right for him.”
She’s so sure on her answer she drops my eyes and goes back to touching up her red lips.
“Why don’t you go tell that to him?” I challenge, “I’m sure he’d love to know.”
“We were good before you turned up.” She meets my eyes again, venom and hate radiating from her. “He would be married to me right now. So, you need to leave so I can have what is rightfully mine. Know your place before you get hurt, honey.”
“You like this hotel?” I lean on the counter just as Willow exits the stall, going straight for Regina. I grab her wrist and drag her back, shaking my head at her. She relents but not before her eyes cut through Regina as if she could end her with a look alone. For me, she would, which is why I stop her.
“It’s going to be mine.” She tells me, “I know Malakai is working on procuring it. Just for me.”
Now that is funny.
“Is that right?” I glance at Willow whose eyebrows have shot up to her hairline.
“Yes.”
“I wonder when that meeting is going to go ahead,” I say as if thinking out loud, “Did you know the hotel was for sale?” I ask Willow.
“News to me.”
“Why would you two know anything?”
This is juvenile. And boring.
“This hotel belongs to me, Regina. If you had bothered to look into me at all, you’d realize my last name isn’t just Lauder, it’s the Lauder. I am Olivia Lauder, the current and only owner of the Lauder Hotels and Resorts. This is mine, and I’m not really sure how you didn’t make the connection.”
Shock crosses her face before she masks it quickly and steps away from the basin. She closes the gap between us, looking down her nose at me.
“Leave him,” she warns in a low voice, “Before you get hurt.”
I shake my head and step back, putting the space back between us. “Your desperation is ugly, Regina.” I turn my back on her, ready to end the conversation there but my hair is suddenly yanked, hard.
My scalp burns with how hard she’s just pulled me back and I almost lose my footing, barely managing to catch myself before I fall on my ass. I swing around, startling her enough that she lets go of my hair.
I don’t even realize I’m doing it when my hand swings back and I clock her straight on the mouth with my fist.
I was aiming for the nose.
Pain bursts in my knuckles and I’m pretty sure something just cracked, but Regina is on the floor, cupping her lip in shock.
“Oh shit.” I whisper.
I’ve never hit anyone before.
“We gotta go,” Willow grabs me, shock on her face, “Now.”
I’m cradling my throbbing hand when Willow hustles me out the door, only to run right into Malakai and Sebastian.