5. An Uninvited Guest
5
An Uninvited Guest
Agatha
Even though not even two minutes ago, I said I got this, I’m currently trying to convince myself that I truly got this.
I walked around the block one time in an attempt to get control of my urge to go into that restaurant and snatch Antoinette out of whatever situation she may be in. This delay also made it look as if I truly happened to be in the area and was making my way to join them, so that worked out just fine.
I spot them as soon as I enter the restaurant. Antoinette’s back is to me, which is for the best because as soon as Camilla makes eye contact with me, I see the glimmer of panic on her features. I take a moment to collect myself, smiling at the waitstaff as I slowly make my way across the restaurant toward where they’re seated.
Camilla immediately rises from her seat and meets me a few feet from their table. Wrapping her arms around me, she leans in and whispers, “Either get your shit together or turn around and leave.”
I hug her to me, annoyed that I’m having such trouble controlling myself. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, given the trauma of having Antoinette ripped from my life after a lifetime of not knowing her. And the fact that Darius is alive somewhere and just blatantly ignoring us adds insult to injury. Not that I don’t believe he has a good reason, but there are some moments when those reasons don’t matter at all, and I want nothing more than to hunt him down and stab him in the eyeball.
Camilla releases me and steps back, her hands gripping my forearms as she looks up at me and cheerfully says, “It’s so good to see you. Wait until you meet Lila. It’s uncanny how alike you look.”
I give her a tight smile, my eyes widening, and I manage just a glimmer of excitement in my tone as I respond, “Oh, I can’t wait.”
Camilla takes my hand and leads me to the table where Antoinette is still seated. As we approach, she turns to face us, her eyes widening as she looks at me, and then she gasps, “My god, Cami. No wonder you were so confused.”
Her voice sends warmth down my spine, and my smile is genuine as I close the distance between us. By the time I’m standing in front of her, she has risen to her feet, so I’m looking directly into her face as I say, “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
Those bright blue eyes that match my own stare back at me, and then her brow furrows, and she laughs almost hollowly. One of her hands comes up, her fingertips brushing down my cheek lightly as she whispers, “Almost like looking in a mirror.”
I don’t flinch from her touch, and it’s difficult not to give in to my urge to lean into it, lean into her, to grab onto her, and wrap myself around her so she can never escape again.
Camilla laughs loudly beside us, then jabs me in the side with her elbow as she says, “See, I fuckin’ told you.”
I nod, turning my attention to her as I intentionally walk around Antoinette and take a seat in the vacant chair. Antoinette resumes her earlier position and Camilla hers, and then, for a few moments, we all sit in silence, staring between each other.
Camilla giggles and says, “Well, this isn’t awkward at all.”
I laugh, and so does Antoinette, and some of the tension leaves the table. Then Antoinette looks at me and says, “They say we all have a doppelg?nger somewhere. But it seems surreal to come face-to-face with mine.”
“That’s an understatement,” I reply truthfully. “It seems a huge leap of faith that you ran into Camilla like you did.”
“It’s really quite funny,” Antoinette states with a nod. “When Dmitri—“
“Dmitri?” I interject somewhat forcefully. Camilla kicks me under the table, and I don’t flinch as I keep my eyes locked on Antoinette’s face.
She smiles and laughs, her hand waving around in her typical Antoinette fashion as she answers, “Yes, Dmitri, my husband.”
I grind my teeth so forcefully that I’m pretty sure anyone in the room can hear them creaking. Camilla kicks me again, and I clear my throat, sure my smile is laced with disdain as I retort, “Oh. Have you been married long?”
She frowns slightly, pausing as she appears to ponder the question, then she says, the words practically falling over each other, “Not too long, but certainly long enough.”
I tilt my head at her strange response, then as I open my mouth to respond, Camilla interrupts, “But what about Dmitri?” obviously wanting her to finish her initial thought.
Antoinette’s smile broadens once again as she turns her attention back to Camilla. “Oh, yes. Dmitri said Los Angeles is the place you go when you want to meet new friends and take the chance of running into old ones.”
Camilla lifts one brow at her, her lip curling at the same time as she retorts, “Is that so?” Antoinette laughs again, completely oblivious to the sarcastic undertone of Camilla’s question. And then, Camilla asks, “And where is Dmitri now?”
“Oh, he’s away on business, like usual. Every day seems to be a business day for him.”
Camilla and I glance at each other, and I hide my snort behind a cough. I reach for a piece of bread on the table, not bothering to put anything on it as I rip off a piece and shove it into my mouth. I’ve barely swallowed the dry bit of bread before I ask, “And what is it Dmitri does?”
Antoinette shrugs and shakes her head as she replies, “I haven’t the foggiest. Some kind of international trade or something.”
“More like human trade,” I mutter bitterly, and Camilla kicks me again, but this time, I turn to glare at her. She gives me a very pointed look, indicating I should behave myself, and I roll my eyes rather petulantly because I’m feeling a little petulant.
Just the name Dmitri has my blood boiling. Even knowing it can’t be the same Dmitri that we ran into in the past, given the fact that he was blown up with a grenade in his trousers, doesn’t make me feel any better.
It seems that whenever history repeats itself, it’s never for the greater good. Most likely, we’re gonna have another Dmitri who needs his dick blown off.
I turn back to Antoinette, my smile saccharine sweet as I say, “Well, I hope I get to meet him soon.”
I can see that Antoinette’s smile is genuine as she replies, “Oh, that would be lovely. I’m sure he would think the both of you are absolutely fabulous. He’s always telling me I should make some friends and get out more.”
This time, Camilla snorts. “I’m sure he does.”
I laugh, looking over at Camilla as I add, “I bet he’s gonna find us a real delight.”
Camilla laughs again, and then something catches her attention behind Antoinette, and her laughter cuts off abruptly. Her eyes widen almost comically, the blood draining from her face as she mutters under her breath, “What the actual fucking fuck.”
Antoinette tilts her head as she asks, “What?”
I sit up straight in my chair, whirling around to look in the direction Camilla is staring, my breath automatically catching, my own eyes widening. “Holy shit.”
Antoinette frowns, looking between us in bewilderment as she asks, “What? What is it?”
We both remain completely silent, my blood running cold, before Camilla and I both jump to our feet. I turn my frantic gaze to Camilla, unsure of what we should do, only to turn back just in time to meet the intense, furious gaze of none other than Darius Hughes, who is headed directly for me.
I take a step toward him and then two, hurrying to intercept him a few feet away from Antoinette, but rather than push past me or shove me out of the way, he stops, his lips curving up in a knowing smile as he says, “Agatha, darling. Here you are.”
He gives me a hug, brushing his lips briefly against my cheek before standing back and slinging an arm around my shoulders. I stand there stiffly, completely flabbergasted on what the fuck he is doing, as he turns to Camilla and says pleasantly, “Camilla. Good to see you.”
Camilla’s eyes are bugged almost out of her head, and I’m pretty sure I see her pulse in a vein on her forehead, but she manages to stammer, “D-D-Darius. Yes. How good to see you.”
He maneuvers me back to the table, shifting me until the backs of my calves hit the chair, and I automatically sit rather than topple over. Darius turns to Antoinette, who’s still seated, now staring up at him wide-eyed, and he smiles at her, extending his hand as he says, “I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve been acquainted.”
Antoinette blinks away her confusion and beams up at him. She moves to stand, but he waves her off and extends his hand again as he says, “Darius Hughes. It’s a pleasure.”
She opens her mouth to respond, but Camilla interjects, “Darius, this is my friend, Lila. She’s new in town, and I’ve taken her under my wing.”
Darius’s smile broadens, and he extends his hand a bit further until Antoinette finally places her hand in his rather delicately. Her eyes widen fractionally, her brow furrowing, as she stares at where their hands are clasped.
Her lip quivers, and she presses them together, her breath seeming to stutter from inside her as her eyes lift back to his, and she gives herself a little shake. She laughs and clears her throat as she responds quietly, “The pleasure is all mine.”
Reluctantly, he releases her hand and steps back, peering down at her as he murmurs, “It certainly will be.”
The smile falls from her lips, and she sits there with her hand hanging out in the air as she frowns. “Excuse me?”
Darius’s smile turns positively predatory, and he moves to respond just as I lean back in my chair and bring my heeled boot down on his toes as forcefully as I can from this awkward position. Which is surprisingly forceful but doesn’t even earn a tiny flinch from him. He does glance at me ever-so-slightly as if I’m an annoying gnat standing between him and his favorite meal, and since that’s exactly what I mean to do, I interrupt loudly, “Darius, I thought you were too busy to entertain me today.”
He sighs loudly, his eyes still on Antoinette as he replies, “Oh, I had a couple of minutes and figured I’d swing in and say hello. Earn me some greatly needed brownie points, right?”
Brownie points? What in the—
Luckily, I’m saved from having to reply as Camilla says, “I think I see your man at the door is looking for you, so it seems you’re out of fucking time, right?” He turns his attention to Camilla, squinting briefly, and it’s like he’s having an inner battle with himself that he’s not sure he wants to win or lose. Likely because, at this point in the game, there is no winning or losing. Then Camilla repeats firmly, “Right?”
Darius blinks, the tension coiling in the air since he first turned to Antoinette suddenly easing up as he nods shortly. “Right.”
Then he turns, pivoting away from Antoinette, likely because he can’t bear to look at her before walking out. Knowing he has no choice but to walk away from her without looking back.
But that’s exactly what he does.