Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
E den
This date is off to a flying start. So far, Rob has talked about nothing but work since he picked me up at my parents’ house, which is where he thinks I live. He’s boring, and I’m lying.
Great combination.
“So I told Matthias that I could definitely get things up and running, but it would take longer than the last head of the division thought it would because he was cutting corners left and right.”
While he continues to explain whatever he did in his department, I look around the restaurant at the tables with their pristine white tablecloths and the gold sconces on the wall as I wonder what this man could have said to Ava at any point that made her think he was perfect for me.
I smile at an older woman sitting with what looks to be her granddaughter.
I bet they’re having a good time. My grandmother isn’t the type of person I’d want to go to dinner with, but right now, I’d even take having her sitting here with me talking about how she thinks my hair needs to be cut and asking me why I wear such dark eyeshadow all the time over having to listen to Rob drone on about himself.
“So what about you? Tell me about you. I feel like I’ve been the one talking this whole time,” he says before stabbing his fork into a mozzarella stick.
I watch him cut that fried piece of cheese into four precisely the same size pieces and force a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use a knife for mozzarella sticks.”
“Oh, yeah,” he says as he pops one of the teeny-tiny pieces into his mouth. “I’m very careful about choking. Do you know that’s one of the biggest hazards in life? You definitely want to be cautious about eating and choking.”
Nodding, all I can think of now is this man has never had a blowjob in his life. No way. Not with that worry about choking.
Then again, he might just be a selfish prick who has no problem with a woman choking on his dick. Not that I think he’s got much going on there. This guy screams tiny penis.
To think that I have an incredibly sexy man with more than enough to satisfy me but because he insists on us keeping our relationship hidden, I have to go out with guys like this. I know Ava means well, so I don’t blame her.
I blame Marius.
And just as I think that, the man himself walks in the door of the restaurant. Oh, this date just got a hundred times worse. If I’m lucky, he won’t notice the mozzarella sticks cut up into baby-size portions. Even better, if I’m really lucky, he won’t see us here at all.
That thought barely crosses my mind when he waves to me and starts heading in our direction. Sweet baby Jesus. What the hell is planning on doing?
God, please no. No, no, no.
“Are you okay?” Rob asks as I feel my stomach drop. “You look really pale all of a sudden.”
That says it all since I’m as tan as I’ve ever been in my entire life sitting here with him. Why do these things happen to me?
“Eden? Funny seeing you here,” Marius says when he stops at our table.
I paste a smile on my face as I study him for a second or two.
He got dressed up in his dark gray suit for this little scene he’s about to make.
At least there’s that. It would be infinitely worse if he came to this nice restaurant dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.
At least when they have to escort him out because he becomes a problem, they’ll think he’s a well-dressed professional who may have had a few too many and got out of hand and not some guy who looks like a frat boy fresh off a bender.
“Marius,” I say through gritted teeth.
The two of us stare at one another for what feels like forever before Rob quietly asks, “So you two know each other?”
Of course, Marius beats me to the answer. Turning to look at my date, he smirks. “Marius King, the brother of your boss. Nice to meet you.”
I notice he doesn’t offer to shake his hand. Nice touch.
“Really? Now that you mention it, I can see the strong resemblance. Nice to meet you.”
Rob does offer his hand, so as the two of them do the gentlemanly handshake thing, I say, “I’ve known Marius and his family for years. We all went to the same prep school as kids.”
Why I say all of that I have no idea. What I really want to do at this very moment is stand up and walk out of this restaurant, never looking back at either of these men.
Grinning like a damn Cheshire cat, Marius returns to staring at me as he says, “Oh, yeah. I’ve known Eden forever. It’s like she’s a part of my family I’ve known her for so long.”
His voice sounds unnecessarily sexy, which makes me wonder what the hell is going to come out of his mouth next. If only he had just agreed to tell the world about us, none of this would have to happen.
“Do you also work at King Industries?” Rob asks. “I’m the head of the IT department, and I don’t think I’ve seen you at any of the company functions.”
The very idea of Marius appearing at the King Industries company Christmas party makes me want to burst out laughing, but I can’t do that so I press my lips together and hope I can keep my composure. Another comment like that from Rob and I’m going to lose it.
“No, I leave the workaday life to my brothers Matthias and Kellen. I’m one of the Kings who prefers a more carefree life.”
Rob nods, and I can hear his disdain for Marius come through loud and clear when all he answers is, “Oh.”
Marius hears it too, but his reaction isn’t to get angry. Instead, he laughs. Fabulous. Oh, God, I feel like I’m on a train that’s lost its brakes and is careening down the tracks while on fire and heading for a cliff.
Thankfully, he takes Rob’s lackluster response as his cue to say goodbye. “Well, I better get going. I’m just here to pick up dinner before I have to meet with my assistant Sam. Have a wonderful evening, you kids!”
And with that, he breezes away like everything that just happened was perfectly normal.
I watch him walk out to the entrance where I swear he flirts with the very attractive redhead hosting. He looks back at me and smiles before leaving, and I turn my attention back to Rob who works in IT.
“Interesting guy. He seems nothing like his brothers, particularly Kellen.”
If I keep fake smiling like I know I must, my face is going to hurt all day tomorrow. I don’t have a choice, though. Ava really wants me to give this guy a chance, and even though there’s no possibility we could ever be a couple, I don’t want to hurt his feelings.
“True. He and Kellen are very different. To be honest, I feel like Marius is sort of a mixture of the youngest King, Ronan, and the second oldest, Theo. He died in a car accident a few years ago, but you know what I mean.”
Terrific. Now I’m rambling. Maybe we should call this date what it actually is. A disaster.
Rob nods, and I push the lettuce around on my plate. Definitely not my best date. Not by a long shot.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see a server less than a minute later when he brings us our entrées. That joy immediately disappears when he sets down Rob’s plate of salmon with the dill sauce he explicitly asked it to not have.
“Excuse me, this wasn’t supposed to have the sauce on top.
I specifically said no sauce. Weren’t you listening when I gave you my order?
It’s not rocket science. I say what I want, and you write it on your little pad and tell the kitchen.
You’re going to have to take this back, and I want a brand new entrée prepared, not just someone scraping off the sauce. ”
The server looks mortified, although I’m not sure if he’s bothered by the mistake with Rob’s food or the pretentious way he sounds when he explains the mistake. Personally, I find him rude and would have no issue with walking out of this restaurant right now.
If I didn’t promise Ava I’d work really hard with this guy to give him a chance.
That there’s no possibility we could ever be a couple doesn’t negate the fact that I said I’d keep an open mind about him. It’s just that he was such a pompous ass talking to the server like that. Marius is a billionaire, and never once has he ever spoken to anyone waiting on us so rudely.
“Can you believe that?” Rob asks, likely assuming I think he’s in the right.
He finds out very quickly he’s mistaken. “You didn’t have to speak to that man like that. Someone made a mistake. They’ll fix it. This is a very good restaurant.”
“That’s not the point. The point is I specifically asked for no sauce on top of the salmon. It’s not rocket science. Just don’t drown the damn fish in sauce.”
Since I don’t plan on ever seeing this guy again, I could tell him I think he’s a jackass and walk out, but I can’t because of what I swore to Ava I’d do. So instead, I force myself to keep smiling as I slice off a piece of steak from my New York strip.
My phone vibrates in my purse, so I lean down to fish it out to see who’s messaging me. Marius. This can’t be good.
“Nice stick in the mud. I know you’re pretending to like him but don’t you think that’s cruel? Meet me at our place in an hour. I love you.”
Only Marius King could irritate and charm a person all in one text message.
The kitchen fixes Rob’s salmon, so after waiting for only a couple minutes, the two of us can finally enjoy our meals. I’m thrilled when he stops talking as he eats, giving me a reprieve from his boring conversation and rude complaints about the server.
I wait for the right moment just before he’s finished to let out a tiny groan that gets his attention. Looking concerned, he asks, “Are you okay, Eden?”
Grimacing like I’m in agony, I lean forward and croak out, “I’m not sure. I don’t feel well.”
Rob from IT is a clueless boob, but he can see I’m not doing well by the fake look of pain on my face. “Oh, I bet it’s something that requires sodium bicarbonate. I have some at my apartment, if you’d like me to give you a dose.”
The last thing I want is this guy to give me a dose of anything, so I shake my head and gently groan again. “I think I just need to go home. I’m so sorry, Rob, but I’ll have to cut our date short. I hope you understand.”
His eyes get big as he nods. “Oh, I definitely understand. If we had time, I could tell you about the week I spent with an upset stomach. I almost landed in the hospital because of that. Choking and upset stomach are definitely my bugaboos. I’ll get the server to give us our check right now.”
It’s hard not to burst out laughing as he’s talking, but I need to keep this sick act up for just a little while longer. Then I’ll be free.
Although Rob is a terrible bore and possibly the least sexy man I’ve ever had dinner with, on top of being rude to service people, he surprises me by getting and paying the check in a matter of minutes so we can go.
I keep up my sick routine all the way to my parents’ house, and when he puts the car in park, I get the feeling even being ill isn’t going to let me escape a good night kiss.
“I had a lovely time. I hope you did too, although I know being sick can make you feel like you don’t want to think of this as a lovely time.”
I try to smile, but I’m worried if I make it too good, he’ll think I’m okay, so I nod and reach for the door. “I’m so sorry, Rob, but I think things are worse now. I hope you can forgive me.”
He thankfully doesn’t try to kiss me when I quickly open the car door. “Can I see you again?”
Clearly, I need to step up my acting skills. Bending over like I’m in real pain, I look into the car at him and groan. “Oh, you have my number. I wish I could talk more, but I have to go. Good night.”
I hurry into the house and slam the door behind me, relieved this night with Rob is over. Now the second half of my night begins.