Chapter 6
LORDE
Monday morning, I sat at my aunt’s dining room table, staring at half a grapefruit without taking a bite. Normally, I enjoyed the fruit that had a mix of bitterness and sweetness. It was a flavor you either loved or hated, and it had been a favorite since I was a child.
I dreamed of Max again, of his blue eyes, his bow lips, and his tanned skin, which is why I felt overly tired and couldn’t focus, not even on food. Well, that and I woke up with a hard prick, which needed relief this morning. It was all his fault.
“Lorde, do you have a tux to wear to the party?” Pat asked.
I frowned and stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. I had no clue what she was talking about. “Tux?”
“Tux. Tuxedo. Penguin suit. Formal attire.”
“I know what a tuxedo is,” I griped, annoyed, although I couldn’t say if it was the twinkle in her eye or the fact that those eyes haunted me. Maybe both.
“Bully for you. So, do you have one?” She rested her chin on her fist and batted her eyes. It felt as if she could see into my soul and knew my thoughts and dreams.
When I packed, a tuxedo was not on my list of must-haves. I brought a nice suit, but something told me that would not work for what she had planned. “Why do I need one?” I hedged.
“The party!” Her face lit up, and her smile grew.
“Party?”
Pat sat up straight with wide eyes. Now, she was the one gaping at me as if I was crazy.
“Yes! Party! I told you about it the other day. You are going to accompany me to the party on Saturday. It’s a charity event and formal.
Remember? Max Lux will be there. The person you’re searching for… does any of this sound familiar?”
It did now, I thought to myself. “Right. The party.”
Tilting her head to the side, she squinted and pursed her lips together. “Did you tell your mother about the party?”
“No. I haven’t had the chance yet.” That wasn’t exactly true. I’d been avoiding her calls, not wanting to hear about my destiny, about what she expected of me. I knew what I had to do, and no matter how enthralled I may be, it would not deter me.
“I see.” Her expression didn’t change.
“I have a suit. Will that work for the party?” I inquired, attempting to change the subject, hating feeling as though I sat under a magnifying glass.
It worked.
Gasping, Pat shook her head back and forth vigorously. “No, no, no! You can’t wear a suit. I will not have you looking shabby.”
“It’s Gucci. I don’t think I will be ‘looking shabby,’” I grumbled.
“Is it a tuxedo?” She grinned.
“I just said I don’t have one.”
“Then, there is your answer. It won’t do. It’s a formal affair, and there will be people who attend from all over the world. After you finish eating, we’ll go shopping,” she announced happily, dancing in her seat.
I almost groaned because she scared me. She acted too giddy about this. “Do I have to? I mean, I’m sure I can?—”
“No,” she pouted, her bottom lip sticking out.
Inwardly, I groaned and tried to think of a spell or something that would get me out of this shopping trip.
I could just throw on a bow tie and wear my black suit.
I doubted anyone would notice, but Pat would know.
Did I have a spell I could use on her to dissuade her?
Probably not. The woman was more talented than her sisters, and definitely more than me.
That didn’t mean I couldn’t try. Under my breath, I whispered, “Winds of change, fires of?—”
“My boy, quit while you’re ahead. I know what you’re attempting to do, and it won’t work. Your mother may try to flaunt her power, I choose not to. Big difference.”
I was stuck and gave in, “Fine. We’ll go shopping.”
“Excellent,” she gushed, clapping ecstatically.
I was doomed.
Shopping with my aunt was a tiring ordeal.
We went to the first store where she selected a tuxedo for me, but she wasn’t done with me.
Instead of buying my shirt there—they had a whole wall of dress shirts—she decided to take me to another store.
And another. And another. The cufflinks I brought with me to go with my suit were not good enough.
Aunt Pat said I needed a new, more formal, pair.
I didn’t know why she bothered. They were cufflinks.
It wasn’t like anyone was going to see them, and if they did, they wouldn’t judge me for my choice in jewelry.
From there, she decided we were going to eat out instead of going home. Aunt Pat claimed she didn’t want to cook, but her smile told me she was plotting something.
“What are you up to?” I asked when we were seated.
Her eyes widened, her smile grew, and she tilted her head to the side. Some may have said she appeared angelic, but they would have missed the devil horns holding up her halo. “What? Because I didn’t want to cook, I’m up to something? Rude much?”
Chuckling, I shook my head at her audacity. “No, but we could have gone anywhere, including in the same mall where we bought the shirt.”
“But I felt like coming here. It’s a wonderful place. Great food, the atmosphere, amazing wait staff, and the perfect place to people watch.” She bit her bottom lip coyly, and it made me laugh some more.
“And who are we watching today?” I asked curiously.
She winked. “No one, but you never know who will come through the door.”
As I was about to say something, I heard, “This way, Mr. Lux.”
The last name caught my attention immediately, and my head snapped around to search out the man who went with the name.
There he was. Max Lux. His blue eyes were bluer than in my dreams, but unlike the emotion I had seen in my visions, these were as cold as ice.
He was shut off to the world. There was a on his face, but I had a feeling that was nothing more than a pretense.
This was the man I had come to destroy, the man who would pay for the sins of his ancestors.
I couldn’t allow anything to distract me from my mission… my destiny.
“If you’d like, I could introduce you,” Pat offered, smirking. She’d planned this. I was willing to bet she had her own vision and set this whole thing up.
My mouth felt dry, and cottonmouth set in. “No, thank you.” Picking up my water, I gulped it down and then drank hers when she pushed it toward me. “Thank you,” I said, breathlessly.
“Thirsty?”
Closing my eyes, I tried to center myself, but it wasn’t easy with my aunt sitting next to me.
“He really is a nice guy, but I haven’t had as much interaction with him as I have with his parents. Now, those two are total sweethearts, and their cook, Gina, creates amazing meals. Puts me to shame.” She tapped my hand as she spoke, breaking my focus.
“Aunt Pat,” I growled in warning.
“What? Are you telling me you are going to take care of him tonight? No, you’re not. Instead, you will sit here, order dinner, and spend some time with your favorite aunty,” she ordered in a harsh voice with a giant smile on her face.
“Yes, ma’am,” I quickly agreed, my eyes seeking out and promptly finding Max. I couldn’t bring myself to avert my gaze. I was drawn in a way that could either be my saving grace or my undoing.