Chapter 19
Visha
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
I look up from the pile of documents and smile as my mind wanders back toward last night.
I can’t believe Aoi made a move on me. Convinced that he wasn’t at all interested, I planned to make him fall for me by any means possible. Little did I know, behind that divine tenderness hid a creature led by his desires.
He didn’t hesitate to take action when he bumped into me in the hotel hallway during Frank’s party, but in the car he showed restraint.
I wish he hadn’t.
“Visha,” a loud and frustrated voice pulls me out of my reverie, slamming his palm on the obsidian desk. “I asked you a question.”
Annoyed, I scowl at him. “What do you want? I’m busy thinking about Aoi for the record. Stop invading my thoughts.”
Bellami crosses his arms over his chest. “Don’t daydream at work. You’re wasting my time.”
“Oh, shut up. How can I focus on something as boring when I can spend my waking hours thinking about my Paradise?”
He rolls his eyes. “Whatever. You’re attending his press conference in two weeks, aren’t you?”
“Of course, I am,” I say, but worry suddenly floods my mind. “Wait, but what if he thinks that it’s weird? I mean, won’t he start thinking I’m stalking him or something?”
“You think too much.”
“And you not nearly enough.”
Bellami circles around the desk and gestures for me to get up. “I know I asked you to be here and learn how to take over the rains but maybe you should go home.”
I push the chair back and shrug. “Nah, I’ve got nothing better to do, and working isn’t the worst way to keep myself busy until tonight.”
“Then let me word it differently.” He smiles, swallowing back whatever comment he wants to make. “Go home because you’re giving me a headache with your constant fawning. Feels like I have a teenage sister rather than an adult brother.”
I snort, unable to contradict him. I’m happy and I think he’s content for me even though he roasts me for it.
“If I have to go home then you should get back to your wife. She must be pissed that you’re more into your job than her. Poor Francesca, forced to share her husband with his company.”
“Shut the fuck up. Francesca is the most important being in my life. The only damn reason I’m still in this office is to teach my stupid brother how to rule over an empire.”
“Well, aren’t you quite the sweet brother,” I mock.
He rolls his eyes, but I see the corner of his lips curl up in the mist of a smile.
In truth, he’s not wrong. I should go home or do something productive, but other than seeing Aoi, there isn’t much I want to do.
“Why don’t you go see that friend of yours?”
“You mean Olivia?” I hadn’t even thought about calling her. She’s known about my feelings for Aoi since I was fifteen. If someone can hear me ramble about him, it’s definitely her. “You’re not so useless after all.”
Before he can throw his stapler at my head, I run out of the office and make my way to Liv’s place. She doesn’t need me to tell her in advance about me coming over since she’s always at home.
That woman only ever leaves her room to get drunk or head to work and uni. Talk about antisocial.
I ring her doorbell at least seven times before she finally speaks through the megaphone. “Why the hell are you ringing the damn door so often? It’s fucking Saturday morning, you rascal.”
“Liv, open up! I need to talk to you.”
That’s all it takes for her to buzz me in. I push the heavy door open and rush up the three flights of stairs.
I knock on her front door like Anna from Frozen, and wait impatiently while she unlocks the security chain. “You seem awfully enthusiastic. What happened?”
“A lot actually.” I step inside, making myself at home on her couch as usual. “You’re never gonna believe me. The craziest shit happened to me.”
She goes back to making herself coffee with her messy blonde hair in a bun on top of her head. “Spill. It better be important for you to bother me before lunch. And why the hell weren’t you in class these past two days?”
I watch her walk up to me barefoot, a mug in her hand and leftover mascara smudged under her eyes. “It’s about Aoi.”
“Wait, Aoi?” She looks up at the ceiling and frowns. “Wasn’t the last time you saw him like eight years ago?”
“Yes, but that’s not important right now.” I flick my fingers in front of her face to grab her attention. “So much happened and I just don’t know where to start.”
“The beginning, please. Thanks.” She sips on her coffee, staring at me with tired eyes. “I’ve got the whole day ahead.”
I grimace at how dark the liquid in her black mug is and shake my head.
“I met Aoi again by coincidence at a party at the Grand Air hotel. Bellami had gotten invited, but he asked me to go in his stead since he was on his honeymoon, and then, bam! I ran into him,” I explain, stumbling over my words. “Oh, and we hooked up.”
She goes into a fit of coughing, and I tap her back slowly with a random slipper, waiting for her to nag me once she’s done dying.
“Cute slipper by the way.”
“Motherfucker,” she curses, coughing as she chokes on her scorching coffee. “Wait a damn second. In the span of two days, you saw the guy you’ve been crushing on since forever, and you slept with him? How the fuck did you manage that?”
“I know! And that’s not everything,” I groan, pulling on my hair and falling back on her couch.
“I feel so stupid, but I’m also so damn happy.
Liv, you don’t get it. Things couldn’t be better than they are right now.
No, they could actually since we’re not yet together, but I’m grateful for what I have now. ”
I glance at her black nirvana shirt that she wears as pajamas and the way she never bothers to wear pants. “He agreed to have dinner with me–after I kinda begged him to–and I may have gotten a bit too excited. You know how crazy I am about him.”
“You mean, your dick said hi?” She snickers, sitting down on a nearby wooden chair.
Clothes are piled up on the back of it and make me wonder how long she’s left them rotting there.
“And here I thought you’d never get it up for another man.
So what are you exactly? Clearly not asexual since your sausage gave a standing ovation for him. Demisexual then?”
“I’ve only ever gotten aroused because of Aoi.”
“Yeah, figures. So you’re demisexual. Congrats on your coming out, dude.”
“You owe me a cake.”
She raises a brow and gives me the middle finger. “You wish. Get one yourself, Mr. Moneybags.”
“Fuck you.” I pull at the roots of my hair and groan exasperatedly. “The thing is I’m ninety-nine percent sure he saw it because it happened twice. Twice Liv! The first was because he flirted with me and touched my wrist. That’s just mortifying.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re being so dramatic.”
“What if he changed his mind overnight?” I whine, covering my face with my hands. “He rejected me at first, but I practically begged him to give me a chance.”
“So what? He didn’t back out after seeing your lightsaber.
That can only mean two things.” She pauses, lighting up a cigarette.
“He’s seen so many boners that he’s unfazed.
” She takes a drag and puffs it out, letting it stink up the place.
“Or he’s interested in you, so your little sausage greeting didn’t bother him.
He literally agreed to have dinner with you in the end, so why are you stressing like that? ”
I push myself off the couch and open a window. “I don’t know. He didn’t seem to dislike me, that’s true, but to say he’s interested? I don’t know. Maybe he was just being nice. I found out he sleeps around a lot. He might just want to fuck me and be done with it.”
“I’m surprised you’d say that about Aoi.”
I stare at her. “It’s true, though. He might not be that interested and only sees me as a potential fuck. He thought that about me, too.”
She takes a long drag of her cigarette and blows it out. “At least he wants to fuck you. Seems like a good beginning to me. Better than to be fully rejected.”
“I guess. But you know it’s not enough,” I mumble. “Also, remember Aiden? Well, he started showing interest in him, which means I’m gonna have to compete against him for Aoi’s heart. I don’t know how to, especially ‘cause he’s a fucking catch. I’m doomed.”
I pace around the room then come to an abrupt stop as the front door swings open. Olivia’s roommate, Nick, waltzes in with a bunch of grocery bags. “Mind giving me a hand?”
She huffs and lowers the cigarette in her ashtray before joining him in the kitchen.
“Nah, Visha you’re too hard on yourself.
You’ve got to raise your self-worth. I seriously think that if he didn’t like you, he would’ve turned you down.
” She pushes past Nick. “Also, what the hell do you mean Aiden is interested in him? How’d that happen? ”
“Long story short, I found him buzzing around Aoi and when I asked him about it, he admitted to liking him.”
“Right, but how do they know each other in the first place?”
I grumble and slide a hand through my hair. “They slept together.”
She winces. “Damn, that’s a shitty situation. I didn’t think he’d be into men. Isn’t he straight?”
“That’s what I thought, too.”
Nick glances between us, unaware of the context, yet he says, “So the guy you like hooked up with another guy, and now you’re moping?”
“It’s not that simple,” I argue. “He’s never been like that. That’s why everything is so much more complicated. How am I supposed to compete with Aiden fucking Morgan?”
“The actor?” he asks, surprised.
Olivia and I both nod.
“Keep it to yourself though,” she warns. “We don’t want to harm his reputation by spreading rumors that are none of our business.”
Nick nods. “No worries. I don’t care enough about celebrities and shit.”
Olivia throws a towel at me and laughs. “Now stop staring at the wall like a dumbass and help us with the groceries.”
Groaning, I head to the kitchen and start unpacking the bags and filling up the cabinets while Nick pushes around dirty dishes. “Always making me do chores.”
“Therapy ain’t free, boy. Gotta pull your weight.”
“And the dishes are supposed to be clean,” Nick retorts, his tone impassive.
“Not you turning on me, Nick!” She hits his back. “Traitor.”
I hold back a snort, but she rewards me by throwing a bag of toilet paper at me, making me chortle as she flips me off for catching it.
Spending time with her is always so refreshing. She loves to roast my entire existence and make me help her clean their place as if I lived with them.
In the end, it’s quality time, so I don’t mind.
“When’s your date?” she asks, winking at me. “You better go all out for him. Can’t fuck up your only chance.”
I smile, proud of what she accomplished. She raised mountains to get away from her sack of shit family and get a scholarship at NYU. I know she still feels guilty for leaving her little brother behind, but she had no other choice.
I glance at the clock on the wall. “Tonight. I’m picking him up at seven. I made a reservation at Francie’s.”
“Francie? That’s real fancy. Ha, it rhymes.” She whistles, leaning against the counter. “Rich people sure know how to eat well and expensive.”
I chuckle, tensing from her remark. Our statuses are clearly not on the same level anymore. Sometimes I wonder if she dislikes my wealth as much as she hates celebrities and famous billionaires.
“Fuck, my cigarette!” She runs over to the ashtray to find her cigarette has smoked itself.
“Are you doing something today?” I ask.
She glances behind me at her roommate before answering, “Nope. Nothing. Maybe just cleaning a bit ‘cause you can see the mess we live in.”
Nick frowns at her words and corrects her. “Your mess.”
“Yeah, yeah. My mess.” She playfully rolls her eyes and nods toward her bedroom. “We’ll hang out in my room to not bother mister clean.” She grins and gestures toward the bedroom before hopping inside. “You still gotta tell me every excruciating detail from the past two days.”
I snort and close the door behind us. “Remind me, who constantly complained whenever Xander gossiped?”
“That’s not the same,” she retorts. “This is storytelling, not gossip.”
Rolling my eyes, I playfully shove her onto her bed with my foot and slump in her armchair. “You’re so full of shit. Get ready for this ‘cause I’m gonna spend the entire afternoon telling you about Aoi. I won’t shut up even if you beg me to.”
She throws a pillow at me. “Stop edging me and spill!”
“Okay! Okay!”