Chapter 31: Same taste in Men

OLLIE

“Darius invited me; I hope it’s okay if I stay for dinner,” Blondie added, smiling at the seated crowd.

“Seline. It’s the least we can do after all the support you’ve given us. We appreciate your hard work during this difficult time.” Anna smiled, signaling for Blondie—Seline—to join the table.

“I am his right hand, after all. I would never let him down,” the blonde said, her eyes sparkling.

So Darius is her boss? The one she’s in love with?

“And the new leader of this insignificant project my nephew has played with long enough,” Luther said.

“I can assure you Inkforce is anything but small, Mr. Rothschild. Our projections are impressive. We are competing well in the market.” Seline spoke so flawlessly, capturing the attention of the whole group.

To say she looked stunning was an understatement.

Dressed to kill, she wore a gold jumpsuit, red lips, blonde silky hair styled in waves, and high heels so tall they made her almost as tall as Darius.

It almost felt like they were two giants hovering over us.

“Yes, yes, yes,” he dismissed her as if she were discussing a school project. “You can play with that toy of yours—what is it called? Oh, yes, a ~publisher~…” he pronounced that last word mockingly. “…while Darius deals with what is important.”

Darius was brooding in silence.

Why wasn’t he saying something back?

“Inkforce?” Archer asked, as if his ear had picked up something interesting. “Venturing into something new, cousin? I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Please sit down; dinner is about to start.” Luther looked amused, dividing his attention between Archibald and Darius.

Darius ignored Archibald’s comment, giving some orders to the staff as soon as he sat.

“Your announcement with the red bike was beautiful,” Sophie said to her son, as if to add something positive to the imminent silence.

“Certainly, you took us all by surprise. What will your first order as executor be, Darius?” Luther asked while cleaning his glasses.

“Executor?” Archibald inquired.

“Yes, Darius has been designated to manage Sophia’s estate,” Anna explained.

Why was Darius so silent?

“My dear nephew, so many responsibilities are on your shoulders,” Sophie said, her face crossed with concern.

Alexander placed a hand on Darius’s back, giving him a low smile.

As if feeling sorry for him.

There was so much tension in the air that Seline’s sudden excitement caught me off guard.

“Oh my goodness! Is that you, Olivia? Hi!”

“Blondie!” I managed to say with an awkward smile.

Darius watched her cross the room and surprise me with a big hug.

“It is so good to see you.” She turned to face everybody else. “She is such a fun girl!”

“Oh, we know how fun Ollie is.” Vivian winked at me.

“How is it that you know each other? What in common could both of you possibly have?” Anna asked in a flat tone.

Seline and I shared a look.

“We share the same taste in men…ny things.” She winked at me. Clever.

“Interesting,” Anna muttered, looking at her food with disgust.

~Same taste in men?~ Did that mean she’d seen the picture of Darius and me kissing?

“Hi, Archer. It’s been a while. You look good, as always,” Seline flirted.

Archibald only smiled.

“Olivia, how are you feeling?” Darius asked.

Was he speaking to me? He clearly said Olivia there.

He turned to speak to one of the staff before I could answer. “She is not allowed to drink.”

~Okay, Dad.~

“You must be exhausted,” Anna added.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, watching someone take my wine from the table and replace it with a glass of water.

“What happened?” Archer asked.

“Olivia almost had a heart attack,” Vivian explained.

I tried to downplay it. “I just fainted.”

“It was more serious than that,” Darius argued.

Sophie covered her mouth. “Oh, dear. How tragic.”

Luther only glanced at his pocket watch.

Surely, he was counting our living breaths as we dined.

“That sounds serious, Ollie. It would be best if you went to a specialist. I’ll refer you to our family doctor,” Archibald offered.

“It’s already been taken care of, ~Archie~,” Darius said.

Archibald ignored him and grabbed my hand again. “Well, you shouldn’t be stuck with one doctor’s opinion. I insist.”

Darius looked at our hands with an unreadable expression.

“Another doctor?” I asked anxiously.

“You have nothing to worry about, Olivia. Dr. Kumar is an eminent teacher in his field,” Darius assured me.

I nodded, wanting to say thank you, but the words didn’t come.

Archer didn’t look so happy about it.

“The food is so good,” Sarah commented, making Alexander smile.

If ignorance was bliss, then Sarah was a clueless queen, oblivious enough of her surroundings to not even notice Darius and Archer’s rivalry.

Archibald looked at Darius. “Are you done making decisions for everyone?”

“No,” he shot back. “I care for Olivia. To some degree.”

The words slipped from his tongue so quickly that even Sarah looked at me with raised eyebrows.

~He what?~

“You mean you care if she stops breathing?” Archer asked sarcastically.

“I guess so,” Darius replied noncommittally, cutting a piece of steak.

“Olivia looks so like your friend. Miss Callahan.” Sophie’s voice was sweet when she spoke to her son.

Archibald smiled tightly before agreeing, “She does.”

Friend? Who were they talking about?

“I guess I have a common face,” I murmured.

“It’s been almost a decade since I heard that name,” Anna said, interested now. “Remind me. What happened to that girl?”

Luther’s teeth flashed in a smile and Darius pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

“Not a topic I’d like to discuss,” Archibald commented bitterly, stretching his fingers in his lap.

Darius’s eyes never left his cousin’s face.

I stayed silent for the rest of the meal, listening to their conversations.

Archibald was quiet too, and I was about to fall asleep at the table.

I finally gave a long, weary sigh, fighting the heaviness of my eyelids.

I’d barely had any sleep yesterday between the hangover and my heart episode, so my body was about to collapse.

“Thank you for dinner, and Merry Christmas to you all.” I stood. “I’m quite tired.”

“But you never skip dessert! It’s the only thing you ever want to eat,” Sarah exclaimed, giving me a puppy face.

“You can’t leave until we open the presents.”

“Aren’t we supposed to do that tomorrow morning?” I pushed my chair toward the table, giving a clear indication that I was leaving.

“Wait, Ollie, I have something for you.” Archer stood and hurried to the tree, returning with a small present.

“Oh, it’s so small!” Vivian chimed in. “You know what they say. The smaller, the better… Well, only when it comes to gifts.” She laughed at her own joke.

“Archer, you didn’t have to. Thank you,” I said genuinely.

How sweet was this guy? He showed me his dashing smile, and I blushed a little, accepting the gift.

I hugged Sarah goodbye before I walked back to the guest house without giving a second look to anyone at that dining table.

I could have sworn I felt Darius’s stare on the back of my neck as I walked away.

In my room, I changed into one of Sarah’s fancy pajamas, but I felt uncomfortable wearing them.

It was what someone would wear for a honeymoon trip.

How could anyone sleep like this? Why couldn’t I find something extra-sized and comfy?

I found Darius’s clothes folded in a drawer where I had left them—the joggers and oversized T-shirt he’d given me when Dr. Kumar examined me in his room.

This was such a bad idea! I debated, but finally put them on and inhaled deeply of his manly scent and cologne. Fuck, he smelled so good. ~Torture.~

All set for bed with the monitor attached to my chest, I sank into the fluffy duvet with Archer’s gift in my hands.

It was wrinkled and poorly wrapped, with lots of tape at different angles.

~Oh, my God.~ Archibald had the crafting skills of a five-year-old!

I laughed softly as I touched the exterior, wondering what it was.

It had been a while since someone had given me a present, so I didn’t know what to expect.

What could it possibly be? It felt like a book.

I ripped the wrapping paper and found a tiny manual.

I read the title out loud. “~Dancing for Dummies.~”

That was so silly! Of course, he knew I was a terrible dancer.

I covered my mouth, snickering, and opened the first page. A small note fell out.

“Oh, Archer.” I murmured. I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand his handwriting.

~Friends that go on dates?~

It was an invitation for an actual date! But, when?

I searched the rest of the pages of the book but was unsuccessful in finding any other clue.

“Olivia, do you have a minute?” A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I instinctively hid the book under the covers.

Blondie stood at my door.

“Sure, come in,” I welcomed her.

Blondie stepped in wearing a long silk nightgown that embraced her perfect body, with a wide cut high up her leg.

Her sexy, shapely leg popped out with every step she took.

It made Sarah’s pajamas look like a freaking joke.

She sat on the corner of my bed. “I like you, and I want you to know that.”

“I like you too,” I admitted.

“But I won’t give up on Darius so easily. You know how I feel about him.” Her eyes showed complete honesty.

~Shit!~ She’d seen the picture.

“It’s okay, Seline.”

“No, you don’t understand. I want you to pursue him, too, if that’s what you want. I might love him, but I don’t want a man who wants me halfway.” She spoke with such certainty and strength.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t try my best. I know he desires me,” she added, as if preparing me for disappointment.

I drank in her beauty.

It felt strange that she wanted to share so much information with me. Wasn’t it obvious? Who wouldn’t desire this woman?

“Let the best woman win,” she finished, and squeezed my hand with a soft smile.

Let the best woman win? Was she expecting competition?

People thinking Darius and I were a thing was exhausting me, so I decided to say something that would calm her down.

I repeated Anna’s words. “I’m just a common girl.” I felt suddenly uncomfortable.

That woman had gotten in my head. She wasn’t wrong, though. I was common and clumsy.

“Ollie, you really can’t see yourself, can you?” Seline raised my chin with her hand.

What did that mean?

“Anyway, I won’t take any more of your time. I’ll leave you to rest. Goodnight, Ollie.”

As I watched her leave my room, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind whose bed Blondie was going to tonight.

I was left with a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

Almost like I cared.