Growing Up and Other Tall Tales

Chapter 99

The smirk stills on his lips as his eyes drift above my head focusing on something behind me. His fingers dip into my skin a little.

"Shit," he proclaims finally

"Shit what?" I turn around to follow his gaze to zero upon what caught his eye and made him look like someone just dipped mayonnaise into his ice-cream

It isn't hard to see what it is.

I don't know who she is but everyone else seems to and she seems to know them too. Thousand dollar smiles blinding anyone who was on the receiving end, she is making a beeline to us and the closer she got, the more dazzling she looks. Her sharp features are highlighted by makeup that looks worth twice the cash in my back account and her dress made me realize what people mean when they say that sometimes you wear a dress but sometimes the dress wears you.

"Aiden," she declares

"Fei," Aiden matches her tone and then promptly turns me around with him when a cool hand drops on my arm

"You didn't introduce me to your lady friend,"

I notice Aiden's jaw lock and tighten. I turn around slipping my hand out of his and smile at her a little.

"Lyra Donovan,"

She hums a little and flourishes a hand which I accept feeling the rings on her fingers

And she's still not told me her name.

I raise my eyebrows at her beckoning her to return the curtsey when she laughs airily and clasps her free hand over mine and says,

"Fei Tanaka," like I'm supposed to already know; which is cool because everyone is supposed to know everyone in this world and I'm just a tourist. And Fei Tanaka made it damn sure I knew that, "You are not from around here. But everyone is talking about you."

What she undoubtedly means is: you are not from around here so everyone is talking about you.

Don't get angry. Don't get angry. Don't get angry.

"Really?" I maintain my smile, "That's flattering. I'm just here as Aiden's date,"

"You wouldn't be the first," she returns my smile

Now Aiden turns around.

"Excuse me?" I ask

"Oh," Fei looks between the two of us very obviously feigning confusion and points a perfectly manicured nail at Aiden, "You haven't told her?"

"Told me what?" I look at Aiden who opens his mouth but before he can say anything Fei continues

"Aiden and I used to date,"

Oh.

Shit indeed.

"Please," Aiden speaks for the first time stepping forward so now that she had to look up even more to him. "It was barely half an hour,"

"Can't remember the last time I saw you with someone new on your arm," she ignores the jab and the smile looks calcified on her mouth, as though she was used to speaking through it. A camera flash spreads across her face reminding me why, "Oh wait. It was last year and that was with me."

None of us say anything for a few good long seconds.

"Okay," I sigh loudly and wring my hands together, "I'm going to get some drinks. The two of you can—"

"Let's go," Aiden juts in and I feel his arm brush past mine and his fingers interlocking tightly and confidently with mine

I don't bother excusing myself from Fei who winks at me and then calls out to Aiden in a different language. The transition from her soft, silky voice to the hoarse hiss makes me realize that whatever she said isn't nice. And the way Aiden's grip tightens tells me I'm not wrong.