The Internship (Completed)

Chapter 13

Beyoncé had received a message on her phone as soon as the plane touched the ground.

We eat in an hour.

Not a single greeting, nor a consideration if she needed some time to settle back in her home. She shouldn't have been surprised—her father has always been a straightforward man—but she couldn't help but hope that he would at least act like he actually cared sometimes.

Nonetheless, she had met the waiting chauffeur and she had found herself in front of the restaurant sooner than she liked.

The driver sent her a worried glance through the rearview mirror, his eyes flashing with uncertainty yet with clear concern. She thought she had been discreet when she had reached up to wipe away the tears that escaped from her eyes during the ride, but considering the number of pitying glances she had received from random people even hours before, she figured she hadn't been too successful then and especially not now.

She attempted a reassuring smile, but seeing him only frown further made her give up, choosing to simply thank him as she handed him her luggage with the instruction of sending it to her home before she stepped out of the car.

The receptionist greeted her with a smile and Beyoncé was too tired to give him more than a simple greeting. Thankfully, the man took it in stride, directing her to the table she was to meet her father.

Matthew stood as soon as she approached the table, more out of formality than actual respect for her, "Welcome back, Beyoncé." he greeted warmly with a smile.

She gave him a halfhearted one in return, knowing he was only smiling given the company they were in. She turned toward their guests and gave a small bow to the regal-looking woman that had also stood upon her arrival, "Mayor."

The older woman only scoffed in dismissal, rounding the table to wrap the heiress in an embrace, "No need for such titles, child." she said when she pulled away, holding her by the shoulders as she winked, "We are about to become family after all."

Beyoncé gave her a watery smile in response, hoping the other woman wouldn't notice the slight flinch at the mention of what was to happen to her or the redness that rimmed her dull eyes.

She heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor as the last figure stood from his seat, joining his mother by her side. She had avoided having to look at him, for the irrational urge to delay the moment she dreaded, the moment where she had to act like a lovestruck fool for a man she didn't have feelings for.

Brown eyes so similar to the mayor's met her own and for a moment, Beyoncé thought she saw them cloud with doubt and regret and it had caught her off guard. Ever since the arrangement had formed, she only thought about how her unfair her father was for forcing this onto her and how she had despised him for it—but she had never considered how her fiancé felt about their situation.

But then he blinked and suddenly his eyes cleared, immediately shining with the love that was supposed to be reflected in her own.

He carefully took her hand in his, bowing slightly as he placed a gentle kiss on her third knuckle, "I'm glad you're home." he said with a dazzling smile.

Seeing him do an act she had only associated with Kelly had nearly triggered another onslaught of tears, but the fact that she had been crying for far too long before that gave her the hope that maybe she had finally run out of tears to cry.

Beyoncé tried to swallow around the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, "Thank you." she managed to mutter under her breath, to which his smile only grew when she wanted nothing more than to rip her hand away from his.