His Control |18+

48| Not All Days Are Bad Days

Balia's POV

Well, today ended on a good note. Trey drove us to the Italian restaurant and booked us a table. He had offered me a seat, asking me to order whatever I wanted so he could leave the card with the cashier and wait in the car.

Well, I disagreed. I couldn't sit here alone. Not when it had a lot of people sitting around and dining at the same time. Now that I thought about it correctly, I had a little social anxiety. Why couldn't I sit without tapping my feet on the floors or playing with my fingers?

I decided that I couldn't sit alone, so I pushed back my seat and walked over to where Trey stood before the counter and tapped him.

"Hey, got any problem?" He asked as he placed a black card on the table. He slid it over to the lady behind the counter, and I didn't miss that she had been baring her teeth before him like a predator.

I scratched the back of my neck. "Uhm, I'd love you to be at the table with you."

He shot a perfectly carved brow up. "You think?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I can sit there alone. I'm not used to this environment," I gestured to the tables behind us. It was filled with customers, and most were tourists trying dishes for the first time. "We can eat together, you know? Senna might get mad if we spend so much, but I'll explain. I'll make it solely my fault."

He frowned for a moment before he burst into laughter. "And who do you think has been paying?"

There was silence for a moment. It had to be Senna, right? "Senna, of course. He asked you to take me out, didn't he?"

   "Yes, he did. But I am paying from my card," He replied and collected the card. "If you want me at the table, then no problem. I've not had anything to eat all day, too,"

   I stood there, confused, as he smiled politely at the clerk, who winked at him.

   "What do you mean? Shouldn't he be the one paying?" I asked as he directed us back to the table. He squeezed a sheet in his hand and tossed it into the nearest bin. "It's not nice if he makes you pay for me. I don't feel nice about it either,"

   Trey pulled out my seat, and I slipped in before smiling politely at him. "Senna and I are brothers. Not literally, but you get what I mean?" He said as he took a seat before me. "So it's nothing. There's a way we work, so it shouldn't be a problem. It's still him sponsoring this."

   I didn't understand what he said but went with it, nodding as I comfortably picked the card and went through the menu list.

   Everything felt right now. I could watch people eat and drink from my glass of wine. Trey was an exciting company, and even at a point, he took a call from his wife and introduced me to her. I envied his family. They had all I didn't. The love, the time, the safety. Everything.

   But I was happy for him. It is rare for people to marry the right person these days. No one was interested in commitment or ready to give their all.

   This was me shooting myself in the leg, but I was right. I wasn't ready to commit yet, and one of the reasons had to be that I wasn't even financially ready for any relationship.

   We had the best meal. Not even my terrible choice ended up being terrible. The meal tasted so lovely, and I even had to request a side dish, as Trey had suggested.

   After dinner, we had dessert. Blancmange. It was a sweet almond-flavored milk pudding thickened with gelatin. With every scoop, it melted against my tongue, leaving a buttery sweet feeling.

  

   "Do you think you'd love to come back here again?" Trey asked as he pulled the door that led out of the restaurant open.

   "Of course!" I cried as I hiked my purse against my hip and stopped. Right now, I feel free. I didn't care for the people around me and if they were looking at me. I had fun today, and I was sugar high, and my belly was filled up, probably going to burst soon. "The meals here are top-notch. Hundred! If I were a bigger eater than this, I'd have requested another dish."

   Trey shook with laughter as he collected the car keys from one of the valets, tipping a nonexistent hat at him. "You are a big eater.  I wonder how it'd be if you were a bigger eater."

   "Let's not think about it. Let's think about coming back here again."

   He unlocked the car and opened the back door before looking at me. "How soon?"

   "Next week?" I replied as I slipped into the car. My feet were hurting slightly, but I was okay.

   "Well, let's see how it goes. If Senna agrees, then we're game."

   Senna. The devil. "Are you going to beg him or what?"

   Trey shrugged. "He's a stubborn one. Let's hope he caves in and agrees again."

   I wanted to ask him about Senna, but I remembered how clipped his voice had sounded while he talked about him, so I just kept to myself and nodded, wishing our date back here would be sooner. Trey was good company, and he was someone I could talk to.

   But I didn't trust him. Not yet. He seemed to have this enormous respect for Senna, and he looked like he could tell Senna anything he asked of him. I had to protect my privacy.

   We finally got back to the mansion. It was quiet as usual, and I guessed Senna had a guest around.

   Trey finally cruised to a halt in front of the parking lot, and Trey turned to look at me. "Senna isn't back yet. He's on a trip and on his way back."

   I pushed the door. "I don't care."

   "I know you don't," He said with a laugh. "You hate him, and it's so obvious."

   "I'm glad it is. I want everyone to know that. Maybe someone will help me escape someday."

   "Not with Senna. You can't escape."

   "Why?!" I cried. "And don't tell me it's not in your place to give me any answers."

   Trey sighed. "Senna doesn't talk so much about you. I am only telling you this because you're a nice person and I enjoy your company. Senna rarely talks about you. The only time I'm sure he did was yesterday when he asked me to take you out. He didn't say much, but I think he's trying to make things up to you. I have no idea how he wronged you but trust me, he rarely apologizes, but this step he took? It's something, and I think you should take it as an olive branch."

   Before I could give him a reply, we heard the sound of the large gates creaking open. Trey looked at me.

   "He's back. I better drive home."

   Before I could call after him to wait, he had already slipped into his car and zoomed out of the gates, waving after Senna.

   I stood awkwardly in front of the porch, contemplating waiting for him or just going back in.

   He slipped out of the car, looking as edible as ever. He was dressed in freshly pressed slacks and a white t-shirt. As usual, the pendant hung off his neck. His hair was tousled, looking like he hadn't wasted time brushing it before he left wherever. His feet were clad with dark boots, and just immediately after he shut the door, his phone rang.

   This was my cue to leave. I was standing and waiting for him like he owned my soul. Never. I slipped my phone out of my bag and plugged in my AirPods before entering the mansion.

   The hall was empty, save for three maids cleaning the windows and vacuuming the chairs. I waved politely at them, basking in the smile they returned. I saw myself as one of them. I was coming from a shitty background and having to work for people to get paid. And they were all nice, attending to me with respect and even engaging in conversations with me whenever they had nothing to do. I'd have stopped for a chat, but Senna was around, and I didn't want any form of interrogation from him.

   But my first step had strong, wiry fingers wrapping around my wrist with force. I whirled around to see Senna standing behind me.

   His hand slipped off my wrist, and I grabbed it, rubbing my skin softly. "H-hi," I muttered.

   "Did you enjoy your day today?" He asked. Not even a smile. Just a stony expression.

   I nodded. "Yes, I did. Thank you for asking Trey to take me out."

   "I guess that would be all." He replied with a curt nod, took the steps, and pushed past me, leaving me in surprise.

   What the hell just happened?