The Golden Boys

Chapter Twenty

Zara and Andrei sat in a comfortable silence for majority of the ride. To her surprise, Andrei was driving them to the charity auction in a baby blue Jaguar E-Type. A beautiful car. Zara was a bitch for the classic cars and she had never ridden in one before. She couldn't... actually she could remember the last time he drove her somewhere by themselves. Last summer where she wore the exact shade of lipstick and they were both drunk off of cheap vodka they had found hidden in the pantry behind the cans of soup.

Towards the end, Zara removed a mint from her bag and handed it to the boy. "You smell like vodka," she said. She had a feeling he drank a little more than the shots they took together.

Andrei took the mint without arguing or that annoyed look he loved to wear.

He took a smooth turn and they were stopped at a gate. The guards were dressed in dark attire with the their weapons casually sitting at their hip. Zara wasn't able to see the building behind the gate or the tall bushes that surrounded the place.

"Quel est votre nom?" a guard asked.

Zara would never be offended if someone had asked her that question, but that guard was addressing Andrei Lykaois. She was slightly terrified for the guard.

"Andrei Lykaois," he replied.

There was no annoyance or anger in his voice when he spoke his name, though the look on his face could send others into a frozen state. Luckily, the guard caught on and immediately recognized his name, waving towards his fellow workers to open the gate.

"Mes excuses, Monsieur. Profitez de votre soirée," the guard said as he backed away.

Andrei drove off without another word and Zara couldn't help but smile at the sight. The road was strung with lanterns and flowers, leading them towards the mansion that towered over them. She wanted to explore the gardens and run through the halls like one of those fairytale princesses in a Disney movie. The pink and white roses in the bushes, the angel fountains with water coming out of their mouths, the polished stones and small engravings on the building. She even spotted a lovely greenhouse to their right. It was perfect.

Everyone seemed to already be indoors, of course they were late. Andrei had a habit of being late to everything, wanting to make an entrance. He parked the car directly in front of the entrance and watched the staff scramble to help him, but Andrei had already opened his door before they could do anything.

Then he tossed the keys to a man.

"Pas une égratignure," Andrei said. Not a scratch.

A staff member was about to open her door when Andrei reached it first. The staff member read the signs quickly and backed away. Yes, Andrei was an ass most of the times but his mother Lena raised him to be a gentleman.

He offered her his hand and Zara accepted it. She looped her arm through his and together they made their way up the stairs, handing their coats to the nearest staff member.

"What's your goal for tonight?" she whispered.

The doors shut behind them and they were left in a golden hallway filled with more flowers and oil paintings. Mirrors and chandeliers were placed every few feet, reflecting the light and making this hallway more magical.

"To have a peaceful night and talk with partners," Andrei replied.

Zara rolled her eyes. "Bullshit. You're just like my father. He only attends these events if he wants something, if not, he'd just send an assistant. Seriously, what's your goal? You brought me for a reason, Lykaois."

Andrei silently debated in his head. They were halfway down the hall, following the trail of flowers to find the entrance to the ballroom. Holy shit. Was she really about to be escorted into a room by Andrei?