^^^EVIE'S OUTFIT ❤️
"Hun, you're a million miles away. What's going on?" Zena asked, concern clear in her tone.
She wasn't wrong though. I hadn't slept well since that asshole dropped a bomb on me and then hung up the phone. It's like Aramis just enjoys toying with me, and I cannot for the life of me understand why.
"It's nothing," I lied.
"You're a terrible liar," Onyx called me out.
We were having breakfast, dressed in the same clothes as the day before. Zena had already complained a million times over about how dirty she felt, so we agreed that we'd go shopping first for clothes before anything else.
I sighed. "It's Aramis."
"We've only been gone for a day and you already miss him?" Bernard teased, resulting in me throwing a cherry tomato at him.
"No! It's the furthest thing from that. The infuriating man called me last night to tell me why he called me by my maiden name," I replied.
"And?" Zena questioned.
"He says I'm not legally married," I informed.
"What? How?" Bernard asked.
"Do share when you find out since he decided to hang up after telling me that and he's been ignoring my phone calls since," I said.
"This is borderline childish on his part. He can't just drop a bomb like that and then not explain himself," Onyx said.
"THANK YOU!" I shouted.
Zena laughed a little, patting my arm. "Alright hun, calm down. Remember, we're not letting him get the better of you."
"Except he's getting away with it Zena. He clearly knows something crucial about me, and I have no choice but to wait until he decides I deserve to know about my own life," I snapped, irritated.
Yeah, I was the furthest thing from calm or happy.
"If he found this out, it must mean he had to really dig deep," Bernard said thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
He sat up straight. "Well, while it was easy for your father to say everything should be in your name, there are a couple of things that we're obviously still dealing with transferring to your name. We keep hitting roadblocks, so for him to have found out that you're not legally married, means something fishy is going on."
His words only confirmed my thoughts. It's all I could think about the whole night, and my mind kept going back to the fact that Zayn married me for my father's money. We had the whole wedding shebang and I was not dealing well with the fact that not only was he cheating on me with my sister, but I'd been lied to on such a level as well.
"She doesn't look well," I faintly heard Onyx comment. I was just numb.
"Aramis, stop being a fucking asshole. The woman is about to pass out," Zena snapped. I looked at her in confusion only to realize that she was on the phone. I was even more confused when she handed me her phone.
"He wants to talk to you," she informed.
I put the phone to my ear. "I'll be in New York by tomorrow. Do you think you can hold onto your wits until then? I'll explain everything to you the next time I see you."
"How do you know that we're in New York?" I instead asked.
"You can't hide from me Evie, try as you may," he said before the line went dead.
This man honestly just baffles me. There's no other word to use. I don't understand him, and I don't know if I ever will. Hell, at this point in time, I'm pretty sure I don't even want to bother. The more I think about it, the more I start to agree with myself that perhaps keeping him at a distance is advisable.
"What did he say?" Zena brought me out of thought.
"He'll be here tomorrow and he'll explain everything," I replied.
"There's something very wrong with that man," she commented.
I wasn't about to contest that thought.
We finished up with our breakfast before heading out to the mall. We were driving an SUV we hired since none of us have cars here. Bernard offered to drive because he is, and these are his words here, 'keeping chivalry alive'.
That of course sparked an argument between him and Zena about sexism and feminism, and my brave warrior Onyx ended the argument by grabbing the keys and getting into the driver's seat. Just to torture them, I sat in the passenger seat, forcing them to sit together in the back, pouting.
"Are our children ready to behave themselves? I don't have my leashes with me," Onyx joked once she'd parked the car at the mall.
The loving glances she received in return were enough of an answer.
Nonetheless, we left the car and headed inside. We agreed that we'd shop for Bernard first, and then finish off with us girls. I was paying for everyone since they were all here because of me. Also, I technically have the most money.
I didn't want them to spend money unnecessarily.
Zena was starting afresh with me in New York, so she and I would have to really go all out, while Bernard had made plans to fly to LA to box his stuff and have them shipped here. The office agreed to his New York transfer.
With Onyx, we just needed to get her stuff from her apartment. She'd already called her landlord to give notice. What the three of them don't know is that I've already arranged their apartments for them.
The residential building that Bernard told them about is a building with luxury apartments. There are forty apartments in the building, and the top floor, where my penthouse is, happens to have three free and fully furnished apartments available, which I booked. They can obviously decorate them willingly and all.
"These jeans are just not meant for me," Bernard commented as he stepped out of the changing room.
"Bernie! I didn't realize that you have an ass on you! How dare you hide it!" Zena said dramatically, making Onyx and I laugh as Bernard's ears turned red.
"I hate you," he mumbled, glaring at her before heading back into the change rooms.
"Man, Bernie is just too easy to rile up," Zena giggled.
"You are too evil," I commented just as my phone went off.
I grimaced when I saw who was calling, and simply because of the lecture I knew was coming. "Please don't shout at me."
"Shout at you? Why would I shout at you? It's not like you left the country without bothering to let me know," she said sarcastically.
I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I needed to leave."
"Oh, you will be sorry when I find you. Where are you?" she asked.
"Shopping at the mall with Bernard and Zena," I replied, excluding Onyx.
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes," she said before the line went dead.
"Who was that and why do you look like you're about to meet your death?" Zena asked me.
"That was Gigi and she'll be here in fifteen minutes," I said lowly.
Zena's eyes widened. "Shit! I lied to her!"
"Ooh, you two are in trouble," Bernard said in sing-song.
"Shut up Bernie!"
There was no use in even trying to run. Something told me that Gigi would find us either way, so we stayed in that store, picking out clothes for Bernard. Fifteen minutes later, on the dot, Gigi texted me asking which store we were in, and I responded. She arrived within seconds.
"Just how quickly did you walk here?" Zena dared to ask her.
"Not that quick. I parked at the closest entrance to this store," Gigi replied.
"Heeeeeyyy," I dragged out weirdly.
She glared at me. "Out with it!"
"Your brother proposed to me so I hid from all of you for a week before I decided to move to New York to change my life," I summarized in a ramble.
"He did what now?" she asked, having clearly caught every word I said.
"I found him waiting for me in my room and he proposed the moment I walked into the room," I replied.
"You're not making any sense. What did you say to his proposal?" she asked.
"I slapped him and walked out," I responded.
Three heads whipped my way. "You slapped him? You didn't mention that!"
I didn't?
I laughed nervously. "I didn't? I thought I did."
"Now I totally understand why he's being the way that he's being. I mean, his childishness isn't justified, but you did slap the guy," Bernard pointed out.
"You didn't even give him a chance to say anything?" Onyx asked.
"He kissed me and then disappeared, only for me to read all about his relationship with the very same woman he told me he cannot stand. Forgive me for not being all too welcoming of his sudden proposal," I replied.
"You two kissed?" Gigi asked in disbelief.
"Yes?" I replied unsurely.
Seriously, I probably fear Gigi more than anyone else in my life.
Silence settled on us as we watched Gigi processing my words. "I don't even know where to begin."
"How about nowhere?" I suggested.
"Nowhere?" they all said.
I nodded. "Yes, nowhere. I slapped Aramis yes, and I'd like to think of it as a human reaction, but that's all there is to it. Tomorrow he's going to tell me how I'm not legally married, and then I'm going to move on with my life."
"So that's it?" Gigi asked.
"That's it," I agreed.
She looked at me with an emotion I couldn't decipher before she walked out. That's when it settled on me that I perhaps hadn't handled that situation well. All that Gigi has been since I've met her is my best friend, and I shouldn't have kept any of this from her.
Neither should've I have been such a bitch about this.
"Well, that went..." Zena trailed off.
"I know. I'm going to have to apologize to her big time," I whined.
"We'll help you think of something. Right now, I'd like to think that we're done shopping for me, so let's get out of here," Bernard suggested.
We agreed with him, so I paid for his stuff before we left the store. Zena, Onyx and I have different styles, so it was hard to stay together. We ended up deciding to split up, with Bernard choosing to head tech shopping.
No one was going to argue there.
I headed over to an expensive store that has brands in all their glory, for both men and women of all sizes. One of the salesladies shot me a confused look, probably questioning my presence in the store. I wasn't exactly dressed like someone who would ever walk into a store like this.
And I guess that's the whole point.
This was the first time I was truly going shopping to look good. I used to hate shopping simply because I hated how I looked. With my new image, I needed to use my eye for style to dress myself like the woman I want to be.
With that mission in mind, I started collecting clothes that I thought would look good on me. One of the nicer ladies who works in the store (her name is Renee) decided to help me, and together we put together a collection. She urged me to go and try everything on.
"That one doesn't really do anything for your hips," she argued.
"I thought the same thing, but I thought I was being paranoid," I commented as I checked myself out.
It was the second to last outfit I was trying on and Renee and her colleague Mark had been of great help. Mark joined in when I tried out my fifth outfit, and together they've helped me come up with a solid selection of clothes.
"Wow," they both said when I stepped out in the last outfit.
It wasn't all that spectacular, but I felt really good in it. It was a pair of black jeggings with a black and white top. I paired them up with a pair of simple black heels and a simple necklace. I felt quite sexy, especially with my slightly wild hair.
"Now that's the outfit you're wearing tonight."
I turned my head to find the source of the voice. My eyes landed on a really attractive guy who was fixing his suit jacket. He has dark brown hair with blonde highlights, and from what I could see, he has dark blueish grey eyes, as well as a dimple. He's got the height, as well as the build of a model.
And he had most of the women in the store eyeing his every move.
"Oh? And what is it that's happening tonight?" I questioned.
"We're going on a date," he informed.
Bernard may be wrong about the whole chivalry thing after all.
I crossed my arms. "Is that right?"
"Where are my manners? I'm Cain Bingham," he introduced, his English accent rolling right off of his tongue.
"And I'm going nowhere with you," I replied before heading over to the counter. Mark and Renee followed after me with my clothes.
"I have a free day today, which means I could follow you around the whole day," Cain informed.
I turned to raise an eyebrow at him. "I could call the cops on you."
"Come on! What's one date going to hurt?" he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at him before going back to the change room to change back into my clothes. I needed to think about this whole date thing. He honestly is a good looking man, a contender for Aramis even, and I guess he was right.
I didn't have anything to lose from going on one date with him surely. I'm single, and while the love aspect was never discussed with my best friends, it doesn't stop me from taking charge myself. I stepped out of the change room and he was actually waiting for me.
"Hand me your phone," I said.
I was surprised when he did so without asking questions. "Text me the address of wherever it is we're going and I'll meet you there."
"I look forward to it," he said with a cute smile, flashing that dimple, before going back to the changing rooms.
"Do you have any idea who that is?" Mark asked me.
I shrugged. "Am I supposed to know?"
"That's Cain Bingham, CEO of Bingham Attorneys. He recently gained the company since his father died from cancer. He's a regular here, and he almost never talks to anyone. He doesn't even date," he informed.
"Him asking you out is a big deal," Renee added.
"My accepting is just a big deal," I replied as I handed over my card for payment.
"How? Not to sound mean or anything, but what do you bring to the table with someone like that?" Mark asked.
I was amused really. "Mark, do you have any idea who I am?"
"Nope," he replied, and I could see Renee's eyes widen as she processed my payment.
"Melanie Blandel," she whispered.
Mark's head shot to the computer screen before looking back at me. "No way."
"So, I guess we'll wait and see exactly what it is I can bring to the table," I confidently said before grabbing my stuff and walking out of the shop.
I felt all kinds of good having dealt with that situation the way that I had. For the first time in my life, I was proud of expressing who I was in public. Hell, for the first time in my life, I felt like I deserved to flaunt my status.
Despite the fact that I hate the name Melanie Blandel.
"We can always shop some more later. I think the clothes we have are enough to last us at least two months," Zena told me. I'd met up with her in one of the other stores.
"Ok, fair enough. Do you have any idea where Onyx and Bernard are?" I asked.
"Here comes Onyx, so I guess we just have to call Bernard," she replied.
She called him and he gave us his location. He was closer to the entrance, so it didn't make sense for him to find us. We went looking for him, and when we found him, he was talking to someone. I was surprised when the person turned slightly.
"Cain?" I accidentally blurted.
He turned and looked amused. "And you were going to call the cops on me for stalking you."
"You two know each other?" Bernard asked.
"We just met today, even though I don't know her name," Cain hinted.
"Cain, these are my best friends Evie, Zena and Onyx. Guys, this is my friend Cain Bingham," Bernard introduced on my behalf. I was grateful he hadn't mentioned my last name.
Especially since I technically don't know what it is.
"A beautiful name for an exceptionally beautiful woman," Cain said seriously, looking straight at me. I blushed but chose not to say anything.
"It's lovely to meet you Cain," Zena said, snapping him out of his ogling.
He cleared his throat. "Sorry. It's lovely to meet you both."
"Well then, are you guys ready to go?" Bernard asked.
"Yep!" the three of us replied.
Bernard nodded before turning to Cain. "I've got to go, but we have to catch up now that I'm relocating to here."
"Still won't come and work for me?" Cain asked.
"Not a chance buddy!" Bernard chuckled.
"Fair enough. I will only irritate you more now that you're moving here," Cain joked.
"Good luck with that," Bernard replied.
Cain turned to me. "I'll see you tonight?"
"We'll meet up at eight," I said, agreeing.
"Great!" he said before leaving to go to one of the aisles in the store.
"We've only been here for one day and you already have a date with a hottie?" Zena asked as we walked back to the car.
"Well yeah I guess. How do you guys know each other?" I asked Bernard.
"We went to high school and college together. Unlike me, he's a double major. He's got an Honours Degree in Business Management and a Masters Degree in Business Law," he informed.
"So he's a smarty pants like you?" Zena asked.
Bernard had already shared his story with us. He's a super genius who graduated high school at the age of fifteen, hence why he was allowed to major in the things he did, as quickly as he did. At the age of twenty-five, he's managed to do more than most people in their lifetime of studying.
"You could say so. He graduated at sixteen, and he refused to be a triple major because he was being groomed to take over his father's company," he elaborated.
"Geeks," Onyx teased, making us laugh.
We headed over to Onyx's apartment as planned, and the van I'd hired was already waiting for us. They helped to load Onyx's stuff into the van, while she settled her bill with her landlord. It was the one thing she wouldn't allow me to do.
"Well then, that's it! Anyone have any clue where we're spending the night? Or are we going back to the hotel?" she asked when everything was ready.
"I thought we were going apartment shopping," Zena commented.
"Uhm, you don't have to," I said.
She and Zena frowned. "Why not?"
"You didn't," Bernard said instead.
I giggled. "Except I did."
"What did she do?" Onyx asked.
"She got us apartments in her building," he knowingly informed.
"What?" the girls said concurrently.
"Are we going to just stand here, or are we going to check out your new apartments?" I joked.
Their squeals were confirmation enough.
I gave the van driver the address to the building and we headed out. The girls had many questions, but I wouldn't answer any of them. I wanted them to be amazed. Bernard already knew what the apartments looked like.
We arrived and they were restless, while Bernard just watched on amusedly. I told the movers to follow us with Onyx's boxes after I'd collected the keys from reception. We headed up the elevator and when we reached the top floor, I was a bit nervous about how they would truly react.
We first stopped by Bernard's apartment. The décor here is the most bachelor like, so it made sense to give it to him, while the other two are more chic. I chose the more modern one for Zena, and the more boho one for Onyx.
The three apartments reflect their personalities perfectly.
"I can't believe you did this for us," Onyx commented when we were in her apartment. Hers was the last one of the three that we'd gone to.
"You guys are going to help me to be a better version of myself, so this is the least I could do for you," I admitted.
"You didn't have to. We want to help you because we see the potential in you," Zena argued.
"I know I didn't have to do it. I guess I wanted to," I replied.
"Well, I'm not complaining one bit. I get paid quite a hefty amount, but my old place was nowhere close to being as nice as this," Bernard said.
"I'm glad I could do this for you. How about we use the rest of the day to get settled into our places?" I recommended.
"That's a brilliant idea. We'll meet back at your place to help you get ready for your date with Cain," Onyx said.
We went our separate ways, and for me, that's when the nerves truly settled in. This was my father's favourite penthouse out of all the penthouses he owned. It was his very first one, and it was one of the things that inspired him to be wealthy. He was a delivery boy and he fell in love with the view when he made a delivery here all those years ago.
He vowed to himself then, that he would own the penthouse.
Owning the entire building was just an impulsive decision.
Thinking about how my father became wealthy has always been a secret source of inspiration for me. I was just never brave enough to follow in his footsteps, but I've always respected his hustle and how far he made it.
I took a deep breath before opening the door. The place was still the same, and it smelled like lemons and pine, which meant it was recently cleaned. The lights came on and I was met by the huge picture on the wall.
The picture is a picture of my father and I just the year before. It was just before he got really sick, and we were at the resort in Maui. He had just told me the world's worst joke, and yet I laughed until my stomach hurt, a moment that was captured by one of the staff members there since we were at the poolside.
That was one of the days when I was truly happy. It's one of my best and favourite memories with him. It had been an impromptu trip, and it was the last time he was truly healthy. We received the news of his diagnosis just a week later.
I could feel my sadness crashing in on me, so I knew I had to distract myself. I headed to my room here and unpacked my clothes, hanging them up in my closet. My father had people renovate the penthouse so that both our rooms were master bedrooms.
When I was done, I took out my phone and decided to go through my emails for the week. I wasn't the least bit surprised to see the threatening emails from my family members. You'd think that they would've given up after so long, so I award their persistence.
I was about to put the phone down when it vibrated, indicating a new text message:
Unknown: See you at 8. CB
The text was accompanied by a geo location. It wasn't hard to figure out who the text was from, and I found myself genuinely excited to go on the date. I checked the time and found that it was five o'clock.
I had more than enough time.
However, I had nothing else that could distract me, so I settled for going to take a nice and long bubble bath. Besides, I wanted to make sure that I was completely emotionally and mentally ready for my date.
I spent a good hour, lost in my thoughts. This time it wasn't a bad thing because I was laying in the water, thinking about my future and all the different ways that it could play out. Hell, if what Aramis was saying was true, I'd officially be free of my past.
I got ready, going with a different outfit altogether. I wore a plain black dress that reached just above my knees. I accessorized with a simple silver necklace, earrings and bracelet. I wore a pair of black and silver strappy heels, keeping my makeup light, and my hair in curls.
"Weren't we supposed to help you get ready?" Onyx asked when I answered the door. It was six thirty and I was ready.
"Someone is clearly very excited for this date," Bernard teased.
Zena cocked her head to the side, evaluating me. "I would go with nervous more than excited."
She wasn't wrong about that.
"Would you relax? Cain is one of the coolest people I know. You couldn't be in safer hands," Bernard assured.
"I'm going to take your word for it, and if this backfires, I'm coming for you," I threatened.
He frowned at my words. "I fail to understand where all this violence comes from. I thought you were being more confident, not violent."
"Just pray that you're right," I warned.
They stayed with me until it was time for me to leave. I'd arranged for a driver to take me since again, I didn't have a car here. My best friends had their respective plans, so we promised to do lunch the next day.
Because you know, they're nosy people who want to know every detail about how this date goes.
I was a bundle of nerves the closer the car got to my destination. I was following the route on my phone and when the car stopped, I thought I would pass out. I could already see Cain standing outside, looking dashing in an all-black suit ensemble that had the ladies around him drooling.
I almost left then, but I took a deep breath in, put my big girl panties on and stepped out of the car.
***
Elo Smurflettes
Thank you for your continued support. We keep moving up. We're currently #437 in General Fiction and it's thanks to you guys!
Please continue to vote and comment. I love that you guys love it so far. I love you guys! ❤️
Katee (^^,)