A/N: Okay this chapter ended up being SUPER MEGALONG for no reason lmao. I quite enjoyed it as it was funny in my opinion. Time for some salty Mia action :D
[19] The Ex Effect
The first time Mia met Kevin—her soon to be first boyfriend— it was not his face that attracted her, nor his body. While he was a good-looking man in his own right, the reality was his black eyes took precedent over all. Their sooty color felt familiar, even though they didn't carry the sort of depth she desired. Its no surprise they formed an easy friendship, and her beauty captured him enough to make things deeper. But no matter how attached Mia grew to him, she always felt there were something missing. She never understood why she kept seeking and not finding the things she was looking for in him. It would take time before she realized he's not the man she wanted all along.
Present
"S-Saurus...hi." The woman shyly stuttered. Her cheeks glowed bright red, an endearing rosy color that made her look both youthful and adorable, much to Mia's chagrin. Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at Saurus, they were big, blue and beautiful, liking her to an innocent angel.
Samuel regarded her coolly with no distinct expression. "Hello Jasmine, I hope you are doing well." He responded.
The dark-haired beauty looked at her feet, squirming in place. She looked like a cute puppy. "I'm okay. How have you been?" Her voice was soft, like a lovely melody played by the flute. It was light and delightful. No wonder Samuel fell hard for this chick, she was straight up gorgeous.
Mia squished the sourness creeping up in her insides. It was swirling to her mind and made her want to separate the two, a very troublesome thought, as they were hardly close in distance as is. What did she care of the interactions Samuel had with his ex? An ex he allowed to call him a name she was not entitled to. Whenever she called him Saurus he would always build a fuss on how she wasn't 'entitled' to it, yet somehow this other woman was.
"I'm doing well, thank you for asking." Samuel responded. His eyes appraised Jasmine, albeit detached and merely clinical. "You look healthy."
Mia's eyes narrowed. Healthy. So this chick looked healthy now did she? What the heck was that suppose to mean?
The woman looked away for a moment, slightly overtaken by his compliment. Mia had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Relax woman, he only said you looked healthy. No need to be all overwhelmed. One would think she was just pronounced Miss USA with all that blushing.
"Thank you." Jasmine said kindly.
"I assume you have assimilated properly to Everglades by now?"
Mia's nose wrinkled that he even cared to ask another question, keeping the mindless conversation going, being all polite and whatnot asking her how she was doing. They had more important things to do than ask such needless questions, such as getting to their rooms.
Jasmine played with the ends of her hair nervously, assenting to his question. "In some ways, yes."
Samuel inclining his head to her slightly. "Glad to hear that. I have some rooms to find, maybe I'll see you around later."
The woman nodded. A little too eagerly for Mia's tastes. As a matter of fact, Mia felt she should stop nodding so hard to not risk breaking her neck with all that enthusiasm. And thus they continued walking to their appointed rooms. Mia peaked a glance at Samuel, who looked as mellow as ever with his shoulders relaxed and his face in a nondescript expression. It bothered her that she couldn't gauge what was going through his mind. She wanted to know his thoughts now that he had come across her—the woman he had thought of the night he kissed her over his desk.
Mia crossed her arms the remainder of the trip. By the time they reached their rooms and the butler bowed in farewell, her body trembled with anger and she didn't understand why it was quite this potent.
"I can't believe this!" She finally cried, unable to hold it in any longer once they were out of earshot.
"What's the problem now." Samuel grunted, staring her down. It seemed he had enough of her.
Sammie's eyes glittered as she assessed her grumpy best friend with hidden knowledge. She sipped from her tea and allowed herself to be entertained. Mia was too focused on the wolfman in front of her to notice this though.
The stupid reptile. He was so unfair. "For one, you are way nicer to her than you are to me, and she's the one that broke your heart. Are you freaking kidding me?!"
Sammie snorted and coughed the small sip of drink she ingested, followed by loud laughing.
Mia sent her a short glare before returning her attention to him.
But it seemed Samuel had other things in mind, for he was busily bring her luggage into her shared room with Samantha. "You're being ridiculous." He dismissed, placing her suitcase near a dresser. "Is this place fine?"
"No!" Mia snapped.
Samuel scratched his head and looked around, unsure of where to place the luggage. "Then where do you want it?"
"No where you stupid reptile!"
"Woman, what do you want from me?" He asked, arms wide at his sides in askance.
Mia remained quiet and silently fumed. Seeing she had nothing to reply, Samuel decidedly released the bag where he originally intended. "Since you've voiced no preference, I will leave it here."
"Yeah, you sure prefer it when she calls you Saurus because God forbid I should accidently say it you'd blow smoke over it!" Mia accused, completely taking his sentence out of context and uttering the distresses of her heart.
Samuel's mouth slightly dropped, a hint of surprise filling his orbs. He looked totally and completely lost. Samantha felt it right to intercept in this moment as much as she was quite frankly enjoying her best-friend's mini blowup and her brother's cluelessness. It was rather tickling to watch to say the least.
"Guys, remember lunch starts in an hour. How about we refresh ourselves before heading there?"
"Yeah, you heard her." Mia contributed. "Get out." She pointed Samuel to the door.
"Keep trying me, woman." Samuel warned, grabbing her pointed finger in his hand and squeezing it hard enough to elicit pain. Mia defiantly kept her face masked as though she was unbothered. "This insolence of yours is why I should have kept you tucked at home."
Mia was mildly shocked that instead of threating to send her back to her own place, he was actually referring to his packhouse. Even so, she lifted her chin proudly and looked away from him as though he were an insignificant object. Samuel growled, his teeth sharpening and Mia knew he was tempted to bite her for her uncalled disrespect. Whatever. Even if he's been nice to her these past few days as a way of peace, she couldn't help the annoyance and irritation she felt right now.
Samuel regained himself and let go, glaring at her minutely before leaving as she had told him to. When the door closed the muted laughter of her best-friend as she laughed against a pillow made her want to kick her out as well.
"Why are you laughing!"
Sammie pursed her lips in effort to control her amusement. "Nothing, nothing at all." She looked at her nonexistent watch. "Wow, look at the time. Its time for me to freshen up." She gathered some supplies—a few giggles escaping her throat—before dashing into the bathroom.
Mia grumpily opened her suitcase, the one Saurus had conveniently placed near the dresser despite her quarrelling earlier. She took a moment to sit down and relax, allowing her heart rate to slow to a comfortable rhythm. Her fretful hands massaged her temples in efforts to calm the tension coursing through her. This was all so strange. Perhaps her period was coming soon and this was why she was all antsy. Some food and rest should restart her unquietness.
At least that's what she thought.
Lunch time came around and Mia decided she would wear a simple summer dress in the heat of the California sun. Sammie had thought the same and worn something similar, the two girls matched in flowery dresses as they sat in the large dining hall full of so many sharkmen Mia lost count.
The were certainly different from wolfman. Their bodies leaner and not as muscled, like a swimmers body, and their faces held not the roughness she was accustomed to. For one, no one had a beard. Their faces were hairless, sloped in an aristocratic manner that reminded her of entitled wealthy folk. Even the women here were different, not at all busty or well endowed, but rather slender to the point of almost thin.
They were clad in fancy flowy outfits that belonged more on a runway than lunch. Even so, because the men here were similarly dressed in button ups and golden watches, it seemed expensive was their natural style. What disturbed Mia most was not this, but the way most men had two to four girls with them. The similar marriage band on each index finger showed these number of women were married to that one man. Sammie had warned her of this culture of theirs, but to see it live was a whole other experience.
Then arrived the star of the show—a sharkman of eyes so blue they mirrored the deep ocean and a magnetic smile. He was charismatic, greeting people along the way and shaking hands. He was exceptional in that he had five sharkwomen trailing after him, each gorgeous in their own way with blonde wavy hair and light eyes as is customary of his people—except one: Jasmine. Her dark hair was a stark contrast to the women around her, as was her short, more roundly fitted formed. It was a good sort of difference, it truly was no wonder why she held the eyes of other sharkmen.
So this is the Shark King, Mia mused. The man who stole Samuel's girl-friend right under his nose. Unlike the four girls who were clamoring for the two seats next to him at the table, Jasmine was more relaxed. As a matter of fact it appeared she was just about to pull out the third seat away from him (meaning she would be the furthest from the king) but the Shark King said some words that made her nod and sit beside him.
The Shark King took her hand and kissed it as the group sat down. Jasmine mildly smiled. Very odd that a woman in love and soon to be married to him didn't look quite excited. Mia checked the other sharkwomen's reaction to the change of seats, but they didn't seem to mind his preference of Jasmine, as though they were used to it.
"What do you guys think of the food?" Samantha asked, nibbling on a piece of asparagus.
Mia looked down to her meal. "Not bad, pretty average." She surmised.
Samuel remained quiet, allowing the fact that he was eating to speak for the fact that he found the food passable.
"So, when are you guys going to speak to Mr. Shark King?" Mia inquired. She thought it strange they had not yet spoken to him. Wasn't the whole point of coming here to go over a deal?
"While you ladies freshened up I spoke with him. He wants us to relax today and focus on the meeting tomorrow." Samuel replied. His adam's apple bobbed as he drank from a glass of water.
Samantha nodded in agreement. "According to the book I read, sharkmen like to strictly divide their time of business and pleasure. That means they never have business meetings over dinner, nor do they mix recreational activity with work duties."
Samuel stood from his seat. "Are you done?" He asked, referring to Mia's near empty plate. Sammie was still eating as slow as ever. She always did take forever to finish her food.
"Yes." Mia slid the plate in his direction.
"Since you're getting up, do you mind getting me one of those mug cakes? The one with the chocolate pudding on top with the oreos." Sammie specified.
The wereman assented before dropping the dirty plates off and heading to the dessert table. No doubt he would get something for himself, as these two sibling had the biggest sweet tooth.
"I can't believe these people seriously have a lifestyle of polygamy." Mia commented, awed as she saw a sharkman peck one of his wives before turning to the other and kissing her as well. Yuck, it made her stomach nauseous. "These women have brave souls because I definitely could not."
"Psh, you're telling me? I'd bite the head off of a female who dared kiss my mate, what's more all the intimate acts."
Mia shivered at the thought of someone else being intimate with a person meant to be only hers. "I would get too jealous."
Sammie smirked. "Oh, I definitely know that now Mia."
"What's that suppose to mean?!"
Samantha kept giggling, until suddenly she stopped, covering her mouth to hide her surprise as she viewed something to their right. "Oh, this is rich." She muffled.
Mia turned her gaze to the general direction. At first, all she saw was Samuel selecting the desserts, but then her eyes fell to the figure tentatively approaching him. The female took a deep breath before finally going up to him with a shy greet.
"I knew she wasn't over him." Sammie mused, watching the duo as they interacted.
Samuel had taken the last of a specific flavor that Jasmine had ever so sweetly pointed to, and immediately afterwards Samuel offered it to her. What a gentleman. Mia's annoyance spiked. It amazed her that Jasmine was blushing and smiling wide over something so minuscule, when only moments ago her fiancé had kissed her hand and she had a bare reaction. Oh yeah, she definitely was affected by Samuel.
"They just got here. How the heck is she up to dessert already?" Mia criticized.
Sammie hid her frantically amused smile behind her drink.
"And also, she completely disregarded you earlier. How is it she only payed attention to Samuel."
At this Sammie shrugged. "To be honest, she probably did that by accident. From what I remember of her she used to get into a whole zone whenever Saurus was nearby. Can't say I'm not used to it by now anyway." Sammie sing-songed lightly, and Mia knew she was referring to how many of her own kinswomen had done that as well.
Mia watched as Samuel grabbed another flavor of mug cake before making movement that he would head back to their table. The poor woman couldn't hide her disappointment at his withdrawing form, it was evident she wanted to speak to him more. Then, she actually gave Samuel a hug, which to Mia's surprise he actually returned it.
What. The. Freak.
How is it he actually responds positively to a hug from Jasmine, but when it came from her he makes a huge fuss. Granted, she hadn't taunted him with her inappropriate touches in a long time (for very obvious reasons), but it still irked her to see him react differently to this other woman. Though it was actually Samuel who pulled away first, Mia felt that hug lasted way too long. Jasmine, of course, was yet again blushing.
Mia changed her focus to see her best-friend's reaction. Surely she wasn't the only one who felt that way? To her surprise Sammie was not looking at them, but at Mia. Giggling.
"What is wrong with you?!" Mia said, smacking her arm. She's been acting so weird ever since they entered the Everglades estate. It seemed like she always caught her laughing or smiling for absolutely no reason.
The werewoman pretended to be now engrossed with her food. "I never thought I'd see the day." She sighed.
"Here." Samuel dropped an oreo mug cake before his sister.
Mia had intentioned to remain quiet, but her mouth ran ahead of her before she could stop it. "You and that ex of yours seem to be bumping into each other a whole lot." Mia commented, making Saurus pause as he dipped a spoonful into his mouth.
"Yes, Jasmine was getting dessert." He said.
"That was really nice of you, to give her the dessert you wanted."
Samuel shrugged, as though not finding it any big deal. "I guess."
"Yeah. It was also really nice the way you hugged her. Like you actually meant it and didn't mind her all over you."
The wolfman huffed. "She was not all over me."
"Right. But somehow whenever I give you a hug you make a big deal about it. What makes her so special?"
Samuel chewed on his cake, as though not understanding where she was going with this. Then, he completely froze altogether, his eyes slightly widened as he gazed at her with new eyes that shined with something Mia couldn't understand. A slow smile began appearing on his lips, and he smiled so rarely Mia would consider this expression of his ecstatic, except he quickly covered it with a calm disposition. He leaned back on his chair like the Alpha he was and appraised her with newfound attention.
"Hm, I suppose the hugs Jasmine give are pretty nice."
"Pretty nice? You hate when women hug you. Do you still have some kind of feelings for her still?"
Samuel chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous, Mia. Besides, its not like you care anyway, right?"
"Right." Mia said, purposely looking the other way as this conversation was officially over from her side.
Samuel kept going. "I do wonder though, having now seen my ex, what do you think of her?"
"She's okay." Mia snapped.
"Just okay?" Samuel smirked as he took another spoonful of his dessert. "I think she's pretty nice, don't you think so?"
"Did you just call her pretty? Its rude to check out a woman who's engaged to someone else. I thought you had higher manners."
"Pretty nice, I said pretty nice." Samuel corrected, clearly growing more amused. "Obviously I would never let my eyes stay upon woman who's engaged. You know I hardly engage women at all, it's what you typically criticize me of—that I don't give women a chance."
"Doesn't seem that way when you're with her." Mia muttered.
Samuel leaned forward. "Hmm? Did you say something?"
Mia rolled her eyes. "Nothing. Anyway, she completely ignored Sammie earlier and only greeted you. I found that to be rude."
"We were in a rush, it's understandable."
"Whatever. It's not like I've really talked to her."
Samuel's eyes rose above her head. "Well, it appears you're about to have the opportunity to."
Sure enough, the shark king and his five females were heading to their table, having apparently finished eating. Mia was none too excited of this development. She was looking forward to leaving this lunchroom and head back to their rooms.
"Samuel, did you enjoy the food my friend?" A masculine voice boomed, making Mia's ear twitch as she did not expect the Shark King to speak so loud.
"It was good, thank you for asking Stephen." Samuel shook the sharkman's hand firmly, and Mia admired how despite this man's actions in stealing his ex Samuel remained extremely cordial and even smiled.
One would never think anything had happened. They continued speaking over miscellaneous things. How's the pack? Is the weather still good in Dark Falls? How good to hear of the addition made to the packhouse. Mia noticed how Jasmine's eyes never strayed from Samuel, taking him in throughout the entire portion of the men's conversation and never once glancing at her fiancé. The other sharkwomen peaked a fair share of looks at him, admiring him discretely, but at least they had the decency to look away and refocus on their husband. There was none of that from Jasmine.
"Alright friend, I'll leave you to it. We'll speak tomorrow!" Stephen enthused. They shook hands once more, but just as the group was leaving Jasmine spoke up.
"U-um, I'll stay here for a moment. I have yet to catch up with Samantha," she said. For the first time her eyes left Saurus to go to Sammie, and she glanced at Stephen for a moment, as though to gather permission.
"Of course! I know how you ladies can be when you see each other for the first time. I'll see you later sweetie." Stephen leaned in to give her a kiss, very obviously on her lips, but Jasmine moved last minute so it hit the corner of her lips.
"Thank you!" She sat herself right beside Sammie before anyone could notice the slight, but Mia noticed. The Shark King seemed not to and continued on his merry way. "How have you been Samantha?" Jasmine inquired.
Mia found it ironic how she had just finished criticizing Jasmine for her lack of attentions to Sammie, and yet here she was proving her wrong. Samuel gave her a look that clearly communicated 'see, I told you'. Mia stuck her tongue out. Whatever. Good for her.
"Hi, I'm Jasmine," the woman said sweetly. She peered at Mia curiously, as though trying to figure something out. "I'm sorry, have I met you before? You seem familiar, though I can't quite place where..."
"No, this is the first time we meet each other." Mia stuck her hand out, forcing her natural dislike for the girl down. It would be wrong to judge her so harshly when she had done nothing to prove an otherwise good character. Though where Jasmine could have probably seen her made no sense, as this truly was the first time they viewed each other.
Jasmine continued light conversation with them, though it soon became evident she was more interested in speaking to Saurus compared to any of them. Throughout this Mia was internally trying to convince herself to see the good in Jasmine. She had good manners, smiled often, and only ever gave compliments. It was impractical to dislike her, as she truly did seem nice.
Mia's heart seemed to be thinking otherwise, for she found it increasingly annoying that Jasmine praised Samuel for any good news he related concerning the pack. (Wow you're so amazing. It's like you know exactly what to do. A great leader you are.) Even though various instances Samuel highlighted it had nothing to do with his work, but those of members under him. Thankfully the torture was short lived, for once Sammie mentioned being ready to head back to the rooms Mia quickly jumped on that train and even Samuel got up from his chair, much to Jasmine's disappointment.
Mia couldn't have felt more relieved. She really needed to rest in order to get rid of this grumpiness she seemed to continuously carry, especially since she knew she was being unnecessarily critical of Samuel. If she wanted their easygoing peace to continue she couldn't remain snapping at him.
The wereman did not seem to gather she was in a foul mood, for he walked close to her in the hallways and even asked, "Now that you interacted with her, what do you think?"
"You want to know what I think?" Mia challenged. She pulled her dressed up like a delicate princess and pranced around Samuel with mock grace and poise, fluttering her lashes. "Hi, I'm Jasmine and I'm still in love with Saurus. Look at me as I call him a nickname Mia can't use and blush every fifteen seconds."
To her surprised, the corners of Samuel's lips curved upward as he graced her with a soft laugh. "If I had known you would react this way I wouldn't have been so resistant about having you here."
"She really does blush often." Samantha agreed, laughing along with him. "I do wonder though where she's seen you, as I never showed her a picture of you."
Samuel awkwardly cleared his throat "I'm sure there are many people who have a similarity to Mia." He mentioned offhandedly.
Samantha, who sensed something off, glanced at her brother curiously. Mia took no notice and breathed in relief when she saw the door of her room. Finally.
"You guys go on, I just remembered this place has a spa and I want to check the layout of it." Sammie slinked away in another direction.
Of course Sammie would run off to the spa once she knew of it. A spa sounded appetizing to Mia, but not right now. Nap first. That way she could wake up refreshed and in higher spirits. Just as she was about to enter her safe haven, she felt herself being plucked from the door and drawn into a hard mass. Samuel drew her into his arms and hugged her. The side of her face pressed against his warm chest.
"Why are you hugging me reptile?" She said, pulling her face away and raising her brow impatiently. While she tried to appear annoyed, really she was just nervous, as this was the first time they engaged in close contact since that night.
"You say I make a fuss when you hug me. I'm not making a fuss this time." He said, adding pressure to her waist.
Mia's heart accelerated as their chests touch. He was hugging her more closely than he had Jasmine, and for some reason that made her feel the slightest bit satisfied. "Good for you. Can you let go now?" she sassed.
Samuel took a step forward, making them collide and he gripped her firmly. Then he took another, then another, at this point carrying her into her room. "Enjoy your nap, Mia." He exited and closed the door behind him.
Mia couldn't help but stare after him strangely. What the heck was all that?
The next day while Mia tried to do her homework, a loud symphony of music assaulted her ears.
"We're on vacation Sammie, what do you need this so-called calming music for?" Mia complained. She watched her best friend apply her face mask in preparation for her daily 'period of tranquility'.
As much as she supported the whole take care of yourself, Mia hated listening to any kind of music when she did homework. Soothing as it was, it was distracting. She was used to silence, with only the sound of a typing keyboard in the background. Besides, didn't this place have a spa? She should be there getting her period of tranquility, not here.
Unperturbed, Samantha merely shrugged. "Just go to Saurus' room. He never plays music."
"You're sending me to that teradaptos?!"
The werewoman smiled at her newly green face, evidently pleased with her perfect coverage of every pore. "Yep."
Mia gathered her schoolwork, grumbling under her breath about annoying best friends who had even more annoying brothers. When she reached Samuel's door she didn't bother knocking, not like she respected his space anyway.
The room was empty, with the sound of a running shower letting her know he was washing up. Mia saw the desk filled with his things, so she settled on his bed to do homework, interchanging her laptop with his as his worked faster for some reason. It even had a pair of headphones connected that would be useful for further concentration. Today she had to watch a couple of videos and answer the assigned questions from her teacher, another reason she couldn't bear to hear outside music while she did this.
Mia pulled up the questions and minimized it to a smaller screen beside the video, this way she could answer prompts as she went. She was four minutes into her first video when she heard a knocking on the door. It was so light and delicate she almost missed it.
"Yes?" Mia opened it and leaned against the doorpost.
Before her stood a familiar big-eyed woman in a pretty babydoll dress. It fanned over her tanned legs, matching with her blue-silver sandals. They wrapped around her small, dainty feet with painted toes. Was this woman some sort of cherub or something?
Said woman blinked curiously at her, her cheeks tinging red once she realized who opened the door. "O-oh, sorry about that. I guess I'm in the wrong room."
Actually, she wasn't, but Mia wondered what the heck Saurus' ex was doing at his front door. Wasn't she suppose to be engaged or something? She found it odd she would be so willing to go to his private room. It looked sketchy to say the least.
"Who were you looking for?" Mia asked, already knowing the answer. She only did this to verify her thoughts.
"Saurus." She said quietly, almost shyly.
Mia raised a brow at the confirmation. "Why do you wanna see reptile?" She asked, truly desiring to know her reason.
The angel blushed and scratched her head in confusion. "No, it's the wereman you were with earlier. Samuel Pierce." She clarified.
Mia had to stop herself from laughing, her nickname for Samuel totally slipped out and the girl had no clue. She opened the door wider. "You're in the right place. Did you want to come in? He's showering right now but should be out in a few minutes."
Mia didn't want this girl anywhere close to Samuel, but if she was going to inevitably talk to him why not have her talk to him while she was present to hear all the conversation? Just to satisfy her curiosity, that's all.
Samuel's ex—Jasmine, was it?— seemed startled at her reply. Her eyes widened as she realized this was in fact Samuel's room. She looked at Mia with a new perspective. She seemed...down? A little disappointed even, and then Mia analyzed how this probably looked like.
Here was she opening the door for Samuel while he took a shower. Not to mention inviting people in. It probably gave the impression they were close, especially with the way Samuel was with females. The girl might even assume she had a relationship with him. Mia blinked. Oh well, it's not her problem if the chick assumes things.
Jasmine chewed on her bottom lip. "It's okay... it's not that important anyway."
It looked like it was, especially if she was willing to walk all the way here for conversation. But Mia had other things to do than help an ex who left her reptile, like homework.
"Okay. Bye." She chirped, closing the door in her face. She had to admit, that felt pretty good! "And don't come back." Mia muttered to herself afterwards.
She was just crawling back into Samuel's bed when the bathroom door opened. A white steam rolled out, and like a movie the wolfman padded out. His hair clumped on his head, appearing darker due to the wetness. Beads of water splattered across his toned chest, hiding within the groves of his abs. Mia's eyes trailed the hair that went from his belly button all the way to his navel and falling into obscurity once it hit the dip of his hips. Samuel's good looks were exceedingly undeniable.
Mia quickly forced her gaze to the video. That's right, she had homework to focus on, not annoying dinosaurs.
Samuel didn't seem as surprised to see her loitering on his bed. He assessed her placement as all his other things in the room, as though she belonged there. It gave her a minor sense of victory over that other chick, though for why Mia liked this she did not know.
The wolfman drew close and questioned her. "Who was that at the door?"
Mia shrugged. "Your ex boo thing. She wanted to talk to you." It took her effort to appear unaffected as his half-naked self stood so near at the edge of the bed. If she reached her hand out, she could touch his torso.
Samuel hummed. "About what?"
"Beats me, you should ask her. She saw me in here and got all nervous. You should teach her a thing or two about breathing. That chick blushes all the time and I swear it's going to affect the circulation going to her brain."
Samuel chuckled and pulled some clothes from his luggage. "Yes, Jasmine was always gentle hearted. She's not a viper like you."
Mia pulled away from her screen. "Excuse me?!" She ended up regretting it though because now she was faced with his muscular back. It rippled beautifully as he rummaged through his things.
"You heard me."
Clothes in hand, he headed to the bathroom again. Despite the towel covering his lower half she could tell he had a cute butt. She liked cute butts.
"I'll smack you."
"Go ahead and try, see what happens." He cautioned, closing the door behind him.
Mia giggled. Samuel probably thought she was responding to his previous insult but she really did just want to smack his butt.
When Samuel returned from the bathroom he came out in dark jeans and a wine-colored button up. His feet were covered by deep brown shoes. Over all he looked well put together, enough that Mia had to put her computer down.
"Where are you going all dressed up?" She inquired. It wasn't the fanciest he's ever dressed, but she was used to him wearing much more casual clothing.
He walked to the edge of the bed and lifted his neck, gesturing to the top button. "Do you mind doing this one, I can't seem to grab it."
Mia huffed. Of course he couldn't. His fingers were too large to do it. She crawled to the edge and did it for him. "You still haven't answered my question. Don't tell me you're going off to find that so called 'gentle-hearted' ex of yours to talk."
A slow smile started to appear. "And if I am?"
Mia balked. "Seriously?! All dressed up and everything!"
Samuel smirked, his mouth opened to reveal a set of bright white teeth. "Does the idea bother you? Tell me why, Mia." He said, lowering his face so his mouth ended near her neck. His nose brushed there gently. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought he had the urge to nuzzle her there.
Pushing him back, she inserted the button and fixed his collar, perhaps a little too roughly. He was being annoying. Why would him going to his ex bother her? "I don't care. I'm just saying."
Samuel seemed unconvinced, still smiling. He tilt his head to the side ever so slightly, as though he were testing something. "Sure. I'll be off to find her then, thanks for the help."
"Have fun looking like an idiot. Don't you care what the people here will think when they see you pining after a chick who left you?"
Mia couldn't understand why she was sounding so defensive. It wasn't her place to be advising him like this. It was his problem, not hers.
Samuel shrugged. "I never did care of others' perception of me. They can think what they want."
Mia had to force her features into a semblance of disinterest. She fell back into her previous position and jammed her earbuds in, not daring to give Samuel another look.
Up close he had smelt very nice. Clean and masculine, just how she liked it. If he wanted to be an idiot and go find his ex then by all means he can, nothing was stopping him! Jasmine would be feeling all special now that he was reaching out to her. He did a great job pretending he didn't care before and now look at him, running after her like a thirsty puppy.
"I'll see you later." He slipped out of his room, closing the door behind him.
Mia typed the next answer to her question rather harshly, the keyboards making a loud sound.
Jasmine was such a delicate doll. All innocent and crap. Why did he like her so much? Whatever. She may be the one who has Saurus going to see her for a 'conversation', but in the end it is her—Mia, who is lounging in his bed, using his laptop, and hearing the lecture with his headphones.
For a moment, Mia continued doing her homework, until suddenly she paused the lecture and looked at her hands with horror.
Slamming the door in Jasmine's face, criticizing Samuel for going to see her...as much as she hated to admit it, she was sounding jealous!
Mia frowned. This wasn't good.
A/N: hahahaha okay so I know some of you are probably gonna hate that Mia feels jealous but relax and just enjoy the ride. Besides, can't deny this was quite hilarious! And NO, Samuel is not going off to see Jasmine, he's clearly messing with Mia.
Also, can any of you guys guess why Jasmine may have found Mia familiar? Here's a hint: the answer is found two chapters ago in 'Desk Kisses', but if you don't see it no worries, it will eventually come out. Comment and vote!