"You're doing wonderful, Toni. I couldn't be more proud of you."
I rolled my eyes, flipping through the plastic paper that contained all the channel numbers. No matter how many times I came to this hotel, I could never remember the damn number.
I looked over at Kayla who threw a piece of caramel popcorn into her mouth. I gave her a puppy face, lips pouted and eyes wide, pleading for her to tell me the Cartoon Network channel.
"56," Kayla answered with a sigh. I smiled at the beautiful dark brown haired, light green eyed, and dark skinned girl before me.
"Thanks so much, sis," I teased and instantly her head ducked down as she bit her lip. Laughing, I flipped through the channels to find CN. The Amazing World Of Gumball was on.
Yessssss.
I walked over to my hotel bed and plopped down beside her, grabbing the bag of caramel popcorn out of her hands. "Why are you embarrassed?" I asked, still noticing her blushing state. My eyes went back to the tv screen. "Clearly Kaden is head over heels for you. He would die for you, literally."
"Shut up!" Kayla exclaimed, whacking me with a pillow, earning a glare from me. "He's the sweetest person I've ever met and I just can't believe how lucky I am."
I let out a small laugh, "You're the sweetest person I've ever met. At least you wouldn't destroy my beautiful creations if we were playing Minecraft."
"That's kind of you, Toni, but I'm no angel. And Minecraft? Really? I was playing the Elder Scrolls when I was fifteen."
"Wow, never thought I'd hear those words come out of an angel's mouth."
She held out her palm to me, referencing the talk to the sparkle scene in Barbie's Fairytopia. I love Barbie movies, so sue me. But upon doing that, she caught a glance of her opal and gold ring and brought her hand down to look at it.
I saw the same I'm-so-helplessly-in-love-I-can't-breath look as she always makes when it's about my brother. My shitty, but love-able brother. Although scratch that last part out because I still wasn't over what he did to me. I fully blamed everything on him.
Ignoring her giddy romance state, I turned back to the tv screen, smiling when Gumball's dad left a pie in the oven before he left his house. We ate our popcorn in silence for a half hour until I heard a buzz sound next to me on the side table.
Leaning over, I reached for my phone, glancing at the message. It was by an unknown number.
Hey, it's Elijah. I can't tell if you're ignoring me but I thought we had a really good time and can't wait to do it again sometime soon.
"The bastard," I muttered. Doesn't he realize what he's done?
"Who?" Kayla asked as she popped her head from behind my shoulder, reading the text in a matter of seconds. "Ooh Elijah? There's a new man in your life and you didn't tell me? I'm hurt, I really am."
I gave her a pointed look, "Wait, you don't know what happened?"
She shook her head and titled it in curiousness. With a sigh, I began my tale of bad fortune and and an even worse date.
"The bastard," Kayla gasped, staring at the bag of caramel popcorn. She popped a few pieces in her mouth.
"Who? Kaden or Elijah?"
"Both," she said still chewing. "But I'm going to give Kaden a piece of my mind." Her eyebrows burrowed and she looked at the door in determination. Poor door, what did it ever do to you?
Immediately she got up and put on her shoes. With the realization that she was actually going outside, I began attempting to stop her.
"Wait, Kayla, you don't have to go right now, it's raining, and I don't want this between you two." She turned to me shaking her head as she grabbed my mustard trench coat.
"Kayla!"
"Don't you realize how terrible this is? I can't believe those brats with pea sized brains actually make up the Board of a billion dollar corporation. We need to fix this, I'm going to make him talk to the Board and tell them to reconsider."
"Kayla." I wanted to stop her but a selfish part of me liked the idea of someone caring enough to be all angry like that; I hadn't felt that in a while.
She walked over to me, ready in my clothes to confront my little brother. She's got guts because my brother was stubborn as hell. "I'm going to do my very best to help push against this tide of unjustness—," I paused her when I took ahold of her arm.
"I've already signed the contract; they blackmailed me with the CEO position."
The determination left her eyes when she realized there wasn't anything I could do and leaned in for a hug. "I'm sorry. But Kaden will still hear of this from me, you can count on that." She paused, leaning back to look me in the eyes. "Did you tell him about um...what happened?"
I shook my head. "No. And neither are you. Yahir is coming back in a few days and everything will be fine."
"Toni..."
"Kayla..."
"I make no promises. I'll see you around."
I sunk into the bed with crossed arms as she left. Emotions were filling me up inside and immediately my thoughts went to having a drink. But that wouldn't be wise...what if someone took a picture of me?
But drinking alcohol is different than getting drunk. I agreed with my mind and in a few minutes I was out the door still wearing my grey joggers and yellow graphic tree. I would probably still get photographed and people would say some crap about wearing joggers but I didn't care. People will always have something negative to say no matter what. Why let that bother me?
Probably because your whole future depends on it?
I mentally told myself to shut up.
When I came downstairs to the café that's smushed together with a bar, the first thing caught my attention was Nick, looking lost in thought as he leaned onto the bar countertop, gazing at the floor.
Instinctively, I went over to him. "One glass of wine please." When he caught the sound of my voice, he looked up at me, a small smile appearing on his face as he noticed my attire. My stomach fluttered when he smiled and the same feeling of wanting to make him laugh surged up in me.
"Back so soon?" he questioned, turning around to grab a glass. Once again, it was around seven and there was no one at either the bar or café.
I let out a long sigh, "Misery doesn't run with a clock."
"Touché, though I can't say I'm complaining."
I laughed, watching with my chin rested on my palm as he went to grab a bottle of wine. In the week that we've met, we became very close friends and I loved spending time with him. He was always calm and composed, but also very serious. He was also gorgeous...very gorgeous.
"Here." Nick placed the glass of wine in front of me. Just as he did, a cellphone ring came from under the counter. He leaned down to pick it up. His eyes met mine, "I have to take this."
I nodded and left with my glass to my usual seat next to the window, lost in my thoughts.
"Toni!" I turned my head to see a tall, red headed girl with a cream blazer, cream pencil skirt and black heels.
I smiled as she approached my table, swiftly sitting in the seat across from me. "Hi, Kenna." McKenna was the daughter of the Hotel De Bella's owner.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? How's Jersey treating you?" She leaned her elbows onto the table and I knew that she was noticing my attire. And I also knew she disapproved of it, though she wouldn't dare call me out on it.
"Good," I curtly replied. It wasn't that I didn't like her, it was more that I didn't like talking to her. She acted very entitled, something I thoroughly did not like. But she was a sweet girl, and was sort of my friend.
"Well I have to say, Manhattan's changed quite a lot, did you see the board outside with my face on it? I can't believe Dad let me model for the ads."
"That's wonderful."
"And I saw online that you're dating Elijah Smith now? I met him a few times before, nice guy, total snack."
My hand gripped the glass tighter as I stared into her chocolate eyes. "He's a pathetic jerk, Kenna. He tried to take advantage of me when he got drunk and if it wasn't for my self defense classes he probably would have." I frowned, a small realization settling in. I couldn't believe this one stupid incident was almost constantly on my mind, the what happened, what could have happened, and what didn't happen all questions with answers I couldn't imagine. I was so thankful that I was able to stop it at that point. "And he had the audacity to text me and say 'oh I enjoyed our date let's have another one soon.'"
"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. But speaking of snacks, look who's coming over, hot damn."
My head turned to see Nick walking towards us, his hands in his apron pockets and his eyes narrowed down at me. When I realized he probably heard what I said, I sunk into my chair slightly, avoiding his gaze.
"Hello, is there anything I can get you?" I noticed that his voice sounded strained.
"Hi there handsome, I'll have whatever salad you have with a no calorie ranch."
I pressed my lips together into an amused thin line. Her parents owned this hotel and she didn't know they only served café and bar items.
"We don't serve food, just pastries."
"Oh really?" Kenna looked thoroughly confused. "I'm going to have to talk to Dad about that." A phone rang from inside her designer purse. "Oh what a coincidence. I have to go." She stood up giving me a small little wave, "Bye Toni, bye handsome." I watched her strut off to take the call.
Nick sat across from me a concerned look on his face. "Wait, did that guy really take advantage of you? Is that what you meant when we met last week?"
I shrugged and met his eyes, "It's fine, Nicholas."
"No, it's not. Why didn't you report it?"
I frowned, "He's a famous guy, I can't do that without ruining his reputation."
"Who cares?" The look on his face was enough to make the butterflies appear in my stomach again. He seemed so genuinely concerned that I couldn't understand it.
"Look, I have to tell you something. My parents are not the managers."
"They're not? Wait why would you lie to me about that?"
I sat up straight, biting the inside of my cheek in nervousness. "You didn't seem to know who I was so I thought maybe if you didn't know me, you wouldn't turn out to be one of the many gold diggers I've met."
"Then who are you?" he said slowly, inching closer in his seat. His emerald eyes looked at me apprehensively.
I took a deep breath, feeling foolish that I even lied to Nick about the biggest part of me. I wouldn't be staying true to myself if I made someone believe I was someone else. "I'm Toni Rashid, future CEO of Delena Real Estate. Well, sort of." He looked at me in disbelief. I ignored it and continued. "If I did report Elijah then I would have the media on my back and potentially ruin my already shit reputation. And with the Board and my parents pushing me to get married I have no choice but to let it slide. Oh my God I have no idea why I'm telling you all this."
I buried my face in my hands, mortified with myself.
"I don't know what to say so I'm just going to say nothing."
"Okay."
We sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes before he left to the bar to serve an elderly couple.
I knew it. I knew this would happen and now he's never speaking to me again. Way to go Toni.
A/N What the heck, people are actually reading this? I'm thoroughly surprised.