My best friend and I are writing a rant book on our joint account, AKA EnvyTheGoddesses. Lol follow that account and stay tuned, guys. :)
Chapter 15: Dogs Chasing Cats
Vincent
It has been a little over a week and I still have yet to be graced with Folashadé's presence. I told her to come to my room at 5 AM on her day off, and I'm quite sure that one of these days in this week was scheduled as her free day.
I knew for a fact that today she was working. I saw her bringing tea to Genny's chambers around noon. I had no idea where she could possibly be at this moment, but I had enough time to go out and find her.
She wasn't in the dining hall, the garden, the drawing rooms, the library, nor the grand kitchen. She wasn't anywhere in the State Apartments, so she had to be in the Servants' Quarters.
I walked the distance from the State Apartments, all the while anticipating what I would say when I ask for Folashadé. I couldn't just blatantly come out and say that I need to speak with her, it'll raise unwanted questions.
So instead of proceeding into the large, brick building, I averted to the back. I knew exactly where her window was. My memory was just that impressive.
Now that I was standing beneath her window, I realized that there wasn't much I could do. I wasn't going to shout out her name, or throw rocks as if I was Romeo. I wasn't a love-sick boy, I was a sexually frustrated man.
"Fuck," I swore under my breath. There was only one way I could get in there to see her.
I made my way back to the front entrance of the building. The door wasn't anywhere near as extravagant as my bedroom's. It was large, made of sturdy wood, and had a large bronze knob as a handle with a keyhole in it.
I put that thought aside as I firmly knocked on the door.
Gina fiercely opened the door. She stared at me from head-to-toe before settling a faux smile on her aging visage.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness. What brings you out here," she asked in genuine confusion.
I stuck my hands into my trouser pockets. "I'm looking for one of your maids. I believe she has something of mine," I lied effortlessly.
Gina's confused expression turned into that of rage. "What!? Do you remember what she looks like," she interrogated.
Immediately I sensed her frustration. "Hold on, Gina," I chuckled raising my hands in mock surrender. "I don't think she took it intentionally. And she probably doesn't have it anyway, I just stopped by to make sure she doesn't have it," I reassured.
"Oh, I know these maids. They'll steal anything that will get them a fortune," Gina said so surely.
Maybe I shouldn't have gone through with this plan anyway.
"I see," I said simply. I wanted to leave.
"So what does she look like," she pressed.
I didn't want Folashadé to get in trouble for something she didn't do. That's just going to ruin my chances of seeing her even more. But at the same time I wanted to see her so bad. I would just have to take this lost.
I glanced at my watch and feigned shock. "Fuck, excuse my language, but I have a meeting soon. Could you send some pleasantries to the Green Drawing Room," I hurriedly said as I backed out of the Servants' Quarters. "We'll talk about this later," I said as I hastily slammed the door behind me and rushed down the path that led to the building.
Halfway down, I abruptly came to a stop. There standing in pure astonishment was the woman I'd be searching for.
"Folashadé," I said, and as her name left my mouth, she quickly turned around and bolted down the path.
"Wait," I yelled, running after her. I cannot believe I was chasing, literally chasing, a woman.
She ignored my demand and continued sprinting. The bottom portion of her dress made it difficult for her to run such a significant distance, but still. She ran like the cops were after her.
She eventually led me into the garden, just as I was catching up to her. That gardener was not going to save her from me this time. I would make sure of it.
I ran harder, almost as hard as I did during our race. I effortlessly caught up to her, easily pulling her back by her waist and covering her mouth with my hand.
She screamed within my hand as she reached up and grabbed a large portion of my hair. I bit my lip in pain, feeling the hair strands being tugged from my scalp.
"Let my hair go or I swear to God, you'll receive an even worse treatment to yours," I threatened, releasing my grasp on her waist to tug on a few curly strands from her bun.
She yelped in my hand as her hold on my hair loosened.
"Now listen," I began in a low whisper, bringing my face close to her ear. "I'm going to move my hand from your mouth and ask you a question, but I want to hear the truth and nothing else," I said, giving her hair a minor pull. "I'm still holding this," I reminded. "Now I know that every staff member has at least one day off, except the advisor, but that isn't your occupation. Therefore, I know you had your day off last week, but... you didn't come to my room like I asked you to," I questioned, feigning a man with a damaged ego. Hell, I might as well have been a man with a damaged ego.
I hesitantly removed my hand from her mouth, settling it on her hips.
"I wasn't feeling well after the race we had, so Gina allowed me to stay in for the whole day. When I woke up, she told me that the day will count for my day off the following week," she explained, anger laced her tone.
I completely released her hair and placed that hand on the other side of her hips.
"Why didn't you tell me? I was thinking that you were avoiding me all this time," I asked, burying my head into the crook of her neck.
"Could you stop," she snapped, squirming out of my soft hold on her hips. "I'm not going to your room. I have a job that is more important to me than having sex with--"
"I'm not trying to have sex with you. I won't lie and say I don't want you, because I do," I interrupted her. "I just want to talk to you, privately. No sex involved," I assured, desperately. I needed her to trust me.
"No. Do you remember the last time you said that," she sharply asked, crossing her arms over her small chest.
"That time was different. You got me so fucking angry that... that...," I sighed in exasperation, unable to find a way to word what I wanted to say.
"That you were going to get rid of your anger by having sex with me," she answered, however, her response was so incorrect.
I wasn't going to fuck her to get the anger out of me. I was going to do it because I wanted to fuck her in the first place. But I wasn't going to correct her.
"Something like that," I mumbled, but she still heard.
She laughed sarcastically. "I wonder who you used as a release," she shook her head.
My right hand and porn.
She didn't have to know that either. Wow, I sound pathetic.
"None of your busi--wait, how did we get on this topic," I asked, confused.
She innocently shrugged. "While you figure that out, I'm going to get back to work," I heard her say as she began turning to walk away.
I quickly yanked her back by her wrist, bringing her close to my chest.
"What the hell," she yelled incredulously, attempting to pull away from me.
"When is your day off," I questioned, unfazed by her attitude.
She glared up at me, while I returned the gesture. The frustrations in her features contoured into fear.
"Sir, let me go," she pleaded, calmly.
"Tell me when you'll have your next day off and I'll think about it," I taunted, pulling her even closer to me.
"Let me go and I'll tell you," she tried to bargain.
"No, you have this look in your eye that says you're going to run the moment I let go of your wrist," I told her.
"Vince--Sir--," she stopped.
"Say my name again," I asked, feeling my neck and face grow hot from the sound of my name halfway on her tongue.
"No," she declined, attempting to pull away once again.
"If you can do it the first time, you can do it a second time," I taunted. She frowned. "Please," I begged, slightly biting my lip.
Her features softened as she licked her lips once, immediately catching my attention. With her chest pressed against mine, she briefly bit down on her full, bottom lip, mimicking my actions. I gulped again as she licked her lips a second time.
"Vince--"
"Vincent," her voice was abruptly overshadowed by the familiar voice of my sister.
Folashadé slyly stepped away from me as I released my grasp on her wrist.
"Genny," I greeted, turning around to see my youngest sister, surrounded by her adolescent peers. I pulled on a fake smile; a smile that easily concealed the frustration within me. "What's wrong," I questioned.
"Would it be okay if we take this part of the garden... you know it's our favorite," she sweetly asked.
"Of course. It's all yours," I compromised.
"Thanks, brother," Genevieve cheerfully replied. Her friends thanked me as well.
I nodded before glancing over my shoulder, only to find that Shadé was not there. Of course. I didn't expect her to lounge around while I conversed with my sister.
Begrudgingly, I left the garden. Yes, I was upset that I hadn't got to finish my encounter with Shadé, but at least I was certain I would see her again. She does work her after all.
As I approached my chambers I noticed a guard was standing near my door, staring straight ahead at the wall that opposed my door.
"Is there something wrong," I inquired with caution.
"Good evening, Sire," he respectively greeted. "I was given a message not too long ago," he informed as he handed me a plain envelope. "A maid told me she received it from Her Majesty to give to you," he added.
I took the envelope, briefly examining it. Firstly, this envelope was not my family's signature parchment. It's usually gold and red, but this one was plain white. Secondly, my mother wouldn't waste her time writing me a letter when she can call me herself; unless she was absent from the castle. This was definitely not a letter from my mother. If this guard was observant, he would have noticed this as well.
Regardless, I kept this discovery to myself. "Thank you, Sir," I nodded, unlocking my chamber doors.
The moment I was in the privacy of my room, I immediately ripped the letter open. The handwriting was neat and slightly slanted in a way that made the person's penmanship look italicized.
My day off will be next week, Friday. I'll come by your room at 1:00 and I'll knock on your door TWICE. No more than twice. If you don't answer in the 5 seconds that I'm willing to wait, then I'm leaving.
Although she hadn't signed her name, it was evident on who wrote it. And it was even more obvious that she wrote it to me.
I folded the letter and placed it into my nightstand dresser, beneath other letters.
I smirked and ran my hand briefly through my dark hair. Every stroke of ink in that letter told me that she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
___________
In case any of you are wondering, although Folashadé wrote the letter, she isn't the one who gave the guard the letter. Tiffany did.
Oh and I have a music recommendation, for those of you who listen to Dream Pop. You should listen to Jet Out of the Tundra by Lotus Plaza. It's such a beautiful song and the guy's voice is captivating (I had it on repeat for 2 days now). I might use it in one of my stories.
Well, until next time
XOXO
~Kira