30. Adeline
2015 Words
ADELINE
It felt like s**t. Tasted like sand and rusted metal mixed with hot water. I chugged down some more black coffee. I hated it. The look of it, the taste, there was nothing appealing about it. I chugged down the rest of it and poured myself a fresh serving.
I’ve called Kris non stop all morning. She wasn’t picking up. I knew I was giving up a lot for the contract but losing my only friends wasn’t on that list. Jay’s name stared back at me, taunting me, mocking me, but my fingers never made it past hovering over the dial icon. What would I say? He basically poured out his heart, held it out for me when he confessed and what had I done? I grabbed it, smashed it against the pristine walls of Grayson’s mansion and went an extra step to stomp on it.
I dropped the phone and took more sips of the mix of s**t and water. I dialed Kris’s number again for at least the hundredth time that morning. I sighed a moment later. Straight to voicemail again. She was mad. She had every right to be. I had not only kept the contract a secret from her, but I looked her in the eyes and lied to her, told her I would only be gone for a few days. I was no better than their mother, or mine.
Scorching heat spread across the nape of my neck, a testament to the sun’s excitement as it streaked through the open windows, mocking me. I dipped lower into the bed to hide from it, just like I did with everything else. Fresh guilt sliced through me as I remembered how sad Johnny looked in the morning, kept a distance like he was scared he was being a bother to me. He was the last thing keeping me sane. I made him breakfast, lunch and dinner, stored them in Tupperware and locked myself in.
I felt just as shitty as the coffee I drank. A shitty friend, a shitty nanny, a shitty freaking person. The familiar shrill sound broke through the noise in my head. I dipped lower, letting the sheets swallow me, hoping to block out the noise, wishing whoever it was would take a hint and get the hell out of there.
No such luck. The doorbell rang again and again, till it was almost impossible to ignore. Groaning, I shoved the sheets away, grabbed a thin night coat and stomped the entire way to the door. Whoever it was better had Kris and Jay in a package made of chocolate, topped with whipped cream. If not…
The doorbell went off at least twice before I reached the door. The poor girl shrunk back at the sight of me. I’m sure I looked like the evil witch from Snow White. My curls hadn’t been tamed, the aftertaste of the coffee and an extra bit of loneliness made it impossible to fake a smile.
“Good morning ma. I have a package for a miss…” she took a peek at the pad she held with her free hand. “Adeline.” Okay, maybe wishes do come true.
“Yeah, speaking.”
She did a ‘subtle’ once over, perusing my entire being from head to to like I was a freaking library she couldn’t wait to demolish. I snarled at her, my foul mood getting even worse. She just pulled me out of bed and she thought it was sensible to waste more of my time?
She snapped out of whatever stupid haze she was in. “Alright sign here please.”
“Who’s it from?”
“Didn’t say, but there was a note.” She kept her focus on the pad like it was the most interesting thing.
I signed, grabbed the package with more force than necessary just to get it over with and slammed the door behind me just for extra effect.
My curiosity got the best of me and I tore open the ‘larger than life’ box the moment it kissed the table. I held back a gasp at the sight of its content. I’d never really been a fan of white but the moment I pulled the dress from the box, I realized why other people were.
The glitters on the dress winked back at me but before it could completely hypnotize me, I pulled out the note that followed it.
Auction party tonight. The driver would come get you at 7pm. Be ready. Oh! And I got these because the style suits you. I don’t expect anything in return. Please don’t send them back.
-G
I stared at the note in disbelief, at the dress in amazement and I was utterly speechless the moment I opened the accompanying shoe box.
The party was exactly what I expected it would be. Glamorous with only the richest of the richest set of people in sight. I almost kissed the floor the moment I walked into the room. I may have felt out of place, but I definitely didn’t look it.
It was in full swing by the time I stepped out of the Porsche clad in clothes that probably cost more than an entire row of houses uptown.
Grayson found me in second, curved his arm at the elbow. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” I would be a liar if I didn’t admit he looked swoon worthy in his white tux and an even bigger liar if I said it wasn’t because of the eyes of ladies following his every move that I slipped my arm into the space between his waist and his elbow. His hair was held back in a ponytail, not a hair out of place, giving his jawline the space it needed to be the star of the show.
I stared at him in confusion. First it was the invite, now he wanted to act all chummy? Did he fall on his head or something?
“What?” He c****d a brow at me like I was the one acting weird.
“What’s with the sudden act?” I kept a smile
on my face.
“You look gorgeous tonight.” I tried but the heat spread across my cheeks still, giving the perfect picture of the blushing bride, “See that wasn’t so hard.” He smirked knowingly. “Just try not to look like you want to strangle me the first chance you get, we have someone important to convince this,” he swept a hand between us, “isn’t a fraud.”
I nodded, plastered a smile on my face and let him lead the way.
We got closer to a man in his late sixties at least, but the way his body hugged his suit, you would never guess until you look at the wrinkles peeking through loose skin. His eyes widened for a second before he schooled his features.
“Mr Archer.” His lips stretched in a kind smile when we stood exactly less than a foot away. He stretched a hand for a handshake. Grayson took it with controlled excitement. His fingers tapped exactly twice against his white pants. Two seconds apart each. He was nervous. Whoever the older man was, he was important to Grayson, important enough to make him stop frowning for more than one minute.
“Mr Black.” Archer was the first to pull his hand back. He wrapped a hand around my waist. Goosebumps erupted instantly, a trail of fire left in the wake of his touch. What the hell?
The older man took a sip, his eyes skipped briefly to Grayson’s hand wrapped around my waist for one second before he once again schooled his features with practiced ease.
“Pardon my manners,” Grayson snapped his fingers like he actually forgot. “Meet Adeline.” He smiled down at me. If I didn’t know better, I would have actually believed he meant it when he said, “My wife.”
Surprise spread across the man’s face, he did a careful once over, “the one on the blogs?”
Grayson stiffened beside me, “The one the blogs lied against, yes.” I fired back. I know he was someone important, but I couldn’t help it. If someone accused me wrongly, I at least had to defend myself.
Grayson’s smile grew even more strained. “We should be seated, the auction starts soon.” His voice was deceiving, easy to believe, but the double taps against his thighs told me otherwise.
They exchanged words for a few minutes. I learnt a thing or two from the penguins of Madagascar. I smiled and waved. Just when Grayson became passionate, analyzing tax returns and possible profits, the worst possible thing happened.
My tummy raged in hunger. The sound loud enough to make Mf Black stop talking.
Grayson glared at me like it was my fault I was in no mood to stomach anything all day. Loud laughter broke the battle of the eyes Grayson started.
“I like her.” The old man chuckled. “Miss Adeline can I snatch him away for a minute?” He beamed.
I nodded, “I need to get something to eat. Anything or anyone I should avoid?” I whispered to Grayson, spending a little more time than necessary just to make it more convincing that I was whispering sweet nothings to him.
He smirked down at me, “Don’t go too far. Remember we’re a picture perfect couple, you’re blindly enamored but my awesomeness and I’m obsessed with you.” His eyes met mine. I held my breath, just realizing how close we were. He coughed and pulled back.
I slipped away without another word, still a little shaken but the sight of an entire table of different assortment of food brought me back to the present. I basically raced to the buffet table, the blasted torture device in form of heels protested the entire way, but food first.
I shoved a moon cake in my mouth. I moaned in appreciation as the flavor burst in my mouth. Controlled laughter broke from a circle of girls dressed in velvet, silk and even actual fur. I gulped the last bit of moon cake I held and grabbed a plate instead. The way everyone cleared the way when I was with Grayson, I almost forgot I was surrounded my hawks in expensive frocks.
“Adeline?” I knew that voice anywhere. I spin on my heel, the weight doubled when my eyes guilty eyes met his surprised ones. He was dressed in a simple black and white button down and shirt combo, his signature apron with his bakery logo, was plastered over the ensemble.
“Jay? What are you doing here?” I almost slapped myself the moment the words left my lips. “I’m so sorry.” I rushed, hoping he saw just how much I meant it.
“It’s fine.” He waved off easily like I hadn’t tossed his heart back at him. “I was a mouth watering gig and I took it.” He jerked a finger at the moon cakes I was just stuffing my face with, then the cake. He narrowed his eyes at me, “what are you doing here?”
“I came with Gr-Mr Archer.” My fingers shook the entire time. “How’s Kris?” I searched his face like it held the answer, it usually did, but not tonight, he was as unreadable as a blank sheet of paper.
“She feel betrayed.” He sighed and from the look in his eyes, I could tell so was he.
“I had to, Jay.” I dropped the plate and moved closer. I needed him to understand. If he did, he could explain to Kris.
“That’s the thing, Ad. You don’t have to d-“ His eyes darted behind me, his lips pursed in a fine line.
“Adeline.” His gruff, baritone clipped.
- Writer
