Walking down the stairs into the foyer took longer than it should because of the magnificent decor of the house. Lola and Melissa were looking around, leaning their heads far back to see the ceiling, which had hand-painted linings and creatures in beautiful contrast to the house's colors.
In the middle, right by where the giant bubble lamp hung, was a full moon, and from the right was a dark crescent moon overlapping.
"That's beautiful," Lola said and gawked at the art.
On the walls were portraits, paintings, and masks that looked old but were perfectly preserved.
The foyer was narrow and opened up into the living room on the right. As they walked in, they saw the kitchen connecting by the far-end wall with an island that subtly separated the two areas.
"This is your home?" Melissa asked in awe.
Jax nodded and smiled. "Yeah, it's not very subtle, is it?" he said.
Melissa laughed. "Not one bit. It's perfect," she said and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.
Lola caught the act and looked away with a grin pulling on her lips. She knew that Melissa wasn't afraid to flirt, and more often than not, she ended up with the guy she wanted. She was beautiful and had long, curly brown hair, a bronze complexion, and long, full lashes. Not to mention, her fashion sense never ceased to amaze.
Jax searched her eyes before turning his head and glancing at Lola, who stood smirking by the kitchen island. They each had a plate of food prepared for them with mushroom pasta and grilled chicken. She didn't want to show it, but Lola drooled when she saw the creamy pasta, the chicken's crispy skin, and the juice slowly dripping from the side. Her stomach growled, the one thing he couldn't control, and both Melissa and Jax stepped up to their plates and sat down. They didn't mention her growling stomach except for Melissa's little giggle.
"What was your dream about, by the way?" Lola asked after a few bites.
"Oh, right!" Melissa put down the fork, wiped her mouth, and stared in shock as she was about to tell the story. "I dreamt that we were, like, at the café, someone was singing, and then suddenly, like in a flash, we were standing in the back alley, and it was dark and nasty. You were there, and you were with this guy..."
Both girls froze when a sound came from Jax. It sounded like a growl, but it couldn't be. He probably had just burped.
"...Anyway. When we stood there, this guy started biting my neck, and you were being held by another guy, and they were so familiar," she said and pinched her thumb and index finger together as she squeezed her eyes shut as she explained. "And then I don't remember if there was anything else or if I just fainted, and then I woke up. It was so weird." She laughed.
Lola nodded slowly, her brows pinched together, and her eyes scanned the countertop, but her mind wasn't present. That was a weird dream, and more so because Lola had the exact same one.
"Did you have any dreams, Lola?" Jax asked. He fiddled with the knife between his fingers. His thick eyebrows, which rarely moved when he talked, suddenly furrowed, and his eyes narrowed to slits.
Lola gulped. She put down her fork and grabbed the napkin.
"No, nothing," she said and wiped her mouth.
The door in the kitchen opened just as they finished their meal. A man stepped out with a chef's hat, a round stomach, and the biggest smile that Lola had ever seen. He was missing a front tooth on the upper row. Still, he didn't shy away from a smile.
"Hello there, girls. I'm Alfons," he said and shook their hands. He put his hands on the belt around his waist and looked at them.
"It's to meet you," Lola said and smiled at the infectious joy he'd brought into the room.
"I hope the food was to your liking," he said.
"Oh, it was incredible," Lola said.
Melissa nudged her with her elbow, and Lola leaned in. "They have a private chef," Melissa whispered.
Lola side-eyed the chef and whispered, "Yes, I can see that."
Lola was watching the chef, but Jax was watching her, and she felt his eyes burning into the side of her face. So much was unsaid, and the foggy memories from last night did little to ease her mind as she could only rely on the story that strangers in his house told her.
The chef began working on another meal. He took out a pot big enough to make soup for a small town.
"How many people are you feeding?" Melissa asked laughingly.
He laughed, his shoulders bobbed, and his stomach jiggled as he turned around. "I have an entire pack to feed!"
"Pack?" Melissa asked. Her laugh quieted into more of a nervous shake.
"What do you mean pack?" she asked.
Jax sat calmly, leaning back against his chair. His arm was on the back of Melissa's chair, and he looked with ease between the people who were stiffly awaiting an explanation.
"We have so many people working for us that we call it a pack. All of us do," Jax said and shrugged a shoulder.
Melissa turned her body and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Well, if this is a pack, then who is the Alpha?"
Jax raised a brow at Melissa's question, and she giggled.
"That's right, I read," she said and to her bottom lip between her teeth.
Jax looked amused. His eyes flickered to Lola, who sat behind Melissa. His eyes grew a shade darker, and swirls of emotion soared in their depths.
"Some people say it's me," he said and slowly looked back at Melissa. "And others say it's my father. You choose who you want it to be." He winked at her.
Melissa was quietly dreaming as she looked into his eyes.
Lola watched as her friend fell harder for the guy she didn't trust.
"Thank you for dinner, but I'd like my phone now. I think we should leave," Lola said and stood from the chair.
Alfons was ignoring the conversation as he focused on cooking.
Melissa whined and begged with her puppy dog eyes for them to stay, but Lola refused.
"I'll get you your phone," Jax said and walked up the stairs.
Melissa was still begging in his absence to stay for a few more hours, but Lola refused to leave her behind.
"Somethin's wrong. Please just trust me," Lola whispered.
Melissa crossed her arms over her chest and mimicked a child with her pouting lips.
"Here we go."
They both turned and saw Jax descending the stairs. He handed over Lola's phone, and she immediately checked to see if it was working. When the screen lit up, she thanked the god she didn't believe in.
Melissa scoffed and said, "Poser," as she kissed the cross that hung around her neck.
Lola rolled her eyes. She thanked Jax once again. They walked out of the house, but things didn't seem to get easier for them.
"Where the hell are we?" Melissa asked when they looked out at the river next to the house.
"We're at the town border," Lola groaned.
This was where all the rich people lived. Big fancy mansions, almost a town in itself with houses, stores, and every other necessity.
Lola turned around and saw Jax leaning against the doorframe. His arms crossed over his chest, his muscles bulging under his shirt. He wore a grin that made Lola swallow her words and hold onto her pride.
"Let's walk," Lola said, but Melissa rolled her eyes and turned to Jax.
"Could you be a sweetheart and drive us home?" she asked and pushed her chest out with her hands cupped in front of her like she was praying.
"I sure can. I'm glad you asked," he said and looked mockingly at Lola, who cracked her neck and reluctantly followed him to his car.