ALAYNAI’m not used to seeing Ms. Lennie without the maids around her, but Oliver helped her set the table with the food we prepared. It’s not often we eat together, but Casey already notified me that Brandon eats with everyone now. From the moment I heard it, my heart just couldn’t stop pounding.
I knew it was time to face my fear, otherwise I wouldn’t get any better. At least that’s what Cassius told me.
Cassius first comes into the dining room, obviously fresh from the bath. He greets me with a sweet smile and fondly sniffs my hair. “Laynie.”
Ms. Lennie notices, but she doesn’t react. Oliver grimaces a little.
“Cass...” I fidget away. I got used to gestures like this from Cassius in the past three weeks; his flirting is like a habit now. I’m still uncomfortable with the display of affection in front of his siblings. He might be forgetting where we are now, but I definitely am not.
“I’m sorry,” he apologizes, chuckling. “Can’t help myself, but I should probably keep that in mind.”
“This seat is for you.” I point out the chair at my side.
“You saved me one. How sweet of you, Laynie.”
“Stop the PDA. You’re in front of the food.” Casey glares at her brother. “And what’s with this Laynie“Oh, it’s what her family called her.”
“I told him to stop calling me that,” I say.
“Why not? It sounds cute.” Cassius pulls the chair and sits. “Hey, guys, you should meet Alayna’s mom. She makes some real first-class food too.”
I giggle. “You’re exaggerating.”
“Then we already know where Alayna got her talent,” Oliver finally says with a shrug. “You should take us there, Alayna.”
“All right, all right. Mom will be delighted. Maybe we can set a date—”
“This is nice!”“But I think that’s my chair.”Blonde, tall, slim with curves in the right places. She is so elegant and stands very gracefully, unlike me, who slouches at times. She is a little pale, but her skin is glowing, and her lips are already red even without makeup.
It’s her—the woman at the party. She’s Pauline. Brandon’s first love.
My heart shatters.
“Hello, everyone,” she greets us pleasantly, like a delicate flower. “Oh, Cassius, you’re here too!”
Cassius smiles a little, which I can tell is forced. “Pauline.”
Her eyes roam over everyone at the table. “Hey, Ollie, Casey! It’s been a long time. Oh, and who is this?” she asks, now looking at me. And what’s pissing me off the most is her smile. It’s real. I sense no malice in her tone.
“This is Alayna Hart. She’s Brandon’s private chef. Alayna, this is Pauline Stavros Florakis, a family friend,” Oliver says. Even her name sounds sophisticated.
“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Alayna,” Pauline greets.
“Same,” I say simply.
Seconds later, Brandon joins her. I try to avoid looking at him, but he looks directly at me, though one of his hands is on her lower back. I feel like running over there to tear his hand away.
But damn. They look like models for a magazine cover standing next to each other. They look so perfect, so beautiful togetherCassius’s hand reaches for mine, and Oliver moves to my other side.
“I’ll just sit over there,” Cassius whispers in my ear, pointing at the chair close to Oliver, but he provides me with a space between them.
“It’s nice to see a new face,” Pauline starts again. “How long have you been working here?”
She lives here?“For a year,” I say.
“Oh, it’s been quite a while. Nice to meet you, Alayna.”
“Likewise.” I clench my sweaty hands under the table. I know I sounded like a bitter ex-girlfriend, but I didn’t care. I feel Cassius reach for me again, entwining his fingers with mine.
“You okay?” Cassius mumbles.
“I’m okay.”
An awkward silence follows, and supper becomes more and more unbearable. Cassius is still holding my hand to soothe my uneasiness. Only the clinking of glasses and utensils can be heard. I take a glimpse at Brandon, but he is busy talking to Pauline.
First, he ignored me, then we broke up so he could reunite with his lost love. And now he brought her here. The pain in my chest grows like something is piercing my heart.
I try to eat the delicious-looking food in front of me, but it tastes like nothing.
“I don’t remember you being left-handed, Alayna,” Casey suddenly comments, breaking the silence.
“Huh?” I snap back to reality.
“She isn’t,” Cassius answers for me and lifts our entangled hands.
“Oh, wow. Love is in the air here.” Casey sneers while looking at Brandon, whose attention is now focused on us.
His jaw ripples and he seethes under his breath. But Ms. Lennie comes back holding a tray with a round, yellow cake.
Pauline springs up excitedly and takes the tray from Ms. Lennie. “Thank you, Lennie!” She places it in front of Brandon. “I baked this for you,” she says proudly. Her smile is so sincere that it touches her eyes. “I hope you like the taste. Try it, Brandon.”
Brandon shuts his eyes briefly. “Pauline...”
“What? You don’t like it?”
“I’m allergic to peaches.”
“Really?” Her cheeks flush. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” She takes the cake again and gives it back to Ms. Lennie. “Do you want anything else to eat? I can make it for you.”
“Stop, Pauline,” he says softly. “In this house, I only eat food prepared by my chef.” After saying those words, everyone’s eyes swing to me, including his.
Casey’s mouth drops open.
His eyes soften and he lets out a gentle smile of recognition. I’m not sure what he’s doing, but I rejoice a little inside. Brandon is still my weakness.
Brandon wipes his mouth and stands.
“Brandon, I’m really sorry, but you barely touched your plate,” Pauline says with concern.
“That’s fine. I’ll have dessert in my room.”
“I’ll bring you some. They made pudding.”
“No, I’ll be working tonight.” He tucks the strands of the hair that were blocking her face behind her ears. Such a simple gesture, but I know it means something.
I tear my gaze away. Just when I thought there was a tiny bit of hope for us, he shatters my heart again like this. What the hell was I hoping for? I clearly lost him to her.
“Alayna?” Brandon suddenly says. It sounds foreign coming from his mouth but still brings me back to my senses.
I gasp, looking up again. “Yes?”
“Bring my dessert,” he says and walks away.