Chapter 19
1201 Words
Sanaya’s P.O.V
It was past one o’ clock in the morning when Mrs. Eustein finally left the building with both his sons following her out. Both Acelin and Lancelin’s expressions were grim and I had a feeling that whatever they talked about was not a normal mother and son conversation. I would know; my mom always gets pissy when something really serious is going on.
I felt a bit stupid for waiting for so long to speak to Lancelin. Just one kiss and I’d started acting like a love-sick puppy that cared too much about her boyfriend. In fact, Lancelin and I were very unsure at where we stood in our relationship, or at least I was. Amber was sure that Lancelin liked me, but when it came to an Incubus, I was a bit unsure as to which spectrum the ‘like’ category fell into. Did it mean that he like liked me or thought of me as his next prospective meal? Acelin had written in his file that Lancelin did not mix business with pleasure, but Lancelin had told me to discard that file altogether. And of course, why would he kiss me if he didn’t mix business with pleasure.
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, messing up the already messy bun that I’d put my hair into after I had come out of Lancelin’s cabin. I’d also changed back into the clothes I had worn to work this morning and put Tanya’s dress in a bag to get it dry-cleaned. Encountering such beautiful women today had really put a dent in my self-consciousness. First Amber, then Asmara and finally Mrs. Eustein. Every woman was beautiful in their own especial way.
Amber had this girlish charm with her short hair and big eyes. Asmara was confident and gorgeous at the same time, like she knew exactly the kind of effect she had on others. And Mrs. Eustein was elegance personified. She was the only person I’d met today that actually showed signs of aging. There were no visible signs but just by standing near her I could feel the old power radiating off of her. Physically, she looked to be in her late thirties. And it was also surprising how neither Acelin nor Lancelin had gotten any of her vibrant red hair. Lancelin had his mother’s eyes but other than that, both sons looked very different, probably like their respective fathers.
When the clock struck one thirty, I sighed at my own foolishness and got up from my chair. But as I approached the elevator, while trying to book an Uber at the same time, the doors opened to reveal a very exhausted looking Lancelin.
“You’re still here?” Lancelin blinked twice as if he was trying to determine if I was real or a figment of his imagination.
“Um…yes…I-I was worried something bad might have happened, so...” I scratched the back of m neck nervously.
“Thank you.” Lancelin said with a strained smile as he exited the elevator before he pulled me closer to his body and pressed his forehead to mine and let out a sigh.
His hands were on my waist and I was confused for a second what I should do with my hands before I decided to put them lightly on his shoulders. “Would you like some coffee or do I order some dinner for you?” I asked him as I felt his shoulders relax under my fingers.
“I don’t have an appetite but coffee sounds nice.” Lancelin lifted his forehead and looked into my eyes with concern. “It’s very late; won’t your mother be worried?”
“No.” I shook my head with a smile. “I’d called her ahead and told her I’ll be late. I told her I had some urgent work to finish.”
“Did she buy it?” Lancelin gave me a smirk, but worry lines still marred the corner of his eyes.
“I like to believe she did but mothers have a way of always finding out what their children are up to.” I told him with a smile before it turned into a frown. “Or maybe that’s just my mom?”
Lancelin threw his head back laughing and shook his head. “Trust me, it’s everyone’s mom. That much I can guarantee you.”
“I’ll get your coffee.” I told him as he let go of my waist.
There was a coffee machine off to the side of my desk and I went there straight and started the machine. Adding two cubes of sugar and two table spoons of milk, I brought his coffee along with mine to the sitting area in the lobby where Lancelin had taken a seat.
“Please don’t tell me you’re an espresso girl.” Lancelin narrowed his eyes at my coffee cup.
I laughed at his sour expression. “I have a family history of diabetes so I have to be careful. I used to love hazelnut lattes when I was younger but I’ve since gotten used to espressos.”
Lancelin took a sip of his coffee and sighed. He then leaned back into the cushions and loosened his jacket and undid the first button of his shirt. “I’m sorry about my mother; she was stressed so she took her anger out on you.”
I shook my head. “I realized that already.” I scraped my nails on the sides of the coffee cup. “Um-”
“I know you’re curious about Asmara, but I can’t tell you anything right now. I’m sorry.”
My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. Did Lancelin Eustein just apologize to me? Something must be really, really wrong about this Asmara woman if Acelin, Lancelin and Amber were this stressed. And Mrs. Eustein was fuming.
“That’s not why I stayed back.” I told him frankly. “I was really worried about you and Acelin both. I know you guys are centuries older than me and you are strong enough to handle any kind of situation, but I was really confused about what happened at the party, so I stayed back to make sure everything was alright.”
“So far, no one can tell.” Lancelin finally met my eyes. “Thank you for staying back. You have no idea what it means.”
A blush crept up my cheeks so I lowered my head. “It was no problem.”
“Come on then,” Lancelin sighed and got up from his seat. “Let’s get you home.”
“That’s not necessary.” I told him as I placed my empty coffee mug on the table. “I’ll just call an Uber.”
“Let me do this for you, Sanaya.” Lancelin spoke softly. “I need to make sure you get home safe and sound.”
Realizing that Lancelin was a little on the edge despite not showing it on his face, I agreed to let him take me home and in the process, fell a little more in love with the future Incubus King.
- Writer
