The Billionaire's Wife

05.

Sarah’s POV:

I am lost in thought as I drove further away from Alaric’s house, the nerves of him. At least Mackenzie is going on a date so that’s good.

I drive to the mall to get a late evening meal before driving home, Phoebe and I will have our girls’ night out on Thursday night.

“Ms. Barlowe smile for the camera”, a photographer approaches me when I am walking into the mall.

I ignore her and go to the food court, I see a few men in black suits around the premises, that’s probably dad’s men keeping an eye on me.

I order my food to take home with me and wait by a table, I go on i********: and see a recent post from Mackenzie, she’s in a bikini on a magazine cover page and she tagged the magazine company.

“Number 110, number 110”, the cashier calls.

I get up and take the bag from him, “thank you, come again”, he smiles.

I nod and leave, it’s 6:10 pm, I guess this is my early pre-dinner.

When I get home, I call my mother.

“How did it go?” She asks when she answers.

“I survived, but he’s a jerk”, I scoff.

She laughs, “he’ll grow on you, I shouldn’t stand your father at first neither.”

Mom met dad through mutual friends, dad was still getting over his late wife and raising his two young kids; they became friends and the rest was history.

“I doubt, we wouldn’t even be sleeping in the same room.”

“What?”

“He made that clear, it doesn’t bother me, the less time I interact with him privately the better”, I roll my eyes.

“I want more grandbabies”

“You already have five, you’ll get from me when I find the one I’m in love with, it could be ten years from now, I don’t care”, I state.

“What about Alaric? You’ll be married for five years, anything can happen.”

“Hopefully nothing happens”, I scoff.

“Think positive, you’ll be fine.”

“Have a good evening mom”, I say.

“You too, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I hang up and sit down by the small dining table to have my meal, my phone rings.

“Hey Dan”, I answer.

“I’m bored and Phoebe is still at work, let’s do something”, he pouts.

I chuckle, “I’m all tired out for the evening, no more adventures for me.”

“Movie night?”

“Sure, I have to shower first though.”

“Take your time, I’ll go pick up some junk food”, he hang up.

I smile, it’s good to have best friend you can count on.

30 minutes later

My doorbell rings, I smile.

“Hey you’re her-”, I stop when I open the door, “what you’re doing here?”

“You forgot this in my car”, Alaric hands me a bag, I look in it, its makeup bag that isn’t mind.

“I think it’s your last hookup’s makeup bag”, I push it back into his arms, “when we get married all those random hook up has to stop, hate for a scandal to get out about you again.”

He glares at me as Dante comes up the stairs with a bag in his hand.

“Evening brother”, he pushes pass Alaric into my apartment.

“Does your girlfriend even know you’re here?” Alaric crosses his arms.

“She trusts me, she doesn’t question my every move like you’ll be doing to Sarah soon”, Dante scoffs.

“Why are you here?”

“He invited himself over so if you’ll excuse me”, I close the door, but Alaric stops it.

“I’m in no hurry, I’ll join whatever you’ll be doing”, he let himself in and I roll my eyes.

“Don’t you have a meeting to prepare for tomorrow?” Dan retorts.

“Or a video chat with Mackenzie about her date?” I add.

“I already finish viewing my stuff for tomorrow and the video call is much later”, he answers.

Dan and I share a look, looks like we’re stuck with him for a couple of hours.

“I didn’t bring any snack for you, I thought it’ll be just Sarah and I alone”, Dan shrugs.

“I’m not hungry so what are we going to do?”

“Movie”, I say simply and go to the living room.

“Action?”

Dan and I laugh, “comedy romantic”, we high five each other.

Alaric sighs, “of course, your favorite genre never changed since high school.”

“That video call with Mackenzie does sound better right about now, huh?” I smirk at him.

“I’m staying, can’t get rid of me that easily”, he sits on the couch.

“We have to make him leave willingly”, I sign language to Dante, we learn sign language back at a camp in 8th grade to communicate without talking.

“I know, I have a plan”, he replies.

“Are you doing your hand signaling again? If you’re bad talking me just say it to my face, it’s rude when I’m here”, Alaric watches us.

We stay silent and take our seat on bean bags; Dan had the remote control for the flat screen TV. He puts on a movie and I grin, our all time favorite. I hear Alaric groans, but he didn’t say anything.

Thirty minutes into the show, Alaric says, “I have to get going, I now remember I have something to fax to my secretary”, he gets up.

Dan and I smile at each other, it worked.

“That’s too bad, see you soon bro”, Dan says with false empathy.

“You’ll see me at tomorrow’s family dinner with your girlfriend”, he scoffs.

“You should bring Sarah with you.”

“No, I’m sure she’s busy”, Alaric leaves.

“Finally he’s gone, good luck in your marriage”, Dan pats my shoulder.

“I feel more sorry for you, you’re the one who lived with him for 18 years”, I retort.

“I know, but we don’t live together anymore, you’re the one who’s going to as long as you stay married”, he shrugs.

“Five years after that I’ll be first in line to sign the divorce paper, he can keep everything I just want to get out.”

“What if you get pregnant during that time, would you still divorce?” He frowns.

“There will be no child”, I assure him.

Alaric made sure of that.

He shrugs, “anything can happen, but good luck.”

“Thanks, so how are you and Phoebe doing?”

“Good so far, I’m thinking before Christmas we can live together, maybe look for a place for us.”

“Aw, near to the city right? She lives a bit further away from her job.”

“Yeah, my job is in the city, a few streets from here don’t look so bad”, he nods.

“Yeah, this neighborhood is lovely”, I agree.

He opens the bag of chips and shares it with me as we watch the movie in silent.

**

Dan’s phone rings as the movie finishes and we’re about to start a new one after I make us something healthy to eat.

“Hey baby”, he answers, I guess that’s Phoebe.

He goes outside by the balcony as I go to the kitchen; I have a drawing that Esther made stick up on my fridge.

I take out a frying pan and open the fridge to get some eggs to make omelets.

Dan enters the kitchen, “Phoebe says hey”, he turns his phone to me to show me Phoebe on video call.

“Hey girl”, I wave as I put on my apron, “how was work?”

“How was ring shopping”, she teases and I roll my eyes.

“I chose a ring”, I shrug.

“He didn’t at least take you to get something to eat?”

I give her a deadpan look.

“That bad, huh?”

“He doesn’t have an ounce of romantic bone in his body, probably only when it comes to Mackenzie”, I bitterly says.

Dan laughs, “Mack and Alaric aren’t in love with each other, and they never were. Mack told my brother he isn’t her type anyways.”

“Why?” Phoebe gasps.

Yeah, why? Alaric clearly has everything Mack is looking for, I didn’t know she had a type.

“She only sees him as a friend and they live far from each other, Mack doesn’t like the back and forth traveling so much”, Dan explains.

‘It can be tiring”, Phoebe agrees, “Sarah, what are you going to make?”

“Omelets, it’s been a while and Dan loves them”, I reply as I c***k the eggs.

“Really? How come you didn’t tell me baby?” Phoebe pouts.

“The topic didn’t come up and you aren’t home often to even make breakfast”, he replies.

“Oh”, her face falls, “yeah I have a messed up working schedule, sometimes work all night and sleep most of the day to recharge to be back out again another night, sometimes I have university work to do as well so sleep for a while and get up.

“Can’t you ask for a transfer?” I ask.

“When I finish my Ph.D, I like where I work, just the distance I’m coming from sometimes do tired me out”, she explains.

“I told you, you can come stay at my place when you had a long shift instead of driving for forty minutes”, Dan intervenes.

“I have a cut, I can’t let it stay by itself.”

“Bring it with you, you will work yourself to exhaustion”, Dan warns.

“I don’t mind staying over some days I am tired after a long shift, but I don’t want to intrude in your space.”

“You’re not intruding, please take advantage, you already have the spare key.”

They move fast, she has a spare key already?

“Fine, but only when I’m super tired for a long day.”

“Thank you.”

“Bye Sarah, see you on Thursday, I’m about to leave the hospital now.”

“Be safe and get home safely.”

“I will.”

“Bye baby”, Dan sends her a kiss and smiles.

I wish someone will look at me the way Dan looks at Sarah, you can clearly see he’s in love.

After Phoebe hangs up, I question him, “are you in love with Phoebe?”

He smiles, “maybe.”

Fair enough answer.

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