My Little Distraction

Chapter 3: The Mintons

Both Parker and I froze. We waited for a sign of whoever it was outside.

"Lucia?" said my dad's voice. "I'm back from the business trip," Parker silently lifted himself off of me and crawled towards my bed, crouching down underneath it so he was hidden from the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"No!" I said, maybe a little too quickly. I jumped to my feet. "I'm... getting changed!"

"Why on earth are you getting changed at eight o'clock at night? What are you getting changed into?"

I tried to think of an answer quickly, my mouth hanging open. "My pajamas. I'm- uh, getting an early night."

"Oh," he replied. "We've got to go to a business dinner. Sorry darling, but you're going to have to get ready."

I groaned, trying to sound reluctant and tired. "Okay, daddy."

"Sorry to be an inconvenience," he said. "You've got thirty minutes to get ready. See you then."

Once I'd heard that he'd safely left, I spun around. Parker stood at the edge of my bed.

"In your PJ's at eight, are we Lucia?" he grinned, mocking my excuse.

"Hey, I think it was a very good improvisation." I defended myself. I walked over to my wardrobe and started dragging dresses out.

"Sounds like you're quite the daddy's girl." Parker commented, coming to join me.

"I guess you could say that." After he didn't reply, I glanced up at him. "Is this where the friction of being in two opposing families comes in?"

"Oh no," he said, smirking at me. "There's only going to be one type of friction in this relationship: physical."

I shook my head vigorously, holding back a laugh. "I set myself up for that one, didn't I?"

"Oh yeah." he said.

I finally decided on my dress- a bronze metallic one, with a high neckline and that came pretty high up my thighs.

"This is your que to leave." I said to Parker, as I stood waiting to get changed.

His bottom lip quivered and he did puppy dog eyes. "But baby, it's cold outside." He looked adorable.

"I'm not stripping in front of you, and you need to get home." I said.

"But I got you roses!" he cried, a pout setting in.

"But nothing," I said. "It's not like you can just wait here for me to get back."

He sighed, heaving his shoulders dramatically. "Fineee. But, I can't leave without a final kiss."

"Okay, okay, whatever will get rid of you." I joked, before standing onto my tiptoes and giving what I promised. He leaned his lips into mine and the moment got intense. I sighed internally, knowing that now I had to pull away.

"Goodbye, Parker." I said, our faces still close together, staring into his warm brown eyes.

The corners of his lips turned upwards. "Another time, Lucia."

By the time that I'd finally forced Parker to climb out of my balcony which took a lot of persuasion, I had fifteen minutes left, in which I took time to make my hair wavy and put on some peach and gold eye shadows. I'd added some bangles to my wrists and red high heels to my feet before we'd set off to drive into the middle of the town to a high-end restaurant. It was a restaurant that my family had been to many times before, I remembered coming here when I was young, probably four or five years old.

My little sister, Marion, beamed up at me. "We're meeting the Mintons!"

"Who?" I asked her, c*****g an eyebrow.

"Them!" she said, pointing towards a family wearing business suits. My eyes scanned over the family of four. The tallest was a man with grey, gelled hair and piercing blue eyes. His face was stoic with a few deep-set wrinkles. He looked middle aged. Next were two boys. I assumed that they were brothers. The taller one looked apparently a lot like his dad, just a younger version of him, and with dark blonde, almost brown hair. He looked like he was in his early twenties. The shorter brother looked to be the same age as me, with softer features than his father and brother, blonde curls, but the same piercing eyes. Lastly was the mother, who had gentle brown eyes and light blonde hair. She wore a black gown. She was either younger than the father, or just aging better.

"Elliot!" my dad practically cheered to the father. Elliot's face softened and grew into a large welcoming grin and they shook hands. They were obviously close. My mum greeted Elliot's wife and they chatted briskly. The two sons stayed back, as did my big brother, little sister, and I.

The two couples took seats at a large table in the middle of the busy restaurant, and us five children followed. I sat down next to my older brother Clark.

I dropped my napkin onto my lap and flicked my hair behind my shoulder. Looking up, I saw that I was opposite the Minton brother who was the same age as me.

"Anyway," said my dad. "Elliot, these are my children," he gestured down the table, where Clark, Marion and I were sitting in a row. "Clark is my eldest, he's twenty one," Elliot said a brief word before my dad continued. "Next is Lucia, who is eighteen," I gave a confident smile. "And my youngest is Marion, who is eleven." Marion grinned before greeting them.

"My two boys," said Elliot in a deep voice. "The oldest, Jenson, who's twenty four," the taller Minton brother, with the dark blonde hair, smiled and nodded his head, before his father continued. "And my youngest, Heratio, who's the same as your Lucia, eighteen years old."

Her-ay-she-oh. What a name! The boy with the light blonde curls said a 'hello' before we all picked up our menus. The adults discussed business matters, and what they were going to have.

"So, Lucia," I heard a masculine voice say my name. My eyes flicked upwards to meet Heratio's, which were fixed on me. His face was holding a cocky smirk. "Are you taken, or are you mine?"

I had to hold back a loud, tired groan. Heratio was cocky. With those few words, he'd set his first impression to be that of a player, a jerk, an asshole. "I'm neither." I replied reluctantly.

His smirk expanded, his eyes lighting up with energy. "Yet." he added, simply.

"You okay, Luce?" asked Clark, next to me.

"I'm not liking Heratio." I replied, being blunt about it.

"Chin up," he smiled. "He's our business partner's son. We've gotta pretend to like him, despite how much of a pain he might be."

I sighed. "If only it were that easy."