MISTRESS OF THE CITY (CITY SERIES 1)

CHAPTER 2.

When I moved to Silver City, I was not sure what I would experience here. I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Everybody told me I could not fit in. As I made my way through the streets, I knew that I did not want to leave. This city has its own unique beauty. Traffic is at its peak during the lunch rush hour. I am glad the restaurant is just three blocks away. I am meeting my boyfriend for our usual lunch dates, but this time we decided to change where we usually eat. The scent of delicious food hit me as soon as I stepped inside the restaurant. The attendant at the reception is wearing a uniform that represents the name of the restaurant. Red Rose Restaurant. She looks at me with suspicion but still guides me to my table after I tell her the name under the reservations. The decor is lavish and unique. The distinct color of the red rose covers most of it with a mixture of white. If Out of Place were a person, I would get the title. The guests were all dressed in expensive suits and dresses, while I was in simple black denim and a white T-shirt. No wonder the waitress earlier looked at me like I was lost. I am very sure she held back the question. I find him at the table where I was directed, waiting for me. This is not the usual place we meet; anyone could spot us. I look around; the place is already full. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to change to our usual place where we had lunch. A smile appears on his face as soon as he spots me. My heart flutters wildly, stirring the butterflies and all the other feelings that were dead. He stands and pulls the chair for me.

"I hope I did not keep you waiting for long," I ask as I sit down. I had an unscheduled meeting with one of my student's parents. I can feel multiple eyes on me. They are all probably wondering the same thing the earlier waitress did.

What am I doing here with Hiram Darhk? Everybody knows him as the King of Silver City. His contribution to the growth of this city, the reduced crime rate, and every other development are thanks to the man sitting opposite me. His family has continued the work their father started.

"I was a little late also," he replies, with a genuine smile on his face. I am so glad he kept casual as well, wearing blue denim and a white long-sleeved T-shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and showed his muscular physique.

"This restaurant is living up to its name," I say as I look at the red tablecloth and all the red decor surrounding us. I am surprised that they do not force their customers to wear red. The atmosphere is filled with the sound of silverware clinking and softly practiced murmurs. The elegance with which the customers are interacting with each other is somewhat familiar.

"The owner named it after his wife, Rose," he explains as he looks around the restaurant.

"Do you know him personally?" I ask.

"I have interacted with him a few times," he adds.

We have a light conversation as we wait for the waiter to bring us food. He tells me about his business trip. The waiter brings food. We eat in silence, with a little conversation here and there. He is always interested in my work when I talk about it. It's good to find someone with whom you can talk freely about your goals and dreams. That's one thing I like about him. He is a good listener and supports me.

We are waiting for dessert as he tells me about his trip when his gaze focuses behind me. I am good at reading body language, and I can tell whoever is behind me is not someone I would like to meet. My body and senses go into alert mode immediately. He offers me a soft smile, then calls to greet the person behind me.

"Ajax," he announces. My heart drops and my eyes widen when I recognize the name. I can feel a prickling on the back of my neck. I do not look behind me; I focus on the smile of the man in front of me. I knew this was going to happen, so I sat tight, waiting for him to reply.

"Dad, you are back." His voice is deep, husky, and steady.

"I arrived last night, but you already knew that," the man in front of me replies.

A shadow looms over me as the guy behind me comes into view. I do not take my eyes off the table, but I can see he is wearing a black suit. His gaze becomes so intense that it makes me conscious.

Why is the waiter taking so long to bring the dessert?

Maybe I can leave even without it.

"I see you have company," he says, his voice remaining the same: cold, calm, and stoic.

When I finally acknowledge his presence, I am met with a cold, hard gaze that could scare anyone away. The youthful version of the man sitting opposite me continues to stare as his eyes darken a little. I hold my gaze as I take in his features. His athletic and muscular figure stands tall at approximately six feet and three inches. He has whiskey eyes and dark hair, with a few strands falling off his forehead. A Rolex watch that costs more than me, and everything I own rests on his wrists. The dark suit and the white shirt underneath make his eyes more clear. He pockets both of his hands as he assumes a relaxed stance with his feet apart.

The man I am dating, Hiram Darhk, is Ajax's dad, who is looking at me like I am a measly lint in his expensive suit.

"Oh yes, meet Kylie, my girlfriend," Hiram says, eager to introduce me as his girlfriend. The happiness in his eyes was uncontainable.

Ajax casts a stealthy blank look at me and then looks away toward his father. I have envisioned this situation over the last few weeks, and I am not surprised. I have gone over any reaction I will get from his family. The dirty, disinterested look Ajax gave me was one of them.

"Well," revolted, he says, "I apologize for interrupting your date." His tone was unapologetic and crude. One would think he was a robot.

"Kylie, my oldest son, Ajax, I told you about him," he continues the introduction.

I knew everything about him and his family, even before he told me about them.

How could I not?

Everybody in this city knows the Darhk family. Keeping our relationship a secret for the past four months has been a task—a very tiring one.

I smile at him as I nod, then look at the man with an unreadable expression. "It's nice to meet you," I say. "I have heard a lot about you from your dad," I say as I maintain eye contact. He might think he can intimidate me with a simple glare, but he'll be surprised.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow and looks at his dad, then at me, repulsed. "I have heard nothing about you," he says in a monotonous tone. He will not be easy to deal with or convince that I care about his father. I would be skeptical if I were in his position, too.

"I know; we have been keeping our relationship a secret," I reply. The staring, more like glaring, goes on for what feels like forever before Hiram talks.

"That's all the secrets have been about." He says it in a coarse tone, regarding me like an object.

"Ajax." Hiram reprimands his son. "We will have this discussion at dinner tomorrow." He says this, leaving no room for contradiction.

"Ah, that's what the dinner is for." Directed at me, his face becomes livid with anger.

"How did the meeting go?" Hiram asks in an attempt to change the subject.

Hiram has taken a step back and let Ajax handle most of the business, but that does not mean he does not know what goes on in his empire. I have been reluctant to go public with our relationship for obvious reasons. He did not want us to be a secret, so I complied by agreeing to meet his family for dinner.

"You want to talk business while on a date?" he asks, his voice devoid of emotion. "Find me when you are done, he says dismissively, and he walks out of the restaurant without another glance.

"That went better than I expected," I say.

"No, it did not." He replies.

"At least he did not make a scene," I say, trying to reassure him. His family will not be welcoming; I know that.

"I promised to protect you, and I plan on keeping my word." The promise in his words was evident. It's not the first time he's said that. At least I got a preview of what will happen tomorrow, and that eases my worry a little.

"I know you will always do your best." My hand reaches out for his clenched-fisted one on the table. He relaxes as soon as my hand comes into contact with his. A radiant glow passes across his handsome face as he gives me a reassuring smile.

A chocolate-layered ice cream dessert is placed right next to me. While he gets an ice cream sandwich cake. I love ice cream and chocolate, plus it is hot outside.

We both enjoy our desserts without further interruptions.

***

I find myself a seat next to Luke, who looks like he wants to be anywhere but here. Cole, the swimming coach, is talking his ear off. The smile on his face widens as soon as he spots me.

"Newbie, are you still alive?" He asks with a full-grown grin on his face.

"Sorry to disappoint you," I reply.

More people continue to enter the room. I get along with a few of my colleagues, while others think I am too young to be here. I am the youngest trainer in this room. That does not mean my experience in my field is limited. I am old enough to take on the world; that is what should matter.

"I am just worried, is all. I thought Shaw killed you," he says.

"I am still here," I say.

"It would be a tremendous loss to let someone as pretty as you go," he says, bemused as his eyes gawk all over my body. One thing about Cole is that he is such a shameless flirt.

"You only supported me because you thought I was pretty?" I ask, even though I know the answer.

"Why else would I be on your side?" He says this frankly as a glimmer of laughter comes into his eyes.

The murmurs and conversations fill the room as Cole continues to brag about how his students will take the trophies home this year. All sports teams have brought home trophies and added a good reputation to DSC. Fencing has lagged, and I am here to prove it's as important as any other sport. I kept the struggles I went through to prove myself here from Hiram. I wanted, when our relationship came to light, for it not to be work-related.

Kimberly walks in in a short-sleeved black jumpsuit with her laptop tucked in between her hands and body. Her hair is tied up in a neat bun, not a single strand out of place. She surveys the room, her pretty face not showing an ounce of emotion. Expect when her eyes land on where I am seated, or, more like, where the person next to me is. She has some history with Luke and Amara, that I do not know the exact details of. If she did not like me before, she hates me now. Also, being the Mayor's niece makes her feel invisible. She will resent me more when she finds out I am dating her aunt's ex-husband. She is also vying for the COO's position in the company. This is why she has been very involved with the details of this year's competitions. The board of directors always chooses the most important corporate positions, like CEO, CFO, and COO. Ajax is vying for CEO, while Kimberly is taking over his previous position. Ajax is most likely to win the CEO position. They like to keep it in the family.

With a flat look and narrowed eyes, she walks to the front to start the meeting. Her secretary, Beth, walks in and hands out the printed copies of today's meeting agenda. We are finalizing the competition details that the company is sponsoring in less than two months. The trainers for all the sports that are in DSC are here. Kimberly was hesitant to let my students compete, but the company rule was that if there was no danger and guardians allowed it, they couldn't stop them. She was so convinced that the fencing team was going to embarrass the company that she did not want to invest her energy in something that was bound to fail. So I told her that was not her decision to make.

As soon as Kimberly's voice fills the room, everybody settles down. She goes on and on about the rules students must follow during the competition period. We go over the budget they have allocated to each team according to the number of competitors they have. My team's budget is not as large, but we do not need a lot since the gadgets and weapons are all in good condition because we have not abused them over the past few years.

The meeting is over after several questions and comments.