The Lotus And The Billionaire

Chapter 36: Dinner Date Plus One

“Do you know how annoyed I am right now? Hmm?” Alvarez asked as he held my arms, his touch remaining gentle despite how his demeanor seemed to me.

I smiled cheekily, just like I always do when I know he’s really, really mad at me. To be completely honest, I’m afraid of his pissed off…aura. It’s as if I’m on a trial and I have to watch everything I say or I’ll end up getting destroyed to bits.

The only thing I know to use when he’s like this is my smile. Although he often tells me he hates it, I still use it against him. He always yields when I do, after all.

“You’re not using that on me. It won’t work this time around,” he told me, his tone and stature firm. He’s definitely not going to let me escape no matter how I try to distract him…

“Alvarez, look, I’m sorry. I never thought we’d see him here!” I defended myself as I placed my hands on his chest, trying to woo him with my pretty face.

He took me all the way to the basement after I had invited Raven to join us for lunch. We bumped into him on our way to eat our lunch, and I had quite a long conversation with him. Damn, I even forgot that I was with Alvarez! And to top it all off, I ended up inviting him to join us.

I understand that he’s upset about what I did because if I was in his shoes, I’d see that it was wrong for my wife to invite a random man with us. But I was having so much fun talking to Raven that I had almost forgotten how jealous my husband, whom I married for convenience, is. Ha, what a joke.

I smiled as I snaked my arms around Alvarez’s neck. Truth be told, I can’t comprehend why I’m still trying to get him to stop being like this…

Perhaps I’ve gotten way too in-character that I’m beginning to turn into real wife material for Alvarez. I mean, we’ve been carrying this whole thing for far too long already.

“I said no pretty privileges, woman…” he muttered, his voice low.

He keeps looking up and down my eyes and lips, though…

I chuckled as I began to play with his hair, running my fingers across them, slightly grabbing. This is the only way I know to use against someone like Alvarez.

I hate it.

I don’t know why I’m even doing this for him.

Why do I have to please him?

Fuck.

“You’re not very convincing when you’re acting that way with one slight touch,” I replied as I tapped his lips lightly.

This isn’t like me.

It’s as if my hands are moving on their own, freely traveling across Alvarez’s face, admiring his features. He is, in fact, very good-looking. I’ve made peace with that fact for as long as I can remember at this point.

However…

Why the hell am I acting this way…?

“Just make it through lunch with him and I’ll be sure to please you once we get home…” I muttered as I gave him a peck on the cheek. I tried to push him away so I could walk back inside the restaurant.

“Diaz, you know I won’t be able to do that,” he grumbled as he grabbed me by the waist.

“Well, you have to. I’ve already invited him, and there’s no way I can take it back.”

“Just say there’s an emergency we have to attend to and we can’t eat with him.”

I sighed and flicked his forehead. “No can do. Do you understand?”

“I don’t. Why did you even have to invite him with us?”

“He was alone, anyway! Why should we even invite him to join us?”

“Look, I’m sorry I invited him without getting your permission, but I just thought you wouldn’t mind…”

I pursed my lips as I looked up at his face, trying to appeal to him. It’s really my fault this time, and I’m planning to just give him compensation for making him jealous. I didn’t do it on purpose, but knowing him, he wouldn’t care if I wasn’t trying to piss him off. Raven has never even tried to touch me in the slightest and he’s already like this…

Alvarez stared at my face, almost as if he was in a trance. His hands on my waist began to draw small circles on the skin I had exposed with the slit of the dress I was wearing. His fingers slightly tickled me, but I couldn’t ask him to stop. Or more like I didn’t want to.

Slowly, he nodded, as if it was the toughest decision he’d ever made in his entire life. He embraced me tighter as he rested his head on my neck, asking for a little time.

“You’ll be ignoring me once we get back in there and start chatting with that asshole. I can already see it happening…so at least let me have this.”

Why’s he acting this way as well?

But with the current relationship we share, I chose to remain quiet and allow Alvarez to do what he wants instead. I am not in a position where I’m allowed to ask, and nor does he. We’re…simply partners that need to stay together.

Wasn’t this the exact same reason I didn’t want the two of us to continue what we had started? I liked teasing him and acting like an i***t with him. Of course, I am in no way going to forget the dates the two of us have gone on. I truly enjoyed them.

What’s the problem? It’s that I enjoyed and saw Alvarez as a significant other and not just a partner, even if it was simply for a second.

I…hated that I somehow thought of it.

“You should stop being so clingy,” I told him as I caressed his hair, trying to suppress a soft smile that was threatening to reveal itself.

“Why?”

“You might fall for me.” I grinned, teasing him.

Alvarez chuckled. “Who knows…”

And I didn’t like that.

My smile faded so quickly as I tried to decipher the meaning of the tone he had just used. It felt…so foreign, almost enough to scare me. This is the first time I’ve heard him use that tone with me.

I pursed my lips to force myself to remain quiet. It was the only way I knew to stop myself from uttering words I didn’t really mean. No matter what I say, it will sound ridiculous to him, and even to myself. At least that’s what I’m telling myself to avoid any mishaps.

“Alvarez,” I called as I tapped his shoulder, beginning to feel uncomfortable with the closeness, especially with all the thoughts running in my head.

“What?”

“We have to go back there.”

“He might have left already. We don’t have to go back…” he whispered as he pulled me even closer.

“No, we can’t stay here. Please, just get off me.”

The moment he heard me utter the word please, he immediately stood properly. Oh, right. I rarely use the aforementioned word outside the bedroom, so his reaction wasn’t that much of a surprise. I guess…it got through him.

Alvarez cleared his throat and gestured for me to go ahead and walk back inside the building. Perhaps…he’ll notice the boundary I’ve been trying to draw. And from now on, I’ll stop ignoring it as well.

We have to keep it business. That was the deal.

“Raven…?” I called as I poked his arm.

He looked back and smiled when he saw me. “You’re finally here…”

“Sorry for that. Things got a little dicey…” I whispered before moving towards Alvarez’s side.

Just as we were headed towards our table, Raven chuckled and stopped walking. “Honestly, I don’t think I should join the two of you.”

“Oh, you knew—”

Before Alvarez could even say anything rude, I pinched his arm and smiled at Raven. I saw him wince in pain at what I did, but I simply clarified that it’s fine if he joins the two of us. He’s probably noticed that Alvarez isn’t in a good mood right now, but I can’t bring myself to be rude to him!

I thought he understood what my signals meant, but unfortunately, he didn’t. Instead, he smiled and continued to walk with the two of us. Oh, he really is dense, after all.

“What…” Alvarez muttered as he looked at Raven as if he was the most annoying creature he’d ever laid his eyes on.

Alright, I get where he’s coming from, but that’s Raven…

Oh god. Things might get dicey if I don’t act as soon as possible, but I have no other choice. I just have to try and make sure Alvarez doesn’t fight the poor guy.

“Behave,” I told Alvarez as I sat beside him as soon as we reached our table.

“Uh, you two should order. It’ll be my treat as thanks to Sapphire for helping out—”

“Yeah, my wife is there because she got assigned there, not because she wanted to help out…” Alvarez told him, his tone dripping with irritation. The way he emphasized that I am his wife definitely didn’t go unnoticed.

“Hey—”

This asshole!

I couldn’t even finish what I was going to say because he placed his hand on my thigh and squeezed it! He was smiling at Raven, who looked awkward as he held the menu up, while he was slightly running his fingers across my thigh.

My throat had gone dry because of what he was doing, but I didn’t want to fool around, especially when it’s not just the two of us at this table…

“Oh, by the way…” Alvarez trailed off as he called over a waiter with a hand gesture. “My treat.”

“Oh, no, Sir—”

“My. Treat.”

I pursed my lips as I signaled Alvarez to order whatever he wanted for me. He already knows what I like to eat, so I left it for him to take care of. When he saw me struggling, a small smile crept upon his lips.

Oh, is this how he wants to play?

Damn. This was not what I meant when I told him I was going to make it up to him…

“Hey, Diaz…” he whispered in my ear. And, god, it sent shivers down my spine. “Have I ever told you that I’ve always wanted to do it in public?”

No.

Someone’s here.

The place is crowded. I see a lot of familiar faces and a few cameras all over the place. Damn, I’m not going to let them get a whiff of our shenanigans.

But Alvarez’s voice…

“No. Just order so we can eat.”

“Come on, I can see you trembling. Are you sure you don’t want to?” he asked.

God, he sounds sexy when he’s being demanding.

I pursed my lips and shut my eyes tightly before shaking my head. “Later…” I managed to croak as I shifted my gaze to the waiter that was walking towards our table.

“No one can hear us. There’s the band. It’s also noisy with all the people around us talking…”

Raven seemed busy choosing what he was going to order, but I’m not sure if he’s pretending not to hear or he genuinely can’t hear Alvarez. The band was playing something classical that I could no longer identify. With all the customers in the restaurant talking, I could barely hear anything.

Damn, he’s right. I guess he must really want to try, but…I’m scared, especially when we’re not the only ones at the table. I can’t do this. Not at all.

“I said later…”

He pouted and shook his head in dismay, but he still refused to remove his hand on my thigh. “Is that final?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked down, afraid everyone could see how flustered I looked. The thrill I feel while my skin burns at his touch is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

There isn’t any way I’m turned on by this…

“No chance, mi amor? Not at all?” Alvarez continued to ask, his lips pressing against my earlobe.

Fuck, his breath’s tickling me. I feel so sensitive…

“Wait until dinner.”