The Billionaire's Hidden Heir

#18 - It's A Date!

Lily

"I'd hate to be that bun right about now." Derby's amused tone startled me, causing me to pause my actions. My eyes settled on the bun she mentioned, and I actually saw it: the knife I'd been tightly holding, inches away from its baked target that was almost in tatters. My eyes instantly swung to the rest of the coffeehouse as panic at who else had been a witness to my savagery set in. I was relieved to find only a few scattered patrons who seemed not bothered by their surroundings.

"I, uh... should probably get another one," I mumbled, getting up, but Derby jumped in my path, stopping me.

"Maybe we should sit down." She suggested, shoving me back in my seat before slipping into the one in front of me. She was about to run an intervention. I wasn't sure I wanted her to. All amusement gone, Derby's gaze darted to her phone then back to me. "This said everything went so much better than you expected," my friend remarked. Of course she knew that my foul mood I'd apparently tried and failed to hide this morning had everything to do with Adrian.

"It did." I agreed. 'So much better' was actually an understatement seeing how Asher had clearly been cocooned in a blanket of happiness since meeting his father. He couldn't stop gushing about Adrian the entire evening and on our drive to his school. I had no doubt all his conversations would sound pretty much the same for a while.

"Uh... then I'm guessing something changed between then and now, or you wouldn't be butchering that poor helpless bun." Derby sat back, her gaze assessing.

She was right. Courtney happened, but I wasn't about to give Adrian's mistress any significance by mentioning her to Derby so I only shrugged. Of course that didn't mean Derby wouldn't either. "I'm guessing this is because of her?"

"Her who?" I played dumb, but she saw right through me.

"Lily, I happen to be the mayor of Radiant Springs," one brow arched so high I shifted in my seat. "...very few visitors get in and out without my knowledge. Especially not the lollipop queen."

"The lollipop queen?" Laughter bubbled in my chest, making me feel a hell of a lot lighter since watching Adrian slip out of my house and driving away, to her. It didn't even matter that he'd tried to talk to me before then.

Derby grinned. "The name suits her perfectly fine if you ask me. I know a manipulative witch when I see one." That she saw that about Courtney validated what I'd always known about her. She had my back no matter what, and that was something I cherished deeply in our friendship.

"I'm glad I don't have to worry about my best friend in R.S falling for Courtney's charms." I admitted. God knew the last time that happened, I lost a piece of my soul.

"Of course." Derby shot me a proud grin that turned coy as she leaned in to whisper. "If you need that to be the entirety of Radiant Springs just say the word and your favourite mayor in this town will make it happen."

I burst out laughing then, feeling so much better. "Wouldn't that be like abuse of power?"

"Not if a friend's happiness is involved." She stated matter of factly, her chin raised in determination.

"Sounds tempting," I smiled after watching her for a second, grateful for her stance. "...but I wouldn't want to give the Daltons a reason to get their claws on R.S." As much as I hated Courtney being here, I couldn't risk jeopardizing the town's well-being. We both knew the Daltons had been sniffing around Derby like a pack of wolves after its prey, intent on catching her in the wrong so they had the perfect reason to get rid of her and do whatever they wanted to the town.

"So does this mean Adrian can stay?" Derby asked, anticipation over my answer mounting quickly. I'd seen the moment that question had started swimming in her head. I knew she'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity to broker the subject of Adrian staying in Radiant Springs which I had been against.

"If Asher has anything to say about it, yes." Finally meeting his father had excited my son so much I was almost jealous at how many times he called him 'dad'. "And it's not like I can be so selfish as to deny you and your hard work this opportunity." Knowing the capability of Frost Industries and Adrian, Radiant Springs was in safe hands and so was Derby's dream.

"Not just for you." Derby mumbled quietly. I expected excitement at my admission, not that...

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I frowned.

"You just said he could stay, for Asher, Radiant Springs, hell even for me, but not for you." Her voice carried a note of concern and confusion.

"Why would he stay for me?" I laughed, my laughter full of sarcasm and hurt.

"Because I think he wants to. I saw it in his eyes when he insisted on having you on board back in my office today."

"He was at your office?" I couldn't stop my head from calculating how long he'd need to get from my house, to his hotel and then to the Mayor's office even if I wanted to. How much time had he actually spent with Courtney?

"I found him waiting for me actually, something about making sure he set up the meetings pretty early." That gave him even less time to be with Courtney. I was surprised by that. "You know he could have called."

"What are you saying?" I waved away every reason that wanted to creep into my head to explain why Adrian had chosen not to stay with his fiancée because none of those were me.

"Oh, I don't know," Derby shrugged. "...maybe the lollipop queen isn't fun company to him as you imagine"

Imagination had nothing to do with what I knew about Adrian and Courtney's relationship. "You don't know Adrian," I muttered, looking away.

Derby only stared, which only meant she had tons to say about the matter but chose to be quiet over it. I hated it when she got like that. "Anyway, I can't." I shook my head at the idea of working with Adrian or being in his and Courtney's space which was bound to happen. "I love Radiant Springs, but there is just too much between us-"

"He did say you might have such sentiments..." Derby bit her lips and I knew then that she'd done something I wouldn't like.

"Out with it," I narrowed my eyes at her.

She bit her lips even harder. "He proposed that we all have lunch-"

"Lunch?" The 'we' in the proposal did not even matter. This would be me and Adrian sitting across from each other...eating. It would be too close...intimate. I didn't intend on doing any of that.

"Yes," Derby nodded, making the hint of panic I was feeling escalate. "It's a chance for us to pitch our vision-"

"You already did that. Is that not why he is here?" I hated saying no to Derby.

"It is." Derby reached for me, taking my hands in hers. If she felt the tremble in there she said nothing. "He also wants a chance to pitch to you what he needs you for."

Need me? I barely kept from laughing. "Adrian doesn't need me. Never has and never will." The truth of that stung.

"You are damned right about that." Talk about the witch! I didn't even need to turn to her because Courtney gladly brought herself before me. Impeccably dressed as always, but it was not enough to hide the despicable person she was. At least not to me. "So you see, Mayor Finnegan, don't waste your energy trying to change that."

"Actually," the word escaped my mouth before I could stop it. Or maybe it was Courtney's smirk and my sudden need to shatter her confidence in her relationship with Adrian that did it. "Here is my answer," I said, relaxing into my seat. "Please inform Adrian that he can tell me all about how much he needs me over dinner."

"Dinner?" Derby's jaw dropped, but I ignored her, relishing Courtney's glare instead.

"Sure," I said tapping away on my phone. "Because I don't think it will be appropriate to talk about such while we have lunch with Asher."

If Derby's jaw could drop any lower, it would have. "You are having lunch?"

"Yes, so I'm afraid, your answer about my involvement might be delayed a bit. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not!" Finally catching on, Derby shot to her feet, her fingers furiously tapping on her phone. "Mr. Frost? Derby, here. Getting back to you over your request. Oh its good news for sure, although with a slight change." Her head bobbed to something Adrian said. "I'm made to understand that you have a lunch date with your son?" Her knowing gaze fell on before focusing back on her call. "Yes, yes, she did. You would like to know if Miss Summers will be present too? Yes, I can confirm that she will be." I got a thumbs up from Derby and a loud hiss from Courtney. I didn't care for the latter. "So how's dinner instead? Perfect? Okay great. See you soon then." Derby whirled around as soon as she was done, her face beaming. "It's a date! Or should I say dates?"

"Perfect." I flashed a satisfied grin at a fuming Courtney even when deep down I cursed myself for letting her rile me up this much I practically invited myself on a dinner date with Adrian. I needed to teach my mouth to stop doing that...inviting Adrian I mean.