Are You Threatening Me?
BLAINE
Xandry helped me out of the crowded dance floor to the bar, then talked to the broody tattooed bartender. He wore all black just like all the bartenders with him. If Kyland was scary, this man screamed danger—dangerously handsome in mysterious ways, but there was something in him that seemed warm—his eyes? The way he sided-glance at me. He was quite a good-looking guy if he happened to smile just a little bit. He nodded at Xandry, then turned to me as I slid to sit on the dark bar stool.
“Can I get you something to drink? It’s in the house, ma’am.” His voice was friendly and warm, but he kept his stoic looked the same.
The whole bar was opposite Max’s. This one flashed with modern designs with a dim-lit interior that was perfect for New Yorkers’ vibe.
I smiled shyly. “Yes, a Phoenix’s princess, please,” I swore his lips curled into a smile, then nodded and mixed my drinks.
He expertly mixed it as if he could do even his eyes were closed. “You don’t come here often, do you?”
My brow slightly arched. “How so?”
“Haven’t seen you around,” he answered shortly like he was going to get a ticket when he talked more than five words.
“Don’t tell me you have hyperthymesia who remembers every customer will come and go every night,” I tested and didn’t wait for him to reply when I saw the hesitation in his dark eyes.
“Is it because of Xandry? Your regular customer who happens to pick up a girl every time he comes.” I didn’t feel jealous nor flinch. I was aware of his sex life and it was not a surprise to me anymore.
He closed his gaping mouth then blinked. “Here is your Phoenix’s princess, ma’am.” He placed it down the counter, not meeting my gaze anymore.
“Thank you—”
“Forrest.”
“Thank you, Forrest. I’m Blaine.” I extended my hand, and he reluctantly gripped it.
I sipped my drink that had been grown on me. The bitter-sweet of it reminded me of Xandry’s parents’ love life.
My brows suddenly squished. “Wait, your Kyland’s friend, right?” I pointed at him with wide eyes like saucers. “You were at my sister’s wedding.”
“Yeah, I was there,” he simply confirmed.
“Now I remember you. You’re the one who left early.”
“I’m not used to attending occasions like that, in fact, that was my first time in like forever. But I can’t say no to Bianca.” He chuckled at the end.
“You seem a good guy, Forrest, a little bit scary, though.” There was something mysterious about him that I couldn’t place it, though I was not good at reading people, still, there was just something cool about him.
“Been told.”
Then he told me how he started working here and how he met Kyland. His uncle owned a tattoo shop where Kill worked there before, then quitted when Pyke promoted him as a manager of this club.
“Um, where is the restroom?”
“Use the one just on the right of the VIP’s door where you sat.
I nodded. “Thank you. If Xandry happens to come looking for me, please tell him I just went to freshen up.
“Sure.”
I followed his instructions. It was not hard to find since I was only good at one thing—direction.
My hand froze in the air before it reached the golden door handle. Xandry’s angry voice was somewhere in one of these rooms. Was he fighting with someone?
One room was ajar and that was where his voice came from.
“You’re never good at following my order, son. When are you going to learn and understand success doesn’t come easy? You have to earn it. You have priorities and yet, you added another one to your long list.” A deep husky voice prodded firmly.
“I know that and what do you think I was doing these past years? Not working my best shot to prove I deserve a seat? I’ve been working hard just to earn a managerial position at your company, and it’s been three years, Dad, yet I am still your provisional employee. Haven’t I proven something to you at all?”
He’s talking to his dad.
“You did nothing other than disappointment, Xandry, and that’s what you’ve proven to me, of how irresponsible you’ve become. You impregnated someone now you have a kid and still, you have time to fool around!”
My hand clutched my mouth to stifle the squeal. My eyes widened in shock. And his dad was talking about me and Xandry?
Oh, my God!
“Leave my relationship out of it. I took care of Sunshine and my child like a responsible person does. And I did my job as your best employee. I’ve never been late for all my reports. And my work was excellent because you taught me how to do it right, you were the best mentor I had for years. Why can’t you just be happy that I’ve grown up and done my choices?”
“Relationship, since when? Grown-up? Show me, Xandry. When instead of attending the charity event at the Hirington you chose to be here. Everyone was asking about you and I had to lie to them because my dear son was busy fooling around with that woman! Haven’t you learned enough from your mistakes, Alexander Henry?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to get it into my head. I breathed deeply and took all the pain right into my heart.
“I told you I don’t like to attend charity events. Why didn’t you ask Saph instead? Those people’s intentions are not even genuine. They want publicity, attention, and investments.”
“You can’t run away from that responsibility, Xandry? How can I trust you with what I invested for almost thirty years when the simple thing I ask is, you can’t even do it right? I’ll let you know on your birthday if you are capable of running our business or not?”
“What does it suppose to mean?” Xandry’s alarm tone didn’t get an answer from his dad.
I hurriedly got inside the restroom, closing the door slowly, trying not to create a sound. I leaned back, closing my eyes shut, and breathed deeply.
“What happened to you?” I was startled by Saph’s voice in front of me. She was facing the mirror, re-coating her eyelashes—already long eyelashes.
With shoulders slumped down, I walked closer to her. I stood beside her and looked into her eyes through the mirror. “I’m a little drunk. How long have you been here?”
“I watched Xandry left you at the bar, so I followed him, and he’s with Dad. I knew what were they going to talk about, that’s why I went back to the lounge.” She observed me. “You heard them, didn’t you?” she added.
I shrugged, looking down at my red-painted fingernails. “Accidentally.”
She giggled. “Yay! You’re so in love with my brother. Just don’t let Dad’s words get into your pretty head.” And she bumped her hip on me.
I gave her a dull look. “I like your brother and I’m not gonna lie to you.”
“You don’t have to, Blaine. Your eyes speak louder than words.”
“You mean actions?”
“No, your eyes are very expressive, and let me tell you, Dad sometimes is very daddy over us, especially to Xandry, since he’s the eldest. Dad tends to be very firm and oppressive toward him because he wants to train and watch Xandry succeed at a young age. Dad didn’t have a good relationship with my grandpa, but that doesn’t mean he wants Xandry to feel what he’d been through. He just loves us so much. I hope you understand that.” She breathed deeply. “He wants Xandry to take the business seriously and focus on what’s on his plates right now, you know what I mean? But Xandry is Xandry, who doesn’t like following orders when it concerns his personal life.”
I nodded slowly. “Um, I should go and check up on him.” I lifted my gaze, and she smiled at me.
“Atta girl.”
I walked out of the restroom and it was already dead silence. The VIP room we occupied before was empty, and Xandry was not in the main bar when I looked down from the thick glass window.
Taking a deep breath, I closed the door silently and another door closed simultaneously, making me freeze in my place. My heart thudded wildly in my sternum when I turned around to see the old version of Xandry staring down at me tenaciously.
My lips dried instantly to his intense stare. A shiver of fear slid down my spine. My eyes bulged out when he didn’t move and blink just like me. I thought we didn’t expect to meet in a circumstance like this.
I looked down. “G-good evening, Mr. Williams!” Tremors worsened on my legs when I started walking to my left trying not to bump into him.
“Blaine Harris, am I right?” His voice was cold as ice. I couldn’t help but shiver inside like a ghost just passed by my weak soul.
“Yes, sir.” I lifted my gaze tentatively, meeting his.
His brows furrowed. “So, do you know me, Miss Harris?” His tone remained the same. Cold and calm. The more I stared at him, the more intimidating his look had become.
“Not the same as you knew me, I guess.” I ignore the shiver he made me feel, the coldness of his voice, the lump forming in my throat, and the knots in my stomach. I was a grown and strong woman, who had a kid and was falling for his son. I had not done wrong to him, because loving someone was not a mistake.
“Yes, I know who you are, in fact, I know a lot about you more than you’d expected, your family, where you came from, and who’s the father of your son, Blaine Noelle Harris.”
I almost snorted, but if I had to be with Xandry I should respect his father because I didn’t want Xandry disrespecting my parents as well.
“Yes, that’s me, sir.”
“So, it was okay with you dating my son even if he has a kid?” It almost caught me off guard because I knew it was a trick.
“Xandry didn’t care I have a kid either, sir. If he accepted me for who I am, then there’s nothing wrong with him having a kid, besides, he takes full responsibility of being a father to his child.”
“And I’m proud of him, being a single parent is the hardest task ever a person would experience. I’m glad my family was very supportive of my decisions when I chose to have a kid at a very young age. I’m proud to be a single mom, of how I nurtured my son to be as intelligent a kid as he is, it’s the best gift someone would ever receive. I’m not ashamed, Mister Williams. It’s not a disease nor a crime, you know, and Xandry had never stopped talking about Sammer, I can see it in his eyes that he loves his daughter more than anything.” A heavy feeling lifted off my chest, and he didn’t scare me anymore.
“That’s why I want you to stay away from him. If you managed to take care of your son alone, he can do it too, can he? He has family and friends, just like you. I can hire a nanny for his daughter and he doesn’t need distractions than he already has. I’m sure you know what I mean, and you know what I’m capable of, Miss Harris.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Does it sound a threat to you? I want him to focus on his life, our business, and his daughter just like how you did for four years without him in your life. I’m taking you as an example here, Miss Harris since you turned out to be a good mom and your son turned out to be an intelligent kid as you said, then you must stay away from Xandry for good.”