NERTHUS
I would walk to wherever you want me to.
… embers
“Huh?” My eloquent question, as I get dragged out of my train of thought, gets me a nice smile from Owen.
“I was asking if you wanted a glass of champagne or if you preferred a rose.”
As if only reawakening from my trance, I notice only now that a waiter is smiling at me uncomfortably. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’d love the rose.”
“Lovely,” Owens murmurs before he grabs my glass for me, thanking the bouquet waiter.
“Everything alright, Aria?” He asks, causing me to nod repeatedly.
“Sure,” I answer, putting my hand on his arm. “I am sorry. I had quite a bad shift today. I knew I should have taken a day off for this evening.”
Today’s shift at the cafe has been exhausting for real, but not because it was particularly hectic. Not even the morning rush of customers was able to keep my mind off my night with Arawn and what he had said to me.
First, I was convinced that I must have hallucinated because I was obviously ecstatic.
But the more I thought about it, and I thought about it nonstop, the more I realized that he had actually said it.
And that’s not what has my heart going through a frenzy, it’s how he had looked at me, the sound of his voice, and how he had prevented me from getting him his release, as he wanted to concentrate on me.
Like, what is wrong with him?
So, I practically spent the entire day replaying it in my head while spilling everything that could be spilled, stumbling over everything that I found just slightly in my way, and zoning out in the perfect of moments.
And I really didn’t know how to handle it as I have never been a clumsy person. And as I tried to cope with the embarrassment, it just kept getting worse.
Owen laughs, shaking his head. “Don’t be silly. It’s alright.”
Flashing him a reassuring smile, I let myself steer to our table. “I’ll make it up to you, Owen.”
“Oh, I can’t wait.” He chuckles, laying his hand on the small of my back.
I admire the high curved ceiling, feeling glad that I don’t fall over my own feet as I am mesmerized by the building and its decorations. The little lights that make the blue and white stucco look like a starry night sky flow down the brown and gray pillars standing in the large dining hall.
“You like it, don’t you?” Owen asks as he follows my gaze.
I nod pensively, not able to tear my eyes away from the embellished arcs. “It’s beautiful.”
“The building belongs to the host, if I’m not mistaken.” He takes his invitation out of his inner jacket pocket and turns it in his hands to find the name. “Ah, yes. Aesir Industries.”
My eyes widen and my heartbeat skyrockets, making it hard to breathe. “I’m sorry, what?”
“You are really distracted tonight, aren’t you?” He laughs, holding up the invitation for me to read. “Aesir Industries.”
Fuck.
“They invited you?” I ask, making him move his head back.
“Yeah, do you know them?”
Taking a sip of my glass, I hope to calm down my erratic heartbeat. “Not really, no. Do you?”
“Yes, my little company has worked with this giant for ages.” He blabbers along, as he puts his invitation back into his pocket.
No. No. No!
“The CEO is somewhat like my business partner. I would consider him a close friend, but I don’t think he likes me.” Owen winks at me, and I force a laugh.
I have to go. We have to leave.
The screaming voice in my head overpowers everything, and I try to drown it in wine. “Why do you think so? I mean, if you have worked together for so long, it can’t be that he doesn’t.”
“You would think so, but he barely talks with me, and he is so gloomy. Sometimes, I actually fear to open my chatty mouth because he doesn’t seem the type who would take it easy to be bothered for too long.” Owen laughs does nothing to keep my chest from squeezing.
Oh, God.
Holding my stomach instinctively as I feel like I’m going to puke, I force a smile. “I’m sure this is just your imagination. Nobody can resist your charm.”
“You are cute.” He says happily, leaning in to press a kiss on my cheek.
What are you doing?!
Experiencing my first pending heart failure, I collect myself swiftly, not wanting to have him suspect something.
Me fucking my client’s business partner for free, and because I have a massive crush on him, is quite a new low.
Caressing a strand of his locks out of his face, my inner voice keeps screaming out of the top of her lungs like a little girl throwing a tantrum in a candy store.
“I’m just being cute because you are.”
Owen beams at me like he just won the greatest prize of his life. He is about to say something as we get interrupted by a deep baritone that makes my heart sink to my stomach.
“Owen, I thought I saw your name registered already.”
Owen lets go of me to shake hands with Arawn while I’m rooted to the ground. I can’t seem to catch myself as Owen introduces me as his companion. His voice seems far away as I meet Arawn’s unpleased gaze.
Naturally, he looks amazing in his black suit, and I hate how I have nothing better to do than feel bad because of him not asking me to accompany him, instead of caring for any embarrassing moment that could occur in front of Owen. Letting my shoulders slump, I shake my head lightly, making him concentrate back on Owen who is already flooding him with words.
I ask myself if he might got my message to not look at me like that as I have never seen him tearing his eyes away from me like this, but I must be fantasizing again.
Stepping to Owen’s side, I hug his arm and smile at him. “You are getting overexcited again, darling.”
While Owen smiles happily, the glare I get from Arawn is devastating.
But I just raise my brows at him, getting him to shake his head and turn back to Owen.
I’m about to think that I’m not going to make it as the men talk for what seems to be an eternity.
I push out a deep sigh as I finally get to sit down on the chair that Owen pulls back from the table for me.
“Thank you so much.” Putting my arm on his forearm, I caress the fabric of his jacket.
He tilts his head as he looks at me with a happy expression. “No, thank you. I was about to embarrass myself. God, I felt like the boy who plays the tuba who finally got to talk to the quarterback.”
He leans into his seat, and I laugh. “Don’t say that!”
“It’s strange though.” I turn to look at him over my shoulder as he purses his lips. “I never heard him talk so much.”
Jerking up, he sits up again, leaning closer. “He is kind of shady, don’t you think?”
“Yeah,” I say, wrinkling my nose.
He kisses my shoulder before he takes a napkin from the table. “What exactly does he do for you? I mean, how is this giant involved with your little company?”
“Well, he has the machinery at the ports which allows us to load and unload the goods.”
Great, I was kicked out by the king and ended up with the smuggler.
He leans closer once again, pinching his fingers. “And they make fantastic equipment when it comes to gathering diamonds, but also cutting them.”
Perfect, just perfect.
This keeps getting better and better.
Why don’t you start keeping your mouth shut, Nerthus?
“Amazing,” I say with a smile, swallowing a groan.
We are soon enough reengaged in small talk as we are waiting for the dinner to be served. And even if I enjoy the conversation with him as usual, my gaze keeps wandering, looking for a certain gloomy figure who seems to have disappeared though.
Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, making me jump.
“Oh, Aria, darling. I’m sorry that I interrupted your conversation, but I just wanted to say hello.”
“Ah, no worries,” Owen says politely as I get up to greet Elinor with two kisses.
“You look fantastic, Elinor. Will you stay at our table tonight?”
Elinor waves dismissively before she shakes hands with a confused Owen. “Ah, as if anyone had eyes for someone else as soon as you step into the room. Hello, Owen, dear.”
“Hey, Elinor.” I hear him say bewildered, as I blush at her compliment.
“But no, dear, I am sitting over there, unfortunately. But I’ll come by to clink glasses with you between the courses. Have a wonderful evening, you two.”
Sitting back down, I thank Elinor practically in unison with Owen before she walks away. I clear my throat as I hear the gears turning in Owen’s head and wait for him to say something.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t know them?” He finally asks, not meeting my gaze.
I tilt my head at him, lowering my voice. “Would you mind if we discuss this afterwards? In private, I mean?”
He flashes me a sad smile and takes a sip of his champagne before he nods. “Sure.”