Downtown Boy

c h a p t e r 32

🎶My uptown girl🎶

-Billy Joel

Two days before the wedding:

"So James, tell me more about the project you've been working on." Sierra's father asks, his fingers wrapped around the knife, cutting open the steak, a fork digging into it to hold it steady.

James Valentine, who sat next to Sierra, laughed, fake, "C'mon Harold, you really think that just because you're my fiancé's father I'm spilling my secrets to you?" Truth was, the only project his family and him were working on these days was getting rid of him, granted, they were part of the mafia, had connections and could easily clear out the existence of Harold White from a simple snap of a finger but Harold White was no ordinary man, he was clever.

With James' relationship with Leo and the non-existent spice their families were trying to create between Sierra and himself, things were getting a bit difficult.

His parents adored both the siblings, they were innocent, but it was the father that was the target, when he'd realized that the man he was dating was the son of well, the big White himself, lol things weren't exactly the best for a few days between the couple.

Until James and Leo came to an agreement that there will be no murders, some torture, yes, but Leo hadn't known that.

If only Harold hadn't been an ass and stole a file and drive with important detail on their clients, only then, they wouldn't've been in this position. But well, he's stupid, nothing could've been done there. Stupid, ruthless and clever.

While James sat there, flattering the man, Sierra sat next to him, sighing, fiddling with her food. She smiled occasionally, gave her input when it was needed but other than that, she didn't really give much thought to the whole dinner.

James nudged her from beside him, his elbow hitting her arm, trying to get her attention.

"What?" She tried staying as quiet as she could, her glare was, in fact, not quiet, bummer, the others might've thought of it as a lover's quarrel, fortunately, there was no love.

He looked around before taking off his socks, his shoes were already off the moment they sat down for dinner, she didn't understand what he was showing until he saw the black and pink colors on his toe nails.

She was offended.

"How come this looks bomb on you but whenever I tried getting this color, it looked hideous?" She referred to the black nail polish, ignoring the pink, it was painted perfectly.

James hadn't even given a chance to answer when she kicked her brother's foot, he was sitting right beside her.

"Leo." She hisses when he glared and ignored her, "Give me attention, it's about your lover."

He didn't hesitate to provide her with the attention she needed, "What is it my lovely dear sister? What could be possibly bothering you that you wanted to talk to me about? What fly keeps disturbing you?"

"The one right next to me," she whined, "look at how good black nail polish looks on him, but whenever I try it on, it's too edgy for me and doesn't suit me." huffing, she crossed arms around her chest, a frown on her face.

Leo took in a deep breath, he looked at James, unimpressed, 'is she for real?' he mouths, questioning him.

James just shrugs, already weirded out by the whole reaction, he just wanted to show off his new manicure, suddenly slouching. His hopeful eyes searched for Leo's reaction to his nails.