Rotten Corpse

Chapter Sixteen

I've always hated these kinds of events.

Fake smiles, businesses deals, not enough alcohol to get me through the dinner.

Why was I here again? Because my Dearest older brother practically begged me to come with him so he could discuss a deal with Jack VanOrden.

That was his cover, anyway, I could tell that Jeremiah was forming a plan for me to one day be known as Sienna Colt-VanOrden.

I sighed into my glass, glancing over at my brother who was on the other side of the banquet hall, chatting and drinking with a bunch of businessmen, giving out a faux laugh at something they said while I sat and listened to a meaningless conversation between women I barely even knew.

"Have you seen Melinda's daughter in the magazines recently? Absolutely distasteful. Beautiful woman, she is, but only her husband should see her that way." A woman said as she sipped her wine.

I wanted to avoid any altercations with people who weren't in my family, so I got up and wandered around, hoping to get some air.

I could feel the stares of everyone around me, judemental and knowing. I wanted to scream.

My frustration was cut short by the sound of my phone buzzing in my purse. I dug it out, finding a private balcony to answer the call away from lingering ears.

It was Corpse, I smiled as I answered and brought the phone up to my ear, "Daily phone calls now? What's a girl gonna do with all this exclusive Corpse Husband attention?"

I heard his deep chuckle from the speaker, "Hello to you too, Sienna, what are you up to?"

"I'm at a business dinner to keep my brother from going insane, but he left me alone with a bunch of snobby rich people whom I don't even know. The audacity." I giggled, "I do enjoy watching him make deals though, he's very persuasive." 

He hummed, "Seems like a pretty boring night, you could be listening to what I came up with for the unnamed Sienna Colt album instead?" His tone was teasing and light making my smile widen.

"No way, already? Let me hear it!" I leaned against the stone railing, overlooking Austin Texas as the sky started to change colors.

"Hmmm, I don't know," He teased again, "Are you around people?"

"Just me, myself," I paused, spotting a squirrel staring at me from a tree, "And a very intrigued squirrel."

"I'll send it to you via email so you can listen to it when you get home. I don't want the squirrel getting scared now, do we?" 

My jaw dropped, "You're going to make me wait? That's considered rude, you know."

He just chuckled, "I'll let you get back to your party. Send me a text when you listen to the track and let me know what you think of it."

I sighed, "Alright, I will. Byeee." I hung up the call and slipped my phone into my purse as I stood up straight.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" A new voice came from behind me causing me to jump. 

Gasping lightly, I turned around and placed a hand on my chest, Jack VanOrden was leaning against the doorway. I didn't even hear the door open.

"You scared the living daylights out of me." The Texan twang came out for a moment, "You trying to give a girl a heart attack?"

He chuckled, "My apologies ma'am," He brought out his own natural Texan accent to match mine, "I never meant to startle you." He let a charming smile form on his lips.

I chuckled, "I guess you can be forgiven, but just this once." I winked, leaning against the railing.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked, walking next to me and leaning against the railing as well.

"A friend of mine, an internet friend, he's helping me through some stuff." I explained vaguely with a small shrug of my shoulders.

"Yeah, my sister Victoria is a big fan of yours, she told me everything. Apparently Twitter broke after the video was posted." He said, chuckling, "I wouldn't know, though, I don't use Twitter since I'm busy at the office."

I snickered, "You sound like Jeremiah, whenever he's not at home he's with dad at the main oil facility."

He smiled lightly, "Us business men work the same way."

I nodded lightly, "Shouldn't you be at your own party?"

"I saw you come out here and wanted to make sure you were alright."

I smiled lightly, "I appreciate the concern."

He smiled back and stuck his arm out to me, "Would you care to join me?"

***

"Wait wait wait, slow down Sienna you're giving me a headache." Olivia held her hand up to me as we sat in my office at the studio, the release of Touch Starved was happening soon and I was going to be apart of Corpse's live stream soon listening to the song with Rae, Sykkuno and Toast.

"He offered you his arm and you accepted it? What does that mean?"

I took a deep breath, watching the timer click down, I was muted on Discord so no one would be able to hear my story.

I looked back at her, "In the rich people world, if someone holds their arm out to you at a party or some type of event before entering it's an offer to begin courtship. By accepting his arm, I basically accepted his request to begin courting me."

Her jaw dropped, "Courtship? I guess chilvery isn't dead after all."

I rolled my eyes, "Liv this is serious! I wasn't even thinking about it when I did it."

She pursed her lips, finallyseeing that my concern about the topic on hand "Well, maybe he wasn't even thinking about it that way?" Her voice held an unsure tone in it.

I sighed, "Well its what everyone else seems to think."

Nibbling oh her lip she stood up and moved to stand behind me, grabbing my hair and pulling it over my chair, beginning to play with it, "You don't know that."

"Uh, Sienna?"

My brother's voice came from the doorway.

"Jer, I'm stressed." I whined closing my eyes as I felt her starting to French braid my hair.

"Well, I don't think this is going to help much."

I heard something being dropped in front of me and I opened my eyes.

Tabloids were exploding with my name and picture right next to Jack VanOrden with the words "possible wedding bells?" Scribbled everywhere. Someone had taken a photo of us while we were on the balcony.

Oh shit.