Northern Lights

Chapter 10

Someone is 'courting' me

           

Who in their right mind would court you?

           

Lucian Marks

           

He doesn't even know you.

             

And how would you know that?

           

You would have mentioned him to me and I don't know him so that implies that yes, he doesn't know a single annoying thing about you.

             

Thanks.

           

Anytime.

           

After her mother dropped the damn bomb about her admirer? Suitor? Some dude who wants to get jiggy with her in the future going at it the old-fashioned way? She escaped to the bathroom again. Whatever he is, she wasn't interested. She already had a soul mate. And she wasn't going to go behind her soul mate's back to have an affair just because some dude wants to get jiggy because of money? Fame? Who knows what Lucian Marks wants from her?

           

She knows it's not her abhorrent sense of humor, nonexistent.

           

She was very highly suspicious of him. Skye was right. Who in their right mind would want to court her besides for her money? Her family's money actually. But she wasn't banking on living off of them for the rest of her life. She was going to get some real life experiences such as surviving high school and surviving college and touring the world with Skye before taking over her father's company and make some money of her own. Or whatever. Without Sienna actually, thanks.

           

Lucian Marks looks like he was certain of his future. All he needed are the stepping stones to them. Aurora was one of them. She's watched enough shows to know what this was about.

           

"Rosey-dear please stop hiding. You're making Lucian think you have diarrhea or some other nasty disease."

           

She jumped almost dropping her phone. She hiked up her dress again and stuck the phone back in her panty line before exiting out. "Courting me? Mom, come on."

           

"He's a really nice boy. You haven't even had a conversation with him."

           

"How does he even know me?"

           

"Oh honey, he's had a crush on you since he was little. He finally picked up his courage. Isn't that cute?"

           

"It's weird. I have had a stalker since I was little."

           

"He's not a stalker, don't be ridiculous. Only on family parties like this."

           

"Am I related to him?"

           

"Of course not." Her mother was greatly amused at this. She can just see her laughing silently behind her blue eyes. Traitor. "He's a family friend."

           

"Mom, I really don't want an arranged marriage."

           

"Dear, it's not an arranged marriage. We're not forcing you to marry him. Your father would never do that."

           

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you."

           

Her mother rolled her eyes playfully and Aurora rolled her eyes back at her. "Let's go. I didn't buy that dress for you so you can parade it in the bathroom."

           

Lucian was a hesitant figure in her periphery but he never approached her till it was almost midnight and all the adults were almost completely trashed. She had been nursing apple cider and the snacks that have been floating around and secretly texting Skye.

           

"Hello."

           

She looked up at the familiar husky voice of Lucian Marks. "Hi"

           

"Have you been enjoying the party?"

           

She smirked a bit.  That was all he had? "Quite. And you?"

           

He saw her smiling and it relaxed him a bit. "Quite."

           

He didn't say anything more and she snagged a passing pastry from a waiter and looked away to stuff it all in her mouth.

           

He was looking at her amusedly and she grinned up at him half chewed food.

           

"What school do you go to?"

           

She waved it away, sipping a juice drink before answering. "Some American public school."

           

"Public school?"

           

Of course. "Experience. It's quite fun."

           

"Really?"

She couldn't believe her eyes but he started stroking his beard as he says this. She didn't know people still did them. It made her want to stroke her own chin so she did. He smiled again as he caught sight of her actions.

"You are a curiosity, Aurora Hesper. And a mystery."

She couldn't help the pleased smile that split her face.

"May I talk to you again?"

She blinked. Oh yes, he was the suitor. How could she forget?

She hoped her mother wouldn't be a traitor again and give out her number. "But then I won't be mysterious anymore."

He was saved from answering when the countdown started and people stood up and champagne glasses were distributed even to the underage and Aunt Melina came barreling towards Lucian and she took that as a cue to slip away with her own champagne. She escaped to a balcony and drank to the sight of Milan lighting up in fireworks and wished she had a broody boy as her New Year's kiss.

The next day, she went shopping with her parents, buying leather jackets, more jeans, more boots, and more buckled and spiky things because she likes those.