Top Note

Chapter 22

Eriantha

"Wait, Eriantha" Evan called from behind, I was preparing to leave as soon as our meeting was over.There was no way I  was going to linger this any further.
Why does it always happen to me! It was only today that Evan's father decided to send his son for dealing with the, business, and his son was none other than the guy with whom I had that stupid encounter. The excuse of a kiss, I wish I could erase it, in fact I almost had been successful, but Evan was making it difficult with his presumptive flirting during the meeting. I have been ignoring them, but this guy was too stubborn and not taking the hint.

I am totally regretting this meeting, as it is there wasn't much to discuss, the Winters have been working with Karwitz perfumes for years now, it was understandable that he already had an idea about the quantity of the items required to produce the new lot, but the only changes that were required to be made was that we now needed more organic, raw products. I had already prepared the presentation and provided him with the list, that pretty much covered everything.

Things were already awkward for me, because of the circumstances in which we had come across each other a couple of years back.

I had met Evan Winter when we were still in high school. I had participated in the perfume making competition. That competition was like a mid-summer dream for me, an escape from my reality, my stifling life. It was a breath of fresh air. To be what I really wanted to be, and not be the daughter of Fredrik Reux, over there I was just Sobriquet.
Those three days were really like a treat to the highschooler Eriantha, who was encumbered by a life of walking on eggshells.
During the competition we met several others who were equally passionate about perfumes, and I was fascinated to find the likes of myself. Evan was definitely one of them, he was in the final years of his high school,  he was definitely talented in terms of his perfumery skills, by nature Evan was extremely warm, approachable, along with a great sense of humour. During the evenings when all of us would huddle around the fire, get some warmth, eat junk, which again I wasn't allowed at home, and chat, I who was the awkward girl, who lived the life of pseudo rich and was always kept away from socialising, Evan was the first person to approach me. He was kind to everyone and, so he was kind to me as well, or maybe I had thought so, for today it seemed different during our meeting today.
For me even going to that competition was about breaking rules, so I had thought I would do everything I had been forbidden to do at home while I was there and in that spirit I lost my first kiss. It held no special meaning just an useless taboo I got rid off. Well, losing my virginity would have been at the top of my list, but honestly I didn't have the gall, and also there was no one over there, no one special enough. Or maybe that's what conditioning was about,  no matter how toxic that was, I still believed that my first time shouldn't be like a tryst, it should be special, something which I should feel proud of.

You literally bargained for this marriage  Eri, and now you will give your virginity to a husband in a marriage of convenience. Isn't that a laughable idea? In what way is this special?

I didn't know anymore, but I couldn't deny that I was ridiculously attracted to my husband, his appeal was hypnotically consuming  me. I am bewitched by the sexy, sinfully handsome Darcel Karwitz.

Chasing away my wayward thoughts, as I so often do it nowadays, for I always lose control whenever I think about him, right from the day he had stepped into our office, I hadn't  been the same.
Ever since he had claimed my lips, I had come to realise that the stupid first kiss which I had shared with Evan on the last day of our competition, which happened to be on Christmas Eve, was what it was, a joke, a part of the lame dare and truth game. It's memory evaporated from my mind the moment Darcel's hot lips touched mine, in fact I didn't even see an apparition of that kiss as soon as Darcel Karwitz devoured me.