𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The Ball Is Rolling.

(Second Edit)

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞

As soon as dinner reached its conclusion, the nine of us - Dad, Damen, Sabrina, Françoi, Henri, Annette, Evelyn, Collette, Valentino and myself - headed to the library to begin our discussion.

As soon as we took our seats, Carol and Kayla came in with coffee and dessert: espresso with slices of almond ricotta cheesecake.

"So, Mrs Guerrero," Collette said teasingly as she crossed one leg over the other while balancing her plate on her knee. "How goes the married life?"

"It's fabulous," I say as I cut into my cheesecake. "Val loves me, he cares for me and we have an open, trusting relationship."

"Sounds like a dream."

"It does seem like that at times. But then I wake up in the morning and I see my husband's face and I realize it's all very real." I turned to Valentino, an affectionate gleam in my eyes. "He's in my life, my heart, and every breath that I take."

"Not to mention your kitty cat," Evelyn snickered.

"Are you kidding? He practically lives there," I giggled. "Not that I'm complaining mind you. If he wants to become a tenant he'll simply have to pay rent."

"Why pay for something I already own?" Valentino smirked.

Across from us, Evelyn and Collette exchanged identical smug looks.

"I knew it," Evelyn said triumphantly.

I looked at her. "What?"

"You two flirt like this all the time."

"We absolutely do not."

"Oh yes, you do." She pointed at me. "Remember last Tuesday? The one during Economics? You kept checking your phone every five minutes."

"I was not."

"You absolutely were."

She looked at Collette. "What was the excuse she gave Professor Greene again?"

Collette tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Something about helping her cousin find peanut butter."

Henri looked thoroughly confused. "Peanut butter?"

Evelyn laughed so hard she had to set her coffee down. "She told Professor Greene she was texting her cousin because he couldn't find the peanut butter."

She pointed dramatically at Valentino. "Cousin my foot." Another wicked grin. "She wasn't texting her cousin, she was texting her man."

I coughed. "For your information I was not texting Valentino."

"Were too."

"Was not."

"Were."

"Wasn't."

Evelyn folded her arms. "Really?"

"Really," I swore. "I'm telling the truth."

She looked spectacularly unconvinced.

At that exact moment there was a ping and every head turned as my phone screen lit up on the coffee table.

My stomach dropped.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Evelyn's eyes slowly drifted towards the illuminated screen. I followed her gaze then looked back at her. Our eyes met and she smiled.

I pointed a warning finger. "Evelyn Charlotte Julietta Beaumont don't you dare."

With a triumphant squeal, she snatched my phone off the table and sprang to her feet.