The Elites

Chapter V: Lux Aestiva

Chapter V: Lux Aestiva

"This iz delishus," I moaned, biting into the butter covered lobster. I could taste a tad bit of garlic on it, and surprisingly that made it taste even better.

Sutton was sitting across from me, smacking on gum that smelled like homemade apple pie and staring at me with clear disgust. Unlike the day before, she was dressed casually in a Marianas Trench band shirt and a pair of red jeans.

"What?" she said.

I chewed the rest of the lobster and swallowed. "I said, 'This is delicious'."

Sitting on the table, in front of me, was the best Low Country Boil I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. It consisted of shrimp, potatoes, sausage, crab legs, and, of course, lobster. Somehow, Eric managed to discover that seafood was my weak spot and ordered the cook to make it for lunch.

A lunch he wasn't here for.

"You do realize that you can't eat like that at the ball, right?" she asked.

I should've never agreed to go to that stupid ball. I've been going through hell all day because of it. I've had my scalp picked and probed at by an old Russian hag and after we got back, Sutton forced me to practice walking in stiletto heels.

As much as I hate to admit it, good things came from both of those activities. All of my hair was now the same length, stopping at the middle of my back, and it has great volume. And thanks to Sutton's Torture Chamber, I can walk around a room in stiletto heels. I'm not a pro by far, but I am good enough to walk around at the ball.

Instead of immediately answering, I picked up a crab leg and cracked it open before stuffing the meat into my mouth. "Why? Will it embarrass Eric?"

Sutton nodded. "More like humiliate."

"Well, then I'll make sure to stuff my face." Bored with our conversation, I looked down and began eating again, focusing solely on the crab legs.

She sighed deeply, causing me to look up. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you and Mr. Wentworth, and truthfully, I don't give a damn, but I do know that your father built Alexandrinus on his own, and it would be a shame to see his company's reputation ruined because his bratty daughter decided she cared about herself more than she cared about him."

That wasn't true. I did care about Eric, or I used to. The mixed feelings I had for him was 100% his fault.

A millions thoughts swirled around in my head, but one stood out above the others, and I couldn't help but ask. "Wait? He named his company, Alexandrinus?"

"Is that all you got out of that huge speech?" she demanded. It wasn't. If I was to be honest, I would tell her I felt like shit, but I wasn't going to let her know that.

"I'll behave, Sutton." She looked skeptical, most likely because I answered her while picked crab meat out of my teeth "Now, answer me."

"Yeah," she replied with a shrug, brushing her long bangs out of her face. "Don't ask me why."

"What do they sell?" I couldn't tell you where the sudden interest in Eric's company came from.

"Stuff for teenagers and children. You know, like toys and clothes."

"And the business is successful?"

Sutton was looking at me, as if I'd grown two heads. "Are you kidding me? Hell yeah. Do you see the house you're living in?" she said.

Learning that your dad is the CEO of a successful company isn't something that happens everyday. Surprisingly, I wasn't angry, just curious. Curious to know more about the man who left me.