WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Chapter Eight

**The next morning**, I woke up to classical music blaring through the house. Groaning, I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up before getting dressed.

As I made my way downstairs, the music grew louder. I entered the kitchen to find my mother, Steph, and Naomi dancing around. My mother was giving them pointers on their dance positions, explaining how each step was crucial.

They hadn't noticed me yet, so I pulled out my phone and started recording. A few seconds later, my mother spotted me. "Oh, Callie, my dear! Come, come!" she called, waving me over. I put my phone away and walked to her.

She immediately pulled me into the dance position, just like Steph and Naomi. "Only two weeks until the gala! I'm so excited," she said, twirling me.

"Yes, two weeks, Mother. But why are we dancing around the kitchen now?" I asked, pulling away slightly.

My mother's expression shifted to a serious scowl. "Alexa, music off," she commanded. Turning back to me, she continued, "Callie, dear, time is short. Today, we're all booked for dance lessons to prepare for the gala."

Naomi, Steph, and I exchanged eye rolls before taking our seats at the table. Just then, Cole, Ryan, Mal, and my father walked in.

"Good morning, sweetheart," my father sang, kissing my mother on the side of her head.

"You'll be ready by 1 p.m., won't you, David? Our booking is at 2 p.m.," my mother asked, looking at my father hopefully. He looked confused.

"Dance lessons," I laughed, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

"Boys, you three are joining us as well. Don't be late," my mother said to Cole, Mal, and Ryan.

"Looking forward to it," Mal said with a smile as he sat beside me. After breakfast, we all headed to the meeting room to research Jonathan Grant.

My mother, who prefers to stay away from our family business, left us to handle it. She knows what we do but focuses on organizing galas and events to bring our allies together. "She is the fun; we are the guns," she often says about work.

An hour into our research, Naomi groaned, "This guy is literally a ghost. No pictures, no information."

Ryan walked over to Naomi, kissed her on the head, and sat beside her. "We've set up an alert on his name. For now, we wait," he said, tapping his fingers on the table.

After reviewing what we had, we set out for the dance studio. "I can't believe your mother is making us do this," Cole grumbled as he fiddled with the radio. We laughed and sang along to the songs on the drive.

We arrived at "Dance Your Heart Away" after an hour. We followed the receptionist to the studio. "Welcome, welcome! Come in, my lovelies," chirped Lorenzo, the instructor, dressed in bright neon tights and a leotard.

We all greeted him and set our things aside. Lorenzo introduced us to the lesson: "Today, you'll learn a magical romantic waltz and the basics of line dancing."

Five hours later, Lorenzo ended the lesson and thanked us. Although my mother invited him to the gala, he declined due to a busy schedule. We left the studio and headed to our cars.

As we were about to leave, my mother stopped us. "Thank you all for doing this today. Didn't we have fun?" she asked, wrapping her arm around my father's waist.

"My feet are killing me," Cole groaned.

"As a thank you, I'd like to take you all out for dinner before we head home," my mother said, hopping into the car with my dad.

We arrived at "A La Modé," an unassuming brick building with a sign. Inside, chandeliers hung low above each table, and the interior was stunning. We were seated and began looking at the menu.

Steph and I ordered our usual vodka and lemonade, while Naomi chose a single pink gin and lemonade. My parents ordered champagne, and the guys had whisky.

Our drinks arrived quickly, followed by our food. Steph, Naomi, and I chose cheesy chicken and leek pasta bake. My parents had duck l'orange, Cole had a tomahawk steak, and Mal and Ryan chose pork shoulder with all the trimmings.

During dinner, we joked about Cole's lack of dance skills. Suddenly, a woman's voice cut through the conversation. "Elizabeth!" she squealed.

We turned to see Vivian approaching our table. "We really need to stop meeting like this," she laughed, taking a seat next to my mother.

"Oh Lord, here we go," my father muttered, taking a large sip from his drink. My mother, overhearing, swatted him with her napkin.

"How are you, Vivian?" my mother asked, sipping her wine.

"I'm fabulous! Just waiting for Charles. Can you believe it's our twentieth anniversary?" Vivian said excitedly.

"Twenty years with that voice? I'd have left for a carton of milk long ago," my father whispered, earning another swat from my mother.

"Congratulations! Time flies when you're having fun," my mother replied.

As our meal ended, Charles joined Vivian. He greeted my father and asked how he was. "Still going strong," my father grunted, returning to his meal.

Dessert arrived, and we ordered various treats. Steph had carrot cake, Cole, Ryan, and Mal had chocolate brownies, and Naomi and I opted for gooey triple chocolate brownies. We also requested coffee and tea.

As we enjoyed dessert, Cole asked, "Has anyone heard from Luca today?" Everyone shook their heads.

"He's probably still upset after Callie gave him a talking-to," Steph said with a laugh.

"Why are you and Luca fighting?" my mother asked, concerned.

Just then, Olivia and Luca walked in. Olivia apologized for being late as she joined her parents. Luca glanced at me with a smirk before sitting with her family.

"Are they back together?" Cole asked, his frustration evident.

Luca nodded but avoided eye contact. He had a black eye from last night's altercation with Mal. "I'm done," I said, shaking my head. I poured myself a glass of champagne.

Mal placed his hand on my thigh. "Ignore him. He's obviously still in a mood," he said, rubbing my thigh.

"I don't know what game he's playing, but Olivia again? Seriously?" I sighed.

Mal chuckled, "Well, whatever game he's playing, we can play it better," winking at Luca.

As we prepared to leave, I stood up quickly. "It was lovely to see you, Vivian, Charles," my mother said, pushing her chair back.

"A pleasure as always, Elizabeth. Thanks for asking Olivia to be part of your auction. We're all looking forward to it," Vivian replied.

My mother smiled, and we left the restaurant. Naomi, Mal, Ryan, and I piled into one car. As we buckled up, Ryan jumped out of the driver's seat to speak with my father.

They talked for a few minutes before my father hugged Ryan and got back into his car with Cole, Steph, and my mother. Ryan returned to our car and started driving us home.

"I'm so exhausted," I said as we entered the house.

"Me too. It's been such a long day," Steph agreed, handing out bottles of water.

"I can't believe Luca was out with Olivia. No wonder he's been avoiding my calls," Cole groaned.