Bed of Nails

Chapter 33

That bastard! 

Everyone was looking at me as I ate to get my answer. I wanted to say no, but it wouldn't look good. After all, he was throwing a dinner for our collaboration, and to that end, he has agreed to do it without any fees. The seconds I took to answer their gaze turned even more intense. I looked at him to find him smirking at me, waiting for me to crumble under those gazes. I looked at Noah, who smiled at me in understanding. It made me smile back at him faintly. 

"Yes." That word left my mouth because of pressure, not my will. Everyone was happy when I said that. They started wrapping up to go to dinner. 

"I'm sorry," I said to Noah apologetically with a sheepish smile on my face. I had promised to go to dinner with him tonight. 

"Hey, don't worry. We can go out for dinner some other day," he said, accepting my apology. 

"Why don't you join us tonight and go off, 'cause we will go to dinner another day?" I suggested the idea of wanting him to join us all. 

"No, no, you guys go. I was not invited." He refused, not accepting my suggestion. 

"Noah, I think you should join us. After all, you are part of this campaign; you don't need an invitation," Aria said, making a point. She was standing just beside us with Evelyn, who nodded too. 

"Yes, she is right. Join us," Evelyn said to convince him. It took a few minutes to convince him. 

"Ok, but are you sure?" he said with a doubt, not being sure about it. 

"Yeah, don't worry. Stop overthinking. It's just an office dinner," I said while grabbing his arm with both hands. 

"Let's go," I said with a pleased, happy smile on my face. His eyes shone with amusement. We all went to a nice restaurant for dinner. His secretary had booked this place for us. All my team members have already reached there. They were all busy giving orders. 

"Miss Grace here," his secretary, appeared when we were searching for a booth. It was large enough to fit six to eight people. We all took our seats. We all sat in one, with Noah on one side of me and Evyln on the other. 

"Where is Mr. Villain?" Evelyn asked once we took our seats. He was nowhere to be found. It would be better if he didn't join us. "He is busy with a call. Don't worry, he will be here soon," he said with a smile on his face. We needed it when he asked us to go ahead and order. We gave the order. I decided to order a Caesar salad with sparkling water. The rest of us order meals for them. I wanted to use the bathroom, so I excused myself. Evelyn wanted to go too, so she accompanied me. On our way, I saw Erick talking on a cell phone, and what surprised me was that he was smiling while talking. He is not the one who smiles while talking on his cell phone. Who is he talking to? It made me so curious. I kept thinking about it the whole time. Is he talking to that model those girls were talking about in the park? What was her name? I couldn't remember it. 

"Done?" Evylne asked me once she came out of the stall. 

"Yes, let's go," I said, and I grabbed some tissues to wipe my wet hands. 

"Yes, I will eat the new dish you are trying. It will turn out well, don't worry." I heard his voice, which made me turn around to find him in the same spot, still talking on his cell phone. I don't know why, but I felt bitterness in my mouth when I found him still standing there talking. Now I was even more curious to know who he was talking to. As if feeling my eyes on him, he turned, and our eyes met with each other. I immediately looked away and resumed walking. We went back and took our seats. Erick joined us after five minutes. I was busy talking with Noah when he took his seat. I could feel his salary on me after finding Noah here. I'm sure Noah can also feel his glares on us. So he decided to introduce himself. 

"We didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves earlier," he said with a smile on his face. 

"Noah Miller," he said while putting his hand out for a shake. Erick moved his calculating gaze from his face to his hand. He took his sweet time, taking his hand for a firm handshake. 

"Erick Villain," he said, dominating and showing off his superiority. I just rolled my eyes. I knew he was holding his hand tightly. Noah's corner lip twitched. 

"Who doesn't know you?" Noah said, controlling his tone with a forced smile on his face. 

"I hope you don't mind me joining you guys," he said while getting his hand out of his death grip. That forced smile was still on his face, so he wouldn't look rude. 

"I don't," he mocked in a firm tone that screamed how displeased he was to see him. 

"He didn't want to join us, but we all chose him instead. After all, he is a part of the same campaign we are celebrating," I taunted with a tight smile while wrapping my hand around Noah's arms. His cold blue eyes moved to my hand, and the tension in the air thickened. 

"Food is here," his secretary said, breaking the tension. The waiter served the food. My mouth watered as I looked at the tempting dishes on the table, but I controlled myself. I have not been eating properly for a few weeks, and I don't want to break my diet by eating unhealthy food. Erick's eyes met my salad with raised brows, and then his eyes moved back to me. I looked away and decided to eat my salad while inhaling the aroma of delicious food. I was busy finishing my salad. 

"Look here," Noah said, making me look at him. He took the tissue and wiped the dressing, which was on the corner of my lips. 

"Thank you," I said with a sheepish smile on my face. He smiled at me. I averted my eyes from him only to get clashed with a cold blue one. He was chewing on his food with a clenched jaw. He had too little food on his plate. Of course, he wants to go back and eat a new dish his girlfriend is cooking. That thought again put a bitter taste in my mouth. I just want to get over this dinner and go back to the comfort of my bed. 

"Food is good here," Noah said while taking a bite. 

"Of course it does. This restaurant is owned by Xanthus Villain, my best friend," I said with a proud look in my eyes. Xanthus has made quite a name for himself in this industry. Erick's jaw clenched when he saw that adoring look in my eyes for Xanthus. He was always jealous in the past, too, when I talked so fondly about his cousin. 

"You are talking about celebrity chef Xanthus Villain, who appeared on the last season of Master Chef?" Noah asked with a surprised look in his eyes. 

"Yep, she is talking about him," Aria said while taking a big bite of pasta. She is a big foodie. No one will say that after looking at her size. Perks of having a good metabolism. 

"He happens to be a cousin of Mr. Villain," his secretary said before taking a sip from his water. 

"So you guys have known each other for a long time?" Noah asked curiously while eating. It seemed everyone stopped eating at the question, and once again, the tension in the air thickened.

"We have known each other very well for a very long time," he said with a grimace on his lips and that arrogant look in his eyes. I didn't expect him to say that. I grabbed my glass of water to avoid answering, but I almost ended up spitting water out of my mouth when he told him about the relationship we had in the past.

"She was my girlfriend in high school."

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A/N
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