Close to Perfection

Chapter 3

They both took a seat at our table and that's when inevitable happened, they noticed me and started staring openly. 

While the villain (who I now knew was Axel Savage) studied me like a puzzle, it was Rock's expressionless stare that made me squirm. His face was a mask, devoid of emotion, like he was in shock. I knew I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, but was I really that out of place?

Their stares seemed to last forever, seconds or minutes blurring together. I stared at my knotted hands in my lap. Our position reminded me of parent-teacher conferences, them appraising me like a student and me feeling like the guilty child.

Beat cleared his throat and said 

'You guys haven't met,' he said. 'This is my friend Sadie Wiener. Sadie, these are the Savage brothers, Aidan and Axel. They co-own 5 Ace.'

So villain guy was Axel, and the handsome one was Aidan. Brothers. And they were bickering like this! What did I know about siblings? I was an only child.

"Hello on the behalf of Sadie" Beat said nudging me slightlyas I realized I'd been staring awkwardly, not that they've noticed. 

'Wiener, huh?' Axel drawled.

"Not everyone has a badass surname like you Mr. Savage" Beat replied. 

"Says the guy named Beat Armstrong" Axel said. 

"Sadie, Sadie, Sadie where have you been all my life?" Aidan whispered, we all looked at him confused while he was still looking at me expressionlessly. 

"sorry?" I said, my voice sounding so hoarse. 

"Nothing Sadie" he said and finally breaking his emotionless stare with the most beautiful, breathtaking dimpled smile I'd ever seen. 

"Don't mind him Weiner. He wasn't blessed with enough brain cells for complete sentences" Axel said. 

"Don't call her by her last name, Ax. Show the lady some respect," Aidan chided, swatting Axel on the back of the head.

"Says the guy who got suspended and almost grounded for life for bullying Jason Weiner about that same last name," Axel retorted.

A jolt went through me. Jason? Could they be talking about Jace, my cousin? I kept my mouth shut, both nervous and unwilling to give them any ammunition for further conversation.

"Hey, I learned my lesson" Aidan said with a sheepish smile, "So, Sadie, where were we? Right, I was about to ask you all about yourself. Where are you from, what do you do for a living and how many kids do you want" Aidan asked looking at me. 

"Denver," I stammered, my hands shaking and face burning like the waitress's red heels. "And I, uh, I own my own accounting firm", I couldn't answer kids part, I am pretty sure it's not a normal question anyway.

"An accountant?" Aidan repeated, his eyes flickering to Axel, who looked as confused as I felt. "An accountant,"  he echoed. "Well, that's interesting. Because, well, let's just say we might be in need of an accountant."

"Why do we need a new accountant?" Axel asked, voicing the question burning in my mind.

"You didn't know our last accountant died?" Aidan replied casually.

"What? When?" Axel's eyes widened in shock, mirroring my own.

"Just yesterday," Aidan said. "Tragic car accident. Very sad."