Just The Girl

Chapter Five: Part One

~Chapter Five: Part One~

I grab the gold necklace on my bureau, and I fasten it around my neck. As I run a brush through my hair, I sigh and wish that I don't have to go to this fancy dinner. Something's telling me it won't be a nice meal with strangers.

Someone knocks on my door, and my mother shouts, "Hurry up, Ria!"

"Coming," I say as I slide my feet into a pair of heels I own.

The door opens with a squeak, and I make a mental note to have it oiled. My shoes make a tapping sound as I hurry down the stairs, and I stop at the ground floor to take a few deep breaths.

"That took you long enough," my brother comments.

I shrug. "Maybe I would've been faster if you told me right away."

Instead of retorting, he turns to my mom and complains, "Mom, Ria's being mean to me."

I bite my lip to stop myself from giggling. Most of the time, Liam acts like a child despite being almost twenty. He can't even think of a retort to say to his younger sister.

"Ria," Mom says, and when I see the twinkle in her eyes, I know I'm not in trouble. "Stop making your brother act like a five-year-old."

My dad chuckles at her words, and he throws an arm around my mother's shoulders. We walk to the garage and file inside one of our cars.

The ride to the restaurant is noisy, and I keep asking questions about the DiMarzos. They're an average-sized family, with two daughters and a son. It turns out we're meeting them tonight to celebrate a new partnership between their and my father's company.

I watch as fancy building comes into view.

A man wearing white gloves opens the car door for me, and I mutter a thank you as I step outside. A light breeze makes my hair fly, and I rub my bare arms. I should've worn the long-sleeved dress and not this sleeveless one.

We follow the man inside, and it's way better in here. The cold wind is replaced by warm air, and I can hear people talking over dinner. There are men in suits, and women in dresses. Forks and knives clatter, and somehow, this feels like the party I just attended about a week ago.

My father leads us to a place near a table where another family is seated. A woman who looks to be in her mid-forties is staring at the phone on her hands, and two girls who look really similar whisper things to each other. Both of them have hair that can be mistaken as black and eyes that are pretty and brown. They look to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.

They stop whispering, and one of them spots us. She stands, and I can see that her charm bracelet matches her plain blue dress.

"Mother," I can hear her say to the woman, "I think they're here."

The woman also stands, and I blink when I realize she looks like an older version of the girls. She smiles as she walks to us. "I'm Clarissa DiMarzo."

"Andrew Remington," Dad says as he shakes her hand. "This is my wife, Brooke."

"It's a pleasure meeting you. Are these your children?" She smiles again.

Dad nods as he says to us, "Introduce yourselves to the lady."

My brother introduces himself first, and he actually kisses her hand instead of shaking it. "My name is William, but people call me Liam."

"Such a charmer," Mrs. DiMarzo says, and I have to stop myself from laughing because Liam is anything but charming. "And who's this lovely girl?"

I don't receive compliments that well, so when my cheeks heat up, I'm not surprised. I try to ignore my new blush-on, and I just say, "I'm Ria Remington, ma'am."

"A pretty name for a pretty girl," she says and motions to the two girls to come here.

"Alessandra's my name, but I don't like that. It's too long. Just call me Alessa," the girl with straight hair says, and I smile. I'm glad I'm not the only one who prefers to be called using her nickname.

The other girl stands beside her, and she gives me a close-mouthed smile. "Katerina."

Mrs. DiMarzo claps once, and a look of apology is on her face. "My husband and son are outside, but please take a seat. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

We follow her to their table, and I sit down beside Liam. They make pointless chatter for a few more minutes before a middle-aged man comes in.

A younger guy is beside him, and he's somehow familiar. They walk with fast footsteps, but I only hear a soft thud with each step that they make.

The older man sits next to Mrs. DiMarzo and says, "I'm sorry for making you wait."

Dad introduces us, and the younger guy slides into the sit in front of me. I stare at his dark hair, blue eyes, and olive skin as he smirks at me. It takes me ten seconds before I realize who he is, and my eyes widen.

This is going to be a wonderful dinner. Why didn't anyone tell me Noah's last name is DiMarzo?

*****

I wanted to end it there, so yeah, it's a bit short in my opinion. Anyway, what do you think will happen during their dinner? What do you think about the DiMarzos? How about Liam's childishness?

By the way, to all those who have voted, commented, and read this book, thank you so much! Hugs to all of you! ^_^ I try to reply to those who comment and follow me, but sadly, I'm having trouble finding out who voted. So if you did, I'll just thank you here. :D

Once again: please vote, comment, and follow. Every vote and comment goes a long way in making this amateur writer happy! *bows*

~alwaysmyself_