Faithfully Yours

chapter 3

She was combing her hair when she heard the noise outside her room. Her aunt burst into the room. She looked around the room and her gaze settled on her sitting in front of the vanity mirror. She met her gaze and her aunt exclaimed. 

''Why didn't you mention, it is Lucas Niarchos you will be having a date tonight?" she asked. 

"I told you I am meeting Michelle's supervisor," she replied.

"Is that what he said he was?" her aunt asked then, she laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. She was looking at her face in the mirror and critically scrutinizing her make-up. 

"No, it was Michelle, she said he is his boss." She replied. "Why? Who is he?"

"She's Michelle's boss alright," she answered. 

''I think you should add more blush on your cheeks, here let me," she said after she had checked on her make-up.

 "Where is your eyeliner? I think we should put some to outline your eyes and I think we should dub more dark eyeshadow to give your eyes a smoky look.'' 

Her aunt has worked in the saloon, and she has gained quite a reputation for being good at what she does. She let her aunt redo her hair and makeup, for she knew that she wouldn't let her go anyway if her makeup was not to her standard. 

"I just want my hair down," she said when her aunt pulled her hair and tied it on top of her head.

"Lucas is wearing coat and tie," she said as she quickly worked on her hair.

"See, you look mature and sophisticated with your hair up," she said. 

"Yeah, sophisticated and old." She jokingly complained. 

"Well, Lucas is thirty-six while you are twenty-three. We don't want him to look like he's cradle snatching." Her aunt said. 

Kate rolled her eyes, "Our age difference isn't that big." She replied. 

After what seemed like an eternity, she went downstairs and saw Lucas talking to her uncle. They were standing outside the library door, and they both turned their heads as they heard them coming down the stairs. 

"I'm sorry it took me too long to get ready," she said as he came near her. 

"A woman is always worth the wait." Her uncle said while winking at her aunt. The two are still too attached and in love even after thirty years of marriage. 

"You're breathtaking Kate," Lucas commented as he came forward to greet her and hold her hand in his. ''You are absolutely beautiful.'' He said once more. 

She loved the way he was looking at her. The way his eyes roved over her face and at her dress. He appeared genuine in his appreciation. And she did not regret her aunt had managed to redo her hair and makeup. She blushed remembering the way they kissed the last time they were together. 

"Shall we go?" he asked. Then turning to face her uncle and aunt they said their goodbye. 

Once they were outside she can see a Mercedes Benz parked near the entrance of the garage and he was guiding her towards it. And at that moment she felt like Cinderella walking to her first ball but with a twist. Instead of a carriage, she will be riding in a very expensive car. 

Simon had mentioned that Lucas is rich and she's lucky to get his attention. But it never occurred to her that he could be loaded. Her cousin Michelle mentioned something like her boss. Maybe, supervisors, in this country are paid a lot.  

She struggled to fasten her seatbelt and he helped her with it. Back home, their second-hand car boasted a seatbelt from the Stonehenge period. But most of the time, she used public transport where seatbelts were nonexistent. 

''Thank you,'' she said and blushed at her ignorance. 

He didn't answer but grazed his lips against her cheek. A brave move on his part which she doesn't know how to react. 

"I missed you," he said. He grabbed her hand from her lap and kissed her wrist and placed her hand on his thigh. 

"I missed you too," was all she could manage to say, and she blushed as he put her hand on his thigh. She doesn't know what to do with it there  

He turned on the radio. And she was glad that he did. She felt awkward sitting beside him. She didn't know what to say. She was playful and brave around him last. But today, she doesn't know how to act around him. The wine had left her system a long time ago.

She can still vividly recall the way he had kissed her and the way his skin had felt on her hands during their moments at the empty ballroom. She remembered she was still high from his kisses when he received a call and said he had to leave. 

He had asked for her number. But she didn't expect him to call her. She thought that was the last that she would see of him. But a week after, he had called her. 

They were silent for a while as he maneuvered the car out of the parking lot. She looked outside and noticed her aunt's figure on the second floor's window. She almost laughed at seeing her aunt. She was spying on her. 

''What exactly do you do in the company? Michelle said you are her boss," she finally asked. 

She can tell that he was surprised by her question and she looked away from him. She felt stupid. Why hasn't she asked her cousin instead? 

"I was an engineer. But a long time ago I've decided to create my own company. I specialized in making semiconductor products." He explained.

She felt a little better. She had not expected him to explain.  She has no idea about semiconductors and semiconductor products.

"Your company must be doing well, this car is expensive," she said innocently. He laughed at what she said. 

"When I first made my company, I only have ten people with me, but now I have twenty thousand in my payroll," he said casually, as he squeezed her hand on his thigh. 

"Wait, are you telling me that you own the company where my cousin is working?" she asked, and she knew that confusion and wonderment were evident in her face as she looked at him. 

"Hhmm...," was his only reply. He glanced and smiled at her. But the way his eyes were twinkling, she can tell that he was amused at her ignorance. 

"Oh, and here I was, thinking how you can afford this luxury as a supervisor," she raised her hand about her and bit her lip as she said those.   

"Why didn't you say so, I was treating you poorly back at the wedding," she said, remembering how she dragged him to the dance floor when he wanted to go back to his table. She wanted to dance to each song the band was playing. 

"I don't remember you treating me poorly," he said. He reached for her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze. He would reach down now and then to hold her hand whenever he can free his hand from the stirring wheel.