Maid For You

Chapter 29

"Hey, Cassie!" Ethan's golden green eyes sparkled as he sat across from me at the table in the dining hall.

I jumped slightly.

"Ethan," I regarded him coldly.

He furrowed his brow. "Why so frosty?"

I shot him a glare and looked down at my food. "Why do you think, Ethan?"

"I assure you I have no idea!" He sounded upset. "Don't tell me that twat of a Prince got into your head over the weekend!"

"Excuse me? This has nothing to do with Prince Coleman and everything with you! I spend some time with you and suddenly you decide you have the liberty to do whatever you please."

"You're not making any sense!" Ethan scowled. Suddenly his eyes widened at something behind me. "Dylan? What are you doing here? You never come for mealtime."

A young man settled next to me on the bench, and I gasped.  "What the--!"

"Hey, gorgeous." The boy next to me smiled dangerously. It was Ethan! No, that wasn't Ethan! I turned to the real Ethan, across the table from me.

"You have a twin brother?!" I cried. I spun back to the twin. "And you! You let me believe you were Ethan! How could you?!"

"The opportunity was too good to pass up." He laughed. "I'm Dylan. Ethan's older brother."

"Dylan!" Ethan slammed his hands on the table. "What exactly did you do?" He turned to me. "Is this why you've been so hostile toward me? Did this twat do something to you?"

As I took them both in at once, and though their resemblance was certainly uncanny, there were slight differences. Ethan looked a little sturdier, while Dylan was leaner. Ethan's hair was neater and his eyes brighter, and Dylan all together looked more dangerous than his brother.

"Dylan tried to kiss me." I folded my arms.

Ethan leveled an angry glare at his brother. "A moment, Dylan?"

"I'll have to pass, brother. I didn't come out to this here dining hall to spend time with you." He then looked at me with a smile.

"I don't really care," Ethan scowled. "You're coming with me."

Since we were sitting near the end of the long table, Ethan was able to quickly walk around and grab Dylan's shoulder firmly.

"Get up," he hissed.

Dylan sighed and reluctantly stood. "Sorry, gorgeous. Apparently my little brother needs me."

"Good riddance," I scowled.

"Aw, are you still upset about what happened?" He stuck out his lip and pouted.

Why, I outta smack that look off his face.

"Oh trust me, I have a few choice words for you about your behavior." I stood up and glared at him.

"I'm sorry. You were just so beautiful I couldn't resist."

My impending insults were momentarily halted. Gosh, I was such a sucker for flattery.

Ethan roughly grabbed Dylan's arm and dragged him just outside of the dining hall. Any good, sweet heroine would resume her eating and politely wonder what the twins could be talking about.

But let's face it, I wasn't sweet.

I discreetly walked by the door they were just outside of, and hid around the other side of the wall.

"What the heck, bro?" It sounded like Ethan pushed Dylan.

"I'm sick of you manhandling me, Ethan!" It sounded like Dylan pushed back.

"What did you think you were doing, trying to kiss Cassie? And to pretend you're me while you're at it?! That's so messed up."

"Okay, I'll admit, I shouldn't have pretended to be you. But I couldn't resist." I could almost see Dylan's devilish grin.

"What's more," Ethan voice lowered to a hiss that I could barely make out. "I called dibs on her. I told you about her before you even met her and staked my claim."

I rose an eyebrow. I could be mad that Ethan 'called dibs' on me like I was some prize, but I found it to be kind of hot to tell the truth. A man who knew what he wanted.

Besides, you know what, I thought to myself. I AM a prize that deserves to be won. Clearly all the boys back home missed the freaking memo.

"AND," continued Ethan. "You told me that was fine, Dylan. You said you couldn't care less and that Cassie was mine as far as you were concerned."

"Yeah, but that was before I met her," Dylan answered.

"So? I already told you all about her."

"Look, I figured Cassie would be another girl you got the hots for who was way too absorbed with the Prince to give servants like us a second glance. So I really didn't care. But then, I met her. And she thought I was you. And she gave me a look that the other girls here don't give." He chuckled. "She was attracted to me. Or you. Who cares, really? The fact is she didn't perch herself above us."

"I already told you that she was different that way," snapped Ethan.

"Well, I didn't believe you. People have been fooled before. Oh, and besides, she's prettier than you gave her credit for."

"Hello, Cassie," a voice said next to me.

I jumped and began speed walking away from the door as quickly as I could. Oh gosh, what if Ethan and Dylan caught me spying on them?!

"Where are you going?" The voice had belonged to Chef Jonathan, of course, who always seemed to make it a point to introduce himself by sneaking up on me and talking right into my ear.

"Um, nowhere," I laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that. How are you?"

"I'm fine. I wanted to let you know that you should stop by the kitchen tonight. I'm working on a new recipe," Jonathan told me.

"Sure. Sounds delicious." I smiled.

"Have you eaten anything yet?" asked Jonathan.

Nope. I'd been too busy spying.

"I was just about to get to it." I glanced over at my plate at the table.

"Are you seated over there?" Jonathan pointed to my spot.

"Yeah."

"Looks like you were sitting with someone. Mister Lucas, perhaps?" There was a coldness to his name.

"Nope," I answered. Hot twins, actually.

"Good. I mean..." Chef Jonathan shook his head. "I don't even know."

I rose my eyebrows. "Do you have a problem with Mister Lucas?"