Chasing Beautiful (Chasing 1)

Her forced face smile made me leave the reception area without even saying thanks. She certainly didn’t deserve one. Is that how they receive guests here? It’s pretty scary. It’s worse than going to the dentist.

I was about to get inside on one of the elevators when a woman stopped, facing me with a hateful smirk. I froze. It’s the woman from the text message. That picture didn’t do her beauty justice. She’s even more striking in person.

“Yes?” hoping my frosty attitude would send her away.

“You should stop this chasing that you’re doing, querida. You will get hurt and you seem like a nice pretty little girl,” her Spanish accent evident.

“I’m not chasing anyone. I’m here to see my boyfriend. So, if you please, can you move out of my f**king way bruha?” Hag.

She laughed like she had all the time in her little whimsical world. She even had the gall to look amused. She’s a bitch with a capital B.

“You are little spitfire, aren’t you? No wonder my dear Blake can’t get enough. He always loves it rough, wouldn’t you say? But he won’t be yours for long,” her wide bitchy smile in place, “in less than four months, he’ll be officially engaged my dear.” Engaged? Blake? No, it can’t be. This woman’s bluffing and plotting her way because she wants Blake all to herself.

“Engaged to whom, you? Right, like I would believe anything that comes out of that salacious poisonous mouth of yours.” What a lowlife. Doesn’t she have anything else to do other than spew lies and pester others?

She laughed again in her stupid annoying laugh. I’m seriously tempted to punch her and knock the twilights out of her, but I don’t want to make a scene. “How I wish it was me. Papa and mama love him. The lucky lady is Camilla Clayworth. He’s been engaged since he was eighteen. He didn’t tell you, did he? Too bad. Well, it was great to meet you, good luck!” she sauntered past me like she’s up for Miss Universe. Was it true? Is Blake really engaged? He never said anything. Well, duh. Start moving and ask the man of the hour himself.

I did as she instructed and scanned the keycard with shaky hand and the elevator came to life. Floors after floors the light indicator on the panel was on the last floor before the ‘P’. I’m assuming that stands for penthouse.

With silent swoosh of the elevator doors I stepped out on the carpeted floor. There was another model-type blonde receptionist behind a desk. Are all the receptionists in this building look like they stepped out of Vogue? What kind of a discriminatory workplace is this? A very pretty one. It’s no brainer when men in suits gawk and pant with all these hot women around all day at work wearing tight-fitting suits. It’s no wonder lawsuits are quite common in this arena.

“Ms. Richards? I’m Larissa. Why don’t you take a seat while I page Luke? He should be here shortly to get you.”

Murmuring my thanks and left to go sit in one of the lounge chairs, I was surprised she wasn’t hostile like the other hellcat in the lobby. Frankly, I was ready for another battle. And I might get this wish granted if this farcical innuendo turns out to be true. I’m not naïve to think that arrange marriages were abolished back in the medieval period. These things are quite common with the blue-blooded upper-crust society. And Blake is one of them. I’m sure his lineage can be traced as far back before Christ even existed.

Luke came to greet immediately before my butt had time to warm the seat cushion. He genuinely seemed happy to see me, but his mood didn’t rub on me. I was polite, but obviously it was strained. Who wouldn’t be given the situation?

“He’s just finishing up a call but he should be done soon.” He opened a dark cherry oak door and I thanked him graciously.

Blake’s office overlooked the River Thames and his executive black desk sat right in the middle of the room. He was on a call but looked up when I entered and gave me one of his signature dashing smiles. I lamely waved back and strolled over the far right floor-to-ceiling glass window and gloomily stared at the view below me. I’m nervous and I have no idea how to bring the subject up. He looked happy to see me.

If he was engaged…then I have to walk away. The big question is, can I leave him? Blake became my life. I lived and breathed him. My love for him did not amount to the kind I felt for Kyle. Blake consumed me, my soul.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts I didn’t hear him coming. I was jolted back in reality when I felt his arms wrapped around my waist. He kissed and nuzzled my neck before speaking. “When you walked through that door, I was just thinking about you. It’s a good thing we read each other’s minds so well.”

Tilting my head so he can kiss me, I sighed with a heavy heart when our lips made contact. I kissed him like it was the last time. I kissed with my heart.

“Babe, can we talk?” my stern voice broke the spell we just shared.

“That sounds ominous. Why don’t we go and sit, shall we?” he guided me towards the other section of the room where there’s a sectional couch and a bar of refreshments. None of us sat on the couch. I stood behind one of the lounge chairs, anxious. He leaned against the bar and folded his arms.

“What is it? You’re being odd.”

“Are you—by any chance—engaged?” He froze in shock. His face horrified. Oh, f**k!

“Where did you get this information?”

“From a relevant source—be honest with me—Is. It. True.?” He exhaled a defeated sigh. He weaved a hand through his hair and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

“A day before I turned eighteen, my grandfather summoned me in his study. He told me that the Clayworth’s wanted me to marry their daughter, Camilla. When he broke the news, I wasn’t at all surprised. The Clayworth’s were very good friends with my parents. I grew up with Camilla and it was always spoken between our families that they wished it when the time came. Camilla’s lovely and I didn’t have that much qualms about being married to her, so I said yes with one condition. The condition was for them to wait until I was at the age of twenty-five. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way—I’m so very sorry.”

“Have you had sex with her?”

“She lost her virginity to me and on occasion, we would meet up several times a year and go somewhere for vacation. It’s been our tradition ever since the agreement—it was somehow our way of getting to know each other.”

“You weren’t planning to tell me huh? I’m just your little play thing on the side until you get married. I’m a quick f**k for you. I get it. I see everything clearly now.”