by Mia Mills
“I see that both of you are having a great conversation about art. May I join in?”
“Um…”
Before I could even finish, the guy pulls out another chair and sits on my right side. I look at Leo whose gorgeous face suddenly turns into a ball of anger. He is clenching his fists that are both placed on the table.
I know he must have been so mad that I just let another person sits with us without asking if it’s okay with him, but I also think it’s rude to just dismiss people.
The guy looks at me with a big smile flaunting on his face.
“My name is Thomas Wells and I like art as much as you do, beautiful one.”
My heart pounds when he says the word beautiful. I am confident that I have really prepared for this dinner with Leo but I’m still flattered. I got interested on this guy since he might have loved art as much as I do. Well that’s what he just said.
Thomas
My introduction catches the attention of Leo’s date, as intended. And I can already feel Leo seething inwardly in his seat. I know him well enough to know that he’s trying to appear like an amiable gentleman before he charms his way into the pants of the women he’s interested in.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I’m being a white knight and going out of my way to save this damsel in distress from Leo. Not at all. What he’s doing to get laid is common with what other guys do.
This isn’t a part of a grand scheme, too. No way. I’m not some sort of Bond villain. The thing with revenge is, people seem to think it’s about doing some giant, cruel thing. But the way I see it, it’s a lot more satisfying doing small, seemingly insignificant things that make Leo’s life terrible.
He’s a rich guy who can probably reverse whatever else I try to do, so doing all these small petty things should make him frustrated, but not enough to try to make me miserable. Because fortunately for me, Leo’s not as petty as I am, and unfortunately for him, I’m willing to exploit that until it’s too late for him to realize he scammed the wrong guy.
See, I’m a forecaster. Not a weather forecaster, no. I analyze trends. People pay me to help them choose what things are best to invest in depending on the stocks, political atmosphere, fashion world, and social economy. When Leo approached me a long while back about this investment strategy he thought up with other well-known businessmen in an agency, I have to say, he had me hooked. I trusted him. Little did I know that it was a goddamned Ponzi scheme.
You might be wondering why I’d trust him. Well, I’ll say it this way, when I say that Leo has this charm I don’t just mean sexual charm. He can talk you into selling your whole life away if he wanted to. An incredible ability that he probably learned from all those years of watching his family and their political friends of theirs.
And he almost did just that, to me. He persuaded me to invest in his idea. But the problem with ideas is that they’re not tangible, there’s no proof that they’ll amount to anything. And that’s exactly the problem that he benefitted from. Leo scammed me out of my own hard-earned money.
I’m not dirt poor. I caught wind of his plans before he could get more out of me, but by then it was too late to do anything. And so this slick bastard and his bastard businessman friends get away with my money. They probably thought I’d sulk, blame myself and isolate myself from society. That’s just not my thing. I’ll get a refund, and I’ll take it back in any form I deem fit.
But I digress. In fact, I’d like to get back to the task at hand. Ruining Leo’s date.
My eyes wander towards the girl, Addie, the artist behind the exhibit. I can understand why Leo is interested in her. Her hair is pulled into a ponytail, with a few strands of her hair framing her face. She wants people to look at her face, and I would understand why.
Her eyes are a deep emerald that seem tinged with a bit of blue near the edges but her lips call your attention as well, plump and heart-shaped. It makes you think about how it must feel like kissing her. My mind traverses much further than that thought and goes so far as trying to imagine what she must look like without her fancy dress or the gold necklace hovering above her chest.
Immediately, I realize that my eyes have settled on her chest. By the way she’s sitting, her breasts look like it’s on the table.
Leo clears his throat and I breathe in before turning my head to him, “It’s so nice to bump into you here. I had no idea you fancied French cuisine.” I put a hand in my pocket, “If I did I would have invited you out long ago.”
Addie is smiling and looking at us both, she probably doesn’t sense that Leo’s being wary of me.
He forces a smile, his tawny eyes send daggers my way, maybe to show me that he’s only playing this game of mine because of Addie’s presence, I raise a brow and smirk in response.
“I’m versatile.” He says through his teeth.
I turn my attention back to Addie and rest a hand on the back of her chair, placing my weight on it, “Now, I must say, you look absolutely gorgeous. But this doesn’t seem like your kind of thing. No offense, I just don’t think this whole pretentious bourgeoisie act is something that sits well with someone like you.”
She giggles, “You seem like an expert in this ‘act’ you speak of, what? Are you in a club?”
I pretend to hold my chest in pain, “Oh! Right on target.” She laughs and I join her, “The club’s full, so unfortunately I can’t invite you.”
Addie opens her mouth to speak, but before she can say anything, Leo cuts in, clearly intent on not letting me enjoy another moment of this, “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Mr. Wells?”
“Ouch.” I look at her, she’s still giggling, “Harsh, isn’t he? I should keep you company or else this Big Bad Wolf might eat you up.”
Leo’s lips twitch, it seems like he can’t fake his smile anymore, “I thought you had a reservation here? Do you have a date?”
“Nope. Never said I had a reservation.” I place a hand on Addie’s shoulder and rub my thumb, “I just thought I’d get a meal, but then I spot lil’ ol’ Leo and I just had to go here and see what was up. But instead I’m blinded by your date here!” I pat Addie’s head gently while I watch Leo’s eyes follow the movement of my hand. He’s like an angry dog who needs to compete for his owner’s attention.
“Well, you’ve seen her...so you can be on your way. If you have anything else to talk to me about, you can give me a call in the morning.” He takes a sip of his water and licks his lips, “I’ll make sure my secretary expects you.”
Smiling, I pretend to be touched, “Would you? That’s very kind of you to do.” I sigh, “It seems like you really want me to leave you guys alone, huh? I guess if I were you, I’d want to spend some alone time with this beautiful lady too. I’ll go, I’ll go. I’ve overstayed.” I raise my hands, pretending to be defeated, “I’ll go eat alone, nothing new.”
“Why don’t you join us?” Addie holds my hand then looks at Leo, “He can join us, can’t he?”
Addie takes the bait. Inside, I am celebrating. I grin at Leo when Addie isn’t looking and if I could take a picture of his expression, I would frame it and hang it in my living room.
I can see that Leo’s almost at his breaking point, he’s gripping the napkin on his lap. He looks down, eyes closed, and when he looks back up it’s obvious that he’s strained. He takes a deep breath then nods.
“Sure. Why not?”
I take a seat while Addie smiles and calls for a waiter, when one arrives, she asks him to bring another set of plates and utensils for me.
Folding my hands together, I decide to keep pushing Leo, “So, how’s business been?”
Leo shakes his head, “It’s been great.”
“Well, if Addie doesn’t already know, you’re as talented a businessman as she is as an artist.”
This catches her interest, “Oh? How’d you know I was an artist?”
“Your exhibit.” I point out, “I was there. I especially loved the one with the child calling for help in the midd
le of a sleeping crowd. It speaks volumes about society. Marvelous colors you’ve applied to it, too.”
To this, she puts a hand to her lips, “You’re flattering me. Thank you so much.” She bites her lower lip, for a moment I almost forget what to say.
I shrug, “The truth should be told without hesitation.” Then I snap my fingers, as if forgetting, “But! I have to ask something. Leo, I have this friend who’s in this nasty situation. Care to help?”
Leo is clearly annoyed, but I assume that he entertains my question because he still wants to impress Addie, “How can I help?”
“Okay. So my friend—let’s call him...Will—he’s in this sort of scam.” When the last word exits my mouth, Leo slightly flinches.
“Oh no.” Addie already sympathizes with my made-up character.
“So Will is scammed by someone he trusts. And he’s not driven to poverty, but let’s say this other guy, he’s just so much more powerful than Will. Has all these connections and crap.” I roll my eyes and make theatrical hand gestures.
Addie shakes her head, “Scammers are corrupt. I don’t know why people do that.”
“Right?!” I rest one of my hands near hers, just to cause more tension, “And so Will’s scammed, and I’m trying to help him out, but obviously he hates the guy who scammed him. And I know that if I give him money to help, it won’t really do anything to help his injured pride. And I’m just at a loss. I don’t know what to do to help the guy.” I turn back to Leo and see that he’s still trying to compose himself, “What do you think? How can I help him?”
Leo looks me straight in the eyes and flat out says, “You can’t.”
Addie’s brows furrow at this, “Why can’t he?”
Leo fixes the napkin on his lap and shrugs, “This friend of his, Will, is trapped in his own cage. He has to let go. People get scammed. It’s their fault for being so naïve.”
I grit my teeth, he’s trying to push my buttons.
“Naïve? He was scammed. If the guy wasn’t someone who Will trusted I’m sure he wouldn’t have been scammed. Are you saying that it’s Will’s fault he trusted the guy?” She tilts her head slightly to one side.
“Yes.” Leo doesn’t even hesitate. His eyes meet with mine and I realize he’s as cold-hearted as he was when he did that to me.
I shake my head and sigh, “Well. I guess I’ll look for help elsewhere. Thanks anyway.” I take a glimpse at Addie’s expression and feel a wave of adrenaline when she looks unsatisfied with Leo’s attitude. It was exactly the thing I expected.
The appetizer arrives moments later and the waiter serves us cream of watercress soup. It’s a thick soup with heavy cream in the center topped with caviar. From this alone, I can tell that Leo isn’t pulling any stops when it comes to showing off to this woman. And I don’t have any intention of holding back too, I’m going to make sure Addie doesn’t see anything worthwhile with him.
This is going to be fun.
Addie
By the time we reach the main course, Leo and Thomas look like they’re about to cut each other’s throats with the butter knife. They’ve been glaring at each other and trying to send jabs of whatever private feud they have with each other throughout the evening.
Frankly speaking, I’m jealous that they have so much tension with each other. If one of them was a girl, no doubt they’d be all over each other instead of at each other.
If I’d known Thomas was here to initiate some sort of revenge plot, I wouldn’t have asked him to sit down. But when he waltzed in and introduced himself, I just couldn’t help but be captivated by how powerful he carried himself. The way he speaks and the way he just rolls off the insults that Leo tries to throw at him is oddly satisfying to watch, aside from the fact that he can juggle flirting with me while also belittling Leo.
Leo on the other hand, has a more calm and composed approach, or so he tries. In the end, he has to take one or two moments to himself to settle down. But there’s something about his fiery gaze that gets me. It feels like he’s used to being in control, that he’s an aggressive man with actions that are filled with purpose.
Right now though, both of them are just starting to become annoying.
“It’s unbecoming of you to try in meddle in my personal affairs, Mr. Wells.”
Thomas responds with a scoff, his blond hair bounces when he does, “You wouldn’t know me enough to even say what I’m capable of. I can hit you lower than you’ve done me. That, I can assure.”
“I’m sorry, but how is it my fault that you can’t handle the business world? If you need help finding the exit, you can go buy yourself a cabin in the Alps and cower in shame.” Leo continues to eat his food, but Thomas hasn’t let him loose. It’s obvious that he’s affected.
The two of them are so absorbed in their little fight that they don’t pay any attention to me anymore. The only reason I’m still here is because I know that whatever is happening now doesn’t change the fact that Leo bought all of my paintings at the exhibit. Then again, I don’t owe him anything, he was the one that decided he wanted to flirt with me by spending money.
“You’d know, wouldn’t you? You probably have bought yourself a cabin in the Alps and cowered in shame. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a cabin in all the isolated places in the world, they reflect your sad, empty self.” Thomas claps back.
“Hah! You must be confusing me with a mirror. Just keep your mouth shut, you’re polluting the air.”
“Yeah, sure. At least, unlike you, I don’t lower the property value of any building I walk into whenever I speak. You should sew your mouth shut, I figure it’d be good for everyone here.”
“Oh, sure. You know what’d be good for everyone here? If you go fu—”
“Hold the fuck up.” I say, a little louder than my usual voice.
This manages to catch their attention, it also catches the attention of a few tables near us. I close my eyes, a little embarrassed. But at least the two of them aren’t fighting anymore.
I can see in Leo’s eyes the realization that he’s just ignored me throughout most of the date, he bites his lower lip, probably frustrated. Thomas looks pleasantly surprised by my interruption.
I continue, “You guys...have to shut up.” A nervous laugh escapes my lips, “I mean, I don’t even know why you guys are fighting.”
Thomas shrugs and points at Leo, “Well, that’s becau—”
“Ah, ah, ah.” I raise a hand, “Shush.”
He widens his eyes, straightens himself and looks at me curiously. Then he gestures zipping his lips.
“Thank you. As I was saying, I don’t even know why you guys are fighting. All you guys have done is insult each other in stupid roundabout ways. If you hate each other then stop having dinner together.” I take a deep breath, “And if for some stupid reason you guys can’t do that then at the very least tell me why the fuck you guys have so much tension between each other. Because I’ve been sitting here the whole night and I’m just at a loss.”
Leo opens his mouth to speak, but before he does, I put my index finger over my lips.
“If you’re just going to make excuses, I don’t want to hear it. It’s either you guys tell me what’s up or I leave. End of discussion. I’m not making any deals.” I look at Leo then Thomas, then back at Leo, “Is that understood?”
They both nod. I close my eyes, relieved that their bickering has ended.
Thomas is the first to speak, “I just want to say, that was sort of hot.” He raises his hands defensively, “Not that I’m trying to start something. It was just...pretty hot.”
I roll my eyes at him, “Less about me, more about you guys. Explain what the fight is about or I go out the door.”
Thomas purses his lips, his eyes glance towards Leo who has started poking around his food.
“Okay...I’ll start then.” Thomas inhales sharply, “That story about Will, it wasn’t real. I mean, it was sort of real. But Will doesn’t exist, he’s just someone I made up. The
story is about me.” He shrugs, “And the guy who scammed me is this guy right here.”
My eyes move to Leo, who now has his arms crossed, “You have something to say?”
He shakes his head, “Not really.”
Thomas leans forward, resting his elbows on the table, “See? He’s not sorry at all. When I found out I was scammed and confronted him, he acted like it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Because it wasn’t. Look, you made a bad business deal, and you lost money.” Leo takes the last bite from his plate.
“It wasn’t a bad business deal, it was a scam. And you know it. But sure, keep convincing yourself that you’re spotless.”
I sigh again, “Boys. What did I say?”
They both purse their lips. Well, at least they’re trying to keep it down.
I shake my head, “It’s not like I’ll get anything from this, so you guys just stop fighting. I’m going home.”
Both of them don’t expect that, and suddenly they try to stop me.
Leo looks around, perhaps trying to find a waiter, “We haven’t had desert yet. I’ll cancel the order if you want, then I can take you home.”
But Thomas has other plans, “No, wait. I still have more to say. We won’t fight anymore.” He looks at Leo and even though the latter hesitates and is clearly not fully on board with it, agrees, “Just...just stay. For dessert.” Thomas flashes me a dashing smile and I must admit, the guy knows his charms.
I give them a nod, Leo exhales with relief and as we wait for the dessert to come, Thomas begins.
“Listen, I know that I look like an ass and that it seems like I just went here to mess with your date. But I feel bad about ruining your night. Not that bad about ruining Leo’s night though. That was the plan.”
Leo glares at him, “Hey.”
He pays no heed to him and continues, “So I was thinking of a way to make it up to you. And it just dawned on me, I’m leaving for Florence tomorrow. If you’d like, Addie, and I’d very much like it if you did, you could come with me.”
