Chapter seven

Bayley (Olivia’s Friend)

“Dad, c’mon, what are you talking about?” I asked my dad while climbing down the stairs from my room with him right behind me in tow.

“I know you understand what I’m saying, but, I’ll say it again, now what I’m saying is simple, make Victor fall for you by all means, that’s all, snag him up, use your lady charms on him, at least according to you, you didn’t even do much and you already have him drooling all over you” dad said as we got to the living room, he totally exaggerated what I told him had happened between me and Victor.

“Oh now dad, it was just a peck, and he wasn’t drooling, he was just being a gentleman, so if I actually get you correctly now, you are saying that I should seduce him, make him like me?” I said and asked as I was turning to face him. We were down the stairs now and in the center of the living room.

“Well, a peck, a promise to meet, chat at another time, seems like you wouldn’t even have to work hard at it since he already seems to be into you, look Bay, try to understand that making Victor Lockwood fall for you will in turn make us very wealthy, I mean much more than this, it’ll put us on almost the same ranking as the Lockwoods themselves” dad said again enthusiastically, I was getting bored of the conversation, while it was true that I wanted Vic, maybe a little for the fame I’d get for being his girlfriend, but it’s definitely not for his money, not the way my dad is insinuating, I felt we were ok, but dad is always chasing the bag with his every waking moment, I decided to indulge him a bit and follow the conversation.

“Ok are you then saying that I should date Victor, be his girlfriend, just because of what I’m going to get from him, privileges, grants, huge cash drops, and things like ‘Hey could you give your dad this huge amount of money because you’re my girlfriend and he is your dad’ should I date Victor so he can say and do things like that?” I asked trying to get him irritated at his own idea.

“Bayley, c'mon, stop talking like a child, think like an adult, it’s not just about the handouts from them, it is also about our legacy, we get mixed in with the Lockwoods and we don’t ever go poor again, our coming generation will be born into stark wealth” he said not backing down, I should have known he won’t back off just because of what I said, he was already living in the idea of being an in-law to the Lockwoods.

“Well what if Victor doesn’t fall for me dad? It’s possible I don’t get anywhere with him, tell me, why are you so bent on me making Victor fall for me? I’m sure there has to be something else not just their wealth” I said to him, since he wasn’t going to back down, then he should let me in on all the details, I can’t just be an unwitting bait for his plans, and I know my father, he definitely has a plan.

“Ok, C'mon Bay, enough with the questions, just do as I say and you won’t regret it, trust me when I tell you that, this is for your own sake too” my dad replied and when I looked into his eyes I saw so much greed inside, I’m glad I didn’t take after him in that regards, greed is a nasty thing, but then, what can I do, he is my dad after all.

And on this topic, well, I’m definitely going to make Victor fall in love with me, for my own sake, I’ll make him my man, but then I’ll make sure my dad’s plan doesn’t get accomplished, especially if it’s no good because I know for certain that he’s up to something.

**

Layla

I wiped the sweat off of my brows and face after cleaning Victor's room, the room was just too wide, I’ve never done this type of massive room cleaning in my life, God knows even my room suffers from the unkempt treatment every now and then, thank God for mom, now I’m here in the Lockwood’s mansion, where I’ve got no choice but to do it, I actually also thank God that Victor isn’t dirty, his room was pretty well kept before I started working on it, I just had to do it all over again and thoroughly.

Once I was satisfied with my work, I went to the cleaning equipment closet, and dumped the items I’d used back in there mop, broom, bucket and all, it was probably another person’s job to make sure the closets are clean and well kept in order, not me so I’m not doing that.

I was walking along the corridors when I saw through the window, two cars coming inside the compound, they stopped at the building entrance to drop off those inside. A guard came out of the front car and opened the door to the car of the second car and from there, Victor came out looking so regal and still as handsome as ever, he is definitely a prince charming material in every story.

He was putting on a white long sleeved shirt with two loosed top buttons at the chest showing off his dog tag even though he wasn’t military, I bet it’s just an honorary one or a custom made one,

he had black fitted pants to match and his suede shoe finished the look, making him really sexy to me right now as I’m sure he is to every other lady, but who am I to drool when his sister is around as well, I quickly composed myself when I noticed her.

Victor saw me though as he came in, he glanced straight to where I was even though it wasn’t on the way to his room, it was as if he already knew I was there, the way he looked right at me, he stopped walking and focused on me and I immediately felt naked and unsure of myself, gosh, this guy…

“Follow me, Layla” he said simply before walking on ahead and I quickly followed behind him. I would follow him to the ends of the eart… wait what! Stop, stop, stop, you weak willed mind, I chided myself, I really need to stop thinking all these thoughts, I’d only hurt myself, I reasoned sadly.

When we got to the front of his door, he dismissed the guard that had been following us as well and turned his focus back on me, I cleared my throat without meaning to, I kept wondering what I could actually do to stop feeling this way around him, especially when he was focused on me with those beautiful and mysterious eyes of his.

“Go get me a bottle of wine from the cellar, make sure it’s something old and Italian” he said cryptically before walking inside the room, I nodded and left as fast I could without actually running. Nodding was all I could do because despite clearing my throat I still didn’t trust my voice not to betray me, what if I tried to talk and it came out hoarse or high pitched, that would have been immensely embarrassing.

I passed through the kitchen on my way to the cellar to grab a wine glass and “Damn” was my expression when I saw how wide and fully equipped the kitchen was, it looked like the grand kitchen of a five star hotel, not that I’ve been in one, but from movies and my idea of how it’ll look like, I’m sure this is it. Maids and chefs we’re moving up and about the kitchen like they were preparing for a huge event, I really wondered why there was so much fuss over what very few people would eat, I mean, it was really busy in there.

I walked up to a lady, who was carrying some groceries to the freezer, one of the gigantic freezers in there, yet again, I wondered just what they needed frozen for them to have such huge freezers. I’m really doing a lot of wondering today, first day in a mansion and not just any mansion but, the Lockwood’s mansion.

“Hi, I’m Layla” I said to the lady, “I’m new here so can you please can you show me the way to the cellar? I need to get wine from there” I asked her politely and she turned to look right at me, she stared at me for a few seconds and I could feel a bit of hostility from her gaze, then, she turned back to what she was doing just like that, talk about rude.

“Uhm, Hello, I believe I just asked you a question” I said getting impatient, it was already taking me too long and Victor would be waiting for me by now, expecting his old Italian wine.

“I’m not hard of hearing, besides do I look like your errand girl?” she snapped rudely.

“Oops… oh, I’m sorry” I said sarcastically, then I continued in a low voice but still loud enough for her to hear “I didn’t know I was talking to a bisshhh” I said and turned around to leave, but she drew me back by my arm with a tight grip on it.

“Don’t even think for a second that you can talk back at me just because you’re Victor's personal maid now. What you don’t know is that I can make your life very miserable in here” she said through her gritted teeth and then left my arm.

“Really? That’s why you’re acting like this? As if being Victor's personal main is a medal to wear around or something, I should have known that you’re just being spiteful” I retorted and walked away to another part of the kitchen to ask someone else who pointed me along the way I should go. I don’t do well to threats yet something at the back of my mind told me to watch out for that lady. I got to the cellar and almost choked on my spit whilst gulping, someone could drown in here, it was a sea of wine, I quickly surfed through till I saw a Chianti Classico, I don’t know about old but I know it’s definitely Italian and kinda popular so I picked it out and rushed back up to attend to my boss Victor Lockwood.