Chapter 11: We Have A Deal

Liam and Lucia sat across from each other, a dominant silence reigned over the entire living room and nobody dared to make a sound, not even the innocent Butler Mr Williams who's only crime was to be present in the living room.

Lucia stared at the elegant and exquisite paintings hanging on the walls in admiration, she was a lover of paintings, most especially nature paintings.

Liam ran over the thought of everything that had just happened in the last two minutes and he could only think of one thing.

" Why? " Liam blurted out the only question in his head, breaking the long lasting silence that had ruled over them.

" Huh? " Lucia interjected, having being harshly brought back from her state of admiration by Liam's question.

" Why the sudden change of heart? " Liam asked again, a serious expression looming over his face

" Oh... That? Well let's just say I decided to be selfish and look at what I stood to gain " Lucia replied with a smile.

" That's unlike you Lucia... You slapped me for offering to pay you money and you rejected my offer earlier today... So were you blind to what you stood to gain or have you discovered a newly found over ambition? " Liam asked, raising an eyebrow

" An hour ago I was in bed sleeping and now I'm here sitting before you... So what do you think the answer is? " Lucia replied, this time with a smirk on her face.

" This newly found selfishness, what brought about it? " Liam questioned Lucia unable to believe she could randomly change her mind.

" You used me... So it's only fair I get commission for that after all I'm no charity worker neither am I community service " Lucia replied easily and convincingly.

" If truly you are being moved by selfishness to accept my proposal then, you're sensible... It'd had been a lot weirder if you accepted to help me without anything attached to it " Liam said, expressionlessly.

" But one thing remains unclear " Liam continued

" And that is? " Lucia asked confused

" Why now? Why not tomorrow? And what's the cake for? " Liam asked and pointed to the cake on the glass table right in their midst.

" Well I thought there would be no better time than when something's in mind, I mean I could change my mind tomorrow " Lucia replied calmly.

" And the cake? " Liam asked, narrowing his eyes.

" Oh that? My best friend sent it to me as a congratulatory gift, but I had no one to share it with so I thought it could also be a symbol of partnership for us " Lucia replied, staring at the cake.

She turned to the butler who stood far from them, watching silently.

" Can I get some plates and a knife? " Lucia politely asked the butler.

Mr Williams and Liam exchanged glances, shocked by Lucia's audacity. Mr Williams turned to look at Lucia

" How many plates do you need? " Me Williams asked

" About three " Lucia responded

" Give me a second " Mr Williams replied and with that he was gone

" It is night... Isn't it inappropriate to be eating sugar right now? " Liam asked

" There's never an appropriate time for celebration " Lucia replied with a mischievous smile pasted on her face.

Liam assessed her with his eyes, he didn't trust her, but come to think of it he didn't trust anyone.

Mr Williams returned with three ceramic plates and a knife, he placed the plates gently on the table and gave the knife to Lucia.

Lucia carefully removed the cake box, exposing the nicely decorated cake. The cake was decorated with white icing and a touch of blue. On it was written ' Eat this cake at your own risk '.

Lucia chuckled lightly on reading what was written on the cake

" Definitely Jada " Lucia muttered to herself. She plunged the knife into the cake from the top to the cake board. She took three slices and placed them on the ceramic plates. She gave one of the plates to Mr Williams who tried to reject it, but she shoved it into his hands.

She kept a slice for herself and presented the last one before Liam.

" Mr Liam Henderson do we have a deal? " She asked him with her right hand extended for a handshake and the second holding the slice of cake.

Liam stared at both her hands for a while until they visibly started shaking.

" If you're in thoughts please make it fast... I'm not paused in motion you know " Lucia said, visibly shaking.

The cake almost fell to the ground but Liam caught it mid air earning a smile from Lucia.

" I take it that we have a deal then " Lucia said, still smiling.

She was about to withdraw her hand when Liam seized it in a handshake.

" We have a deal " He said in confirmation.

Outside the Villa, Maria sat inside her car with clenched fist, she continously banged on her steering angrily. The memories of what happened 30 minutes ago flooded her mind.

" I'm close to the villa... Is it okay for me to drop by " She had asked Liam over the phone

" Of course " He had replied so casually

" I'm on my way " She has said excitedly and hung up even though she was already at the villa since a while back.

" I won't go in now... I'll go after two minutes " She had smiled at herself as she stared at the watch she had gotten him. Today she had planned to apologize to him and get him back.

She was about to come out the car when she saw a woman with cake in her hand rushing to his doorstep. She thought as to why a want would be visiting Liam at this time of the night.

" Is it cake delivery? " Maria had asked herself.

She had watched as Liam casually walked up to her talking nicely to her before even seeing her face.

" Wait a minute... Isn't that the woman in the picture? " Maria had asked herself.

She had watched how the both of them cozied up to catch the cake, muttering inaudible words to each other and finally Liam ushered her into his house.

A trickle of tears escaped Maria's eyes as her heart shattered into a million pieces.

She revved her engine and drove back home to the Lewis residential home.

Once she got home, she parked her car in the garage and slowly walked to her doorstep feeling rejected. She pressed the doorbell as tears dropped from her eyes, she could no longer hold it back in as she fell to the ground.

" Young miss! " Maria's maid exclaimed on opening the door to see Maria like that, she rushed to Maria's side and pulled her up, she dragged Maria into the house and shut the door behind them.

" What happened? " Linda, Maria's maid asked on noticing the state Maria was in, she had made her sit on a couch and was situated beside her.

" Can he still be mine? " Maria asked, leaving Linda confused

" Who? " Linda asked and Maria placed her head on Linda's chest sobbing quietly.

" Liam... Can he still be mine? " Maria asked staring into Linda's eyes, hers red from the crying.

" Anything can be yours as long as you're willing to hold on to it " Linda replied, her heart breaking from seeing the state Maria was in.

" He will be mine " Maria muttered

" I won't let go... He'll be mine " Maria muttered sleepily

" I'll do anything it takes to make it happen " Maria muttered once more and drifted off to sleep.

" Mine only " Maria muttered in the sleep.