She wore a floral lemon dress with heels to match.. The dress emphasized her breast and accentuated her figure. She looked really good. But the overall effect was wasted on Caesar. Now that Selena had agreed to marry him, Marianna seemed suddenly too uncouth, spoiled and less exciting.
“I heard everything you both discussed,” she said sardonically. “I listen well and I listen good.”
Caesar lifted his shoulders indifferently.
“That’s your personal business, Marianna. I don’t give a fuck,” he said simply and strolled to the mini bar to fix himself a drink.
Marianna regarded him irritatedly.
“Even though you are a wicked brute and I hate the things you do to me. You are still my brother and I still love you.” She paused and went on. “I’ve got to be honest with you, Caesar. That girl doesn’t love you. Her feelings for you are only being propelled by what you’ve done for her and what you can offer. She doesn’t love you. She’s just confused, can’t you see that?” she scoffed.
“I don’t care, Marianna.” He tossed the drink down his throat and grimaced. “Go play with Amor and let me be,” he growled.
“God! You are so foolish,” Marianna laughed scornfully, looking at him the way you would look at a child that doesn’t know right from left. “Anyways, maybe now that’s she on her way here you would have a change of heart.”
“I don’t care about anything, Anna.” Caesar grunted, lifting a glass to his lips. Then he frowned. “What did you say? Who is on their way here?”
“You fool! You aren’t even listening”
“Screw you, Anna! Who the fuck is on their way here?” Caesar barked, his face dark with a smoldering rage.
“Ara!” Marianna answered. “She’s coming here.”
Caesar’s face went white as snow.
“What?” He muttered.
Marianna went on. “I already called her and told her about the wedding,” and just then, they heard the ding dong of the door bell. “Well, well. Look like she’s here after all.” she was smiling at him now mischievously.
Caesar felt his body turned hot, then cold.
Still dazed with shock, Caesar watched as Marianna sashayed to the front door. Few moments later, she strolled into the room with another girl. The girl saw Caesar and stopped in her tracks.
The girl was aged twenty three years and was of above average height. She had tawny red hair, hanging in silken waves down to her waist. She had blue gray eyes, full lips which gave a promise of intense sexual pleasure, long, tapering legs with slim body, perky breasts, and slim, lovely hands. A diamond necklace sparkled around her neck and diamonds glitter at her ears. Standing there, she looked like a hot, wanton tigress. Her name was Ara Williamson, the only child of Lionel Williamson.
They both stared at each other for some moments, no one moved; no one talked. Finally, Marianna broke the silence.
“I believe my work is done here. See you at the church, brother.” and before Caesar could say anything, she winked at him and strolled out of the room.
He watched her go and turned to the girl. But he didn’t say anything; not because he was scared of her, but for the fact that he just didn’t know what to say.
“Caesar, it’s been a while,” Ara finally said. “You’ve taken care of yourself pretty well. You look good” and he could sense the longing and admiration in her voice.
“Thanks……Ara,” Caesar muttered. “You ain’t looking bad yourself. You look edible. A whole snack,” he added rather unnecessarily.
Ara smiled, but it did not reach her eyes.
“Caesar please. Look who’s talking, as if you cared.” She snorted.
Caesar grimaced.
“What have you been up to?” He said, trying to stir her away to a trivial discussion. “I heard you are doing pretty well in Devils Wept. I’m proud of you, Ara. Well done.”
She lifted her shoulders and tossed her tawny red colored hair from her shoulders.
“Thanks Caesar. I’ve been doing okay,” she said modestly. “Business is good. Really good.”
Caesar inclined his head “I’m happy to hear that,” he could sense the tension in the room and he was thinking hard about what he could do to ease the tense atmosphere. “Can I get you a drink?” she nodded her head. He turned to go but her next words halted him in his tracks.
“I heard your wedding is fixed for today?” Her voice was calm but the coldness in it touched him where he stood.
Caesar grimaced and mentally cursed Marianna. Slowly, he turned to her. She was looking at him the way a lion would look at a rat that had sneaked into his cage. He hated that look. Well, since Marianna had spilled the milk, then he had no choice but to go with the flow.
“Marianna told you stuff?” He asked, knowing it was useless to be asking that kind of question.
“She told me more than enough,” Ara replied scornfully. “You are getting married to Selena Charlton right?”
Caesar nodded. He saw a glint of tears come into Ara’s eyes. Goddamned you, Marianna. He thought, looked at what you’ve done.
“How could you, Caesar? How could you choose that orphan? That girl over me?” She wailed, her eyes were glittering with unshed tears now. “I thought we had something. I thought you wanted me to give you some time so that we can things out”
“Ara. I can’t do this right now,” he began, hating how weak and helpless he sounded. “We’ve talked about this over and over again in the past. And my decisions still stand.”
Ara shook her head miserably, and to his dismay, she covered her face with her hands and began to cry.
“Ara……” he began to say something, but she cut him off.
“Fine! Fine! Your position stands. But how could you choose that low life over me.” She wailed.
“She’s not a low life, Ara. Stop talking shits about Selena.” Caesar said firmly. He hated it when people talked bad about Selena. It’s like they are saying a high valued man like him is settling for less and this always riles him up.
Ara looked at him in utter disbelief and disappointment.
“What kind of hold do those girls have over you Caesar?” She gasped, her eyes searching his face. “Can’t you see what she's doing to you?”
“Nonsense!” Caesar fired back. “She’s not doing anything to me. I’ve always loved Selena. Everyone in this town knows that. So please spare me the sermon.” he was getting angry now and he didn’t give a hoot about it.
“You are not yourself, Caesar. That girl seduced you,” she went on, unperturbed. “She has wrapped you around her little finger and you are too blind to see that”
Caesar made an impatient gesture with his hands “I’m tired of listening to you, Ara. This conversation is over. I’m done. I’ve got a wedding by six this evening and I need to start making preparations. Selena and I will be wedded today. So deal with it.”
What she did next, shocked Caesar. She rushed to where he stood, caught hold of him and collapsed against him, her head resting on his chest, wetting his shirts with her tears.
“I love you, Caesar. love you,” She wailed. “That’s why I came rushing back when Marianna called me this morning. I had to take my father’s private jet here. I know he would be mad at me. I know he would. He will say I’m crazy. I’m not right in the head. But I don’t care. I don’t care. Cause I’m in love with you.” she was sobbing really hard now.
And Caesar despised himself and felt little sympathy for her………,just a little sympathy.
“I cared about you, Ara. I really cared about you,” He paused and went on. “But not just in the way you wanted it. Nothing can ever happen between us. We can be friends. But anything other than that, it can’t work.” his voice was hard and unnerving.
“You can’t say that. You just can’t say that.” and suddenly, her lips were trembling against his, then moving swiftly to the hollow of his neck, her small breasts pressing hard into his chest, her body hot and pulsating, pressing against him.
It took every ounce of strength for Caesar to push her away from him.
“Stop! Stop it, Ara.” he said, his voice betraying the sexual desire she had stirred up in him.
She looked at him, her breasts rising and falling, her eyes dilated with sexual frustration; even at that, she looked so lovely and desirable; he had to give her that.
“Mark my words, Caesar. That girl is going to disappoint you,” She said, thumbing her finger at him. “Just watch and see. She’s going to cause you a whole lot of trouble and you will regret ever getting involved with her.” There was contempt in her eyes.
Caesar was angry now.
“I don’t care, Ara. I think you better leave,” he said.” Leave!” He yelled.
Ara looked at him, her eyes filled with hatred.
“I’m going to kill myself if you get married to that girl. I will kill myself,” the evil gleam in her eyes told him she meant what she was saying and it angered him.
“Is that a threat?” He snarled.
“Yes it is!” She returned. “I will kill myself, Caesar. And the world would know how the mighty Caesar had lost the daughter of a rich man, because of an orphan girl who could never offer him anything but pain and misery.”
An angry glint jumped into Caesar’s eyes.
“Get out! Out!” He screamed, and he moved towards her, caught her by her arms, ignoring the yell of pain that came from her, he dragged her to the front door. He swung the door open, pushed her out, then he slammed the door shut and leaned against the door, his head resting against the door panel, his eyes closed. He was heaving heavily, the anger in him evaporating slowly. The words she had said to him began to run around his head but he pushed it out of his mind.
After some moments, when he felt better, he went up the stairs that led to his library, entered it, settled down on his chair comfortably and a few minutes later, he was talking to a clothing store in the city that deals with wedding gowns.