TWENTY-TWO: THE PARTY II

TWENTY-TWO: THE PARTY II
 They took their first step into the mansion, Juliet’s grip on Xavier immediately tightening.
 Despite her wearing the black dress that must have been made for a goddess, she still felt out of place. Xavier looked ravishing beside her, his suit matching her dress in what she chose to believe was a coincidence- he only wore black anyways so it wasn’t anything special. But maybe, just maybe, the way he looked at her could be considered special.
 Checking her out from head to toe wasn’t anything new. The very first day they met, he checked her out from head to toe like he was mentally trying to weigh her worth. Subsequently, he did the same, his eyes roaming her body like there was something he still needed to figure out about her. But that night, for the first time, she could swear his eyes contained something different. Something she had never seen before.
 It wasn’t just intrigue. And she was certain it was curiosity- not the condescending type. It was something that made her cheeks heat up, her stomach roll in waves and for a second, something that allowed every single person and sound around her fade into the background.
 Until they linked arms and walked into the party, Juliet immediately introduced to an entirely different world.
 Not like she’d expected anything less, the party was fancy. Huge. Elite.
 Right from the entrance, the entry was strict. She watched the guards go through a guest list following by a metal detector search before allowing anyone in. all it took was eye contact from Xavier though for them to all bow and quickly usher him in, temporarily ignoring the other guests all lined up waiting to enter.
 A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked at the man next to her. His eyes were roaming the room, looking at everything but her. His brows were furrowed, his mouth pressed together like it would take actual effort to get him to speak.
 She couldn’t help but wonder what was going through his mind. why he had invited someone like her to a party that fancy when he could easily get one of the models that flooded the floor as his date.
 Date?
 She almost choked at the thought. She wasn’t his date. She was simply accompanying him. Though for reasons she was yet to completely understand.
 “Thirsty?” it apparently took no effort to get Xavier to speak. She looked up at him and nodded slowly, not because she was thirsty but because she just couldn’t say no to him when he offered.
 He finally freed her arm from his grip, the lack of warmth that followed taking Juliet by surprise. She almost took a step backward in shock but controlled herself, watching him leave to stop a server and then take two glasses of champagne from his tray.
 “Here,” he was back by her side, handing over the glass to her. “There’s a bit of alcohol in it so drink slowly.”
 “Thank you,” she muttered then collected the glass from him, taking a sip of the alcohol. It was sweet but had a bitter after taste, the presence of alcohol unignorable. “Also, thank you for inviting me to this party.”
 “You don’t have to thank me,” he took more than a sip of his own champagne. “I’m simply using you by bringing you to this party.”
 “Using me?” Juliet almost laughed. “I’m dressed in fancy clothes that you paid for, drinking fancy champagne all thanks to you and I’m the one being used?”
 “I’m not sure if you’re actually this naïve or pretending to be but whichever way it is, keep it up,” he emptied the contents of his glass down his throat and dropped the glass on the tray of the closest server. “It’s easier that way.”
 “Enjoy yourself. I’ll be right back.”
 Her lips parted to ask him where he was going but before she could, she got an answer.
 “Please put your hands together for my son and biggest asset, Xavier De Luca!”
 Heads turned in the direction of the mini stage created as the man standing there barked into the microphone, his words earning a round of applause. Juliet’s hands on the other hand struggled to find themselves as she just watched the scene in front of her- the old man smiling widely while Xavier took calculated steps towards him, the coldest expression ever on his face.
 He was his father and even without the introduction, she could tell. Their features were similar. So similar she couldn’t help but imagine what Xavier would look like if he ever smiled like that too.
 Xavier made his way to the stage and collected the microphone from his father, the smile on his face refusing to leave. Refusing to change his expression, he faced the crowd and lifted a finger, silence immediately following.
 It wasn’t his first rodeo. He had given at least a thousand speeches like that ever since he was little. Ever since his father declared him as his biggest, most priced asset.
 The silence that once took over the hall was replaced by loud applause the second he dropped his mic. He bowed his head lightly and looked across the room, his gaze easily meeting Juliet’s.
 She was staring at him but thankfully, wasn’t clapping. Her hands clutched the glass in her hand like she was scared it’ll slip, her eyes fixed on him.
 He didn’t look away and neither did she. The gap between them suddenly felt fragile. Like one wrong step or wrong gaze would immediately shatter it.
 Xavier didn’t want to shatter it though. Not yet, at least. But the second he heard Clarissa’s high pitched voice followed by his father’s, everything shattered into a million pieces.
 “Fuck.”
 “Xavier,” they were relentless, his name not leaving their mouths until he was right in front of them. “Beautiful speech.”
 “I owe it all to you,” Xavier replied his father. “I was forced to memorize speeches even before I could memorize the multiplication table.”
 “You’re hilarious,” the old man burst into laughter and nudged him by the shoulder. “But then, you also got that from me.”
 Xavier shifted his gaze from the uncomfortable scene in front of him back to Juliet. She was no longer staring at him and her glass was finally empty.
 “Did you bring someone with you?”
 Xavier’s senses were immediately at alert. He balled his fists and gritted his teeth, controlling himself before he could let out a careless answer.
 “As opposed to spending the entire night listening to you?”
 “You know your son, Leonard,” Clarissa let out a chuckle as she wrapped her arms around Leonard. “He definitely brought one of those girls practically begging on their knees to get an invite to a party like this. He unfortunately got his naughty ways from you too. Ask him for the girl’s name and he wouldn’t even be able to answer.”
 “You bad boy,” Leonard’s face lit up with mischief. “You’re indeed my son.”
 “If you have any more questions, I’m sure she’ll be able to answer you,” he unclenched his fists and shifted his gaze quickly between the two of them. “Now, excuse me. I didn’t come all the way here to listen to you for longer than a minute.”
 He bowed lightly and walked away from them, his fists clenching all over again the moment he was a couple of steps away from them. They were right. He ever only had girls who he could fuck to take his mind off things accompany him to parties like that. Yet, he allowed Juliet follow him.
Juliet.
 He didn’t return to her side. Instead, he grabbed another glass of champagne and made his way to the top floor and in no time, the balcony.