Chapter 25. Chispeada
Lilly Bradley
I woke up thinking about Jackson and immediately refused to dwell on it. It was just my imagination, nothing more. It was Saturday morning, my first weekend since I started working. I heard an argument in the distance; it was Leah and my mother. I pulled the blanket off, put on my slippers, and left my room. There they were.
"I'm not saying I'm uncomfortable..." Leah was defending herself, sitting at the dining table with a newspaper in hand and her plate of half-eaten pancakes. My mother was in the kitchen, wearing her apron and pointing a spatula at my sister.
"Then what is it? This country is very different from England; you can't just search and leave."
"Mother, don't do this. Why are you making me feel bad? Lilly and I are independent. Have you asked her if she's planning to look for something later?" I was leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, watching the argument. Leah looked in my direction. "There she is, ask her..." My mother stepped out of the kitchen doorway to look at me.
"Are you thinking about finding an apartment too?" I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Then I made a face and walked over to the table.
"It's too early for this kind of mood." I smiled before taking a sip of Leah's orange juice.
"Should I serve you?" my mother asked. I nodded, feeling very hungry. She went back into the kitchen, and Leah looked at me.
"You haven't answered," she said, irritated.
"It's my day off, stop bothering me." She made a face and went back to the newspaper.
"I think your father would approve of you waiting a bit longer before moving out," my mother said as she came out of the kitchen and handed me a plate of freshly made pancakes. I accepted them and thanked her.
"We're old enough to make our own decisions. Just like we were independent in London, we can do it here."
"But it's a different country, Leah, understand me," our mother said as she sat at the table with us.
"What if we find something close to you? Would that make you feel better?" I asked, trying to stay neutral. She raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe..." Leah rolled her eyes and looked at me.
"Switzerland," she said. I just smiled at her comment. After finishing, Leah locked herself in her room to watch movies and sleep. My mother stayed in the living room to read, and my father had gone to work earlier, so I hadn't seen him.
Around noon, I was in bed, wrapped in my blanket, watching my favorite shows. I was thinking about ordering pizza for lunch when my phone rang. I reached out without looking at the number on the screen, too focused on not missing a scene.
"Yes?" I said, answering the call.
"Lilly, it's Maxima." I looked at the screen.
"Oh, hi Maxima."
"Are you busy?" she asked.
"A little, is everything okay?" I asked, pausing the show. I sat up and waited for her to say something.
"Yes, of course. Do you have plans for one in the afternoon?" I frowned, looked at the clock on the side table, and realized it was twelve-thirty.
"Umm, I don't know, it's in half an hour. I guess I'll keep doing the same."
"Mrs. Johnson called me this morning to thank you for going in my place." I opened my eyes a bit wider.
"Oh, that's very kind."
"And she asked me to invite you to the lunch they're having in her honor for her birthday." I frowned.
"Wasn't her birthday last night?" I asked.
"It's today. Yesterday was her pre-celebration with her family and close friends, but today is a big event at her house. There will be waiters, a buffet, live music, and desserts. She loves desserts."
"Oh," I ran a hand through my hair, thinking of an excuse not to go. "I don't know, isn't it private?"
"Lilly, come on, Mrs. Johnson herself asked me to invite you. Apparently, she liked you a lot. Even her sister-in-law Eleanor asked for you to be brought along. Come on, cheer up."
"Last night, Mr. Jackson got upset because I went. Now he'll think I'm crashing his family's parties. I'm just an employee, and he made that very clear in front of his family last night. I don't want to feel uncomfortable or make anyone else uncomfortable," I said honestly.
"Jackson won't be there. He's at his retreat on weekends, so there's no way you'll feel uncomfortable. I'll pick you up so you won't have to drive. What do you say?"
"Okay. Are you sure he won't be there?" I asked.
"He won't be there, don't worry. Besides, it's Saturday. What will you do? Watch movies and eat pizza until you're stuffed?" I raised my eyebrows, surprised.
"Okay, I'll get ready. Is it very fancy?"
"Yes, so dress up."
At exactly one, Maxima was waiting for me. I had put on a gray corset-style blouse that matched my flared pants and long coat. Leah had helped me curl my hair while I did my makeup. I looked fabulous, even more than yesterday.
During the drive, Máxima didn't stop talking about the Johnsons. For almost thirty minutes, I listened to how the family had treated her when she arrived in the city, how her friendship with Jackson was so strong that many thought they would end up together despite the age difference. But she quickly clarified that he wasn't her type and she preferred a different kind of company. Different kind? How many were there?
We arrived at the large gate, which slid open to let us through. I was nervous because I didn't know anyone well enough to have a conversation and be myself. Máxima looked stunning, with the lower half of her hair dyed silver-gray and the rest black, reminiscent of Cruella. She wore a bone-colored suit with a tie, stiletto heels, and a beautiful designer bag. Máxima had style.
"Welcome, Mrs. Johnson is in the backyard," announced a very attractive man in a tie.
"Thank you, Everest," Máxima smiled at him, and he returned the smile. I followed her through the main garden, we crossed a threshold, and my eyes widened in surprise at all the luxury. There were white tents, an illuminated dance floor, and a stage with a live band.
"Wow..." I murmured, seeing how many people were there, too many.
"Come on, this is our table," Máxima announced beside me. The table was impressive, with a tall floral centerpiece and dazzling crystalware, porcelain plates, and various types of spoons and forks on the side. It was simply beautiful and luxurious.
"It's beautiful," I told Máxima, and she smiled.
"And you haven't seen anything yet. Isidora loves throwing these kinds of parties, but with the money she has, who wouldn't?" she smiled. The waiter arrived and served us drinks. As I took a sip, I was ecstatic. It was the best champagne I'd ever had, much better than the one my ex-in-laws served at my engagement party. Remembering that part of my life made my heart ache. Oliver's infidelity had broken my heart so much that I left my entire life in London and started from scratch on the other side of the world.
"They're here!" I heard a woman's voice. Máxima stood up to greet her, and then I realized that behind all that makeup and extravagant clothes, it was Mrs. Johnson. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, which surprised me. "Lilly! Come here!" She hugged me warmly, and I returned the hug. As we parted, her smile widened.
"Thank you for the invitation. Happy birthday," I said sincerely, and she sighed.
"You don't need to thank me, and thank you," her eyes sparkled again as she looked me over. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you, you too." Then Jackson's father came and took her to other tables, but as they walked away, they gave me a fleeting look that made me uneasy. Máxima took my arm to guide me back to my seat. After my fourth glass of champagne, I felt relaxed. Máxima didn't stop chatting with me, telling me stories from her past, and then she moved on to jokes, making me laugh out loud with her. The evening was turning into night, and the guests were getting very festive, some drunk and others sitting with their partners. I was alone. Máxima was dancing with an elegant man who was the son of one of the Johnsons' wealthy friends.
"Miss, would you like another glass of champagne?" I looked at the waiter and nodded with a smile. He was quite good-looking. As I was about to take it, it was snatched from his hand.
"The lady has had enough," it was Jackson, his look at the waiter was one of displeasure. "Bring water, please." The waiter nodded quickly and slipped away.
"Who told you I've had enough?" I asked. He said nothing for a moment, just pulled out the chair next to me and sat down.
"You've had four glasses of champagne, which means your blood alcohol level would be high enough to make you start to wobble. Your cheeks are flushed, your eyes are shiny, and the way you're talking suggests you're... tipsy. But I could be wrong since you haven't eaten anything to balance it out, so... that's enough."
"You say it so matter-of-factly, it just makes me want to laugh," I confessed. He raised an eyebrow, and his jaw tightened.
"And another thing, it takes away your filter," I burst out laughing at how naturally those words came out of him. "It's not funny." I stopped laughing immediately, covering my mouth with my hand.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh."
"I know, so I'll order something, and you'll eat." I lowered my hands to my lap.
"You sound so formal and authoritative that it gives me goosebumps." He pressed his lips together. "But that doesn't take away from how damn attractive you look in that suit."