Chapter 51 Claudia
CHAPTER 51: Claudia
Chauncey
Claudia walked through the doors looking as beautiful as I remembered. She didn't just walk in; she colonized the space, a vision of expensive silk and restless motion. Her erstwhile long, dark wild mane was now cut in a stylish chic shoulder length bob that seemed to catch every light in the room. She was already causing quite the stir, attracting attention from people nearby.
She spotted me and waved excitedly. I groaned aloud, swiping my palm across my face.
This wasn't happening.
She moved with a predatory grace, throwing herself into me before I could even stand up properly.
“Chauncey!” she squealed, her arms wrapping around my neck as she peppered my face with kisses. “God, I missed you! Look at you! You look like absolute hell, but I’ve missed this handsome face so much!”
Though my posture was stiff, I wrapped my arms around her. I had missed her too. She was in fact very important to me.
We clung together for a long time, my arms wrapped around her with a silent, grounding strength.
Claudia finally pulled away, holding me at arm's length to inspect me.
“Look who finally joined the manbun gang,” she arched her brow. “Your hair is longer than the last time I saw you," she noted, her voice loud enough to make the diners at the next table turn. “Longer than mine now.”
I glanced at her locks and shook my head.
Trust Claudia to over exaggerate the littlest things.
She grinned, her expression bold, as she flicked the tiny diamond studs in my nose.
“And the double nose studs? Honestly, you look like a total whore. I love it.”
My reply was a low, amused chuckle. “Can't decide if that should be a compliment or an insult.”
“You know I'm your biggest cheerleader, Cee," she murmured softly, her thumb brushing over my jaw.
I was about to say more when I noticed someone standing behind her.
I froze.
Standing just a few feet away from us, holding a tray and looking entirely unimpressed, was Cherry. Red.
She was dressed in a waitress's uniform. Did she work here?
“Excuse me,” she said, her voice flat and laced with a cold, professional bite. “If you’re done with your… reunion, I need to pass. You're blocking the aisle.”
Why did it sound like she was…pissed?
Claudia turned around, still clinging to me. Her eyes raked over Cherry with an instantaneous, instinctive dislike that didn’t surprised me.
I could see the familiar boldness rising in her, that impulse to look down on anyone in a uniform.
“Is there a problem, honey?” she asked Cherry, her voice dripping with a fake, sugary sweetness that was actually a warning.
But I knew the little redhead enough to know that she was not going to cower.
Cherry shifted the weight of the tray in her hand around.
“The problem is you're in the way,” she replied, her eyes flashing with an irritated heat.
With eyes narrowed to slits, Claudia opened her mouth to say something undoubtedly cruel, but I stepped in, catching her by the arm and leading her toward the table.
”Let’s go, Claud," I muttered, moving her out of Cherry's line of fire and towards the table before she could start a scene.
As soon as we were seated, her gaze flickered to the spot where Cherry had been standing.
“I see the servers are lacking in manners these days. I'm going to—”
“Nothing,” I cut in quickly. “You’re not going to do anything. Let it go.”
I looked over there and there was no sign of Cherry.
Still, Claudia was not satisfied, but she didn't push the matter.
“Are you alone?”
She froze momentarily, her expression faltering. “Why do you ask?”
“How long are you staying?”
She smiled deviously. “I don't know. For now.”
I rubbed my temples. I was going to lose my mind.
“Where is your luggage?”
She grinned, all teeth. “I sent them over to your place. For now.”
I groaned. “I should never have sent you my new address.”
“You know you love me.” She leaned in. “I heard something.”
“What did you hear?” I deadpanned.
She held my gaze steadily, more serious this time.
“Silas got married,” she said in a tone that sounded more accusatory. “No one told me. I had to find out from a gossip column in Zurich! A marriage, Chauncey? Really?”
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. This was exactly what I didn't wish to be caught in the middle of.
“That had nothing to do with me.”
She scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “You may be an idiot. But you hardly pass for a fool. The hair and nose studs don't fit the description.”
I rolled my eyes. “What would you have me do?”
“Pick up the phone and inform me. Like a decent human being.”
“There was no way I was going to call you and tell you that,” I said, leaning back. “Not after you just vanished for five years after the last disaster you caused. Personally, I didn't think you deserved the memo,” I shrugged.
“I always care about the drama," she replied, reaching for my wine glass and taking a long sip. “Is she beautiful? Is she a martyr? She’d have to be one to deal with him.”
She had no idea how she close, but also very far from the truth she was.
“Does Sam know?”
I paused, regarding her briefly.
“No.”
I wasn't in the mood to discuss Vera. Nor Sam.
“You know what? Order something to eat. You can ask Silas yourself when you see him later. I'm not playing the middleman today.”
"Oh, don't be such a bore!" she laughed, reaching across the table to tug at my face lovingly, her fingers pinching my cheeks. “I missed this! I missed you being so annoying and handsome!”
I couldn't say the same.
“Can I take your order?”
The voice was like a cold blade. I looked up to see the stonefaced redhead standing at the edge of our table, her notepad out.
She seemed determined to act like she didn't know who I was.
“Are you really going to ignore me completely?” I asked, an amused smile twitching at my lips. “You’re really going to act like you don’t know me, Red.”
I saw how her eyes spark with a silent fury.
Cherry didn't blink. She glared at me, then at Claudia sitting across from me, her gaze lingering on the way she was still clutching my hand.
“I’m just doing my job, sir,” she replied, the 'sir' sounding like a slap.
Why was she so pissed?
Claudia scowled at her like she was dirt under her shoe.
“Oh, it's you again. The rude server.”
Cherry wanted to say something but clamped down on it.
“Do you have somewhere else to be?” I asked.
“I would have been done taking your orders five minutes ago if you and your girlfriend hadn't been so lost in each other.”
Claudia scoffed, her face scrunching with disgust and irritation.
“Girlfriend?” she repeated, the word sounding like a slur.
“You think I’m his—? Oh, god.”
I let out a short, genuine laugh, looking at Cherry, whose eyes were full of dismissive, irritated heat.
“I think you assume too much, Red,” I said, my voice dropping into a low, amused hum. “She’s not my girlfriend. This is Claudia. She’s my twin sister.”