Chapter 14: In which she takes the first step.
After getting the message from Samuel, I retired to my room saying that I was a bit tipsy and sleepy. Not a complete lie since I've never had classy wine before, only cheap beer and dollar store wine back in college, and I had a few too many glasses of the desert wine to make me a bit dizzy, but not completely dead-drunk creepy.
So taking the opportunity, I told Nate I'll be going to sleep and we both had work tomorrow so we couldn't stay up late. Nate accepted without a complaint, retiring to his own room.
But sleep was hard to come. I had a very disturbing sleep, waking up every half hour to search for my phone so I could call Sam, but then I'd realize that irrationality of the thought as soon as I saw the time. So despite my itchiness, I waited till Roan dropped me off to my apartment the next morning, after getting a HUGE lecture from Nathan about eating a healthy meal before I showed my ass back in office and enduring disappointed and suspicious looks from Roan all throughout the ride.
"I wasn’t high, Roan. I was just sick, so Nate took me to his house to look after me." I had finally snapped when his looks got on my last nerve. Seriously! I wasn’t that shady just because I lived in a less than pleasant neighborhood. Who did he think I was? A whore on crack?
"Apologies, Savannah. I was simply looking out for the young Master".
I understood that completely. Roan had been Nate's father's chauffer before him. He had know him since Nate was in his diapers. Nate was like a son to him, and his instincts were stronger now that Nathan had lost everyone. But he also had to realize that Nate was now a full-grown adult who was very much capable of taking care of himself.
After reaching my tiny apartment; and it looked miniscule after I had spent the night at a mansion of a penthouse, I took a quick shower, dressed in a light pink shirt and black pants and tied my honey coloured mane into a high ponytail and finally dialed the number I'd been dying to all night.
"Meet me at Cranberry." Was his curt reply before the phone went dead.
Damn him for choosing another high class restaurant! I thought about changing to a dress, but decided against it. Who knew where Nate's people would be hiding to inform him of my 'date' with my twin brother.
That brought up another question in my mind...why did he bully me in high school if he liked me? What’s with the trend of men being mean to the women they like? Being nicer makes then naturally more attractive, or at least that’s how it works for me. I just hope he doesn't go back to being that cold, distant person he was for the past two weeks, right after we hugged in the parking lot.
With my mind on Nate the entire bus ride, I arrived at the restaurant to find Samuel waiting by the entrance.
"Hey there, sissy!" he said, giving me that warm brotherly hug that I've missed for several years.
"Hey yourself! What's happened to you?" I asked eying his faded blue jeans and light green Tee, and finally looking a handsome man his age. His blonde hair was a bit shorter than it was two weeks ago and his jaw was clean shaven, making him look considerably younger.
It was very different to his suits that I've grown so accustomed to see over the past four years, when he first took me to get admitted into college. But seeing him in a normal tee and jeans, brought back the memories of the blonde skinny little boy, only twenty minutes older than me, who would chase me around the house for eating a pancake out of his plate as our mother’s laughter, vibrant and alive, filled the house with joy.
But those days were long gone. Our mother’s laughter forever lost and buried under the earth and a father who was no better than a stranger on the road.
"I don't have to go to office until late afternoon, so I didn't find any need to dress up," he looked at me sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. "Also, father’s not home so I can finally dress in casual attires as much as I want.”
I had almost forgotten that Sam had to follow strict rules for being the heir to the McKenna family line. Our father dearest did show him off a lot and put him on a pedestal, but he had to follow all his rules and none of them were easy rules either. Sam had told me how much he hated making pleasant conversations with people who were snide and rude but he had to because they were our father’s business partners.
“Come, let’s eat. I may not have work, but you do".
With that, we entered the posh restaurant and were escorted to our table by a black haired waitress, who kept eying my brother like a medium rare stake.
"Pancakes, but add only a touch of baking soda or it gets bitter, not sweet, slightly savory and with a maple syrup glaze. Extra maple syrup on the side and some freshly squeezed orange juice for her and a ham and cheese burger and a cup of coffee for me," Samuel ordered and the waitress went away to get our orders.
"Wow! You still remember?" I asked, surprised that he'd actually still remember how I liked my pancakes done.
"Of course I do," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're my twin sister! How can I forget what you like and don't like!"
I smiled at that. "So," I turned the topic to a bit harder one. "How's the step bitch from hell?"
"Not bitchy at all," Sam said, surprising me." She likes to keep to herself when she's around, but for the most part she stays at her boyfriend's. I don't think she likes our father, either. And actually, she’s not all that bad if I’m being honest. She can be helpful too when I want advice on business."
I nodded my head, hearing him speak. Although I thought she would have made a good ally, I didn’t like hearing my own twin praising our step-sister so highly; and besides, we couldn't trust anyone just yet. This battle was ours to fight, ours alone. Because he is the reason our mother is not with us anymore. And he will pay for his deeds.
"Now...let's talk business then,” I told him as soon as our food arrived and we were left alone.
"Let's," Samuel said, grim determination on his handsome face.
Let the drama begin.