Hugh appeared to be bothered by her approach, looking around self-consciously, his hands thrust into the back pockets of his denims. 'Hello,' he said finally, defiantly, almost aggressively.
'Would you like to join a friend and me for lunch?' she asked lightly, wishing she had just gone about her business and left him to his own devices; he clearly didn't welcome her attention. 'There is an open seat at our table.' In fact, the coffee shop had filled up in the previous half-hour, and the spare seat at the table she and Kat shared was one of the few left.
He shook his head as he looked over to where Kat was staring at them with interest. 'I wouldn't want to bother you.'
'You wouldn't be,' she assured him, still unsure whether he remembered her specifically; he was at an age when any woman approaching him made him feel aggressively embarrassed.
'But you're almost done,' he said dismissively.
'I'd like another cup of coffee while you eat,' she says. She gave a cheery smile.
He appeared to pause before nodding. 'Just while you have another cup of coffee,' he grudgingly agreed.
Sophia suppressed a smile as he pretended to be doing her a favor. Sophia could tell Kat was surprised to see her employer's son join them for lunch, and her smile begged the other woman to be patient.
'Hello, Hugh,' Kat said calmly as he took a seat with them. 'The shake is delicious,' she said cheerfully.
He gave her a cool look. 'I'm lactose intolerant.'
Before making her excuses to leave, Kat gave Sophia a look that seemed to say, 'oh well, I tried.' 'I have to get to work,' she said as she stood up. 'I hope you enjoy your lunch, Hugh,' she said cheerfully.
'Thank you,' he grumbled.
Kat gave Sophia another shrug before heading over to Jane at the front desk, clearly relieved to leave Sophia alone.
Hugh ordered his meal with the dismissive tone of a boy who was used to doing so. 'I saw your photo on the billboard outside the lounge,' he said coolly, meeting Sophia's gaze. 'I recognized you right away.'
'I see,' she nodded, at a loss for words.
'Did my father know you were coming?'
Sophia's face flushed. 'I'm not sure.' It was the first time she'd ever been cross-examined by a ten-year-old—even if that ten-year-old was approaching thirty!
'Do you mean you haven't talked to him yet?' Hugh scoffed incredulously.
'No,' she said emphatically.
His face was filled with skepticism. 'I find that difficult to believe.'
'Hugh—'
'Are you having an affair with my father?'
Sophia was taken aback when this young boy asked her such a question. 'No,' she said flatly.
'Why not?' he asked, frowning. 'Didn't you have an affair with him before?'
'Hugh—-' 'I know you did, because he requested a divorce from my mother because of you.'
'No, Hugh!' That isn't the case—'
'Grandfather told me everything about you.' His father's blue eyes were as cold as they could be.
Sophia smirked. 'And exactly what did he tell you?' she asked, shocked and dismayed that Darius Mcklerin despised her so much that he vented his rage on this young boy.
'Does it make a difference?' Hugh brushed it off. 'The fact that you're here now is sufficient.'
'What exactly do you mean?' Over puzzled velvet brown eyes, dark brows met.
'Don't tell me you weren't aware of Grandfather's death,' he scoffed. 'Or the fact that my father now owns the entire Mcklerin empire.'
Sophia had turned a pale color. She hadn't expected politeness from Hugh after realizing he was well aware of who she was, but this! What had Darius Mcklerin said to his grandson about her?
'Your father was always a wealthy man,' she said casually, as if she didn't care.
'Not rich enough for you then, apparently,' Hugh sneered. 'But he now has it all.'
'Not all of them, Hugh.' She gave him a cold stare. 'He clearly has a son who has no manners, a stupid little boy who has no idea what he's talking about!' She spoke to wound because she had been hurt herself, and she knew she had succeeded in humiliating him when she saw the young boy's cheeks stained with pained color.
He stood up abruptly. 'I know exactly what you are,' he said insultingly, raising his voice. 'You're no good, and I'll kill you if you ever come near my father again!' He almost ran out of the room, hoping she wouldn't notice the tears in his eyes.
Sophia swallowed hard, uncomfortably aware that she was the center of attention, and raised her head with a shrug that seemed to say, 'kids!' Hugh was terrified, and she realized he was warning her off his father because he was afraid of her previous involvement with him. He didn't have to be concerned; Raphael would likely murder her if they happened to meet while he was staying here, and he had no reason to want to see her again, as he had made clear the last time they spoke.
She didn't leave the coffee shop right away because she didn't want to appear guilty, and she ordered herself another coffee when she told the waitress that Hugh had changed his mind about the hamburger. She didn't usually drink so much caffeine in the morning and preferred to rest in the afternoon before the evening's show, but after meeting Hugh and learning that Raphael was staying at the hotel, she doubted she'd be able to sleep anyway.
When she finally got up to leave, she knew it was to show Jane James that she couldn't make a fool of herself just because her boyfriend had a roving eye!
She made her way over to the reception. 'You lied to me about Raphael Mcklerin,' she exclaimed angrily.
Blonde brows arched arrogantly. 'I did not do such a thing,' Jane mumbled.
'You told me he wasn't going to stay here,' she said accusingly.
'I said he wasn't registered,' said the other woman coldly. 'And he's not. 'Neither Mr Mcklerin nor his children ever register,' she triumphantly announced.
Sophia could feel the color draining from her face. 'Ch-children?' she asked, dazed; Hugh was an only child when she first met Raphael five years ago!
Jane nodded coldly, 'his son and daughter.'
'Er—' She moistened her parched lips. 'What is the age of his daughter?'
'How could I possibly know?' Jane shook her head, uninterested. 'To me, all young children look the same.'
'Sarah is about three,' Kat rushed over to inform her, frowning at Sophia's pale face. 'Is there anything wrong?' she inquired, her voice trembling.
'Er—no,' she recovered from the shock of learning Raphael had another child with difficulty. 'I had no idea Raphael—Mr Mcklerin—had remarried.' She had to pull herself together because she was making a fool of herself.
Why shouldn't Raphael have remarried and had more children after his divorce from Lora? She had made it clear that she did not want to be a part of his life.
'He hasn't,' Kat continued to frown.
She moistened her lips once more. 'Sarah is Lora's child?' she croaked, wondering if the shock was causing her voice to fade.
'If that was his wife's name, yes,' Kat puzzledly responded. 'Look, are you sure you're all right?'
Jane scoffed, 'Can't you see she isn't?' 'Mr Mcklerin is most likely another of those men who belong to another woman with whom Sophia has been involved.'
'Shut up,' Kat yelled angrily.
'But can't you see that it's true?' Jane mocked. 'Well, his wife is no longer alive, Sophia, so why don't you try again?' she added snarkily
'Jane, if you don't shut up, I'll find a way to do it for you permanently,' Kat warned softly.
Jane's face flushed. 'I was just assuring her that Mr Mcklerin is now free.'
Raphael was still married to Lora when they met and fell in love six years ago, but she was convinced they were divorcing each other, that their marriage had completely failed. But, if Sarah was three, Raphael had to have returned to Lora soon after their own turbulent breakup. And they had another child to consolidate their bond.
'It's all right, Kat,' she said dully as she prepared to defend herself once more.
'Jane is a douchebag—'
'Who do you think you're referring to as a douchebag?' Jane snarled angrily.
'You!' Kat exclaimed angrily. 'Can't you see how upset Sophia is?'
'It appears that one of her previous deviance has caught up with her,' the other woman said dismissively. 'It's also about time. She can't go around chasing the men of other women —'
'If you're talking about Matt, let me tell you he's the one who does the chasing!' Kat cut in insultingly. My first week here, I was black and blue from avoiding his advances!'
'You're a bitch!' You—'
'Oh, shut up, Jane,' Kat said impatiently, coming out from behind the desk to place a comforting arm around Sophia's shoulders. 'Come on, love, let me take you to your room.'
Sophia and Kat walked up to the room that had been assigned to her for the month of her contract at this hotel. 'She'll never forgive you,' she said grimly.
Kat shrugged, indicating that she wasn't interested—or concerned about Jane. 'She's a malicious bitch,' she said dismissively. 'It's past time for someone to put her in her place.'
'Oh, I think you did that,' Sophia admitted ruefully as she unlocked her door.
'Do you want me to stay with you for a while?' Kat offered a sympathetic response.
No, that's fine, would you mind if I wanted to be alone for a while?' she asked
Kat encouraged her by squeezing her arm. 'I'm always available if you need someone to talk to.'
'Thank you,' she said gratefully, entering her room to slump glumly into an armchair, seeing nothing of the luxurious comfort of the room, only feeling the pain of knowing that the love Raphael had once professed for her had been a fleeting sensation after all, that he had returned to the wife he had admitted he still loved