CHAPTER FOUR
MAE…
"Look who the cat dragged in" I say as soon as I see Nathan. I am extremely happy to see him.
He laughs. "I was in the area and decided to come check this place out."
"Oh, so you came just for sightseeing?" I respond coyly.
"Well, of course why else would I be here?"
"I don't know, maybe to see the sexy receptionist"
We both laugh. Then he quipped "Well that is a side bonus." He leans on my desk. "Are you free for lunch?"
I look at my schedule and see that i am not scheduled to have an replacements today; it's straight on till 8pm for me so I shake my head in answer to him.
He shrugs. "Oh well, I took a chance. If you can't do lunch, can you do a dinner party with me? tomorrow night?"
"Diner party?" I am shocked. This is a guy I met yesterday. Isn't this moving a little too fast? Or am I just being paranoid?
"Yep. My father is hosting a few people. I would like you to be my date." He replys.
"You want me to meet you dad?" my eyes pops out. Yup this is definitely moving too fast.
He just laughs. "You can meet him, but I doubt he will remember you. He will be busy. Don't worry, we will just go, have a good time and I will take you home."
I agree. "What time? And how big is this dinner party?"
His eyes veils over. "Not big at all, just a couple of friends. I know you are thinking dresses right now" he laughs "Wear anything you feel comfortable in."
I smile. In my head, I am already thinking wedding bells and wedding gowns. This can potentially be the man I have been waiting for. "Alright alright," I say. "I'll go. Pick me up at 8pm. I'll text you my address."
"So I finally get to have your contact" he feigns excitement and jumps.
I laugh and then I see them.
*****
NATHAN…
I follow Mae's eyes and I see what or rather who she is looking at. Ah! It's the Connor siblings. This is another reason I came here; to see the establishment they have that is the talk of the state. I nod at them. A long time has passed since we've all been in the same place at the same time. "Alex, Angela, Dominick and Diana. Fancy seeing you here" I smile.
"Given the fact that we own this place," Alex sneered "it should not be that big of a deal that we are here don't you think?" Angela holds his hands in a silent plea for peace.
I see it and I smile. "I did not come here to fight." I raise my hands up in a show of the peace Angela is asking for. "I came her for someone else. My business here is done, I'll get out of your hairs now."
"Wait, wait, wait," Mae says. This is what I wanted to avoid. I do not want her to know anything.
"You all know each other?" she continues.
"Yes"
"No"
Dominick and I answer simultaneously.
The look on Mae's face belly her confusion so I clarify. "We know ourselves casually we move in the same circles." It surprises me though that Dominick is quick to answer and the answer is in the negative. But I shrug and leave with final words "I'll see you tomorrow."
Mae…
As soon as Nathan leaves, every other person leaves one after the other. No one says anything to me. I look at Dominick's retreating back and it just leaves me wondering what the meeting is about in the first place and what this exchange with Nathan is also about. I will get it out of Nathan tomorrow, one way or another.
I go back to work and I get lost in it, not noticing the questioning looks both Alex and Angela give me all day. Diana goes back home or wherever she is supposed to be and Dominick locks himself in his office.
*****
ANGELA…
This is all so strange. How can I prophecy spoken centuries ago be coming to fruition now? What triggered it now? Is it even true? I look at the girl in question. She seems so ordinary and I for one have not perceived anything in her aura. To be fair, I would be the last to see anything. My powers lie in alleviation and fire. Of course that is in addition to the basic herbs and potent every witch is supposed to know' from birth.
From what Dom says, this girl is a witch virgin and that is bad in and of itself, without including the bloody fact that she might be the One, the Conqueror, the Messiah. This is really serious because the fate of my people rests on the shoulders of this girl who is blank in witchery, who does not even know she is one yet. Does it piss me off? Yes. I was trained from birth to lead my people. My family, passes this on from first-borns to first-borns, from generation to generation. I know I am a good leader, not just my immediate family, but of my community. And now some piss poor girl whom I employed, whom I pay monthly is about to take that from me? Not on my watch.
This so-called prophecy happened centuries ago, witches are still very much in existence and they will continue to be. Right now, the worry should be how to become known to the world, how to dominate this world, and not have to hide from mere mortal human beings. We are stronger, faster, better, smarter and yet we have to hide? No.
*****
MAE...
I know Nathan told me to wear anything comfortable, but I am going to meet his father. I have to make a good first impression even if he is likely not to remember me. So, I need to wear something casual and comfortable, but not too casual. Something chic and classy. The problem is I do not own anything remotely in that category and just as always, I am running behind. Nathan should be picking me up in less than an hour and the only thing I have accomplished is making my room look like a place a hurricane visited. I cannot even find a pen in this room right now talk less of a dress.
I should have planned this yesterday, or this morning, or any other time that is not right now. But no, I did not. And now, I am close to tears with nothing to wear and no money to run to any store and pick anything. Unless…
There is this gown I was gifted on my twentieth birthday. I have never put it on, waiting for the right moment. Could this be it? I go to the back of my closet and pull out the box. I unwrap it and pull out the gown. It is still as beautiful as I remember it. I notice I have tears in my eyes. This is definitely what I am wearing partly because I feel this is the right moment but majorly because I have nothing else to wear.
I get into the shower and have a bubble bath. I know I should not indulge in it but I need to relax and this helps me relax.by the time I get, I am running on fifteen minutes till Nathan picks me up. I hurriedly get into my dress and put on a light make up of lip gloss, eye liner and an enhancer. I did my hair in an up do and just as I am putting on my shoes I hear the knock. I smile. He is right on time and I am done right on time too. I am a genius.
I open the door and usher him in, pouring him a glass of wine and rushing back to spray on a little perfume and grab my purse. I come back out and he stares.
"I thought I told you to wear something casual and comfortable" he says.
"You said comfortable, not casual. This is comfortable." I reply smug.
H laughs. "You look amazing." He gets up and take a sniff at my neck. He licks it in the process. This instantly arouse me and I realize it has been a while since I had sex.
I groan. "You better stop doing that if you want us to make it out of here."
He whispers. "What if I do not want us out of here for a long time?"
I shudder. "Well then, I'll gladly approve."
He shakes his head and takes a step back. "You have no idea what you do to me," he says. "But we really need to get going. This isn't something I can ditch sadly," He continues.
I laugh and said nothing. We drank one more glass of wine and then we leave. I get into the car and a glass of chardonnay is waiting. "It seems we will be pretty drunk by the time we get there" I comment.
"Don't tell me you do not know how to handle your wine" he mocks.
I playfully hit his hand and sip my wine. Of course I can handle my alcohol. You cannot grow up the way I did and not know how to handle a little alcohol.
Thank goodness there is no traffic tonight. We soon get to the place and I am stunned.
"Is this where you live?" I whisper.
He just laughs and does not answer.
The house was a Mansion. In fact if there is anything bigger than that, I would call it that. It has five floors and different wings, each floor having a parlour, kitchen and dining room of its own. Later I get to find out that it house 20 bedrooms and there are some rooms no one have been into in a long while. I also later discover that this is just one of their houses. They apparently own houses and other properties all over the world. And here I thought the Connors were the riches people I knew. Nathan can very easily buy them. Where do people get this kind of money from? I wonder.
The gardens are also all properly trimmed and built to attract attention. That is where I am drawn to first. Nathan good humouredly follow me there and take me round it. The flowers are all beautiful and some of the plants are rare plants. It also boasts of a love seat at the far end of it and of a waterfall right at the centre.
"If you look straight up to the second floor, the first room with the lights on is mine." Nathan tells me.
I smile "Maybe when no one is looking, we can sneak up there and continue where we left off at my place." I suggests.
He just laughs and nudge me towards the house. I am suddenly self-conscious. My whole apartment could fit in here ten times over.
We enter the house and from the door I feel something off. I turn my head around and meet the scariest looking person I have ever met. He is just staring at me from across the room. Before I realize it, Nathan is steering me towards him. I cannot get my eyes off him and apparently neither can him.
"This is the girl I've been telling you about Father." Nathan says.
He just kept staring.