Chapter 16 - O

*

Another random day in Anton's household.

The caretaker from the last time, Sarah, opened the front door. Xander walked in and she bowed in acknowledgement.

He was dressed very casually in a black plain vneck t-shirt and black skinny jeans. A silver watch sat on his left wrist and he wore black combat boots. His entire dressing screamed Goth or 'dressed to kill', literally. His hair was pushed back and the sides were shaved slightly. He had a piercing in each ear and a pair of silver stud earrings sat in his piercings.

Sarah was dressed casually as always as well, in a pair of faded blue jeans and a short sleeved baby blue shirt. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore yellow kitchen gloves. Xander nodded at her with a slight smile and turned around.

"Where's Anton?" He took off his jacket, hung it on the rack.

"He's in a meeting, sir. I'll let him know you've arrived, sir." She turned to leave.

"No need. I'll let him know myself." He smiled at Sarah. The smile had not a single trace of warmth.

***

Xander pushed the door of the lounge open and walked in.

Anton who was speaking stopped abruptly, lifted his head at the sound of the door opening and his gaze collided with Xander's. His cold expressionless face broke into a familiar smile. He was dressed semi-formally in a dark cream coloured suit and a white shirt. He didn't wear a tie, and his first button was undone, showcasing the top of his chest and a bit of his collarbones.

The front of his hair was let down in bangs framing his face. His hair was even longer than it was last time. The middle of his hair was packed up, folded and tied so it didn't fall in a ponytail. The back of his hair was let down and fell to his shoulders. On his left hand sat a silver watch. The left hand he had been using to showcase a brochure to his client, and pointing at what he had been talking about with a black pen he held in his right hand before Xander barged in.

His hands remained in that posture. He didn't even seem annoyed that Xander barged in on his meeting. Anton stood up, turning to a lady who was seated on the couch at his left.

She was dressed beautifully in a dark blue dressed that only reached her mid thighs. A pair of strings tied behind her neck held the top of the dress firm against her body. The bodice however was fitted and the skirt of the dress flared out around her thighs. On her feet, she wore black exteemely high designer heels and a black designer bag sat on the couch beside her. She was currently sitting with her right leg crossed over her left, resting her right hand on her long legs, her left arm on the armrest of her chair and leaning her body close to Anton. She had on light makeup, with dark blue eye shadow and nude lipstick.

Her head rested on the fingers of her right hand that was propped on the arm of the couch as she watched Anton with a slight smile that was wiped off, the moment the door slammed open. And she turned to the intruder with a cold face. Xander didn't care. His face was colder.

"Please excuse me for a moment." Anton told the client, then turned to Xander with a satisfied smile. Xander raked his eyes over Anton then cracked a small smile in return. They both walked out the doors of the lounge together, shutting it behind them.

***

They both stood in 'Xander's room' opposite each other. Xander stood with his back to the wall beside the dresser and Anton stood few metres in front of him, both waiting for the other to say something first.

Anton decided to break the silence first.

"I thought you had finally run away. When you didn't come back again for a month and a half, so I really wasn't expecting you." A smirk played at the corner of his lips.

"Never." Xander refuted immediately. "I was held up by something. So I managed to temporarily run away. I'll have to make up for it when I go back."

He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall and crossing his legs after.

"Mmm" Anton nodded to himself and stood beside him with his arms crossed too but not resting against the wall.

"New client?" Xander turned his head to Anton's face watching his every reaction.

Anton's face didn't change. "Mn. We're almost done anyways."

Xander didn't say anything and his face didn't betray his emotions either, his face remained blank, like Anton's bedside him.

"Will you join me in the meeting today, as well?"

"Mn." Xander nodded curtly, his face still didn't change.

Anton smiled in satisfaction at Xander's answer. "Alright. Have you had dinner yet?"

"Definitely not. I don't eat when I'm coming to your house." Xander declared as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Mmm, I see." Anton nodded to himself, the little smile at his lips didn't drop however. "I'll get started on dinner the moment she leaves."

"Oh, good. I'm starving." Xander admitted.

Anton smiled a little wider and turned, heading towards the door. Xander didn't ask any questions, he followed Anton out of the room.

***

"I'm sorry for the intrusion." Anton apologized to the lady in the lounge the moment he entered. She smiled, but there was no trace of warmth in her smile whatsoever. "He'll be joining us till we finish. I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable with it."

"It's alright." She turned to Anton with her stiff looking smile. She fake-smiled at Xander in greeting, then turned back to Anton.

Xander sat at his seat on Anton's right like always, looking very at home. He didn't even bother to nod politely back at the client. He practically pretended as though she never existed.

Anton neither tried to get him to be polite nor apologised on his behalf.

"Anton, I came for two reasons today." The woman drawled in a seductive manner. "The new house design and the fact that I've been wondering why you've remained single all this time."

As she spoke, she dragged a dark painted blue nail down the fabric of his shirt in a coquettish manner, giving him another coy look after. Was she not embarrassed doing this?

Anton forced a smile and grabbed her misbehaving finger off his arm and held it tight with his right hand to stop all her movements.

"This... is exactly why I'm single." He deadpanned, placing her hand back in her lap.