Apollo LaFontaine's pov
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"God, I'm so bloody hungry," Kyle cried as he finished what he was doing.
"When is your girlfriend leaving her firm?" I asked him. He dates Loren Grayson, one of the main lawyers of the firms contracted by our dear company. "You better remember to buy the girl flowers, chocolate, and at least one present beauty related."
He winked, "The present is in my car, I bought her the Saint Laurent dark pink silk dress she's been thirsting over. I already called the flower shop to prepare a big lily bouquet, since it's her favorite flowers. I'll also drop by the store to buy some Ferrero Rocher for her. I'm prepared, mate, it's our 2nd Valentine's day together, I know what she likes."
"You're 32, she's 31, she'll probably like a wedding ring," I poked.
"Or second anniversary will be in April 30th, I'll propose then."
My jaw dropped, "I was joking, mate," I gasped, but he kept the smug on. "Great to see how serious you are. I'll be a groomsmen."
"Of course, you will. You're my only friend from work, bugger."
"And your boss," I grinned. "10 years younger than you."
"Fuck off," he gave me the middle finger, "you should be worrying your pretty head about yourself, Apollo. Penellaphe is 27, she'll probably want a ring too, and now that we know she's a…" he pointed to the Prada symbol on his tie, "child from this empire, you better do it well."
I rolled my eyes, "I've been planning to do so since 2020, Kyle."
"Jesus," he groaned, "I can't imagine the two of you… oh Lord."
"Oh, shut up," I gave him the middle finger. "She's P."
He set the jokes aside and turned to me, "Will you tell her?"
"Not yet!"
Kyle cocked his eyebrows, "Scared of her reaction?"
"I'm craving her reaction," I grinned. "But not yet."
"You are playing a dangerous game, mate. When will you tell her?"
"I want to see if she'll figure it out. If not, on our date," I purred. "And do not dare to skip the business dinner tonight, I'll pay an extra if you want, you better be there. All the guests are allowed to bring their Valentine, so, me and Penellaphe will probably be the only single people there. I need you there with me," turning my laptop, I stood up. "Got it?"
"Got it," he snapped his fingers. "Lore will like it."
"What are you still doing here? Weren't you hungry?"
"Will you have lunch out of the office?" He asked, sounding dodgy.
"In the rooftop," I purred.
"Penellaphe lunches there everyday," he gasped as if I was insane.
Like Ariana Grande said, "Yes, and?"
"Apollo, she's crazy, she doesn't know you're A."
I grinned amused, "Yes, and?"
"She will throw you off that roof, mate," he cried.
"If she does, I'll grab her and we'll fall together."
"You have lost it," he gasped.
"Go have lunch, before I give you more work to do, Kyle."
Swallowing, he cursed and ran off my office, towards the lift, just like I thought he would. He's a good guy, he's the one who guided me in here, he used to work directly for Penellaphe, so he knew how she was, and he was also in the interview when she was questioning me. Kyle taught me who was who, who had more power, who I should be careful with, and who I should get closer to without having any problem thrown at me.
I would say he's been my best male mate ever since I got to London.
Grabbing my phone, I opened my old email that I only use to talk to Penellaphe, and playing with the piercing in my tongue, I sent her a reply.
➵➵➵
From: Timothée
To: Bianca
Sent: Wednesday, 14 Feb 2024, 12:39
Subject: Thinking of you❤️
I think the word for us is soulmates, love.
I have a feeling we are meant to be, no matter what happens or what could have happened in the past. What if we met each other in the past and we have no idea about that? We were both from Manchester and from the same school, and I do not know about you, but since I went there from my 6 years until I graduated, and you were there at some time, I feel like we might have crossed paths.
I have wondered about that. Especially when I find myself thinking of the fact that we were both athletes in there, and they had few sports in the school. All athletes new each other at some degree. At that time, even if we did cross paths in a hallway, we had no idea we would grow to be so important to each other, how crazy is that?
We have been crossing each other ever since our first contact. Such as in the fact that I only got in touch with you, after you left the academy and Manchester. Then when I move to the US where you were living, you moved back to England where I was living before.
When you were dating, I was not, but when I was dating, you were single. The time we were both single and I got the reality touch from my ex, the one you liked, we were apart for reasons above our control, the pandemic and the loss of loved ones. Until that point, it was like we were star-crossed, that type of love that are not meant to be, that the world and the stars keep working against it.
But in truth, we are fated, love. I feel it.
I think we were both scared of this before, scared of confessing and being rejected by the other, or we did not confess before because at the time we were in different relationships. But not anymore. I was waiting for you, I had set my heart on your hands, and I was waiting for you to open up again, for you to feel ready again, for you to allow yourself to live something like this one more time.
I think you might have guessed that before, but I am a bit younger than you, so I hope you will not have a problem with that, love. In fact, I love the fact that you are older than me, which you might already have imagined.
And I am from the 21st century. To be fair, since you told me what I asked you, even if you did not asked me, I will give you what you gave me.
I was born on October 9th of 2001, in Nice, France, and moved to Manchester when I was 5. My sister is 4 years younger than me. My mom is a retired top model, born in Manchester but her great-grandparents roots from both side comes from Paris. My dad used to be a fashion buying director, but an athlete and a model in his 20s.
His paternal side is natural from Nice, but the side of his mother is rooted in the heart of Greece, in Athens, though she also was born in Nice. Thus why I have grown to love Greek mythology more than any other. He was not the oldest in his family, and they work with beverages in France, since five generations ago.
So, this is something me and you have in common. We both work with fashion, how crazy is that?
I was addicted to Devil Wears Prada as a kid, Anne Hathaway was my ultimate childhood famous crush, so now I have a picture of how bossy you are, if you said Miranda. She was a force to be reckoned with. I like the idea of you being the bossy hot-headed type.
Good to know you are not against marriage, love, since I have plans of putting a ring on that finger of yours. A real engagement ring this time. I do not want to waste any time, I have been dreaming to make you mine in more than a way. I want to own you beyond your body in bed.
Fuck, I cannot wait to have you in my arms, Bianca. You better be reserving stamina, because I have become a starving beast for you, and I doubt I will be able to hold my craving when we met. I yearn for you ardently, love.
3 songs I have been listening to that remind me of you: Run for the Hills & Greedy, both by Tate McRae, and the mix of Fill the Void x The Hills.
It is lunch time, so, have a good lunch, my Bianca.
I love you, my Valentine.
Yours,
- A❤️
➵➵➵
Biting my lip, I grinned satisfied as I sent the email. Grabbing my wallet, my lunchbox where I put my tiramisu and my bubbly Italian wine, then I left my office and headed to the lift without looking back. Pressing the button for the rooftop where nobody goes at this time, scared of meeting Penellaphe there, since that's her habit in this hour of the day, I went straight to where I know she'll be at.
In no time the doors opened again and I strode outside, looking over the mesmerizing view of London and of the design of the rooftop. My eyes search for any sign of the woman in a dark red dress, and when I found her, back to me, eyes down on her phone and giggling like I never imagined Penellaphe would, her knee-high boots were set at her side, her bare feet hitting softly on the ground. I stayed there, watching her, until she put a strange song to play, and began to sang softly to it.
And the lyrics were straight up dirty.
"Sometimes I wonder if you still wanna fuck me. Like you said on AIM in '08 (totally). Bible study, we were buddy, buddy. Then you said that we should fornicate (like, yeah). In my gross Ugg boots, in your scene-king suit. Let your white studded belt hit the ground And my hair stayed teased as I'm on my knees. Shut the Porta-Potty door and not a sound.
And like every other shitty love story. You came and went, and just like that. And I tried to call you desperately. But boy, you didn't add me back, yeah. And baby I know, I know whatever city you're in. You're still the boy that I'd pick, in a line up of, like 30 hot guys. Your eyes are so, so pretty I bet. Your lips are probably wet. With the lies of our relationship.
Well, it's fine because I'm a whore. And, I sleep with guys just for fun and drugs, but sometimes I stay inside and wonder why I thought we were cool, I thought we were cool. In vacation bible school, bible school, ooh. Vacation bible school, bible school, ooh," she stopped as soon as I sat down in front of her, towering over, and quickly paused the song.
"Quite the nasty song to be talking about bible school, no?"
She swallowed, light cheeks instantly blushing, but her eyes glared at me, "What in the bloody pits of hell are you doing here, Apollo?"
My eyes went to her lunch, finding an Italian butty that she began to eat, a dark pink juice that could be strawberry flavored just like all the ones she had back in school, and at her side was a recipient with what I has to be the tiramisu she baked last night, then my eyes went to her. "Lunch?"
"In here?"
"There is no rule saying we cannot have lunch in the rooftop, boss."
She cringed at how I called her, "No, but it's my spot."
"You are rather small to occupy the entire rooftop, Penellaphe."
To that, she swallowed, "You never comes here."
"I'm trying new things," I grinned.
Her emerald green eyes kept glaring, "This is my spot, Apollo."
"Do you love being alone that much?" I tilted my head, then I put my lunchbox on the table, taking my things out of it, and her eyes remained in mine, unmovable. "Not like I'm harmful."
"I don't know about that," she hissed.
Licking my lips, I struggled not to smile, "I mean no harm."
"Are you approaching me because you know of my bloodline?"
She can't be saying that. "I am not interested in your family," and I made sure she saw how offended I am with those words. "Sure, it is a big surprise that you are a Prada, and that you actually own all of this, and all the things being of your family entails, but I don't care. I'm not ambitious over your family's money, because I am rich myself, if you didn't know."
Avoiding my eyes, she clicked her tongue, "I told you before that I did not put you in your position for you, but for the good of the company."
"I'm not here for that," I blinked. "I'm not a dog, Penellaphe," as I said that, I took off my suit, set it aside, took my tie off, and unbuttoned the top three buttons of my dress black shirt, then I rolled my sleeved until my elbows, and when I met her eyes again, they were in the tattoos in my arms.
"Why are you undoing your clothes?" She gulped, affected.
"I did not take my belt off, did I?" I purred and I noticed when she shifted her legs, crossing them. "Eating is sacred to me, I like to be in a very comfortable atmosphere, that's why I don't eat with everyone else. They can be rather… obscene with their eyes."
That made her look away again, "I see." But then she seemed to be remembering something, and look back to me. "Kath looked onto you. I did not ask her to, and I don't really know what she learned about you, but she felt the need to look into you. She told me some… things."
What? Kathleen looked into me? "What things?"
"Did we met before, Apollo?" She asked instead, looking bothered.
I blinked, then I felt my cheeks blushing, my lips parted but nothing came out, then closed, opened again and nothing. Clearing my throat, I had to lean back as she was leaning in, flustered. "You don't remember."
Penellaphe closed her eyes and let out a curse in Italian. "Shite."
"You really don't remember, do you?" I chuckled anxiously.
Sighing, she passed her fingers through her hair sensually, "Sorry," she met my eyes again, "no, I don't remember. Kath said we went to the same school, that you're from Manchester, and that you seemed to hold a grudge against me for some dam reason."
"I do," the words left my lips automatically and she swallowed.
"Did I hurt you? In taekwondo?"
"No," I tilted my head.
"Did I harm you in any physical way?" Did she harm someone?
"Not physically, no," I couldn't help chuckling.
She frowned, "I hurt you emotionally?"
"Yes," I licked my lips.
"But I don't think we ever interacted, I don't,"
"We did," I said over her.
Penellaphe pressed her lips together, "How old was I?"
"16 and 11," I crossed my arms. "Exactly 10 years ago."
She blinked, once, then twice, stared down at her hands, and then at me again, frowning, crunching her little snub nose covered in freckles. "Exactly?" I nodded. "As in February 14th of 2014?" Another nod, and that was enough to make her entire face change from weirded out to shocked. Penellaphe squeaked and covered her lips, horrified, "You were one of the kids," she cried, "who pranked me!"
Pranked who?