I stick my legs together roughly to shove him away because why the hell is he becoming so touchy all of a sudden? I cross my fingers, hoping nobody will notice how flushed I am after his possessive touches.
Damn you, Ares.
His hands are like liquid lava on my skin.
A low growl comes out of him as if he’s mad being denied. “So, Carolina, are you still living in Knoxville?” he says with way too much charm for him to sound genuine. I’m sure as hell his sister got it too. She sounds really nice, and I wonder how she puts up with him. But then again, her husband lookslike a secret agent who barely speaks, so I guess that’s her jam. The brunette lightens up instantly at Ares’s question as if his interest was all she had been waiting for.
“My family is from Kingsport, but I moved here a long time ago for work.” She glances with a smile at Vanessa. “It’s nice being around people I love, you know, to think about building a stable future, family and such.” There are stars in her eyes, as if Ares was the foundation of her five-year plan on her dream moodboard. I lean my head to the side, staring at her, observing how she dares bat her eyelashes at him.
The girl must be around thirty, or early thirties, so a bit older than my twenty-three -years-old ass, which would technically make her a more logical choice for Ares, who’s thirty-two. But somehow, the idea of them together rubs me the wrong way.
He’s not a real husband, Mia. Don’t get confused by the huge emerald on your finger.
“Yeah I see. Nice to know you’re gonna stick around,” Ares says, grinning wickedly, then glancing at me with daring side eyes.
“Um, yeah,” Caroline purrs with delight.
What game is he playing?
Is he trying to make me jealous, or does he get off on flirting with her in front of me?
I choose to take the high road and not react, keeping my gaze as cool as I can.
He wants her? He can have her.
I. Do. Not. Care.
The first meal is a light salad with a few pieces of duck I manage to push aside and kind of hide under a piece of bread on my plate. Not the most classy behavior, but the name of the game is to survive, not thrive. The salad is fine because the dressing is on the side, so I don’t have to force myself to eat it.
Green leaves are safe. It’s on the list.
Each time I take a bite, I notice Ares glancing at me like he’s waiting for me to burst or something.
What is he up to?
Vanessa is talking about a big sale at work she had to organize with paintings and sculptures coming from all over the world. I like that she's into creative things like me, even though she looks way more like an organized queen with her sleek blonde bob and fancy navy corporate dress. She’s quite nice, and I think we are going to get along just fine.
“It took five hours, I swear. The guy didn’t want us to touch his work. We had to wait for him.” She rolls her green eyes dramatically, the same shade as Ares’s in them. “Artists are no joke, you guys. Sometimes I wonder if compared to you,” she addresses Ares and Scott, “we’re not the ones dealing with crazy people.” She laughs.
“Nah, babe, I wouldn’t want you near our folks. You keep your artists just fine.” Scott grins with a tender look at his wife.
Damn, they are cute.
“Mia, would you like to come to our next exhibition in two months? I got this amazing new sculptrice. She makes wonders with clay. It’s really worth it!” Vanessa says with excitement.
In two months?
Would I still be there, or would I have indulged in the fantasy of escaping?
I feel shitty making false promises to her. She seems so nice, but I can’t reveal my doubts, so I go with my guts.
“I’d love to. We could go clubbing after.” I push further just to see how my fake husband will react. He did flirt with another woman in front of me. Wouldn’t be fair not to fight back.
You’re playing with fire.
The atmosphere shifts as Vanessa’s laugh fills the room.
“Clubbing? Have you met Scott?” She giggles, then elbows her husband lightly in the ribs. “If I want to go clubbing, I will end up dancing by myself with no one around because he will privatize the club so no other men can come near me.” Scott nods in silence next to her, his jaw flexing at the sound of his wife explaining their dynamics.
