Chasing Imperfection (Chasing Series 2) (18 page)

   
“
Gotcha
—good point. Just hunt me down then in any case?”

     “
Suuure
. You make it sound like there’s going to be an uproar
.
Dude
, it’s just a party, calm down.”

     He grinned, “You haven’t partied rock and roll style haven’t you? You’ll see.”
He took
off his leather jacket and flung it on the nearest chair.

     My stomach growled loudly. I laughed my embarrassment off.
I
seriously forgot
to eat
dinner.

    
“Did you have dinner?” I shook my head. “
What the hell!
I bet you’d skip it too if I didn’t come over and drag you out. Let’
s go
outside.
The hotel staff has prepared food in the kitchen.” His angered tone helped
sink my party mood.

    
Oh
, boo!

    
I stuck a tongue at him
and simmered some more
.
“Sienna—you shouldn’t skip meals. It doesn’t matter if you’re depressed because he’s out with another girl. You should always put your needs first.”
It’s easier said than done
,
buster.

     Upon entering the kitchen, the staff
accommodated
my famished state. Kyle ordered for them to place the food
on
the
kitchen
counter because the entire
penthouse was
starting to get packed. He didn’t want me
to be distracted while eating and
people floated around.
They
served
d
ifferent type
s
of sandwiches, cheeses, fruits, selection of antipasti, mouth-watering cakes, and lastly cute embellished mini burgers
.
.
Yum
, those posh burgers looked divine
,
I thought
fervently
as
a
friendly waitress named Molly
placed a bottle of magnum Ro
s
é
Cristal
,
two champa
gne flutes and a
pot of coffee
beside me
. I quirked my eyebrow and whispered to
Kyle
“You
serve
two thousand dollar champagne
to all these people?”

     He smiled. “
Nah
—I have a st
ack reserved for you and me
. We’re serving them hard liquor and beer from what the band requested.” 

    
The man can be
uber
sweet.
“Geez a stack of champagne
, d
o I look like an alcoholic?”

    
He kissed the
tip of my nose. “No—you
look
deliciously perfect.”
He picked
up a sandwich,
and
held it
to
my mouth and I took a good bite. He literally fed me the entire time.

    
Sipping the glorious bubbles of the decadent champagne, I looked at him through my lashes. “Trying to score points tonight, aren’t we?”

     “Hey, don’t judge—whatever
helps
.” I was about
to reply when we heard loud booming noises coming
outside the kitchen door.
Loud m
usic from The Cure played through the speakers.  “They’re here. Let me go say hi really quick and I’ll be back.”
Kyle gave
me a quick kiss on the lips and left the kitchen.

     “Your
boyfriend loves you very much and he’s drop-dead handsome to boot
,
” Molly
sighed dreamily.

     “Yeah….Kyle does love me very much….” My voice trailed off.
And
I can’t help but stare at his arms. Damn him for walking around with a tight wife-beater on making him look like a smoking hot pistol. Th
ank goodness he left for a bit!

    
I don’
t mind being
left alone. I need
ed
to savor these exquisite looking cakes. I took a forkful of the rich chocolate cake and moaned
“D
elish
.
”
  Another mouthful
and
I
died from the heavenly taste of the hazelnut
mousse
cake. I took a
refreshing
long sip of the
bubbly
and continued on my cake
banquet
.

     “
God
, Sienna—do you have to make eating
….
so sexual?
”

    
I darted him a dirty look. “Don’
t get me wrong, you sounded hot
as hell but I don’t think the waiters appreciate
d
that
,
”
I
retorted to
his biting comment.

     “We don’t mind her
making
sexy sounds.” An entertained chap butted in and a few
“
yeah
s”
came behind me. In normal circumstances, I would’ve been mortified, but the happy bubbles worked
their
magic and I simply giggled. I’m feeling great and I want to
revel in it for the time being.
I took the champagne bottle and got up.

    
“Let’
s go rock the party lover boy!
”
I s
trutted
and called out over my shoulder
to
an
amused
Kyle.

11

Blake

    
“Hi. Don’t bother leaving a message. I won’t check them. Bye
.
”
Sienna’s
phone went directly to her voicemail. Where the hell
is
she?

     I went over to their apartment at nine in the morning and found out she wasn’t home
or
never came home last night.  Neither Toby nor Lucy can confirm anything since they both were so out of it when they got back last night. I demanded
they
call me as soon as she walks through the door.

     I’m in the office on a Sunday afternoon and I’m supposed to go over the counter proposal for the Australian mining company I wanted to buyout but my brain isn’t functioning. Instead, I opted
to nurse
a
snifter
of cognac and stared at the view of
the
River Thames below me
.

     The night with Camilla was rather out of the ordinary.
She surprised me by taking me to h
er mother
’s
fundraiser in their country estate in
Surrey
. I’m almost sure that I saw the invitation somewhere in the office but I didn’t bother opening it. I never minded going to these types of functions but The Clayworths are a different matter.
Cam looked radiantly statuesque and regal in a shimmering gold st
r
aples
s
gown that accentuated her slender figure.
I can just imagine the tittle-tattle of
the
scandalmonger’s tonight when t
hey see me and Cam together.
T
hose bored airless
bimbos never disappoint
.
The minute we entered the foyer, the chitchat died and the deafening sound of whispers took over.

     When Albert came over to greet us, his beaming smile made it a tad awkward for me. Surely, he doesn’t see this as a reconciliation of some sort? I’m merely obliging his daughter.

     The entire t
ime Cam only left my side to
fresh
en
up in the
powder room. After the long eventful dinner, we danced. I can only envisage what the onlookers were thinking. Cam and I did look like we belonged together
and at one time, I thought we were well-matched. She was quite discreet with her intentions with me
the entire night
. But they were cautiously brushed off. I’m not going to lead her on when I still have Sienna even if it was on
ly for a short period of time. A
big part of me still long
s
for her to change her mind and announce that she doesn’
t want to let me go after this whole plan I had for her in Marbella.

     When I took Camilla back to her place, she clung and kissed me goodnight.
“Thank you for coming through tonight.
You made me very happy and I just want you to know that—when
this phase of yours is over
and done with—I’ll be waiting right here.”

     Wait she would, but I know that what I feel for Sienna will forever be with me. It’s a part of me now and I must accept it fully, with or without her in my life.

     Striding back to my desk, I went back to work. I need to get done tonight and have the proposal ready by tomorrow morning.
The mining company would be a great asset to acquire for Knightly Industries. I can see the vast potential if the company is run
efficiently
—it literally is a gold mine. I can’t slack on work even if I’m mad
with jealousy and want
to
forage and ransack Kyle’s home in Hampstead.

     By the time I finished with work, it was ten at night and Sienna was
still unreachable
. I knocked on their
door
and Toby instantly opened the door. “You look like you’re at the d
eath’s door mate. Want some lag
er to
take
the edge off?”

     “Sure”

     Her door was open as I follow
ed
Toby in
to
the kitchen. “She’s not here. If you want to contact her
that badly
, why don’t you call Kyle?”

     Hearing his smug
voice would
set me ablaze. I’d rather wait for
the
l
ass
to explain why she’s been MIA for about twenty-four hours now.

     “How was your mum’s birthday festivity?” I sent Luke, my assistant, to search for a present for Evelyn Watson
in one of the jewelers on Old Bond Street
. I’m not fond of her or her husband, Rupert.
They’re both the selfish
lot and only cared about money and appearances. I’m befuddled how they have two sons
who
were exceptional and grounded.

     “You know how these things go.” He sighed, “Grandmother and my mother took Luce in the study to chat. Luce was not the same after that but she won’t tell me what happened. I asked my mother but
she assured me that everything’
s great.”

    
I smirked, I’m sure she did.
Poor Luce she never stood a chance when faced with Evelyn and Toby’s grandmother, Florence. Those two are a force to be reckoned with and
the soddy
Rupert Watson can’t be blamed for his gambling addiction.

     Luce took the cue and entered the kitchen glumly. Sh
e got herself a can of fizz, brownies from M & S and plopped next to me on the barstool. “Drop the rubbish subject, will you? It’s bloody fucking taxing!”

     “Well, why don’t you just spill the details then? I’m twisted about this whole bloody mess!”  Toby was getting riled up.

    
Certainly
, I’m not the only one with shiteload of problems. 

     Luce released an exasperated sound, slid off the stool and left the room.
“What a bloody
disaster!”

    
Finishing off my la
ger, “Give her time mate—she’ll eventually tell you.”

     “I may be a patient man compared to you—but I don’t have that much
when chosen
the subject pertains of Lucy.”