Marriage by Law (35 page)

"You all right?" Darius looked at me with concern in his eyes.

"Yea, I'm fine." I replied, rubbing the back of my head and wincing. I just need some ice, that's all.

There was a loud cursing from the bathroom. I looked at Darius, who raised an eyebrow.

"Did you break the pipe?" he asked, sounding amused. 

"No. The ring is stuck."

I groaned. I was surprised when it slipped on his finger easily. Surely his finger wasn’t as small as mine but the ring was probably still slippery when he put it on.

"Coming," I announced and walked over but Darius grabbed my arm to stop me.

"Where are you going?"

"To help him?" I said, confused as he started pulling me. "Wait, shouldn't we help him?" I asked as he pulled me toward the door. He turned around to look in the direction of the bathroom and smiled upon hearing Adrian's string of curses.

"Of course not." He looked at me as he said it and, quite unexpectedly, tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear. He opened the door for me, making my stomach tumble. 

"But the ring?" I said as he pulled me out.

"I'm hungry. Aren't you?"

"Well, yea," I said. We did skip breakfast and now it was probably lunch.

"But Darius, the ring," I said as we waited for the elevator. Darius looked at me and shrugged. When the elevator arrived, he pulled me in.

"It's Dairy, and I never liked that ring anyway."

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

"Who are we waiting for?" I asked, hearing my stomach grumble in hunger. I just wanted to order already. 

Darius's words in the elevator were still stuck in my head. So it was my mum who bought the ring. Well, I was not surprised. But the question is, they just let her? But then again, she was damn 
persistent
 
on planning the whole thing. 

"Yea, I'm fucking hungry."

Both Darius and I sent Adrian a sharp look. After complaining about the ring being stuck, we had left him in the bathroom but the guy had to take the stairs and beat us down here, sitting angrily at the table. Not to mention that he was probably in a lot of pain, or maybe he was just faking for attention. Either way his swearing was out of control.

"We are waiting for James, Adrian. Stop it," snapped Darius as Adrian started to tear another serviette up. James?

Darius made eye contact with me and I gave him an annoyed look. "I had to," he explained. The last thing I wanted was to have James sitting at the table.

Adrian drummed his fingers on the table and I bit back a laugh at his hand. It was purple. I was sure it needed medical attention, but he wanted to 
eat
 
with us before going to the hospital or goldsmith to get it cut off. 

"Your fingers are puny," Adrian told me. 

"No one told you to wear it," I told him with a shake of my head. His finger was too fat for the ring that the area around it was turning purple. I just hope it didn’t cause too much damage that the finger has to be cut off.

"You should go now," I said, feeling concerned. But Adrian only shrugged. At least he had washed the damn ring or his hand. If I saw mould or hair on it, I would throw up in his face.

"I'm hungry," Adrian complained. I was, too.

"Are you hungry?" Darius asked us.

"I just said that, duh," snapped Adrian, annoyed. 

"A bit," I said, shrugging. "I don't mind waiting." 

I minded, a lot, only because I knew how James liked to take a decade to get ready and make a 'fashionably late entrance’. It isn't fashionable 
or
 
late when you show up at the ending. It’s over, that's what it was.

Darius turned around motioning for the waiter to come.

"We can wait," I suggested but my voice was lost as Adrian told the waiter to bring everything on their breakfast menu and then proceeded to tell how he wanted his eggs done.

I asked Darius, "So what is this? A business meeting?” 

Darius shrugged as he leaned back in his chair. "In a way."

I rolled my eyes. Then again he did come to France to work, not for recreational purposes. I tapped my fingers on the table as I watched Adrian do whatever he was doing that was earning disapproval stares from Darius.

He reached over, trying to pry away the serviette but Adrian snatched it at back.

"You're like a kid," I commented as I watched Adrian. He looked at me and flashed me a grin.

He proudly said, "I'm giving you practice for when you guys get your kids. Oooooh, can you name him after me? Adrian, the coolest uncle in the world. Or if it’s a girl, Adriana, the coolest. Wait, I will still be the coolest uncle in the world." 

I shook my head at him. If anything, he would be a bad influence on my kids. I watched him scrunch the serviette and sighed, turning around to see Darius watching me.

"What?"

"Would you want kids?"

Kids. Would I want kids? Wasn't it my duty to have kids? Which was very sexist, but it made me think of my stupid high school lunches and smiled.

"What?" Darius looked interested.

"I was voted most likely to be an octo-mum," I laughingly told him. He gave me a curious look, tilting his head as he tried to understand what I said.

"You know, year book. Ring a bell?"

His blank stare told me either it didn't or they had a more posh version called something completely different.

"It’s the book where people vote for like, you know, the most likely to become a movie star, the most likely to be a druggie. I was voted most likely to be an octo-mum, have eight kids," I said, shaking my head. "It was a silly thing."

"Eight kids?"

"Yep, eight."

"What made you want eight kids?!" He really looked surprised.

I laughed and shook my head. "No, it wasn't 
meant 
to be eight. It was 
five
. I wanted five."

If Darius thought I was some crazy lady before, he probably thought I was even crazier now.

"Five?" he said in disbelief. I shrugged. 

"I 
did, 
back when I was a 
kid
," I said nervously. What if he didn't want kids? Would he be good with kids? I mean, he was good with Adrian, but that was different. Even if Adrian was a kid ninety percent of the time, he still knew how to take care of himself, sort of.

"That's a lot," Darius said after a pause. "Well, I'm not complaining. I don't mind five kids, or six, then we can have equal genders."

"No, it must be four boys and one girl."

"What?"

"And it must be in the order of, male, twin males, female and then male."

His eyes grew as huge as saucers. "Sorry, what?"

"And apparently to have twins, it has to run in your family so you go research if your granddad or whoever was a twin, or else I can't have twins."

I saw the look on his face. "I told you," I said, more embarrassed than before. "I had this planned out when I was a kid. I even have their names figured out."

The corner of Darius’ lips twitched upward in a grin. It wasn't a smirk and it wasn't one of his full face smiles that made my stomach flip. It was one that was crooked and made my stomach churn, and I wasn't sure if it was my hunger or his face.

"Their names, alright. What are they?"

"Not telling," I said. "Oh look, food." 

Saved by the waiter, whew! And if I thought I was bad, Adrian was much worse. He jumped up and grabbed the plate from the waiter before the latter could even put it down. Then Adrian shooed him away, telling him to bring more food to the table.

Adrian, like a child, glared at us and growled, "Mine. Get your own."

I frowned, staring down at him for acting like a savage starved beast.

The moment was ruined when I heard someone say, "Ah, so everyone is here." I looked up and immediately regretted seeing his mango face that was hideous.

Dressed in probably one of his 'rich' suits, James stood at the table looking around with his nose in the air. His suit was silver and the shirt inside was a horrible shade of violet. 

The suit was shimmery. Maybe if you rubbed hard enough, you can use it as a mirror.

Darius stood up, shaking his hand and telling him to take a seat. If I was Darius, I would have put a meat pie on James’ seat beforehand. No, maybe a sharp needle and super glue. Yes, that would be perfect.

Darius cleared his throat beside me and I looked at him. "What?"

"You look quite murderous."

"I'm hungry," I huffed, looking around for the waiter. Now 
I 
felt like Adrian. 

The waiter came with food shortly after Darius and James started talking and I wanted to get out of here. His cologne was overpowering, it was like he swam in it and decided to present us with his graciousness.

God, it was horrible. And by the way Adrian was crazily sniffing his bacon, I think it was affecting him, too.

I picked up a tomato with my fork and inspected it as I heard James speak up again. "So, Darius, isn't your 
secretary
 
meant to join us?" And his wicked eyes met mine and I glared at him. What was he trying to accomplish?

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

I bit into the tomato, narrowing my eyes as he looked around. I was surprised he could even see. Wasn't the shimmery suit reflecting into his eyes, making him blind? Oh how good that would be, but somehow I was sure a blind James is just as annoying as the one that can see. 

"So where is your secretary?"

"On the way," said Darius, filling up my glass with water. So who was this secretary? How come I never met her? I watched Darius to see if there was any sign of nervousness, or if he was acting in a way that meant he had something to hide. But no. He pulled out his phone, checking something and putting it back in his pocket. Then looked at me.

"What?" he asked.

I shrugged, looking around. So where was this blonde bombshell bimbo I was going to meet? I bet her skirt was probably shorter than Adrian's dream girl with boobs the size of his plate and perfume that made her edible. Oh Jesus, what was this, a playboy magazine?

No, I wasn't jealous, and I wouldn't get to be. That would just make James the winner.

"Perf can't wait to meet her," I said with my mouth half full.

"Perf?" asked Adrian, raising his eyebrows at me.

"Meet who?" said Darius.

"What?" I asked as I stabbed another tomato. These were good, perfectly roasted and still warm inside. What was wrong with perf? Wasn't that what everyone else said? I wasn't that old, yet. 

And what did he mean ‘meet who’? Obviously his secretary, the whorissistant. That was harsh.

I watched as James and Darius conversed, wanting to pluck James's eyes out with the fork. I bet they were as big and ugly as this tomato, the only difference was that his eye probably, unfortunately, wouldn't turn red when roasted. 

"Are you going to eat that?"

I followed Adrian’s eyes and saw that he was looking at the sausage and bacon cut into small pieces. Since when did they cut them up? Then I looked at Adrian. His plate was full of bacon and sausages, which weren't cut up.

“You have heaps."

"But I want more."

"No, get your own," I said, flicking away his fork with mine.

"Greedy pig. Get fat," he snapped at me childishly. I snorted at him and he sulked in his chair. He had nearly the whole restaurant’s bacon on his plate. I stabbed a sausage and placed in my mouth at the same time I looked up and nearly choked at the pair of eyes smiling at me.

The guy, where have I seen him? He started walking toward our table and my heart skipped a beat. Was he coming over to say hi? That's when it hit me. He was the guy who told me where the banquet room was, the one who 
knew
 
my name but I didn't know his name.

He was wearing something similar like last time, black blazer with his white shirt tucked in, no tie. Could be some type of uniform. His blue eyes were smiling at me as he approached me and I felt like I should excuse myself and run to the toilet or something. 

What if James told Darius that I was having an affair with him? As stupid as that was, I was sure James could make up some story. I cleared my throat, just about to announce some stupid excuse, like going to see if they sold umbrellas since it looked like it was going to rain in a week, when Darius turned his head. 

"Ah, Jesse, join us," he said and I froze half way out of my seat and sat back down before anyone noticed. Yep, I was just pulling my chair closer to the table.

"Mr. Quartz," Jesse said as the waitress approached with a new plate and glass. I narrowed my eyes in confusion as I looked at Jesse. That was a male name. No shit, Ivory, of course it was a male name.

Adrian waved a fork at him and Jesse nodded before looking at me and smiling. "Mrs. Quartz," he said, nodding. How did he know me?

The three of them got into a conversation and I subtly, or as subtly as I could, moved my chair closer to Adrian, the only male who wasn't partaking in that conversation.

"Who is that?"

Adrian looked up and narrowed his eyes. "How am I supposed to know? Probably some old fart here to eat."

"No," I said, sighing. "Not the man on the other table. Jesse." I was sure I sounded frustrated. 

Adrian looked up with his mouth chewing loudly and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Darius's assistant."

"What?" I exclaimed, picking up the water glass and taking a sip. Darius's assistant is male? Then what on earth was James on about!

"Assistant slash bodyguard. He usually just tells us when and where we have to be at what time," Adrian explained as he reached over and stabbed the bacon on my plate. I narrowed my eyes at him as he quickly shoved it in his mouth. 

"Pig." 

"Yes, Ivory. Well done. Bacon is pig."

I bit my lip from retorting back and went back to eating. I was starving. I stabbed the hash brown on my plate, breaking it into pieces, a bit too violently, when I felt something brush my leg, making me jump.

My eyes met James's as he looked up and I glared at him. I was probably looking like a witch since he looked away taking a massive gulp of water. It was a foot that was tapping, or kicking, or moving and it was annoying me every time it brushed my leg.

I slouched in my seat as simply as I could, trying to move my leg away. My fingers grabbed the table cloth, slowly pulling it up and gathering it in my hands. I looked up but the others were busy in their own worlds.

Darius? I looked from the leg enclosed in blank pants to the man back at the table talking away like he knew nothing. I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips, letting go of the table cloth, leaning over and nudging him.

"Stop."

"Stop what?" he asked, clearly confused. 

"Tapping your –"

And James chose that moment to gate crash the conversation. "Where's your ring?"

I looked at my left hand that was holding the fork. Why did he care?

"Oh, I have it," Adrian volunteered, putting his hand up for us to see. Then he stuffed another slice of sausage in his mouth. Was he eating since we got here? Did he refill his plate?

"Why do you have it?" James looked curious.

Can I punch him already? I met Darius's eyes and he shook his head. Did I say it out loud? No, I didn’t, which means he probably knew what I was thinking. "She knocked it down the sink," said Adrian. James scoffed as he smirked, mouthing 'typical' at me. If Darius's hand wasn't on my knee in a strong grip, as if to warn me, I would have jumped over the table and stabbed James with the fork and replaced his eyes with the tomatoes.

"Well, you better get a new ring,” James continued, whether intending to say it to me or to Darius. “If I were you, I would find a big ring. Girls like big things."

I raised an eyebrow. What, did he think he knew me that well?

James bragged some more. "I would get someone the biggest diamond possible. It’s important, you know. Shows how much you love someone. Also, it means you can afford it. It’s what people do nowadays."

"So you have no brain and are a sheep," I whispered, moving my food around the plate. Adrian choked coughed. I gave him a questioning look. Was I loud?

By the way he was trying to hold back a laugh, I was. 

"Don't you think so, Ivory?"

I looked up. Oh, so now he was talking to me. I raised an eyebrow. "Totally." 

Of course, I would like the biggest French diamond created… not. I completely disagree. Size does not mean how much you love someone. If you love someone, you won't get the biggest diamond. You will get something that both of you will love. 

I looked at Darius, feeling his stare on me. "What?" I asked quietly. He shook his head and turned to speak to the others. I sighed in resignation. Was breakfast over yet? Can I go?

As though he read my mind, Darius put his napkin on the table. Yes, time to go home.

"Well, see you tonight then, gentlemen."

I took my napkin off my lap and looked at him. "What's happening tonight?" I asked. 

"Boat cruise," Adrian supplied as he stood up stretching and patting his stomach. "I'm full." I would be surprised if he wasn't. He was feeding an army in there.

"Let's get you to the hospital," Darius told Adrian. Remembering Adrian’s finger, I looked at his hand. It looked bad. Darius held out his hand, helping me up.

I asked him, "A boat cruise?" 

"It's for charity. Do you want to come?"

I scoffed. "Are you kidding?" If it was a party, count me in. Out loud, I said, "Of course I'm going. Let’s go, Adrian." Without waiting for his answer, I grabbed his arm. Hopefully the doctors or anyone can get the ring off without amputating his finger. 

"My finger still hurts," Adrian complained, sounding more like a little child than an adult.

"This is why you don't wear other people's rings," Darius reminded him as he walking ahead of us. I turned Adrian's hand in my palm. His finger was slowly starting to return to normal. After waiting for an hour for a doctor, it took another solid hour to pry the ring off and return it to Darius.

There was no way I was putting that on.

"Where are we going?" I asked, catching up to Darius.

"We can look around."

The emergency clinic was just beside a big shopping plaza that we had to walk through to get to the car park. I looked around the windows and stopped when something caught my eye. It was a pet shop with the cutest husky I had ever seen.

"Dairy."

Darius stopped, turning around, his eyes focused on his phone. "Hmm?"

"Can we?"

He looked up. "Can we – Oh," he said, looking at the pet shop. He nodded and I felt like a teenager as I rushed past the crowds to the store. Adrian groaned behind us, whining how this was wasting his precious time to get ready for tonight’s party. 

I knelt down at the glass window and looked as the puppy ran around the stall.

"It's so cute," I said, placing a hand on the window. The husky was pure-bred with the bluest eyes and thick white and grey fur.

"Too bad it's not edible."

"Shut up," I said, quickly looking at Adrian who looked bored as he tapped the window where the cats were.

"Why are they so small?"

"Why are you so stupid?" I looked at Darius who was watching the dog, his eyes focused and his hands in his pocket like he was concentrating on something.