Emily's POV
"So how did you guys meet?" Adrian asked, beaming from side to side.
"Never saw her once." The chic next to him quipped. Maybe she was one of those girls they groom to be Luna. It's understandable that she hadn't seen me in her space.
I looked to Damon to save the situation, but he looked away.
For a second, I questioned if that was the same person who'd just been begging to know me better.
"We met not too long ago." I started, swallowing hard.
I was pressured to start thinking of all the sweet terms to coat being an orphan, shipped to the palace as a maid, and ending up as the Alphas contract wife right after Luna passed.
"Oh, I know about that. It's been a while since Damon and I went on our vacations, about six months, and he didn't mention anyone special, talk less of someone he was going to marry." Adrian said.
He was a talker, which would have been good if the lady with hawk eyes wasn't trying to pry my skin off my bones with her eyes.
"Oh, that's merry." I chuckled nervously..
"What is?" Adrian asked.
"The vacations." I replied, thankful for the brief change in subject.
"Oh, more than merry." He said, winking very dramatically,making me laugh.
I no longer looked at Damon's face in search of what to say or do. If Adrian was free, so was I.
"Just us, young men, in faraway places. Where no one knows us." He added, taking a sip of the wine we'd just been served.
Miss Hawk Eye took her hands out of his in annoyance, he didn't seem to mind, or maybe he didn't notice, she sipped all the wine in her cup, and placed it back on the table loudly.
"I'll miss you, man." Adrian referred to Damon.
"Come on, I'm not dead." Damon said, avoiding everyone's eyes. It was my turn to shift uncomfortably in my seat, and sink my long nails into my own palms, creating a pain to distract me from the one that made tears well up in my eyes. "I'm only married." He added.
Under the table, I twirled Damon's wedding band on my finger. I really should have seen beyond
all the facade.
"Same difference, brother." Adrian said, patting Damon's back. "That's not to say this is the end. It might be the beginning of more worlds to explore."
"Are you drunk?" Damon asked Adrian, looking between him and Hawk Eye.
She laughed a little too hard at Damon's jokes, making me hate her all the more.
"It's nice to have you guys here. Emily and I were hyped about it all morning." Damon said, formally.
He took my hand, and made a very public display of lovingly kneading my hand on the table.
"Well, it's just another lunch off the palace's budget to me." Adrian joked, and Damon and I laughed.
Adrian was a fine man, in all senses of the word. He looked just about Damon's height, he had green eyes, dull green, the type that makes you feel like you're sinking the more you look at it. He was quite buff and had an athletic body. He had strong facial features, a thoroughly 'M' shaped top lip, and a pink bottom lip. He had a scar, in the shape of a slit, right above his left eye, making him look like Scar from the Lion King movie.
If he wasn't laughing so hard, and beaming his bright white teeth, I'd be terrified of him, and for the girl on his side.
"You're just childish." Damon said, laughing it off.
"I'm one year older than you, Damon." Adrian said, leaning on the backrest of the chair. It was like he doubled in size.
"How's being an Alpha going?" Adrian asked Damon.
I should've known that the conversation would be all about them. It's a man's world after all.
"Chaotic." Damon replied under his breath.
Adrian's girl had brought out her phone and was typing away on it.
I didn't quite fancy social media yet, so even with a smartphone, I was as lonely as could be.
"Well, you got enough time to see how things go, I've been in charge of over thirteen companies before I even turned ten." He said.
"We're not the same." Damon replied.
"Clearly." Adrian added, emphasizing.
"You're pretty, Emily." Adrian said, his attention turning back to me. "You also look very young."
"Looks can be deceiving." Damon chirped quickly.
"I am quite young." I said, ignoring Damon.
"This one is different." Adrian said to Damon. "Many ladies get antsy when matters of their age come up."
"Because they are ladies." Damon said.
"I'm just ripe enough to meet my wolf." I said, smiling, and then made the mistake of looking at Damon. There can't exist a more annoying, disgustful stare than the one he shot me.
I took my mind off him.
"That's great. You're different, very different." Adrian said.
"Thank you. The food should be on the way soon." I said.
As I predicted, a waiter in the most fancy uniform I ever saw walked up to us, bearing our orders.
"Thank you." We all chorused as she set the plates down.
"Never been to this part of the city." Adrian said.
"Me neither." I replied, 'cause neither Damon nor Hawk Eye were willing to engage him.
"It's a good place." He replied, taking a mouthful of whatever it is he was eating. I didn't have much appetite, actually, I didn't have any at all, so I continued with my wine.
"You do not like the food?" The only person who'd been addressing me, Damon, asked.
"I just don't have an appetite." I said, smiling.
"So you'd rather just watch fish?" He asked, indirectly telling me that he'd seen me gazing at the ceiling aquarium.
"They are a pretty sight." I confessed.
"We'll be on our way now." Damon said, unexpectedly.
"Why is that? We're barely even started." His friend protested.
"We've got to get back to the office. Emily started work there today, and there's some things she's got to get familiar with." Damon said
"That's fair, then." He replied, "I hope we get to catch up soon. Don't be distant."
"I won't" Damon assured Adrian and they shook.
"And Vynara," Adrian said, shocking both Damon and I, "You have a nice necklace on. Don't be a stranger."
"I won't" I said, before Damon ushered me out.
I'd been a bad girl again.