by S. C. Lewis
The tall, older gentlemen grimaced while standing even closer to Sophia. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. Nathan had to adjust his own arm to avoid his. He pulled away before his arm came into contact with that of the club owners’. Sophia suddenly looked uncomfortable between the two.
“Nathan, I thought you were on your way to New York? I must admit, I was rather surprised to see you here myself.”
Nathan gave Ramiel a queer look; it made me feel uncomfortable for him. The tone in Ramiel’s voice sounded annoyed and arrogant by Nathan’s interruption, and far more by his presence.
“I don’t leave until later tonight,” Nathan immediately answered. “Besides, I wanted to be here for my wife’s announcement. This is a great achievement for her. And I’m very proud of her,” he boosted.
Sophia looked over at him, leaving Ramiel’s side. She wrapped her arms around Nathan, and for a moment, they seemed lost in each other’s gazes. It was when Nathan leaned forward to kiss her that Ramiel began to speak again. Disrupting their lovely kiss for his own selfish news. He was far more interceptive this evening than any other.
“I’m sorry, my dear, I forgot. I didn’t mean to intrude on your happy celebration—you know I’ve always been proud of you.”
Sophia glanced over at him. She smiled and the sparkle in her eyes seemed to regard him kindly.
“You didn’t intrude,” she answered staring over at him.
“Let’s have a look,” he immediately said. Ramiel reached over and pulled open the box before Nathan could object. He lifted a series of books from within. It appeared as if Nathan had wanted to let his wife do the honors, but once more Ramiel had come between that.
“You did it!” he said proudly staring at the books in his hands. “You finished all of them?” Nathan was silent as Ramiel laid the books on the table and displayed them for the others to see.
Sophia smiled back at all of us, but soon after, her eyes begged for a remark from our shocked faces.
“Well… Anyone?” Ramiel voiced at our silence.
The others’ voices broke out delighted by the news of Sophia’s great accomplishment.
“Sophia, that’s awesome! You finally did it!” Damien exclaimed and rose to break the long silence. She embraced Sophia. I was delighted, of course; it was wonderful news. A great accomplishment. At the other end, Nathan’s utter silence and Ramiel’s queer behavior had me distracted. I had seen it before, but for a strange reason he seemed far colder this evening.
The others came to congratulate Sophia. Then, it was the elders turn. Santiago and Valentino stepped up to her.
Valentino reached forward and hugged her; Sophia seemed surprised by the gesture. The elders were never to affectionate with others, much less friendly, but this was Sophia.
Then, it was Santiago’s turn. He was wary this evening, though, gazing over in Nathan’s direction. The man of the house was aware of his affection for his wife and his eyes watched the elder carefully and threateningly. It made him somewhat less confrontational and flirty with Sophia, but no less daring.
He bowed to her taking her hand and kissed it. “Congratulations, my dear lady,” he politely said.
I furrowed a brow over at him, moving my head sideways to remind him of Nathan’s presence at the other end of the room. Why did he have to be so direct? Did he think that Sophia was just gonna drop into his hands? He needed to show our boss some respect.
I noticed at the other end of the room Nathan and Ramiel were talking, but I couldn’t hear what was being said. The group had moved to the center of the office. Their voice seemed to be growing. I wondered if they were arguing.
Santiago turned and glared directly at me.
“I always knew you would succeed. You’re so talented.” Santiago was polite to say. “Nathan must be so proud. Such talent and such beauty. How can one have any self-control in the presence of such a lovely lady?”
And on that note, he slowly wandered away.
“Well, gather around now, children, I bring news,” Ramiel suddenly voiced, from the other end of the office. He had stepped from the front of the office over to us. Children? My face and those of my companions seemed to question his choice of words.
We took our places, all seated speechlessly erect in our assigned seats. Because many fights came out of who would sit where to discontinue any further arguments we were given a specific sitting place.
He looked over at Sophia. Nathan approached from behind him. Moving to his wife, he reached for her hand, which Ramiel took instead pulling her close.
“I’m pleased to announce that Seth will be joining us this evening.”
Nathan looked ready to object, but a knock interrupted him, and we all looked towards the door. The door opened and the first person who entered was our security intel, Ralph. Our security was a larger man, not by weight, but by upper muscle. He had been a bouncer and wrestler in his previous life.
“Ah,” Ramiel gleamed. “And here he is, just in time.”
Ramiel seemed cold-hearted at the idea of Nathan’s departure. Did he not care what affect it had on poor Sophia?
Nathan looked over at him, but he was quiet in voicing his dislikes of the man Sophia seemed to respect. I wished that he had. The man could be such a brute.
“I guess that’s for me,” he said as Ralph waited for him by the door.
Sophia went into his arms and they embraced with Ramiel looking on as if their display of affection bothered him.
“I’m so proud of you,” Nathan whispered to her. She smiled as he kissed her head. Nathan cupped his wife’s cheek, glanced over at his mentor, Ramiel, and nudged his head.
“Have a good trip, Nathan. Don’t worry about Sophia. I’ll take good care of her while you’re gone,” He said to the young lord. But it was in the manner that he said it that made my nerves tense and troubled.
Nathan pressed his lips together and nodded. He kissed Sophia once more and disappeared through the office doorway.
After he was gone, we waited patiently, yet were growing nervous. We were hoping that we wouldn’t see Seth this evening, gracing us with his presence.
Sophia took her seat. She seemed troubled; her eyes were cast down facing the table. Ramiel was standing by the mirror window of the office looking down into the foyer? I wondered if he was looking at Nathan leaving. Was he making sure the man was gone?
Damien found her silence troubling, and she was worried. She signaled over to me from the other end of the table to say something. I shook my head; I didn’t want to. Damien nudged me again. I rolled my eyes and finally pushed myself to speak.
“Sophia, are you okay?”
She blinked; noticing everyone staring in her direction, and smiled. Or, at least, she seemed to put a smile on her face.
“I’m just a little tired. I didn’t get much sleep after last night,” she said.
Damien shook her head over at me for asking. Seriously hadn’t they told me to ask?
“I just miss him,” she admitted regarding Nathan. “I wish he didn’t have to leave any more. I wish…”
I felt foolish for asking.
I was such an idiot for listening to them.
“Great move, Eric. Can’t you see she had a bad experience?” Valentino sternly said.
The elders furrowed their eyes in my direction. I ignored Santiago’s and Valentino’s voices at the other end of the table. Angelo told them both to shut up, with a forcible wave of his hand. Sophia seemed a little troubled by the immensity it was causing everyone.
“It’s alright,” Sophia made herself say, in my defense. “Thank you for your concern, Eric.”
The room became silent and Sophia took a breath. She seemed miserable and uncertain about something. Having Nathan around gave her strength, but now she seemed drawn into what troubles lurked in her mind.
“If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you, we all are.” I smiled, as the others, including Santiago and Valentino, declared t
he same.
Sophia’s shy eyes met mine.
“I know, thank you, all off you….”
Ramiel returned to the center where the table sat. He looked confident and delighted while unbuttoning his suit. He took his seat on the large wooden seat beside Sophia and leaned back in his chair to relax.
I rose from my place and walked over to the table in the back of the office where a tray of glasses had been arranged on a rolling table for us. There was coffee and a pitcher of iced tea, condiments were set aside as well. A set of desserts were arranged in a serving dish: pastries, Danishes, and other delicious delights.
I poured some coffee into a large mug, looking around the back office at the family pictures set upon the bookshelf. I glanced back toward Sophia silently sitting beside the arrogant form of our boss, Ramiel. He was telling her something, but I couldn’t hear what. Their conversation seemed to be a private one. I worried about her.
I took the cup and condiments and set them beside Ramiel. He immediately turned his attention towards me. I hadn’t meant to drop them on the table so boldly, but I wanted his attention diverted from Sophia. She seemed a bit uncomfortable.
It was only when his eyes met mine that I regretted it. He was tapping a nail on the table and narrowed his eyes at the coffee beside his hand.
“Is this for me?” he curiously grinned, I saw two double canines stick out from between his red stained lips.
“Yes, sir,” I said, biting at my lip.
The smile on his face spread wider.
“Just like you like it, sir, black.” He looked down into the mug quickly.
“Appreciate it,” he simply said. He had gotten far more arrogant. The more he was away, the more he seemed a distance from his older self. One time in our lives, we had known a different man. A kinder, and sweeter, less fearsome person than the one that now was presenting himself to us.
The others were just gazing in our direction. I wasn’t the only one that felt his change. At one time, we had seen him as a father figure, worshiped him to some extent, but now we only feared him and were afraid of what else he was capable of. What else didn’t we know about him? He held all the cards, he wanted us gone. What could stop him from making it happen?
I moved away with him looking on. His eyes said ‘go away boy’ as he took the mug and drank. I noticed that Damien had taken the seat beside Sophia. I gave her a glance in which she motioned me away, like shooing a fly.
She stuck her tongue out at me and anyone else who would protest her position.
Finally, I gathered their attention by pounding loudly on the table. I stood at the front of the table away from the door. Santiago frowned over at me, and once both he and Valentino gave me the sign of the cross, which meant death for our kind.
I ignored them and continued, but their every movement seemed to be crying out to me. I couldn’t help losing my place, and sometimes, I fumbled through the pages of my material. It was frustrating. I wasn’t much in giving presentations, let alone a speech to my employers, who were sitting and waiting to hear what plans we had to enhance the Cathedral, and what requests we could offer them considering our quarters.
Ramiel placed his cup down on the table, listening politely. It was more than I could ask for.
I was dressed in a velvet red robe, a gift from Sophia.
She said I wore it well. Underneath it, I sported a vest with a ruffled shirt, the cuffs of which sprouted from under the sleeves that hooded my hands. My slacks were black, and my vest was a ruby velvet color with golden filigrees at the edges. Though I never wore a tie, I used the only black one I owned that evening. My long ebony hair hung loosely and neatly over my broad shoulders as I held up my notebook and began reading off the names on the page.
Everybody came to order at the call of their names, with the exception of Valentino and Santiago. They simply glared over at me, as if to say we’re here, duh. I didn’t say a word in return, no doubt they were.
“Are we starting?” Ramiel asked, sitting himself defensively back, and then gazing over at Sophia.
“Yes, sir…” I managed to answer in a shaky voice. The others looked at me, then at Ramiel.
“You are aware we are still waiting on Seth? Have I not made that clear? He is joining us this evening.”
I swallowed what I wanted to say.
I placed the notebook down on the table, as the room grew uncomfortably silent. I thought no one would bring up Seth, but I should have known the only one to do so would be Ramiel. Was I that naive? Why wouldn’t he?
“He was?” Sophia asked, glancing over at Ramiel. Of course, she knew, hadn’t Ramiel announced it before coming into the meeting?
She was nervously stirring in her seat, unable to directly look Ramiel in the eyes.
“Yes, he is, my dear,” he immediately responded, a modicum of sarcasm in his tone.
“I’m surprised he’s not here. It’s not like him. Perhaps something came up. I’m sure it must be important for him to be…late.”
“Perhaps,” Sophia mumbled, as the others remained silent. The tone of her voice seemed to change. She sounded almost frustrated, and unconcerned with Seth’s affairs or lack of presence.
“Well, we can’t wait for him. I would assume he wouldn’t want to wait on anyone else himself. Isn’t he always so bold to say money is a luxury we can’t afford? Isn’t that his quote?”
The others were amazed by her sudden bold words, but I believe no one was more surprised than Ramiel. What would have been more thrilling was for Seth to hear those very words coming from her.
A rush of mutters escaped the surrounding table, whispers, and even laughter among the others.
Ramiel seemed speechless for a second.
“I think we should continue, Eric.” She looked over at me, her expression an innocent one and yet determined.
“I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” uttered Ramiel, glancing over at the door.
“I’m sure he will, but we can’t wait on him.”
I believe Ramiel was expecting Seth to pop into view at any minute as he continuously looked over at the door.
“Eric, please close the door,” Sophia demanded.
The others glanced over at one another and a hush of whispers erupted among them. “And please lock it when you do.”
I rose. All eyes fell on me as I moved over to the door at Sophia’s request. The silence in the room grew, whispers and snickering erupted slowly from around the table.
“Sophia, what if he comes?” Ramiel asked. He seemed less challenging than before which I found strange. He’d seemed to almost give up at his request to wait for Seth. I wondered why. He was usually the voice in any argument.
“Then, he shouldn’t have been late, or giving lectures if he can’t follow his own rules.”
Ramiel nodded, taking a drink from his mug and fell silent. The others wanted to praise her bravery.
Wrinkling a nose, she was confused as to why she was challenging anything. Had it ever mattered if Seth was late? He could do no wrong and now something had changed. In fact, it seemed to be something going around with everyone in the cathedral. She had never acted this way before.
I walked out of the office to unlatch the doorstopper. As I was doing this, I disappeared from the view of the others. Struggling with the stopper, I kneeled and lifted the latch. Once freed, I began to move the door towards me when almost immediately a hand came crashing down on the doorframe and harshly shoved it back.
I froze spinning around half startled and terrified to find Seth standing behind me, with a hand against the door. He curved his dark brows wickedly, questioning my actions. I hadn’t realized just how tall he was until he was towering over me. The smirk on his gorgeous lips surfaced almost in a cruel, twisted laughter.
I stumbled back awkwardly. No one had noticed him, but I was wrong. Everyone was now looking when I reentered the office followed by the prince himself entering after me. I was pale and speechless with Seth guiding it shut be
hind us both.
Seth stood in front of the room; everyone was silent. He was handsomely dressed in a navy Armani suit and black tie, with a red silk shirt. His slightly black hair came over his widow’s peak. Tall and well-built, he was far too mature for his age. His black eyes danced over our faces with a gleaming look in them.
The Armani suit made his face appear pale, made his hair seem even darker. He looked like the devil himself, raised freely from out of the depths of Hell.
“Starting without me, I see?” he merely said, with a wrinkled, full lip.
He glanced over at Ramiel, and his eyes settled on Sophia, who was trying not to look over at him. She bravely gazed up to challenge his eyes, and he flashed her a smile.
“You’re late,” she voiced bravely, or perhaps foolishly. Her voice sounded shaky in his presence, slowly losing its authority.
“I do apologize, my dearest,” he said, she blushed.
The word “mother” seemed to be deleted from his lips with difficulty. Was he upset at Sophia for lecturing him in front of us? It didn’t seem like that. He didn’t even look mad, just calm and well-mannered. Could Sophia have judged him too cruelly?
“I was simply saying goodbye to Nath—”
“Your father,” she interrupted him.
“Father,” he corrected himself. There was something about that. Seth had always referred to his father on a first name basis, mostly around us or others but avoided such disrespect around Sophia. He seemed to not care this evening, or had forgotten altogether.
“I wanted to say goodbye before he left. He was walking out when I caught up with him. I was able to talk to him for a little while. After all, I promised I would.” Seth’s smile glowed down at her.
Sophia seemed to blush.
“Yes, you did…promise,” she could only say.
I felt sorry for her, feeling Seth was playing an evil and wicked game with her. I knew him a little more than I wanted the pleasure of, and it was an ugly secret I carried with me.
The room was silent. Sophia looked upset and embarrassed.