by Anya Palvin
"Hello?" A muffled voice came through the intercom, and William grinned when he recognised it.
"Hi there. I'm looking for someone by the name of Tara. She's about a metre high, has a really cute smile, and usually two pigtails? Do you know where I can find her?"
The giggle that followed his words reminded him that while he may not feel a part of his father's new life, he was definitely grateful for what it had added to his. "I don't have pigtails today. I have a braid."
"Well, that must mean you're not her. Sorry, I must have the wrong house."
The giggle sounded again and his sister said, "No, you don't."
"I don't believe you. You're going to have to open for me so that I can see for myself."
The click of the intercom followed by the buzz of the gate quickly sounded. William smiled to himself and walked up the short path to the house. It was still beautiful, he thought as he walked past the swing that he knew Tara made use of frequently. The brick house stood tall, with huge green shutters flanking the front door. The balcony on the upper level of the house was something his father had recently added after retiring, and William knew he often spent hours there reading the books he missed throughout his career. William had smirked at the fact that his father had written down every book he would have liked to read since he starting the Grace hotel franchise, vowing that one day he would get back to it. And he had, William thought, and grudgingly admitted that he had been wrong.
He was distracted by his thoughts when the door slammed open and a burst of energy jumped into his arms. He caught Tara and laughed, spinning her around before fumbling her hair in the way he knew she will surely hate. She pulled her face just as he expected, but quickly smiled again. His sister wasn't one for holding grudges.
"Hey, Munchkin, seems like you were right." He yanked her plait lightly and smiled when she giggled.
"Mom didn't say you were coming." Tara said, and William for the first time had a chance to see that her fingers were full of paint that he knew was now all over him.
"She doesn't know. It was a surprise visit." Even to me, he thought.
"Oh." Tara stayed quiet for a bit, and then said, "Do you want to hear what I'm practicing for the talent show at school? I'm singing."
William laughed. "Not right now, sport. But I'll definitely be there, so I don't want to spoil the surprise. Is your mom here?"
Tara looked as though she couldn't quite decide how she felt about his words. But she answered him. "Yep, she's in the kitchen. I have a project for school that I have to finish up. I'll see you on Sunday." And just like that, she bounced back into her room, and William couldn't help but shake his head at her energy. He walked through the passageway to the kitchen, and stopped when he saw Gloria making supper. Her black hair was tied up in a bun at the top of her head, and she was singing softly to herself. Her bare feet reminded him so much of his teenage years in the house andhe had to stop himself from being pulled into the past.
"Hey, Gloria."
She spun around at his voice and threw her hands in the air. "William! What are you doing here?" Before the words were out she was already squeezing him in one of her famous hugs. "I thought I would have to wait until our Sunday lunch to see you again." She brushed the hair out of his face and he smiled, thinking that she had never truly treated him like a step-anything.
"I was in the area and thought I would pop in." His lie wasn't very convincing.
"Really?" She narrowed her eyes. "It's such a pity your father is at his poker game tonight then. You could have joined us for a family supper."
William smirked at the fact that she knew that wasn't exactly what he wanted.
"As wonderful as that sounds, I was actually just coming here to find out how you were."
"So you're not just popping in then?"
William sighed and Gloria lifted his chin. 'Tell me what's bothering you, William. You and I both know that's why you're here."
William knew that she was right, and he couldn't help but think that he felt closer to her than he did to his father, no matter how much he loved the man.
"I...met someone."
To her credit, Gloria tried to keep her surprise at bay. "And that's the problem."
"I think so." William explained to the situation with Diana and Connor to her. "It wouldn't be ethical to date her, no matter how much I want to."
Gloria stayed quiet for a bit, and then turned to the stove and moved a pot that was threatening to bubble over. "William," she said as she poured the contents of the pot into a strainer over the sink, "you have never told me about a girl since Julia. And even then, you didn't have this look on your face."
William frowned. "What look?"
Gloria chuckled. "That same look you give me whenever you ask for my lasagne."
William snorted, and took the now-empty pot she handed him before she moved to stir something else on the stove.
"Your eyes glow, and you rub your ear in the way that you do when you're tense and nervous." Gloria turned now to face him and looked directly at his eyes, all traces of humour gone. "Your voice softened when you said her name. And for the life of me, I can't believe that she has you, Mister Logical, thinking that dating her because she's related to an employee of yours is unethical." William frowned at that, but she took his hand and he looked at her. "You deserve something good in your life, William. You shouldn't forever be inflicted by the sanction you gave yourself because of what happened with Julia." She gently pressed his hand. "And I don't want the last memory you have of love to be of someone who was foreign to the word itself."
William sat as the truth of her words sank into his bones. "You're right. It's not technically unethical. But it's clearly an issue for her, and I'm not sure how to overcome it. How do I make sure that I don't overstep the walls she seems to have set for herself?"
"You define them." Gloria said simply, and then gave him a levelled look when his face remained blank. "These boundaries," she waved her hand, "are ones that she's set because she cares about her brother. You just told me that they're close, and maybe she doesn't want to disappoint him. Or compromise his position. So, you do what every man had to do in my day."
"I speak to her brother." William stood now as realisation lightened his features.
"You speak to her brother." Gloria repeated. "After speaking to her, of course. Despite what I said, this isn't my day."
But William was lost in thought, and barely heard his stepmother's words. "I make sure that he's okay with it, and then I let her know that. That should be enough for now." William walked to Gloria and pulled her into a hug that did her proud. "Gloria, you are brilliant." And he kissed her noisily on the cheek.
"Don't I know it." She smiled. "Now, I'll put some of this lasagne awayfor you before your sister forces you to listen to her talent show entry. Didshe tell you she's singing something by someone called 'Swift'?" Gloria shookher head. "I'm getting too old to be the mother of a pre-adolescent."
7.
Diana releases a deep sigh as she curled up on her bed, and pulled the covers up to her chin. She couldn't possibly go to bed now, she thought, and her eyes flew to where the clock is and it says it’s seven o'clock. No matter how much she wanted to cover her head and ignore that it was Sunday evening. A feeling of dread had already settled in her stomach at the fact that she had to go to work the next day. But the feeling had very little to do with her actual work, and more to do with the circumstances surrounding it. It was more because that she have no knowledge as to how long she would have her job and the fact that she would have to spend yet another day worrying about it and to the thing that she have to avoid her boss----avoid thinking about him, avoid thinking about the way he smelled, the way his hair felt, the way he had gripped her when they'd kissed...
Diana permitted herself for a brief moment of fantasy and just thinks about that kiss. It had rocked her, right from her lips that still tingled from his, to her toes that curled every time she thought about it. It h
ad been tender – more so than anyone had ever kissed her before. And at the same time, it had been sexy as hell and made her ache to do it again. She could still feel his lips on hers, and she touched them, tracing them with her fingers, wishing that it was him doing it. Something nudged her inside, something that forced her to acknowledge the truth of what she felt and the truth that the kiss had been beautiful. It had not only curled her toes, but had touched her heart at the same time. And that was a problem---another one that would be added to the pile that had been created right in front of William King's door.
Sooner than later that door was going to open and she would no longer be able to hide from him. She wouldn't be able to mask up that her heart leaped every time she thought of him. That she was falling for him deeper and deeper each passing day. And the most troubling part is that she was an employee in his hotel. She groaned and pulled the covers over her face, squeezed her eyes shut and wished that circumstances were different---that like any other couple, they would start dating and get to know each other,then get serious pretty soon, and he would propose to her on a boat, away from the curious eyes of bystanders and...Wait, proposals? She shook her head and admonished herself at how far she'd entertained herabsolutely absurd idea. A voice in her head scolded her, telling that she should be finding ways to get herself out of the mess she'd made and not fantasising about someone she had no business thinking about.
Her phone rings and thanks for it for finally putting a stop to her fantasising. She reached out for her phone, wondering who would call her at this time----it couldn’t be possibly Connor since she had talked with him just a few hours earlier.
"Hello?"
"Diana?"
The minute she heard his voice, she felt her whole body stayed still and couldn’t seem to move an inch. She tried to form words, but her mouth refused to obey.
"Hi, Diana. This is William. I hope you don't mind, but I got your number from Kate and thought I'd call you."
She swore to kill her friend inside her head. "Hi, William. It's nice to hear from you." It's nice to hear from you? What kind of response is that? "How are you?"
"I'm good, thank you." There was a pause. "And you?"
His voice had softened, and she knew he wasn't talking about how she was doing in the general sense.
"I'm good, too." I've been thinking about you since our kiss. "Did you call for any reason?"
He chuckled, and she realised that he was enjoying her clumsiness. And that he probably knew she was nervous.
"I have called for a specific reason." He paused again, and she wondered if he was waiting for her to ask what that reason was. "I wanted to talk to you about your brother."
"My brother?" And suddenly she felt the dream of him break. "What about my brother?" She could hear her voice ice, and she hoped he would, too.
"I want to ask him if we could date."
And just like that, her words flew out of her head. She could feel her breathing labour, and her heart beat double-time in her chest. "You want to what?"
"I want to tell Connor that I like you, and that I want to date you."
"Why?" Diana was still working on forming her words properly.
"Because I like you, and I want to date you." Diana could hear the smile in his voice, the slight tenderness she didn't know how to feel about it. "And because I thought that if I told him – asked him – it would make you feel better about us."1
The way he said "us" made Diana feel warm all over. She was startingto get fright with where their conversation is going. She couldn't let him talk to Connor. Her brother would tell him the truth, and she wouldn't have the chance to explain herself to him, to explain how this whole thing had escalated beyond her control.
"Thank you, William. I mean, it's a little outdated, but I appreciate the thought nonetheless." She stopped, and then said, "I think it would be best if I talked to Connor myself." And in the split second after that, Diana let her heart speak before her brain could filter it. "Would you like to go out on a date then?"
There was barely a heartbeat between her question and his answer. "Yes, of course. But why now?"
"Because I want to make sure this is something worth talking to Connor about." And I want to make sure this is worth risking my job for. "So, we'll go out on a date. If it goes well, I'll speak to him about us."
"And then?"
"And then if you really want to, you can talk to him for whatever chauvinistic reason."
He laughed and broke the tension she hadn't even realised she had caused.
"Okay. I'm away this week checking on one of our other hotels." He said. "But I'll be back on Friday, and I would love for us to have that date then."
Diana bit her lip, thinking that it would be the perfect amount of time for her to prepare herself for a date she had somehow talked herself into. And it would also be the perfect amount of time to obsess about it in her every free moment. "Sure, that sounds great."
"Perfect. I'm actually at the airport now. My flight is in an hour."
"Oh." She only now heard the faint sound of aeroplanes in the background. "Have a safe trip, William." She said softly, and wondered how even with all the worry she had regarding them, she wanted to be the one to kiss him goodbye.
"Thanks. And Diana?"
"Yes?" She breathed.
"I'm looking forward to Friday."
* * *
Diana looked at the reflection of herself in her full-length mirror and she couldn’t help to wonderif her outfit suited her. She wore a simple white shirt tucked into a blue A-line skirt. She paired the outfit with wedge heels, and had tied her hair into a ponytail that curled in its easy way. She hadn't wanted to overdo the makeup, so she merely wore some blush and had lightly brushed her lashes with mascara. You could barely see it, she thought, and nodded in approval. She wanted William to see her as authentically as she could manage while still feeling pretty. She also didn't know where they were going, and she thought that smart-casual would be her best bet.
She forced herself away from her reflection and walked to the kitchen, contemplating the whiskey she kept for when her brother visited. It was definitely tempting to take a shot and hopefully provide herself with the courage she needed. But the longer she thought about it, the less appealing it became. She kind of liked the butterflies in her tummy. It makes her think that what she’s about to do will be out of her comfort zone, thus it feels good to be experiencing such emotions----with mixed anxiety in it---how could there be not if whom she was having a date with is the boss she’d been hiding something from. She knew that the situation was becoming more complicated the longer she hid it, and she had no idea what had been going through her mind when she had decided on dating the boss she was hiding from. No, she reminded herself, she did know what had been going through her mind.
Fear. Pure and simple fear. She had scrutinizing about all the cause for her fear during the weeks since she'd met William. The fact that it was her job had which salvage her from the chaos she was since her parents' death. Diana had relied on it so heavily for so long, that she didn't know what would happen to her if she loses it. Would she still feel like her life had purpose? Would she still be able to wake up and face every morning that comes? The uncertainty punched hard to her stomach, but she knew she needed to be stronger than that. She knew that she needed to become more than just her job. But she also knew that she would need an even greater strength – and courage – to tell William the truth.2
She sat at her dining-room table, lost in thought. She was not a dishonest person. She'd used to confess to her mother when she'd borrowed some lipstick, for crying out loud. And yet here she was, building a relationship with a man that she genuinely liked on a factor she claimed did not taint her character. The feeling of being untruthful – that discomfort that lay right beneath her heart – followed her wherever she went now. It had been relieved slightly while William had been away, and it wasn't lost on her that that feeling may have just as much to do with anxiety
about being caught out as it did with her desire to be truthful. But she had walk around this week without having to watch if he was there, if he would see her and wonder why she spent so much time with her brother. The thoughts tumbled through her head, but she stopped them. She wouldn't be thinking about that tonight. No, tonight she was just a woman going out on a date with a man she really, really liked. The butterflies fluttered hard in her stomach and she pressed a hand there, looking up when the doorbell rang.
"Hi. Welcome back."
"Hi. You look beautiful."
Diana brushed a hand across her skirt. "Thanks. I hope it works for where we're going."
"It does." He took her coat from her hands and gestured to the car. "We better get going if we want to make it on time."
"For what?" Diana asked, but he was already gone and she was forced to follow him. She smiled when he opened the door for her, and used the few seconds he took to walk to his side of the car to admire him. He was wearing a blue shirt with jeans; his shirt was brushed over his hips and was open at the top button. It made her heart beat a little faster, this slightly more casual side of him, and she couldn't help but admire the fact that it looked just as good on him as the tailored suit he'd been wearing when they'd met. He got into the car next to her, his hair windswept from the weather outside, and she casted off all reason and leaned forward to kiss him. It was a quick, soft kiss that made her think of meadows on a sunny day.
"What was that for?" He asked when she moved away, a slightly dazed look on his face.
"Because I've been thinking about it since the last time we saw one another." Her heart was beating through her chest at the audacity that she had no idea she actually had.
He smiled, took her hand and pressed it against his lips. His gesture made her heart skipped and she felt the blush warm her face, but he just squeezed her hand and started the car without saying anything else.
"How was your week then?" She asked brightly, breaking the silence that had suddenly descended on them. "Were you successful?"