The Pull of Destiny

by Hotcheri

  “Did you tell him you were coming?” I asked her curiously.

  Probably not. Mr. Overprotective probably didn’t know she was anywhere near this place, which was a good thing. Because if he did know, he’d probably come deal with me.

  Shaking her head, CiCi said, “No, I didn’t tell him. I told my aunt. Nate- he wouldn’t have let me come here.”

  “He doesn’t let you go out?”

  “Not really.” CiCi cupped her face in her hands, staring blankly into space as Hope stood up to talk to some pervy old man who kept staring at her chest. “He only lets me go to Shazia’s or Robyn’s places. He says he doesn’t want me to end up like- he wants me to stay on the right path.”

  “Hmm,” I murmured, searching CiCi’s face as she looked around, trying to pretend that she didn’t know that I wanted to make eye contact with her. I was pretty sure she’d been about to say something else, but I decided not to push her. She was already having a shitty night; I didn’t want to bring up more drama.

  Right on cue, or so it seemed, Faith pulled at the sleeve of my shirt. I looked down at her earnest face. “Luke! You’re s’posed to ask Celsi to dance!” she hissed furtively.

  Groaning playfully, I said, “Is she my date or yours?”

  “Luke!” Faith whined as I smiled.

  Of course I wanted to dance with CiCi; I just didn’t want to seem too desperate!

  I stood up, giving an exaggerated bow in CiCi’s direction as she giggled. “Would you like to dance, Madame?” I asked, extending my arm out to her. “And please don’t say no, or else Faith’s gonna kill me.”

  You see what I did there? I put it all on Faith! Am I smart or what?

  Hope looked on approvingly as I asked CiCi to dance. I could tell she liked CiCi already. Then again, who wouldn’t? There was just something about her that made her impossible not to like, once you got to know her. Anyone would like her fresh faced approach to life. Apart from my snob of a father, who had thankfully been abducted by some friends.

  “Of course,” CiCi smiled, taking my hand and standing up.

  Turning to Hope, I told her, “We’ll be back soon.”

  She winked at us. “Take your time, kids. Have fun.”

  Hope’s pervy friend leered at us. “Don’t step on her feet, young man,” he croaked, while Faith stared at us, glee written all over her face.

  As luck would have it, we had to pass dad on our way to the dance floor. I tried to get past without him noticing but the man he was chit chatting to was too quick for me.

  “Ah, young Astor!” he boomed, making CiCi start nervously. Warily, I turned around, a fake smile on my face. When your dad’s a multi-millionaire who gets his picture taken even when he’s using the men’s room at Burger King, you have to have a fake smile. “You look sharp.”

  Dad sneered. “How?” His eyes flickered over me. “He isn’t even wearing a tie!”

  Nodding knowledgeably, dad’s companion said, “That’s how the youngsters dress these days. Awful, but you can’t tell them anything.” His watery eyes alighted on CiCi and they lit up like a candle. “And who’s this ravishing beauty?”

  I put my hand on CiCi’s shoulder. “This is Celsi Sawyer, my date. We’re going to dance,” I told them, seeking an escape route. Unfortunately, dad had to open his mouth and screw stuff up like only he could.

  “Look at her,” he said, chewing on a toothpick and pointing at CiCi like she was a wax figure in Madame Tussaud’s museum. “Can you believe that she’s from East Harlem?”

  Dad’s friend did a fake double take, rubbing his eyes and peering closer at CiCi for maximum effect while my ears burned with anger. “El Barrio?”

  “And not the nice part, either,” dad said snidely. “She’s from the projects. Public housing.”

  “Then we should see some antics on the dance floor!”

  They laughed, sounding more like catty school girls than rich tycoons.

  I had heard enough. Cursing under my breath, I grabbed CiCi’s wrist and dragged her away before I snapped and decked both of them. My head was thumping in sync with my heart and for some odd reason I found myself remembering what the doctors from John Hopkins had told me when psycho dad made me fly out there for a third opinion- ‘While we aren’t quite sure what factors cause aneurysms to rupture, studies have shown that high blood pressure can increase the risk of rupturing. Therefore, we would advise you not to lose your temper.’

  Easier said than done. My heart raged with anger and I was pretty sure I had steam coming out of my ears. How dare dad taunt CiCi in front of his friend? Didn’t he have a conscious at all?

  “Luke, I really appreciate you holding my hand, but can you loosen up a little? You’re kinda cutting off my circulation,” CiCi quipped as we stepped onto the dance floor.

  A slow song started as, mortified, I quickly let go of her wrist, which I had been gripping rather tightly. But that’s only because I was imagining it as my dad’s neck, which, in retrospect, isn’t exactly healthy.

  “God, I’m sorry,” I apologized.

  “I was just playing, you weren’t really cutting off my circulation,” she assured me, rubbing her wrist regardless. I felt like a moron. Now I was assaulting my date. What next?

  Putting my arms around her slim waist, I relished how CiCi felt in my arms as I held her close. Sure, I’d been through plenty of slow dances in my life but that didn’t explain why I found it hard to breathe as CiCi put her arms around my neck, her fingers brushing the nape of my neck. I couldn’t even name the conflicting emotions running through me as I felt the curves of her body press against me, and suddenly, I didn’t want to. Screw what I was feeling. All I knew for sure was that there wasn’t another place I would rather be at that moment than on that dance floor, staring into CiCi’s hazel eyes.

  CHAPTER 16

  take my breath away.

  Luke's Point of View

  “Are you feeling okay?” she asked out of the blue, startling me as I stared at her full lips.

  Luke, do not look at her lips.

  I shrugged, hoping that what I was thinking wasn’t showing up on my face. “I’m good.”

  “No headache?”

  “Nope.” CiCi pressed her hand against my forehead regardless and I had to smile at the concerned look on her face. “I’m okay, really. I’ll live to see another day, don’t worry.”

  “Oh.” CiCi frowned. “So why do you look so sad?”

  What happened to my public smile? Oh yeah, must have lost it when my dad and his friend started talking about CiCi dancing like a ho.

  I forced another fake smile on my face but still felt a surge of anger towards my dad. Just because CiCi didn’t measure up to his expectations money-wise, he was trying to ruin the night for us. What did he want from me? To bring Paris Hilton as my date?

  “Why would I be sad with you as my date?” I asked her softly, finally doing what I’d been dying to do all night and tuck that errant piece of hair falling in her eye behind her ear. I ran a finger across her cheek and I swear she shivered. “In case you haven’t noticed, you’re kinda the belle of the ball.”

  “Like I said, flattery gets you nowhere.”

  I grinned at her. “It’s not considered flattery if it’s true.”

  Eyes wide, CiCi opened her mouth but nothing came out. I grinned wider. Usually she had something to say, even if it made no sense at all. Score one for Luke Astor, baby.

  “Cat got your tongue?” I teased, loving how her cheeks flushed.

  “Luke, don’t change the subject,” she finally said, electing to change the subject herself. “Something’s on your mind. What’s up?”

  I shook the hair out of my eyes, looking down at her. “It’s nothing. I don’t wanna ruin your night more than it’s been ruined already.”

  “I somehow don’t think that’s possible.” CiCi smiled to show that she was joking but it hit too close to home for my liking. She was right. The night was a total gong show.

 
“I’m so sorry about this, CiCi,” I said fervently, wrapping my arms tighter around her waist and looking into her eyes. “When I asked you- I didn’t think my dad would react like this.”

  “Luke, we’ve been through this. It’s okay,” CiCi assured me. She gazed up at me quizzically. “Is that why you look so sad?”

  “I’m not really sad,” I said. “I’m just pissed off at him. He didn’t have the right to go off on you like that and talk shit. I’m sorry.”

  “How many times are you going to say that you’re sorry?”

  I smiled guiltily at her. “Till you tell me to stop?”

  “Stop.” She grinned. “I heard that the more times you say sorry, the less sincere you sound.”

  I laughed out loud. I couldn’t help it. CiCi gave me a mystified look and I decided to share the joke.

  “You’re so cute when you say stuff like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Stuff you think you heard but probably didn’t.” I chuckled. “I kinda love it when you do that.”

  “I did too hear about it,” CiCi said, sounding rather huffy.

  “Where?” I smirked.

  “Um...” CiCi started, shaking her hair back as she thought. Her face brightened. “It was on Oprah!”

  I grinned. “Don’t put this on Oprah!”

  Pursing up her lips (oh, God, not again) CiCi said, “What does this have to do with what we’re talking about?”

  “Nothing,” I admitted. But flirting with you (if that’s what we were doing) was fun while it lasted.

  “Exactly!”

  CiCi had a smug look on her face that I was determined to wipe off. Just for fun.

  “But you won’t let me apologize on my dad’s behalf,” I said. “Not that I think he deserves me apologizing for him, but- I’m embarrassed.”

  “Luke.” CiCi had a deathly serious expression on her face. “I have to be honest with you. I don’t care about what your dad says to me or about me. It doesn’t concern me.”

  I sighed, biting my lip. “Well, that definitely makes you the bigger person because what dad said- it concerned me big time.”

  “Wanna know what I’m concerned about?” CiCi asked, a sweet smile on her face.

  “What?”

  “You.”

  I pointed to myself as we swayed to the music. Our conversation was so interesting that I had forgotten I was dancing for a second. “Me?”

  Hell, I was touched!

  “Yes, you. This is your night.”

  I smirked. “It is? I thought it was my dad’s night?”

  To be a jerkass, amongst other things.

  “Nope, I issued a decree,” CiCi said merrily, smiling up at me. “Tonight is Luke Astor’s night. I don’t want you to worry about anything. Not the aneurysm, not your dad, not even the fact that you’re stepping on my foot right at this very moment.”

  Oops.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, taking a step back.

  “I told you not to worry,” she said sternly. “Tonight is your night. Be happy.”

  I had to smile at her earnest face. Sweetheart. “I am happy, oh wise one,” I drawled teasingly.

  “Good. Don’t worry about me, I’m a big girl,” she said placidly.

  “And you’re sweet.”

  “And I’m sweet,” she repeated, nodding in agreement.

  “But not modest,” I joked, the flirting banter starting anew. I loved how flirting (if that really was what we were doing; I felt so rusty) with CiCi was so natural because she didn’t realize that I was flirting.

  “I can be modest if I choose,” she protested, running her fingers over the nape of my neck and making me shiver.

  “But tonight of all nights, you shouldn’t be modest,” I said, meaning every word I said. She may say that this was my night, but she was the one stealing the show, and for good reason- she looked fabulous.

  CiCi beamed, resting her head against my chest as the song changed to ‘Suddenly’ by Billy Ocean. “I love this song,” she murmured.

  “It’s a bit corny to me,” I had to admit, shrugging as CiCi peered up at me. “You wake up and suddenly you’re in love? Bit farfetched, don’t you think?”

  “You don’t believe in love at first sight, do you?” CiCi asked, an assessing look on her face.

  Grinning, I said, “Guilty.”

  “Don’t let Shazia hear you say that,” CiCi said reflectively, scratching her nose with her index finger. “This song is a really popular song to propose to.”

  “It wasn’t on Blender’s list of top proposal songs,” I pointed out, surprising even myself by remembering something so trivial. Maybe CiCi and her random facts were rubbing off on me.

  “Oh.” I loved how flustered CiCi got when I called her on something. The color rose in her cheeks and you could practically see her mind whirring as she tried to come up with something else to say. “Well, okay, maybe I exaggerated just a bit.”

  “Been there, done that.”

  “My uncle proposed to my aunt when that song was playing. It’s always had a special place in my heart,” she told me, smiling sheepishly. “I just think it’s so romantic.”

  “Are they still together?”

  “Hmmm?” CiCi looked faraway, humming along to the song under her breath as we swayed in time to the music.

  “Your aunt and uncle. Are they still married? I think most couples don’t stay married for long.” I bit my lip in thought. “Especially if the marriage was arranged like my parents was.”

  TMI. Luckily, CiCi didn’t seem to notice what I said, which I was glad for. I didn’t know why I divulged that piece of information.

  In a soft voice, CiCi said, “My uncle’s dead.”

  I blinked. “Oh, God, I’m sorry.”

  I always had to put my foot in it when I was talking about CiCi’s family, didn’t I?

  “It’s okay,” CiCi continued, shrugging her slim shoulders. “It happened a long time ago.”

  Why I asked the next question, I’ll never know. “Did your aunt ever remarry?”

  CiCi didn’t seem to think the question was odd at all, though.

  “No.” She smiled up at me. “I think they were soul mates.”

  I grinned at the look on her face. “Tell me you don’t believe in soul mates.”

  Because I definitely didn’t.

  “I do! With all my heart, as a matter of fact.”

  Snickering, I replied, “I don’t.”

  “Why?”

  “You really wanna know?” I asked, a teasing grin on my face as I looked down at her upturned face. My breath caught in my throat as in that instant, I realised how easy it would be for me to fall for CiCi. She was just so pretty, so different, so intriguing...

  I swallowed hard as she said, “Yeah, I really wanna know.”

  “Okay,” I said, trying to get my thoughts sorted and trying to stop myself from thinking about CiCi like that. “If there’s someone for everyone, why do so many people end up being single for life? Coz if the soul mate thing is true, you’d think everyone would at least have the chance to meet their soul mate.”

  Well, that’s what I thought, at least.

  CiCi smiled. “You sound like you’ve given it lots of thought.”

  I flushed despite myself. “Not as much as you’d think,” I said, trying to defend myself.

  “But more than I’d expect, huh?”

  I slid my hands up to the small of her back as slowly as I could. “A bit more,” I smiled.

  “Maybe people meet their soul mates but they just don’t know it,” CiCi said simply, looking up into my eyes.

  Time stopped as we stared mutely at each other, her scent making me feel woozy. God, everything about her was just turning me on right now and I had no clue why. Or maybe I did know and I just didn’t want to admit anything.

  “In that case,” I started, hardly aware of what I was saying, “I could be your soul mate.”

  Celsi’s Point of View

  Sure
, Luke was stepping on my toes pretty much every chance he got (although, judging by the look of intense concentration on his face, he wasn’t doing it on purpose) but even that rather significant factor couldn’t stop me from staring dumbly into his gorgeous, deep green eyes as, with a deathly serious look on his face, he murmured, “In that case, I could be your soul mate.”

  To my credit, I didn’t sag in his arms, faint, or do anything ridiculous as he said this. All I could do was control my breathing and try not to hyperventilate as he continued, his hands caressing my back slowly and sensuously.

  “And you wouldn’t even know it.”

  I blinked so hard I was sure I was creating a draft with my eyelashes, (despite my reluctance, Aisha had insisted on fitting me with false eyelashes. Every time I blinked I felt a breeze) willing myself to look anywhere but at Luke’s tantalizingly close lips. Because if I was his soul mate and I didn’t know it (ah, the incomparable power of wishful thinking) what would stop me from grabbing him and kissing him silly?

  The fact that you’re in the middle of a dance floor at a swanky hotel filled with rich and important people, stupid.

  Oh yeah. Right.

  A wickedly hot smile turned up the corners of Luke’s mouth as he leaned ever closer to me, his warm breath fanning my cheek as he whispered, “You could be my soul mate” in my ear.

  Deep breath!

  I suddenly narrowed my eyes, reality setting in quicker than usual, which meant that Luke and his odd ways of holding a conversation (not that I was one to talk when it came to oddness) didn’t faze me that much anymore.

  Scary thought.

  Still, despite the solemn look on Luke’s face, I knew that he was obviously just laughing at my gullibility behind his poker face. I needed one of those (a poker face, I mean) because I was sure that the longing expression on my face when Luke had started talking about his views regarding soul mates was still there, which made me pathetic, especially since Luke was obviously just playing around. Stupid CiCi falls for yet another of Luke Astor’s ploys? I smiled grimly to myself. Not this time! I had a couple of things up my non-existent sleeves, too. The way I saw it, payback was a ho. And Luke deserved payback after the whole ‘I love you’ incident way back. He was just trying to get your attention, Celsi! Be that as it may, it was my turn to play with his head.