CHAPTER FOUR
At 11 o'clock on the dot the next morning, the buzz of the intercom in Serena's apartment went off startling the girl. She didn't know why it did; it wasn't as if she wasn't expecting it.
"Good morning Miss Serena, I've got a young Master Darien Shields saying that you were expecting him," called Stanley, her somewhat elderly doorman from the intercom.
Serena was so very tempted to tell Stanley that she doesn't know who Darien was just to be cheeky but this was a rather important conversation that they needed to have. Serena felt as if the extra 2 hours she had asked for just wasn't enough.
"It's okay, Stanley, you can send him up. Just don't call him Master Darien again. We don't was his large head inflating anymore than it already is," chuckled Serena knowing full well that Darien could hear everything she said. She was right when she heard a small growl come through from the other side.
She laughed some more when she heard Stanley warning Darien that he was watching him. Not that Darien would be in any danger at all. Stanley was getting on in years and quite rounded in the middle. Darien, on the other hand, was a lean, solid six and a half foot tall male specimen.
Serena opened the door to wait for Darien who arrives 2 minutes later from the elevator.
"Coffee?" Serena offered as soon as he steps through the door.
"Sure," Darien answers slightly distracted by the woman who had greeted him. There she was in her kitchen making coffee. But what made him suddenly silent was the sight of her glorious hair. When he had first met her, Serena's hair was pulled into two pigtails on either side of her head topped with buns, hence where Meatball Head came from. Then when she entered university she started wearing her hair in in simple buns or in braids. Never had Darien seen it outbound and free flowing like it was today.
He had always known Serena's hair was long. He just never imagined it would be this long. Glorious shiny blonde hair falling in gentle waves down her shoulders and back. Ending just past her bottom. Darien has this very, very sudden urge to run his fingers through that silky, golden mane of hers and maybe bury his nose in it just to make sure it also smelled as incredible as it looked.
"Darien?" Serena said pulling him out of his thoughts and giving him a questioning look. He was very surprised to see her standing in front of him holding out a steaming cup of coffee.
He cleared his throat, took the cup from her and looked around his surroundings for the first time, "Nice place."
And it was. It was a lot bigger than he assumed. The building's façade was obviously very deceiving. As soon as you step through the door, you are greeted by an open living room made even more spectacular by the large windows that over looks Central Park. The view from the 20th floor was amazing. He should know. His apartment also gave him the same view. Then off to the side of the living room was a modern looking kitchen that was the dream of any aspiring chef. The apartment was modern, chic and clean.
But as large as her apartment was, it had that intimate, cozy feel to it. Darien could feel Serena in this place, as strange as that sounded. Her sofa looked cozy and well-loved full of fluffy cushions. And on the walls were pictures of all of her family and friends.
Certainly, the very opposite of his apartment. His was as modern and luxurious but it was also cold and clinical in atmosphere. Darien made a mental note to put some splash of color in his apartment for when Serena came to visit. Hang on, he thought. Since when did he assume that Serena would ever visit him?
"Thank you for coming early. I hope it wasn't hard to find," Serena said sinking into her sofa and tucking her feet underneath her legs.
"Actually, I was surprised that we were only four blocks apart," Darien supplied settling in next to her.
Serena's eyes widened also surprised by this news, "Oh. That's awesome." And she thought it was. Which was a very weird thought to have. It should have annoyed her that her sworn enemy was close by, right?
"Yeah, I didn't have to drive far. Good parking, too."
They exchanged pleasantries for a little bit longer, which was definitely unusual for them. After a while they ran out things to say and basically sat there in awkward silence. Darien could sense the hesitation coming from the blonde but was reluctant to leave the peace that had settled over them. The sun was streaming through the windows and all Darien could see was a sort of glowing aura surrounding Serena.
Darien forced his gaze away to try and get back to what he came to discuss. They needed to get under way soon if they want to beat the traffic out of the city and make the four hour drive to the outskirts of Washington D.C.
"So where did you want to start?"
Serena blinked several times. For a moment when she caught Darien staring at her, she thought she saw something flash through his eyes. But as quickly as it came, it was gone in one blink.
"How about what we should tell them?" Serena asked uncertainly.
"About you and me, you mean?" Darien suggested.
Serena shrugged, "I guess that's a good place to start."
They traded ideas back and forth each more ridiculous that the last. Each idea was so far-fetched that they ended up having a laughing fest instead and competing with each other to see who can come up with the most outrageous one. Darien was good but Serena was better. He teased and grudgingly surrendered to her wild imagination. Darien admitted that Serena was indeed in the right profession.
"I think we should stick to the truth as much as possible," he suggested after settling again.
"So we just say that we've been fighting all those years because we denied out attraction to each other? Then we saw the light and thought that we were better off channeling all that energy into a romantic relationship?" Serena scoffed.
"Yeah, that sounds like us," Darien replied with a small smile. Even he had to admit it sounded childish but somewhat plausible.
"I don't think the girls will buy it. But I'm sure that if I can explain to them what's happening they'll understand. It's the boys and everyone else that we have to convince," Serena said.
Darien looked at her with a slightly confused expression, "The girls? And what boys?"
"You know, Mina, Amy, Raye and Lita."
Darien nodded in understanding. He was glad that they would be there. At least there were people he knew. He remembered that the five of them had been inseparable throughout high school and university. Their favorite hangout being Andrew's café where he had the misfortune (or fortune?) of getting acquainted with Serena. He hadn't seen them in months, except for Amy who was currently doing her internship at his hospital.
"Okay. And the boys?" he asked trying to get the bigger picture.
"My overbearing, over-protective and insensitive cousins," Serena answered, who despite the insulting adjectives sounded really fond of them. "My cousins who each thought it would be a good idea to give me heart attacks when they decided to pair up and fall in love with my best friends." At this, she shuddered as if trying to banish a very unpleasant mental picture, which she actually was when she thought about their very gross public displays of attraction in front of her. She thanked her lucky stars that she didn't see it that often or she really would have a heart attack.
"Right. And we have to convince them, why?" Darien asked still confused.
"Because they're overbearing, over-protective and insensitive," Serena said as if that explained it all.
Darien let out a frustrated huff and tried again. This time Serena explained that her cousins were her pseudo big brothers and had always treated her like a princess ever since she was born. For a long time she had been the only girl in her family and being the youngest, her cousins, Michael, Nathan, Greg and Jed had taken it upon themselves to be her protectors. They took the role seriously, sometimes too seriously. They were the biggest obstacles to her love life. As much as she loved them, she was also elated that they were now occupied with their own partners.
"Hang on. I thought the cousin that was getting married was a girl?" Darien pointed trying to think if he had missed anything in that story.
"She is and she isn't," was Serena's vague answer to which Darien just gave her a puzzled look.
Serena goes on to say that beryl is actually her step-cousin. Beryl's mother had married into the family, marrying the youngest of her uncles, Uncle Benedict who didn't have a child of his own. Uncle Benedict's first wife had died giving birth to their son who had also sadly passed away two days later of heart complications. The baby, Benedict Jr, would have been the same age as Serena as he had lived. For a long time Uncle Ben had never voiced his desire to remarry until six years ago when he brought home Chloe and her 18-year-old daughter, Beryl.
When Serena had found out, she had been ecstatic at finally having a girl cousin who was also the same age. But she and Beryl had never bonded or grew close. Beryl always made fun of Serena and liked to flaunt her boyfriends. Beryl had always resented the fact that Serena was the favorite. She was doted up from the day she was born because she had been that first girl born in her family for over 100 years.
Serena's father was the oldest of five brothers. Her grandfather was also the oldest of four brothers and her great-grandfather was also one of four boys. So when Serena's parents had her, the whole family rejoiced and spoiled her. Beryl had entered the family thinking she would be treated the same. And even though their grandfather also doted on her, the boys had never extended their protection. They gave it reluctantly when it was due because that was how they were raised. But they saw her for what she really was, a manipulative, gold-digging woman.
"Wow. That's a lot of information to take in. But how come I've never seen your cousins?"
"That's cause they're a little bit older than me. That and the fact that I made them swear never to come to the café when I was there after school. They're brutes and they'll just scare everyone away, " she explained shrugging.
Serena glance at the clock and realized that they had been talking for over two hours. She was pleasantly surprised that they did not manage to have a single argument throughout that time. Any other time and during any other situation, they would have fought at least ten times over small issues.
"I think we should go," Serena said somewhat reluctantly. "Will you be okay to drive? I can drive some of the way if you like."
"No. It's okay. I like driving. And this way we get there quicker and in one piece," teased Darien with his trademark smirk he reserved just for her.
So much for the peace. With that statement they settled into a petty argument over her driving skills and his very sexist views of women's driving skills in general.
The thing was, this debated didn't have as much heat or anger in it like their previous fights. It was light, teasing and full of laughter. And if either one of them noticed and not pointed it out, then neither one of them acknowledge that shift in their relationship. It was just easier thinking it was the same as it always was.
And yet in the back of their minds, both Serena and Darien realized that they actually never got around to discussing how it was they would convince everyone of their undying love for one another?
How, indeed?