Missed Calls Lead to Opportunities

The heavy breaths of the driver are the only sound in the car for the first five minutes of the drive. I glance at Mathilda from the corner of my eye as she stares out the window. Her pink bob rocks with the motion of the ride. Whoever this driver is, he certainly doesn't have half the skill as Spencer. He jerks us through the lanes and around corners like he's driving a delivery van and not two respectable women.

Well, respectable as far as he knows.

He didn't even wait for her approval of the unexpected rider before departing. In the front, he grunts and sighs, pulling the car to a rough stop at a light. It's enough to force my back to leave the seat and the belt to lock.

Mathilda smiles sheepishly at me. Her birdlike arms rest in her lap, hands folded right over left. I recall Romero saying something about that but I wasn't listening to him by that point. Perhaps Mathilda's had some training as well.

The car takes off again, pushing us back.

I open my mouth to say something. I'd come down here with such fire and intention. Now, I stare at the back of the driver's bald, sweaty head.

"Can I ask-" I start, unsure where the sentence is going.

Mathilda turns towards me. "Yes?"

Again, I'm struck by how small she is. Waifish. Bones jut out of her wrists, shoulders, and collar. But she doesn't look sick at all. Her round cheeks are full and pouty rosy lips part as she waits for me to continue.

"How old are you?" I ask.

Her mouth opens in a shocked 'O' before she smiles, eyes squinting over her cheeks. "I'm nineteen," she says.

"Nineteen?"

She nods in response to my exclamation. "I know, I look so much younger," she sighs, "It's always been my curse,"

That wasn't why I was surprised. While I had thought that she barely looked like an adult, I still believed she was at least in her twenties, closer to Salima's age.

"You know Kai's about to be thirty, right?" I continue, counting in my head, "In like...two weeks?" Are we that close? How did I miss that?

"I'm aware,"

"So, why on earth would you want to be married to someone eleven years older than you, who you don't even know?"

She tilts her head. "He can't be that bad. Don't you have plans to marry him?"

Her particular wording throws me off. 'Don't you have plans', as if the plans aren't in motion. As if she already knows that Soichiro will get his way and those plans will simply disappear. That I will disappear. I mean, yeah that's the idea. But she doesn't know that.

"I will marry him, regardless of how difficult he is," I say as firmly as I can. Knowing her age, I feel more like a teacher who's lost control of an unruly student. "But I want to know why you want to?"

Her lips pull into a slight frown. "Soichiro told me not to talk about it with you or Kai," she mutters. She picks at her nails.

"Mathilda,"

She squeaks, looking at me with those big eyes. Now that she's not constantly looking down, I realize her eyes may actually just be that big all the time. She has a perpetually worried look.

Oh no. That won't do. Kai would eat her alive without even trying. I have to stop this from happening, if not for Kai, then at least for Mathilda's sake.

I sigh, leaning towards the middle seat between us. "Look, I understand how intimidating that man can be. He ever tell you he once broke into my home?"

She shakes her head. Of course not. That's not something people bring up in normal conversation.

"Well, he did. So, I get it," I try laughing to put her at ease. It doesn't seem to work. "But what he's trying to do is ruin Kai's life. So, if you care at all -"

"I don't care about Kai," she interrupts.

My smile falters. "What?"

Her hand comes forth and rests over mine. Again, the iciness seeps into my skin. "I understand that you care about Kai, and I don't want to hurt either of you, but this isn't about that,"

"Is Soichiro blackmailing you?" I ask slowly.

Mathilda opens her mouth to say something but there's an angry rumble from the front seat and she clamps up. My eyes dart to the driver and I catch his gaze just as it leaves the rearview mirror. Perhaps I let the conversation get away from me. I need to be smarter than that.

From the buildings outside, I can tell we're getting close to Kai's home. It's a shocking realization before I remember that Mathilda is living in the same building.

"How do you like your new home?"

She searches my face. I give her a breezy smile, as though we're just two friends catching up.

"It's nice,"

"Nice is an understatement. I remember the first night I spent at Kai's. Everywhere I turned was something luxurious. Coming from my humble origins, it was quite an adjustment."

She nods. "His unit is probably a lot nicer than mine,"

"But that doesn't mean he has taste,"

"No?"

I sputter. "Nah. He's got a designer to buy all that stuff for him. Honestly, I think he just likes spending money for the sake of spending it."

"I thought his home was tastefully decorated,"

I look over. She's picking at her fingers again.

"Do you think he's nice?" I ask. She said she didn't care about him but that wasn't really an answer. In truth, she's been very skillfully dancing around answers, giving me nothing.

"Nice in what way?"

Like that.

I decide to get right down to it. Screw the driver and screw Soichiro. He'll find out one way or other. "Don't you care that you're trying to break up my relationship? Do you think Kai will be a good husband for you?" I ask with all seriousness. "Because Kai's not easy. He works a lot – too much – and he can be grouchy and he never really shares what's going on with him. Sometimes, I want to rip his head from his shoulders because he'll say half of something and then just disappear for days,"

"But you love him,"

"Yeah, I -" I burst out and then break off. In a second, I know this was the wrong thing because Mathilda's expression quarks in a unique way. "I love him," I finish. And then I sigh. "He's not a bad person. But seriously, save yourself the trouble before it's too late."

She nods. Not in agreement but in understanding.

My tongue is heavy from the confession. It's not true, I tell myself, in hopes that my brain will hear the reasoning and tell my heart to slow down. It doesn't make any sense. Kai hasn't even done anything to deserve these feelings other than being physically attractive and occasionally charming. My heart shouldn't be so easily swayed.

We enter the resident's garage and the driver parks in front of the lobby doors. Heaving himself out of the front seat, we wait for him to lumber around to let Mathilda out. Once there, she waits for me to slide out, and, dismissing the driver, we head into the lobby, towards the elevators.

I watch Mathilda as we go. Alone, she walks with her head up rather than down, chin even with the marble floor. Her eyes sweep over the ornate decorations as if she doesn't see them. And she doesn't walk, she glides. The doorman calls the elevator down and Mathilda shares an easy, thin-lipped smile with the man. Her shoulders push back into the perfect posture as we stand.

More than all the questions in the car, this reveals what I need to know.

It's just the two of us for the ride up. As the numbers blink past, I see our time left together ticking down.

"Why did you leave?" I ask suddenly, taking every last opportunity to discover something. "You just showed up and then left, for no reason,"

"Salima doesn't like me right now," she says softly. "But we'll be family one day. She has time to come around. Best not burn those bridges before then."

The cart stops at her floor just a few levels lower than Kai's. The doors open to a hall and with a final smile, she steps out.

Before the doors close, Mathilda turns to me a final time. "I guess we'll see each other around,"

"I'd rather not," I say. As nice as she's been, she's still trying to steal my "future husband" and I can't be seen as being too nice to her.

The doors close, cutting her off from view. I open my bag containing the few belongings I brought along, mainly my ID, my bank card, my phone, and Kai's house key card. Swiping the card and pressing the button for his floor with one hand, I open my phone with the other.

Oh, no.

Ten missed calls. The first seven from Romero.

The remaining three from Kai.

In the rush to catch Mathilda, I hadn't thought to let anyone know I was leaving. Actually, I didn't know I was leaving until I got into the car. I can see how that might cause some concern.

A text message rolls in from Romero. I swipe to open it.

'Good Luck' is all it says.

That's not good.

I call him back, thinking I should find out just how much trouble I'm in before calling Kai.

"Yes?" Romero answers.

"I'm sorry," I start. The elevator door opens and I step out, walking into the living room. I put my things door and kick off the heels, "but I had a good reason,"

"Pardon? Who is this,"

I groan. "Don't start with me, Romero. I said I was sorry,"

"Because surely it's not Hilary. She doesn't have a phone,"

In the kitchen, I pull out a glass and fill it with cool water, sipping it as he carries on and on about how I disappeared from the luncheon and then Julia called him -

Ah, Julia. I should have guessed.

"Do you want to know what I found or not?"

"Tell me if Kai decides to lets you live," he answers. "Then I'll know if my investment is worth it,"

That brings me to the next question. "How mad is he?"

"As I said, tell me if he lets you live,"

Oh, that's really not good.

"Can't be any worse than what I've seen from him before," I say, setting the glass down on the counter.

"Hilary," Romero says and then pauses, "at the risk of scaring you, you need to understand,"

I shift, feeling the energy of the room change despite being alone.

"Kai gets annoyed, maybe irritated, definitely frustrated, often. That's like his baseline. He doesn't get angry."

I don't say anything, because what do you say to that?

"And he's on his way,"

So, he'll be doubly mad that he had to leave the office to deal with me? Great.

Before saying my goodbyes – not that I think I'm going to die or anything – I ask Romero for a favor and then take a seat on the couch. And I wait. I stare at the golden doors expecting them to part at any second. My hands grip the edge of the couch on either side of my legs.

As the minutes' tick by, I think of all the times I've seen him irritated. Truthfully, visibly upset.

There was that time in his office, of course. What I remember most is his stormy eyes and the way his voice dropped low, almost a growl but more even.

His grandfather upset him at that first dinner. And then me in the car. At that point, he all but shut down on me.

Oh. And I didn't see it in person, but wasn't he upset at the dinner Emily invited me to? With the paparazzi. As Rick held Brad against the wall and Kai went through the camera. I was too distracted being called a prostitute that I didn't register Kai's energy at the time. I guess he was probably upset then too.

Of course, most recently and unforgettably at the engagement party. The way Kai lead me from the room to the car is permanently seared into my brain. I catch myself thinking about it when I'm alone. The way his hand gripped mine; the back of his dark head, the gray strands fluttering with his swift movements; how he frowned when he got into the car.

If I don't catch myself, sometimes my memories turn into fantasies where I lean forward and grip his smooth cheeks in my hands and press another kiss against his scowl. My stomach drops just thinking about it now.

Rick and Spencer aren't there, for clarification. They...uh, disappear?

I guess I've let my crush expand into...more of a crush. Despite my confession to Mathilda, I'm not ready to say I'm in love with him but I can't deny that Kai exists in an entirely separate area in my head from everyone else.

My gaze drops to the ground.

What am I going to do? We have another four months and some change to go before we're free of each other. How am I going to survive all that time when I'm barely getting by now?

The sound of the elevator stopping in the shaft vibrates through the silent living room. I stiffen.

I can't think about that.

The doors open. Kai is revealed and my heart stops for a moment. The fiery glower is new. And his face is bright, alive with aggravation. His dark energy fills the room, a wave that washes over me. Suddenly, I understand why he's been able to rise in business so rapidly and why people are quick to stay out of his way. This is not Kai, the lonely king in the tall castle.

This is Kai Hiwatari. The Kai Hiwatari.

I soften, almost pleasantly bemused at how fearful I was just moments ago. He may think he can come in here, tearing like a devil and I'll cower like everyone else does when faced with his hardened expression, but not me. Not anymore. Because Kai messed up. He showed me his real self first. And now I know not to fear this version of him.

"What were you thinking?" he growls, leaving the elevator. He stalks forward. Every movement manages to express just how angry he is.

"Were you worried about me?" I stand and give him a sunny smile. "I was thinking Soichiro is quite bold to send Mathilda there. I wanted to see if she's just as bold. Do you want to know what I found?"

"No," he rumbles. "What the hell, Hilary? Why do you do things like this?"

"Things like what?" I ask, "Like go out of my way to help you? You're right, I should just sit here and look pretty. Like a vase. Or a painting."

I fold my arms over my chest. His eyes shine and I have to force myself not to grin at him, in case it only incites him more. Though, I kinda want to. It's very tempting.

"You got in the car with a woman who is working for my grandfather. How does that help anything? Do you just think to yourself 'what is the stupidest thing I can do,' and then do it?"

"Yes, how'd you know? Because that's exactly what I think," I say. "It's how I ended up working for you."

"You didn't even know where they were taking you," he growls again, running a hand through his hair. It's the first time I've seen him this unhinged and I have to say...

I like it.

"You know who does things like that?"

"Stupid people?"

His eyes dance wildly at my casual response. "Yes. Exactly."

"Maybe," I say, walking around the couch to the space between the living room and the kitchen where Kai stands. "Maybe I wouldn't make such daring and stupid moves if we were on the same page,"

Oh, he hates that. His eyes ignite further with ire. I take a perverse joy in it, allowing the little grin I've been holding back to show.

"This, again,"

"Yes, this again, Kai," I say sweetly, "because we're doomed to go over this again and again until you bend a little."

He glares.

"But maybe that's what you want,"

"How do you get that?"

"I was joking about us being the perfect match. But maybe that's what you fear the most. That you'll actually like having me around all the time. So, you keep me from getting too close."

"Does it look like I need any more friends?"

"No, it doesn't. But then, I wouldn't be just a friend,"

I can feel the brutal darkness rolling off him. For a moment, I worry that I've crossed a line. We stare at each other, the room charged.

"So," he says harshly after a beat, "what did you learn?"

His teeth are still clenched tight, unwilling to admit I have a point but also not wanting to let the opportunity go.

"Mathilda doesn't care about you," I say.

He closes his eyes and tries to breathe evenly. "So?"

"So," I draw out, "there's something else she cares about. She's not here because she wants to be a Hiwatari or anything. Her motive is different."

He huffs.

"And also, she's gone through proper training. Like what Romero's trying to teach me. She already knows it."

He blinks at that, looking at a point over my shoulder.

"And when your grandfather came to me, he mentioned that part of the problem he had with me was that I had nothing to offer in terms of land or alliance. He wants connections. Seems to me that the families who do would probably be a shortlist,"

"Mathilda Aster," he mutters.

"What?"

Kai shakes his head. "The Aster's are a family from London. They control a huge portfolio of investment funds. They're not a powerful family, but I've heard of them. Just never met any. They didn't like my grandfather's way of doing business."

"You already know who she is," I realize. "I guess Rick's research has yielded the results you wanted,"

"A few years ago, Mathilda's father passed away, leaving the family business to her uncle Jean-Paul, since Mathilda is their only child and she just recently graduated. Jean-Paul's been driving it into the ground since, creating the perfect opportunity for Hiwatari to step in. He's practically begging for my grandfather's help regardless of what his brother wanted."

"So what? They're offering Mathilda as a trade? People do things like that?" I'm infuritated on her behalf. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't think you'd jump in a car with her," he barks, reminding me he's still angry about that. "Stupid,"

"If you had just told me you already have information, I wouldn't have. Or I would have asked better questions."

Judging from how he stares me down, he already knows that.

I clap my hands together. "Well, can't be helped now," I smile. No use in heaping the guilt on him, which was my original plan. "What are you going to do to prevent this in the future?"

We both know what his answer should be. It's only the thing I've been harping on since our first outing. It's only taken almost two of the six months for it to nearly blow up in our faces about half a dozen times. I hope he gets it now.

"We'll talk," he grounds out.

I stifle another grin.

"But I don't know when. I'm busy over the next few weeks. I don't have the time to give you the cover-to-cover story of my life."

Under different circumstances, I'd say now is a perfect time. But he's so growly that I know I won't get the kind of information I'm dying to know. Besides, I have a better idea.

"I know. That's why before you got here, I asked Romero to call your office and clear your schedule for next weekend from Friday to Monday,"

"What?"

"Yep. It's your birthday weekend and you're spending it with your fiancée. We're finally getting to know each other."

"And Romero just went along with it?"

"Oh yeah. He thought it was a great idea,"

"Unbelievable," he mutters, pulling out his phone.

"Kai, what did we just say?"

He doesn't answer, too busy typing out a wrathful message.

I put my hand over the screen to block his view. I know better than try to take it from his hands at this point. He glares up at me like a animal protecting his territory. "We just agreed that we need to talk. You said you had no time and I created time. With a believable excuse, at that."

"I don't celebrate my birthday,"

"Well, I do."

Another staring contest. I have to say, I think I'm getting good at this.

He puts his phone back in his pocket and I lower my hand. "You can have the weekend," he says, "but I'm working Friday and Monday."

"Nope. That's non-negotiable. We're getting out of town because otherwise, you might just try work the entire time." I know. It's what I would do. I can't count how many family vacations I spent splitting my time unevenly between family and schoolwork, the latter getting most of my attention. I can't even imagine what would happen if we stayed in the city. "We'll need those days for travel,"

"A vacation," He rolls his eyes. "Where are we going?"

Finally. A clear surrender. "I'm not sure. I'll figure it out, maybe put that Hiwatari name and reputation to work." I step away, waving my hands in a ta-da motion, as if it's all in a day's work.

"Let me pick," he says. I give him a doubtful eye. Does he think I'm that gullible now? Kai sighs. "We'll go out of town,"

I shrug carelessly. "Okay. But if you disappoint me, you'll never hear the end of it," I ignore his snort. "Oh, and I'm going to be emailing a questionnaire over."

"A what?"

"You don't have to fill it out, but looking it over will be helpful,"

Gathering the heels I abandoned by the couch when I arrived, I turn around to face him. He's staring at me like he's never seen me before. It's a cross between confusion and bewilderment. "I'm going to go change and then you're giving me a tour of this place,"

He closes his eyes. I love this feeling. It's like for once he doesn't know what to say or do to control me. The tables have turned in my favor and I have the control. "My parents are coming for a visit this weekend, remember? You arranged it. How weird will it look if I don't know my way around,"

"I'm not planning on taking them to my bedroom,"

"You mean our bedroom, right? Be careful you don't slip up while they're here,"

"You're exhausting,"

I smile. "And you're an ass. I think we've reached a new level to our believability as a couple."

"Did you get a personality transplant at that luncheon?"

"No. I just finally got tired of dealing with your crap and being nice about it," I walk away, "I'll be right back and then you can give me that tour,"

Hello! Thank you to all the readers and reviewers! you guys are so sweet. I love hearing from you, so if you have any thoughts you feel like sharing, please do! As always, stay safe and stay well. Next chapter will be up next week. - Konix