CHAPTER THREE

I knew I had this was coming, the calls, the gifts and the press. I knew it was going to be bad, that was why I had hesitated about the breakup, but it was necessary to cut Sebastian off. He was making me go crazy, in a terrible way, so yes, although I had foreseen the future, I accepted it with open arms.

A week had passed since that Sunday evening, and the tempest had still not died down. My office was filled with flowers and gifts, from suitors, admirers and I guess even haters. I had already filled the storage with them and I couldn't discomfort my staff, so it was better in my office than at home or on the streets. When I find another man, then this drama will die down once again as it had when I started dating Sebastian. What I had to figure out, however, was how to tame the wild beast known as Roseline Winchester, my mother.

I had managed to ignore all her calls the whole week but my stepfather, Anthony, had taken my trust in him and used it against me. I was sure he had no other choice but he still betrayed me and now I was sitting in front of the small white-dressed table of the tennis court eatery, with my mother opposite me. My dad had run off and was now playing tennis with one of his old friends and I had no other choice thanks to him. I hope he was aware that the little trust he had earned was now exhausted.

"Mum, I cannot go back to Sebastian." I said as calmly as possible. I have repeated myself thousands of times already, and my patience was already waning thin with each second.

"Why, I know you have listed a lot of reasons already, but why...." She asked, frowning as if I was annoying her. I was the one who was getting annoyed. She had no right to look angry.

"Then what more do you want? If my reasons are not enough, then you will never understand me." I said, cutting her off.

"He is in love with you, Fiona." She said and I couldn't hold it back. My laughter quaked my entire body, and turned eyes were directed to where I sat. When I finally stopped, I wiped a tear off my left eye and looked back at her.

"Tell me, did he tell you that? Himself? Or did you assume the whole thing? Yourself?" I asked, then sipped my fruit juice. It was too early for a drink, I had a shape to maintain and an appearance to keep.

"He made his intentions quite clear to me and Anthony. He loves you Fiona. What more could you ask for? It’s better you marry a man that loves you than one who doesn't." My mother was a sucker for affections, she loved way too easily and that has led her to many mistakes and misfortunes. I wasn't like her, I was nothing like Roseline Winchester.

"I see, and you believed him? Mother, really? I won't deny he indeed loves something about me, but it's not me that he loves, rather he loves something I own. Everyman in this city loves me, okay? I mean, after all, I'm the most successful woman in the entire universe and I'm single. Besides, who was talking about getting married? I know I wasn’t."

"Fiona!" She shouted.

"Mother, let's end it here. I am not interested in marrying anyone not to talk of Sebastian Prime. I don't know why marriage is even that important. What gain does it bring?"

"Happiness. It brings happiness beyond your imagination, one you will never want to let go of." She replied smiling like a baby receiving ice cream and chocolates.

"If it was something so indispensable, then why are you on your fourth marriage? Weren't you truly happy when you got married?" I knew my words would stab her but I had to bring her back to reality, then, maybe then, she would let me be.

"Oh my darling Fiona. Anthony and I are happy now, are we not? That's all that matters. With the exception of your father and Anthony, the other men were mistakes. My mistake, because I’m only human. You have to understand this. Love... is...everything." The way she breathed in before saying, everything, made me realize I was talking to a wall built in wonderland, she wasn't going to leave me alone, not now and I feared not ever.

"To avoid any mistakes, then, I have to avoid the entire situation. Mother. You, too, will have to understand this," I stated, as a matter of fact.

"You have to find yourself a man or I will do so for you." She warned, she had now discarded the dreamy lost eyes she had, and had turned back to the raging witch.

"You will do no such thing," I warned back.

"Watch me. I will give you a month, Fiona, no two weeks, no, no, a week, okay, two for grace, and I will take over if you haven’t found anyone..." She shouted.

"You cannot do that, you cannot control my life. I'm a full grown woman." I shouted, matching her volume.

"And I'm your mother. I can do whatever I want." She replied, raising her voice louder.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I grabbed my bottle, snatched up my phone, and rose. I didn't know someone was approaching behind me, since our heated argument had silenced the entire field  and when I turned, I bumped into a waiter behind me.

The full hard collision, the clatter of porcelain jugs and tea cups and their  shattering sounds as they fell on the floor brought me back to my senses.

"Oh my. Oh no. I'm so sorry." I turned back, dropped my belongings on the table and picked up a napkin. My mother, also surprised, was now standing and Anthony was standing behind her. He must have heard our argument and had come running to still the waters. I turned back to the waiter.

"I’m so very sorry, I...I didn't see you there, my mind was elsewhere, I’m so sorry." I began to dap the napkin on his stained shirt, as I apologized. This was my mother's fault. Haven't I drawn enough attention for one day? Now this. I continued cleaning the shirt but I feared I was only making the stain worse.

"It's okay ma'am." The waiter said and stepped back, away from my touch. An invisible pull of his voice drew my eyes away from his chest and that was when I looked up at the victim. Was he really a server? His pale pink uniform said so, but his face didn't, neither did his body. Come to think of it, his chest was firm, too firm, as if he was a pro boxer. Then his face looked like a sinful demon straight from hell. With his thick eyebrows, crazy brunette hair that had hints of gold in the sun's reflection, his narrow eyes, the color of the stain on his shirt and a firm, well-structured face, and jaws. He was more of a model than a waiter. If there were more servers like him, then the establishment had really good taste and high standards in selecting its staff.

"Ma'am, your skirt is stained too. So is your blouse. Ma'am? Miss?" I heard him say and I was too lost to reply.

"Oh my, my darling. Fiona are you okay?" My mum ran to me and pulled me closer to inspect for burns, then she turned to the waiter and continued,

“Why were you careless? Couldn’t you see she was rising from her seat? Is this what we pay for? Is this the kind of service we get for our membership status in your club? I need to call the owner. You must be fired for this. Where is my phone? Anthony? Honey, could you please pass my phone?” My mother shouted at the waiter and that was when my mind returned.

"Mum. I'm fine." I looked back at the waiter and gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I shouldn't have come so close to your table. I apologize." He said, bowing as he apologized.

"How could you say that, when you are clearly not fine? The tea is all over you. Oh no, your beautiful legs." My mum cried out and stabbed the waiter with her eyes.

"Mum I said I'm fine. Could you stop with your inspection? Please?" I pushed her away gently, and for some reason I felt too exposed in the short tennis skirt I wore. I didn't look down or I feared I could force his eyes to follow mine.

"You don't have to apologize. It was my mistake. I will take care of all this, just put it on the Winchester tab, okay?" I said.

"Ma'am, you don't have to." He objected.

"Nonsense. You should um... not be... um...affected. Just tell your boss... manager... whoever is in charge...what I said. I hope you were not burnt." I asked.

"No, ma'am," he replied.

"Okay. I really am sorry."

"It's alright, Ma'am." He said and smiled. His smile was meant to be for my reassurance and ease, but I forgot how to breathe instead. Since I couldn't speak, I nodded. Was I losing my mind? I looked back at my mum and then at Anthony. I wasn’t going crazy yet. They were really there, arguing about whether my mum should make the call or not, then my brain rebooted once again.

"I have to go now. Mum, let's not talk more about that, okay? I will call you later." When she began to protest, I turned back to the waiter,

"Um...What's your name? I need to leave an excellent review in your favor." I had to save him from my mother’s clutches. That was the reason I asked. My mother, being my mum, was going to make that call, with or without Anthony’s consent, so I had to save him. After all, it was really my fault.

"I'm Jacob Void." He said and stretched his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Fiona Winchester." I said and accepted his handshake, then forgot how to breathe. Control yourself girl, you need sleep and rest. I commanded myself.

"Katherine," he said, and I instantly looked up at him. No one ever called me that and it sounded better than hearing my other name, the one everyone addressed me with.

"How did you know that?" I asked, surprised.

"You are all over the news. You've been on it all week." He said and smiled again, and I prayed for someone to ban that act of smiling from the world.

"Oh, that -" I released his hand, "-I'm sorry for all... this." I continued, looking down at the mess I had created.

"You are already paying for it. You don't need to be." He said and I expected his smile straight from Hades, but he didn't smile, he just looked down at my stained skirt and I realized I had to take my leave with immediate effect.

"I need to go. Goodbye… um... "

"Void. Jacob Void." He reminded me and I smiled, embarrassed that I had forgotten already. I always had a problem with names, which always made me appear rude.

"Yes.. sorry... Jacob... I’m sorry and goodbye." I said and walked away. What an interesting morning, accompanied by the loss of trust, argument with my mother and the collision with a handsome male specimen. I know I hate the idea of relationships and marriage, but no one said I loathed flirting and beautiful opposite-gender individuals like Jacob Void.