2 - Invitation

Eugene's POV

I leave my plate on the dining table and head for the library. Melissa never comes in here, so this is my safe place. She says, "It's just boring people who go to the library". Well, if that makes me a boring person, so be it. It has never been my goal to impress my sister with anything I do.

I scroll through the books in the library until I come to my favourite section, Mystery. I always love the thrill that comes with not knowing what's going to happen next. You can make it more interesting for yourself if you start to wonder what is happening and what will happen. I take a few glances through the books on the shelves and take a book that looks the most interesting out of all the books I saw. 'In the Woods' by Tana French.

I go to my usual spot in the far corner of the library. It has a bay window overlooking the breathtaking Miami scenery. Our house resides near the sea, and we need to drive for about ten minutes to get to the main road that leads to Miami. I like being far away from the city because I don't like girls swooning over me and trying to get my number. I love to look at the city from afar. It is much more relaxing.

I start reading my newly picked book, and it kicks off with a sudden bang of mysteries one after the other. I was so intrigued by the book that I lost track of time. As soon as I completed the book, it was already past 6 o'clock, and the sun was beginning to set. All the colours you could dream of hung in the sky as the sun breathed out his last light for the day and night fell. As soon as it was dark, I heard two cars pulling up in front of the house. Great, mom and dad are back. Welcome to another night of hearing about business deals and my sisters' exciting day with her friends at the beach. I can't wait to hear all about it. Reluctant, I go to put my book back in its original position before I leave the library and head for the dining room.

As I walk into the dining room, mom, dad and Melissa were already seated at the table. When they noticed me, their attention shifted towards me, and Melissa, as usual, was the first to speak.

"What have you been up to the whole day long?" She asks cockily. Her way of trying to rile me up, and sometimes, she succeeds.

"I was reading in the library. I didn't feel like doing anything today." I say, trying to sound as unannoyed as possible.

Melissa looks at me and does her signature overdramatized sigh. "You never feel like doing anything at all with your life."

"Oh really?" I ask with a smirk. "At least I'm productively getting some new grammar into my head. What have you been doing the whole day? Tanning at the beach and flirting with more than twenty guys again?"

Melissa gives me the annoyed pout she always gives me when she knows what I say is true. I know her too well to be fooled by the little schemes she always tries to pull. She doesn't have a boyfriend, and all the boys in Miami are constantly around her. Heck, I won't argue. My little sister is a true beauty with her almost platinum blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She looks a lot like our mother, but she's got the attitude of our father. My father is very stubborn, and whatever he says goes. There is no room for arguments. I, on the other hand, got both my mother and father's attitudes. I'm stubborn, but not like my father, and I'm smart, like my mother. I know when to stop and when to go other than Melissa.

We sat in silence for what felt like half an hour before my father and mother started talking silently with each other, something they usually don't do. Melissa and I gave each other sceptical looks before we looked back at them, and they looked at us. My father was the first to speak, and I could instantly tell it had something to do with me. Now, this doesn't look good at all. What did I do this time, or yet, what haven't I done this time?

"Eugene."

Oh gosh, here it goes. I'm in for it now.

He interlocks his finger together and places his hands in front of him, and looks at me. "Father ran into an old friend today at work in Paris. You should know him. It's Dominic Crimson. He's one of the few successful businessmen partners I have, and his wife is the famous fashion designer Clementine Crimson..."

"Where are you exactly going with this father?"

"You see, Eugene, Dominic gave me an invitation to his private restaurant in Paris. It's very exclusive, and I would like you to join me, your sister and your mother on going to a dinner party with the Crimsons'."

My annoyance was starting to surface, but I tried to suppress it as much as I could."Father, you know I don't like these kinds of things."

"I know, I know, but please, at least just this once. I'm making an announcement at this dinner party, and it involves you. Please consider."

I look at my father for a while before I shake my head in defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll go. Just as long as it's just us and the Crimsons' attending this party."

Father's face instantly brightens up, and he sits back in his chair again. "Then it's settled. The dinner party is tomorrow night. We depart in our private jet around six tomorrow morning. I'd like to have you freshened up for the party which starts at eight tomorrow night. You'll have enough time to get ready before the party starts. We'll be landing around 3 o'clock in Paris. Make sure you are packed and ready to stay in Paris for a few weeks."

"A FEW WEEKS!" I shout. This is complete madness! "I thought you said it was only a dinner party?"

"Well, we'll be staying with the Crimsons' for a few weeks because I have some urgent business matters to attend to in Paris which will take me a few weeks to complete. See it as a vacation in the City of Love. Who knows, maybe you'll even find yourself a wife while we're there."

I sat on my chair. I couldn't believe what I've just heard. A few weeks in Paris? Great, just what I needed. More attention from other girls around the globe. Thanks, dad. You really know how to ruin my mood completely.

Sitting at the table, I couldn't control my anger anymore, so I excused myself and went to my room and decided to get rid of my rage by listening to music and sitting on my balcony overlooking the sea scenery as well as Miami. A few weeks? That's the longest I'll ever be away from home for business. What business could ever take that long to finish? It just doesn't make sense at all.

Overtook by my emotions of rage and confusion, I feel myself slowly drift to sleep in my hanging bed on the balcony before everything goes black, and I'm fast asleep with so many questions rummaging through my head.