We Were Toxic Since Forever

Claribel

'So, Claribel....' Please don't ask me anything, don't ask me anything. I kept praying as my aunt made eye contact with me, air stuck in my throat, refusing to ascend or descend. 'How is work?' And the soul left my body along with the air in the constricted space. 'Darling, sighing every time I ask you that question won't help. Answer me.'

I didn't break the eye contact. So, she was aware that it was one of her regular questions, and I must say, the most dreaded one. I pretended to gulp the non-existent food and swirled the fork in the pasta only to set it on the edge.

Gathering some courage I uttered, 'I've been working on my final semester project after that I will apply for.......'

A laugh and then she said, 'Oh honey, I am talking about real work, your job that you were busy doing all summer, which actually pays unlike the degree that you've trying to get for like...how long?' Her ugly face caked with expensive but mismatched makeup turned to my mother who was now throwing daggers at me through her beautiful blue eyes, which we share by the way.

'We're hoping she gets her Finance Degree by the end of this year, post which she would officially join Martin as the chief Financial Advisor in The MP Co.' Here goes my mother's memorized lines again. She would have made a great theatre actress had she not been on the Board of The MP Co., our family's wine business.

Both the ladies chatted for a while about me, my non-existent job, college degree which is not what they think it is, guys I will never be interested in, and most-importantly, my dark future. I see the ominous clouds through the glass of the skyscraper we are dining at. I excused myself and my father who had been quiet for the longest time, nodded. As our eyes met, I knew he knew something, hopefully not the kind of information that would make him restrict my freedom or throw me out of the family. I maintained a decent face and then made my way to the restroom, my heels clicking against the floor that would have costed a fair amount to the restaurant owners. I wonder how much money that is and if they were able to break-even by now considering this is a fairly new place. I would have been able to calculate and made some mental charts and reports in my head had I been doing the Finance Degree my family thinks I am doing. But, that's a story for later.

The restroom seemed empty at first, it was only when I was washing my hands after doing my business that I heard some unholy sounds. No, it was not Satan. 'Is someone in there?' I asked after giving the wooden door a knock. No one answered but the sounds continued. 'Are you okay?' Please let it not be what I think it is, I prayed as the latest moan confirmed that someone was doing the deed.

'Get lost!' Someone grunted from inside. My eyes widened and hands moved to the door knob. It was clearly a man, the voice and the shoes that I could see from the small space below the door, confirmed.

'This is the Ladies' room!' I stated as if he was not already aware. 'You cannot be....' I was about to launch a lecture on morality and ethics when I noticed his shoes for the second time. The athletic footwear that was etched to my mind forever. After all, I'd bought it with my first ever pay that I received after selling the sculpture I'd made back then. I didn't dare to gulp, afraid the person inside would identify me. Retreating my steps, I made a beeline towards the door and was soon back to the private room my father had booked for the lunch with family today.

'You're here. We were wondering if you ran off or something.' The joke landed flat but my aunt still laughed at her own words while my mother maintained a small smile as if not sharing the joy would ruin her relationship with her sister. My father cleared his throat and asked me to sit down. I obliged and we were back to being the perfect family or as everyone thought we were.

As the conversation moved towards profits and more profits, the waiter entered with dessert. My hands, still shaking from the confusion about the person behind the bathroom stall, moved towards the blackberry cheesecake. 'We didn't order that.' My father spoke in a clear, affirmative voice. I looked at him but he was already looking at the waiter who looked taken aback that the order was messed up or so I thought.

Turns out it was something else. 'The visiting chef wanted to add something new to the menu. It's on the house.' Not the right words to say in front of Martin Perez, my father who had been a first-generation businessman and had built our wine business from scratch.

'Dad...' The small voice left my mouth but he was already offended.

'We don't take freebies. Please, take it back to the visiting chef. What is this position anyway? Someone random comes in here and offers guests anything they feel like?!'

The waiter didn't say anything and was about to take the dessert back when I felt it, the aura, dangerously alluring and.......my eyes moved faster than my neck and from the corner I saw the similar shoes I'd seen in the restroom. 'I apologize for crossing the line, Mr.' It was him, the heart screamed at my brain who was refusing to administer the truth. Breathe in, breathe out, I practiced what the yoga teacher had taught. This would work, it will, until it didn't. other senses kicked in and the nose caught the enticing scent of his skin mixed with his cologne, the one he never told me the name of.

'You are?' My father asked as I kept my eyes on the dessert. Don't look at him. I was strict with myself.

Dismissing the discipline, I saw him extend his hand towards my father from the corner of my eye. 'Kai Vinton, we're in the same business.' My father took his hand in acknowledgement.

Brain fog must have got to me for by the time I raised my head, Kai was already sitting next to me, more like between me and my father. I sighed, a little loudly it seemed because my mother was glaring at me. I must behave, I cannot let them know, the cat should stay in the bag.

'So, you're the visiting chef?' My aunt asked Kai.

He replied, 'Yes. I tend to be part of my businesses in some way or the other when I'm not involved in the decision-making.'

My aunt was quick to catch that. 'You own the place?'

'I do.' The answer was enough to impress her and she looked at me. Knowing well where she would take this, I tried to excuse myself by mumbling some words which were dismissed very easily by my father. I cursed mentally and Kai made things worse by saying, 'You should try the dessert at least, I would love to know if you find it to your taste.' Hesitantly, I picked up the small spoon and scooped some cake. As I brought it to my mouth and let the taste linger, the memories flooded my mind. The sweet and sour taste of blackberries with cheese and...I gulped and for the first time met Kai's eyes. They were fierce, seductive, and reflected emerald. He was still the same, not afraid of anything or anyone.

'Are you okay?' He whispered, smiling cockily.

I averted my eyes trying not to remember the days when him and I, we were....I shook my head and looked at my mother. 'Can we finish the dinner early? I have to get back on my project.'

'Sure.' She said eyeing me curiously.

'This is Claribel, by the way, Martin's daughter. She is a Finance Major at City's Business School.' My aunt introduced unnecessarily.

'Aunt Amelia!' She was being impossible right now.

Kai gave his striking warm and confident smile before saying, 'I know.'

'Do you?' My father raised a brow.

'Who doesn't know the daughter of Martin Perez?' He said moving his eyes from my father to me. And then suddenly, my skin was on fire, his fingers were brimming against my thigh. As my breathing hitched, he shifted his gaze back to my father to say, 'She is next in line. The MP Co. would finally have a second generation in business.' Remove his hand, my mind told me but my hands refused. I was both afraid that people around would catch the exchange between us and also that he would think he won by putting me in a spot. As I deliberated my next action, he moved a step ahead by saying, 'Although, I believe Miss Perez's true self is best reflected in her art.' I closed my eyes. Not because his fingers hand now moved upwards and were firmer on my skin. But because he had touched the topic my family thought was done and dusted.

'Art?' My mother asked and Kai retreated his hands leaving me on a high where breathing felt walking on a glass bridge.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' I said quickly to minimize the damage, hoping there was none.

But he was adamant to continue the game even after five years of being absent from my life and pretending that the past was left behind us. 'My bad, I should have written my name in the visitor's book. You must have wondered who supported your exhibition and left without leaving a contact detail.'

My eyes widened in realization. 'You were the one who left two hundred thousand and didn't take the.....' I stopped and looked around. The three pairs of cold, shocked eyes were on me while the fourth one had amusement that they had won this round so easily.

'Claribel, what is this about?' My father asked, although I am sure he knows already and was waiting for me to tell him.

I bit my lip hard, not enough to taste the blood though and said, 'I held an exhibition for my sculptures.' And Kai Vinton, someone I absolutely hate, who also happens to be my ex, donated bloody $200,000 for a broken sculpture! I kept the part about Kai to myself. The knowledge about exhibition was enough for chaos, adding fire was not right at the moment.

Kai, the bastard, excused himself the moment my mother announced that she wanted to talk to me. He gave me the look before leaving though. He knew very well what he had done. It was intentional and he was going to pay for it.

'I am so disappointed.' My father said and my mother went on about me still choosing to pursue art over concentrating on my Finance degree. How do I tell her that she had misheard the word and Fine Arts degree became Finance that afternoon when the rain had meddled with the phone connections and a silly me had called on the landline instead of her cell phone. I should have corrected everyone the next day when they decided to celebrate my decision but I didn't. Who doesn't like it when their ignorant family suddenly starts showing them affection?

The lecture went on for a long time after which my aunt mentioned pursuing Kai as a possible matrimonial match would be nice for the family prestige. Her words incited the anger further and I drove to the place I knew I would find the man at. The place where he goes to drown, not his sorrows but my pride. Leaving my car in front of the parking area, I rushed inside and pressed the button on the elevator. The penthouse was deliberately made at a height to ensure someone's blood would boil by the time you reach there. And that is exactly what happened. As soon as I pushed open the doors, which I was sure were left unlocked for me, I walked over to him. He was drinking by the mini bar he had created for himself. I held him by his arm and turned him to face me. Within a fraction of second, my hand hit his face and his eyes were red, with anger, with hatred, and above all with lust.

'You know this is my favorite game.' He said and his lips crashed on mine.