Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 88

He turned to face where the voice came from.

It was a fairly handsome man seated beside where he previously sat. He had chestnut brown hair and warm cedar brown eyes and was staring right at Louis.

Louis asked himself, ‘Why not?’

Louis smiled warmly, “And who are you?”

The man introduced himself, “Marcus Lemaire, a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you?” He asked, his tone enticing.

“Louis,” he said.

“Care to grab a drink with me?” Marcus asked.

Louis grinned, “Sure.”

Clarisse nudged Sophia, who was staring at the wall, mumbling something to herself.

“Soph!” She called.

Sophia turned, “What?”

She gasped.

She squinted.

“That’s not the marquess, is it?” She asked.

Clarisse nodded.

“You’re right, he isn’t.”

She placed her head on her hand, “But he is pretty.”

She smiled dreamily.

Sophia waved her hand in front of Clarisse’s face.

“You don’t get to stare at him dreamily,” Sophia said, frowning.

Clarisse sighed.

“Fine.”

“But if Louis doesn’t want him afterwards, I’m asking him out,” Clarisse said.

“How do you know if you’re his type?”

“I’m everyone’s type,” Clarisse answered in return.

“And I’m not passing up on that pretty boy,” she said, scoffing.

“Pretty boy?” Sophia asked.

“My new nickname for him,” Clarisse explained.

“He is pretty,” Clarisse mumbled.

“Not as pretty as Nicholas,” Sophia insisted, scrunching her nose.

“You don’t get to fawn over him,” Clarisse said, shaking her head in disagreement.

“Especially not in front of me if I don’t get to fawn over pretty boy over there,” Clarisse said, sticking her nose in the air.

“Besides,” Clarisse began, “Nicholas is a hunk, that goes without saying.”

“And he likes you,” she added.

Sophia tried to hold in a smile.

“See, you already know that,” Clarisse said, raising both her eyebrows.

Sophia nudged Clarisse.

“Look look look,” she said.

“They’re getting along pretty well,” Sophia said, a grin tugging on her lips.

“Think Louis will tell us about him?” Sophia asked.

“Is that a bet you’re offering me to take?” Clarisse asked in return.

“I’ll have you know I’m a master when it comes to bets,” Clarisse boasted.

“Calm down,” Sophia said to Clarisse.

“You’re just upset pretty boy doesn’t take interest in you,” Sophia said.

“I am not,” Clarisse tried to deny.

“Mhm, sure,” Sophia said before she eyed Clarisse and took a sip of her mocktail.

__

“The marquess was a no-show, although another man happened to ask Louis out,” Sophia said, telling Nicholas everything that had happened at the bar.

Nicholas had his head on his hand, looking straight at her.

“Are you even listening to anything I’m saying?” Sophia asked, blinking.

“I’m not,” Nicholas answered, his heart racing in his chest.

“Got any plans for today?” Nicholas asked her.

“No,” Sophia admitted.

“Do you have any plans for today?” Sophia asked Nicholas in return.

“Nope,” Nicholas answered.

Sophia furrowed her brows, as though trying to remember something.

“Scratch that, we have a banquet to attend this evening,” she remembered.

She leaned closer towards him.

She bopped his nose.

“Nicholas Ambrose, will you be my plus one to the banquet?” She asked.

Nicholas shot her a cheeky grin.

“Of course,” he answered.

Sophia smiled dreamfully.

“Looking forward to seeing you in a tuxedo, Ambrose,” she said to Nicholas.

“As am I looking forward to seeing you in an evening gown,” Nicholas said.

Clarisse watched them both from afar. She’d meant to barge in their conversation but she decided to leave them be.

Just because she wasn’t able to be happy didn’t mean Sophia shouldn’t either.

She sighed before walking away to greet Louis who should’ve been back by now from his date.

She knocked on his door.

“Lou?”

“It’s me,” Clarisse called.

“You there?” She asked.

The door then opened.

“Claire,” Louis called, seemingly nervous.

Clarisse furrowed her brows, “Why are you so nervous?”

“Something went wrong during the date?” She said, feigning ignorance.

Louis blinked.

“Err, that’s not–”

“Oh, has the butler arrived with more pillows?” Another man asked.

Clarisse blinked. Was that another voice?

She stared at Louis, realizing he was half-clothed.

“It’s not the best time right now,” Louis mumbled.

Clarisse had a look of fathom on her face.

“I understand, I’ll be back… later,” Clarisse sputtered.

Louis thanked her before he shut the door.

Clarisse had a look of shock on her face.

She walked away from Louis’ quarters. Never before had she felt so lonely, and so… single.

Of course, she was technically engaged to Oliver, but she was finding a way around that. It wasn’t set in stone.

She said to herself, ‘Their date must’ve gone really well.’

‘Good for him,’ Clarisse thought, smiling.

She was required to attend the Beldovian banquet, and she still hadn’t picked out her outfit for the evening, so with nothing else to do, she decided to do it now.

She headed for her quarters, her closet waiting for her before she heard someone call her name.

“Clarisse?” A man called.

She whirled around.

She was taken aback.

What was he doing here?

Why did he call her name?

They’d never established their relationship on a first-name basis, heck, they didn’t exchange any words during last night’s dinner other than greetings and thank yous.

“Jaxson?” She asked.

“What’s the matter, something wrong?” She asked worriedly.

She knew Sophia and him had gotten off on the wrong start, but she decided not to prejudice him.

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Jaxson assured.

“I just…”

“I just wanted to ask you if you’d like to grab lunch with me,” Jaxson admitted.

Clarisse blinked. She blinked once more.

“You’re asking me if I’d like to grab lunch with you?” She asked, seeking confirmation.

Was she hearing things?

Was he joking?

Was he trying to take revenge on what Sophia had done to him by leading her on?

All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind.

A part of her told her not to accept his offer. Her brain yelled at her to decline. But she had nothing to lose, so she might as well give it a shot.

If she did end up marrying him to establish an alliance between his and her kingdoms, they should get to know each other first, albeit it was something they should’ve done during the other night’s dinner.

“I–umm–sure,” Clarisse answered.

Jaxson smiled sweetly, “Great.”

“So, where to?” He asked.

Clarisse stared at him, asking, “Lunch as in right now?”

“Not tomorrow, or anything?” She asked.

Jaxson nodded, “Yes, lunch as in right now.”

‘What a strange girl,’ he thought to himself.

Wide-eyed, Clarisse said to him, “Alright then.”

She didn’t remember what’d happened next; she found herself at a dining room with Jaxson or Oliver.

‘What do I call him?’

‘Jaxson, or Oliver.’

‘Or your grace.’

‘Gah! Why am I overthinking this?’ Clarisse thought to herself.

She then asked him, “What would you rather me call you?”

“Oliver? Jaxson? Your grace?” She asked.

Oliver placed his spoon and fork down.

“Jax is alright,” he answered.

“O-oh, okay,” Clarisse answered.

She wondered why she stuttered.

He then asked her, “Why aren’t you eating anything?”

Clarisse lost her train of thought.

She realized she hadn’t taken a single bite of her entree.

“I’m just… not too hungry, ‘is all,” she lied. She was starving.

‘So she stutters and she doesn’t eat a lot, odd,’ Jaxson observed.

‘One of them stutters, the other kicks people in the balls. Huh,’ he said, narrowing his eyes.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Clarisse asked before finally taking a bite out of her meal.

Jaxson glanced at her.

“Um, okay.”

“I’m Oliver Jaxson Hayes Adler Ambrose, my family and friends call me Oliver or Jax.”

“I have a brother named Nicholas, a sister named Olivia, I love cooking during my free time, and that’s pretty much it,” Jaxson answered.

“Ooh,” was all Clarisse could muster up.

She said, “I suppose it’s my turn.”

Clarisse introduced herself, “I’m Clarisse Sarah Adeline Beaumont, you probably already knew that, I have two brothers, Henry and William, and I like drinking, socializing and…”

She stopped speaking.

“That’s all,” she mumbled.

Jaxson and Clarisse ate the rest of their lunch without saying another word to each other, the tension so thick one could cut it with a knife.

The only sounds heard were that of cutlery, nothing more.

Clarisse wanted to speak, but the words had gotten stuck in her throat.

This lunch was unexpected. What more was obvious?

She didn’t know what to say, she’d never been on a date before – if this could be deemed a date in the first place.

She caught Jaxson glancing at her, and their eyes met.

Clarisse looked away instantly, her cheeks flaring.

She couldn’t look at him for some strange reason.

And why was her heart beating far much quicker in her chest?

She placed her knife and fork parallel on her plate pointing upwards. She took her napkin off of her lap, signalling she was done with her lunch.

“I’ve got to prepare for the banquet, I’ll be seeing you later,” Clarisse said before she ran off, seemingly in a hurry – that of which she was not.