Chapter 1
Chapter One
This Is How We Met
XANDER
“What kind of a ridiculous joke is this? Who let him in?” were the first few words Myles Alden uttered as soon as I entered his prestigious office and our eyes met.
Sitting behind that fancy office desk in that expensive tailor-made suit, at the boss chair, Myles Alden didn’t even bother directly communicating with a pest like me.
He was enraged when he learned that his head office dared choose me as the new interior designer and event planner for his latest housing project.
“Has anyone even taken the time to review his portfolio before letting him in my office?” He asked his assistant, then he ordered her to get rid of me immediately and find someone more suitable for the job.
I couldn’t entirely blame him. Scratch that, I could totally blame him, and it’s my point of view anyway. The thing is, this wasn’t the first time Myles and I were in a face-off, we had a history. And no, not that kind of history, he’s not my type. Myles Alden was the ex-boyfriend of my best friend, Simon.
“Cathy, I am not looking to hire someone to throw a birthday party for my ninety-year-old grandma. I need a professional. It will be the first exhibition of our model home, and our goal is to sell all the houses before they even go to the market. This open house event is the key. We cannot hire someone whose best experience is organizing a baby shower,” Myles scolded his assistant.
“Myles,” I opened my mouth… and he stopped me.
“It’s Mr. Alden, and I wasn’t talking to you,” at least he bothered to look at me directly.
I took a deep breath. I needed this, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a designer like me. Let’s face it. A pond fish would never be invited to swim in a shark-sized tank like Eldwine Industries. When I submitted the tender for other big names like Eldwine, I had no delusion of ever being selected. However, by some miracle, I was selected, which was way past the tender’s closing date. This means the first choice that won the tender was now fired in the middle of the busy season, and I was here as a last resort for Eldwines. I was not stupid to let my ego get in the way of this opportunity that could set me up for life.
“Mr. Alden,” I started again. “My agency has done more than just arrange grandma’s birthday parties or baby showers. I have a team of experienced professionals that …”
“Shut up, Xander,” Myles cut me off, making it perfectly clear that he was nowhere interested in listening to anything I had to offer. So, I did shut up, but with sudden silence in the office, our eyes got locked into each other, and the first thing that ran through my idiot brain was that I forgot how green Myles’ eyes were.
The last time our eyes met like this, Myles had said, and I quote, “You know Xander, the upside of this breakup with Simon is that I wouldn’t have to ever see your face again.”
I had then replied, “Of course, only a pompous, self-absorbed jerk like you can see an upside to being dumped since admitting that you deserved it would be too much for your ego.”
At the time, I wasn’t planning on ever seeing Myles again. But standing in Myles Alden’s office right now, I realize why keeping your thoughts to yourself is considered wise.
“Alexander, why don’t you give us a minute? I’ll call you shortly,” Cathy, his sweet assistant, walked me out of Myles’ office to the waiting area.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I mentioned, it wasn’t the first time I met Myles. We first met at Simon’s apartment, which hadn’t gone very well either. I’d hated him then, and I hate him now and believe me, it wasn’t my fault the first time either. Myles had it in for me from the get-go.
“The best friend, of course. Simon mentions you in almost every conversation. Alex, right?” That’s what Myles said the first time we met.
“Xander,” I corrected him while I shook his strong, manicured hand.
“Huh?” he raised his eyebrows.
“Xander, short for Alexander, no one calls me Alex.” There was no way in hell my best friend Simon would have ever introduced me as Alex to his boyfriend.
He smirked in response, “Of course, Xander, having multiple names can be difficult to remember. I’m Myles Alden, nothing for short,” I knew right then that he was a prick, but I decided to give him the presumption of innocence for Simon’s sake.
“Myles, is that a family name?” I was just making a conversation to ignore the ‘multiple names’ comment.
“Yes, I am named after my great-grandfather.”
I just nodded in response. I had no intention of deepening the conversation.
“So, why were you named Alexander? What’s so great about you?” Okay, was that sarcastic? I couldn’t tell at the time.
“I guess my Mom liked the name.” I shrugged.
“Your parents didn’t tell you?”
“No, my mom was too drunk and overdosed to tell me anything, and I know nothing about my father,” I bluntly replied.
Myles gazed at me in response as if he found me worth exploring, and I had this strange déjà vu feeling like it wasn’t the first time Myles looked at me like that. As if we had met before, which was impossible. Let’s say it was not the type of feelings you want to have for your best friend’s boyfriend.
“Myles, it’s not Xander’s favourite topic,” Simon interrupted whatever moment we were having.
I silently thanked Simon as we sat at the dinner table. Then Myles had a little chitchat with the rest of our friends, Jenny, Micky and Tommy. They also had multiple names, one on the papers and another for us friends. But I didn’t hear Myles comment anything rude to any of them. I was his one and only favourite because Myles again directed the conversation towards me.
“So, I hear you are an artist, Xander? Simon is very fond of your art.”
I know, on the surface, there was nothing malice about what Myles said, but it was the way he said it like he took a pause before saying my name and the way he made it a question. On top of that, he gave me this look that made me feel like I had to prove my worth.
“Simon is probably my biggest and only fan,” I smiled at Simon as we started unwrapping the takeout Chinese I brought.
“Not true. I have seen how boys at his college used to go gaga over the scale models he made,” Simon was always so sweet, nothing like Myles or me.
“That’s nice, so what do you do for a living, Xander?” See, I was correct. Myles Alden was a prick.
I felt like responding with, ′I’m an artist, dah,′ but I could see Simon’s crimson cheeks from my peripheral vision and decided to avoid any rude comebacks.
“I’m an interior designer,” I replied politely.
“Xander runs his own event planning business now,” Simon added proudly. But I could tell his self-assured jerk of a boyfriend wasn’t impressed.
“I see,” he exhibited the perfect use of those chopsticks. “I deal with a lot of designers in my business. I don’t recall ever hearing your name, Xander.”
Here we go. If Myles Alden thought he could intimidate me, he was in for a big surprise. Myles wasn’t the first rich asshole I was dealing with.
“Oh yeah? You mean the business you run for your Daddy?”
Simon choked on his noodles. I gave him a quick glance and blamed the chopstick he was using just to impress Myles.
“You are okay?” Myles handed Simon the glass of water like a perfect boyfriend.
“Yeah,” Simon gulped the water down.
Then Myles gave me that smug smile as he looked me in the eyes. “Eldwine Custom Homes Builders, we are in the top ten list of the builders in the New York state.” he gave that haughty smirk. I knew about Eldwine Industries, of course. Still, I squinted my eyes at him in question, “family business that I’m now taking over,” he added proudly.
“Good for you. Your father must be proud,” I smiled at him. “Ouch,” I yelped because Simon had kicked me under the table, and we both glared at each other, but Myles was too busy bragging.
“Let’s see, A. I’ve always been at the top of my class. B. According to the number one Builder Magazine, I’m among the most successful businessmen in the housing industry. C. Eldwine has been nominated twice for BRCH awards since I joined, that’s Build Renovate Custom Homes Awards, one and the very best,” he added, even though nobody asked, “so yes, my father is very proud.”
There was this challenge in Myles’ eyes, which irritated and intrigued me at the same time.
“A, B, C, huh? Who can argue with that?” I smiled and tried my best to leave the conversation at that.
I didn’t have any Daddy’s money to show for. These perfect frat boys like Myles Alden with Daddy’s money were on the top of my list to avoid for a reason. The truth was I didn’t belong anywhere near Myles Alden. The only reason an uptown guy like Simon and I were friends was that we used to be roommates. When Simon’s family threw him out on the streets for being gay, he needed a home, and I needed someone to share my rent. So, we became roommates and then best friends. Later, Simon’s parents accepted him, but Simon stayed with me until he bought this new fancy apartment with his new job as a family lawyer. He asked me to move in with him, but there was no way I could afford the rent to this place, and I wasn’t taking any help from Simon. So, long story short, I was only sitting across a rich asshole like Myles at the same dinner table because of Simon.
I didn’t belong in Myles Alden’s world, and he was doing his best to remind me just that. He even offered me money for the food I bought for dinner, and mind you, we all bought something for dinner, just as the fancy wine Myles had brought. Still, Myles offered to pay only me, which I very graciously refused. Simon said Myles’ intention was to help. He just didn’t know how, but I could sense his sole purpose in offering to pay for the dinner I bought was to insult me. The only thing I didn’t understand was why.
I left pretty soon after that. But again, it wasn’t the only time I met Myles. Every time I did, he made sure to make me feel unwelcomed. And he wasn’t just shitty to me, he was also shitty to Simon. Myles constantly reminded Simon that he should have taken property law just like his father if he wanted to be successful. I thought Simon was doing great for himself, after all, he bought this expensive apartment.
“Simon enjoys family law,” I had spoken in defence of Simon, “it’s his choice what he does. Also, he is good at it, right, Simon?”
“I wouldn’t call it good,” Simon smiled shyly.
It was like watching a train wreck, and the worst part of it was that Simon didn’t even see it. He was too much in awe of his perfect, new, handsome, boyfriend, Myles Alden. Oh yeah, he was handsome, alright. Just like those models in the business suit magazines, which were exclusively available at custom tailor’s shops. Speaking of which, I bet he didn’t buy his clothes at any store like the rest of us commoners, he got them custom-made, and he looked damn good in them. Ignoring that.
I still tried to encourage the low-esteemed Simon.
“Of course you are good. Last week, you told me about a client whose husband wasn’t paying child support. What happened to that case?” I asked.
“Oh yeah, the father claimed he was broke and couldn’t pay child support. The court ordered him to have half of his paycheck directly deposited to the mother of his children’s account every week.”
“Wow, now that’s something,” I smiled and met Myles’ eyes with a challenge.
“Only, the mother wasn’t my client. The father was.” Simon shrugged, and Myles acted like he could barely hold his laugh.
“That was just one case. Simon has won cases before, right, Simon?”
“Yeah,” Simon started to say, but his pompous ass boyfriend interrupted.
“I’m not saying there is no money in family law if you actually have clients that are not broke,” he shrugged. It was true Simon didn’t have wealthy clients, but it didn’t mean he was a lousy lawyer and couldn’t make it big. “It just takes a special skill to get those clients,” Myles added, taking a satisfactory sip from his glass as he met my eyes.
So, this is how we met.
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