Chapter 2: Part 2 : The Wolf Eyed Man
Kate gazes upon the Lancaster's residence. It's a typical huge mansion, everything is calculatedly placed. The furniture, the mirror, the chandelier.. whoever did the interior design did a great job. She bets there's no change has been made since the moment they bought the house. This house is for show, and tonight is one.
"Remind me again what Eric does for a living?"
"He manages Aneeya's father's company, after he's in to politics and a become the mayor." Mark answered.
"Oh yeah.. that." Kate said mockingly.
Kate looks at the foods brought by the caterer, Maxwell is going to hate it for sure. She looks around for a sign that this is a birthday party of a 4 year old, still couldn't find one.
"Told you the food is going to be tiny.." Maxwell said.
"I guess i owed you a burger then." Kate said.
"Where's dad?" Mayla asked. "You said it's going to be a birthday party."
"I'm so sorry, honey. Let's see the pool outside okay, maybe we can make a boat from something and let it float there."
"There's a kid's table over there.. you can find hot dogs, ice cream and cupcakes there.." a voice suddenly heard from Kate's behind.
She doesn't have to turns to see who it was. All her guard suddenly up and she take a deep breath before she could face the owner of the voice.
"Cool, hot dogs! Can I have one mom?" Maxwell anxious to run over to the kid's table.
"Sure. Bring your sister with you, okay."
"Can I have 2, then?"
"Okay, don't push it.." Kate smiled to his son.
Now her kids gone, she can finally face the owner of the house.
"Long time no see, Kate."
Kate gazes at Eric. He's changed for sure. Not by his look, but in manners. Whatever violent vibes she felt back then is now polished in a more subtle way. He isn't as scary as he is in college but he's still, if she could say.. not present. He talks to his colleagues, friends, whoever in front of him but somehow he is too cautious to enjoy it.
"Hi Eric.., it's been a long time. Thank you for inviting us." Kate said shortly, tried to build a wall between them, so she doesn't have to talk to him anymore. Now the only problem is how to escape this conversation.
"I didn't expect you to come." Eric said again. Kate looks him in agony, somehow Eric always found words to provoke her. Maybe it's in his words or maybe the way he said it, but it did irritates her.
"You're right. Mark is the angel who dragged me here. I almost didn't come." Kate try to brushed his words off.
"Why? You couldn't found a dress you like at Wall Mart?"
Kate could feel her blood boil to her head, but she promised Mark to be civil and she probably won't meet this guy again in another 5 years, so be it.
"Where's the birthday girl? I couldn't find her underneath.. all this." Kate said.
"Raynee is changing in to her third outfit." Kate can sensed the ridiculed note in his tone.
"Oh, please tell me it's Aneeya's idea.. or you're up to raising a drama queen all right."
Eric smiled a little. "It was Aneeya's.."
Kate feels she's winning. "Well, good for you."
"How about you, I'm guessing you're definitely live the life you always dream about.."
"You can say that.."
"Well, good for you.. you must have.. work hard for it."
Kate feels her blood boil the second time. This guy always indicates he knows a thing or two about her, and one of these days she ought to know if its true.
"Listen to me, if you have something.."
"Oh my God.. Kate is it? So glad you could make it. Eric said you probably won't come, but here you are."
Kate sighs. If Eric is the devil, then he's the lesser one, this one is the ultimate evil.
Annoyingly enough, Kate first met Aneeya in a party similar like this one. They were college students looking for a free meals and Eric, out of the blue surprised everyone, invited us to her girlfriend's dad's party. Surprised no.1, nobody know if Eric had a girlfriend, since he always skipping lectures or sleeping in his room. Surprised no.2, Kate didn't know they were close enough to be invited to his girlfriend's nuptial. Surprised no.3 was Aneeya itself. Aneeya if Kate could described the first time she saw her, it would be "The Princess". She came from one of the most notable African-American family. Her father already a successful business man, and looking for a way to entered politics. Her mother is a well-known prosecutor and she's definitely didn't grew up eating up education in public school like Kate did.
So with all that, even Mark, Zack and Devon were a little blindsided, but they just went with it. Except for Zack who more than mesmerized by Aneeya's smooth skin and long beautiful hair. But for Kate, she never knew how to behave in this environment, and no matter how she tried to sees it from different angles, Aneeya somehow still came out as a stuck up bitch for her.
At first, she and Aneeya never had a long conversation, just a couple 'hi' and 'bye'. But eventually there's no way they could escaped the ladies bathroom's talk, especially when their boyfriend's were roommate. Kate remembered how the first agonizing talk went.
"So, how long have you been Mark's girlfriend?"
"About two years now." Kate said as she watched Aneeya painted her lips with a Channel lipstick.
"So how do you know Eric?" Kate tried to conversate.
"Oh, it's so funny.." she giggled. "He came up to me in a bar, and it's not my regular bar. You know these girls in my class asked me to joined them bar hopping, so I thought what the heck, you don't always have to spend your spring break in Europe right?"
"..and so you two get along well." Kate summarized.
"Yeah, but it's just so hard to get a hold of Eric. I mean he's not the type who always there, you know. But I think it's part of his charm."
"I know tell me about it.."
"What do you mean?"
"He often went MIA too from his room."
"You've been to his room?"
"No, I mean.. Mark's and Eric's room.. since their roommate." Kate explained awkwardly.
".. right." Aneeya giggled again.
"What did he do actually when he's there?" she asked again.
"You know.. the usual, reading, sleeping, listening to music.." Kate explained.
"Is that so.."
"Why don't you come by sometime?" Kate asked.
"Oh, no.. Eric never asked me.."
"Well, you can suprised him.. just bring some chicken sandwich, he loves it. And bring coffee instead of soda. Oh.. and don't make him watch gangster or crime movies, he'll end up grumpy after it."
Aneeya didn't reply anything, but Kate remembered after that conversation, Aneeya's attitude towards her had changed unknowingly why, and Kate ends up permanently labelling her the stuck up bitch.
And she's looking at the stuck up bitch now. There's no flaw in Aneeya's appearance. She still have the sparkling brown skin that reflects light, she wears this high heels that complemented her legs and makes her looks worthy of Miss Universe line up. And her outfit probably worth Mark's 3 month salary, it hugged her slim figure perfectly , like it was made for her.
Aneeya distracted from Kate and Eric for a while when another guests come and say hi to her. In this split second, Eric takes the empty champagne glass from Kate's hand and whispered a word to Kate's ear.
"Relax.." he said, undiscovered from anybody there.
Kate, surprised by his gestured, just stares at him.
"Kate.." Aneeya's voice suprised Kate.
"Where are your kids.. Max and Martha."
"Mayla.." Kate corrected.
"Right.. Mayla. Where does she goes to school, maybe she and Raynee can be classmates." Kate feels embarrassed. Is Aneeya really asking, or she really didn't know that off course her kids goes to public school, and Raynee must have goes to private one.
"Oh, I doubt that.. Maxwell and Mayla goes to public school."
"Is that so.. Raynee is on waiting list to this new private school. It's supposed to be more modern than the old traditional private school, you know.. with all learning apps and everything.. but new school has it's disadvantage too, you know. Giving me nightmares at night, I couldn't imagine what you've been through."
"..right." Kate answered shortly.
"Oh, by the way.. What did you do know, Kate? I finally had time to joined my mom's new firm. Did Eric told you, she quits being a prosecutor and finally made her own law firm."
"Nope.. I'm just a humble housewife.." Kate replied as she started to felt defeated, and she looks how Aneeya feels like she home running every conversation.
"That's ashamed.. I mean, you could get a great offer if you finished your bachelor degree. You can't just be that housewife sitting around.."
".. Kate, you said you want to meet Raynee?" Eric voice cut in.
Kate suddenly snaps from her dream of chocking Aneeya.
".. Mark and the others are out near the pool, honey. Why don't you say hello to them." Eric said to Aneeya, not in a loving kind a way, more like in ordering kind.
He then shows Kate to where Raynee is. She is sitting alongside her nanny, Kate could swears she was fighting her sleepiness and Aneeya must have given her coffee so she could be awake.
"Hey, there birthday girl. Did you enjoy your birthday party?"
".. I want to go up to my room." she said in very small voice.
Kate glances at Eric for a moment, but there's no reaction.
"Oh, really.. how about you show me your room, I bet there's plenty of toys in there." Kate said again.
"Mommy said if you want presents you should stay here.." the nanny talked.
"..but I'm sure it's fine if it's just a little while. Why don't we ask daddy." Kate said as she hugged Raynee and lift her in her arms. The kid immediately lean to her shoulder.
Kate now holding Raynee, looks at Eric for his words.
For a moment there's this staring contest, and Kate gives Eric a look that Raynee needs to be tug in.
".. ah yeah, sure. Lets get her to her room." Eric said.
They both now heads to Raynee's room upstairs. The room was twice as big as Maxwell's and Mayla's room, and there's a row of dolls sitting in front of Raynee's bed. On the other side there's a bookshelf with tremendous collection of children's book. There's no sign of children actively live in there, like when Maxwell decided that he needs to ripped his favorite comic book and glued it to the wall, or when Mayla's coloured her toy with her favorite crayon.. everything is so neat in place. Kate looks at the row of dolls facing the bed, thinking if Mayla's the one who sleeps there she'll have nightmares of those dolls coming to life. Kate peeks at Raynee who fully asleep now. She puts her to the bed and cover her with the blanket, and before she go, she wipes off the make up off her face.
She suddenly realized while she's there Eric just watching all her moves without saying a word. She quickly stands up and face him.
"I think she's really asleep now.." Kate said. They both just stand there's in silence.
"How can you let her do that?" Kate abruptly said.
Eric looks at her straight to the face, now the wolf guy has shows up. "What do you mean?"
"That is not a normal children's birthday party. Even you know that, why don't you tell Aneeya?" Kate whispered.
Eric looks at Kate. "What does it have to do with you?" Now he's back being the threatening Eric.
"There's a child involved, you know one mistake you made on a child can scarred her for life." Kate answered emotionally.
Eric looks at Raynee who is asleep. "If she's my child maybe it will be different."
Kate stunned to his answer. "What.. how can you say that. That's sounded like.. like Raynee isn't your daughter?"
Eric didn't answer anything, he just look at Kate straight in the eyes, as Kate try to find answer for her previous question.
There's a heels sound rapidly approaching the room. Without looking, Kate knows who it is.
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