The Assistant (30 page)

I shook my head and hit his chest lightly. “Adrian, we’ve only been dating for a month.”

“Yeah, and I still haven’t gotten any! Marriage is the best option. But no kids,” Adrian added, before a traumatized cringe took over his arrogant expression.

“No kids? Why not?” I frowned.

Adrian gave me a look of disbelief just as we reached the car. “Are you kidding me? Have you seen one of those things in real life? They’re scary. They scream and bite and create nuclear bombs out of their excrement.” He shuddered from his own words, before opening the door for me to get into the car.

“They’re not all bad, Adrian.”

“Okay fine. We can have kids. Just not right away,” Adrian announced, before telling the driver to take us home. Amy and Allen were in a separate car, and Allen agreed on taking her home on his own.

“I want a lot of children,” I stated, looking down at my lap.

“You do?” I looked back up to find Adrian looking down at me with surprise.

I nodded, clearing my throat. “I’ve always wanted a big family…” I trailed off. “Just forget about it,” I mumbled, feeling awkward.

“I mean, I guess we could-” Adrian was interrupted by the shrill ringing of my phone, and I answered it instantly. “Hello?”

“Smelly Emily!” Blake greeted cheerfully.

“Hey Blake,” I replied.

“What’s wrong? You don’t sound happy. What happened? Did that douchebag do something to hurt you? I swear-”

“No Blake, everything is fine!” I cut him off.

“Hmm. You don’t sound fine.”

“I
am.
What’s up?” I asked curiously.

“Well, mom and dad told me to call you and invite you over to our family barbeque tomorrow. I know you work on Saturdays, will you be able to make it? We’ll start it at dinner time for you if you like. Oh, and mom said bring Adrian along. Aunt Veronica is going to be there and so is Sienna. Sienna’s pregnant again! Did you know that?” Blake asked all at once, making me laugh.

“Slow down, Flakey! I’ll ask Adrian if we can leave a little early and text you the answer. But is Sienna really pregnant again? That’s her 4
th
child in 3 years!” I exclaimed in happiness. Sienna got married to her college boyfriend and fell pregnant with twins instantly, catching both her husband and herself off guard. Since then, they’ve been the golden parents within the family.

“I know! I hope it’s a girl, she loves boys but I’m pretty sure it’s her husband’s turn to get the satisfaction after three boys,” Blake pointed out.

I laughed along with him just as a thought came into my mind. Sienna’s children would be at the barbeque dinner tomorrow. This would be my chance to show Adrian that not all children were bad. Sienna’s boys were pretty tame kids. They were cheeky, but behaved well when they were told.

“Okay,” I told Blake. “I’m going to have a chat with Adrian and I’ll get back to you with our answer. Say hi to mom and dad for me.”

“Okay, I’ll see you soon – hopefully. Bye.”

I ended the call after that, and turned to Adrian with the hopeful expression I knew he always cracked under. “My parents are having a family dinner with my aunt and cousin tomorrow and want us to come over. Is there any way we can leave work early to get there on time tomorrow? That’s if you want to go. I mean, I understand if you don’t because it’s your-”

“Shortcake,” Adrian said, cutting off my rambling. I looked over to him again and found him looking at me with the ghost of a smile on his lips. I bit my lip and gave him an apologetic look once I realised I was rambling, and he ushered me over to him before pulling me in for a kiss. “Of course we can go,” he said. “It’ll be great to see them again.”

I nodded absentmindedly, too distracted by the way Adrian had his shirt on, before pulling him in for another kiss. It lasted longer and was rougher, more heated, and it was Adrian who pulled away this time.

“Wow. What was that for?” he asked with a smirk.

I blushed once I realised my actions and sat back in my seat. “I- you had something on your lips,” I lied lamely, turning an even deeper shade of red.

Adrian chuckled before raising an eyebrow. “Well, I’m glad you managed to get it off my lips and let me get to second base.”

“I’m texting Blake,” I muttered in response, too embarrassed to reply to his observation.

“You’re sharing the wonderful news of getting to second base? I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear about that, Shortcake.” Adrian smirked.

I glared in his direction before getting back to my phone. “I’m telling him we’re coming!”

“I don’t think he wants to know that detail either,” Adrian laughed.

“Why not? He’s the one who called me and asked if you and I were – oh my God, Adrian! Not
that-
oh my God. You’re impossible.” I blabbed, turning red again once I realised Adrian’s joke.

He chuckled and pulled me into him again before placing a kiss on my forehead. “You are, hands down, the best girl I have ever met,” he muttered with a smile on his face.

I temporarily forgot about the text for a moment and looked up to meet his hazel eyes, matching his expression.

***

“Emily!”

“Sienna!”

“Blake!” Both Sienna and I turned our heads towards my brother, who was waving his arms around like a girl.

“What? I was feeling left out.” He shrugged, making us both laugh.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Sienna squealed, averting her attention back to me.

“Me too! Congratulations on the new baby, by the way! I’m so happy for you!” I grinned, pulling her in for another hug.

Once she pulled away, she sighed. “We’re over the moon. I hope it’s a boy again.” She frowned slightly with a look of determination in her expression, making me laugh.

“Sienna, you’ve had twin boys, as well as an individual one! Aren’t they enough for you?” I asked in between laughs. As if the 3 boys knew they were being talked about, all three came running towards us, the youngest of the three falling behind slightly due to the newly discovered speed his older brothers were going at.

“Michael, George and Adam!” I squealed, engulfing the three into a hug. All three boys laughed and hugged back before shouting random words and sounds, making their mother come up beside me.

“Boys, enough!” she ordered sharply, shutting all three boys up. “Go to daddy.”

The children froze in their position before climbing off of me and running back in the opposite direction. Sienna shook her head with a smile before turning back to me. "So where is this boyfriend of – holy shit.” Sienna’s jaw practically dropped to the gravel-filled pathway in my parent’s backyard as she froze, her cup or orange juice held absently in her hands.

“Uh…Sienna? Are you okay?” I asked worriedly, getting ready to turn around to look at the object that struck her speechless.

Before the gesture could be made, however, I felt Adrian’s familiar arm wrap itself around my waist just as his scent filled my nostrils. “Shortcake, it was cruel to leave me back there with your father interrogating me. Honestly, do you know how hard it was to try and convince him that the love bite on my neck was just a mosquito bite and that we hadn’t gone beyond kissing yet?”

I began to laugh as my gaze landed on Adrian’s pained expression, making him morph it to a smirk. “Sorry, Adri-poo, but there are some things in life that you have to learn to get out of yourself.” I winked, before remembering my still-frozen cousin. “Oh, by the way. Adrian, this is my cousin Sienna. Sienna, this is Adrian Kingston, my boyfriend.” I smiled before turning to face her, and realised she was still looking at Adrian with the same expression Amy did the first time she had seen him in person.

“Hot,” Sienna managed to squeak out before blinking rapidly in his direction. I burst into a fit of laughter once her eyes widened in mortification and realised what she had said. I nudged Adrian to do something.

“Ah, Sienna. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. You’re definitely Emily’s cousin then.” He reached out and kissed her knuckles, still smirking, before dropping her hand gently.

Sienna choked on something in her throat as she tried to voice a reply, making my laughter come out even louder at my cousin’s shock.

“A- Adrian Kingston.” She nodded, before stiffly walking back in her husband’s direction.

My laughter began to die down as I stifled giggles from escaping my lips, and looked over at a confused-looking Adrian. “Well… that went brilliantly. What… What exactly just happened?” he asked with a confused frown.

“You happened,” I replied. “Stop being so handsome and charming, you’re making women speechless.”

“I didn’t make you speechless when we first met,” he pointed out with a smirk.

“No, instead, you thought it would better to seduce me into wanting you,” I commented wryly.

“I had to see if you were serious about the job,” Adrian pointed out.

“I was the only girl there with a resume! Obviously, I was serious about the job.” I glared, whacking his bicep.

“And I’m glad that you were,” Adrian replied, smiling down at me. He began to sniff the air, frowning slightly. “Do you smell cheese?” He smirked.

I frowned, before sniffing the air myself. “No. I don’t think they’ve made anything with cheese today.”

Adrian chuckled before shaking his head. “I was talking about my comment, not literally,” he explained as the smirk reappeared on his lips.

“Oh… Shut up,” I mumbled, blushing.

“Emily, Sienna and Blake! I need help taking out the food!” My mom called out from the house, making the three of us turn around to the door.

“Just go sit at the table or something until we’re done,” I told Adrian, before following my family into the house.

“Emily, what is that mark on Adrian’s neck, dear?” my mom asked with a concerned expression once we were all in the kitchen.

Damn you Adrian, now it’s my turn.

“Oh… He, uh, he got in a fight for me at a club last night,” I improvised quickly. “This guy was giving me trouble and the guy got him in the neck. He’s fine now though.” I grabbed the bowl of salad on the table.

“Oh, that’s awful!” My mom gushed, looking out the window in Adrian’s direction sympathetically.

“Yeah…. I’m going to put these outside now,” I announced awkwardly, avoiding Sienna and Blake’s knowing looks.

Sienna came out after me, holding a tray of meat. “Harry!” she called out to her husband as she handed the tray of meat over to my dad. “Will you go to the car and grab Adam’s high chair? I don’t want him running around and making a mess when we’re eating.”

“Of course. Adrian, I’m sorry, would you mind the kids for now?” Harry asked Adrian, who looked up from his phone with annoyance. “I won’t be long,” he reassured him.

By the time the words sank in to Adrian’s mind, Harry was gone, and he looked at me with a panicked look before looking over at the children like they were aliens. “Emily! Maybe you should stay out here with them and I’ll bring out the food,” Adrian tried, giving me a look of pure desperation.

I tried to fight a grin from escaping onto my lips as I shook my head. “Sorry honey, I really need to do this myself. I’m sure you’ll be fine! Just talk to them like you’d talk to one of us!” I called out, before disappearing into the house and laughing to myself.

“You, my dear sister, are cruel,” Blake smirked once I entered the kitchen.