Page 29 of Sweet Poison

Uncle Vitali: That sounds painful…

Aunty K: Vi…

Aunty K: Willow, could you please take your little cousin with you on your next trip? She needs some holiday cheer. She’s starting to scare the kids with her Scrooge mood.

Rai: MOM!

More texts come through but they’re mostly my uncles text fighting with each other and my father. So I switch to my chat with Aunt Maeve, Uncle Callam, grandpa and Uncle Bain. I send them a photo of a palm tree with twinkling lights and ornaments.

Me: “Hi, Uncles. Hi Aunty and grandpa! I miss you already. I’m doing okay! I’m having dinner with the team at a super jolly beach restaurant. Can’t wait to tell you all about my day at the Amazon Rainforest tomorrow. Hope you’re all doing well! ”

I hit send and watch as the messages whoosh away, feeling a pang of homesickness and affection with a surge of excitement bubbling up. Sharing every moment and experiences with my family, even from afar, makes it all even more special. As I’mabout to tuck my phone back into my clutch, I catch a glimpse of Madden sitting alone at a nearby table nursing a drink. My heart skips a beat and butterflies go off in my stomach as I watch him. He looks so handsome dressed in black slacks and a black short sleeve shirt. His black hair looks messy as if he ran his fingers through it and his brooding black eyes command attention. But as I observe him, I can’t help but notice the emptiness in his posture. He looks so lonely… his gaze lost somewhere beyond the joyful chaos of the restaurant.

My chest starts to ache as a pang of sympathy tugs at me. The scene this morning as he dealt with the team so distant and detached. Seeing him now, he looks just the same. He doesn’t pay attention to the sea at his left or even the show at his right. He doesn’t seem interested at all. The festive decorations and Christmas songs seem to amplify how lonely and grumpy he looks. The scene reminds me of the grinch when he first visited WhoVille. Maybe to another person the sight of him would seem comical but not me. I don’t like that look on him. Not at all.

I try to pull my gaze away, feeling a flush of embarrassment when I realize Madden has caught me staring. My cheeks heat up, and I quickly divert my attention back to my colleagues, pretending to be deeply interested in their conversation. What must he be thinking about me now? Most likely that I’m weird and nosy. Dammit. Focusing on Cleo as she talks about what she’ll do first once we get to the rainforest, I try to steady my racing heart by tapping my chest repeatedly almost to the rhythm of the music playing.

Thud.

Thud.

No matter how many times I tap my chest, my heart keeps beating wildly and heat crawls up my neck as a feeling of being watched lingers. I tell myself not to look, to keep pretending, but I can’t help it. A quick glance sideways reveals that Maddenis still watching me. He frowns as if he’s annoyed but there’s a hint of curiosity in his gaze as well. His lips set in a grumpy line. When I’m unable to look away, his black eyes narrow.

My heart races, and my stomach flips with nervousness. I’m the center of his attention, and I don’t know what to do. Should I smile? Should I wave? Would that be too awkward? I try to muster the courage to offer a friendly smile or a wave, but my nerves betray me, and I end up staring down at my empty plate, pretending to be engrossed in the white ceramic. The nerves won’t go away. I remind myself to breathe and to get over it. I’m not a child and he’s just a man. But that’s not completely true. He’s not just a man. He’s a multimillionaire formula 1 champion. One means a lot to a lot of people, including me.

Finding courage from within and pushing through the crippling shyness that seems to cling to me like a second skin at times, I glance up once more, catching him in the act of still watching me, his expression unreadable. I can’t help but wonder what’s going through his mind as he looks at me? Does his stomach feel funny when his eyes meet mine? The spell he’s put me under stretches on, filled with an intense tension, before I finally manage to break eye contact again and refocus on the enchanting atmosphere around me and my colleagues. A long while passes and it’s spent chatting about the research project and ordering more fruity tropical drinks when I find myself stealing another glance toward Madden’s table, only to find it empty. I frown and feel a pang of disappointment. He left. I’m about to turn my attention back to my table when I hear the scraping sound of a chair being pulled out next to me.

My heart gallops when I look up to find Madden standing next to me. He pauses for a moment, looking at each of us, before finally breaking the silence. “Do you mind if I join you?” he asks, his voice husky, with just a hint of gruffness.

The table goes quiet, and all eyes turn to me. The team looks at me curiously almost in shock and my nerves intensify as all eyes are on me. I try to get my head to nod but I’m frozen and my throat feels dry.

Bernie, ever the diplomat, clears his throat and offers a warm smile. “Of course, Mr. Hunt. Please join us. We’d be happy to have you.”

Madden nods and settles into the chair next to mine as if he could care less that he’s here. So why is he?

Cleo, Maya, and Ethan exchange glances, their expressions ranging from curious to slightly bewildered.

We all watch as he takes a sip of his drink and seems to relax slightly, though the grumpy edge still lingers. I’m acutely aware of his proximity, the space between us charged with an undercurrent of tension. Feeling my eyes on him, he pins me with his gaze mid drink.

Not knowing what to say, I wave hello at him.

Ugh. I try hard not to cringe.

Madden raises a dark brow, his expression softening just a fraction. Huh.

I can’t help but notice the stark contrast between him and everyone else at the table. While my colleagues and I are dressed in various shades of red, green, and white, embracing the Christmas spirit, Madden is a beautiful vision in all black—his outfit sleek and stylish but decidedly out of sync with the festive atmosphere around here.

That’s just like him.

I remember many things about him but the one that always stood out was his inability to blend in. I don’t think that’s possible for a man like him.

I stifle a laugh, trying to keep it from escaping as I glance around at my colleagues. Cleo’s in a bright cherry red dress with green accessories and a jingle bells headband,Maya’s wearing a sparkling green top with matching pants, Bernie has a Christmas-themed ugly sweater, and Ethan sports a funny reindeer tie. We’re a kaleidoscope of holiday cheer, while Madden looks like he’s completely over the holiday. It’s quite comical. I find myself chuckling softly to myself. Madden catches my eye and raises an eyebrow, his grumpy demeanor briefly softening as he notices the shaking of my shoulders while I laugh silently.

I quickly cover my mouth, trying to hide my smile.

“What’s so funny?” Madden asks roughly.

I swallow nervously, trying to compose myself before signing. “Ah. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just... it’s a little funny how you’re the only one not in festive colors.”

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