Page 46 of The Billionaire's Off Chance

Igor bursts out laughing. “In your dreams, brother. No, no, Scarlett, my love. I’m all yours,” he says to his wife, kissing her cheeks, lovingly. I settle into my seat, taking in the beautiful scene of my family.

A few hours later, we all retire to bed. In the middle of the night, I wake up unable to go back to sleep. I leave the room to walk around a bit. I go downstairs to find Lorenzo, sitting by the bar, drinking. “Brother, you shouldn’t be drinking at this time of the night,” I say, taking a seat by his side.

He snorts, swirling the drink in his glass. “I find it hard to sleep some nights. Why are you up?”

“I don’t know…maybe being back home.” I stop myself from pouring bourbon into a glass.

“Any issues with Chasmin? She chased you out of bed, perhaps?” He laughs at his own dry joke. He sighs. “I feel so old. I see things are going well between you two and that makes me happy. I just hope this isn’t a passing fancy. She looks at you as if you’re her world, don’t hurt her, brother.”

I consider my brother for a moment before saying, “I know what my feelings for Chasmin are, and I won’t hurt her. I need you to trust me and not conduct this constant patrolling. I’m no…”

“… longer a boy. I know, Lance. I’m sorry if I make you feel that way. That was never my intention, but I’ll try to change how I go about saying things sometimes.” His lips twitch into a smile. “Goodnight, brother.” He finishes his drink and leaves.

I watch him leave, smiling. This Christmas is bringing more surprises than usual. Lorenzo apologizing was hard; yet he did it. I look at the empty glass, then shake my head, returning to Chasmin, where I belong.

Chapter 23

CHASMIN

I’veneverhadabig family, so being in Lance’s is a different experience. Trying to keep up with everyone’s names and peculiarities is hard at first, but I’m getting the hang of it. At the moment, the ladies and I are sitting in the sunroom in a ring of armchairs close to the wall of windows. We watch on as it snows outside. Small tables are laden with desserts and warm mugs of hot chocolate.

When I first arrived, I was a bit intimidated by the presence of all the women, but they seem to take to me quickly. Marie, Lance’s sister and the youngest of the Rosii siblings, sits on my right. Crystal is on my left, dressed in a rich blue dress, and Scarlett, cool and serene, is on Crystal’s right. A cat is on her lap, which she pets lazily.

It still feels like a dream to be among these powerful women. They’re each beautiful and accomplished in their own way. I see my future in them, and I wonder about their stories. Marie breaks the silence by setting down her fork on her plate. She coughs politely, signaling the start of the conversation.

“I haven’t had this many guests before for Christmas; it still takes some time for me to know what to do. How about we talk about how this year has been for each of us? That should be more exciting than whatever the men are talking about, heh?” She laughs out loud, not bothering to maintain the façade of an upper-class lady.

I bite my lower lip, wondering what to say to this group of women. I don’t think anything I say will be interesting or impress them. Scarlett ventures first. She smiles as if she has a secret. I admire her delicate beauty when she smiles; she seems to get more beautiful. “My year has been uneventful until recently. Igor has always been keen to have as much fun as we need in the early years of our marriage. This meant no kids.”

She shrugs, knowing she’s in the midst of women with kids. “I liked that idea and didn’t think much of having kids, until we both agreed. Well…” Her cheeks go red. “I discovered recently that I’m pregnant…”

We all cut her off with our congratulations and well wishes. She waves her hands, looking a bit embarrassed. Our voices disturb the cat. It jumps from her lap and leaves. Scarlett watches the cat leave and continues, “Thanks y’all. I appreciate this and I am looking forward to all the advice you experienced folks want to share. Anyways, as I was saying, it came as a surprise and Igor was over the moon happy. I think he was feeling left out that he is the only one that doesn't have a child. I know he won’t say it, trying to act macho but deep down I know. We immediately fell in love with our baby, and each day I feel more love for it.”

Marie and Crystal nod, showing they understand. I can’t relate myself, but I try to imagine having a part of Lance grow within me.

“I’m so thrilled for you, Scar. Let me know whatever you need. We’re here for you.” Marie rises and goes to sit at Scarlett’s side. “The highlight of my year is watching my daughter, Sasha grow, calling me mom and taking her first steps. I missed that opportunity with Jason, and now I cherish every moment with them. Yet, I think the most interesting person among us is you, Chasmin. My brother, Lance has been a wild card in our family; it’s a welcome surprise seeing him with you.”

The women’s attention is now on me, and I feel trapped. I wasn’t planning to speak, but now it seems that I have no choice. “I, well…it's not that interesting, to be honest.”

Crystal places a hand on my thigh, smiling. “You don’t have to be nervous, Chasmin. None of us are judging you. How I ended up with Lorenzo is a wild story. I was an orphan with my dream of going to college about to end. Lorenzo and his previous wife needed a surrogate. I jumped at the opportunity. Between working meager jobs for measly pay or being a paid surrogate, the choice was easy. The surrogacy failed, or so we thought. We ended the contract, and I went on my way. Lorenzo still paid me even when things didn’t work out. Three months later, I went to the hospital and was informed that I was pregnant. Long story short, I went to college, graduated, and found myself working for Lorenzo. Now here I am. So, know that you’re safe here with us.”

I stare at her wide-eyed. Her story sounds too good to be true. However, by telling her story, I feel comfortable sharing mine. “Lance and I met as if ordained by faith. He was a douchebag the first time we met, but underneath all that hard guy armor, I found a caring man. Through all my problems, he was there for me. It hasn’t been smooth sailing as some issues have come up, threatening to tear us apart. I almost ended us with my insecurity because of Eric mom’s presence in Lance’s life. But we came out stronger.”I hope.

I barely skimmed the surface of what my relationship with Lance is like, but with the little I said, the ladies now have an idea. “We’re now together in his new home, and we’ve decorated the Christmas tree. Everything is coming together, and I feel like I can begin to hope for more.” I finish and take in the expression of each woman.

Crystal has a look of profound understanding, while Scarlett and Marie share an empathetic smile. “I think I’m the only one who doesn’t have a wild love story.” Scarlett remarks. “Igor saw me at a party, and we hit it off. You all got me fantasizing what it would have been like if Igor came into my life like a hero. It’s a good thing we all have someone to trust and call our own.”

Scarlett raises her mug for us to cheer, and we do. When she takes a sip of her hot chocolate, she scrunches her nose. “Bah! It’s cold. Please, make it warm.” She passes her cup to Marie, who doesn’t know what to do with it. I smile at the easy camaraderie that exists with these women. I feel like I’m a part of them.

Later in the day, I take my leave to meet Lance. He’s waiting for me by the doors leading out of the house. He’s dressed fully in his coat, gloves, and a wool cap. “Hey, why are you dressed up?” I stand in front of him, seeing the smile that won’t leave his face.

“We’re going out. I have somewhere to show you. You’ll love the place and appreciate it more because of the cold.” He produces a beanie from his pocket and puts it on my head. “You look cute, and we can’t forget your hands.” From his back pocket, he brings out thick gloves, which I put on. He makes this all look spontaneous, but I can tell he had put a lot of thought into it.

With me all set, he opens the door, and we step out. Instinctively, I pull my coat tighter around me. The sun is setting, casting a warm red glow on the snow that has now piled up under trees, and around the fountain and the house. He takes my hand, and we walk to the back of the property. We take a paved path that leads away from the house.

On our way, we don’t talk as if we’re on a stroll. Then the cold begins to seep into my bones, and I shudder. “How far is it? The chill is biting.” My teeth chatter while he stares off into the distance. All I see is more snow on our way to wherever we’re going. I should be afraid of being out in the snow, thinking about my recent encounter, but I feel protected with him by my side.

“We’re close. Let’s run over there and get some heat in your body. One, two…” And he takes off. I watch him go. He stops and gestures for me to run after him.

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