Taming the Legal Luvvie

Chapter 1: A Day of Misery and Happiness

Everyone around him looked genuinely happy. Xavier wondered whether they were truly happy or if this was just a masquerade –people wearing beautifully adorned masks to tease one another rubbing their fake happiness in each other’s faces. How could a thousand and five hundred people look so happy; be happy; let alone feel happy at the same time?! Especially at a time when he felt like his whole world was collapsing right in front of his eyes again.

He was standing there – silent and composed, witnessing the last rays of his happiness vanish from the face of this world, and yet, he was forced to smile, wave at people, pretends that he gives a damn about the posh celebration that was taking place around him.

“You look like shit,” Brandon greeted him, matter-of-factly, rubbing his misery into his face.

Xavier didn’t care. His best friend was allowed to do that. The idiot looked quite happy. That was a change! Usually, among the four of them, Brandon was the one who’d always look gloomy. They’d often joke that he picked up girls with his brooding charm. Women simply dropped their panties and begged for his attention after he’d grace them with his royal frown.

Somehow, and that was still a mystery for Xavier, women loved gloomy, arrogant bastards. Right now, though, that royal bastard was holding his girlfriend’s hand.

Oh, looked like there is a shiny piece of a gem on her finger – so, the royal bastard was actually holding his newly made fiancée’s hand and standing right next to Xavier.

“And you look disgustingly happy! Congratulations due, I believe?” he pointed at Karina’s finger and Brandon beamed as if that little stone was now the center of his universe. Though Xavier was quite sure it was the woman, whose delicate finger was wearing that piece of shiny stone, which was the center of Brandon’s universe.

“Indeed,” Brandon nodded happily. “And you, my friend, are the first person to bless us with your wishes,” he whispered.

Ah, so the proposal happened just now, Xavier guessed.

Since they were still waiting for Khalid and Alexander to join then to begin the ceremony, he figured, being the first one to congratulate the couple was quite an honor. He was truly happy for Brandon. At least, there was a woman mad enough to love the arrogant Brit.

And what a woman! Karina was a true gem, and he was happy to see her next to his friend for the rest of their lives. Even if his own life were going to be miserable forever, and Xavier did not have a single doubt that anything could change that.

Xavier turned to talk to Karina, but the woman was staring at something in distance. Her eyes were filled with tears. She brought one of her hands to her mouth and covered her lips. Her other hand was a captive in Brandon’s tight grip as if his life depended on it.

Xavier followed her gaze and realized she was watching the young girl who was cheerfully looking around and chatting to another girl of her age. Her face was blushed, and Xavier guessed that the girl’s taste buds were unused to sipping the expensive champagne. She giggled as she took another sip of the bubbly drink and whispered something to her friend, who turned around to check the young boy standing nearby. The boy had undoubtedly caught their attention.

Only fifteen, and already ready to turn that poor, miserable fellow’s world upside down, Xavier thought to himself.

He knew exactly who the girl was. If he hadn’t been the one who had helped Brandon to track her, it would’ve taken just one look at her to guess the truth. She had inherited her mother’s eyes and her smile.

“I can see that she knows already,” Xavier turned to face Brandon.

As much as he wanted to congratulate the happy bride-to-be, he knew better than to interrupt that fragile moment, when Karina was enjoying this distant, yet such an emotionally intimate, encounter with her daughter.

“She won’t tell her anything. Even before I spoke a word, she knew it. It took her one moment after she laid eyes on her,” Brandon explained.

“No surprise there. They look like doppelgangers. Nature can be scary when making little humans,” Xavier immediately regretted his words as another creator of a soon-to-be-born future human approached them hand in hand with his very pregnant wife.

“Look who has finally shown up!” Khalid exclaimed a little too loudly for Xavier’s liking.

Point taken; they had missed him. Or maybe they had missed his resourcefulness in making their every whim come true and covering all of their fuckups. Those three spoiled brats could never bore anyone. If only Xavier had the heart to joke now.

“Move aside, let me greet my little niece first,” he teased the happy father-to-be and hurried toward Saleema.

Less than a year ago, he was standing at their wedding. He was holding Natalie’s hand, fingers laced. Less than a year ago, Xavier was happy, and even believed he was going to be the next one among their friends to tie the knot.

Not that he was not happy for Brandon to have found love. And yet, the sting of disappointment in his heart was too strong to ignore.

Such a fool to believe in that overrated feeling, he reminded himself.

Xavier had mastered the art of hiding his true feelings long ago. He smiled and gave an affectionate hug to Saleema. The baby kicked inside her belly. Was she greeting her uncle? Or pushing the stranger away from her mother’s belly?

“She missed you,” Saleema caressed her baby inside the belly as she pulled Xavier closer for another hug. “As did we all. And we are all very curious to finally learn what has been going on with you.”

“Not much. Just this and that,” he bit his lip.

In his world, Xavier had learned to conceal the truth when needed. It was hard to do that when staring into those vibrant blue eyes of Saleema. The woman could see through a person as if her eyes were x-raying scanners.

“Trust me, everything happening here was much more entertaining. I would hate to bore you all with my stories. I’d rather know how this hopeless idiot finally managed to charm Karina, or whether Alexander and Talisha have finally called a truce. I’ll be even thrilled to hear Khalid nag about how difficult it is to be a pregnant father,” he joked and received a poke to his side. Had he offended the future dad’s feelings or was it that penguin-in-love that had attacked?

Neither of them. Next to him, one head taller than everyone else stood Alexander Ekelund. The self-made billionaire snorted in laughter. “Man, I’ve already lost a bet once when you were late for Khalid’s wedding. What’s your excuse now?”

“No excuses this time,” Xavier whistled as he pointed at his watch, “I showed up on time – sharp.”

Being late was a luxury for others. Xavier knew the value of time. He had learned his lesson the hard way. One second could change lives. Forever. He’d never let himself be late. Never again.

“Alright, enough of this exchange of pleasantries,” Khalid, unintentionally interrupted the dark thoughts that were clouding Xavier’s mind again. “I’d say, since everyone is here, and everyone is on time…” he winked at Xavier, who in return only gritted his teeth.

Those fools should’ve known better than to keep on poking his leg when they saw he was irritated as hell today. And every other day recently, for that matter.

“Bran, shall we?”

As the CEO of Hippodrome Royal, Brandon was to give the opening speech. For a moment, all his troubles were forgotten. Xavier felt chills. Was Brandon going to handle this? Among the four of them, they always thought Brandon was the hopeless one – carelessly wasting his fortune on fun, booze, and women, he never had any ambition or goal in life.

Look at him now – months ago it seemed a lost cause to entrust Brandon with the task to manage the construction of Hippodrome Royal. They were risking their money and friendship gambling on this.

Well, not exactly their friendship. No matter what, they were brothers for life. Nothing could’ve changed that.

Not even if Brandon screwed this venture up. Which he didn’t do, and instead – just the opposite – he had managed to build a place of unique taste and beauty.

But still, the guy was never good with public speeches. Xavier felt his toes curl as the Brit walked to the microphone, inhales deeply, let his breath out right into the microphone and held a very long moment of silence.

Then, he finally spoke.

And what a speech he delivered!

Xavier didn’t realize he had been holding his breath for the whole duration of that opening speech. The audience enjoyed every little joke Brandon delivered in his speech; they applauded cheerfully every time he said something inspiring and inhaled deeply when he talked about the hardships faced on his journey.

And that blueblood had even managed to keep his speech so personal, talking about his growth as a human, and incorporating a couple of inside jokes that only the four of them could understand.

“What a speech!” Xavier voiced his admiration as the audience burst into a final round of applause.

“I had a good teacher,” Brandon winked to him, reminding Xavier that he had had his contribution in polishing every sentence delivered in that text. “As well as a great muse,” he planted a kiss on Karina’s temple, who wrapped her arms around him.

“Can’t get used to the idea that I’m going to marry a CEO,” she whispered.

That was probably his cue to turn around if he wanted to spare himself the bitter realization of a single man being a third wheel. This couple was disgustingly in love.

As Xavier tactfully turned away to give the newly engaged couple some privacy, he realized the future parents had also caught up that contagious need to devour each other’s mouths. He rolled his eyes. Thank god, Alex was still single. Or was he? Xavier found Alex uncomfortably shifting from one leg to another.

“Welcome to the club,” he joked.

“Good to have you back, man. At least one sane person to talk to,” Alex squeezed his shoulder.

If only Xavier could consider himself sane.

Less so, when the official part of the ceremony was finished, and his three best friends had cornered him demanding to finally reveal what had been keeping him away for so many months. They could’ve asked him to pull his guts out and that would’ve hurt less than even imagining he could now talk about Natalie, spill out the truth – the story that he has been foolishly cherishing for so many years.

“Man, that’s unfair,” Khalid complained. “We’ve been waiting for this revelation for so long.”

“Saleema has even started to write an epic saga about eternal love that has kept you away from us,” Brandon laughed.

Trust Brandon to always give a hit unintentionally below the belt.

“An epic saga my ass,” Xavier barked, “That was nothing. Just work, alright? Now let me get a drink. I’m thirsty. Unlike you, privileged idiots, I’ve traveled half the world to witness that speech of yours.”

“I’m a CEO now, people do travel the world to receive a handshake from me,” Brandon teased.

He was getting used to his new position. If Xavier’s mind had not been occupied with the thoughts of his misery that were gnawing at him, he would’ve maybe spared a few words of encouragement for Brandon. A man needed to be appreciated when he had earned it.

Karina saved the situation, as she pulled Brandon aside, promising that his Lady Grandmother had also traveled half of the world to not only witness his speech and shake his hand but did also hug him.

So, the Duchess was here. Xavier exclaimed a mental wow. A few months ago, the woman hated Brandon for the sole reason that he existed, now she was the sweetest grandma ever. Whew!!

Maybe people do change after all, with time, he thought to himself. But he wasn’t ready to wait until she reached the age of the Duchess and changed. He was done with her. For good. He promised to himself.

With one curious friend taken care of, Xavier now needed to be rid of the other two, to drown his sorrow in a bottle of whiskey in blessed silence.

No such luck, though. Neither Khalid nor Alex had any intention of just letting the matter drop.

“So, what’s really going on, man?” Khalid started again. “We are worried about you.”

“Not that you can’t take care of yourself,” Alex continued. After all these years together, Alexander was the only one who could respect a man’s private space. He knew there were no boundaries in what they shared as friends, but at times, a man needed to be left alone. “Just give us something, a clue, at least a reassuring that all is well, and we’ll shut up.”

“Not me! I want to it know all! Spit it out!”

Damn you, Khalid! Xavier hissed.

He loved the man as his brother but at times he was nosier than a curious old roommate!

“Leave him be,” a voice too familiar to his ears roared like a storm in the night sky. Xavier exhaled in relief, only just realizing that he had been holding his breath. If anyone could understand him, it was the respected Sheikh– Rashid bin Saeed Al Qasim.

Xavier turned to watch Khalid’s father approach them. Noreen, his wife, who was accompanying him, realizing that the atmosphere was too tense, stayed with her daughter-in-law. Xavier smiled at her and slightly bowed in respect. The woman had been a mother for all four of them and gave them the affection that all of them – rich yet lonely outcasts needed so much, even when they were not ready to admit it.

“Sir,” he greeted the man who had been his mentor and boss since he was a teenager.

“Son,” Rashid bin Saeed greeted him with a curt nod. “Good to have you back. I need you in my office first thing in the morning.”

“Of course, sir.” Maybe he would be finally ready to open up and talk to someone, share the truth that he had not been able to tell any of his brothers.

“And you two, leave the man be,” Rashid Al Qasim reproached his son and Alexander with a half-joking tone in his voice. Not that they were not going to use this against him. Xavier knew it well enough. That was what best friends were for – to mercilessly tease one another even in time of misery.

“As if anyone doubted who your favorite is, father,” Khalid mockingly touched his wounded heart.

“I do not play favorites,” the Sheikh refused to take any jokes from his son. “I just know, if not for this man being one of your friends, I would’ve never invested in this venture.” Rashid waved his hand, meaning the Hippodrome Royal.

Xavier laughed in response. The project had indeed been ridiculously underdeveloped when they first pitched it to Rashid Al Qasim. It was a time when the four of them wouldn’t miss a week in being featured in the media as the nicknamed News Princes. They lived a wild and untamed life yet dreamed of bringing life to this crazy venture. Xavier had used the only thing he knew would persuade Khalid’s father to get on board with that very important first investment – he had promised the Sheikh that he’d convince Khalid to meet Saleema for lunch and he’d make sure that Khalid would not behave as his usual spoiled arrogant self but would behave properly. That small manipulation of his had not only brought them their first half a billion of investment but also set a start to what the future fans of romantic novels would come to know as the love story of Khalid and Saleema, Taming the Playboy Sheikh. If anyone wrote a novel about them, that is.

Fool, Xavier chastised himself as he shook his head. He knew everyone was watching his inner torment closely but didn’t dare say a word now, as Rashid Al Qasim stood there – like a protective wall against his friends. The sooner you forget the word ‘love’, the easier you’ll be back to your normal life. He wasn’t even sure he knew what that normal life was.

“A drink?” he asked, trying his best to smile.

That was how he was going to get back to normal. One step at a time. One glass of whiskey after another. And then, the day would come that he’d open his eyes and Natalie would seem like an almost forgotten dream to him.