The Assistant(96)

“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.