One Wild Night

"Any word from mother's lips would make sense to you," Anita mutterer as she glanced at her wristwatch.

"I heard that," Tiffany said with a scowl.

"You were meant to hear it. It looks like I will be late to Bernice's for lunch. I have to go get Lisa first," Anita said, and Tiffany rolled her eyes.

"Why are you the one to get her? Shouldn't her loving husband bring her over?"

"You know how Ron is. He can barely stand being in the same room with mother for longer than ten minutes without leaving. If Ron brings her, she might have to leave early," Anita said, and Tiffany snorted.

"He acts like he is better than everyone else," Tiffany said, and Anita giggled.

"That's not true. I get along with him just fine. The only reason you don't like him is because he doesn't get along with mother, and you're jealous because he treats Lisa better than your husband treats you," Anita said, and Tiffany glared at her.

"That's such a mean thing to say!"

"Mean but true nonetheless. So what about Jack? Is he coming? Or did he manage to come up with one of those thousand and one reasons why he can't he there?" Anita asked, and Tiffany smiled.

"Surprisingly he is coming. He even offered to cancel his tennis plan with his friends so he can come with me," Tiffany said, and Anita turned to her in surprise.

"Wow! That is very surprising."

"Yeah. All that is left now is for us to get you your own man. Who knows? Mother might decide to get remarried after you," Tiffany said with a grin and Anita giggled.

"Speaking about mother, do you know who her secret admirer is?" Anita asked with interest since Tiffany was closest to their mother and was always the first to know what was going on with her.

"I don't. But I'm pretty sure he is someone really impressive. Mother will never settle for anyone less than perfect," Tiffany said as she pulled into the parking lot of the beauty spa and Anita nodded in agreement.

"That's true."

Once they walked into the spa, Anita stiffened and stopped walking when she sighted Lucy and Tom seated at the reception while talking to one of the female staff.

"What is wrong?" Tiffany asked when she noticed that Anita had stopped walking, and she followed Anita's gaze to where the couple were seated with Tom's arm wrapped around Lucy.

This was the first time Anita was crossing path with Lucy since the scandal about Lucy and she wasn't sure how to approach her. Was she to approach her as a friend or foe? It wouldn't be weird if she ignored Lucy considering the way Sonia had spoken to her the last time she called Lucy, right? (Chapter 234)

She had kept her distance from Lucy after that because it had seemed like they were suspicious of her at the time. If Sonia hadn't said all of that to her, she would have remained by Lucy's side as a friend until she successfully got rid of her from Tom's life.

That was all water under the bridge now since she didn't want Tom anymore. Not after all he and Harry had said to her the last time in the conference hall (chapter 354). She would have also preferred to ignore Tom but the only problem was that Tom was still her boss, at least for now, so she couldn't completely ignore him.

"If you want us to leave, we can just go somewhere else," Tiffany offered, mistaking Anita's reaction to be jealousy.

Anita sent her a look that said she was being ridiculous, "Dont't be silly, Tiff! Mother would be so disappointed if she heard her favorite daughter say something as cowardly as that."

"Mother is not here with us. If you feel uncomfortable we can leave. I won't be drawn into any catfight," Tiffany insisted, but Anita ignored her as she proceeded to walk towards them.

She was Anita Miller. The Millers were not the type to be intimidated for any reason. All she felt for the couple was anger and hatred, and she would love nothing more than to ruin their stupid relationship.

Lucy was the first to see Anita approaching, and she tapped Tom's hand to alert him, making him look down at her hand and then her face, wondering what was wrong.

He followed the direction of her gaze and when he saw Anita approaching he patted Lucy's hand to calm her since he knew she was upset. This was the first time she was coming face to face with Anita since her discovery that Anita was responsible for the scandal.

Because of the lady standing in front of them, Tom couldn't say anything to Lucy so he returned his attention to the lady he had been discussing with.

"Let her know I'm here to see her," he told the lady who gave him a nod before hurrying away to go inform the spa owner of the presence of Thomas Hank.

Once Anita got to where they sat she plastered a false smile on her face, "Hello, Tom! Hey, Lucy!" she greeted, and without waiting for them to respond, since she wasn't sure they were going to, she continued on her way, but stopped when Lucy greeted her, surprising both Anita and Tom.

"Hello, Anita! It's been a while," Lucy greeted with a bright smile.

If Anita could act so friendly despite all the evil she was plotting against her, then so could she as well, Lucy mused as she rose to face Anita, while Tom remained seated, wondering what Lucy was up to.

Tiffany didn't bother to stand with Anita, instead she went to say hello to some friends who were at the spa, leaving Anita to face Lucy and Tom alone.

Anita looked at Lucy, trying to figure out what Lucy was up to. But Lucy kept her smile in place.

"I always had the mind to return your last phone call after that misunderstanding with my best friend, but I haven't been able to find the right time to do that. I hope you are not mad? Sonia can be pretty jealous a times. You know how girls can be. I'm sure you have friends," Lucy said, wanting to make sure Anita didn't think they knew what she was up to.

"Of course. I understand how female friendships can be," Anita said with her graceful smile in place.

"I'm glad you do. Also, I think I need to correct something you just said. Tom doesn't like his employees referring to him so casually as Tom. Especially his female employees. He prefers to be addressed as Mr. Hank. Calling him Tom the way you did, could be misleading, don't you think so?" Lucy asked with her smile in place the same as Anita's.

Anita's smile faltered ever so slightly as her gaze shifted from Lucy to Tom, but Tom's loving gaze was fixed on Lucy with a grin on his face.

"He didn't complain..."

"Yeah, right? He is my man so I understand how he feels. He didn't have to express his displeasure out loud for me to know. Especially as he thought you'd know to do better after he told you he doesn't like you," Lucy said, and Tom chuckled.

"I guess some habits are hard to break. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry," Anita said, and Lucy smiled sweetly as she patted Anita's arm in a way only close friends would do.

"Oh, don't worry about it, darling. I wasn't the least bit upset. It just didn't occur to me that it was a habit, since I didn't think you were close enough or together long enough to form one. I just thought to correct you so you wouldn't make such a mistake in the presence of others," Lucy said, and for the first time in her life Anita was thankful for all the lessons her mother had given them on keeping a stiff upper lip regardless of how annoyed or upset they were, else Lucy would have realised just how annoying she was being.

"I should return to MY man. He doesn't like it when I'm away for too long hence he followed me here," Lucy said as she turned to smile at Tom who winked at her.

"That's sweet. I shouldn't keep my sister waiting, have fun," Anita said as she turned and walked away from there as gracefully as she could to join Tiffany who was seated far away from the drama.

"See you at the anniversary dinner," Lucy called after her before returning to her seat beside Tom.

Tom chuckled, "That's so unlike you. Did you have to do that?"

"Of course, I had to. I did nothing wrong, yet both her and her family have been plotting against me, so I should as well give them a reason to do what they are doing. She is not the only one who can act so friendly while plotting," Lucy muttered grudgingly, and Tom chuckled.

"Why don't I give her something to be mad about?" Tom asked as he leaned closer to Lucy and turned her face to him before kissing her.

They were still kissing when two ladies walked out of an office at the distal part of the hall and approached them.

One of the ladies cleared her throat, and "Hello, Mr. Hank! It's a pleasure having you and your lady here. I'm Tracy, the owner of the spa, and this is my friend, Aurora," she greeted pleasantly.

"Hello! I don't think you know me, but I'm a friend of your sister, Jade, and I'm also acquainted with your best friend, Harry. I had to come out to say hello when I heard you were here," Aurora said with a friendly smile that made Tom and Lucy exchange an amused look once they realized this was the lady who Jade had tried to set up with Harry.

"Oh! I've heard a lot about you," Tom said with a pleasant smile as he shook hands with her.

"Oh, really? From Harry, I hope?" she asked with hopeful eyes, and Tom winced.

"No, we actually heard of you from Jade. She had only lovely things to say about you," Lucy chipped in with a bright smile.

Of course, the only reason Jade felt insecure or threatened was because she knew Aurora was a wonderful lady. The sort that any man, who didn't have another lady in mind, would fall for.

"Oh, really? Why don't I attend to you? I'd really love to hear all she had to say while I take care of you if you don't mind," Aurora suggested with a happy smile as she linked her arm with Lucy's as though they have been friends forever.

"Don't worry about them, I will attend to them myself," Aurora assured her friend.

"I take it you are also here to relax. I will have my best hand assist Aurora who would be attending to you. You can both use the VVIP room," the spa owner said as she let Aurora lead the couple to the VVIP room.