EIGHTEEN: LUNCHTIME

KIMBERLY


I prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me as Liam held my hand and walked through the canteen. All eyes were on us and I saw Shirley and Khloe at a table staring at us. Iris was seated with a male colleague and they also stared at us and some of the employees started to whisper. I knew the company's canteen was not the ideal place for Liam to eat. I doubt he had ever come here once to have lunch, but he was holding my hands, my fingers entwined in his, and was leading me to an empty table around. Aiden tagged quietly behind us. The employees started to stand as he walked past them, they started to leave, but he stopped them.

"Nobody leaves!" he said.

Pairs of confused and curious eyes focused on us. I refused to meet Khloe's eyes because I didn't want Liam to know that we were related. Although I knew we were faking this, a part of me wanted to keep Liam to myself. He might be in this fake relationship with me, but he might start liking Khloe for real and I kind of didn't want that to happen. I even prayed we didn't take the empty table in front of their table, but my prayers never works, that was the exact table Liam chose.

"Enjoy your meal," he said and pulled out a chair for me.

Playing the gentleman now, huh? I thought, smiled, and flopped down on the chair a little clumsily. I never knew how to manage a crowd, I was always nervous when all eyes were on me. Although everyone pretended now that they weren't looking at us, they threw occasional glances at us. I hid my quivering fingers under the table as Liam sat across from me, smiling at me. Even though his earlier comments still rankled, I was more nervous now than pissed. He leaned closer to me.

"This is our first official outing as a couple, so you have to stop looking naive and key into your character."

I looked up at him and my face flushed with anger, I controlled myself. I didn't have any twenty thousand dollars to pay. It just dawn on me why he had asked people to stay back and eat. I was beginning to think that he was becoming less arrogant. I should have known better, he had done it for his own selfish reasons, for publicity and to make me keep whatever I felt at bay. He looked behind me and his eyes widened. I know he must have seen Shirley.

"Hey you," he said to Shirley who smiled up at him. "I remember you, ain't you Kim's friend?"

"Oh, yes..." Shirley answered uncertainly.

Khloe turned with a beautiful smile. "I am her twin."

"What?" Liam was genuinely surprised. He looked at me and then back at Khloe. "But, you look..."

"We are not identical," I interrupted turning to face Khloe and I felt anger rising in me.

"Why didn't you tell me your twin work here?" Liam asked looking pleased and surprised.

I huffed heavily and the anger gradually turned to insecurity. Liam was pleased to find out that I had a twin, who looked hot even in cooperative wear, and who was beautiful and trim. He must be regretting meeting me first. He must be wishing he met the hotter twin first, Khloe would have fit his personality and somehow the thought saddened me. I blinked and turned away.

"Liam, I told you about her, but you forgot," Aiden whispered to Liam.

Liam's eyebrows went up. "Oh. Come over to our table you two would you?"

"I thought we were supposed to eat alone?" I asked him through gritted teeth Khloe and Shirley quickly stood up, pushing their chairs back, making squeaking sounds that didn't allow them to hear me.

"She is your sister, come on."

As soon as Khloe and Shirley took their seats at our table, Liam's phone went off and he frowned when he looked at the screen. I wondered why he had that sudden reaction. He glanced at Aiden who seemed to understand the look and they communicated with their eyes before Liam shot up from his seat.

"I will be right back," he said and left.

Khloe nudged me and I turned to her. She smiled at me and I smiled back. "You didn't tell him you had a twin all this while?"

"I'm sure I did, but since he is a very busy person, he must have forgotten."

Aiden looked uncomfortable and that made the two of us, only that he was uncomfortable because of whatever reason that had made Liam rush off so quickly. Shirley kept eating her food, ignoring all of us. I didn't have her time, I just didn't want to stay in their company, for some weird reasons, I felt safer in the company of Aiden and Liam than in the current company I found myself in. I looked over at Iris, she was smiling at me and she gave me a thumbs up. I smiled back at her. That was my best friend and I suddenly felt a tug in my chest for ever lying to Iris. I swore to myself that I would tell her the truth.

Aiden left the table too and an awkward silence fell over the table. No one would ever imagine that my sister and I could ever be in an awkward position. My awkwardness came from the anger that had bristled in me that Liam had to find out Khloe was my twin. I didn't know what I was feeling at that moment, but I had the feeling that even if Liam was my fake boyfriend, I shouldn't have to compete with Khloe about it too.

"You look a little nervous, Kim," Shirley asked, bringing back my attention.

I looked at her, her eyes held contempt, but a part of her face twitched up in a smirk and here I thought she was being so ashamed to look in my eyes. I shouldn't just be getting ahead of myself in these things. I summoned up the courage and looked her in the face.

"Do I? Well, that's because I do not feel comfortable with you intruding on our lunchtime."
I hope Khloe didn't take that personally. I was talking to Shirley after all.

"What?" Khloe asked in a low voice.

"I wasn't talking to you Khloe," I said my gaze still on Shirley. "She knows herself and claiming to be my friend when you are clearly not, just to get my boyfriend's attention is pathetic."

I saw Shirley cringe and her false lashes fluttered in disbelief. Well done Kim, my inner woman commended me and I almost smiled, but staring at Shirley's face just made my face straight.

"Baby," I heard Liam's voice from a distance and I tore my gaze from Shirley and it rested on Liam and Aiden hurrying back to the table.

Liam came to the table and grabbed my hand, something in his expression made my heart sink low and I looked from him to Aiden. "We need to go," he said.

I had never been so grateful for following Liam away. I stood up and quickly took my purse from the table and followed him.

"See you later, ladies," Liam said waving at Khloe and Shirley who were still surprised by my sudden outburst.

I didn't look back, I just followed Liam sheepishly out of the canteen, towards the parking lot. "Is everything alright?" I inquired peering at Liam's face.

He didn't answer me, he just opened the car door for me. "Get in."

I scoffed and went in with a scowl. I should have known, I was nobody to ask him questions. He went over to the other side and came into the car. Aiden went over to the driver's seat and ignited the car without a word.

"If I am going to do this, I should know what is going on. Can someone say something?!" I was surprised at my own outburst and had expected Liam to lash out at me.

But he didn't rather, he kept staring ahead. "My mum is coming to town tomorrow."

Okay? What has that got to do with anything? What has that got to do with this whole mood? I looked from Liam to Aiden from the rear view mirror. "Is she someone I should be scared of?"

"Very scared," Aiden replied. "Very, very scared."