Upon seeing me, Archer smiled, and the warmth in his eyes instantly erased all my fears. "We will be here, Miss Adele," Chad quietly reassured me, and when I glanced back, I saw the two guards had retreated to stand guard in a discreet corner of the room, giving us some privacy for our lunch meeting.
"Hey, love," Archer said, catching me off guard. Did he just call me love?!
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting?" I whispered, feeling flustered by the endearment.
"No, darling, you are right on time," he said, pulling me to his side. As Victor Donovan, Archer's father, stood up from his seat, I found myself locking eyes with him. His gaze was strangely familiar, reminiscent of Archer's, but there were noticeable differences. While Archer's eyes held a mesmerizing mix of gold, green and brown, Victor's irises were a deep, captivating shade of dark brown. His eyes possessed an intense depth that sent shivers down my spine, He had the aura of a tamed predator, trapped under a mask he only showed to a chosen few.
He extended his right hand, and as if entranced, I placed mine in his as Archer introduced me, "Dad, I want you to meet Adele Rutherford, my girlfriend…"
"She's not wearing a ring," a deep, gruff voice emanated from the older man. Archer chuckled.
"I'm trying not to scare her, Dad," he replied with a smile.
"Nonsense, the two of you are clearly besotted," Victor Donovan said. "Nice to meet you, Adele."
"T - thank you, sir," I stuttered, still overwhelmed by the presence of such a powerful man. Victor Donovan grinned, and I couldn't help but notice his attractiveness.
"Am I going to get introduced?" Archer's stepmother interjected playfully.
"Of course," Victor Donovan replied, "Adele, please, meet my lovely wife, Patricia…"
"It's nice to meet you, Madam," I said politely.
"Oh, please, call me Patricia. You are so sweet and innocent; I bet we are going to have plenty of fun…" Patricia said with a hint of something I couldn't quite decipher.
"I doubt it…" Victor Donovan retorted, looking from his wife to me, and gesturing for me to sit down. "Tell me, Adele, what do you do for a living?"
Archer pulled a chair back for me, and I gracefully took a seat as a uniformed waiter approached our table.
"I'm a chemist, sir. Until a few hours ago, I headed the Quality Control and Assurance department at PharmaMed."
"Impressive," Victor Donovan remarked, and then turned to his wife, saying, "See what I mean?" with a teasing smile that seemed to irk Patricia. Her smile became forced, and I glimpsed a flash of anger in her eyes before it vanished.
"I'm sure, as a woman, you have hobbies like the rest of us… I haven't yet met a woman who doesn't love a spa day," Patricia remarked.
"I do love a spa day," I replied with genuine enthusiasm, earning a beam and keen scrutiny from Victor Donovan.
Archer reached under the table to interlace his fingers with mine, bringing our clasped hands up to press a tender kiss to the back of my hand. I may have been mistaken, but I thought I saw Archer's stepmother glare at him for this affectionate gesture. However, when Archer repeated the gesture, her eyes lowered, and I could sense a bit of discomfort.
"Eat, love," he rasped softly, then leaned in to press a sweet kiss on my lips. My face and neck flushed, especially when his father chuckled at the affectionate display. I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Archer was using such intimate endearments with me. His phone chimed repeatedly, and he let out a sigh.
"Excuse me for a minute," Archer said, dropping a kiss on my forehead before picking up his phone and walking away from the table towards Chad and the other guard.
"It's sad what happened to your place of work… I suppose now that you are with Archer, you would be satisfied with just being on his arm at dinners and family lunches such as this one," Patricia said, her tone laced with a touch of condescension.
"I'm sorry… I don't intend to stop working," I said, feeling extremely awkward and sensing that Patricia was needling me in front of Archer's father.
"Of course, she doesn't intend to stop working; she is a brilliant mind," Victor Donovan interjected, defending me.
"And is getting money, not the bottom line of all that? Archer has plenty of it to pass to her," she continued.
"It's not all about money, Madam," I responded, trying to maintain my composure. "I don't want Archer's money, forgive me, Sir," I added, turning to Victor Donovan, slightly frustrated by Patricia's persistence in upsetting me.
"Please, call me Patricia," she said, flashing a smile that seemed a bit forced.
"Forgive my wife, Adele. Some people have walked a path in life that has gotten them too jaded to understand when other people's priorities don't reflect theirs. It is just a matter of perception," Victor Donovan said calmly as he took a sip of his wine.
"How old are you, Adele?" Patricia inquired.
"I'm twenty-two," I replied hesitantly.
"Archer is in his early thirties. It must be daunting dating someone with such an age difference," she probed further.
"I'm sure she has done the math, Patricia. Leave the girl alone," Victor Donovan said, coming to my defense. I felt relieved as Archer returned to the table, sensing my distress.
"Is everything all right here?" Archer asked, concerned.
"I think Patricia is envious of Adele's age," Victor Donovan said with a hint of amusement. My eyes widened in shock, glancing at Patricia, unsure of how to react. Both men chuckled, and I couldn't help but wonder if they were always this direct with her.
"Please, excuse me," Patricia said, "I need some fresh air. It was nice meeting you, Adele, although I maintain you are too young to be sitting at this table," she remarked cryptically before excusing herself.
"Don't mind her," Victor Donovan said, trying to alleviate the tension. "She has this territorial thing going on in her head, but she'll get used to you being part of the family, just like Jessica will," he reassured me with a warm smile as if trying to ease any worries I might have about his wife's initial reaction to my relationship with his son.
"Thank you," I replied, trying to be polite, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that her disapproval of my relationship with Archer was more complicated than just my age.
"Thank you, Dad. I didn't know you were bringing her," Archer said, surprised by her presence too.
"You know how she and Jessica are…" he said, and then shifted his focus entirely to me. "Now, tell me, Adele, what's your next move in light of the tragedy that struck your company?" he asked, his eyes showing genuine concern for my well-being and career prospects.
"I…."
"She is thinking of branching out and taking a partner," Archer chimed in, eager to support me.
Victor Donovan raised an eyebrow, looking from me to his son and back at me, intrigued. "Maybe we should be talking about your wedding instead. Looks like he thinks you are already his wife," he teased, pointing at Archer playfully. I couldn't help but giggle at the playful banter.
"You are not here to scare her, Dad," Archer retorted, trying to steer the conversation away from wedding talk.
"I doubt she could be scared easily, she just called Patricia 'old' to her face twice," Victor Donovan said, causing me to gasp in shock.
"Oh, my God, I didn't!" I exclaimed, feeling mortified.
Archer burst into laughter, shaking his head at the situation. "Well, you called the poor thing 'Madam' though," he said, joining in the teasing.
Embarrassed, I covered my face with both hands. "Come on! I was being respectful," I said, trying to defend myself.
Archer embraced me in a side hug, attempting to comfort me as he chuckled. Victor Donovan observed the two of us with a smile and then said, "You remind me of when I was your age and still had your mother… Take care of her, son," he said with a hint of nostalgia.
"Thanks, Dad," Archer said, appreciating the advice. The two men shared a brief, meaningful gaze as if exchanging unspoken understanding.