18 Couldnst Feel Any Safer (1/2)

Since that day, things fell back to normal—to a certain degree.

In the mornings, Lyra found herself still glued to the shop even though there was a full staff on duty taking care of things. Business was thriving with Mother's Day around the corner and a few other reasons thanks to the strict Mr. Wellington who required dinner business meetings nearly every day of the week.

Kurtis was easygoing as a person, but as a businessman, he was demanding. Luckily, with Rose and Lyra doing their homework, the meetings usually went smoothly after the first few times. In fact, they learned the drill rather quickly and actual business talks ended within the first twenty minutes. The rest of the time was just whatever happened to be brought up.

”Mate, your mum called me today,” Rose said, widening her eyes as if implying something. She dug out a magazine from her giant coat pocket. ”I got this from Louis, but I'm pretty sure she saw it.”

Lyra's curious eyes wandered to the cover. She knew Kurtis was pretty popular, but didn't know he graced the cover of a magazine recently. But before she could read the headlines, he retracted the magazine and handed it back to his cousin.

”She asked me, 'Why is Kurtis on the cover for this and not for some actual modeling?' Told me to talk some sense into ya,” Rose said, breaking into a snort laugh with Kurtis like siblings rejoicing in successfully annoying a mother.

”Ain't got the time.”

”But cuz, you got the fans AND the looks.” Even Rose found her cousin unworldly handsome. ”Don't you agree?”

Lyra looked from her friend to Kurtis then back to her friend.

”You two are cousins?”

”Yep. See the resemblance?” The pretty girl flipped her short hair to one side and moved her head side to side as if she was doing a photoshoot.

Having the two sit across from her, it wasn't that hard to notice that Rose did share his handsome features. She had a tall nose, full lips, charismatic eyes, and an overall beautiful face. Lyra always thought Rose, though more on the masculine side, very charming. They looked like models walking alongside each other.

”Oh come on! We look nothing alike!” Kurtis said, hooking his arm around Rose who was playing around and putting on Kurtis's famous expressions.

This was how the rest of the dinners usually went. Kurtis and Rose making Lyra laugh. And after they ended, Rose would be off to XYZ, always inviting Lyra along but getting turned down. Knowing this routine, Mr. Wellington prepared his cousin a separate driver while he went home with Lyra.

When the two were in the car, it wasn't hard to find something to fill the silence. Ever since the wedding fitting, things just seemed to ease up.

”Is it that hard to believe we're cousins?” Kurtis asked, a smile on his face seeing Lyra's still shocked expression that carried on from dinner to now.

”I thought you guys seemed closer than normal friends, but didn't expect you to be cousins…I mean, she must be a Wellington too then?”

Kurtis shook his head. ”She's my maternal cousin, illegitimate child. Moved out by herself at fifteen but my mother made me look after her so we're close.”

Lyra nodded. ”I feel bad if you're making her help at the shop…”

”Not at all. Rose likes it,” he said, continuing to drive. ”Any other questions?”

Kurtis seemed to be in a good mood so the girl in the passenger seat went for it.

”Can we limit our meetings to weekdays only?” she blurted out, much to the humor of the driver.

”They begin to bore you?”

”No, not really. But I don't think I have enough outfits for all days of the week to accompany you to such fancy places all the time,” she said, her face getting a little red. ”We could maybe go somewhere simpler…”