17A/N: Yes another update! You guys finally get to meet Seth and I'm excited as to what you guys think of him! Sorry for the delay, I've been busy editing and re-editing until I'm satisfied. Thanks so much for the support and enjoy the chapter :) Let me know what you think!
CHAPTER FOUR – PAISLEY
The sleek, black DB9 pulled into its reserved parking space, its glossy door swinging open to reveal a tall, masculine male stepping out of the expensive sports car. His blue eyes scanned the quiet vicinity, immediately spotting the lean figure of Seth Paisley casually leaning against his grey Porsche. Squaring his shoulders, Chace closed his car door and turned to arch an inquisitive brow at the unwanted figure.
"Look what the wind brought in this morning," Chace stated, unable to help himself as his blue eyes turned cool.
Like always, Seth Paisley was never one to take the bait as he stood from his leaning position. Acting as if Lyndon had never spoken, he took a few steps forward. "I hear your wifey is in town," he informed, a rather amused expression on his handsome face. "I wonder how the union will work with such a hot tempered stud like you."
Gritting his teeth, Chace's eyes flashed. It was evident Seth knew his promised "wife" was a bit of a touchy topic. "There's no need to waste your time on such a trivial matter. Fact is, she's not my wife and I'm not going to marry her."
A disbelieving-borderline-mocking look was etched across Seth's face. "Interesting," he marveled. "From memory that's not what the papers read," he murmured and could tell that he was grating on Lyndon's nerves. "I vaguely recall seeing your distinct signature on a signed contract promising the marriage of you and the Ellwood heiress to occur within the next two years."
Seth paused for a moment to let his words sink in before adding: "But who knows, I could have misread it. You and I both know my grandfather's in retirement, so surely this arrangement must be false considering he hasn't written a contract in almost a decade." He explained and there was a glint in his eye as an evident smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Unless of course you can remember signing something within the past week or so…"
A silence engulfed them as Seth sensed a change in Lyndon's demeanor. Dismissing Chace with a casual shrug of his shoulders, Seth walked away from the rather furious looking Lyndon heir.
Ardin sprayed the wooden tabletop and wiped it down half heartedly, glad that the lunch bustle was over. Returning the Peugeot salt and pepper grinders back to it's rightful position, she examined the expensive leather seats for any spills before a gruff voice caught her attention.
"Oy newbie," called her boss from the service counter, his focus on the plates of food before him.
Inwardly cringing at the nickname, Ardin shifted from the table and headed over to the counter. What irritated Ardin was the fact that he still couldn't get her name right even though she had been working at his restaurant for well over week. The man whom she referred to as "boss" was a middle aged, balding man that had a passion for Italian cuisine. He had owned the popular restaurant for almost a decade and Ardin was told that nothing passed his eyes unnoticed.
Standing across from him, she stood with her spine held rigid, an unreadable expression on her face as she looked at him expectantly. The man was busy sprinkling a small handful of parsley over the pasta before ringing the bell for service. Watching his every move like a hawk, Ardin smiled a small smile when his dark eyes lifted to meet hers.
He didn't smile back, nor did the impassive expression on his face change. This only made Ardin more determined to make an impression and prove herself. She had been in the hospitality industry for well over three years and she was certain that she had the skills and experience to excel in her current waitressing job.
She was never one to back down from challenges and she was sure that she would not cower away from this job. Within her short working career she had faced many demanding bosses and in the end she had left an impression on all of them. This man before her would be no exception as she unconsciously stood with her shoulders pulled back.
Although her past experiences were at small diners or pubs back at home, Ardin was confident that she was conscientious enough to be able to work as a high end waitress in Edenvale.
"Yes sir?" She asked with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
There was a brief silence for a while before he nodded his head in the general direction to where the restrooms were. Following his gaze and pursing her lips, Ardin could sense where this was about to go and she wasn't sure whether if she liked it or not. Her past experiences had never consisted of cleaning toilets, even her previous managers or bosses weren't that harsh.
Inhaling, Ardin braced herself. A new experience was a new experience regardless of how dirty or unappealing the job was. She was nearing 20 and she was too proud to rely on her father to support her. She needed this job in order to survive the year as a student of Academy College. So if her boss said she needed to scrub toilets, she was not going to say 'no'.
Unconsciously nodding her head at the man, she started to move for the restrooms, but before she had even taken a step, the man's rough tone held her back.
"I thought I saw some girl walk into the mens," he stated and it took Ardin everything to hide the look of relief on her face. "Maybe you should take a look," he finished with a knowing look in his eyes.
As quick as the request had come, he had averted his attention back to the new batch of dishes before him, garnishing it with certain condiments or herbs. Ardin stood silently for a moment before marching over to the men's toilets, leaving her cleaning cloth on the service counter.
Pushing open the toilet door, Ardin's curious gaze froze upon seeing the two figures located in the corner. There practically tangled with one another was a couple making out. They were both located at the very end of the restrooms where the sink and hand drier was, the male's hands tangled in the girl's jet black locks.
A moan resounded and Ardin found herself losing the initial determination she had. Feeling the full impact of her current predicament, her face flushed as she mentally shook her head and stood her ground. There was no way she was going to walk away from this one, not when she knew her reputation was on the line. She needed to prove herself to her boss who was only a matter of meters away. Clearing her throat, she refrained from eying the rather raunchy scene before her as she stiffly entered the bathroom.
"Excuse me," she called and was pleased by how strong her voice came out. She was so nervous that she was afraid she wouldn't be able to do anything but squeak.
Her words appeared to be on deaf ears as the couple continued kissing passionately.
By now the dark haired girl was dominating the male, her lips practically glued to his neck. From her current angle, Ardin could see the man's face fully and she had to admit he was very handsome. With light brown - close to a dirty blonde - colored hair that was a little long but styled nicely, Ardin felt herself blush when she noticed his hand move from the girl's waist to grope her bottom rather affectionately. There was a boyish look to him that made it hard for Ardin to determine how old he was exactly.
From the high aristocratic nose, to the attractive set of dimples on his cheeks, Ardin was certain that the male was no more than twenty three years old. Snapping out of her reverie and realizing that she had been staring, she cleared her throat louder this time only to be ignored once again.
Wanting to throw her hands up in defeat, it took every fiber of her being to remain where she was right this instance. There was nothing more she wanted than to leave the two in the toilets to finish what they were doing. However she knew that her boss would practically label her an invalid for not having control over the situation and she would forever in his eyes be incompetent.
Feeling a new wave of courage and determination fill her veins, Ardin crossed her hands over her chest, standing with her shoulders squared. There was no way in hell she would let two hormonal raging adolescents cost her her job, not when she needed this so much. Feeling the embarrassment die down, she inhaled a deep breath.
"Look, I'm sure there's a better place for a quickie than in a restaurant toilet." She said in an audible tone. "Besides, I'm sure it would be more enjoyable to be alone and not have me awkwardly watching." Ardin huffed and pulled a face at the image of the men's restroom. It disturbed her that people were willing to have sex in such an environment. "I'm sure even a motel room would be slightly more comfortable and appealing than this," she muttered and eyed the two.
It appeared her words weren't getting through as the girl continued with her sucking, hands wandering to all different places on the man's body. She was flushed against him, her hand patting his 'package' daringly, not in the least embarrassed. It was evident the girl was lost in her own desires as she began unbuttoning the remainder of his shirt.
Ardin felt her breath hitch as her face turned red upon seeing the girl grasping the edge of the man's shirt, pulling it open. One moment he was covered and the next Ardin was greeted with an endless expanse of sun bronzed skin that stretched over his lean frame which consisted of rock hard abs and a sexy v line leading down into his pants.
Wanting nothing more than the floor to open up and engulf her, Ardin felt her confidence die down. In all honesty she didn't want to be a pervert and observe the sex scene about to happen before her, however she was too cowardly to turn and face her boss outside.
Uncertain of what to do in her current dilemma, she stomped the urge to fidget as her green eyes met a deep, dark chocolate brown. Blinking, it took her a few seconds to realize she had caught the attention of the brunette male as she mentally shouted 'hallelujah'!
Realizing the two beings had stopped their mindless grabbing and sucking, Ardin released a sigh. The knot in her chest untangled as she watched as the rather cute male whisper something in the girl's ear. The girl nodded in response and slid past Ardin, exiting the male restrooms.
Feeling as if she had triumphed, Ardin couldn't hold back the grin as her emerald eyes glistened with relief. She shifted to face the toilet door but hesitated as her eyes clashed with brown.
"Thank you," she whispered and exited the room with a look of achievement as she walked past her boss who gave her a nod of approval.
A smile crossed her face as she approached a couple that just walked through the doors.
Esther Greene observed her housemate in silence, only able to watch as she pounded the keys on her laptop at a fast pace, her glasses sitting at the tip of her nose. Slumping against the door frame, she shook her head at Ardin and couldn't help but grin at the absurd image before her. They were barely in week three of the semester and already Ardin's room was cluttered with paper and textbooks everywhere, forcing her to do her homework in bed with her laptop settled in her lap.
"Lurking in the doorway again?" came Ardin's voice as hazel brown met forest grin. The eye contact barely lasted a second before Ardin was off again, typing at a hundred miles an hour.
Stepping into Ardin's room, Esther smiled. "You do know that there's more to life than just essay writing?" She asked. "Last time I spoke to you, you had a loving boyfriend."
Pausing, Ardin lifted her gaze and allowed her shoulders to slump forward as she exhaled a long, exaggerated breath. Nobody said that college life was going to be this hard. Sure, she had expected being separated from Josh to be a bit more of a challenge now that an extra 300 kilometers stood between them. But now, on top of studying and juggling a part time job, Ardin realized there was barely any time left for any decent interaction with her boyfriend.
In conjunction with having little time to speak on the phone with Josh, it also made her a little more sad without her best friend, Grace, to provide her with words of wisdom and support.
Saving her college essay, Ardin's eyes roamed over Esther and she smiled weakly. They had lived together for less than a month and already the two of them got along fine. It was as if they were long lost friends. Finger tapping her chin, her eyes shifted to the blank screen of her phone.
"Think he'll pick up?" She asked and watched as her housemate rolled her eyes in response.
"How will you know if you don't try?" Esther asked and with those words, she moved back to the door. "Ardin you're barely into the semester, you need to be a little more sociable and lighten up." She explained and turned to leave, closing the bedroom door behind her.
Silence engulfed Ardin as the truth to Esther's words rang loud and clear in her ears. She was a mere three weeks into semester and already she was swamped with work and was beginning to lose contact with both Josh and Grace. Plucking her phone from the table, her eyes scanned the time and she noted that Josh was late for their Skype date. Composing a quick text message, she hit the 'send' key and dropped her phone next to her laptop.
From memory, the last time she and Josh had had a proper conversation was well over a week ago. She knew he was busy with his basketball scholarship as well as keeping up with his study load, but he had promised to make time for her. She was trying so hard to make things work and goodness knew how much she loved Josh that she wasn't willing to write-off their relationship. Sure it was hard when the both of them had their own extracurricular activities to go to but Ardin was putting all her efforts in to salvage what they have.
Ardin did note though that the one person that was helping to keep both her and Josh together was her best friend. Since her move to Edenvale, Ardin had been receiving numerous messages and quick phone calls from Grace that kept her updated on everything on Josh's end. It kind of made Ardin feel a little left out, but she was glad that Grace was the person to keep her connected because there was nobody else she could count on.
She loved her best friend to pieces. They had gone to the same high school and had become friends since year 7 and were inseparable since then. When Ardin had made the decision to take a gap year to work and earn money, Grace had done exactly the same thing. They both studied together, made money together and hung out when they didn't have to slave at their jobs.
So when Grace had got into Huntervale College – the same college as Josh – and she had gotten into Academy, a part of Ardin felt sad. Not only was she now separated from her boyfriend, but she was also parted from her best friend and it made her a little lonely. Suddenly all the support she had back at home was now gone. She had nobody to watch sappy movies with, nobody to call up and go shopping with and she didn't have company for when she wanted to catch a train up to Huntervale to visit Josh.
Breaking out of her train of thoughts, the high-pitched beep from her phone resounded in her room as her green eyes took in the message that popped up onto the screen. A frown creased her brows at the words that greeted her.
Sorry babe, training went overtime. Can I reschedule to tomorrow?
Sighing, she picked up the device and replied to the message to confirm the reschedule.
That's okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you.
Throwing her phone onto the bed, Ardin faced her laptop again. Now that there was no more Skype date, she was determined to get the remainder of the law essay done.
She saw him for the first time since their meeting on enrolment day and for some reason Ardin found it a little disconcerting when their eyes met. He had been walking down the hallway surrounded by many girls with a few of his male friends. At first Ardin hadn't noticed him until she felt his eyes piercing through her. She had glanced up and was engulfed in a sea of blue that upon meeting her gaze turned into a cool dark grey which triggered her to stop breathing.
She couldn't completely interpret the look in his eyes, however she could tell that he was not pleased with her as he and his group of friends past her. Ardin didn't fail to notice a rather demeaning look from the red head hanging off Lyndon's arm as she passed by.
Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Ardin knew that she needed to be a little more weary of Chace Lyndon. Although she had tried to write-off their first conversation as a trivial matter, a part of her had a feeling that there was more to his mindless ramblings. There was something about the animosity he had shown her that didn't quite fit with the kindness he initially showed. Breaking out of her reverie, her eyes darted to her watch before she turned in the opposite direction to where Chace had gone. She was late as she broke into a run for her next class.
Turning around the corner, her shoulder collided with a hard body. Feeling the air being knocked from her lungs, Ardin staggered to a halt and gazed up at the male with an apologetic expression etched across her face.
"I'm so sorry," she stressed with sincerity and she gasped at the face that stared back at her.
Recognition registered on the male's face as a mischievous grin crossed his lips, not even phased by their run in.
"We meet again," he greeted and smiled welcomingly. Before she could even speak, he raised a hand in greeting. "I don't think I got the opportunity to introduce myself the other time. Seth Paisley," he stated in an all-too-friendly manner that made Ardin a little weary.
She relived the flashbacks of the occurrence at work and unconsciously felt her defenses rise. Whoever said first impressions did not stick was deeply misguided. Seth Paisley's reputation had left her with X-rated images which she was not particularly fond of.
Staring back at the tall, brown haired male in silence, he broke the peace.
"You don't talk to strangers or shake hands with them?" He probed, "Even if they're as charming as me?"
Ardin broke out of her reverie at his last remark. She saw the charismatic smile cross his youthful face before taking his proffered hand for a firm shake. She was not a prude but was rather taken aback by how laidback he was especially after the way she had kicked him out of the restaurant toilets.
Raising her right brow in question, her emerald eyes studied him briefly. "I do talk to strangers but not ones that previously made my day shift at the restaurant awkward." She answered and the corner of her lip curved up challengingly.
His brown eyes reviewed her for a moment before he flashed her a toothy grin, not in the least perturbed by her words. "Well instead of feeling left out and awkward, you could have joined in. I would have been more than welcoming."
Ardin didn't back down from his words, years of hanging around Josh's testosterone soaked male friends had prepared her for moments like these. "My fist would have been quite welcoming too," she retorted.
His brows shot up in surprised before he leaned forward. "I love a little rough sex," he shot back and smirked.
Opening and closing her mouth, Ardin found herself at a loss for words as she blinked blankly. Generally she would have thrown back another witty response, however with the male before her all she felt was utter amusement. There was just something about the teasing glint in his eyes and the handsome features on his face that made Ardin like him.
She gave him extra brownie points for not using foul language or bad grammar. Unlike Josh's football friends, the male before her resembled something far greater than the testosterone overloaded males back in high school.
There was an air of prestige that surrounded him and unlike many of the other people that roamed around Edenvale, there was a genuine friendliness to Paisley that intrigued Ardin. It was evident from his Ralph Lauren trousers to the Tommy Hilfiger sweater that he reeked of money, however it was the cheeky smile and rather amusing wittiness that entranced Ardin a little.
Holding back the smile that was threatening to surface, she cocked a brow. "What are you? A sex addict?"
"And would you be my kinky minx if I said yes?" He replied.
"Over my dead body," she answered and he shook his head and sighed rather dramatically.
"Well I guess that would make me a necrophiliac," he exhaled. "Which is rather gross but," he paused and gave her a once over with those deep brown eyes of his. "If it's for you, I guess that would be more than okay."
Ardin pretended to shiver at his words, but her heart was beating erratically. "You are one helluva creep," she stated.
"A freaky creep," he agreed and Ardin couldn't help but laugh aloud at that and her laughter turned into a fit of giggles when she saw the roguish smile on his face.
"Okay you win," she breathed half-heartedly and offered her hand. "Ardin Ellwood." She introduced and found her hand engulfed in his large, warm one almost instantly.
The grin on his lips died down as an odd expression crossed his features. His reaction caused Ardin to draw her brows together as she removed her hand from his.
"Is there a problem?" she said, the mirth dying down from her face.
Seth looked at her. "No, nothing at all."
Ardin nodded her head slowly, "Okay." A frown crossed her face as she straightened and shook her head. "No it's not okay," she said rather bluntly. "You're the second person I've met at Academy to have reacted weirdly to my name," she breathed. "Is there something wrong with the name Ardin?"
"You're Ardin Ellwood, as in related to Ellwood Empire?" Seth questioned.
There was silence for a brief while before Ardin spoke again. "I may have the same surname but I haven't been a part of that family for a long while," she stated.
Seth threw his hands up in a gesture of defeat as he noticed how stiff she had become upon mentioning Ellwood Estate. "Point taken," he said. "So, can we be friends?" he questioned, the atmosphere returning back to a playful one.
"As long as you don't tell me to find another College," she responded and Seth's brows arched up.
"Some weirdo you ran into," he commented.
"Tell me about it," she replied and they both laughed.
Feeling torn between wanting to hang around and chat for a few minutes more, Ardin's eyes unconsciously darted to her watch again.
"Got somewhere to be?"
"My business class actually," she responded and was pleased when he stepped aside for her to walk past him. "I'll catch you next time then Paisley,"
"I'll find you Ellwood." He answered and she smiled a warm smile before making a run for class.
Seth could only watch in fascination at her retrieving back. Who would have thought that he would bump into the infamous Ellwood heir in such a manner?
Originally, upon the news of her arrival at Edenvale Academy, he had anticipated a rich, snooty, self-entitled girl that would fit into a town like Edenvale perfectly. However the person that greeted him was so different to the other rich inhabitants of Edenvale that Seth found her refreshing. Ardin Ellwood was not only gorgeous in a natural way, she was also charming and down-to-earth, catching him off-guard from the very first moment they met.
Seeing the perfect opportunity to get under Lyndon's skin, Seth turned away and headed to his class with a feeling of satisfaction running though his veins.