The CEOs Possession

Time seemed to be taking all year to go by because even though it felt like hours already to Anders, they had only started on the second course. He thought he could really use some quiet right now, but it would be impolite to ask to use the restroom, considering the fact that he had done that a few minutes ago.

Anders felt Sophia’s hands on his thighs again, but he didn’t try to shake her off this time. Not with her father’s eyes fixed on him.

“You both seem to have gotten closer,” he commented, still watching them intently. “Don’t you think it’s time for an announcement?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Anders almost choked on the food, and he grabbed the glass of juice, taking his time to down half the cup’s content before looking up at the President. “Er…I think it’s best we take our time.” He didn’t need to look at Sophia to know she thought the exact opposite.

“Nonsense!” The president’s wife asserted at once. “There’s nothing like taking one’s time where you both are concerned. You’ve been friends since you were both kids.”

Anders would have added that they grew up in different countries due to their education, but he doubted it would make an impression on any of them.

“Mom,” Sophia said calmly. “Anders doesn’t want to rush things, and honestly, I don’t want that either. He has a major project at the company right now, and he could do without the distraction of an engagement.”

Anders never thought he would come to say this ever, but he did owe Sophia one. She could have fought for an engagement right now since there was nothing stopping her, but she chose not to.

Other matters concerning the state of the nation serenaded the rest of the meal, and by the time the table was cleared and little conversation groups were formed, Anders had decided that he had had enough.

“You don’t have to make it so obvious,” Sophia suddenly said to him. “I know you don’t want to be here, but if you don’t want to get my father calling the Priest right now, act like you want to do this every day.”

But it was hard for Anders. He couldn’t stop staring wistfully at the door, wondering when he would get to leave. Several times during the dinner, he had fiddled with the idea of telling his best friend, Lucas, to call with a fake emergency.

But his mother would see right through him.

“Who says I don’t want to be here?” Anders retorted weakly.

“Your eyes. They’ve been on the door more times than I’ve felt them on me.”

“That’s not true,” Anders replied, for whatever it was worth. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

“Like the secret girl you’re spending a lot of time with?”

Anders looked up at once, searching if anyone had heard her. Both their parents were in a deep conversation about the passing of a new bill, and had thankfully, not paid any attention to them.

“You’re overreacting, Sophia.”

Anders wouldn’t exactly frame it that way. There was no girl he was spending all of his time with. It was more like a woman who plagued his nightly dreams with snippets of what he could do to and with her.

Those dreams sure proved to be better than being here, having dinner.

“Whatever you’ve got going, deal with it before my parents decide to force you into anything. And that better happens fast.”

Anders didn’t know why Sophia even agreed to this in the first place. He had always thought she wanted a love match like she had always talked about when they were younger. She wanted her fairy tale prince to whisk her away in the arms of love.

But that all changed since she returned to Mexico, and oddly forged an alliance with Anders, making the whole world think they had something beautiful going on.

But it was far from that.

Anders couldn’t even bring himself to ever succumb to the weakness called love. He had once been there before, and it had ended up very ugly. He couldn’t even bear the thought of it anymore.

“What about Veil?” A tiny voice asked in his head, and he squashed it instantly. What Anders felt for Veil was the need to completely be in control over her, to protect and own her. And he was sure it was all purely sexual.

Perhaps, when he finally brought his nightly dreams into a reality, it would all go away.

But first, he needed to find a way to get out of this looming marriage before he no longer had an option.

At least, for now, his mother would support whatever decision he made. But just as Sophia mentioned, he needed to get around to it as soon as possible.

“Thank you for sticking up for me earlier,” Anders mentioned as they all got up, leaving the dining room and returning to the living room. “I was in a fix.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Sophia said, shrugging. “But then, I realized that I would have more power with you if I made you owe me something. This is a debt I’ll be taking back soon.”

Anders didn’t think it was anything different.

“A bottle of Whisky?” The President offered and asked his housekeeper to get one without waiting for a response. She returned in a minute with six glasses and a bottle of whisky.

Anders knew that nothing would make him suffer another stifling hour here, stuck beside Sophia. He felt for his phone in his pocket, deciding that Lucas was going to have to come to his aid.

Abruptly, the shrill of his phone enveloped the room, making even Anders jump. Recovering from the initial shock, he retrieved his phone from his pocket, and got up, walking away from the group to receive the call.

“Anders,” an all too familiar voice slurred, making Anders’ insides go warm immediately. It felt like he could finally breathe fresh air, and he found himself smiling.

“You should be asleep. We have a long day tomorrow.”

“I know,” she muttered, then yawned. “But the cops won’t let me go.”

“What?”

“I’m at the station.”