Kallisto's POV

Friday.

It took forever for this day to arrive. 

After leaving Grandpa Eclipse's house the other night, I didn't have the courage to go see my mom. I didn't want to hear her saying 'I told you so'. And truth be told, I was still trying to understand the sudden change in behavior from Grandpa. He was never exactly what I would call caring and loving, but he never mistreated me like that before.

I’ve been dodging Mom’s texts about rescheduling dinner ever since.

Two days after Apex asked me on a date, I'm standing before my bedroom mirror, tempted to change for the third time. Chewing on my bottom lip, I hesitate to listen to the negative thoughts running through my mind. My hips are too broad, my thighs too large, and my breasts aren’t large enough.

I bet Apex has dated supermodels. What is he doing wanting to go out with me?

I shake my head, trying to free my self-esteem from the negative criticism. My hair is too kinky to let loose, so I pull it back, placing it in a hair clip. I’m wearing a short-sleeved, black silk dress with gold lace at the top, but now I'm regretting this decision because I'm wearing a strapless bra. I'm not too fond of underwire bras.

The knocking on the door stops me from tearing myself down even further.

I slip on my black heels, rushing to the door. Shouldn't Apex's driver text or call me to let me know he's here?

My heart skips a beat when I open the door. A grinning Apex stands before me, dressed in a navy blue suit with a checkered black and white shirt, holding a bouquet of red and white roses.

I'm thrilled, looking at the flowers, when I glance down at his shiny dark brown shoes. For some reason, I'm surprised. No, I'm falling in love with his fashion sense. "I like your shoes."

He frowns at me, extending the roses. Happily, I accept them, walking into my living room. "Please, come in while I put these in water."

Apex steps inside and closes the door behind him. Entering the kitchen, I glance around. I don't have a vase. So, where are these beautiful roses going?

I look back, seeing Apex lean against the wall, looking intrigued. "My shoes?" he asks, clearly amused.

"Most men wear black shoes with a navy blue suit, not brown. It shows you have a great fashion sense." I give him a leary look. "Well, maybe you have a fashion sense, you've worn a navy blue suit twice in one week."

He raises his left eyebrow. "Note to self: the most gorgeous woman on the planet is secretly a harsh fashion critic."

Apex moves away from the wall and walks towards me, grinning. I glance away, suddenly nervous. What is he doing? Why is he so close? When I feel Apex's palms slide against my hips, I quickly look at him, surprised by the way my body reacts to his touch.

"My favorite color is navy blue," he says in a low voice.

I clear my throat, trying to find my voice. "That's nice to know."

"Now, let's go. We'll be late," Apex adds, chuckling.

"My flowers. I need to find something to put them in," I contend.

"Put them in a vase," he suggests while walking to the door.

"Duh, Apex. I don't have one."

Apex quickly turns, walking to the cabinets. He opens each door as if he owns the place until he retrieves a pitcher. After filling it with water, he sits it on the counter.

He takes my bouquet of roses, tossing the beautiful floral clear wrapper in the trash, and dunking the roses in the pitcher. 

Grabbing my hand, he says, "Let's get out of this god-forsaken borough."

****

I sit at the dinner table in the most expensive restaurant I've ever been to, trying not to stare at Apex dreamily. I stab the lettuce in my salad with my fork, putting it on my plate. Instead of eating, I grab my water glass.

Apex studies me, cutting his bison steak. "Why a coffee shop?" he suddenly asks.

I sip my water. "My love affair with coffee started when I was ten and wanted to try coffee. Mom said I wasn't old enough. So, I applied at a coffee shop at sixteen and loved the experience of making it–of course I love drinking coffee, too."

Apex stares at me for a few minutes, like he's waiting for me to say something else. Finally, he asks with a laugh, "That's it?"

I nod, frowning. "Sorry to disappoint. Let me guess, becoming a real estate mogul was part of a diabolical plan to take over the world."

Apex chuckles. "I wanted to build skyscrapers that touched the sky."

I laugh. "You definitely dream big."

"It's the only way to dream if you want to accomplish your goals," he confidently tells me.

Suddenly, there's a lull in the conversation. I force myself to eat. My nervousness makes my stomach feel full, giving me a stomach ache with each bite of food. However, I continue eating, feeling nervous under Apex's watchful eye.

"Tell me about your parents," Apex finally breaks the silence.

"Oh, my mom is a teacher, and my father trains dogs."

He chuckles. I study him, wondering why he did it. It was like he knew a secret he wasn't sharing.

Instead of asking, I change the subject. "Why did you call my borough god-forsaken?"

"Because it is," he boasts. "What your grandfather has done to that once lovely borough is criminal."

My fork hits the plate, causing a clanking noise throughout the restaurant. Grandpa Eclipse hasn't done anything criminal to the Bronx. We're a proud borough. Maybe not wealthy, but still, it is a nice borough.

"I know." Apex quickly raises his hands in a surrender pose. "For some reason, you think the world of him. I think it is better that we change the subject."

I sigh. 

Apex wants to avoid an argument. Fine. I get it. I don't want this date to be over so soon. However, maybe at some other time, I will set him straight about the Bronx…and Grandpa Eclipse.

He glances at his watch. "It's almost time for the show to begin."

****

Apex grabs my hand, gently holding it as we walk through MoMa. The gallery show's paintings are beautiful. Apex's favorite artist, Oaji, is impressive.

One painting catches my eye. It's a dark, mysterious take on life, according to Oaji. I feel drawn to the painting because of my frequent, mysterious dream. Darkness surrounds a woman staring down with a light beam hitting her face. Eyes are painted everywhere around her.

"You like?" Apex asks from beside me.

I blink, turning to him and flashing him a smile. "I have a recurrent dream, and the painting reminds me of it. This is beautiful, right?"

He doesn't look convinced and something in my face must have told him I don’t seem well. "Let me get a glass of water for you."

I reach out to Apex to stop him. However, he's gone in a flash.

I feel fine. I look at the painting, quickly becoming engrossed. But a presence beside me catches my attention as someone approaches me. Quickly, I turn, smiling. "Apex, that was..."

But instead, I find myself staring at a sexy blonde man who is grinning at me. He wears a white business shirt and gray slacks. He lowers his gaze, lingering on my breasts.

"You're magnificent," he tells me.

I frown. "My date…Apex will be back soon."

"Ditch the deadbeat," he says. "I'm the only man who can make your dreams come true."

I watch the sexy man extend his hand towards me. Slowly, I accept it, even though I’m not comfortable with his approach.

"Farran Fontaine, tech entrepreneur and real estate mogul," he introduces himself, shaking my hand slightly.

"Real estate?" That rings a bell. "Do you know—"

"Apex Capo, the stooge you're hanging out with now?" Farran cuts me off, chuckling. "Yeah, I hate real estate, but I love outbidding him."

I give Farran a skeptical look. "Like you're trying to do now?"

Farran laughs, giving me a saucy look. "You're the total package, you know. Does your inner wolf have a sexy name, too?"

"Inner wolf?" I suppress a laugh.

“Look, we live in the world of unassuming humans.” He leans closer, sniffing me. “We can sniff each other out. So, you don't need to pretend.”

I step away, giving him a skeptical look. “You know that stuff isn’t real, right?”

Farran studies me for a moment, evidently confused. However, Apex steps between us, handing me a bottle of water and looking annoyed. "I'm sorry the worst Beta male in the world tried to prey on you, Kallisto," he says sarcastically.

"Ha, a cockblocker calls me a Beta male? That’s rich." Farren chuckles, giving a smug look. “Don't worry, sweet Kallisto, I’m all Alpha.”

I frown. I have no idea what the hell they are talking about. “Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m supposed to laugh or not. Is this just friendly banter among friends?”

Apex shakes his head, wearing a disgusted expression. “Pardon my sarcasm. Farran’s just a prick.” 

“Come on, Apex,” Farran muses. “Sorry, Kallisto. We’ll be on our best behavior.”

"Farran told me that you two are business rivals. I can't believe I've met two real estate moguls in one week," I say, eager to change the subject.

Apex steps back, looking at Farran with a surprised expression. “You aren’t a real estate mogul–”

"Come on," Farran says, pointing at Apex. "You don't remember that one time a few years back when I purchased that building you wanted?"

"You dumb f*ck, that doesn't–"

"I need to use the restroom," I interrupt, seeing a chance to stop their conversation from escalating to something out of control. We're in a museum after all. Apex nods, clearly still annoyed at Farran.

"I'll be right here waiting when you return," Farran cheerfully muses.

 Just as I’m about to get away, I feel this irking feeling, and spot a beautiful woman across the gallery, watching me.