After a few seconds, she found her voice.
“H-hi,” she stuttered, her face warming up even more. “Uh, the drive was…nice. Thank you for sending a car to me, but I could have found the place fine if you’d left me with directions…”
“But where’s the fun in that?” Samuel said, an eyebrow jumping up, his look turning a little flirtatious. “I like to spoil the women I like, and I wouldn’t have invited you here if I didn’t like you.”
He’d already reached the bottom of the steps, and Camila could only watch as he walked even closer to her. He was so much more friendly and charming, compared to before, that she didn’t know what to do with herself. So she just stood there dumbly, watching him get ever closer, with her hands holding onto her clutch purse in front of her and her heart beating so fast in her chest, she thought it wanted to escape.
“You look absolutely amazing,” Samuel said, his voice dropping down an octave.
As if she wasn’t already taken in before, she really thought she would swoon with that low tenor in his voice. She wondered what it would feel like, to have him call her name like that, and felt her breath hitch in her throat. Even if he was just playing with her, she didn’t think she would refuse him, and she wondered if that was the secret behind the rumors, how he could be known as a womanizer and still be so popular with women.
His eyes intent on hers, he raised a hand slowly toward her, and her eyes shifted from his face to that hand. It was coming ever closer, and the closer it moved, the faster and harder her heart beat, and her breath even started coming short. Her eyelids fluttered as that hand got closer to her face. She thought he would cup her cheek, and a slight tremor went through her body at the thought of that wide, warm palm touching her skin.
Before it could happen, though, they were interrupted.
“You better not be doing what it is I think you’re doing.”
Camila startled, she even gasped out loud, as both she and Samuel turned to face the man that walked into the room. Only, Camila’s eyes widened once more as she gaped at the man that was completely identical to the Samuel in front of her. Actually, no. Now that she looked closer, she could see the subtle differences. But the man standing in the entrance to the parlor looked a lot closer to the Samuel she’d met before, since he was dressed simply in a polo shirt, dark slacks and brown casual shoes.
Camila’s eyes shifted from the ‘Samuel’ in front of her, and the one several feet away. He crossed the space between them quickly, eyes narrowed dangerously at his twin, before looking at her with a slightly gentled look.
“Camila, I’m sorry about my brother. He can be a bit insensitive in his behavior.” Then, he turned back to his twin. “Adrien, that was out of line. I know you like playing tricks, but please leave my guests out of it.”
The twin, now known as Adrien, raised his hands up, palms out, a slightly wounded look on his face.
“I didn’t do any harm,” he said defensively. “I was only greeting her, and it’s not like I said a single lie.”
Samuel sneered. “No, just twisted the truth instead of outright telling her you weren’t me. Anyone who didn’t know us wouldn’t understand. Please don’t behave like a child.”
Camila just blinked as she watched the two of them banter back and forth, too stunned to even speak up. She did realize pretty quickly that she’d been tricked, but the fact that Samuel had an identical twin was even more shocking for her. He’d only mentioned having younger siblings before, Samuel didn’t give her this little detail.
Looking at the two of them, a thought entered her mind, and some of the rumors going around suddenly made a lot of sense. The two of them looked like carbon copies of each other, if you didn’t look at how differently they were dressed. Also, the fact that Adrien looked easier on the eyes with a smile playing at his lips, and Samuel had this dark and foreboding look on his face.
I wonder…who between the two of them has the womanizer reputation?
“I have everything ready,” Samuel said with a sigh, turning to look at her with a slight frown. “Would you like to have it here instead of the dining area?”
“U-um,” Camila stuttered when both men turned to look at her, Adrien with slightly arched eyebrows in a curious look. “The…dining area?”
She made the suggestion, because she was a bit worried about spilling something on the expensive looking seats in the parlor. Samuel gave a sharp nod, then looked over his shoulder. A servant Camila hadn't even noticed was standing there, and he nodded at Samuel then left in a hurry. Samuel then turned back to Camila.
“Everything will be set up momentarily. If you would please come with me?”
He raised his hand toward her, gesturing her to move. She was still feeling a little dazed, but she had gotten over the surprise enough that she could walk just fine, and she walked toward Samuel. He turned as she reached him and they walked side by side. She didn’t miss the fall of footsteps approaching them, and neither did Samuel as he looked behind them. Camila glanced up at his face, only to see him scowling fiercely, and she looked away quickly.
The ‘dining area’ as Samuel had called it, was even more impressive than the parlor. The room was about the same size, only this seemed larger because it was more bare. There were still paintings hung up around the walls, and several large windows letting in light. In the middle of the room was a large table, enough to seat a dozen people if not more. Samuel led her to a seat, to the right side of one end of the table, even pulling out her chair for her, then took the seat at the head of the table himself. Adrien smiled at the two of them as he sat to Samuel’s left, and right across from Camila.
“Did I ask you to join us, little brother?” Samuel asked, his voice sharp, the frown that hadn't left his face deepening.
“I’d just like to sit down to something myself,” Adrien said amicably. “I was up late last night and I only got up a short while ago, so I haven’t had breakfast, either, you know.”
Samuel didn’t say more, but with his lips pressed flat together, it was easy to tell he was unhappy. The atmosphere was a little awkward, and when several servants walked in to set the table, both men and women in the same uniforms, only with the women wearing skirts instead of pants, Camila couldn’t help but be relieved.
“My brother called you Camila, yes?” Adrien said, addressing her.
Camila jumped a little, not expecting him to talk to her, and her eyes flitted quickly to Samuel, then away.
“Yes, my name is Camila Blake.”