A Baker's Love Story

XAVIER BANKS

The light drizzle came to a stop a few minutes after I stopped my car in front of the house.

"Young master Xavier. It's a pleasure to see you." Mr Clinton, the chief butler greeted as I opened my car's door, holding an umbrella over my head.

"It's good to see you too, Mr Clinton. How have you been?" I asked, collecting the umbrella from him and closing it.

"I've been okay sir but I don't want you getting drenched. The master will have my head if you arrive in his presence soaking wet."

"Of course he won't and if you haven't noticed, the rain has stopped." He looked away from me towards the sky and a sheepish smile came over his face.

Bowing down, he apologized. "I'm so sorry young master. I failed to realize the rain had come to a stop and as a result, have wasted your precious time. Please forgive me sir."

I patted his back awkwardly. "Please, straighten up, Mr Clinton, you are making me feel weird. I mean, you watched me wiggle my bare buttocks when I was much younger."

The man cleared his throat in response and gestured towards the door. "Master Banks has been expecting you, sir. This way, please."

I fixed my posture and squared my mind. Whatever came out of this meeting, I'd ensure he was the one to get hurt and not me.

I followed Mr Clinton as we went up the stairs to dad's study. He was sitting behind a brown oak desk which looked relatively new, a pipe in his mouth. He must have changed the furniture in the house.

"Good afternoon Dad." I greeted which made him look up from the documents he was perusing.

"Xavier. You are here." He said with a smile, no trace of humour on his face.

"Yes, I am."

"Have your seat while we wait for your sister." He said casually, returning to his documents.

"You invited Kira?!" I whispered, my voice sounding dangerously low.

"Of course. Isn't it a family meeting? It's always been the three of us, hasn't it?"

"I told you I wanted to speak to you concerning the news going around and you decided to call Kira. Why would you do that?"

"I'm sure Kira must also be baffled by the news and curious though she doesn't have the effrontery to question me like you do. That's why I've decided to help her out this once."

I let out a low growl, the anger I felt towards the man who called himself my father growing.

"Have your seat, you are distracting me as you stand around."

The guts of this damned man!

I turned on my heels and stormed out of the room, knowing that if I stayed one more second in that room, with that man, I'd end up killing him.

I stepped out, moving towards the garden which overlooked the driveway. The green scenery might do good to calm me down.

I breathed in the fresh moist air and breathed out, massaging my temples. I hated coming here. It brought me unnecessary stress. Stress I could really do without.

The sound of crunching gravel jolted me from my reverie. I looked up in time to see Kira's car pull into the driveway.

She hopped out, her blonde hair in a messy bun. She moved fast like someone with a goal, her clothes neatly pressed despite it being late in the afternoon.

"Kira!" I shouted to get her attention. She came to an halt as she searched for where I was. When she located me standing in the garden, her face broke into a smile.

I started to walk towards her till we met halfway.

"Xavy!" She cried out, throwing her arms around me. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. As fine as I can possibly be." I replied, melting into her embrace. I welcomed a peace I hadn't felt since news surrounding my birth got released to the public even though I knew it was only temporary.

She pulled back, her eyes roaming over my face, scrutinizing me. "You look leaner."

"I've been going to the gym more lately."

She scrunched up her nose in disbelief. "We will talk later. I don't want to keep Dad waiting."

I sighed. This was one thing I hated about Kira. She worshipped our dad too much. If only she knew what he really was like.

To her, I was the disobedient son. Not someone who knew what he wanted for himself.

She put her hands in mine and dragged me along with her as we both made our way up the stairs. She stopped at the door, a panicked look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't appear in front of Dad like this. Give me a minute or two, I need to freshen up." She replied, dashing off towards her room.

I let out a sigh as I leaned against the wall. A few minutes later, she appeared beside me, her hair falling in neat waves down her back. She had retouched her makeup and did look more presentable.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Are you ready to go in?" She asked, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

I nodded in reply. She squeezed again and we both went inside.

"Nice of you to join us, Kira. What took you so long?" Dad asked as he cleared his desk.

"I had just got out of the operating theater when I got your call. I'm sorry, Dad." She said, her head lowered.

I snickered. This was the type of submission he expected from me but I will never give him the satisfaction of seeing that.

"Something the matter, Xavier?" He asked, directing his attention to me.

"Yes. I'd like to know why you hid the truth from me all these years. Why did you make mum into the bad person when infact, you are the reason our family is broken up today? Why didn't you let me know and I had to find out from the news that mum isn't my biological mother and Kira isn't even my twin sister?"

"Xavier, I've told you several times not to question my decisions. I chose not to tell you because I didn't want to. Is there a problem with that, Kira?" He responded, thin, long fingers strumming on the desk.

"No, Dad." Kira mumbled, pressing on my arm. I finally got the reason he wanted Kira here. It was so she could act as a buffer. He really had no regards for us as human beings.

"You see?" He smirked. "Even your sister agrees but if you insist on hearing what I have to say, I'll tell you what you want to hear. The rumour isn't a rumour, it's true. You are an illegitimate child."

"You f***ing bastard!" I yelled, the pent-up rage threatening to burst out.

He tutted. "That's not how you speak to your father, Xavier. I believe I taught you better than this or has your fame gotten to you?"

Kira rubbed my hand in an attempt to soothe me but I shrugged her off.

"I need you to tell me who my biological mother is. That's the least you can do." I said, calmly. As calmly as I could manage.

"I'm not obligated to tell you anything." He said, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"F**k you!!" I shouted, storming out of the room, Kira at my heels.

"Xavy, I need you to stay calm. Don't take anything dad said to heart."

"Kira, I also need you to stay away from me, I'm in a really bad mood now."

She pulled me into an embrace as we reached the foot of the stairs. "I'm sorry I couldn't stand up for you, Xavy. I'm so sorry all these is happening to you and you should know that no matter what anyone else may say, you are always my twin brother."

"Excuse me, young Master and Miss. I'm sorry to interrupt this sweet moment but there may be a little problem outside." Mr Clinton announced, breaking our embrace apart.

"When you say problem, what exactly do you mean?" I asked him, stepping away from Kira.

"There are reporters camped outside the gate, waiting for you. The security team have been trying to get them to leave but they are quite adamant." He replied.

"How the f*** did they know I was here?" I let out angrily.

I was already in a bad mood taking all that shit from my Dad and now this was happening.

"I have to leave, right now." I mumbled, feeling suffocated.

Kira looked at me with one of her ‘that's-not-the-best-idea’ looks. "You just have to calm down. I'll get them to leave. It doesn't matter if you're a star, what they are doing is trespassing on private property and infringing on your personal rights."

I didn't want to be reasonable. Was I not allowed to be impulsive? "Mr Clinton, could you please bring a car by the back door? I need to leave."

Clinton looked surprised by my request but he still replied politely. "On it sir."

"Xavy, you aren't listening to me." Kira said.

If I was a bit calmer, I would have felt guilty for making her sound like that but my brain was in overdrive. It was either fight or flight and I chose flight.

Clinton returned before I lost my mind. "The car is out back, sir."

"Thanks." I put on my shield – my snapback, shades and a facemask, all black.

"Bye Kira. I'll talk to you later."

Without awaiting a reply, I got to where the car was parked and got out of the house. Hopefully undetected.

~•|~•|~•|~•|

After driving around aimlessly for a while in an attempt to get rid of any reporter that may have followed me, I parked in front of a quaint little shop at the edge of an alley.

It was small, almost unnoticeable next to the big buildings beside it. A huge sign with the name 'Sugar Cubes' was placed on the building. On the door was written: we are happy to foster your sweet tooth.

I decided to go in, something sweet might just be what I needed to assuage my mood.