Story description-

A blind date.

How bad could it have been?

Couldn't have been better. Couldn't have been worse.

Because on the one hand, she met the love of her life.

And on the other hand, he was running a global crime syndicate.

And the worst thing? He was her biggest competition.

▬▬▬▬

(Updates every Friday and Sunday)

As you can tell, this a romance-action-adventure book. So there will be some mature content in this book (there isn't going to be any warnings).

Happy reading!

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
First chapter
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Chapter One: Satan would be the perfect fit for you

Dalia sipped on her champagne as Tia walked onto the podium, smoothed her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a smooth, white satin dress that clung to her like a second layer of skin.

"Can you breath under that?" Dalia asked as The-Bride-To-Be turned her neck to look at her Maid of Honor sprawled over the couch with a Mc Donald's take away cover in between her thighs.

"No," The blonde breathed out, "and the French fries in your hand are not helping me in any way."

Dalia laughed as she placed two French fries at the ends of her mouth and growled like a wild boar.

Tia laughed a soundless laugh as she clutched her stomach. She moved her hand up and down at Dalia.

"Stop." She gasped. "I'm going to tear this dress if I - I - breathe out."

Tia turned away from Dalia and slowly got down the podium. The salesperson pulled out another dress from the rack and handed it to her.

Dalia managed to eat all the French fries, drink four glasses of champagne, move to Africa, have four kids and climb Mount Everest by the time Tia walked to the changing room in the dress that barely allowed her to move.

She sighed and glanced at her phone to see that she had seventeen missed calls.

No work. That's what Tia had specified. Well, that and ... Don't wear sweatpants.

Disturbingly, both were really hard to obey.

"Yo, D!" Dalia didn't look up from her phone as she recognized the newcomer.

"Hey, Alex." She mumbled in response. Out of the seventeen missed calls, one of them was her mother. Dalia moved her gaze from the phone to Alex, who was, as usual, well dressed with his hair sleeked back. "Did you talk to Claire recently?"

Alex immediately pressed his lips together and looked away. "Well...I wouldn't say that I talked...talked to her. I might have...um...run into her at the library."

"The library." Dalia echoed.

"Your mom has taken quite an interest in reading. Especially erotica." Alex continued with his story.

"Claire reads now, does she? I got to say I'm surprised because the last time that I saw her, she threw a book at Jamie's head and told him to spend his time doing better things." Dalia replied.

"It's erotica, Dal. The woman should be able to ...enjoy as she pleases. Plus, come on...just because she threw a book doesn't mean - " Alex continued arguing even though Dalia didn't believe a single word of it.

"Did you tell her about Tia's wedding?" Dalia cut him short. Alex's guilty face told her everything.

"I didn't mean to. I swear. It's just with Claire ... I can be more open about everything. She's always been there for me." Alex mumbled. "I mean come on, D, I told her about my transitioning before I told you or Tia."

Alex Cole, who used to go by Alexandra, came out to his parents at the age of 18. They refused to accept that their daughter was going to be a man and decided that they would rather have nothing to do with him.

Dalia distinctly remembered waking up in the middle of the night to hear crying in the living room. She had grabbed her robe and walked towards the living room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Her mother, Claire was sitting with Alex. She rubbed his back softly as he cried on her shoulder.

"You'll always have a home here. I'll adopt you if I have to, Al." Claire said softly. "It's all going to be fine."

Dalia walked back to her room without either of them realising she was present. The next day, Alex came out to her and Tia.

Tia walked outside the changing room in another white dress. The dress was full sleeved on one arm and sleeveless on the other. As if that wasn't bad enough it also had a turtle neck.

Alex glanced at Dalia. "Nope!" They both exclaimed at the same time. Tia turned around and walked back into changing room.

Alex got off the couch and began browsing through the racks for a dress.

"Al, I don't have a problem with you talking to Claire. I have a problem with her calling me and asking me when I'm going to get married and give her a grandchild." Dalia muttered and then downed her drink.

Alex took out a dress and passed it to the salesperson. He leaned against a pillar beside the rack and turned his attention to Dalia. "When do you plan on doing that? You've been so busy with work. When's the last time you went out on a date?"

"Work is work, Alex. Plus I'm not just an employee. I need to go to work every day. I can't just take a break." Dalia replied. "And the times that I am free, I would rather spend it with you and Tia than some dolt who just wants to get into my pants."

"Ah. What a joyous thing to say. Is that going to be in your toast as Maid-of-honor?" Alex asked as he sipped on his champagne. Dalia rolled her eyes. "And speaking of "dolt who just wants to get in your pants", how's Jace?"

Jace Griffin was Dahlia's neighbour. He sold an app to a tech company at the age of 21 for two million bucks. He was one of the only few people who knew what Dalia's actual job was. He and Dalia had a Friends-with-benefits deal, which worked out pretty well. They met six nights a week and stayed away if the other party was in a serious relationship.

"It's all the fun and none of the effort," Dalia said as she picked another glass with champagne from the tray. "Yesterday, I showed up at his house in sweatpants and we did it in the kitchen."

"Ugh," Alex mumbled as he placed his fingers on his head like he was getting a migraine.

"Closing your eyes is just going to make it easier for you to picture it," Dalia whispered.

Alex got off the couch. "You're evil!" He hissed at her. Dalia laughed.

"Guys." Tia walked out. "I think this is it."

Alex had good taste. The dress Tia was wearing was the prettiest dress Dalia had ever seen. It was off-shoulder and long enough that she wouldn't trip but it would flow behind her.

"This is it." Alex and Dalia said in union. Tia smiled at them at the mirror. Dalia smiled back as Alex turned to face her again.

"Satan would be the perfect fit for you," Alex said. "You guys could be the couple no one wants to be around."

Tia turned around on the podium to face them. "So, that's it? No tears? No "Oh my god, my little girl is all grown up?" Seriously guys?"

"Well, might as well say it to you since Dalia is obviously never getting married. Or asked." Alex told Tia. Dalia rolled her eyes.

Tia sighed and shook her head. "I swear, if I could, I would give Claire an Olympic medal cause dealing with the two of you would easily beat any of the throwing-a-ball or swirling-a-ribbon nonsense."

"Dalia, you know I love you," Tia said slowly. "You're the most badass person I have ever met."

She got off the podium with Alex's help and walked to the couch. She whispered, "You run a crime syndicate that earns more than all our friends combined and yet you are the sweetest person I know - "

"Are we still talking about her?" Alex butted.

"I can't tell either," Dalia muttered. Tia took a deep breath.

"Mitch's best man is a complete gentleman. I think you guys would hit it off really well." Tia said.

"And if that doesn't work then Jace will just hit it," Alex smirked. Dalia punched him in the arm playfully.

"500 bucks...I won't like him." Dalia bet.

"You're on," Tia replied. "You forget that I've known you for ten years, Dalia."

"I've known her for fifteen and she didn't like any of the "dolts", as she put it, that I set her up with," Alex mumbled.

"Alright, bitch, show up at Havanos at seven sharp," Tia said. She stood up and scanned Dalia top to bottom. "And wear something nice."

• • •

Xavier followed the waiter as he led him to a table for two. It was right in the centre of the room, under a light. Xavier seated himself waving off the waiter. He had arrived a few minutes earlier.

The waiter returned with a menu in his hand. He handed it to Xavier. Xavier began flipping through the pages.

"Sir, would you like to hear the specials now or..." he waved at the empty chair in front of him.

"I'm waiting for someone," Xavier replied. The waiter nodded. Xavier called out as the waiter turned to leave. "Hold on."

The waiter turned his attention back to him. He had a name badge pinned to his vest.

"Here's fifty bucks, Donald," Xavier said. "If it seems like the date isn't going very well, call me and tell me that there is an emergency and that I need to leave immediately."

"Yes, of course, sir." Donald smiled and pocketed the fifty. "Blind date, sir?"

"Yeah. Don't even know her name." Xavier grumbled. "Apparently, I need a woman in my life to help me control my anger management issues."

"Well, I hope it goes well, sir." Donald wished. Xavier nodded. "Red or white wine, sir?"

"Red," Xavier replied.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Xavier turned around to see the beautiful but deadly brunette. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. Dalia?"

"Hello, Xavier," Dalia replied. "Are you going to throw a chair out the window here too?"

Xavier smirked. "Only if you chuck it at me first, love."

❚ Hope you liked the chapter!

Let me hear your first impressions on the characters. I will put up a cast list soon but do comment on your choices!
Thanks, guys! ❚