Phenomenal

35 ~ A Little bit Stronger

"Damien, this is my mother. Mum, this is Damien."

"Ah, the neighbour I assume," her mother said before she could finish the introduction, holding a hand out to Damien. "Lovely to finally meet you, I've heard a lot about you."

"Nice to meet you," Damien said, shaking her hand, "I hope it was nothing bad."

"Quite the opposite in fact."

"Thank you, Mum," Clarissa cut in.

"You're welcome, dear," her mother said and Clarissa rolled her eyes. Mrs Sinclair turned her attention back to Damien regardless. "My daughter tells me you've been looking out for her this year and I understand you have brothers?"

"Yeah, two."

"Triplets, was it?"

"Yeah, I'm the middle one. The youngest one is over there with... ur, Jakey. The older one is, oh he's up there actually."

All three looked up to the first floor as Dante appeared out of one of the apartments, speaking to the person who owned it before he closed the door and walked along the balcony, no noticing them below.

"Identical triplets, how exciting," Mrs Sinclair said with a slight laugh.

"Confusing, more than anything," Damien said.

"And that's your niece over there, I assume?"

"Violet, Darcy's daughter."

"Doesn't she just look angelic. Oh, that reminds me, you must visit our store at some point, I'll give you a discount."

"Mum, this isn't the point or place to be pushing a sale," Clarissa said.

"I'm just mentioning it," Mrs. Sinclair said as she handed Damien a business card.

He took it, looking at the store then frowned.

"Sinclairs?" he read, confused, looking at the address.

"Yes, dear, my store," Mrs. Sinclair said, smiling at him.

"Sinclairs... Mayfair's Sinclair?"

"Of course, dear," she said, clearly also confused until she frowned at Clarissa. "Darling, did you not tell him about me?"

"I said you had a store."

"Oh god, Class."

"Wait, wait, you're Rose Sinclair? The owner of Sinclairs, married to Drake Sinclair?"

"That's me."

Damien gaped at Clarissa and she pointedly avoided his eye. "You didn't tell me your mother was the owner of one of the world's most famous department stores and your father was a lawyer on the world stage," he hissed at her.

"Are you forgetting how you freaked out when I said how many houses we owned?" Clarissa hissed back, catching his arm and pulling him aside, "And you wanted me to mention who my family were?"

"Why would you hide it?"

"Because people freak out – as you are doing right now."

"Yeah because you're only Paris Hilton."

"I am not Paris Hilton."

"No you're just her equivalent."

"It's not a big deal Damien."

"It is a big deal, Clarissa."

"Why, because I'm out of your league again?"

"Yes!"