Chapter 565: A Perfect Friend

Milo was conflicted. On one end he wanted to punch Drax in the face for boldly flirting as if he had not just exited a serious relationship. On the other end he was jealous that Fiori was mingling with guests despite them being intimate mere hours before. He watched the woman float around the party, looking stunning, and he wondered why he had not noticed it before they slept together.

Fiori's body was perfect to Milo; she was not curvy like Mina, or straight like Cala. She had an in-between figure that could be dressed up any way she wanted. If she wanted to look plain, she could; if she wanted to look sexy, she could. It was almost seductive to think about. Milo felt a tug on his arm that pulled his attention back to Cala, who still needed him.

"Should I be jealous?" she said, and Milo smiled before hugging her.

"Maybe," he replied.

"We still have an agreement Milo Baker, and I need more time."

"I know, and I am still going to give it to you." Milo and Cala were interrupted by Vice President Cade, who approached with a raised glass that forced the pair to drink.

"You are taking this well," Cade said. There was no emotion in his tone, but somehow Milo knew the man was coming to check in on him.

"It seems I have a knack for acting," 'and I am sleeping with your sister, so that helps,' Milo thought.

"If it makes you feel any better, Drax wanted no part of this party, but my mother insisted."

"He seems to be glad he came," Milo pointed to Drax who was still flirting with a girl whose face had turned red.

"Just don't do anything stupid." Milo's eyes narrowed at Cade, and he wondered if the man had grown suspicious of him. Since the first time he and Fiori had slept together, they had been secretly meeting in any room that was not surveilled. She always claimed it was a mistake afterward, but Milo was under the impression that Fiori liked making mistakes with him, a lot.

"I cannot promise you that, but I can tell you that I will not do anything now." 'I will just wait for everyone to leave and take Fiori in the shower tonight,' he thought. Milo tried hard to keep a smile off his face as he reminisced about the way the woman moaned his name the first time he had snuck into her shower. After that it had become her favorite place to do it.

Cade walked away and Milo noticed that Cala was uncharacteristically quiet on his arm. She usually chimed in or spoke up, especially when thinly veiled threats were involved. He asked the woman if she was okay, but she did not even hear him because she was too busy staring at the retreating figure of the Vice President of Pan.

"Should I be jealous?" he asked mockingly, and Cala slapped his arm.

"Sorry, he is just so…yum."

"Cala, I know I am not actually your boyfriend, but there is a fine line my dear. I do not want to have the description of another man as 'yum' in my head, and weren't you just telling me you needed more time?"

"Why does a coup have to be so difficult?"

"It isn't a coup, it's a revolution." Milo kissed the top of Cala's head. In such a brief amount of time she had become his best friend; someone he could lean on who was not his sister. Milo trusted Cala in the way that Mills trusted Mina, which was why when she came crying to him for help, he put everything aside to do it.

Cala's father was a stubborn old man who refused to abandon his loyalty to his post as a military general, regardless of how terrible the leaders of Sani were gradually becoming. Milo was sure the man would have gone to the grave with such feelings, but the current president had set his eye on Cala, despite being ten years her senior and married.

Milo completely understood how years of loyalty could disappear with a single action against a relative, so without telling President Lee or anyone else, he and Cala began 'dating.' Their relationship had not really changed, they were too alike to have an attraction to one another, and Cala was far too headstrong, but as friends they were perfect, so people were not at all skeptical. Not even President Lee, who believed that Milo was still working to serve his agenda.

"Let's make a deal. If you help me with Cade then I will help you with Fiori," Milo did not mean to, but a smirk flashed on his face and being his friend, Cala was able to read it well. "Already? But you have a girlfriend you jerk."

"I was going to tell you about it as soon as I was free of this prison." Cala chuckled.

"I forgive you, but you have got to help with Cade."

"And how do I do that? I cannot exactly tell him that you are single and attracted to him, now, can I? Fiori and I kind of just happened, and she feels guilty every time." Cala pushed Milo, and he shrugged.

"No wonder she can't make eye contact with me. Why haven't you told her?" Cala paused and realized that Milo was doing it to get back at Drax for Mills. "That is so wrong."

"But it feels so good." Cala pushed Milo's arm again as they chuckled. To people watching, they appeared like a flirting couple hiding away in a corner for privacy, but they were anything but.

"I know how you can help!" Milo narrowed his eyes as Cala explained the role he would have to play, and he walked away, not at all willing to entertain her suggestion. He could hear the woman's heels pattering behind him, but he refused to stop for her. "People are looking at us," she said through gritted teeth, and Milo stopped and pulled her into another intimate corner.

"No, absolutely not. I will not help you in that way."

"Come on 'babe,' I'm not asking you to have a dalliance with a man, I'm just asking you not to dispute my claims. It will help you Fiori as well." Milo raised an eyebrow. "You think Cade hasn't noticed you staring at his sister? If he believes you are attracted to men, he will think he got it wrong, and it will make it easier for the two of you to sneak around."

"How?" Cala rubbed her hands together in excitement. She knew men were easy to pick at when it came to the woman they wanted.

"Imagine freely walking into Fiori's bedroom without suspicion, because her brothers believe you are going to her for advice on how to ignore your 'urges.'" Milo's face fell, and Cala laughed at his expression which made him walk away again.

"I swear you better name your first child after me," He gritted out, and Cala quickly caught up to him, wrapping her arm in his as they started to mingle with other guests.

No longer standing in a hidden corner, Milo had a full view of the entrance to the ballroom and smiled when he saw Mina enter. He and Cala wanted to greet her, but she was immediately pulled aside by a man who looked like he had come specifically for her. They hung back, waiting for Mina to be done with the conversation. Instead, they got to see Mina's face darken as she marched up to Drax and pulled him away from one of the women he had been flirting with.

Milo and Cala watched Drax hug Mina tightly before she punched him. They then watched the small woman force the large man to drink water, and they burst into laughter at the scene. Drax looked like a child being punished for not finishing his food, and the situation was made more comical by the dramatic difference in their size.

"I can see why women dislike her," Cala said.