Mismatched Compatibility

"Aphrodite?"

Olivia recognized that voice. She halted and turned to the road. "Hello Trent."

"Why are you walking by yourself in the middle of nowhere at this hour?" Disbelief colored his tone.

Olivia simply shrugged. "Let's just say one thing led to another." She answered offhandedly.

"And that led to you ten minutes drive away from the event venue? On foot?" Trent couldn't help his words to sound full of skepticism bordering sarcasm when clearly there was more to it than what she was letting out.

"Apparently so."

It didn't seem like Olivia was about to give in and spill, and Trent understood from experience he wasn't about to get any answer from her once she stood her ground. Trent relented, not without a sigh. He had a bunch of things to tell her but no one words could express all of his thoughts. Instead, he said, "Come on in. I'll give you a ride back."

Olivia looked around to her surrounding, before she turned and stared at him hard. She was rather enjoying her night walk, after the initial few steps. The cool air felt great on her skin and the night was very comfortable to walk through. If one thing hindering her from more enjoyment, it was her feet. Having walked for a while in a 5-inches heels was starting to get uncomfortable even for her.

"Why are you staring me like that?" Trent asked with narrowed eyes.

"Who knows," she said and headed to his car.

Once she was in, he speed off into the night.

They rode in silence. Olivia was starting to nod off when Trent;s voice broke the lulling silence. "Where's Carl?"

Olivia stifled a yawn. "I'm not sure. I think he's still at the banquet?"

"Did you leave him there? Or am I in need of more context to understand about what is actually happening?"

"Why are you so curious about it anyway?"

"Because I found you on the roadside so far away from the banquet alone at almost midnight."

The way Trent deadpanned the whole situation almost sounded like an exaggeration if it wasn't too funny. "Being funny really don't sit right with you Trent."

"You really miss the whole point there on purpose, didn't you Aphrodite?"

Clearly, Trent didn't find anything funny, as opposed to Olivia. "Anything to get you to move on at this point."

"And you know that's futile, and I'm not moving on from how ridiculous this is," he made his stance. In a softer tone, he asked, "What happened, really?"

"I got extra pissed off with the one driving me so I jumped out of the car and walked away."

If Trent wasn't yet feeling an extensive sense of disbelief, he definitely was when he heard Olivia's nonchalant statement. He wanted to shook her to her sense, to wake up and not pull off such crazy stunts, but then he remembered that was just something she lived by; anything her way and only her way.

"...can't even find the energy to question you at this point, Aphrodite."

She laughed. "It wasn't that bad. At least I did wait until the car stopped before jumping off." Olivia didn't give time for Trent to scream at her in frustration and instead proceeded to ask Carlos's whereabouts.

Trent seriously wanted to scream, but held back and thought back to the banquet hall to before he left. "I wasn't the last to leave but I didn't see him anywhere." He glanced at Olivia. "Does he know you're walking back?"

"No. Now shut up. I'm sleepy and want to sleep." Olivia shushed at Trent when he rather obviously wanted to ask her more stuff. After a minute or so, when she decided that Trent wouldn't suddenly shower her with anymore questions, she resettled into a comfortable position and dozed off.

He watched her from the corner of his eyes and watched her as she fell asleep. It wasn't until later that he remembered he wanted to give Carlos a call but he didn't have his number.

In a soft but audible tone, he tried asking Olivia. "Aphrodite, I need Carlos's number."

Olivia mumbled something incoherent. It sounded almost like she was dreaming about food.

"I'm going to need to borrow your phone." He said after a while, reaching for her clutch. His fingers swiftly searched for the phone and thankfully it wasn't hard to find Carlos's contact.

"I'm going to use your phone for a bit." He dialed Carlos's number after saying he would out of habit.

As soon as the call was connected, he was greeted by an evidently worried Carlos. "Olivia, my goodness! Where are you?!"

"Hello, Carlos," Trent drawled. He pitied the guy. Olivia had loved pulling similar stunts of disappearing without even a word on Trent since they got to know each other better. He could only imagined what Carlos might have had to deal with.

"Who's this?" Carlos voice turned stiff. "Where's Olivia?"

"It's Trent." He introduced himself. "I have high hopes you haven't forgotten me, Carlos." A smile hinted his voice.

"Trent...?"

"Yes. The one and only Trent," he said humorously. Funny how both Olivia and Carlos had rather similar reaction to seeing and talking to him. And although he would never admit it, he was the slightest bit offended at their reaction too.

Carlos had the urge to groan and sigh at the same time. "She's with you right now?"

It was more a command, willing his question to be true because otherwise Carlos would have heard from Trent for nothing, besides having increasing his ire.

Trent nodded, before remembering that Carlos was not in front of him to see it. "She is. I found her walking by the roadside almost in the middle of nowhere and now she's sleeping without a care next to me."

The way Trent described it sounded like he just saw and picked up a stray cat by the road and Carlos would have found that hilarious if he wasn't so distraught.

"I'm sending her home. Where are you?"

He could hear Carlos mumbling something before answering him. "I'm half hour away from the house. I'll be waiting for you at the estate."

"Sure."

Trent was about to end the call when Carlos called his name and said something Trent couldn't catch in time. "What?"

"Well, thanks..."

"My pleasure, Carlos." They had never really been on good terms, but where Olivia was concerned, they somehow found ways around their differences to tolerate enough of each other.

With that, the call ended. He rode in silence and was relaxed enough to take in his surroundings. The place had changed in the few years he was away.

Thankfully the road to the Queneviere's estate remained similar to his memory so he didn't have to wake Olivia up to get the direction from her.

Almost an hour later, he finally emerged out of the thick but well maintained oak forest —which he believed was part of the estate ground owned by Olivia. From afar, he could see silhouettes of a few people by the estate entrance.

When he finally reached the front door, Carlos almost bounced onto the car, looking ready to attack.

Trent was actually amazed Carlos didn't, so the moment the car stopped, Trent calmly get out of the car and called out to Carlos. "Calm down or you'll wake her up. She's still sleeping."

At hearing his voice, Carlos's head snapped to his direction, Trent silently thought to himself if that was painful. They exchanged a look of acknowledgement between them before Carlos stepped back and instructed the other two to go check Olivia's room preparation.

Trent, at the very least, knew he was not welcomed at the Queneviere's estate —mostly by Carlos, because Olivia's mother actually found his company entertaining the few time he visited the estate, courtesy of Olivia's wild adventure.

Anyway, it was always amusing how he and Carlos would end up at each other's throat every time they're within each other's company, even if only for a short period of time.

He watched as Carlos carefully took Olivia out and carried her inside. He remained by the car, although he could already hear what Carlos would say to him when he saw Trent still outside later. That made him laugh a little.

"There's nothing funny here." It sounded as sharp as Carlos would have meant it. "You know the way out, so see yourself out"

Well, that was unexpected. Carlos sounded civilized enough despite the scathing remarks, and the blatantly clear 'get lost' in his voice. Trent smiled. "I will, but I have something to ask first."

"What?"

"Before that, I want to tell you that Aphrodite had made a purchase of the gems." He watched for any changes in Carlos's expression.

There was none.

Unless if you count his contempt-filled look he directed to Trent, which he had had on since the moment he saw Trent hadn't left.

"I had been instructed to complete the purchase and also told to have it repaired."

Carlos raised a brow, clearly impatient. "Cut your crap and get to the damn point Trent."

"No rush there. What I need to know is, how, or what, precisely, am I to tell whoever the goldsmith I decided to commission, to do with the gems?" He drawled his words out.

It was not something he did on purpose. That was just how he speak.

Carlos clucked. He couldn't help the reaction and had hated the way Trent spoke since their early acquaintance. It grated his nerves in the worst way possible and he didn't know the why.

With a feigned calmness that he didn't feel, he managed to give a reply. "Why not use your brain? I remembered you boasting it being the best out there sometimes before."

Silence was thick like fog between them before Trent laughed. "It's been long since I last heard your vexing voice and even more longer since I felt this appalled by someone simply talking." With a shook of his head, he added. "Nice to finally see you again, Carlos."

Carlos made a face, clearly showing his distaste. "Nice would be the last thing I'd describe meeting you again."

Trent shrugged. "That's besides the point, Carlos. But I do need the answer to my earlier question. She gave me ten days to deliver the finished items to her."

Carlos sighed. He, especially, knew what to expect when you're late with Olivia —no matter in what.

"Fine. I'll give you a call later."

"Thank you, Carlos. I really appreciate that." Trent said humorously, evidently enjoying Carlos's growing annoyance. He would love to enjoy more of it but taking the dangerous glint from Carlos as his cue, he swiftly got in the car.

"I'll excuse myself now," his body slightly shaking from trying to hold back his laughter. "We wouldn't want any blood shed on our first meeting after a while, after all."

"Yeah, you do that." Carlos said nonchalantly. The night was very tiring and trying for him.

"Until next time, Carlos," Trent said before he drove off.

"I wish there'd be no next time," he muttered as he walked into the house, closing the door silently behind him. Even to his ears, his words were not convincing at all. There was no way that they wouldn't meet again. Not if he was around and near working for Olivia.

He could feel his head aching. From their first encounter, Trent Vladislav had always brought out his worse for the world to witness. They could never see eye to eye, much to Olivia's amusement. Although deep down, he believed the opposite applied to Trent.

They had never been able to come to term anytime they attempted at discussion. Not that they planned to ever, but Olivia would see that they meet often for matters —if not for her private entertainment.

Which would mean much more frequent tensed conversation as they attempt to remain civilized in each other's company.

Help him or they might just ended up at a funeral one day.

A funeral of either one of theirs.

He winced at the thought. While it didn't sound bad at all, he was sure the after taste would be very stale for the one that didn't end up in the coffin. Carlos fervently prayed for stronger and firmer patience to face the coming days as he made his ways deeper into the house.