Chapter 41 | A Stroke Of Genius

                                    

                                          
Jesse, Toni, and Richie quickly caught up with a visibly impatient Matthew, who stood tapping his foot, waiting for the elevator. His pissed-off state oozed through his mannerisms.
"She's got some beef with us," Jesse snarled, stopping beside Matthew and shaking her head; she was in just as much disbelief as any of them were.
"I'll be glad when the inquiries are done, and she can just fuck off," Matthew barked, his frustration evident in the way his brow furrowed and his jaw tensed, as the elevator doors finally opened.
As they stepped into the elevator, Richie couldn't resist his usual sarcastic humour, "So Mads leaves, but your girlfriend gets to stay?"
Jesse and Toni, already in the elevator, watched as Matthew turned slowly around, his attention pulled to Richie. His eyes narrowed, and instinctively they watched as an arm reached across the elevator to stop the man from entering.
"Orrrrr not," Richie mumbled awkwardly in a hesitant laugh, watching as Matthew continued to death-stare him. Toni and Jesse remained as quiet as possible as they tried to suppress their smirks from behind Matthew as they glanced at each other and then back to the two men before them.
"You can take the next elevator. You're fucken irritating me." Matthew snarled, instantly dropping his arm, he stepped back as the doors closed, and Richie was left with his mouth open.
"It was just a joke!" Richie called out, but Matthew wasn't interested in hearing it. With the doors closed, Toni and Jesse had really tried at that point to suppress their laughter from the absurd reaction that Matthew displayed.
"Don't want to hear it," Matthew said, his voice firm, not turning around to face them, watching the elevator numbers tick down on the illuminated panel before him. 
"Wasn't going to say anything," Toni raised his hands defensively, a playful smirk on his face. 
"Besides," Jesse added, her smile remaining, "we need to figure out if we're really going to war with Ezra over this."
"See if the Princess is found, I suppose," Matthew glanced over his shoulder to the pair of smiling idiots. "Depends on when she takes the ascension. If she's dead, there's a high official in place. It could go into anarchy with the Isadorian people. So, it might be on the cards. You heard Cid; he'll back us this time when we launch a full-scale attack."
"Great, that's settled then. Now, back to the matter of the servants. Where are we sending them? Well, Madison, specifically, since you want Eko to stay," Toni grinned at his best friend.
Matthew grunted in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, and turned his body halfway towards Jesse and Toni. He lowered his hand, shooting Toni a glare that clearly said, 'you're-really-pushing-it-I'm-going-to-murder-you.'
"They can be escorted to Sea-tac in a few days. They don't need to be here; if some want to stay, they can enrol for pre-admission and see if they are up to it. I couldn't fucken care at this stage," Matthew replied in exasperation of the situation. 
"Well, I guess..." Jesse drawled as the elevator slowed to the dormitory levels, "it looks like she's staying. You know, since she can easily beat the cadet program."
The doors slid open, and Matthew shook his head. He didn't want to comment on the matter.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Mate, do you like her?" Toni insisted, needing to bring the topic out into the open. If she had been another fling, another fan club notch, another one-night stand, it would have happened by now, but they had spent a fair amount of time together, and Matthew's defensiveness about his feelings was intriguing.