His Property

Invitations

Warren had threatened and wanted to kill Dexter Michaelson a lot in the twenty-something years they'd known each other. But none of his employees had ever seen him actually run after him with a chair screaming, "I'm going to kill you!" 

It was quite a sight. 

But when it became apparent Warren actually might, a mediator was called. Dexter's little sister, Hope, came with her best friend, April and both were amused to watch Warren try to strangle Dexter with his own tie. 

"Oh dear, what have you done now brother?" Hope said casually walking towards them. She smacked Warren's hand off her brother's tie before looking up at the big scowling man, "Come on, I haven't seen you in a month. Where's my love?" 

Warren grinned a little and hugged Hope. In the years since his parents passing, he spent a lot of time with Dexter's family and he'd started to see her like a little sister. She was always following him around, wanting him to hang out with her. 

Smiling at Hope's friend April, he greeted the shy little girl with braces and the normal amount of baby fat still hanging on her eighteen-year-old frame. 

"So want to tell me why you're trying to kill my brother?" Hope asked walking Warren back to his office, Dexter hiding behind April in fear. Warren sat at his desk the moment they were in his office and threw his best friend a glare, "He went to see my girlfriend when I asked him to butt out." Hope deflated for a moment before cheerfully saying, "You have a new girlfriend? That's awesome. What her name?" 

Dexter sighed as he got from behind April, "Her name is Roze, super beautiful and completely sweet." Facing his best friend Dexter tried to defend his actions, "And I had to see if she was good enough for you!" The icy glare Warren sent him, had Dexter hiding behind April again, "I don't need you to interrogate my woman! She's perfect!" Warren growled feeling possessive and hot in the face. 

Warren wasn't crazy hearing Dexter was alone with Roze. He knew he wasn't ALONE, with her, but just the idea of Roze with any man sent him into an irrational fury. Not to mention he didn't want her overwhelmed with just a strange guy showing up asking her personal questions. 

"I don't think I scared her! She seemed sweet and nice! I think you did a bang-up job on this one!" Dexter said trying to smooth Warren's ruffled feathers. But Hope scoffed rolling her eyes, "Oh please! It's not like your taste is any better! It took you forever to find someone who could tolerate...you." 

Dexter stuck his tongue out at his little sister making the seventeen-year-old blonde girl laugh before facing Warren, "And this is why WE should hang out more. I didn't even know you had a girlfriend." Warren shrugged making Hope roll her eyes, "You should bring her by the house sometime, mom would want to meet her." 

Warren sighed, "I'll think about it. After meeting Dexter she might be Michaelson-out." April giggled making Dexter squawk in protest, "Hey! Don't laugh! I think I'm a great person to meet!" April looked at Dexter in disbelief, "When we first met you showered me in whip cream, threw me in the pool, and scared me into believing cupcake was a vicious monster going to eat my face." She deadpanned making him stop dead in thought.

Cupcake was Dexter's pitbull and even though intimidating looking, the sweet pit bull was a loving baby who wanted her belly rubs and a treat. 

Dexter hummed thinking of April's points and said, "I think I built layers for our friendship! I did the same with her!" Dexter exclaimed looking at Warren with big eyes hoping he'd grin. Warren instead threw a pen at him, "You better hope you didn't upset her! Or I'm kicking your ass all through New York City!"

Dexter sighed in annoyance, "Jesus! What do you think I told her? Look I mentioned nothing about how strung out she's got you or your teenage boy lust on Madonna. Chill." 

Feeling his left eye jump Warren huffed, "I'm going home, get out." He grabbed his briefcase and took the elevator down with the three of them. Hope and April hugged him as Dexter smiled at Warren's deep scowl, "I did it out of love." Dexter reminded him joyfully bouncing on his toes like a kid. Warren shook his head fighting a smile, "Bye!" 

When Warren got home, he found Roze walking through his garden looking ethereal in the late afternoon light. Smiling Warren walked to her and was greeted with a genuinely happy smile followed by a hug and a c**k stirring kiss. "Hmm, I missed you too." Warren teased when she pulled back, her cheeks pink. 

Giggling Roze pulled him along the path of his garden, the winding cobblestone lined with different bushes of flowers, the overhead flower canopy leading into the shrub maze in his backyard. 

Grinning Warren pushed Roze against one and whispered, "Sorry about Dexter, he was being...extra. Which if you know Dexter, it's him twenty-four seven." Roze grinned widely shaking her head, "No he was sweet, he wanted to protect you. I didn't think you'd ever need protecting from me, but he sees something I don't. I understand that it's good you have someone in your life willing to do that." 

Warren and Roze did the maze before going inside and he got changed into something more comfortable. They watched movies until dinner with Mrs. Madeline looking a little pale and her mouth set in a firm line. It wasn't until Roze was gone he pulled her to the side and asked her what was wrong. 

Wordlessly Mrs. Madeline reached into her apron and pulled out two thick white envelopes with fancy lettering. 

She walked away as Warren opened the first and noticed it was just a ball invite for him and a plus one. He smiled thinking, 'I wonder if Roze would want to go to this...?' he sat it to the side before opening the other, when he pulled out the invite stationary, Warren froze in reading the name and announcement in cursive, 

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Heiress Brooklyn Samantha Whitlow and Alvin Taylor Dingle...

Warren waited for the slicing pain of reading that line. The pain of reading the name he had stopped himself for saying for almost two years. Marrying someone else...the name she cheated and left him for...

Nothing. 

Warren instead smiled widely as he dropped the wedding invite in the trash and thought, 'God only does things for a reason, right momma?' Warren grabbed the ball invite and headed out the kitchen. When Mrs. Madeline saw his happy expression she whispered, "Y-you're okay?" Warren grinned, "Better than okay." 

Mrs. Madeline grinned happily and began to bake Warren's favorite apple pie thinking, 'He's there...he's found someone that makes HER meaningless. At last...'