Love at Second Sight

Chapter 8

"I am not worried, Savannah."

"Are too, Mr. Sifton. It's crystal clear on your face."

"Well... I just had a chat with Zac. That stupid son of mine. Today is the fourth day in a row—save yesterday—he hasn't showed up for lunch. Clair and I are pretty sure he hasn't eaten though he says otherwise."

"Is it?"

"It's not good for his health. His mom is always so worried. Both my sons are polar opposites. You look at Rhett—that man is so laid back and relaxed with not a care in the world. On the other hand you have Zac who works his ass off like the world's gonna end if he takes a break. He's in front of the computer screen the whole day. He doesn't rest, Savannah, and that has me and Clair really worried. The longest he went without using the damn gadgets was yesterday. Clair was so happy. She thought finally some sense had been knocked into his brain, but then he didn't show up for lunch again today."

Perhaps she could get him to eat? No, don't ask why—in case you still haven't figured why.

"Uh, don't worry, Mr. Sifton. I'll make sure he eats something. I think we have some biscuit pie and Texas pecan rice left from lunch."

"You would?"

"Why not?"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much, Savannah Reece. Clair's gonna be so happy when I tell her this. I can't think straight when the love of my life isn't at peace, you know."

They both—Gerald and Clair—were really adorable. And the bond they both shared was enviable.

"No problem, Mr. Sifton. See you later."

"Thank you once again, Savannah Reece."

That explained why she was walking towards his office with a paper bag in one hand and an iPad in the other.

She knocked twice before he opened the door.

"I'm sor—" she stopped when she realized he was on a call with someone else. He lifted up two fingers—'give me two minutes'—and gestured to her to take a seat.

"Savannah," he acknowledged once the call was over. She was here! His heart was already dancing to hallelujah inside his chest.

"Zac. Well, I'm sorry for being late. I'm usually not. I met Mr. Sifton on my way here—that reminds me..." She took out two takeout boxes and slid them towards him.

"What's this?"

"Food. Eat it."

"Huh?"

"I met Mr. Sifton, I told you, and he said your mom has been really worried about you. Because you don't show up at lunch, and she, for a fact, knows you don't eat lunch at all. So, eat."

"Uh...I ate lunch...you know."

"Ah. Where?"

"Le Saveurs' buffet spread."

"I see. What did you like the most from the whole spread?"

"Caesar Salad...?" It was meant to be a statement, not a question. When she cocked an eyebrow in askance—which he absolutely fell in love with, by the way—he affirmed, "Yup. The Caesar Salad."

"There was no Caesar Salad, Zac. It was Garden Salad today. Game over. Eat."

"What is in there though?"

"There's biscuit pot pie and Texas pecan rice. Eat."

"Okay. Okay." He opened both the boxes and started with the biscuit pie. "Mmm," he moaned, "this is so good. It isn't the usual biscuit pie; my mom makes it, and this is not that. And," he mused, "this isn't the pie that Le Saveurs serves either. This is different, which means, you have made it."

She nodded slowly. "I have."

"What have you put in there? It tastes so much better than the typical plain pie."

"Hm. If I tell you what I do, wouldn't that be me setting myself up for plagiarism?"

"What?"

She laughed. Zac:7.

"It was a joke, Zac. Loosen up," she stated.

"But, I didn't understand it."

"Oh. Never mind. Well, I'm glad you liked it. And, yes, it's not the typical pie gravy, I've put Cajun seasoning and some herbs to heighten the flavoring."

"Ah. And, the pecan rice? Have you made that too?"

"Nah. That's Laser—he made that, and it's pretty delicious, if you ask me."

"It is. I loved both of these."

"That's good."

Both of them slipped into a comfortable silence gradually. She opened her iPad and took out the iPencil from its place in the iPad's case, and began scribbling something on the screen.

On the other hand, Zac made use of this time, while eating, to thoroughly look at her. She was beautiful, especially in her chef's coat with that angled bob. She had faint freckles just below her eyes and a beauty spot at the centre of her left cheek. He marveled at the sight of her running her fingers through her midnight black hair, unintentionally setting it in a side-partition. Oh, Lord; she looked like sin. And, just when he thought it was as bad as it could get for him, she looked up at him and gave him a small, soft smile—he was done for.

He realized, in that precise moment, that he was harboring a crush on her—a huge one—which he hadn't known had blossomed in his heart until now. This was just any realization to him; it was an epiphany. He liked Savannah, perhaps way too much already.

"Okay, I'm done eating," he said after a while and angled both the takeout boxes to show her that they were empty. "Happy?"

"Very," she smiled. "Well, as for the real reason I'm here."

"Yeah..."

"I have a rough menu ready for the gala. I know I could've mailed it to you, but I figured you might not get most of what's written, so I needed to be by you."

"True that."

"Uh, yeah. So...I'm here to run it by you. It's on this," she waved her iPad, "but I think it'd be easier if I sent it to you so that you could take a look at it on your desktop screen while I do on the iPad. It'd be more practical."

He had half a mind of telling her that it wasn't necessary. That they both could take a look at it, together, on the iPad screen. Either with it on his desk, him sitting on the chair while she hovered over him from behind, or, she holding it in her hand, while he hovered over her to peer at the screen.

But, he sighed inwardly. This was business. So, he had to be formal and...businesslike. And, that—what he fancied—was extremely unprofessional.

"I've mailed it to you. Received?"

"Yup, yeah."

"Well," she clapped once, "let's get right to it, then."

—x—

What do you think? Do Zac's lying skills require improvement according to you too? And is Zac going fast with his progressing feelings, or is Savannah faster with her quick-on-toes work?

If you liked Chapter 8, please vote and comment.

Thank you!!

Until next time...