To Know You

Six: Seth

Anger is a beast that cannot be tamed and yet the moment my eyes lock with hers, my anger fades as if winter was turning to spring. Utterly stunned she nor I know how to precede from here. We stare at one another as complete strangers, our moods so foreign to one another that to initiate almost seems impossible.

"She's just a teen..." Olive trails off as she glares at me with a burning passion, one that would never end in a bedroom.

I shake my head in disbelief wondering if we just witnessed the same argument or perhaps, she saw one that only made me out to be the villain. "A teen who needs to understand she isn't living in her fantasy world anymore, she's in the real world now and needs to learn that when she steps out of line, she will be put back in it."

I am not a harsh man by nature but from the moment Stella Brandit walked into my life she has been nothing but trouble. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and has had a hard time forgetting it.

Noticing the large platter with duck on it, I beckon Olive over with my hand. "Come, dinner is getting cold."

In a circle motion, she served everyone at the table however her glaze was fixed on me. I was her intended target tonight and I knew it. She took her time serving and making small talk with everyone. Smiles and laughter filled the room, like the sun, her personality shone bright and warmed everyone in her presence. As my eyes watched her, I felt like a hawk stalking it's prey, waiting for her to make a mistake so I could strike and make her mine.

"Mr. Zamuel, I have prepared for you a smoked duck breast, drizzled over top is a reduced cranberry sauce and on the side is lightly cooked asparagus." Taking my overly filled plate, she bends down and places it in front of me. Her thick hair is pulled back into a tight bun and the moment it becomes within inches of my nose, I am engulfed with the scents of the ocean breeze and serval different floral scents. I can barely stop myself from allowing my eyes to shut and basking in them. Despite this, she retreats from me quickly and takes serval steps back while clearing her throat nervously while seemingly having the same reaction as myself.

"I didn't ask for a side to this dish..." I trail off as I push the crispy greens off my plate and onto the macaroon cream tablecloth. With clouded eyes, Olive observes me while frowning.

"Greens go good with a protein and you didn't say I couldn't so-"

"So, you assumed by me not requesting them I'd made a mistake?" My eyes point at her as her frown deepens and she rocks back-and-forth on her feet. Clicking my tongue in a similar way to a disapproving father, I use my knife and slice into the flesh, my eyes narrowed as I saw the protein was cooked to perfection. There was no white fat nor blood left, it was like staring at a freshly painted portrait, there were no flaws and it left me speechless. However, I'm unable to accept this, she cannot be perfect for only my Cheyenna is perfect. Thus, I flip the meat over and inspect the bottom, to no surprise the bottom was a darker shade than the top as usual with meat but having found a flaw, I do a little mental happy dance and rejoice in this wonderful moment.

No woman can be perfect like my Cheyenn, no one...

"These are two different shades Miss White, surely you know how to cook duck right?" Smugly, I stare at her flawless face and watch as her eyes grow with resentment towards me.

"Mr. Zamuel, I can assure you this duck is perfectly cooked and if you will take a bite and put an end to your talking you would see." Her smile is forced but there is a fire that dances around on her tongue, fully prepared to attack me if I continue on my path of churlish statements. I challenge her with my eyes and cock my head to the side while allowing my face to rest in a deadpan position. We have so little ground to stand on and yet we both are determined to claim it for ourselves not caring what words we use to disarm the other. Still, I'm curious as to how this will unfold therefore, I take my silverware and lift a bit of the juicy cuisine into my mouth.