A Dangerous Desire

11| The Flawless and Flawed

I finally took in a deep breath before rapping on her door.

A few moments passed as I stood there, my nerves getting the best of me. There was a logical reason why I was so nervous. If, say, I messed anything up, Glory might lose interest and then the mission will be ruined and Morrowseer will kill my mother.

That was why I was so anxious.

Just as I was about to knock again, the door swiftly opened. In the entrance stood Glory. She wore a short red dress that hugged her body. Her hair was curled and styled into what seemed to be a waterfall. She wore light makeup and lip gloss tinted her lips, which curled up into an amused smile.

"Of course, you wore a hoodie," she scoffed.

"Your dress really brings out your eyes," I complimented, holding out the bouquet of flowers I had brought. "And your hair is gorgeous, and your–"

"Alright, alright, I get it," Glory laughed, taking the flowers. "Don't hurt yourself." She turned and slid the flowers into an empty vase by her door. She turned back to me, stepping out of the house. "Bye, Mom. I'm going."

"Right now?" Grandeur's voice called from inside of the house. "Is he here?"

"Yes," Glory said. "I'll be back before ten." She paused. "Well, that's if he doesn't kidnap me."

"He might," Grandeur said, walking up from behind her.

"He won't," Glory said, brushing out her dress.

"I might," I agreed, slightly grinning at her. Grandeur gave me a gentle smile as Glory shot me a well-deserved glare.

"Please, take care of her," Grandeur said. "You can even take her back to your apartment if you want."

That startled me.

Glory and I both stammered a response, nervously declining her offer as Grandeur's smile slowly grew into a small grin.

"I'm just messing with you," she croaked, slightly chuckling. "Now that, that's love. I can tell. It's the way you two–"

"Uh, Mom," Glory muttered through her teeth. "You're supposed to be on bed rest, remember? Which means you rest... in your bed."

"Alright, I'm going," Grandeur said, retreating back into the house. "But I'm just saying. When I first met your father–"

"Yup. Bye. Love you." Glory kissed Grandeur's cheek before pulling the door shut behind her and letting out a sigh of relief. "Mothers," she mumbled as she turned to me. "Always so... extra."

"So," I said, leading her to my car and opening the passenger's door for her. "You love me, huh?"

"Don't push your luck," Glory said, rolling her eyes before sliding into the passenger's seat. "So, are you going to take me somewhere or are you actually considering kidnapping me?"

Effortlessly flawless.

"*"

It was the fanciest restaurant I could find.

I wanted to impress her–show her I still had an ounce of dignity left. My attention was on her and her only, a little wavered, but still there. To be a successful actor, you need to express your feelings as if they were your own. I made sure to follow that rule. I'd smile at her anytime we'd make eye contact, was gentle with her and considerate, and I couldn't break her heart–I knew that.

I reserved a table for two beside a large window. There were two fancy menus set up and a cloth that we were supposed to rest on our laps.

"Wow," Glory muttered, looking around the restaurant. "You really went all out on this, didn't you? I'm impressed. I didn't know you were capable of such a selfless act."