Chapter 26: Getting down to business.
"How about we relocate to somewhere with chairs? And lighting, A café, a restaurant, even a quiet bar, would do."
' So long as it's somewhere public.'
The unspoken second part of my reasoning screamed in my head: 'That way, you won't be able to casually strangle me even if you get the sudden urge.' I kept that part firmly internal. Provoking her again would be literal suicide.
Veronica merely scoffed. But she gave a slight, sharp nod, her eyes never leaving mine. It was a clear she agreed and her intentions were no different than telling me to Lead the way. And try not to do anything funny.
I let out a breath that was part relief, part exhaustion. Offering another tentative smile that probably looked more like a grimace, I turned and slowly walked out of the alley, hyper-aware of her presence a few silent steps behind me.
Every nerve was screaming, every muscle tense, expecting another attack at any moment.
But none came.much to my satisfaction, she was actually quite peaceful and quiet when she needed to be. We emerged onto the sunny, normal sidewalk, and the contrast with the dark alley was jarring. Life went on here, oblivious to the mini-drama that had just unfolded.
*******
Ten minutes later, we were seated in a booth at a mid-range restaurant a few blocks away. It was chosen for its large windows, numerous other patrons, and the sturdy wooden table firmly bolted between us. The beverages and pastries was a welcome replacement for alley stench.
I sat with my back facing the entire restaurant and the exit. She sat opposite, her posture rigid, her hands clasped on the table in front of her. The menu lay untouched between us.
"Would you like to order something?" I asked, forcing a friendly, normal tone into my voice. "My treat. You could think of it as a peace offering for the... unconventional meeting."
Her only response was to intensify her icy stare. The message was clear, she didn't want me to waste anymore of her time bit to get to the point.
"Right," I muttered. But even then, I caught the eye of a passing waiter, a young guy with an friendly smile. " you guys offer tea here, right."
" Of course, it's actually one of our best items on the menu." He replied with enthusiasm.
" Perfect then. I'll have one cup of tea." I said before glancing at Veronica.
" The lady won't be having anything."
" Alright, I'll be sure to have your order in a moment."
" That's very kind of you, Thank you."
" Also , be sure to add some milk by the side." I replied back.
The waiter nodded and scurried off. once he was gone, I was once again dragged back into the silence between me and my target. I could feel the weight of her suspicion, her anger, and her still present confusion trying to see through me.
When the tea arrived, I went through the motions with deliberate slowness, pouring a cup, adding a splash of milk before stirring it."
The ritual gave me a moment to think, and settle my still-jangling nerves. I took a careful sip, the hot, tannic liquid was absolute refreshing.
Setting the cup down with a soft clink on the saucer, I finally met her gaze across the table.
"Alright," I said, my voice lower now, seemingly more serious. I placed my elbows on the wooden surface and intertwined my fingers in front of my lips, creating a small barrier, a thoughtful pose. "Now we can begin."
"First," she said, not wasting a second, "I want to know how you knew about me. And don't try to hide anything from me." she ordered in a demanding tone.
' Does she think I'm stupid enough to do everything she asks?' I took a deep breath. The mafia act I'd used on Marian was out of the question.
This girl would see through a hammy performance in seconds and would likely break the table over my head. I needed something else. Something cryptic, confident, that played into the mystery she already perceived.
"Your name," I began, my tone conversational, as if listing common facts.
"is Victoria Park."
" Your age twenty. A petite beauty with quite a cute face I might add, albeit currently set to 'glacial..."
I let my eyes perform a slow, appraising sweep, just shy of disrespectful. "Physically, you possess a... let's call it a 'streamlined' chest, yet you're blessed with surprisingly defined curves elsewhere and a perky posterior that many would envy. My, my. What a fascinating, contradictory package."
I paused, letting the crude, deliberately provocative assessment hang in the air.
Her icy glare didn't waver, but a faint, almost imperceptible flush of anger touched her cheeks. Her knuckles whitened where they were clasped.
"And what," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, barely audible whisper, "is that supposed to mean?"
'It means I'm trying to establish a different dynamic,' I thought, my internal monologue running at a frantic pace.
'The scared, apologetic victim didn't work. The authoritative helper might not either. But the arrogant, observant prick who isn't afraid of her? That might get under her skin in a different way.'
' if I want to get her to trust me truly, I'll need to adapt to the current situation.'
' To sum it all up, I'll become the mirror that reflects her own sharp edges back at her.' I chuckled inwardly, a bleak, desperate sound in my own mind.
My 'ability to adapt' felt less like a skill and more like a drowning man flailing for any piece of driftwood.
"Please, don't be offended," I said, waving a dismissive hand, the picture of casual insolence. I took another sip of tea right after.
"I do apologize if I've bruised your sensibilities. I simply tend to... forgo the usual social niceties whenever I'm dealing with a woman of such striking, if prickly, features."
"It's a flaw, I admit." I chuckled lightly, the sound utterly false to my own ears. I was feigning a lack of fear I did not possess. M
y entire being was a tightly coiled spring of caution, every sense screaming for me to run.