A dramatic touch
1148 Words
Reneé stretched out her arms and took a deep breath, glancing at the clock. It was already past two, and she'd been working tirelessly since morning, yet her work was far from finished.
“I deserve a small break, especially since Killian isn’t here,” she murmured, getting up from her seat. But just as she was about to relax, Killian strode into the office, his face as stoic as ever.
“I’m going to take a lunch break,” Reneé announced.
“Have you finished the work I assigned?” he asked, his gaze assessing.
She sighed. “No, but since you didn’t like my earlier draft, I’ve had to start over,” she replied, a hint of frustration in her tone.
“Let’s grab lunch together,” he said unexpectedly, grabbing his car keys and heading toward the door.
Reneé blinked in surprise. Did I hear that right? Without another word, she followed him to the elevator. As they reached the ground floor, she held out her hand. “I’ll drive,” she offered, hoping to regain a little control over the situation.
Killian shook his head. “I’m driving,” he said flatly, stepping out of the elevator.
She followed him, slipping into the passenger seat. “But this morning, you said I should be your chauffeur,” she mumbled under her breath as she settled in, though Killian didn’t respond.
They soon arrived at a high-end restaurant, one where Reneé hesitated over the steep prices. She ordered a simple meal, watching as Killian handed his menu back to the waiter. “I’ll have the same,” he said.
As she took a sip of water, trying to steady herself in this unfamiliar setting, Killian’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“My grandfather returned from Ireland this morning,” he said, his tone direct. “He knows about our marriage and wants to meet you at the family dinner tonight.” He paused, his gaze locking with hers. “If he asks how we met, you’ll go along with the story I give you. Understood?”
Reneé nearly choked on her water, absorbing the sudden news. She nodded slowly, caught between intrigue and anxiety. “What’s the story, then?” she asked.
"That you proposed me one day and we started dating each other after we coincidentally kept meeting," Killian said.
"Your grandfather won't buy your lie," Reneé said. "Besides you had a girlfriend. I'm sure he is aware of that," she added.
"How do you know that?" Killian frowned.
"What?" Reneé confusedly gazed at him before she understood what he meant by that.
"Ahh, that... I didn't mean to hear the conversation between you and your girlfriend," Reneé asserted. "You need a strong story if you want your grandfather to believe us. I have one such story," she added.
"And what's that?" Killian showed the curosity.
"We met in a bar and you saved me. Since you have helped me and provided me not only a roof, but job too, so I will let you use me. I was the one, who fell for you at first. It took me a month to finally approach you. I am sure your grandfather will ask me my family background too. Since I belong to a middle-class income group, it took me a lot of efforts to reach you. When I finally did that, I proposed you and asked you to date me for a month."
Killian chuckled and threaded his fingers through his hair. "You think my grandfather will believe that!?"
"Why not? You need to give it a dramatic touch. Don't tell him that you broke up yesterday. You can say it happened a month ago," Reneé stated.
Just then, the waiter came with a food trolley. "Here's your orders," he said, and set the dishes on the table.
Before Killian could respond, the waiter arrived, elegantly placing their meals in front of them. The rich aroma and exquisite presentation captured Reneé’s attention instantly.
Her eyes sparkled with delight as she took her first bite, savoring each taste. She seemed genuinely enthralled, as if each flavor was a revelation.
Killian observed her with curiosity, his own meal temporarily forgotten. He couldn’t help but notice the pure, unguarded happiness in her expression as she enjoyed each bite, unfazed by the opulence of the restaurant or the price tags on the menu.
"It must be your first time eating all this," Killian stated.
"You are right. People like me can not even dream of entering such a restaurant. Besides, I didn't have anything in the morning, so I was famished. Did you not like the food? It is super soft and delicious," Reneé stated with a smile.
Killian lowered his eyes and focused on the food on his plate.
After a satisfying meal, Reneé felt ready to return to the office, but as they exited the restaurant, her eyes sparkled as they landed on an ice cream cart nearby. Without a second thought, she grabbed Killian’s arm, tugging him along.
“Let’s get some ice cream,” she declared, her excitement overriding any chance he had to protest.
Killian raised an eyebrow, visibly skeptical. “I don’t eat that… sugary stuff. It’s not good for you.”
Reneé chuckled, dismissing his resistance with a wave of her hand. “It’s not bad, it’s fun,” she countered, pulling out her wallet to pay for two scoops. She handed the chocolate cone to him, practically daring him to try it, while she licked her strawberry-flavored scoop with delight.
Killian held the cone reluctantly, looking down at it as if it were some alien object. “This really isn’t my thing,” he muttered, hesitating.
“Oh, come on, you won’t get sick from one ice cream cone,” she teased, nudging him lightly. “Just give it a try; who knows, you might even like it.”
He sighed, glancing at her with a resigned expression before taking a small, reluctant bite. The rich, sweet taste surprised him, and he found himself taking another, larger bite despite himself. The sight of him actually eating the ice cream made Reneé laugh.
“See? I told you it's delicious," she said, grinning as she enjoyed her own cone.
Killian shook his head, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her, realizing how effortlessly she brought out a lightness in him he rarely experienced.
"Wow! It was such a good taste," Reneé said as she finished her cone. Even Killian was done eating.
"There's a cream on your lip," he said.
"Where?" She quickly wiped her lips and glanced at her fingers. As she licked her thumb, Killian found it clumsy of her.
Across from the street, a photographer stood, who clicked their pictures. He pushed up his mask and left in his car.
- Writer
