Playing With Fire

Chapter 4

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" I heard him ask. I looked up at him unwillingly from the magazine that I had pretended to be interested in, "It has been more than four hours since the flight took off and I didn't see you eating or drinking anything" He continued when I continued to stare at him blankly.

I tried not to think about my hunger for the past few hours but now that he brought it up, I could feel my insides actually twisting, demanding to digest anything.

He narrowed his eyes on me, waiting for me to say something. I sighed unhappily. It doesn't look like he was going to let this go easily as I had expected, "I am not really hungry" I said, raising my shoulders to shrug, casting my eye down to the magazine again.

My stomach growled loudly but I pretended to cough, downplaying it.

The next second, the magazine was yanked away from my grip. I looked at the green-eyed man, glaring at him."That's bullshit" He cursed under his breath before I could demand him to give the magazine back to me, "I am getting you something to eat" He said, putting the magazine away.

Does this man doesn't know that this is utterly rude? Or he simply didn't care about that?

"There's no need for that!" I shook my head, denying his offer right away. The last thing I want him to pity me. Besides, I wasn't that hungry.

He gave me a dirty look and pressed a button that was supposed to alert the stewardess in duty. I shook my head at him again, not wanting him to buy me anything but he just shook his head at me. And I wanted to laugh at what we're doing now, just sitting there and staring at each other while shaking our heads. I am sure we looked comical now.

A stewardess walked towards us a few seconds later with a friendly smile on her face, "Excuse me, can I get the menu book?" He asked her the moment she planted herself in front of us. I shook my head at him and muttered untangible words under my breath but he didn't even spare me a glance.

She nodded her head and then disappeared behind the curtains for a few seconds before appearing again with a book in her hands, "Here you go" She said, handing the book to him, "Are you going to order any food?" She asked him politely, her eyes flickering between me and him.

He nodded his head without looking at her and held the book out in front of me, "Tell me what do you want" He commanded, his eyes were hard and it looked like he was clenching his jaw.

I ground my teeth together, starting to get a little annoyed now."I don't want anything" I hissed through my teeth, hoping he would drop this right here and now. I never liked it when someone pushed me to do something that I didn't want to do.

But unfortunately, he was too hard-headed to listen to me, "Pick up one, or I will choose for you" He warned, getting impatient now.

The stewardess watched the both of us awkwardly with a smile still plastered on her lips. Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, I snatched the book away from his hands and opened the book, "This is unnecessary" I muttered under my breath, loud enough for him to hear.

I quickly scanned the book, swallowing loudly when my eyes landed on the prices for each meal."Consider it as my refund for the sandwiches that I have ruined earlier" I heard him say.

I snapped the book shut and gave him a tight smile, "It wasn't your fault. I was the one who was running around without looking" I reminded him and if I knew this would happen, I would even booked the flight for today. I still had a few days before joining officially at work and it wouldn't hurt me if I fly to Italy tomorrow instead of today.

He exhaled sharply, "It doesn't matter" He shook his head, "The sandwiches are gone. You're hungry and I am willing to buy you the meal" He said, "End of story" He added, his eyes never leaving mine.

I sighed and looked up at the stewardess, "I'll take the sandwich then" I said, handing her the book with a polite smile on my face.

The stewardess nodded her head at me politely but then her eyes widened when a certain someone suddenly shrieked, "Are you being serious?" He asked making my eyes snap towards him again, "You can pick something else" He grumbled.

Honestly, what's his problem? First, he asked me to choose something from the menu book and now he is dissatisfied with what I have chosen.

I tried to be as calm as I can not wanting unnecessary drama now, "You asked me to pick and I did" I stated, my eyes never leaving his green eyes, "I don't see what's the problem in eating a sandwich" I shrugged.

He still doesn't look like he approved my choice of food. Too bad for him that it was me who will be eating that, "Fine" He said, looking away from me. He lifted his coat and fished out his wallet from his under pocket, "Here" He said, pulling out a flashy card and almost handing it out to the stewardess.

"Hold that thought," I said and he froze. Did he seriously think that I am going to let him pay for my food? I grabbed my handbag and looked for my purse, "I can pay for my own food" I said pulling out my purse along with the chess set I had received earlier.

I chucked the chess set on my lap and pulled out ten-dollar bills and held it in front of the stewardess. I think today was not my day as all the money that I have saved so hard is going away from me bit by bit.

The stewardess looked at my hand and then at his hand, not knowing from who to accept the payment.

I looked at him in warning, "You think I am going to let you pay for your own food?" He asked me, looking a little offended.

The question he had asked sounded wrong in context. "Do you hear yourself when you're talking?" I asked him in disbelief, "Of course I should pay for my food" I snapped at him, suddenly losing the patience that I had.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked at the stewardess again," Sorry about that-" I said, "Here, take it from me. I am the one who is going to eat that sandwich anyway" I said when she looked hesitant to take the money from me.

Her eyes flickered towards the green-eyed man but he was watching me. Wanting to desperately escape from this situation, she accepted the money from me and left after promising me that she would be back soon with my sandwich.

I leaned back to my seat and sighed, suddenly feeling bad for snapping at him just now. He just wanted to pay for my food and I acted like he had snatched it away from me. I can be a little dumb sometimes.

I decided to apologize but he started speaking before I could, "This is new" He said, his eyes held an interest in them as he eyed me, "Usually girls let me pay when I offer them to buy anything" He said, almost in disbelief.

Ah, so he pays for a lot of girls. That doesn't surprise me though. Some girls would do anything to be with a handsome man like him. All he has to do is smile at the girls like that and they would come running at him to fall at his feet.

I didn't say anything at that. I definitely didn't want to say something lame like, 'I am not like other girls. I know that I am not like that and that's enough. I don't have to go around and say that to prove that to anyone.

I sighed, "Sorry, I snapped at you just now. I know you mean well but I don't like it when someone pays for my things" I said in a soft voice. I will have trouble sleeping at night knowing that I had hurt someone and didn't ask them for forgiveness.

It just one of my toxic traits actually. People take advantage of me because I am too kind for my own good.

He chuckled softly at that, "That's fine actually" He said, the corners of his lips curving into a breathtaking smile, "As I said, I find it oddly refreshing" He repeated what he had said earlier.

"What?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion.

"Nothing," He said with a cryptic smile now. I found myself getting curious to know what that meant. I was about to press him further for an explanation, his eyes flickered down to my lap, "Do you know how to play that?" He asked, glancing up again.

I looked down at my lap and found the chessboard there, "Chess?" I asked and he nodded his head "Yeah, what about you?" I queried and he nodded his head with a smirk now.

Ah, so he thinks that he can beat me in this."Let's play then" I said, opening the board and arranging all pawns accordingly.

Ten minutes later, I glared at the board so hard that my eyes started to hurt.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so good in this" I grunted, earning a round of chuckle from him, "My head is hurting from all the thinking that I am doing now" I added, still glaring at the board, trying to mentally visualize all the possible moves that I can make.

Knowing that I had nowhere to escape, I slumped my shoulders, "Fine, you win" I mumbled in defeat. I looked up from the board and sighed, my eyes landing on him.

How did he manage to defeat me in ten minutes?

He chuckled again, "I may have forgotten to mention that I once won a national level championship" He announced with a careless shrug, "It's my passion" He added, looking down at the board.

Hah! No wonder he was so skilled! "You have to teach me how to play like that!" I demanded. Chess is not my passion but I like to better myself in everything, constantly. Just because I know how to play this doesn't mean that I don't need a few tips and tricks on it.

Once again, before he could say something, the stewardess came towards me with a tray, "Here you go miss" She said, placing the sandwich on the table in front of me, "Sorry it took longer to get it done. We only make the food fresh upon orders" She said with an apologetic smile on her face.

"No problem" I smiled.

She looked relieved with my answer and left us after that. I smiled and turned my gaze to the green-eyed man again.

"Eat" He commanded.

I sighed and unwrapped the sandwich. I closed my eyes and said a prayer before biting into that sandwich. I almost let out a moan at how it tasted. It felt so good against my tongue and I revoked my regret for buying it.

It was literally the best sandwich that I have ever eaten.

"Do you always do that?" I cracked open the eyelids that I didn't realize closing after biting into that sandwich. "Do you always say a prayer before you eat?" He asked me a detailed question when I stared at him blankly, barely understanding what he had said.

"Yes," I said with a nod, munching my sandwich.

And then he asked the unexpected, "Teach me" Again, this wasn't a request but it was a demand.

This is sure going to be a long flight.