When Mio came down for dinner, the table was set. It was a long dark wooden table and there were many dishes placed on it.
Mio was seated on the far end, but she was alone.
The maid who seated her had said that Jacob would soon join her, he was just sorting out some business.
Mio looked at the table.
It was extravagantly decorated and though she came from a wealthy family, she had no idea what half of the food on the table was.
Jacob arrived and sat down, also on the far end. Mio felt that the distance between him and her was very far due to the length of the table.
' Ah Ayase said that I should make body contact with him. Especially when sitting together, but this is just impossible!' Mio thought.
" Apologies for being late," he raised a glass of wine in her direction and Mio did the same.
He took a sip out of the glass and she mimicked him but did not drink. Mio had staved off alcohol because according to everyone she knew, she became a monster when she drank.
" So how are you liking this place so far?" he asked as a maid came around serving the starters.
" I like it very much," Mio said brightly " Your home is truly beautiful".
Jacob smiled in agreement.
They ate and chatted about menial things before Jacob suggested they go for a walk.
' Yes this is my chance' Mio thought, she was determined to put everything she learnt from Ayase into practice.
" That sounds great!" she exclaimed at the mention of a walk. They walked out of the dining room down a hall, leading to the garden.
Jacob led the way with Mio trailing behind. She wanted to reach out and grab his arm but felt that it may come across as too aggressive.
So once they walked into the garden, she plotted to stage a fake trip, in order to get him to help her.
The night air was cool and it was calm outside. The stars were bright and Mio quickened her pace to catch up with Jacob.
" It's lovely tonight isn't it?" he said looking up into the sky.
" Yes, it is" Mio responded " the stars are very bright", she couldn't help but admire them. As the walked Mio decided when they came to the rose bushes to stage her attack on him.
She walked and then put pressure on her left foot so her heel dug into the soil.
" Oh!" she cried and Jacob stopped turned around and looked at her.
Mio smiled shyly.
' Oh I'm totally gonna conquer you' she thought.
" What wrong?" he asked.
" My heel got stuck" she laughed, " could you help me", Mio slightly lifted up her skirt and put on her best cute face.
There was a moment of silence as Jacob looked at her.
" Jamerson!" he called and a man stepped out of the dark. He too was in a suit and wearing sunglasses.
Mio had no idea that the man had even been there, or why he was wearing sunglasses at night.
"Ah..." Mio said wondering why Jacob had called for this man.
" Help miss Saito with her heel" Jacob instructed placing his hands behind his back and watching Jamerson approach.
Mio's immediate response was, "What?".
Jamerson knelt down before her " Excuse me, miss. Can I touch your leg?"
Mio was shocked, did he just block her attempt to get close to him?
' This guy...'
" Miss?" Jamerson repeated after she had not responded.
" Um... yeah".
Jamerson gently grasped her ankle, his hands against her bare skin, were cold and made her shiver.
He lifted her heel out of the soil and stood up bowing to her and Jacob and then stepping back into the dark.
" Ah, thanks!" Mio shouted, but Jamerson was already gone.
She sighed internally and Jacob with a smile stepped to the side. WIth a hand in the air, he said, "Shall we continue our walk?"
Mio almost stomped ahead but remained calm.
' It's okay Mio, you have plenty of time to capture him' she comforted herself.
After her walk, Mio returned to her room, took a shower and got into a pair of comfy sweats and a big t-shirt.
She laid on the bed and checked her phone. She had over a hundred messages, some from her family and other from her friends who were asking where she was.
Mio sighed, she had told her friends that she was only going home for a month. However, she had been gone for over five months and now was in another city.
She deleted the messages and then promptly blocked the numbers. She wanted to cut off everything from her the life she couldn't have.
The friends she had from her college were better off not meeting her ever again.
It was better for her and safer for them.
Mio threw the phone beside her and sighed. She curled up into a ball and went to sleep.
The next morning Mio had breakfast with Jacob, at the unnecessarily long table again.
After he had foiled her plans yesterday Mio was determined to initiate body contact with him.
After all, touch was essential when courting someone. Even though Mio was only doing this to save her own skin and her family's, she would not give up.
Mio attempted to find more about him but felt like she hit a brick wall when talking to Jacob. He would give indefinite answers like: " I don't have a favourite colour" or " I like all animals".
' This dude. I'm going to strangle him' ...
Mio remained smiling and remembered not to let her mask fall and to let her inner rage out.
The one thing that really ticked her off was his consistent amicable smile.
The smile was neither genuine or friendly from what she observed. It was more like someone had permanently stuck it onto his face.
After a week of being stuck in the house with him, Mio was delighted to learn that she would be attending K university with him.
" Is it okay since it's so late into the semester?" she asked worriedly.
Jacob replied calmly " Of course, your grade from your last college was surprisingly excellent. So I put a word in and the Dean accepted."
Mio almost frowned at how he said ' surprisingly', it seemed as if he was implying that she couldn't achieve such good grades.
Nevertheless, Mio bowed " Thank you, Jacob. I'm so happy to attend K-university with you".
' Now's my chance!'
Since they were standing on the balcony of the house. Mio decided to use the news of getting into the prestigious K- university as an excuse to grab his arm.
Mio reached out, her two hands ready to grab him. When her face smashed into a large hand.
It was Jamerson, again!
Mio stubbled back on her heels almost falling.
Seeing her stumble back Jacob narrowed his gaze and then turned around walking back into the house.
Mio held her sore nose and looked up at the large Jamerson angrily.
' Why are you always foiling my plans!'
Jamerson just looked down at the angry girl. Her face was red and he had been the scorn of many women trying to get close to Jacob. Receiving many hateful gazes from them.
However, the look on Mio's face was akin to a female tigress, groomed to do battle.
He bowed thinking he must've imagined it, there was no way Mio could have such a look on her little face.
Jamerson followed Jacob in. He walked at a slow pace, different from his usual dutiful walk.
He inspected his hand that had touched Mio's face.
Despite the contact between him and her being brief, he felt that her skin and face was very soft and blushed.
" What is it?" Jacob asked noticing his bodyguard's strange behaviour.
" Nothing young master" he responded and followed Jacob out of the house.