Anastasia blushed at what the other person was saying. Oh, she knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but to hear him speak as if she was somehow asking for an illicit meeting wasn't anything short of a surprise to her.
Trying to gather the tattered remains of her courage, she pointed out, "Ah, not right now. Tomorrow, umm...I want...wanted to talk about..."
"Our upcoming nuptials?" He prompted.
She grimaced at those words, "Ah, yes! If we could speak face to face. Sorry...umm...I know it's not a done deal to meet this way but I had rather talk to you first and see if we can exist in some form of marital bliss."
"Are you trying to point out that we are strangers, Miss Rayburn? It's not going to help in these circumstances."
"Well, you could at the very least do me the courtesy of a single meeting, can't you? Of course, it never occurred to you that I might be allowed to have some control over my life in these circumstances." Anastasia retorted.
Alexander wanted to retaliate to the young lady's uncouth words.
It wasn't as if he himself had been given a choice in this matter and he didn't think she should be aiming her cannons at him for the present circumstances, but then he thought the better of it.
No need for him to bicker with a young lady and she obviously, had a point, whether he was the right target or not - was a different matter entirely.
Still, he couldn't stop his tone from turning acerbic when he replied, "Alright, Miss Rayburn. We can meet for an hour or so tomorrow evening. However, I think it's better if nobody sees us together in public before our upcoming wedding. So, where do you suggest we meet?"
He could have called her to The Donovan Mansion or his condominium but with her seemingly already frayed nerves, he wanted her to feel somewhat at ease while meeting him and maybe, with control over her surroundings, might just make all the difference.
Anastasia hadn't thought that the other person would be generous enough to meet her at a place of her choice because that would be counterproductive if he wanted to establish his dominance.
"So, how about you meet me at my apartment in The Crystal Tower?"
"I'll be there at sharp Five o'clock." and then all she heard was the du-du of a line being disconnected.
She wanted to rage about being disrespected but then thinking about it, she herself hadn't been the paragon of demure, so maybe the other person was just giving her a taste of her own medicine.
Thinking about the meeting tomorrow, she felt a shiver course down her spine.
--------Line Break--------
The following evening, Anastasia couldn't help but feel anxious as the agreed-upon time for the meeting neared.
She didn't know what to expect of the other person and that left her feeling unprepared for the foreseeable future.
Soon enough, she heard the doorbell ring and Ivy informed her that Mr Donovan was at the door.
Trying to smooth her clothes, she gave a shaky nod and waited with bated breath for the other person to enter.
Common courtesy had her standing up to greet...well, her guest.
She didn't even know how to address him now that he was here but calling him her fiancee was a bit of stretch for the moment.
Nonetheless, she stood up all the same as a sign of welcoming him to her place and gave him the best smile she could muster.
From his lack of response, she gathered that the smile must have been more on the side of a grimace than an actual one and simply stopped before she made a fool out of herself.
--------Line Break--------
Alexander walked in and strode forward briskly until he reached the little girl who was trying to welcome him with a brave face.
She tried to act as if the prospect of inviting a complete strange into her house was a common, everyday occurrence and she wasn't bothered by the fact that the stranger would share her life in the coming years.
He couldn't resist but raise his lips in a facsimile of a smile at her actions but stopped himself at the very last second.
No need to give her any ideas.
When she didn't say anything for the next few seconds, he took the opportunity to take a careful look at her.
She was wearing a long multicoloured floral skirt paired with a muted purple top and her feet were enclosed in a pair of black heels. The whole dress was accented with a pair of teardrop-shaped earring that almost seemed to kiss her long neck.
Though the dress was understated, it fit her age perfectly and even moulded itself around her at all the right places.
Her shiny black hair fell in a straight line, akin to a waterfall behind her back.
She looked as much as a pampered young lady as any he had ever had the misfortune to talk to in various balls he had attended.
He wondered if she had any idea how appealing her doe-like lipid eyes looked to a hotblooded male.
--------Line Break--------
"Please, take a seat." Her voice had the undertones of worry.
He lowered his body into a settee that was placed diagonally to her own seat and waited for her to speak first.
He really didn't want to spoke the poor girl.
When the silence had gone on for long enough to even make him a bit awkward, he prompted, "Miss Rayburn?"
She seemed startled to hear him speak.
"Oh, my apologies," Miss Rayburn certainly appeared to be at a loss.
"What would you like to drink? Coffee or perhaps some tea? I have this wonderful blend - Narcissus Wuyi Oolong? Or would you prefer some freshly squeezed juice?"
Hearing her talk about different drinking options, he couldn't help but lament at his fate.
He dearly hoped that she didn't behave the same way regularly and that this was just an isolated case of an attack of nerves.
Because honest to god, if she had verbal diarrhoea whenever she opened her mouth, it would get pretty old and irritating, pretty fast.
He didn't even know how to calm her nerves.
Therefore, he fell back on the usual modus operands that had always served him best.
--------Line Break--------
"Miss Rayburn," Alexander drawled, sarcasm dripping from every syllable, "I am quite sure you did not arrange for a meeting to discuss the various drinking options you have for your vaunted guests."
Anastasia felt mortified when she heard those words and her fair complexion revealed the rosy colour blooming across her cheeks.
"Quite so, quite so," she still dithered.
"I...I am sorry. I thought I could do this, but I clearly can't," Anastasia announced suddenly.
Alexander couldn't help but feel a bit elated at her words.
If the girl declined this match of her own violation, that would be the best thing and he himself could honestly say to his grandfather that he had made the effort but things simply didn't end well and both of them would be shot of this unwanted marriage.
He still tried to make a token effort to play along and asked, "Miss Rayburn, if you could, what is it that you can't go through with? This marriage or this talk that you have called me over for?"
Now that he knew he could be free of the shackles his grandfather had tried to put upon him, even his voice changed into that of a soothing tone.
Anastasia blinked at the non-sequitur.
"Ah! That...No, no. I didn't mean I couldn't go through with the marriage. I know I have to go through with that because that is the only viable option for me. I meant I can't talk about it. At least, not right now."
The only thing Alexander heard was that she was ready to get married and he couldn't help but curse his bad luck to be saddled with a girl who kept on stuttering while talking to him.
He also felt his irritation rising and scorned, "You must, Miss Rayburn. If you are ready to get married to a stranger, the least you should do is to talk to the stranger before doomsday, don't you think so?"
When she heard her own words from last night being thrown at her face, Anastasia felt the telltale sign of tears prickling her eyes.
"I am sorry that I wasted your time but I would be immensely grateful if you give me some more time to digest the news." She managed to excuse herself before the tears trailed down her cheeks and ran away to one of the rooms.
--------Line Break--------
Miss Rayburn was truly hopeless, which didn't bode well for his future. Alexander sighed to himself.
The girl couldn't even coherently discuss the matter.
How were they supposed to spend the rest of their lives together?
Moreover, leaving a guest unattended.
He wondered if he would have to hire an etiquette coach for her.
While thinking about the girl who was being unceremoniously pushed into his life, he left her apartment without creating a ruckus.
Since the dye had already been cast, he could only try and make it bearable for both of them.