April Robinson was a beautiful woman. That was one thing that registered in Cyrus' mind as she walked into the living room, her heels sky high and the red dress that hugged every one of her curves, accentuating the fullness of her chest. Her light brown hair was shiny and her lips were pink and plump, the glossiness evident under the bright lighting of the room. She smiled at him, showing off her perfect set of teeth. Although Cyrus didn't let his eyes linger, he was able to take in the full view of her at one go. The conclusion he came to; she looked like she didn't belong in the house, sticking out like a rose in a field of sunflowers.
He rose from the chair he sat on, wearing his signature smirk.
"It's nice to see you again Mr Axton. It's been so long." She said, her southern accent making her the more appealing
She didn't take the hand he stretched out to shake her. Instead, she hugged him and he felt every part of her press into him. He was smart enough to know it was not by accident. Still, when she pulled away, his facial expression didn't falter.
"Likewise. I asked your husband about you. How have you been?" Cyrus didn't neglect to mention her husband, just in case she had forgotten there was a diamond ring sitting proudly on her finger
"I've been good. I'm sorry I wasn't here to welcome you. The storm brought in a whole lot of delay so I had to stay back in town for a lil' while longer." Clasping her hands together, she gazed up at him at what he could only describe as seductive "I'm glad you'll be having dinner with us. I have new recipes I've been dying to try out. It's nice to have a golden tongue around here to critic my food yknow."
He nodded in response. "It couldn't be helped. I should be out early tomorrow morning, so please don't go the extra mile on my account."
Frankly, he had known the type of woman she was from the first day he had seen her on Wallace's arm. That was why, no matter how beautiful, he knew there were many thorns that accompanied this rose. She owned a restaurant in town and had gone to a top-notch culinary school. Her eyes didn't settle for anything less and he had wondered most times the specific reason she had agreed to marry Wallace and why Wallace hadn't seen her for the person she really was.
"Oh, nonsense! Please feel free around here and let me know if there's anything you'd want to eat. You want it, you've got it, sir." Cyrus didn't miss the suggestion in her words but ignored it
"Thanks. I appreciate it." Sitting back down, he watched her turn on her heel and catwalk slowly. Her hips moved seductively, with purpose, trying to entice him yet the only thing constant on his mind, even after she had disappeared from the room, was the woman that refused to escape his mind.
He was never one for comparing people, but to him, Sakura had far more that could seduce him than April did. His brief-case was laid on the table before him and he contemplated seriously, just taking a sneak peek. Yet, he had held on. Cyrus had come to understand the type of person she was or at least, he had an idea. She was enigmatic, stubborn, defensive and would not yield to anyone or anything. 'Difficulty' was one of the things she thrived in. Simply opening up the file to scale through after her rejection, would be a blow to his ego and was not fitting for the type of person that she was. He believed it was effort that would help in getting through to her and even that, may not be enough.
Yes, opening the file was admitting defeat. He wouldn't mope and lick his wounds while trying to go the easy way. He would go on with his plans and allow himself to be completely vulnerable. Vulnerable enough for her to let him get through, but not enough to hurt himself. They had just met and mindlessly risking his own emotional and mental safety wasn't something he was willing to do yet. He just wanted to get to know her.
Looking outside the window, he saw that the rain had stopped, leaving in its wake a slight fog. He was sure it was a cold night outside and the air would still smell of dew. He was not equipped to go out into that kind of weather but he didn't pay it any mind. He wanted to see the apple trees anyways. Getting up, he pocketed his phone and grabbed a random jacket from the ones hung near the door before walking out. It wasn't time to eat yet and he knew the men of the house were busy getting ready. If he stayed, April would surely find something to discuss with him and find a way to press herself into him the more. He wanted to avoid being aggressive with her which is what he would do if she continued to stay around him.
The slippers he had gotten made the wet grass crunch satisfyingly as he walked. Using the memory of the place, he began his walk towards the orchard. The jacket he wore wasn't his size, but he squeezed it on just to cover his arms then kept his hands in his pockets. He saw a few people lingering around, all going about their business. Even the barnyard was illuminated, with a few men laughing over bottles of beer in front of it. They greeted him as he walked past, to which he replied politely.
He had walked for about 20 minutes before he saw the outlines of the massive trees. The moon above, along with the lights along the path, illuminated the area and gave him a sense of peace. The stars also didn't shy away, blinking despite some being obscured by the clouds that still hung in the air. It was like a scene from a movie, completely different from the high-rise buildings and their skylights. The air was the only thing he heard, along with the rustle of leaves. He stood in front of the gate of the orchard, admiring it all. At moments like these, he wondered if he had made the right decision in pursuing business and the busy lifestyle. A vacation was something he was in need of and being at the orchard reminded him of that.
"You trying to get in?" his train of thought was cut off by the feminine voice that sounded behind him. Turning, he came face to face with a young woman. Her hair was blonde and she was grinning widely, her green eyes shining as well. "Woah, you really are sexier in person."
"Excuse me?" he asked chuckling
"No honey, excuse me. I'm being rude. My name is Candace White, you can call me Candy. I'm Sakura's assistant." She grabbed a hold of his outstretched hand, shaking him with so much enthusiasm, it almost distracted him from the name that left her lips
"Miss Guerro?" she nodded in response "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss White."
"Just Candy, please. You're the boss here remember?" she stepped forward and opened up the gate then gestured for him to enter. He chuckled in reply.
"I like to see it as a collaboration. You're giving me services which I need and frankly, it's what you say that goes since I have no knowledge of the field."
"You flatter us too much sir." They walked side by side into the realm of trees "But since you put it that way, can I call you 'Cyrus'?"
He blinked twice in surprise before answering "Of course, I'd prefer it. Thank you." She grinned at him, adjusting the bag over her shoulder "Now, what brings you here, this time of the night?"
"Work. You know it never stops. The rain pulled down some of our cameras here I'm here to restation and secure them better."
"Isn't that too much work for one person?"
"Not really. I'd have come with Sak, if she wasn't being a baby." The snort that escaped her amused him and made him wonder just how close they were as colleagues. From the way Candace spoke of her, he guessed they were much more than just mere colleagues.
"Being a baby?" He asked
"Yeah, that's how she is when she doesn't get her way. Don't tell her I told you though or else she'd have my head. She's watching the monitors in the office and she'll also tell me the locations from there. It's easier than wandering around blindly."
"Your secret is safe with me." He tried to imagine the strong woman he had been observing act like a baby. Even though he hadn't known her for long, the image of her acting childish seemed so foreign to him. He wondered just what it was that made her that way. "How long have you worked together?"
"For about 8 years now. I've been under her wing since college. Although if you ask her, she'd probably talk about how I latched unto her like a leach which is somewhat true. She's let me work with her since I was a sophomore."
Cyrus noted how there was no spite in her words, neither was there any hesitance. Candace genuinely enjoyed working as Sakura's second. Given the type of person Sakura was, he knew Candace had to have her own spine that let her deal with the work she was tasked with. It was refreshing to see the type of relationship they had.
"What about you Cyrus? How long have you owned this orchard?"
"Co-owned you mean. 5 years."
"That's a long time. Isn't it stressful handling this and your family business?"
"Not exactly. I try my best."
She opened her mouth to ask another question when the sound of Sakura's voice rang through the air, startling her. Cyrus smirked as the blonde muttered 'shit' under her breath. She pulled walkie talkie up from her waist.
"Hey, Sak." She said into it, the device screeching
'Having fun Candace?' Sakura's voice was laced with sarcasm, making Cyrus smile. He should have known that she would see them.
"I was just having a nice chat with Cyrus. You know, get-to-know-me kind of convos between bosses and their employees."
'That's nice, but the sooner you adjust those cameras, the sooner we can go to bed. I'd appreciate it if you made it quick.'
"Yes ma'am. I'm heading to the first location now." Cyrus didn't miss how she jokingly rolled her eyes "Don't you want to say hello to him?"
There was no response and even after a whole minute, the silence was all they heard. Candace giggled, placing the walkie talkie back on her waistband.
"Forgive me, Cyrus, I'll have to leave now before someone…" she stared pointedly at the closest camera "…has my head."
"Is she that scary?" he asked pausing his steps. He didn't want to obstruct her work any further
"Not at all. You scare me more than she does, but I'm too much of a jolly person to show it. I mean, you're huge." Considering the fact that he got that a lot, he couldn't find it in him to be offended and instead, chuckled. "I'll be on my way now. Please enjoy the rest of your night Mr Axton."
He nodded as she began walking. He himself turned to walk back the way they came, thinking of the walk he had ahead of him.
"Hey!" her shout made him turn back briefly, only to see her more than 12 feet away "You should have a get-to-know-me conversation with Sakura! I can bet she's more entertaining than I am!"
He grinned. Did Sakura know that her friend was trying to do? He doubted but he rose a thumbs-up in response and turned to continue his walk. It was too late to turn back now, especially not after this very blatant go-ahead. Cyrus made sure to direct a smirk at one of the cameras, knowing that she would see him, completely missing the devilish grin that Candace had as she skipped along to do her work.