He straightened up with pride, "Looks like my granddaughter has taken a liking to you."
I simply smiled in response but was sure my expressions weren't simple at all.
My pride swelled at his words. He had told me how she tortured the first and last man into leaving before dinner even started.
Dinner was being served when Ivy's voice rang leaving everyone, but Marcus struck by lightning once again.
"I plan to attend the Moonrise event two days later."
"All of a sudden?" Cristian questioned
"Some Xade Boy barged into my office earlier today and made a mess to hand the invitation and I came to read it personally."
Looks like that's what Xade was all worked up about.
"Is this some sort of revenge strategy?" her grandfather questioned.
"You could say so." She smiled menacingly.
Poor Xade.
"I would need a date," she continued as she looked me up and down, "who is sociable."
"You got one right here," Michael pointed to me.
"Sociable, I said."
She really retorts in meaningless ways but still leaves no comebacks for the opposing party.
"He is the CEO of Dragon," Cristian tried to convince her.
"The colorful dragon?"
Seemed like she knows my company! At least she isn't as clueless as she acts.
"Yes," I answered with a straight face.
"See, sociable."
She keeps pointing that out as if I can't talk to people. This is nerve-wracking.
"Just take him and give him a chance." Her mother tried convincing her.
"If he survives dinner, I will agree." She challenged in the open.
I simply raised a brow but said nothing.
"I will get some coke."
She went off to the kitchen and returned a couple minutes later with a tray of glasses which she handed each individual while everyone gave me pitiful glances.
I didn't think much and took a sip. It tasted different than the usual, it was spicy, like someone mixed chilly into it and I could get some chili powder on my tongue. I felt myself loose a bit of control.
Nothing a dragon can't take. I convinced myself as I continued with the dinner quietly.
I noticed how everyone except the father-daughter duo were gauging my expressions sneakily.
I continued eating slowly without drinking the coke and paying attention to her.
"You don't seem to like the coke I served you," Ivy commented.
I looked at her stunned, she didn't seem to be looking my way.
I heard a roar in my mind- 'she didn't look at you, you idiot. She kept her eyes on your glass.'
The pitiful look came back on the trios faces while Marcus picked his coke and took a sip.
Taking cue, I took a sip of mine and continued doing so after every couple bites.
I could feel my dragon flare up with every sip but controlled every urge to spit it out along with the thousands of flames making their way to my throat.
Michael and Cristian kept telling me about Ivy while I hummed every now and then. Isobel would also add some words in between.
Everyone urged her to talk more, especially to me but she kept her words short and to the point. Marcus hadn't spoken a word but kept looking at Ivy every now and then.
"Like father, like daughter," Michael hissed beside me.
I noticed how everyone kept adding food to Ivy's plate. She had her cheeks puffed as her plate kept getting filled up and I had to admit she looked cute. I suddenly had the urge to pinch her cheeks.
She had her head down, as she kept eating. I placed two pieces of prawn from my plate on hers which made her look up at me in bewilderment.
I had noticed how she ate them with so much delight and tried controlling her moans of satisfaction as the flavors melted in her mouth. Every time she ate them, she closed her eyes as if cutting off the world and focusing only on the prawn.
Everyone else looked at me with wide eyes, except her father, of course. The three also coughed simultaneously when Ivy ate the prawn, I had served her.
She looked at me with her big doe eyes and then at the coke. I immediately picked the coke when I heard-
"Stop."
Why did she stop me?
"Bring a fresh glass Alex," Marcus ordered.
"You are approved," both Cristian and Michael whispered together.
"You will go to the Moonrise event two days from now." It was Marcus who spoke, and Ivy said nothing.
I was momentarily stunned but quickly got over it.
I nodded, "Sure."
I was inwardly smiling and my dragon jumping in my head roaring in happy.
Dinner went on smoothly afterwards except Ivy kept telling me to smile from time to time. She even commented on how stiff and ugly it looked.
This family was no short of tyrants.
During dessert, Ivy took me out to the garden and taught me how to smile. We sat on the grass which was a little wet from the light drizzle an hour ago.
We discussed a bit for the event, and I realized she wouldn't stop talking if something intrigues her or is important to her.
She decided that she would send my outfit and that is just what I was to wear.
I saw her gaze at the moon and stars while shifting uncomfortably.
I put my arm behind her taking the ground's support as she leaned on it without holding back after a while, subconsciously.
While she continued her gazing, I continued mine- her expressions looked at the sky with longing.
After a while, we returned and saw everyone chatting happily. Ivy went and sat beside Cristian leaning her head on his shoulder.
If she could be so carefree and open with me.
Roar- she will.
It was almost 10 when I decided to head back. Cristian offered to drive me, but Ivy took the lead.
Everyone looked surprised, even Marcus, but no one interfered. She told Cristian shell just go to her apartment, which he didn't mind.
In the car, Ivy was the one to break the silence.
"Do you know where Gold might be? We could get your car." She smirked to herself.
"He will bring it tomorrow." I looked out the window, uncomfortable.
She laughed and continued driving. The rest of the ride was silent.
She stopped at the gate and my fellow dragon guards opened the gates for us, but she didn't enter and asked me to get off there itself.
She followed me out, "Don't forget the lessons I taught you," she threated while the guards stiffened.
"I will pick you up."
"No need. I will come here with the suit and get you ready. And make sure you haven't forgotten anything."
The guards glared at her for denying me, making her turn to them.
"Eyes down," she snapped.
Their dragons were flaring at the blatant disrespect of their king.