LUCAS' POV.
"No, I don't know her." I replied, and was technically saying the truth, or maybe it was a half-lie and a half-truth. He asked if I knew Emily, but I didn't. She was still a stranger to me. I knew her identity, which made me a liar, but apart from that, I knew nothing about her. Her personality, where she lived, where she worked. I didn't know anything about her, so that passed as the truth.
"Why did you ask?" I asked, and he sighed.
"It was just something about the way she stared at you when she first saw you. It was like she was seeing a ghost. She couldn't hold your hand properly. Like you guys knew each other, and she was shocked to find out you were my Uncle. When I told her you were my Uncle, that was when she stepped backwards, and succeeded in pushing the heirloom off the table." He said.
"Hmm. Maybe I was too handsome?" I asked, teasing, and he laughed.
"I know you're teasing, but how can you sound so serious when you're joking?" He asked, and I burst into laughter.
"You can try asking her. Maybe she recognizes my face somewhere." I said, and he nodded.
"That could also be true."
"Sleep tight, John. It's quite late. I'm feeling a little drowsy." I said, and he laughed.
"Alright, alright. I'll leave you now. Goodnight, and Good luck." He said, and I smiled.
"You too."
"So who's that?" Stephanie asked, when I placed my phone into my pocket.
"I'm afraid it's my business, and not yours."
"Can you just chill out? Okay, right now, I'm not hitting on you. I'm just trying to make a conversation. Just an innocent conversation, besides, I know you were talking to a man, and not a lady, so don't think I'm trying to be jealous, or… or possessive." She blurted out, sounding like it was a tough task being with me in the car.
"Ever heard of the saying 'First impression lasts longer?'" I asked, and she gave a frustrated sigh.
"Then you should man up, and shrug off that first impression." She said, but I didn't reply. "Anyways, you must be thinking I made my Granny bring you here for some grudge or something… Nope. I actually told her you were a good man." She said.
"Don't know why that is so hard to believe. Maybe because it's you." I retorted coolly.
"Okay. That's it, I'm done with you. You can keep your friendship to yourself." She said, frustrated, and I smiled. She had finally gotten the message.
We got to the house they shared. It wasn't a mansion, but was large, and designed beautifully. The dining table was in the living room on a higher ground, behind the sofas, and behind that was a beautiful staircase which led to a landing on which people could stand and look over what was happening in the living room.
It wasn't a mansion, but was furnished, and designed like one. It was one of the reasons I liked Mrs. Mayer. She didn't see the need to blow things out of proportion just to prove she had the money.
Hinewai looked like she was still sleeping, and mumbled to herself, as she made her way towards the stairs quickly.
Stephanie showed me a room, and smiled.
"So, you can stay here. Um… if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. My room is right here." She said, pointing to the next door.
She smiled widely again, and opened the door of the room assigned to me.
"Unfortunately, it's so late, and you'd be unable to meet with Granny. She's probably flying on a plane made of money right now, so… tomorrow, you'll get to meet her. Let me give you a tip. She wakes around eleven, so you can play around till then." She said, and I walked in.
"Thanks." I replied, and dropped my things on a desk. "You seem to want to sleep here, tonight." I commented when her long shadow refused to leave my door.
"Oops, I'm sorry. Maybe I was expecting you to take off your clothes." She said, and closed the door.
"Seriously?" I asked myself. She was even worse than half of the girls I'd met combined together. She was direct, and didn't waste a second to let me know she was after me.
Unfortunately, she was wasting her time.
I took a quick shower in the neat bathroom, and changed into light clothes, before falling against the soft bed. Once more, my mind wandered to Emily, and I wondered what she was doing.
The family had never really liked to hear about her whenever John spoke about her, so it was hard to imagine them been nice to her upon first-meeting.
The kids were the ones who would be harder to tackle.
I had thought I would have a hard time sleeping due to the fact that I was in a strange environment, but contrary to my expectations, I slept fast, and deep.
Unfamiliar places always had me sleeping late, and waking really early, but this was different. Maybe it was because the flight had been long, and tiring,
It was the smell of homemade shepherd pie that woke me up. I got up, and saw it was an hour before noon.
That was a bad impression to make. I took my bathe two times faster, and dressed three times faster, but blow drying my hair slowed me down. She wasn't John, who would help me dry my hair if I went down with wet hair.
After dressing politely, formally, yet with a mild sense of casualty, I went down the stairs.
Mrs. Mayer was talking to Hinewai, who had her luggage with her, ready to leave. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and before I could stop her, she ran to me and hugged me.
It was a brief but strong hug, and after it, she turned to Mrs. Mayer.
She spoke to her in her language rapidly, and Mrs. Mayer smiled warmly at her, before replying in the same language.
"I'll be right back, Mr. Granger. I just have to see her off." She said to me.
"No worries, ma'am." I replied, and Hinewai waved happily to me, bidding me goodbye, and I smiled, waving at her.
Okay, something was definitely wrong. I wasn't disgusted by Hinewai. She didn't throw herself at me, nor she did she try to compose herself, or make sexual comments; I liked her because she was also different from all the ladies I had seen, but…
Why was Emily the only one reappearing in my mind?
Why didn't I think of Hinewai, who also had a raw beauty that I noticed?
I thought Emily had been on my mind because she was different, but what if it wasn't because she was different, but because I felt different?
No… no, Lucas. Stop thinking like Tray.
"You should sit." I heard Stephanie say from behind me, and turned to her.
She was dressed in blue denim bum shorts, and a large white sweatshirt, with Blood written on it with a gothic feel.
She looked better in casual clothes. Anyone could easily mistake her for being decent.
"Didn't know you slept so well. Maybe that's the secret to your enchanting beauty." She said, serving plates of baked shepherd pie with rich ingredients.
"Then you should do it, too." I replied, and she spotted the underlying message in my words. 'Then you should do it, too, so you'll get pretty.'
She cleared her throat, and sat opposite me. "Hinewai couldn't stop talking about you this morning, too. She made granny sure about having such a good man as a business partner. Only if she knew Hinewai could be treated badly if her feelings were discovered." She said, and I scoffed.
"Unfortunately, she didn't feel the same way you do. A lady's feelings are all in her hug. She gave a grateful, and friendly hug, and didn't try to stay any longer." I replied.
Just then, Mrs. Mayer walked in chuckling. She sat next to Stephanie, opposite me, and smiled at me.
"Good morning, ma'am. I'd like to apologize for waking really…"
"Oh no. You were on a thirteen-hour flight, and could barely get enough rest. Remember I told you to treat this as a vacation, too. May I call you Lucas? You look more like Lucas than Mr. Granger." She said, and I smiled.
"Yes, ma'am, you can, and thanks for your understanding."
"Hinewai told me beautiful things about you. She finds it unfortunate that you don't understand Maori." She said, and I smiled again.
"So, she was speaking Maori."
"Must have had you baffled, right?"
"Very."
"Thanks for taking care of her. She's also a granddaughter, but prefers to live with her parents." She said, and I nodded slowly, with a smile.
We ate and conversed with Stephanie saying nothing, but listening throughout breakfast.
Mrs. Mayer was an easygoing person, and we got on well together.
After breakfast, Stephanie packed the dishes, so she could wash them, and Mrs. Mayer watched her leave.
When Stephanie had disappeared behind the kitchen door, she spoke.
"I' ll be asking for your honest reply, Lucas." She began.
"Go on, ma'am." I urged.
"What do you think about marrying my granddaughter?"