"Getting married to Frederick doesn't seem that bad. I mean… I've seen him, he's hot."
"Being hot is not a reason to be married." Stacey's respond was a grunt.
"Well, how about the fact that it might keep you alive?"
"Might, baby girl… might. Nobody knows anything for sure. Speaking of which, have you found out what the mark means?"
"Not yet, but I should get a response soon." Adelaide answered casually.
Stacey's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that? Did you show that to someone else?"
"Yeah… I did. I was hoping…"
"You were nothing, Ade! How could you? You know how precarious the situation is. I specifically told you this was too secret. How do you know you can trust that person." Stacey's mind was racing with all the different ways things could go wrong if that picture reached the wrong hands.
"Whao! Calm down Brown… I didn't say anything to my old, retired history professor." Adelaide stressed the 'old' and 'retired'.
"What?"
"I only told him that I stumbled over the drawing and it caught my interest. I didn't say anything about you."
Adelaide could hear Stacey let out a deep breath.
"Okay, thank you. But please, be careful. I don't want to have to worry about you." There was a plea in Stacey's voice.
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"I told you, Fredrick's mother died while trying to dig up information on this whole madness. I don't want you getting hurt… or worse."
"Oh…. Well, I'm fine. And, I'll be more careful, I promise."
"Okay." Stacey replied, nodding like her friend could see her over the phone.
"So…. About that date, I think you should consider it. At least, get to know the guy. He might not be as bad as you make him out to be."
"I don't make him out to be anything." She defended.
"Fine, feisty Brown… just, go on one date with the guy. Then you can decide if being with him is worse than whatever it is Azrael has in mind."
Stacey shuddered at that name - Azrael. She sighed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, unsure of what the future held. This arranged marriage to Frederick was a constant reminder of the danger lurking in the shadows. Azrael's presence haunted her every waking moment. Maybe, just maybe, marrying Frederick would offer some protection.
She shook her head, chasing away the thoughts. It was all too uncertain. Her parents had always been supportive, but now they seemed more concerned with her safety than her happiness.
"I'll think about it." She replied dryly.
"Better. I'll talk to you later yeah?"
"Alright."
Stacey dropped the phone and slumped into her bed. She covered her face with a pillow and screamed into it.
***
Frederick was grappling with his own doubts.
Why had Carina seemed so terrified when he mentioned the arranged marriage to Stacey? What did she know that he didn't? The questions swirled in his mind like a vortex.
As he paced in his room, his thoughts turned to Stacey. They couldn't stand each other, and yet their lives were being intertwined by circumstance. He wondered what she was like, beyond the surface level; beneath the feisty feminist side she liked to show everyone.
Memories of how fragile she looked in his arms flooded his mind. Something made his heart squeeze when he saw her in danger, on that floor.
His phone rang, drawing him from his reverie. Frederick hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hey, Stacey."
"Hi…"
There was an awkward moment of silence before Fredrick decided to take the bull by the horn.
"See, Stacey… Our parents have been riding us hard about this date, and I'm really sick of hearing them same thing over and again. So, how about we give them something to ease off our backs?"
Stacey's voice was hesitant on the other end. "That's actually the reason that I called. I suppose it couldn't hurt. Uhm… do you have anywhere in mind?"
"How about that new Italian place downtown? I've heard great things."
There was a pause before Stacey agreed. "Okay, sure. What time?"
"I'll pick you up at 7?"
The line went silent, and for a moment, Frederick wondered if she had hung up. Then her voice came through, barely above a whisper. "Okay."
"Great, I'll see you then." Frederick hung up, a mix of emotions churning within him.
He wasn't sure what to expect from this date, but, he didn't like people telling him what he could or could not do. And if Carina and her tattooed friend, Oded, were not going to tell him why he couldn't be with Stacey, he was going to force it out of them… even if it meant taking a chance with Stacey.
Frederick arrived at Stacey's house promptly at 7o. He had barely stepped out of the car when Stacey's parents, James and Susan, appeared at the door, beaming with excitement.
"Ah, Frederick! Good to see you, son!" James boomed, clapping him on the back.
Susan nodded in agreement. "We're so glad you two are finally spending some time together. Stacey will be down in a bit."
Frederick smiled politely, feeling a bit awkward under their scrutiny. "Thanks, ma'am."
Stacey emerged from the house, looking stunning in a red dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Frederick's eyes widened in appreciation, and he couldn't help but stare.
"Hey," Stacey said, blushing slightly as she noticed his gaze.
"Hey," Frederick replied, offering her his arm. "You look amazing."
Stacey's parents exchanged a knowing glance, and Susan whispered to James, "I'll call Louisa and Henry. They'll be thrilled to hear this!"
The two of them walked arm in arm to Fredrick's car. As they drove to the Italian restaurant, Frederick couldn't help but notice how beautiful Stacey looked in the fading light. Her dress seemed to glow, and her hair shone like gold.
The restaurant was cozy and intimate, with soft music playing in the background. They were seated at a quiet table by the window.
Fredrick took a dep breath, "This is nice."
Stacey nodded, scanning the menu. "So, what do you recommend?"
"The pasta dishes are amazing here," Frederick replied. "I'm thinking of getting the carbonara. How about you?"
Stacey's eyes lit up. "I love carbonara! But I'll get the bruschetta to start." She hadn't been out on a date in a very long time. In truth, the last time she was out on a date was over five years ago just after she graduated law school - and it was terrible!
So, she decided to try to enjoy this one.
Frederick grinned. "Great choice."
He signalled to a waitress who came over to take their order.
"And, let's get a bottle of Pinot Grigio to go with it," Frederick added just before the waitress turned to leave.
"So…" Stacey dragged, unsure what would make a good conversation starter.
"Tell me about yourself. What do you like?" Frederick asked, taking over the lead.
The waitress returned with their wine first. As they sipped their wine and waited for their food to arrive, the conversation flowed easily. They talked about everything from their favorite books to their childhood memories, carefully avoiding any mention of the strange occurrences.
"I can't believe we've never done this before," Stacey said, laughing. "Why haven't we?"
"Uhh… we used to hate each others guts?" Frederick supplied amidst a chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess so. We've been so caught up in our own worlds."
Frederick nodded, "I know. It's like we've been living in parallel universes."
"Well, this wasn't half as bad as I expected." Stacey confessed, taking a sip of water.
"Yeah. And it would have been almost perfect, and felt natural if we didn't have those two hovering around like we are under some witness protection program."
Stacey's smile faltered as her eyes acknowledged the body guards that had accompanied them. She had forgotten about those two. Their parents were relentless about the guard situation, so they didn't have a choice but bring them along.
As they finished their meal and prepared to leave, Frederick realized that he didn't want the night to end… just yet. He glanced at Stacey.
"Want to take a walk? Maybe try to ditch those two?" he asked, his voice low and husky.
Stacey's eyes sparkled, and her lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I'd love to."
They both got up from their seats, trying to act nonchalant as they made their way out of the restaurant. Once outside, they quickened their pace, gesturing and making hand signals to each other as they tried to evade their guards.
"Split up!" Frederick whispered, as they ducked into a nearby alleyway.
Stacey nodded, and they separated, hiding in the shadows as the guards walked past, calling out their names.
"Stacey! Frederick! Wait up!"
They waited until the guards were out of sight before making a run for it, laughing and giggling like teenagers. They finally emerged from the alleyway, gasping for breath, and made their way into the nearby park.
"That was close!" Stacey exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Totally worth it," Frederick replied, grinning. "Now, let's enjoy our freedom."
As they walked, they couldn't stop laughing and joking, feeling like they'd pulled off the ultimate heist.
Stacey, lost in the moment, didn't notice the small tree stump in her path. Her foot caught on it, and she stumbled, her arms flailing out to regain balance.
Frederick reacted swiftly, catching her in his arms mere inches from the ground. Their faces inches apart, their eyes locked in a spark of electricity. Stacey's heart raced as Frederick's gaze bore into hers, his eyes burning with a desire that left her breathless.
And without a word, Frederick's lips descended upon hers, his kiss gentle yet urgent.