"Fire! Fire!" Emma's panicked cry interrupted Alex's cleanup efforts. He looked up to find the empty wok had overheated, oil smoking dangerously. Before he could react, Emma grabbed a glass of water and threw it at the flames.
"No—!"
*WHOOSH!*
His warning came too late. The water hit the oil, sending flames leaping toward the pristine white range hood, leaving it scorched and blackened.
"Ah!" Emma practically jumped into Alex's arms, clinging to him desperately. "Quick, call one-one-four!"
"That's directory assistance—fire department is nine-one-one!" Alex stared at her in disbelief while reaching for the wok lid. He quickly covered the flames and turned off the burner. Crisis averted.
"I... I was just going to look up the correct number..." Emma explained weakly, her face smudged with flour and soot, hands clutching her designer skirt nervously.
Alex had always believed he could handle anything life threw at him. But faced with this supposedly elegant heiress, he felt his carefully ordered world crumbling. All his lunchtime fantasies of perfect domestic bliss evaporated like smoke up his now-ruined range hood.
His heart shattered. Since bringing the heiress home, there hadn't been a moment's peace. Her talent for destruction seemed to evolve hourly. Yesterday he'd worried about her breaking things; today he feared she might burn the place down.
Looking at her contrite expression, Alex realized he'd been thoroughly deceived by her sophisticated exterior. Behind that polished façade lurked a walking disaster who couldn't handle basic household tasks. Apart from affecting a gentle demeanor and mastering the art of apologetic looks, this heiress seemed utterly helpless. Keeping her here was clearly asking for trouble, but turning her out penniless seemed heartless.
*Dear god, what have I gotten myself into?*
Later at a trendy bistro, Alex picked at his salad while Emma devoured her third artisanal sandwich, seemingly immune to the admiring glances from nearby male patrons.
"Could I have two more?" she asked sweetly, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. Her pristine table manners somehow made the request even more surreal.
"Here, take mine," Alex pushed his untouched plates toward her, his appetite thoroughly destroyed.
"Really? You're sure?" She tilted her head, fixing him with those impossibly innocent eyes. The move drew audible sighs from several men, promptly followed by irritated huffs from their companions.
"Go ahead," Alex gestured wearily.
*How had it come to this?* He, notorious for his healthy appetite, reduced to watching in fascinated horror as this delicate-looking woman packed away enough food for a linebacker.
"Thank you!" Emma's brilliant smile could have lit up Times Square. She proceeded to attack the next sandwich with undiminished enthusiasm.
Several couples abruptly departed, the women dragging their transfixed partners away from the scene. Alex could hardly blame the men—Emma's combination of ethereal beauty and hearty appetite was oddly compelling. If only they knew what lurked beneath that elegant surface.
*Another batch of poor souls deceived by her façade,* Alex thought ruefully. The lingering smell of smoke-tinged designer perfume wasn't helping his headache. His pride as a former connoisseur of feminine charms had taken a serious hit. Either his legendary instincts were failing, or she was an exceptionally talented actress.
To think he, a veteran of Manhattan's dating scene, had been so thoroughly taken in! What self-respecting ladies' man could maintain his confidence after such a crushing revelation? Her ability to project such refinement while harboring domestic chaos rivaled anything he'd seen in his years navigating Upper East Side society.
Looking at Emma's eager expression as she eyed his remaining food, Alex steeled himself for the inevitable conversation. Tonight, he would have to address the elephant in the room—her continued presence in his apartment was clearly untenable. Surely even an heiress would understand basic self-preservation? The way things were going, neither his sanity nor his apartment would survive much longer.
"Could I take a couple home?" Emma asked hopefully.
Alex felt his resolve crumbling. That's it, he silently vowed, no more playing hero. Let someone else's apartment burn down next time.