Chapter 41 - The Dinner

“Stop staring at me!” Kerri said, laughing as she swiped Arik’s arm with her clutch.

He kissed her neck. “Kind of hard to when you look so good.” He kissed a line up to her cheek, then to her lips.

She giggled. “Stop it; you’re going to ruin my makeup.” She ran her fingers through his hair and tried to push him away, but he growled and pushed her onto the bed.

She shrieked and hit him with her clutch. “No! Not now! We’re going to be late.”

He sighed. “Fine.” He raised his eyebrows. “But later…”

She rolled her eyes, smiling as she pushed him away.

***

“So, uh, you’re, uh, new, right?”

Kerri suppressed a sigh and an eye-roll. “Yes, Clive,” she said, edging away from the man who was trying to moving closer and closer to her.

“Oh, uh, good. We’re uh, on a first name basis now, uh, right, Kerrien?”

Not another one of those desperate ones. “Just Kerri will do,” she said, giving him one of those you’re-a-loser-why-am-I-even-talking-to-you smiles. Come on, even the name Clive sounded desperate. The greasy hair, nerdy glasses and the constant need to try to feel her up really didn’t help.

“So, uh, Kerri,” Clive was saying. “I was uh, wondering whether you uh, wanted to go out for a—”

“Am I supposed to sit here?” she asked, interrupting him, desperate to get away from him. “I don’t think I’m supposed to sit here.”

“No, you’re uh, supposed to sit here. We all have uh, allocated seats. Yours is uh, here. Uh, next to me.”

Uh, crap. Kerri fought the urge to bash someone’s head in. “Are you sure? I mean…they mix things up really easily these days…”

He leered at her. “The name Kerrien, so uh, unique, so uh, one of a kind, it cannot be uh, mistaken.”

Unfortunately. Kerri nodded and was about to make a reply that consisted the word “Mmmmm” when the boss entered the dining room. The room fell silent and everybody—including her—stood up immediately, and Kerri was temporarily forgotten, much to her relief.

“Sit,” the boss said in his gravelly voice, sitting in his chair.

They sat.

“Tonight, I want to formally introduce you to Kerrien McCarthy, the sorceress.”

A collective gasp gathered around the room as they all turned their heads to look at who the boss was pointing at. Kerri felt herself flush slightly and she smiled.

“Hi,” she said, standing up and giving a small wave.

“A few days ago, there was an invasion. And now you all know why.” With that, he sat back down again. “Let dinner be served.”

Kerri raised an eyebrow and tried even harder not to blush. If that was a form of formally introducing her to the most important people of the company, she wouldn’t want him to slag her off in front of them. She sat down again as the chatting quietly resumed.

“Wow, Kerri,” Clive gushed from next to her. “I never uh, knew you were uh, the sorceress.”

“I’m a sorceress. It’s not a big deal.”

“You’re the sorceress. You’re uh, the one who’s going to uh, save us all!”

She smiled patiently, clasping onto her clutch so tight she was surprised that it didn’t break.

“So, uh, I was wondering uh, if you wanted to…you know, uh, sometime, maybe, you wanted to uh, go out? Sometime?”

Kerri froze. She didn’t want to go out with desperate losers, but she always felt bad when she had to turn them down. Suddenly she remembered something, and as she undid the clasp on her clutch, she talked so as to draw the attention away from what she was doing under the table.

“Well, Clive, you see,” she paused for dramatic effect. “I’m…it’s…it’s kind of complicated. You see, I’m…” she paused again, struggling to get the ring onto her middle finger. “I’m engaged. To someone else. Sorry.” She held up her left hand, wiggling her fingers.

“Oh.” He looked devastated. Kerri almost sighed in relief, but then the question he asked had her straightening up again. “To whom?”

Kerri stared at her ring. “Uh…”

“To me,” said a deep, familiar voice that suddenly appeared behind her. The deep, familiar voice that belonged to Arik.

She spun around. “I am?” she asked on an impulse. Then she quickly smiled and regained her composure, and linked her arm through his. “I mean, of course, yes, I am.” She flashed Clive another smile. “Sorry.” She practically ran away, dragging Arik along.

“Thank you,” she said, dropping his arm when they were behind a potted palm in the lobby. “I think.”

Arik smirked. “So that’s why you wanted to take a look at the jewellery section.”

She smiled weakly. “I knew it’d come to good use.” Just didn’t realise it’d be tonight on this…special and totally uncalled-for situation.

He leaned in close and nibbled on her earlobe. Maybe one day, it will come to good use.

For the second time that night, Kerri froze. Whoa. Um, isn’t it a little too early for that?

We’re True Loves, Kerri. We could wait a day, or we could wait a century. It really wouldn’t matter.

H-how do you know that we’re…that we’re, you know, True Loves? Somehow, she suddenly felt scared.

He cocked his head, sensing her discomfort, and looked at her with his clear, green eyes. I don’t know, but we can always make sure if you want.

She had to blink a few times before she fully understood him. Um, I think…we should…go back. To the dinner thing.

He moved suddenly so that he had her pinned up against the wall. He reached up and put his hands on either side of her face. I love you, Kerrien McCarthy, and I’m sorry if I said something to scare you. Did I scare you?

Kerri looked up into his eyes, wondering how she should tell him what was on her mind. Arik Channing, she thought, sliding her arms around his neck. You scared the hell out of me. She reached up and kissed him long and deep and hard.

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