Treacherous

Alan's POV “Well, I can’t say she’s the best choice for you, but I do know that she’s better than most of our other options.” Seated across my father, my mother gazed out of the glass that separated the street from the inside of the restaurant with evident disappointment etched on her face. For a couple who were always perceived as being like-minded, my parents surely weren't on the same page on several occasions. Today was no different. Realising that he was nowhere close to winning her approval on the matter, his shoulders slightly slumped down. He looked visually defeated but he was much prideful to give up so soon. I reckoned that was something I always had in common with him and I was yet to be sure if it were a good or a bad thing. “I don't have a good feeling about this, Kevin.” She said, refusing to look at any of us. “He’s in such a dangerous and tiring field already. Don’t you think he deserves to choose his own wife? Someone, he’ll be spending the rest of his life with?”

Rachel's POV Convinced that he was perhaps not in the habit of sexualising women, I peeled my eyes away from him but he was much too swift. Locking his eyes with me, he frowned, “Is everything alright?” He asked, “No, it’s perfect,” I shrugged, “My dream first date.” With a blank look, he heaved a sigh. I could notice that my sarcasm was beginning to frustrate him, but I enjoyed seeing him struggle. For all I cared, he completely deserved it. “Do you disapprove of the place?” “I disapprove of you pursuing me.” “You sure about that decision even after seeing me?” He asked. Although he was joking, I wasn’t sure if my sex drive would approve of turning him down. But his arrogance put me off, and it was so out of his character. “Seen better.” That earned me a chuckle from him as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table.“Well, why are you here if you’re not interested? Would’ve saved us both time and trouble.” “If it were that simple, I wouldn’t be here, trust me.” He loo

Rachel's POV Friday afternoon, I was summoned to the Hedger’s residence. It was set in an aesthetically pleasing corner of an elite neighbourhood, and the serene vibe of the sight eased the tension we’d carried throughout the ride. Before Alan could use his chivalry to impress me, I opened the door for myself. My eyes continued to admire the beauty of the mansion as Alan walked up to me. “It’s beautiful,” I said, mesmerized. “It’s better inside,” That seemed impossible. “Come on.” He guided me toward the entrance door with a hand on the small of my back. Although I’d not preferred it, I didn’t make any conscious effort to escape the intimacy. Once we’d reached the doorstep, Alan spread his arm over my shoulder to reach the doorbell, but I’d quickly turned around and blocked his path. He looked at me quizically. “Should I be worried?” “Of what?” “Your parents.” I said, “Are they going to like me?” “Just be yourself,” He said, leaning closer to me so he could get to the buzzer,

Alan's POV “What’d she say?” Bruce asked. Rachel practised being passive-aggressive better than anybody I knew. I had always known her to remain calm and composed despite any stressful condition, and for a long time, I even admired it. It was only now that I was realising the downside of such behaviour. Sometimes, it’s just better to get yelled at; at least the outburst helps your conscience. “She hates me,” I groaned. “She’s never going to forgive me for this.” “Do you think she’ll come around though? She better, because this is your last shot.” “I’m not concerned if or not she’ll marry me. Her parents will leave her no choice and that’s not a good thing, Bruce, I hate doing this to her. Damn it, it looks like I’m exploiting her vulnerabilities to get what I want. What’s worse, she probably thinks I’m doing this out of lust.” “Since when do you care about what others think about you?” “I’m not bothered about what she thinks about me. I’m more concerned about how that’s going t

Rachel's POV As promised, the wedding ceremony and the reception that followed were lowkey events. Since it was mostly just close family and friends, the evening had ended sooner than I’d expected, and I was very glad about it. But Alan had remained morose and silent as the day withdrew to an end. Generally, that would not have bothered me but since I was going to spend the rest of the evening with him, it was beginning to turn into a concern of mine. He had barely spoken to me on our ride back home but I didn’t say anything. I figured that the day had overwhelmed him and decided to give him some space. But I sincerely hoped he’d come around by the time we reached the hotel because if not, I wouldn’t know what to do. Once we’d stepped into the hotel room, I’d begun to grow nervous. The ultimate question haunted me - what now? I looked over at Alan for help and realised that his eyes had already been watching me. “I need to talk to you,” He said, “But you might want to freshen up a