The pair walked slowly with purpose in each step. One was trying to distract herself from her rising anxiety with the scenery about them. The other was carefully scrutinizing his partner while also trying to keep the pesky sand granules out of his shoes as the walked. Besides the sound of the mellow ocean waves and tropical bird songs about them, the silence was everything the two of them had expected it to be. Uncomfortable. Awkward. Insufferable. Selena had had enough of it and decided to initiate some form of conversation herself.
"You know, most men I've dated don't usually pick the beach for their first date," Selena turned to meet her date's surprised face. Gill had half expected the rest of the date to continue in semi-tolerable silence.
"A bit avant garde, but the gesture's quite romantic," she continued, her full lips stretching into a seductive smile. Gill smirked at her comment. He had already seen through the guise she was playing.
"I'd rather you not come to the conclusion that our venue was chosen out of romanticism. I chose to have our date here to save myself time," Gill said coldly, hoping she'd give up trying to win his steel-plated heart.
"Quite simply, Ms. Selena, I don't like to waste time," he glanced at his wristwatch while he was on the subject. He would need to wrap this up soon to finish off his agenda and avoid staying overnight. Gill took a quick glance at his date who still seemed bent on making him fall for her. Perhaps a few jabs at her confidence would end the deed tidily…
"All I need is five minutes with you and I believe we'll be done here," Gill remarked, knowing she would take the bait. Selena chuckled under her breath at her would-be-husband's statement. Five minutes? Please. From her own perspective, Selena felt like she was a newly discovered planet, of which a meager five minutes could not begin to even scratch her surface.
"You only need five minutes to get to know widdle ol' me?" Selena mewled with a pout.
"Of course. It's quite simple," Gill turned away from her to admire the true beauty of the island: its lush tropical forest.
"From the way you walk, I can tell what your temperament is like," Selena suddenly stiffened , her short strides swiftly becoming her focus. She started to fall behind his pace, but Gill took no notice. His eyes remained bound to the nature around them.
"From your appreciation of beauty, natural or artificial, I can see your level of culture. I can tell if you truly belonged in a ballroom or a club," Selena began to inwardly panic that he had seen through her careful choice of clothing and makeup. Gill suddenly leaned towards her and took a deep breath. Selena jolted back in alarm.
"I can tell whether your perfume is overwhelming or appealing," he pulled back and began to walk briskly back to the inn.
"Let's get something to drink," he called out behind him to his bewildered date. Selena quickly sniffed her arms and hair in alarm. She pouted in sincerity and watched him gingerly pick his way through the white sand.
"Geez, I didn't think he'd be this difficult…" Selena brushed back her curled bangs and followed after him.
Gill slurped the last of his pineapple smoothie slowly, feeling Selena's intense gaze on him but choosing not to acknowledge it. He placed his empty glass on the table and began to shuffle through the documents he had brought with him. The awkward silence had fallen between the pair again. As far as Gill was concerned, their date was over. Selena, on the other hand, was not about to give up without a fight though, not when she still had one last card to play.
"I hope you understand that I hold no contempt for you, Gill" Selena said, shattering the calm quiet once more. Gill looked up from his work briefly to glimpse at the speaker with a touch of contempt. The former formality in her tone was lost and replaced with a sudden air of friendliness.
"Of course, if we were to marry, I would to have to give up a few things, like my dancing and my dear friends," she said the last part snarkily. "But a marriage for status rather than love," she locked her deep, rich eyes with his icy, passive ones.
"I don't want that and…I hope you'll understand," Selena said with determination. She didn't seem as apologetic as her words stated. She held their stare, waiting for a response. When it did not come and he went back to his papers, she added more to her plea.
"To quietly marry a man I barely know for wealth is just not for me. I'm too much of a hot-blooded woman to be an obedient little daughter," she drew her hand over her soft auburn hair leisurely. Gill pinched the space between his eyes with unmasked annoyance. Could she not see that he wasn't interested in her coy hints? Gill knew she was trying to better her appearance by pretending to be attractively rebellious, but she had failed to realize the opportunity had been lost hours ago when he had formed his opinion on her that morning.
"So, what you're saying is…you don't want an arranged marriage," Gill said slowly, knowing where this conversation was drawing out to. Selena cast her gaze downwards, as if ashamed to admit the "truth".
"…yes," she answered quietly.
"Why not?" Gill asked nonchalantly. Selena jerked her eyes back to his in shock. She had been caught off guard with his question. Most of her suitors had left the conversation there, finding her to be an attractive challenge. Most suitors had melted instantly with a just a brief look from her. Most suitors had fallen for her alluring personality and appearance, but this man was completely different.
"E-excuse me?" Selena feigned ignorance at his question, hoping he'd change the subject.
"What is love? "he resumed, crossing his arms and leaning back into his seat. "I suppose some find it more important than anything else in a marriage. Because of it, people are willing to ignore background, education, and compatibility and replace it with kissing," Gill scowled at the matter, remembering high-standing individuals who had stooped because of hormones.
"Your naiveté matches your appearance, Ms. Selena" he said without consideration towards her. Selena blushed at the comment and began to feel rage burning within her. "If you're the type to fall for the town fool rather than the Prince Charming, then I think we're done here." Gill rose out of his reclined state and picked up his papers with him. Selena felt some relief at his departure, but his cutting remarks still stung. She too began to stand up and tried to keep his company longer.
"Wait, I didn't –"
"Should I tell your parents I was dumped? Our stories will need to match, Ms. Selena," Gill said as he straightened his tie once more. He quickly glanced at his wristwatch with a polite sneer.
"See?" he smiled at her dumbfounded figure and extended his arm so she could see the time as well. "Five minutes," he stated and left for his next appointment.
Selena collapsed back into the wicker chair, suddenly feeling dizzy. His comment about the town fool… did he know about her relationship with…? Selena tilted her head back and let out a laugh of bitterness. If Gill really did know about that, it would surely explain his curtness. Selena stared off into the deep blue of the ocean, where gloomy Waffle Island sat in the distance.
And thus, the seventh chapter is complete. :3 I apologize for not updating midweek like you and I had expected, but c'est la vie. :P
I hope my Selena doesn't seem too *floppy hand gestures* different. Also, Gill seemed pretty arrogant in this chapter. What a guy, am I right? -_- *shakes head* As usual, leave a review whether you loved, liked, or even intensely despised this chapter! :D I love finding a new review when I check up on my story and any word of feedback is always helpful. n_n
Next chapter should be ready by next week. Hopefully. =u=;; College is starting this week and I already know the homework is going to bury me. :T Maybe. We'll see.
S/N: I do not own HM:TOT or Secret Garden. :P
