Author's Note: I am so deeply sorry you have to wait so long between postings. Just when I think I'm making excellent progress, RL throws something at me that affects my writing. It's very frustrating. But as I've told you before, I will not give up on this story. I'm too in love with it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love to you all!
Friday Evening: Dinner for Three
Sybelline hangs up her lab coat and locks her office door anywhere between 6:00 and 6:30pm every evening regardless of the hour she begins her day. With Shai's appointment concluding minutes after 3:00, she and the general have approximately three hours to themselves before her arrival. Sephiroth has chosen this time to lounge on the couch and read in the warmth of the fire. Shai has iced her back and is now reclining on the secondary couch with her legs outstretched and her head cushioned deep in the accent pillows. Like the general, she has decided to pass the coming hours by reading her novel. Outside, the weather has taken a turn for the worst. A bitter wind rushes from the north ushering in darker clouds abound with precipitation and gales that whip through the city and thrash the rain against the windows. The condo's interior is awash in reflections of wavering greys from the pouring rain streaming down the glass. Shai finishes up a lengthy chapter from this morning and takes a moment's pause to look outside.
The raindrops no longer patter rhythmically against the window panes. Instead, they are at the mercy of the wind, striking the surface with the ebb and flow of ocean waves crashing high and loud onto rocky shores. She closes her eyes and listens. She loves the sounds of rushing air and falling water. They bring back memories of she and her mother on stormy nights when the house would lose power. They would light candles, curl up on the sofa, and watch in awe as lightning flashed from cloud to cloud or streaked a jagged path to the earth. They would startle at the booming thunder and laugh themselves silly afterwards. But no matter how fierce the storm, Shai never felt scared. Her mother's presence made her feel safe, made her feel brave. She made her feel like not even the planet's fury could harm her. Shai squints her eyelids tight as tears burn behind them. With her will weakened by a tired mind and body, it is no wonder an otherwise fond memory would bring heartache instead of joy. She dabs at her eyes with the cuff of her sleeve and releases a soft sigh. Listening to the storm, Shai soon drifts away into sleep.
Sephiroth's ability to track the passage of time without the constant monitoring of a clock or watch is uncanny. For instance, every time Shai ices her back, his eyes look in her direction seconds before the timer indicates her twenty minutes are over. It is this internal clock that tells him it has been an hour since Shai last numbed her lower spine and is due for another bout of icing. Assuming she is completely absorbed with her novel, he gives her a few more minutes before reminding her. They pass by without the slightest sound or movement from her direction.
"Shai? It is time for you to apply an ice pack." Nothing. Not the rustle of her clothing against the plush cushion fabric, not the groan of the couch's coil springs.
"Shai? An hour has passed. If you wish to obtain maximum efficacy, you should not deviate from the schedule set out by the surgeon." He focuses his hearing on her breathing, though the inclemency of the weather makes it difficult to distinguish it from the sheeting rain. He closes his book and sets it on the coffee table before rising to walk over to the second couch.
"Shai?" Having closed the distance between them, Sephiroth can now hear the slow, steady breathing of a woman deep in slumber. Looking down at her, it is indeed so. Her head leans towards the backrest, her curls laying a thick blanket over the pillows, the couch, and her shoulders and chest. Her book lies askew on her belly, the open pages fanning upwards, free from the weight of her fingers now relaxed and resting beside her body. The strict military leader in him commands he wake her to ice her back in keeping with the surgeon's instructions, but how can he when he knows how little rest she has had in the past forty eight hours. He cautiously lifts the book from her stomach, closes it, and places it on the end table. He unfolds a wool throw draped over the corner of the couch and covers her with it. Satisfied, he walks back to the fireplace couch and continues with his reading.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"...Love's fire heats water; water cools not love."
At around 5:30pm, Sephiroth reads the final line of Sonnet 154 thereby finishing his book. He gives his long limbs a stretch and sits up, wondering what else he can do for the next thirty minutes or so. It's not worth his time to go to his office. By the time he sits at his desk and begins to sift through a week's worth of reports, he'll have to return home. His dojo is not an option either. Even if he had fully recovered his strength over the course of the day, his method of training takes much longer than a half-hour, and he would have to bathe again afterwards. He decides to kill a few minutes by brewing a cup of coffee. As he walks behind the secondary couch on his way to the kitchen, he peeks down at Shai and stops. She has not moved since he laid the throw on top of her. Gazing on the serene stillness of her face, Sephiroth notices a shed eyelash high on her left cheek. He drums his fingers against the backrest, his desire to brush it away in direct conflict with his good sense. As the seconds pass, the temptation becomes overwhelming and he digs his fingers into the cushions, fighting the honeyed words his mind whispers to him so sweetly. A simple brush of a fingertip is all it will take, as airy and imperceptible as a down feather alighting on skin. Sephiroth pulls his hands away from the couch. No. Though he relishes the memory of the soft, supple feel of her lip, he will not take advantage of her again as she lies sleeping. He turns and continues to the kitchen where he forgoes the coffee and instead pulls an expensive Cabernet Sauvignon from the wine fridge. He uncorks the bottle and lets it breathe on the island counter. By the time Sybelline arrives, it will taste perfect.
At the top of the hour, the doorbell rings. Shai jolts awake, the sudden, jarring motion agitating her injury. Her breath hisses between her teeth as the pain burns along her nerves, sending her muscles into clonic spasms. Sephiroth hears her and stops on his way to answer the bell.
"Are you alright?" Shai nods and waves for him to proceed. He opens the front door.
"Good evening, general." Sybelline walks in with a bottle of wine in one hand and a bouquet bursting with autumnal colour in the other. She hands the wine to Sephiroth who smiles at her oenophilia while closing the door.
"Good evening, Shai. This is for you." Shai rises stiffly from the sofa and walks over to the doctor, her expression beaming.
They are beautiful! Thank you! She accepts the bouquet, a beautiful array of sunflowers, orange roses, oregonia, and gold and rust chrysanthemums dotted throughout with sprigs of eucalyptus. Shai buries her nose in a rose, closes her eyes, and breathes in its fragrance, the scent reminding her of walking along the cobblestone pathways cutting through her mother's garden in the courtyard of her old home, the air thick with the perfume of roses, hydrangeas, lilies, and lilacs.
"Just something to cheer you up. I didn't know your favourite flower so I got you an arrangement to suit the season."
Sunflower.
"Pardon?"
"She said her favourite is the sunflower," says Sephiroth, in the kitchen putting Sybelline's gift in the wine fridge.
"How wonderful! The sunflower is such a friendly flower, isn't it? That, and the daisy." Shai smiles and nods her head in agreement. She sets the bouquet on the island and opens one of the many cupboard doors. On the top shelf is the water pitcher she substitutes for a vase. Gripping the edge of the counter with her left hand, she rises on her tiptoes and reaches for it with her right. Just when her fingers skim along the base, her back spasms painfully again. Her hand drops to the granite countertop with a dull slap while the other immediately massages the offending area.
"Damnit, Shai! Did you learn nothing from this morning?" Shai remains motionless as Sephiroth steps up close behind and reaches over her to grab the pitcher by its handle. She holds out her hands to receive the jug from him, but he ignores her and sets it on the counter beside the bouquet. He then opens the freezer and pulls an ice pack from the door shelf.
"Shai, when was the last time you iced your back?" asks Sybelline.
"She is long overdue."
"I was asking Shai."
A couple of hours.
"Then let's get you looked after, shall we?" Sybelline is about to ask Sephiroth for the ice pack when he walks past her to patiently follow behind Shai as she makes slow progress towards the club chair. She's unable to hide her surprise as she watches Shinra's illustrious general provide domiciliary care for his housekeeper, apparently going so far as to keep a mental record of her icing times. Sephiroth walks back to the kitchen and notices Sybelline's expression before the good doctor can compose herself. Her new expression brims with curiosity. Sephiroth avoids eye contact by pouring her a glass of wine.
"Why are you looking at me that way?"
"What way?"
"Don't play coy with me. You know very well which way." He passes the glass to Sybelline. Swirling the wine in the bowl, she lifts it to her nose to smell its aroma before setting it on the counter in front of her.
"I honestly do not know." Sephiroth leans over the countertop and looks her straight in the eyes.
"Like you did yesterday morning when I put the torn page in my pocket," he says, his voice lowered to an almost inaudible level.
"Sephiroth, I was merely thinking how wonderful it is that Shai has you to help her while she is recuperating. I admit, I was a bit surprised, but that was only because I so rarely see this side of you."
"I'm not a robot, Sybelline."
"Of course not! But you take self-restraint to a whole new degree." Sephiroth snickers. If she only knew how unrestrained he has been lately, especially this afternoon.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing." He pours himself a glass of wine.
"She and I have a routine. That is all."
"Then I can relax and not worry." Sybelline takes a sip of wine and her eyes widen.
"Mmm! You broke out the good stuff!"
"Naturally." They both drink.
"Let me get these flowers into some water and then we'll decide what to have for dinner."
"You've never brought me flowers when I've been ill."
"You've never shown the slightest interest in botany or floriculture. Do you even have a favourite flower?"
"Roses. Blood red."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the timer on Shai's phone counts down the last few minutes, Sybelline and Sephiroth refill their glasses and pour one for her. The doctor gathers the takeaway menus stacked neatly in the island drawer and she and the general seat themselves on the secondary couch. Sybelline divides the menus between the three and the debate over what to eat begins. Several minutes later, they come to the decision to have brewhouse fare. Sybelline calls in their order and informs them they must wait forty five minutes to an hour for delivery.
"The desk downstairs will call me when our food has arrived," she says, taking a sip of wine before setting it on the end table besides Shai's novel. At that moment, the timer goes off. To Shai's surprise, the general is on his feet and standing behind her before she can tap the dismiss option on her phone.
"Lean forward." Despite her protestations that afternoon when Xander attempted to take the same liberties with her, she obediently bends forward, allowing Sephiroth to remove the cold pack, knowing to pick a battle with this adversary would only lead to defeat. He walks into the kitchen and returns the pack to the freezer.
"So, Shai. How did your physical therapy appointment go today? What do you think of Xander?" Before Shai can raise her hands to sign her first word, the general is quick to provide his own critique.
"Utterly unprofessional," he says, sitting on the opposite end of the couch from Sybelline, "A disgrace. He takes advantage of young female clients during a vulnerable time in their lives by using his vocation as a means to approach them, then flatters them with witless banter dripping with saccharine words. His appearance is unkempt and his attitude is that of a playboy on the prowl."
"Goodness, Sephiroth, tell me how you really feel."
"His manner of instruction is inefficient and repetitive and his overall performance lacks humility, integrity, and respect for his patient." As he speaks, Sybelline notices Sephiroth shares his attention between her and Shai, but focuses especially on the latter when he mentions young vulnerable women, prowling players, and showing disrespect with ostentatious behaviour. Shai has no trouble meeting him eye to eye though her cheeks are flushed bright red, whether from the emotions behind his stare, the wine, or both, Sybelline finds it difficult to say. She knows which one would send heat rushing to her face if she were Shai and it has nothing to do with fermented grapes.
"Do you agree with the general, Shai?"
No, not with everything. Sybelline sits back, takes a sip from her glass, then sets it next to Shai's.
"Well, I am shocked, to say the least. The few times I have spoken with Xander, I found him to be charming." Sephiroth chuckles.
"Apparently, his affectation of affability is not just to beguile the young."
"Sephiroth!" Sybelline is stunned by his vehemence towards this young man. It is not merely a case of finding Xander annoying, but actual dislike for someone whose interaction was likely limited to social pleasantries, which means he is basing his dislike solely on the one-on-one time Xander spent with Shai. She takes another sip of her wine to hide a smile at the revelation that the general is seething with jealousy.
"You know, green is not a good colour on you." Shai's first thought is she would have to disagree. The general would look stunning in dark hunter green. Glancing his way, she imagines him in a sweater similar in style to the one he wore last Thursday, his silver hair bright as moonlight against the soft wool. But it is how the green would emphasize his eyes spectacularly that Shai finds herself gazing at him much longer than she intended. When he returns her gaze with equal intensity, she feels her face burn hotter and she looks away. She suddenly feels exposed just sitting in the chair with her hands lying idle in her lap. She picks up her wine glass, takes a sip, and ponders Sybelline's words. Then it hits her. How can she be so obtuse? The general's harsh criticism of Xander, his assertive behaviour that afternoon, his increasing protectiveness towards her, Sybelline's reference to green, all allude to one explanation. Shai drinks deeply from her glass. Surely, that cannot be the reason. It makes no sense. The general sees her as nothing more than his housecleaner and cook. Right?
"Don't be ridiculous. I am not green or any other colour on the emotional spectrum. My conclusions are derived from a mind trained in analytical thought."
"Nonsense! To successfully analyze a subject critically you must remain unbiased." Sephiroth and Sybelline both glance at Shai, the young woman oblivious to their discussion, sipping her wine absent-mindedly.
"I am an excellent judge of character, and after meeting with Mr. Redding, I find him to be the most disingenuous man I have ever met." Sybelline chooses to finish off her glass of wine rather than list several people that deserve that title more than Xander. She looks to Shai. Her mind is clearly distracted, her eyes faraway in thought.
"You're right, Sephiroth. You are an excellent judge of character, and your observational skills are exceptional, but don't you think you are being unreasonable? Perhaps we should hear from the person who spent the most time with him. Shai?" So focused are Shai's thoughts on the general and the notion of him feeling anything as ignominious as envy, she starts at the sound of her name.
I am sorry. I was distracted.
"That's alright, my dear. I was merely asking you your opinion of Xander in regards to the general's conclusions concerning his character." Shai is about to sign when she is interrupted once again.
"There is no need to ask Shai. I was there, Sybelline. I spent the same amount of time listening to his blather as she did."
"You should have afforded them some privacy, young man, rather than eavesdrop from the other couch."
"You ordered me to rest today and I chose to do so from the comfort of my living room." Sephiroth finishes off the remainder of his wine with one gulp. "And for the record, I was not eavesdropping. Mr. Redding speaks at only one volume: conspicuously. It took all of my training to neutralize his verboseness in order to restore a sense of peace so that I could enjoy my book." He stands, plucks Sybelline's glass from her hand, and refills it at the island counter, leaving his empty one next to the bottle. He returns to the couch and hands her her glass.
"Shai? Would you like another glass of wine?" Shai feels conflicted over her answer. She definitely desires another serving, having never tasted a wine as sumptuous as this one, but she can already feel its effects, a warm radiance reddening her cheeks. Her last meal was lunch. With her stomach empty, she really must pace herself or she'll be asleep before dessert.
No, thank you. I will wait for dinner.
"As you wish." He seats himself on the couch, angling his body against the armrest and cushions in such a way he no longer has to turn his head to better see Sybelline and Shai.
"Enough about the physical therapist. How was your day, doctor?"
"Well, the morning went smoothly, but my afternoon was tedious, to say the least. I had to sit in on a conference call with President Shinra. That man loves the sound of his voice." Sybelline spends the remaining minutes of their wait time detailing her phone call with the president and the section heads of various departments.
"Why I was required to sit in on the call in the first place, I will never know." She finishes speaking in time to hear her phone's ringtone, violins performing the spring concerto from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
"Oh! That must be the downstairs desk." She answers the call.
"Yes, this is she. Excellent! I'll be right down. Thank you for calling." Sybelline rises from the couch and slips her phone into her pocket.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." As the front door clicks shut, Shai stands and walks towards the kitchen, but is immediately intercepted by the general.
"What do you think you're doing?"
I am going to set the table for dinner.
"Sybelline can do that when she returns."
General, I am perfectly capable of doing something as simple as setting out plates and silverware. Besides, I need to get up and move around. He pauses for a moment, his eyes observing her closely.
"Hm, you're correct. Remaining sedentary for too long will only aggravate your injury. Activity increases blood flow to your back's soft tissue, reducing stiffness as well as promoting healing." Shai is continually amazed at the sheer breadth of knowledge the general possesses regarding not only his disciplines, but other professions as well. He steps to the side to allow her to pass and follows her into the kitchen. Shai grabs placemats, napkins, plates, and silverware and heads to the dining table while Sephiroth chooses a chardonnay to have with dinner. He pops the cork, grabs the cabernet sauvignon, and sets both bottles on the table. He adds the finishing touches by producing three clean wine glasses from the kitchen and placing them at each individual's seat. A few minutes later, Sybelline returns carrying two brown paper bags, one large and one small.
"Sephiroth? Would you take the larger one? It is quite heavy." He does as he asked and sets the bag on the island counter. He unpacks three large biodegradable takeout containers while Sybelline walks straight to the refrigerator and places the smaller bag inside.
"OK. Let's see what we have here," she says, turning the containers towards her to better read the names of each entrée.
"Steak with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Shai, this one is yours. Jambalaya. This is for me. Which leaves the salmon for you, Sephiroth." They take their respective dinners to their places at the table and sit down, Sephiroth at the head with Shai to his right and Sybelline to his left. He chooses the best wine according to each main dish, pouring Shai the cabernet to complement her steak while pairing the chardonnay with his fish and the doctor's seafood and chicken. Once their meals have been served on the plates and the containers set aside, Sybelline raises her glass. Sephiroth and Shai follow suit.
"Drink wine, and live here blitheful while ye may, the morrow's life is too late. Live today!" Their glasses chime together and they drink. After the toast, they settle in and begin to eat. Shai finds herself in the same mindset as the last time she had wine with dinner, especially since she is already on her second glass. She decides to have a sip of wine with every three bites of steak and three bites of vegetables, taking her time to chew between each forkful. But despite her carefully laid plan, the general still empties the rest of the red wine into her glass before she is halfway into her meal.
"So, Shai, what sort of regimen does Xander have you doing?"
Stretches targeting my lumbar and sacral regions, the piriformis and iliopsoas muscle groups in the hips and buttocks. Sybelline's face remains neutral, telling Shai that she did not understand one word. She silently chastises herself for not only using terms that require her to spell them, but for hastily cycling through the letters to do so. They both look to the general.
"The piriformis and iliopsoas muscle groups. Given the therapist's method of teaching, I can recite the instructions for each stretch verbatim if you wish to know details."
"Sephiroth."
"Forgive me. I will say no more."
"Thank you." They continue on with their dinner for several silent minutes until Sephiroth puts down his fork, takes a deep drink of wine, and addresses Sybelline.
"I will cease all further discussion on the physical therapist after I point out that after her appointment and that man's departure from my home, both Shai's expression and posture softened significantly. In addition, when questioned by myself, she acknowledged her relief at being free from his inappropriate advances."
"Shai, is this true?"
Yes.
"And with that admission, my integrity has been vindicated." Sephiroth takes another mouthful of wine and a hearty bite of his salmon.
"My dear, why did you not make your discomfort known as soon as it became an issue? I'm sure Xander did not intend on making you feel ill at ease." Shai sets down her fork and knife, dabs at her mouth with her napkin, and takes a deep breath. Several seconds pass before she gives her answer. Sephiroth translates for Sybelline, word for word.
How shall I put this? I am intimidated by men and women whom I find meet society's highest standards, either in mind, body, spirit, or combination thereof. I do not know how to behave in their presence or speak eloquently to them. She raises her wine to her lips and empties the glass in one swift motion.
In short, beautiful people make me nervous. Sybelline and Sephiroth look to one another, the doctor's expression incredulous, the general's as near to incredulity as he'll allow. In this brief moment, they silently impart the same thought; how can someone so beautiful in every way imaginable be anxious around people that bear the same qualities? Shai observes their shared exchange.
You think what I said is ridiculous.
"No! No! I completely understand," says Sybelline, "There are many people who intimidate me. All sorts of people. None come to mind at the moment, but I know there are."
"I'm intimidated by no one."
"That's because you are the one intimidating the helpless souls who come in contact with you." Sephiroth smiles before eating a forkful of curried coconut rice.
"You are a lovely woman, Shai. To have you as a friend is a blessing. You may discover the people you find intimidating less so once you get to know them. You just need to let them in."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
An hour or so after dinner is finished and the dining table has been cleared and cleanup is over, the trio sit around the fire enjoying slices of triple chocolate cheesecake, sipping from dessert glasses filled with a sweet madeira wine. Shai sits in the club chair to the left of the couch, an ice pack centered low on her spine while Sybelline shares the sofa with Sephiroth. With his sizable meal insufficient to satiate the hunger generated from his liberal alcohol consumption at dinner, even he is partaking in the night's final course, his plate clean of crumbs, cake, and frosting. He downs his fifth glass of wine and eyes the half portion of cheesecake Sybelline has left uneaten on her plate.
"Any plans this weekend?" Sybelline asks Sephiroth, well aware of his hungry glances at the remainder of her dessert.
"I may unpack the den. I have delayed doing so for too long."
"Just don't overexert yourself. Your body is still recuperating from this past week." When Shai looks at Sybelline questioningly, she is quick to clarify, her words spilling out in a jumbled mess.
"I meant from his illness Wednesday night. It's only been a couple of days. The body needs time to recover after such a high fever." A thin sheen of sweat shines her forehead and she pats it dry with her linen napkin. She sets her plate on the coffee table.
"I think you've iced your back long enough, Shai. Let me remove it for you." Sybelline surprises Shai by swiftly reaching down and yanking the pack out from behind her before she can adjust her position in the chair. The abrupt motion pulls Shai's sweater up high on her back and exposes her skin. Shai bites down on her lip and endures the cold shock as the pack's cool surface touches her from the base of her spine to her bra strap. Afterwards, she watches the good doctor take purposeful steps to the kitchen. Shai can't help but think that Sybelline is trying to distract her from her verbal slip minutes ago. The doctor returns to the couch and resumes eating her cheesecake, much to Sephiroth's chagrin.
Now that Shai is no longer being held prisoner in the ice pack's frozen grip, she is finally free to set her plate and glass down on the coffee table. She finished her dessert and wine minutes ago, but was forced to remain still lest she upset the cold pack. She rises from the chair, waits for her balance to stabilize, then steps over to the table and sets her plate and glass on the tray used to serve their desserts. Sybelline finishes her cake and places her plate on top of Shai's, then adds the general's to the stack. She gathers up the empty wine glasses and takes the tray into the kitchen, Shai right on her heels. Sybelline puts the plates and silverware in the dishwasher then fills a sink with soapy water, submerging all six wine glasses beneath the bubbles.
"Shai, my dear, I can take care of this. You should sit down and relax."
I will dry.
"OK." She hands Shai the tea towel and begins washing the first glass.
"So, what are your plans this weekend? Other than not doing housework." Sybelline gives Shai a wink.
My easel and art supplies get delivered tomorrow.
"I'm sorry, sweets. I only understood art and tomorrow. Sephiroth? Would you mind translating for me, please?" He walks to the kitchen and sits down at the island bar.
"Shai, what did you say?" She repeats the hand motions.
"She said her easel and art supplies will be delivered tomorrow."
"Oh! How exciting! Now you will have something to keep you occupied." Shai nods, a smile as bright as sunshine lighting her face. She removes the first glass from the drying rack and wraps the towel around it. Sephiroth looks on with disapproval.
"I thought she was prohibited from performing housework."
I can handle a few wine glasses.
"Are you going to be this contentious throughout your entire convalescence?"
I am not starting an argument. I am merely stating that my body can tolerate drying six wine glasses.
"Children. It's been such a lovely evening. Let's not bicker."
"Fine."
OK. Sybelline finishes the last glass, dries her hands, and glances at her watch.
"Well, my loves, I think it is time for me to call it an evening. This has been wonderful. We should do this again." She walks to the island and grabs her wallet.
"Shai, take care of yourself. General, thank you for the use of your home. I will see you both soon, I'm sure." She walks over to Shai and gives her a goodbye kiss on her cheek. Sephiroth rises from the bar to see Sybelline to the door to say their farewells. When she insists on giving him the same departing endearment she gave Shai, he obliges and bends low to receive his kiss. After the door shuts behind him, he returns to the kitchen and leans against the island counter.
"She gets so...motherly when she drinks." He wants Shai to believe it is a rebuke, but on closer inspection, she can see the slight curve to his lips telling her otherwise. She finishes the last glass, shining the crystal with the towel until it sparkles, and places it beside the other five on the counter. She hangs the tea towel on its hook and turns to leave the kitchen, but the general, who has not moved from his place beside the island, blocks her way. For reasons unknown to Shai, the green in his eyes shines brighter than emeralds glinting in the sun and her heart immediately responds to their beauty. As it flutters fiercely against her chest, her only thought is how beautiful he is, so extraordinarily beautiful. When his mouth breaks into a grin, she realizes she's been staring shamelessly at him. She drops her eyes to focus on her flowers centered on the dining table.
"I'm curious, Shai." Taking every bit of will power she has, she looks him in the eyes again.
"Given our discussion at dinner, tell me...have you ever felt intimidated by me? Have I ever made you feel nervous?" Shai is taken aback, speechless, unsure of how to answer. Her reticence prompts Sephiroth to stand upright and take a step towards her.
"Shai? Have I?"
Yes, in the beginning.
"And now?"
I, I do not know. He takes a step closer, his shadow enveloping her body. The fire that burns in his chest rages uncontrollably as she gazes up at him with wide glacier blue eyes. It spreads through his veins when his eyes drop to her rosy pink lips and for the first time since she entered his life, he wonders how they would feel pressed against his own. He looks her in the eyes.
"Yes, you do." His voice has taken on a sensual tone. Shai is in a panic. Does she tell him the truth? Her alcohol infused mind tells her to go for it. A quiet rational voice bubbles up through the five glasses of wine and says no, absolutely not. How can she possibly tell him she finds him attractive in not just face and body, but in mind and spirit as well? Fortunately for her, her drunken state and her voice of reason reach a compromise.
I still am.
"You are?"
Yes, of course. She fights to keep her hands from shaking, her shoulders back, to maintain eye contact. She must exude confidence, not timidity. To look elsewhere would call into question the truthfulness of her answer.
You're the esteemed General Sephiroth. The only way to calm my nerves is to remind myself that you are my client and I am a professional. It is not a lie. Shai is simply omitting telling him of her newfound feelings. She cannot risk their business arrangement. Sephiroth continues to stare intently into her eyes, searching their depths, searching for words left trapped in silence. Seconds pass and his face loses some of its intensity as if he has come to a resolution.
"You do not need to be nervous around me, Shai. I am more than my military rank. With time, you will come to know this."
Yes, general. I mean yes, sir. Shai sighs in exasperation and gives it one more try.
What I mean to say is I know and I will try.
"Excellent. Then I will say good night."
Good night. He turns and walks towards his bedroom. Believing he is out of sight, Shai slouches against the counter, her chest shuddering as she breathes a sigh of relief, releasing her pent-up tension. Her heart continues to beat wildly and her whole body begins to tremble. She worries her lower lip nervously while crossing her hands over her heart, as if doing so will temper its excitement. She closes her eyes and takes deep breaths. If she had left them open, she might have noticed the general was never completely obscured by the pantry cupboard. Had her eyes remained open, she would have seen a sly smile gracing his lips before he disappeared around the kitchen corner.