“Tell everyone your idea,” the tall man with blue eyes at the opposite head of the table says.
Everyone gives their attention to Draven, for his big idea.
“I thought she could marry in.”
“You can’t be serious?” Lina’s puckered face shows off her disdain for Draven’s plan. “What are the other options?”
“Actually, it’s really only the one.” Draven does a lazy, one-corner smile, and my belly somersaults.
“No way,” the man sitting next to the raven-haired woman says. “Absolutely not. No one would ever believe that.”
“Allison, how rude of me,” Draven says. “I haven’t introduced you to everyone. These are key members of my… association.” The way he pauses and breathes out the word ‘association’ sends a chill up my spine. Like he doesn’t mean that word in the same way other people would use it. Like its meaning is something more sinister. Are they in an organized crime outfit? Am I sitting with the mafia? “This is Stefania,” he says, pointing to the black-haired woman. “Her husband, Arthur.”
I beam at them. “Nice to meet you.”
“My best friend, and confidant, Viggo.” He points to the man at the head of the table. “Everyone, this is Allison.”
“Nice to meet you,” I say, trying to ignore the look of disgust Stefania wears all over her face.
“Marriage is a perfect solution,” Draven says. “It’s that or offer her up to be served as dinner to the other clans. And I won’t have that happen.”
Whoever they’re talking about, it sounds serious. As is my hunger. My stomach growls so loud, Simon hears it.
“Hungry?” he asks.
“Starving.”
“Can we talk about this after our guest eats?” Simon says to the table.
“Viggo, a word?” Draven rises and leaves the table with Viggo following behind him.
A blonde woman enters the room, carrying a tray of food. It all smells so good.
Stefania and Arthur both leave the table to follow Draven and Viggo.
“Make sure she eats,” Simon’s mother says, leaving the table as well.
“No one’s eating?” I ask, glancing around the now empty dining room.
“They ate before you came down.”
“Did I do something wrong?” I ask Simon.
He shakes his head. “No. Now eat.”
The server sets a charcuterie board in front of me, heaped with an array of assorted dried meats and cheeses. Olives and grapes fill the edges. As soon as I eat, I can’t stop. I keep shoveling it in until Simon chuckles beside me.
“You’re hungry, huh?” he asks.
I wipe my mouth with the white linen napkin beside my plate. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until they placed this food in front of me.”
He smirks. “There’s more where that came from.”
Another server enters and places a tray with an array of mini sandwiches on the table. There’s egg salad, a chicken sandwich with basil and tomatoes, and a turkey club. I select the egg salad and take a bite.
The food is divine.
As soon as I finish the bite, I stare up at Simon. “You’re not eating?”