Wrapped In Silk | ✔️

6

~Wisteria's POV~

"So," I began hesitantly after Mr. Carrillo had sat down across from me. "What brings you here, Mr. Carrillo?" I asked, not expecting him to be here. He looked like a very sophisticated man, and this restaurant was nice, but it certainly didn't look fancy enough for him.

"Oh, you can just call me Cayn, Ms. Summers. Hoover isn't around and I'm not your boss, so you don't have to be so formal with me." He said, causing me to raise my brows in surprise. Nonetheless, I reluctantly nodded my head. "Cayn." I tested his name out, peering at him closely. "I've never met someone with that name before. I like it." I told him, brushing a strand of my dark hair behind my ear. His crystal like eyes peered into my brown ones, the edges of his lips twitching up. "Thank you. You're perhaps the first to say so." He responded.

"Since you insist on me calling you by your first name, you can call me by mine, too." I decided, giving him a small smile. "It's Wisteria, by the way." I added, realizing that I had only given him my last name. Cayn hummed. "Wisteria, huh?" He said, the sound of my name being spoken in his low, husky voice making involuntary goosebumps rise upon my skin. "Pretty name." He murmured thoughtfully, his compliment making my face warm.

"Well, to answer your first question," Cayn began suddenly, bracing his strong arms atop the surface of the table. "This happens to be my favorite restaurant. At least, for Southern food." He told me, causing me to cock up a brow curiously. "Really? I actually haven't ever eaten here before, so I don't know what's good..." I admitted, biting on the inside of my lip. "This is my first time here. I was supposed to meet someone, but, you know...that obviously didn't happen." I told him honestly.

Cayn raised a brow. "Someone stood you up?" He asked, sounding stunned. My face burned in embarrassment and humiliation but I gave a weak nod of my head nonetheless. "Who was dumb enough to do that?" He frowned, scanning his eyes over the features of my face. I pursed my lips. "Ah, that would be my boyfriend, actually." I responded, watching as surprise flashed over his face. "Boyfriend." He hummed. "Seems kind of lousy of him." He voiced, causing my brows to raise, taken aback by his forward words.

"Well, that's easy to say when you only have that information. It's not that big of a deal." I said with a shrug, though I didn't really believe my own words even as I said them. It was a big deal to me. I didn't get much time with Owen anymore and I was a little upset about that, sure, but Mr. Carrillo didn't know anything. He was crossing a line in saying such things.

It seemed he realized that I was a little miffed about his words because he raised his hands in a way of surrender as he looked at me. "My bad. I see I overstepped." He responded, earning a stiff nod. "Yes, you did." I agreed, only making his lips twitch up slightly. "Then I apologize." He said, still peering at me intently as he leaned into the table again. "But I won't take it back." He told me honestly. I stared right back at him, unable to help the small smile that grew on my lips. "That's okay." I conceded, leaning into the table as well.

"So, Cayn," I began, switching the conversation. "You said this is your favorite restaurant, right? What would you recommend I get, then?" I asked, as neither of us had ordered anything yet. He nodded, pushing one of the menus over to me while he kept the other one in front of him. "My favorite is the chicken fried steak. Best I've ever had." He answered, pointing a long finger to where it was on the menu in front of me.

I cocked up a brow. "Really? The best?" I echoed. "Maybe I'll try that, then." I said, a smile growing upon my lips. We waited until the waiter came up to the table before we both ordered the chicken fried steak, resuming our conversation after the waiter left with our orders.

"How long have you worked for Mrs. Hoover?" Cayn asked, curiosity in his voice. I pushed my menu off to the side of the table so it wasn't in front of me anymore. "Oh, a little over a year now." I answered, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "At first I just worked on the first floor for about two years until she decided to make me her personal assistant." I explained. I'd been hired when I was nineteen after being laid off from a different job, where I'd also worked as an assistant, and had been working here ever since.

"You don't look very old, though. How old are you?" He wondered, eyeing me with a glint in his gaze that made my stomach flutter in a way that it hadn't in a long time. I cleared my throat, shooing the strange feeling away. "Twenty two." I responded. "What about you? Mrs. Hoover didn't tell me much about you. In fact, I didn't even know you were supposed to be working with her until the morning we first met." I admitted, laughing sheepishly.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me at all." He said, letting out a low chuckle. "And I'm twenty eight." He added, answering my first question. I raised my brows, a little surprised at how young he was. He didn't appear old, but he had an intimidating air of maturity about him that made me think he was older than that. "Wow." I said dumbly, blinking. An amused smirk tugged at his lips at my reaction. "What? Surprised?" He chuckled, a playful tone to his voice that had my face burning. I shrugged weakly. "Yes and no." I responded honestly. "You look young, but you seem more mature than a twenty eight year old, I suppose." I told him.

Cayn smiled. "Well, I took over being a CEO at twenty four, so I had to step up. No bullshitting when you know how much is at risk." He said. "I actually used to be quite immature. In some ways, I still am." He murmured, glancing up when the waiter returned with our food and drinks, placing them before us on the table.

He waited for a moment until the waiter had left before he spoke up again, piercing blue eyes staring through me. "Well?" He chuckled as I just looked at him, gesturing to my plate. "Try it. I promise you'll love it." He assured, earning an unsure look from me. "And if I don't?" I asked, cocking a brow up. Cayn rolled his eyes, the action not of annoyance but rather playful. "Then I'll admit I steered you wrong, and I'll even be kind enough to pay for it myself." He responded, catching me off guard.

I hesitated at first, biting on my bottom lip. "Okay." I smiled, already knowing by the delicious smell alone that I wasn't going to dislike it. "You've got yourself a deal, Cayn." I said nonetheless. His lips tugged up ever so slightly and the two of us began to dig in, the taste of the chicken fried steak making me hum in delight. Cayn looked at me with a watchful eye, amused at my reaction. "Told you so." He chuckled, likely able to tell just how much I liked it from my reaction alone. "Good, yeah?" He asked.

Eagerly, I nodded my head. "Mhm." I hummed without opening my mouth, not wanting to talk with food in my mouth. I finished the food I was eating and swallowed, taking a sip of water before I spoke, smiling playfully at him. "Looks like you won't be paying for it after all." I teased, laughing softly when he rolled his eyes.

The rest of lunch dragged on between us, and for the time being, Owen's failure to show up was completely forgotten.