Love at first sight. Joss fell for a woman he had never met before, after seeing her pictures in the magazine. He wanted to know her better and probably wooing her as well to be his wife. But she wasn't that easy to win. Not just her, but the whole...
"Do you want more?" Asked Joss when he saw Eisaya's plate was almost empty.
"No...I'm good." Eisaya quickly declined and took a sip of the orange juice. She needed to watch her diet. She had eaten more than the amount of food intake she should take. She might have to do a bit of running and exercising, to burn some calories later.
"What about you, Rowan?" Joss said to the boy. "Do you want more?" He raked the boy's fringe aside, then wiped clean the sauce on the right corner of that boy's lips.
"I'm full." Rowan said as he pushed his plate away.
"Are you sure? You still have some on your plate." Joss said, looking at Rowan's plate that was still half full.
Rowan pouted. "I can't eat anymore. My stomach feels so bloated." Rowan patted his stomach and puffed his cheeks to show how full he was.
"Then...drink your juice, and I will let you watch cartoons later."
Rowan smiled. "Can she stay and watch cartoons with me?"
Joss peered at Eisaya, wondering whether she had something more important to do.
"I'm sorry, Rowan. I need to go back to my place after this. I have some chores, I need to get them done." Eisaya said, ruffling his hair lightly.
Rowan said nothing but stared at Eisaya curiously.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Eisaya queried.
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"Are you really just a friend and not Uncle Joss' wife?" Rowan piped out.
"Huh? No...But why do you think that I am his wife?" Eisaya had a gut feeling, something might have triggered the innocent boy's brain, implying that she was married to Joss.
"Because...Uncle Joss has this huge picture of you in his room." Rowan said and raised his hands to show the size of her picture, which had been plastered on the bedroom's wall.
"Rowan!!" Joss was petrified when the boy told Eisaya the secret that should be kept from everyone. But it was his fault for not telling Rowan, to hide that secret from her.
Rowan who hadn't expected to be yelled at, was startled by Joss' loud voice. His eyes instantly were brimming with tears because he knew, Joss was mad at him.
"I'm sorry, Rowan...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that...you shouldn't have told her about the picture." Joss quickly pulled Rowan into his arms, wishing that he didn't scared the boy.
"You have what? A picture of me? Which picture? Did you stalk me and snap my picture secretly?" Eisaya couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"No. I did not stalk you. It's just a blown up picture from the magazine." Joss explained to defense himself from being accused wrongly.
"I want to see it." Eisaya demanded. She wanted to be assured, that Joss wan't lying. "Can you take me to his room, Rowan?"
Rowan didn't answer immediately. He peered at Joss as if he was waiting for that man to give his consent first.
Joss huffed and nodded at Rowan. "You can do as her wish."
Rowan blinked. Then looked at Eisaya before his gaze was back on Joss.
"It's okay. I won't get mad." Joss uttered softly. He could read what Rowan was thinking. The boy must be scared, that he might get yelled again. But it wasn't his fault the secret was out. If only he had warned Rowan, not to say a word about the picture, the boy wouldn't blurt it out, and Eisaya wouldn't even know about its existence. "Just bring her to my room."
Rowan nodded. He carefully got off of his chair and grabbed Eisaya's fingers. "Come with me, please..."
Eisaya swiftly got off of her chair and followed Rowan, glaring at Joss who decided to tag along as well.
As soon as they entered the room, Eisaya gasped as she stared at the huge picture of her that had been plastered on the wall, facing the bed. "What the...." She stopped after she realized the little boy was there with them. "What are you? A pervert?"
Joss said nothing because he was ashamed of what he did.
"Why did you do it?" Eisaya wanted some answers. She wasn't fond of having a neighbour who had her picture on his wall.
"Because I love you, Eisaya. I couldn't meet the real you before, so...the picture is the only way for me to express how I feel for the real person." Joss explained himself, wishing Eisaya would understand, he was not a pervert.
"Take it down." Eisaya said sternly. "We are not together. So, take it down."
Joss sighed in defeat. "I will...I will take it down later. But....do you really feel, that we can't be together?"
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"Yes. I'm positive." Eisaya stated adamantly.
Joss nodded. "Okay." He replied dejectedly, nodding his head slowly.
"I'm going to take my leave now, so, please take down the picture. And I trust that you will do as I say." Eisaya piped out, while trying not to show her anger because of Rowan.
"Yeah...I'll do that per your wish." Joss agreed, as he and Rowan walked her out of that room and to the front door.
"You're leaving?" Rowan pouted sadly. "Is it because of me?" He asked, since his parents did leave him at the orphanage because they didn't want him. He was a burden to them. And he didn't want Eisaya to think that he was a burden to her too.
Eisaya slowly crouched down and cupped Rowan's face. "You're not the reason for me to leave. I have chores to do at my place. That's why I need to leave."
"Will you come here again to have a meal with us?"
Eisaya lifted up her face and looked at Joss. "Sorry, Rowan. I don't think, I will ever come here again."
Rowan said nothing but hugged Joss' right leg.
"Bye, Rowan." Eisaya got up and left that penthouse unhesitantly. But her heart felt heavy when she walked out of that penthouse and entered her own. It felt like something was pulling her back to that place, but she knew, she would never go back to that place. She couldn't. She had rejected Joss. But why did she have this feeling like she had done something wrong?
A series of knocking on the door startled Eisaya and immediately snapped her from her deep thought. She wondered if it was Joss. Reluctantly, she opened the door, and she was surprised to see someone who she didn't expect would show his face in front of her penthouse.
