Chapter 42 - 42: Dinner Part 1

Under the dimming lights of the chandelier, the Elders, Evan, and Selena were sitting quietly in the dining table.

The rectangular wooden table was filled with different dishes, the mouth watery scent of the food mixed in the air, while a soft melody was humming from the antique gramophone in the corner display table.

Everyone was eating quietly, Selena was sitting next to his uncle Evan while the two elders were sitting next to each other opposite of their grandchildren.

A face of a person in the middle of the war was painted on the Elder man's face, he had the cutlery in both of his hands while his face was looking at Evan, who hasn't touched his food while his wife and Selena had started eating since the food was served.

"Are you not going to eat?" the elder man said to Evan.

Evan looked at his grandfather and shook his head.

"I am waiting for Matthew," he replied.

Soon, footsteps roared from the living room, it could be heard in the dining room.

Then a familiar voice laughed, everyone in the living room recognized it to be Matthew.

The laugh became louder as the voice approached the living room.

Everyone's eyes turned at the door as soon as Matthew and Daniella's figure emerged from the living room.

"See. I told you, its dinner time," Matthew stated, his hands lay on Daniella's shoulder and pushed her towards the dining room.

Looking at the woman wearing a pair of blue sweatsuit, Evan's eyebrows creased.

It's too hot to be wearing this kind of clothes, even though the house is fully air-conditioned, if Daniella goes out, she might fell hot.

And the question in his mind was asked by Selena.

"Why are you wearing that? Don't you feel hot?"

"Asked your uncle," Daniella said with a dull face and, occupied the chair that the elder woman prepared for her.

She said her thanks to the old woman with a bright smile on her lips.

Then Selena dumbfoundedly shifted to her uncle Matthew who had just sat down next to her Uncle Evan.

"What does she mean uncle Matt?" she asked before shoving the food in her mouth.

"We played arm wrestling and she lost so she's now wearing my clothes, and I haven't washed it." Saying that with a grin, Matthew waggled his eyebrows as he looked at Daniella.

"Ew!" Selena groaned, face wrinkling with disgust.

Seeing the disgust on Selena's face, Matthew stretched his arm and poke his spoon on her forehead, "what ew? If I didn't win, I would be flying to Sahara now."

Remembering their game, Matthew shook his head, he almost lost if he just didn't distract Daniella by calling his cousin's name.

"Cheater!" Daniella said in a low voice, swaying a foot under the table to kick Matthew but, the man knew her so well that he distanced his legs from her.

The elder man Su was quiet as he ate his food but, his eyes were observing the people around. He had dined with his grandsons before but, this was the first time when the dining was loud, it's filled with Matthew's laugh and Selena's comment about Matthew's story on how Daniella broke his heart.

After putting the food on her plate, Daniella turned to the old woman sitting next to her. She had noticed her staring at her since she sat down and it's making her uncomfortable.

Daniella smiled at the elder woman, she had never met her grandparents or even know their name, they didn't exist just like her father.

"You are very pretty even in a normal shirt," the elder woman complimented her.

Daniella's lips curved a shy smile, she had been praised by elders in the past but, there was something in the old woman's voice that made her heart melt.

"Thank you," she replied, tightly holding her cutlery as she felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Daniella's smile faded by the elder woman's question, she shook her head as a response and sliced the meat on her plate.

"maybe you can marry one of my grandsons," the elder woman jokingly said.

Shocked by the elder woman's words, Daniella pressed the meat tightly that it flew in the air.

Her eyes swelled as she watched the beef flying towards Evan and as soon as the meat landed at his chest – leaving the sauce stain on it and then fell on his lap, Daniella's eyes shut.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her face went pale with fear seeing his dark expression.

"I am sorry," she hastily got up and rushed to Evan. She stood in the space between Matthew and Evan and wiped his clothes with the napkin she got from the table.

"I – it was – maybe the meat is still alive?" she stuttered as she tried to find an excuse to use.

Her eyes lowered to the meat on his lap, without thinking, she swiftly grabbed it.

She was about to put the meat on the tablet when a loose thread from the sleeve of her sweater shirt got stuck in his zipper.

(!)

Her eyes swelling with panic stared at Evan.

Daniella freed the meat and withdrew her wrists but, as she did that, the zipper slides down.

Panic overtook her mind, the elders are here as well as Matthew, good thing she was standing between Matthew or Evan or else the man would have seen her situation.

She felt as if the time has slowed down, she pulled her wrist but, the thread was still stuck.

Evan tried to help her, he removed the meat and put it on the table.

He was unsure where to touch, he could feel Daniella's hand touching his pants as she tried to pull the thread from his zipper.

Even with the thick material of his pants, Evan could feel the pressure on Daniella's hand as her finger nervously held the thread and pull it from his zipper.

"I can help you," he whispered.

"Please," she whispered back helplessly.

Evan was so close to removing the thread when Selena suddenly spoke.

"Daniella why are touching my uncle's zipper?"

Sitting on his chair, Matthew stretched his neck to peek at the situation next to him. He rose an eyebrow, seeing Daniella's clothes stuck in his cousin's zipper.

"Whoa! What is happening there?" he said grinning as he watched Daniella's face flushing like tomatoes.

"The meat might still be alive," Evan said and harshly pulled the thread from his zipper. Then he got up, leaving everyone astonished.