Rowans Choice

Chapter Eighteen- Butterflies

Bell had arranged for Andy and I to share a dinner, alone. She had set up cue cards for us on the table and we were to ask each other questions as the dinner progressed.

The rules were simple, no deviating from the set questions. So, of course, we deviated from the set questions.

Andy picked up the pile of cards beside her plate to inspect. I watched her with a smile pricking my lips, she had been left out a dress to wear by Robin, one I assumed Robin thought she would hate. It was pale pink, almost white, and it was pretty, but not as pretty as she. It had a scoop neck that let her cleavage be seen but not overly so, a youthful cut that let you know she was now a fully grown woman but not the kind you groped... just the kind you appreciated from afar.

Her hair was tucked behind her ears, the tips of which could be seen poking through it. I loved the blush of her cheeks and the small amount of colour that had touched up her lips. God, her lips, my eyes wondered to them and stayed there far too long, remembering how they felt pressed to mine, and with thoughts of that came sensations through my entire body at the memory of her tongue brushing mine.

The table lurches upward as I snap out of inappropriate thoughts and my knee catches the table leg.

"Nervous" Andy teases as she takes her seat.

"No" I return playfully "but I'm dreading what Bulldozer wrote on those cue cards"

Andy let's out an amused little laugh and holds them up in her hands "Let's keep the first one and ditch the others... I'm pretty sure we can get through an entire dinner of conversation without needing assistance on topics".

"Burn them" I suggest in agreement.

Andy raises her eyebrow playfully and the cards in her hand burn to ash and disappear the instant the flame flickers from her finger tips. "Now that's over with... let's choose some food. I'm starved from that field trip into the forest"

I click my fingers and the butler appears "Princess"

"Bring us a bottle of our finest wine" I ask. "The kings favourite. I do love to assist in emptying his favourite barrel"

"Of course" he replies as he instructs the footman to retrieve it.

"What would you like for dinner" I ask, looking over to the handwritten menu from the kitchen.

Andy studies it, her eyes darting over the paper, as if she was about to choose something of the utmost importance that she couldn't get wrong.

"I would happily just eat that basket of bread" she says, gesturing to the fresh bread rolls piled high in a wicker basket beside us.

I nodded and looked to the dish of butter beside it in agreement "me too"

"But the soup looks nice" she adds, looking up from the paper and handing it to me.

I glance over it, knowing what would be on it already. "I'm going to ask for a cheese board with fruit... I am in the mood to pick at things"

"Want to share" Andy asked

"Sure". I return. "Look at us" I say teasingly, placing down the paper and leaning on my elbows "getting on and sharing".

"I still think Bells drugging us" Andy muses as the footman returned with a bottle of wine and the butler brought it to the table.

He placed the bottle over his arm and poured it generously into my glass as I watched him closely. "Don't hold back on me now" I remind him.

He stops and I nod for him to fill Andy's too, lifting mine by the stem and holding the glass to my lips.