Operation Charming Jordan

3: A Dinner To Forget

Jordan looked around the table surrounded by strangers instead of the family he had grown to love at the farm.

"Aren't you hungry, Bastian?" He looked up to Mrs. Waters wondering why she called him that name but traced her eyes back to Harper, the youngest of the Waters.

As he turned from Harper, he sharply turned his attention to his food as their daughter that he met earlier, kept staring at him. Watching his every move as if he was going to steal from them or was she was just curious of him as he felt the moment he met her.

"Excuse me," His hostess excused herself with a lovely smile as the lovely wife and mother she happened to be.

He was surprised at the children's silence on the table as they were. Back home, everyone chatted and laughed over their meal but not this silence, he was going to get accustomed to.

Tilting his head to his side as he saw Harper look at him with a strange face like he pitied him or looked at him like a lost puppy.

Harper turned to his plate and took all the sausages to Jordan's plate then faced his meal like nothing happened.

Jordan looked at his bowl of noodles filled with veggies, sausages and egg and continued, eating his meal.

He doubt his eyes as he saw Mrs. Waters helping a man to the head of the table before returning to her place opposite his but besides the fragile man.

"I thought we agreed over this," The man that he thought appeared to be Mr. Waters said.

Mrs. Waters slammed the table showing a brief evidence of violence, "Not over a meal," She said, almost like a plead and not a threat.

"Goddammit," The man grumbled, "I can't longer talk in my own house. Look at what the twenty first century bullshit has done to women." He chuckled, with a mean sense of humor as he turned to Jordan.

"Son, what are you doing here and who sent you?" He said before taking a brief look at his wife who was breathing fire, "Just checking" He threw his hands in the air with a chuckle.

The children kept eating as if they were used to such outburst of emotions. Jordan whisked himself back to answering the question. Almost like a job interview but over a meal, he supposed.

"My name is Jordan Alonso and I'm here to help you with the farm and repairs of the house. I was sent by Mr. Breen as your wife knows and now you do."

"I see that you are the confident and educated one."

"No, sir. Actually, I drop out of high school."

"Oh! I guess life is a hater."

"I prefer to think that life is what we react to it. Mr. Breen gave me a job and now I'm here."

"You sound optimistic about this one."

"I intend to train my mind for the best and watch out for the worst."

"Seeing two sides of a coin and focusing on the best as well as being wary of the worst. You are smart enough."

"Thank you, sir." Jordan wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult to his very face.

Mr. Waters began to dug into his meal. "I see your name is— What again?" He asked.

"Jordan Alonso"

"Yeah, which part of the World are you from?"

Jordan smiled at the obvious question. A sort of formality. "America."

Mr. Waters shook his head in dissatisfaction, "Which part of America? South or north?"