Tea Leaves and White Pearls

Lunch, Doll, and Tempting Smile

Match Thirteen: Lunch, Doll, and Tempting Smile:

-Ju-

I can do this. Nothing inappropriate will happen between us.

I turned around to see Yao sitting at the table, waiting. I put on my best proper smile.

"You caught me while I was finishing cooking," I said. Yao nodded at me.

"Was that bad?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Nah," I said, "It's okay." I picked up the wok from the stove and served him first. Yao picked up his chopsticks.

"This looks delicious," he said. Today's meal was beef with vegetables and spicy ginger fried rice. The man looked up at me with bright eyes.

"Tell me how you like it," I told him.

"Sure well," Yao said. He eagerly picked up his chopsticks and took the first bite. I waited with bated breath. Yao turned to me with a huge smile on his face as he chewed and swallowed the beef.

"You've done an excellent job with this!" he exclaimed. My heart did little flips in my chest.

"Really?" I asked, "You mean it?" Yao nodded as he took another bite. I served my own plate and took a seat across from him. I picked up my chopsticks a took a bite into the rice. My eyes instantly saw firecrackers.

"This is pretty good," I said.

"You're pretty good at cooking," Yao said in between bites.

"Bik taught me how," I said after I finished my bite. He paused with food on his chopsticks.

"Your clan nurse?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, nodding, "She pretty much raised me after my mother died."

"You sound really fond of her," Yao said.

"I am," I replied. The rest of lunch went on smoothly with any temptation. Yao happened to look over at the stool near of the entrance of the hallway and shuddered.

"What's the matter?" I asked as I set my chopsticks on my plate. Yao turned his head looking rather grim.

"I don't like the way that doll stares at us," he whispered as if someone was listening in on us. I looked over his shoulder and saw the doll in question staring at us. I'm not sure when she started sitting there or why I kept her around. Come to think of it, she did creep me out as well. I rose to my feet from the table.

"You know?" I asked, "I'll fix that right now." I walked up and picked up the blanket from the couch. Yao watched as I covered up that doll with it. I took a step back and breathed out.

"There," I said, "Problem solved." Yao gave me a little smile. In that instant, my heart raced as my face reddened. I was breathing so heavily that I didn't hear Yao ask, "Ju? Is something wrong?" Before I knew, I raced over and kissed him on the lips hard. He didn't even bother to push me off at first. After about ten seconds, I pulled away looking so confused.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked. I sank to my knees before me.

"Kiss me again," I whispered, "I can't stand it anymore. Please..."