Cold

SEVEN

__________________________________

Seven

Mrs Hally lifted the small cup in her hand and sipped her tea. She smiled at the prospect of her plan actually working out. Her plan was not fair per se but she was done playing fair where those stubborn grandsons of hers were concerned.

If it meant having Dexter come to her suite under the pretence of having tea, in order to meet Anelia, then so be it.

The only person she felt sorry for was the poor girl that wasn't going to be very pleased with her attempt at setting her up with her oldest grandson. However, the girl never had any man in her life to talk about. It didn't take an expert to figure out that she was very much single.

It was always her little sister that she greatly spoke of. And not that she had any particular problem with that. It was in fact quite commendable, that her sister came first before anything else. God knows what non-commendable acts other women of her age ever did nowadays.

But the fact still remained. She couldn't live contentedly by herself. Yes, she thought her sister was all she needed but Mrs Hally knew better. Some voids could not be filled by sisterly love.

Anelia needed a companion. Everyone needed one in this lonely life. So, in a way, Mrs Hally felt that she was actually doing them, Anelia and Dexter included, a favour.

The pure yet heartbroken woman who was not willing to take a shot at love and her brooding grandson with a mountainous belief that love did not exist. What could possibly go wrong?

Mrs Hally hoped that them running into each would spark some interest in both parties. On the contrary, she wasn't aware of the fact that they had more than just run into each other.

Anelia came pounding down the stairs quicker than quicksand. So much so that she gave Mrs Hally a slight fright. She placed her cup of tea on the coffee table and got up.

The girl looked like she had just run a marathon. Her hair was all over the place and she seemed all but ready to bolt any minute now. Mrs Hally wasn't sure what reaction she had expected from Anelia but it definitely wasn't this one.

She looked...red in the face, for lack of a better word. She was angry and Mrs Hally guessed that it had everything to do with that grandson of hers.

Anelia took short, furtive glances upstairs every now and then. If anything that seemed to make her even more agitated, Mrs Hally realised.

"Whatever in the world happened?" She asked carefully.

Anelia ran a hand through her hair and took in a long gulp of calming air.

"I'm sorry, Mrs Hally but I need to go. I shouldn't be here."

Mrs Hally did not breath a word as the girl gathered her equipment at lightning speed and exited her suite softly. One moment she was there, the next it was like she had never been there in the first place.

Mrs Hally blinked at the turnout of events. She was at a loss of words. She was aware that Dexter could be very intimidating and a difficult man to deal with. Alright, maybe it went beyond that. The man had a talent at pushing people away and managing to throw in that biting tongue of his.