Chapter 12 Rabbits And Horses

"Well, it may be good news for you!" Carlson wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Leena noticed that he had pulled out a cigarette, so she automatically took out her lighter and offered to light it. After, she looked up to face him-- only to be greeted by his deep, solemn eyes.

At that moment, she realized just how attractive he was. Aside from his looks, he seemed like a mature man who handled things calmly. Disregarding his playful nature, one would see how he was sure of himself, something that made people gravitate towards him. It was true. He was a charismatic man. If she stared at him any longer, she'd fall deep into his deep, dark eyes.

Snapping out of her trance, she realized just how close their faces were. Her heart began to race, but she pretended to be cool and collected. Calmly, she pulled away once she lit the cigarette, and smiled at him faintly.

Even though she didn't know anything about Carlson, she knew he was interested in her. But why?

He took a puff of his cigarette then asked, "So, what kind of men do you prefer, Miss Yang?"

"That is not a very interesting topic, don't you think?" she said playfully, in an attempt to dodge the question. He peered at her from behind another puff of smoke, his eyes laughing silently at her feeble attempt to change the topic.

"But," he said slowly, leaning back against the sofa, "that's what I want to talk about right now. It's more interesting to me than you think."

She twiddled her thumbs when she noticed his knowing look. Was he putting her on the spot because he knew something was going on between her and Miguel? Or was it just some kind of small talk? Calming her nerves, she feigned a smile. "I think you're perfectly aware of my type in men."

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew," he said, a devilish smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Let's just say," she said as nonchalantly as possible, "I like men like you."

"Is that so?" He leaned towards her, coming so close she could feel his warm breath tickle her neck. "Then, why didn't you hang out with me?"

Goosebumps. Leena could tell he was trying to flirt with her, so she pushed him away playfully. She immediately scooted away, laughing awkwardly. "You must be missing Miss Lin," she said hurriedly. "Please wait for a second while I call her."

He quickly grabbed her hand, which was fumbling to get her phone. "You're no fun!" he pouted jokingly. "You always call Miss Lin during moments like these."

"It's my job. If you don't want to see her, would you like me to call someone else?" She plastered a smile on her face, trying her best to be polite. However, she struggled to pull her hand away from his grip. She wasn't supposed to get angry with the customers, which was why she could do nothing but sigh in resignation. It was so uncomfortable to be forced like this! And this wasn't the first time, too. Carlson always found ways to make her uncomfortable.

He chuckled at the helplessness across her face. "I like it when you look like that." He stared at her intently. "It's seductive."

"What?" She frowned at him. This was wildly inappropriate.

"Never mind that." Finally, he released her hand. "I'll tell you what kind of men would be attracted by you." He paused and took another puff on his cigarette. "Men may try to look different, act different, and be different-- but they are all predators. They like to hunt for something they can conquer. There are only rabbits and horses on these hunting grounds. While rabbits are meek and tame, men prefer horses who are stubborn and majestic. Whenever they stumble upon a horse, they try to look for ways to subdue it."

"Sounds unconvincing," she said venomously. "After all, there are trainers who have died trying to tame wild horses." His wo

rds just didn't sit right with her, objectifying women like that.

He burst into laughter. It seemed her seething rage was amusing to him. "A capable man always knows how to tame horses," he said with a wink.

"I don't get why you're telling me this," Leena said, rolling her eyes.

He leaned closer once more, cupping Leena's chin in one hand. "Because you are a horse to me-- someone I want to control. The more you try to resist, the more drawn I am to you. But," his eyes narrowed, "you must know, my patience has a limit. Keep this up and I might just force you to do what I want."

His voice was calm, but it was far from soothing. His words sent a chill down Leena's spine. "Are you always this resistant, Miss Yang? Or are you just trying to play hard to get?" Carlson tightened his grip on her chin.

Leena laughed sardonically and locked eyes with him defiantly. "I won't answer that, but let me tell you this: I'm neither a horse nor a rabbit. I am just a woman trying to work her way up."

"Should we test if that theory is true?" He gazed at her intently. Slowly, he leaned even closer, planning to press his lips against hers.

However, Leena didn't want this. Instead of meeting his lips, she ducked and leaned against his chest. "I am curious, Mr. Carlson," she said quietly. "In your analogy, what kind of woman do you hate the most?"

Although he had an idea as to why she was asking this, he still graced her with an answer. "I hate ladies who act like rabbits. They are very common and boring."

"Isn't that what men want? Someone docile and obedient."

"That's a lie," he said bluntly. "Men would never want to spend the rest of their lives with a woman like that. We crave the challenge." Resigned, he leaned back into the sofa. "How about you? Have you ever been a rabbit for a man?"

Even though she knew he was just teasing, she felt uneasy. Without giving her a chance to answer, he added, "You should know that men will never settle solely for women like that."

Carlson's words made her think about her relationship with Miguel. To be honest, their relationship was like that of a hunter and a rabbit. Leena began to ponder. Perhaps Miguel only had feelings for her because they'd known each other a long time. In the nine years they were apart, he had dated a lot of girls. Now that she was thinking about it, she found she tried to prioritize him first all the time. If what Carlson said were true, how long would their relationship last, if Miguel longed for a challenge?

Annoyed, she pushed Carlson away and begrudgingly poured him a glass of wine.

"Miss Yang, it seems that something is bothering you." Carlson grinned sheepishly. "Care to share?"

She returned a smile. "What are you talking about? I'm only worried about your well-being during your stay here. I'm wondering how the staff can serve you well, Mr. Carlson," Silently, she thanked the universe for her quick wits.

"I thought you were going to offer yourself to serve me throughout my stay here!" he bantered.

She giggled obligingly, then took a sip from her own glass of wine.

"There's a woman that all men regard as a horse," Carlson said after a long pause. "Miss Yang, would you like to hear her story?"

She nodded, resigned to the fact that she had to entertain this man. From her end of the sofa, she observed his movements. He lifted his drink and stared at it as he swirled the wine in the glass. "Her name is Alena Liu. She's my brother's lover at the moment, but a lot of men had pined for her. Even though she was taken at that time, men still swooned. Everyone tried to chase after her. But there was this one man in particular who chased her earnestly. He went through great lengths, anyone would've been moved by his love for her!"