Chapter 9 - Common Ground

If Prisana thought the old woman couldn't be any more surprised regarding Dane's sudden arrival, then she thought wrong. The woman almost flew backwards from the shock of their fake engagement announcement but steadied herself against the counter.

And Dane's reaction, Prisana didn't dare to look in his direction as she could feel daggers shooting at her.

But what did he expect? That she tell the woman the truth? That would hamper Prisana's own plans as any news of her will send father or Giovanni rushing over to retrieve her. Just as much as him, she needed to be cautious about her whereabouts.

The woman glanced over at Dane to confirm the news. "Is this true? You went off into bloody god knows where and got engaged?"

Dane, who she still didn't want to look at but could feel him burning holes through her body, stood from the stool and stalked the side of her frame. His arm wrapped around her waist, sending waves of alarm crashing among one over the other.

She tried to wiggle out of his hold but it was useless. The beast had her trapped inside his arms. Prisana despised how she could do nothing but smile at the trouble she stirred.

"Yes. She's my lovely fiancee. Please treat her very, very well."

The way Dane emphasized 'very' made her blood run cold. The old woman smiled as she rushed over to push me forward.

"Any one of Dane's lovers are always welcomed into my tavern. Come, I'll show you to the phone."

So, he frequented this place often with women in tow. Any 'one' of his lovers meant that it wasn't the first time he brought a woman to this tavern. Prisana wondered how many women he's seduced, ravished, and then tossed away like second nature.

She didn't want to stick around long enough to find out. Didn't want to end up like one of his many lovers and live through to experience their bad endings. Her bad ending already began and ended. Now she needed to run face forward and choose the happy ending.

The old woman whose name she was uncertain of, led her into the back of the tavern and into a kitchen. The tavern and a private home were adjoined together, connected through a small hallway at the back. Prisana looked around the cozy kitchen full of pictures which vibrated with life and compared it to the dark lonely cabin.

A home was not a home without pictures. Dane's small and desolate cabin harbored none. She carefully studied a picture with a small young boy, whose face looked familiar but his joyous expression resembled that of a stranger.

"I-Is this Dane?" she asked, fingers tracing over the boy's dark hair and small build. There was a boyish smile she never thought she'd see on him.

"That's him alright. Used to be adorable. Now he's an uptight brooding man but I suppose I'm glad that even with the terrible things he's gone through, he's still found love."

To think Prisana was fooling a complete stranger...Her guilt continued to sky rocket. This woman would probably kick her out if she knew Prisana was lying. If she knew Dane and Prisana were nothing more than strangers. Nothing more than two people with agendas who didn't plan on writing each other off as longer than temporary.

"You can use this phone here," she points to the phone on the wall, then finally rakes over my appearance. "Prisana, was it?...You're not really his fiance, are you?"

She was sharp. Prisana nodded.

"Was it that obvious? Er no, I'm not. We've become acquainted by rather unfortunate circumstances."

"That's what I guessed. After all, you're not like his usual women."

"Oh?" she inquired, an eyebrow arching. "And what are his usual women like?"

"Older, more exposing, and more... how should I say it? More everything that's the opposite of you."

The opposite of Prisana? She should be the one speaking out those words against him. Dane was the older, more dangerous, and everything opposite to a man she'd ever dream of being 'engaged' to. The pair were the same in that aspect.

Ironic but a common ground in which their tastes differed.