Chapter 93 - SMALL BUD OF JEALOUSY

Cayenne was busy in making embroidery in the living room and Stefan was busy cooking. The house was silent but it wasn't an awkward silence rather, it was peaceful and the atmosphere was harmonious.

'I hope you'll always be fine.' This was what Cayenne embroidered on the inner side of the wallet. She placed it on the upper side of the card compartment. The embroidery was neat and since the wallet was brown, she used a golden thread and traced it with a black thread to emboss the golden writings. On the outer part, she embroidered a small letter C on the lower right corner of the wallet, which signifies the start of her name.

"Ayen, food's ready. Come and eat with me."

"Sure. Give me a sec." She locked the thread and neatly cut it. After making sure that it's decent enough for a complimentary gift, she returned her things inside the small box, placed it under the coffee table and cleaned up her mess. She walked to the kitchen while hiding the wallet behind her. She was a bit nervous that he won't like it.

Stefan noticed his arrival so, he raised his head to see her face. She was averting her eyes and her face was flushed from shyness. He couldn't help himself but raised his eyebrow with a questioning look on his face.

"I have something for you." Cayenne mumbled softly and showed the brown wallet that Stefan was expecting to receive yesterday. He even thought that she forgot to give it to him. "It's not much but I hope you'll like it. If you don't, it's also fine. You can just keep it somewhere."

"How can I not like it when it comes from you?"

She just smiled when he stretched his hand to received the wallet from her. He didn't know that she was tinkering at it earlier so, when he opened it, a trace of surprise appeared on his face. His eyes became soft and he looked at her gently. "Thank you, Ayen."

"You're welcome."

Right then and there, Stefan took out his black Bottega Veneta wallet and laid all the contents on the counter table to change it. There were so many bank cards and other things from his wallet and what stood out the most was the wallet size picture. It was a photo of Stefan and Alexander.

"I'll use this from now on." Stefan commented while stuffing his things to the wallet that Cayenne gave him. He saw the picture and picked it up to look at it for a long time. "This is me and my brother." Stefan showed the picture to her. It was the first time that he showed Cayenne the person that he likes the most in this world. Although he talked to her about him, she had no idea how he looks like.

"If he's alive, he must be handsome like you."

"Of course. I can't even compare to him. He the person I look up to when I was young. Sadly, he left very early." Stefan smiled faintly and stuffed the picture inside his wallet.  "Anyway, our food will be cold if we continue to dillydally. Let's eat."

"Thanks for the food." Cayenne mumbled with a smile. Stefan placed two scoops of rice on her plate and made sure that all the dishes were within her reach. "Why did you ask three days leave for me? Doesn't the hotel need more people during holiday season?"

"The hotel will be fine." Stefan responded. "I've been alone during holiday season for the last fifteen years. This time, I want to go somewhere in the next two days with you and we'll come back before Christmas Eve

She made and 'Oh' sound and stopped eating for a while. She wanted to ask him something but she decided to shut her mouth. She didn't need to ask him because she already realized the answer to her question.

Stefan was observing her the whole so he knew that she had something in mind. "Just say what you wanted to say."

"There's no need. I already knew the answer to my question. Anyway, can I go somewhere this afternoon? Since we're going away in the next two days, I'd like to buy gifts this afternoon."

"I was thinking the same thing. Let's go to the mall this afternoon and buy our gifts for your family. And by the way, would you like to have dinner with your family?"

"It's fine if I come home later for dinner?"

Stefan chuckled while shaking his head. "That's not what I meant. I want us to have family dinner outside."

"Ha?" she was stunned with his words. She thought that he was angry at her or upset about something. She thought that he'd never have dinner with her family except for Christmas Eve. She blinked her eyes twice and smiled to hide her shock. "Okay. I'll tell them about it. I just have a favor to ask."

"What is that?"

Cayenne drank a mouthful of water and calmly looked at him. "Can I pay for the food?"

The spoon and fork that Stefan was holding fell from his hand and the cluttering sound was loud in the middle of the silent dining room. Cayenne's breath hitched and Stefan was just staring at her with a straight face. She stood up immediately to pick up the utensils that fell on the floor. She took a different spoon and fork; and gave it to him.

"Stefan, can you say something? I don't like it when you're silent like this."

"Why do you want to do that?" Stefan break his silence and asked. "Don't I have money to pay for our dinner? Besides, I'm the one who's inviting them."

Cayenne bit her lower lip as she walked back to her seat across him. "You know exactly what our relationship is. I don't want to always rely on you. I don't want you to think that I'm abusing you or that I'm a gold digger. Yes, I admit that I like money and I need money but I want to get it with my own effort and work."

"And what makes you think that I'd be thinking of you as a gold digger? Aren't we having a mutual and beneficial relationship? We have to keep our pretense in front of your family because if we don't and they'd start to think that I'm neglecting you, they might prohibit you from getting close to me. Who will sleep with me at night, then?"

"But still, I can pay for our meals. We have a fake relationship which means, I can pay the food and give you the credit to make my family think that you're the one who did it."

"And what if I disagree?" Stefan questioned. He has no intention of letting her pay. He knew how important her money for her and as much as possible, since he can still help her, he would help her. "Ayen, I don't want you to do that. My conscience won't agree to it."

"How about we split the bill?" Cayenne suggested. She was still not agreeing to the fact that he'd be paying for the meal for her family.

Stefan nodded his head. He was agreeing this time but, he had a way to deal with it later.

After they ate their brunch, she washed the dishes and Stefan watered the plants on the balcony. He cut the dead leaves and put them inside a small plastic bag to let them dry completely. Once they're all dried up, he would crush them and pour it in the flower pot to let it decompose naturally.

Cayenne cleaned the living room. Stefan cleaned their bedroom and bathroom. The two of them were working together to clean their temporary home. Stefan placed their dirty clothes inside a big eco bag and put it on the couch to make sure that he won't forget to bring it with them to the laundry store.

After an hour, the two of them rested on the couch placed at the balcony. They didn't turn on the aircon since they got natural wind to feel. Cayenne was holding the potted tulips. After all the constant care from them, a small flower bud was starting to form.

"This is so cool." Cayenne mumbled excitedly while looking at the flower. "I love this so much."

"I'm glad you like it. By the way, can you send me a copy of the picture we got from the event yesterday? I'd like to develop it for you."

"Really?! Thanks." She put down the flower pot back to its place and picked up her phone in order to send him a copy of the picture. "Can you make a wallet size, too? I'd like to keep one in my wallet."

"No, don't put that picture in your wallet. You'll have an even better picture for your wallet than that."

"What picture?"

"You'll know about it in the future. Anyway, one developed copy of that is more than enough."

Cayenne nodded her head in agreement although, she was still wondering what picture will she get for her wallet. She had no idea that Stefan was stopping her because, a small bud of jealousy was starting to sprout in his heart.