The weekend is here

Chapter one hundred and fifty-three

"I'll eat!" Anna said louder than necessary, finding herself in a web of emotions. She'd rather settle for the lesser evil. She knew Xander all too well, she knew that whatever he was thinking would only make things complicated for her. She wasn't about to take part in something that would cause her already racing heart to palpitate ten times faster. She fumbled noisily with the cutlery in a bid to distract herself from thinking about how close he was to her. Couldn't he go already? Why was he still beside her? 

"That wasn't so bad now, was it?" He grazed his lips on her ear seductively before leaving her alone. That action alone was enough to make her unsteady. She'd have lost her balance if she wasn't seated. For once she was glad that she was seating on Mr Williams' chair. It would have been so disastrous to fall like a log because of a simple touch like that. What was wrong with her throbbing heart? Could it stop pounding so hard already? She'd have spoken to it, but for Xander who was already in front of her, watching her keenly with each bite that she took. He seemed to be enjoying her uninhibited reactions like the unnecessary blinking of her bulging eyes and the clinking of her cutlery on the plate. The back of his hand rested on his jaw, his eyes never left her until she looked up at him with a mouthful of veggies and chicken.

"Aren't you eating, Mr Williams?" Her voice was barely audible as she spoke amidst mouthfuls, but not to Xander. 

"With the way you look now, I think you need this more than I do." He replied, glancing at his food and then at her. 

"Do I look like some gannet? There's no way I would finish both." Anna retorted. 

"It's fun to watch you eat." A little smile curved around his sexy lips. Seeing Anna getting so worked up was such a sight that he'd like to see more often. She pouted her lips and continued eating not minding his intent gaze.

"You know what Miss Houston, you do have some pride." Xander nodded his head at her as though he was intensifying his words. 

Anna looked up at him again, wearing a puzzled look. 

"How do you mean?" 

"Well, just a few moments ago, you were hellbent on not eating. But now...?" He laughed, and Anna gritted her teeth.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself. I like that you're difficult though. I like really stubborn women."

"Are- Are you hitting on me, Mr Williams?" Anna's expression turned serious, she held her cutlery in place, wondering what he meant by that.

"What do you think, Miss Houston?" His voice was a little husky this time.

Here he was again, doing what he liked doing best, avoiding the question. Why was he answering her with another question?

"That's supposed to be a polar question, and you weren't meant to give me a verbal puzzle," Anna mumbled and continued eating.

"Did you say something, Miss Houston?" 

Anna shook her head slightly and wiped her mouth clean with a serviette. Xander nodded his head at her response before speaking again. 

"You do know that the weekend is here, don't you, Miss Houston?" Xander asked, after a few moments of silence. 

"Weekend? What about the weekend?" Was something happening at the company? 

"You're so quick to forget things now, aren't you, Miss Houston?"

Anna tried to search her mind for what he was referring to, but her efforts turned out as a dead end.

"I'm disappointed," Xander said dramatically and Anna wondered just when he became so dramatic. 

"How could you forget so quickly that you'd be coming over to my house this weekend?" 

Wait! What? When? How? A myriad of questions lingered on her face. What was this man talking about? That was the last place she'd want to be. 

"Your house? What for?" 

"I can't be the only one that is excited about this. I'm hurt." Anna could see that he was feigning that he was hurt.

"You made a promise, Miss Houston, and I can't wait to see you fulfil it. How about we go grocery shopping together?"

It was then that Anna understood what he meant. Right! She'd promised to make him jambalaya every weekend. She'd completely forgotten. What was wrong with her? She'd wanted to avoid him, but here he was reminding her of her promise to him. She wished that she hadn't made that promise. The thoughts of having to enter Mr Williams' house after what happened between them made her heart race. 

Now, there was no turning back.