DINNER GONE WRONG

I settled into the chair Alexander drew out for me. When he was sure I was comfortable, he took his place beside me at the head of the table.

As I adjusted my seat, my eyes wandered over the table. The sumptuous dishes laid out before us were almost too beautiful to eat. Each meal was more enticing than the last one I laid my eyes on. I almost gasped from the sight, and my stomach growled in anticipation, yet, I controlled my appetite. I was dining with a king, so good table manners were expected.

Alexander picked up a wine from the table. "Do you prefer a red or white wine?" He asked, his attention returning to me, making my pulse quicken for odd reasons.

I didn't know which I preferred since I rarely drank. I haven't even had white wine before, so I settled for the wine I was familiar with. "A red one, please, your high- I mean Alexander."

His lips curled as he picked up two glasses from the table and filled it with red wine. I watched as the rich crimson liquid that shimmered under the light filled the cup.

As Alexander handed me a glass, his fingers brushed against mine, deliberately caressing it. I felt heat rush up the length of my spine at the contact.

Clearing my throat softly as I tried to compose myself from the impact, I lifted the wine to my lips and was about to take a sip when he proposed a toast, lifting his cup mid-air.

"To us," he said, his voice low, yet, it echoed in the room with only the two of us in it.

I brought my cup to his, clinking it together. "To us," I said.

We both took sips of the wine, and the rich velvety flavor danced on my taste buds. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted, smooth and intoxicating.

When we set our cups down, Alexander started serving some meals on my plate, stunning me. I wanted to protest but he silenced me with his next words.

"Let me," he said softly, "I want to make sure you enjoy every moment of this evening," he smiled charmingly.

I let myself admire him as he carefully selected each item for my plate before serving some on his plate too. He sat down after his little work, and ushered me to dig in.

Without wasting any more time, I digged into it, taking a bite of the steak first.

"Is it to your liking? I asked the best among my chefs to prepare tonight's dinner," Alexander questioned.

I could only nod while I chewed on the steak and he laughed, embarrassing me. He was fond of doing this since we met this evening.

Since I couldn't shy away, I decided to focus on my meal. I reached for another delicacy placed on my plate, and as I took a bite of it, I started feeling weird.

My tongue swelled, and it became hard to breathe, so hard that I dropped my cutlery on the table, clutching my throat.

Alexander's expression shifted instantly from relaxed to alarmed. "Penelope, what's wrong?" he demanded, his voice laced with urgency as he rose from his chair.

I tried to speak, to tell him something was terribly wrong, but the words wouldn't come. My vision began to blur as I struggled to get enough air.