“No, I don’t mind at all. Like I said, it's a very good likeness. I think you made me look better than I actually am, though. I appreciate that, or I should say my vanity does.”
Antoine knew that it wasn't true at all. If anything, he had been so frustrated because he was unable to capture her beauty in the picture. It wasn't something that he usually had trouble with, but there was something that just didn't translate. Maybe it was her aura, or maybe it was a twinkle in her eyes, but he didn't think that the picture did her justice at all.
“Maybe you will do a proper one of me one day.”
“A proper one?”
“You know, where I sit for you and don't move or anything, and you can do a portrait or something. You know, all proper like.”
Antoine had never done anything like that, but he made a noncommittal sound about it. She had a lot of ideas that were bouncing around in her head, but that didn't mean that he was going to relate. Antoine couldn’t imagine sitting there drawing her, right in front of her. It was always something that he did in solitude.
“So, would you be able to?”
“Be able to what?”
She sighed and slapped him on the shoulder.
“Geez, you really must be tired or something.”
“Yeah, that's what it is. I'm tired.”
Antoine didn’t want to tell her the truth, that he couldn't think straight when she was around. How the hell was he going to stay with her?
“I'm surprised you haven't asked me about the explosion. I figured that would be on your mind, far more than my drawings.”
“Maybe it would be, if I hadn’t found such a good drawing of me in your bedroom. It leads me to believe all kinds of things.”
“Well, you shouldn't. You know what they say about assumptions.”
Antoine was being abrupt again and he could feel himself losing control. Why did she do that to him? He wanted to be nice to her, really he did, especially when she gave him this pouty look like he had screamed bloody murder at her. It seemed impossible. He got so flustered and things just came out in a burst. His tone was harsh, and she looked like she was ready to crumble. It was not at all what he would have expected, and it certainly wasn't what he wanted.
Cassandra went to the fridge and looked in there to see if there was anything to make for dinner. She asked Antoine if he wanted her to cook anything and he disagreed.
“I already had some chicken out. I'll just make that.”
“You cook?”
“There's no one else around here, is there?”
Antoine pressed his lips together. He really needed to shut his mouth. It was doing nothing but making everything worse. Why was it coming out so badly?
Cassandra walked away and Antoine couldn't blame her. He didn't know why he was being such a jerk, but it was hard for him sometimes. He wasn't very social because he had pretty much given up on humans and shifters alike. The people that he did hang out with knew him for how he was and accepted it. It had been a long time since someone new came around and made him question his social skills completely.
Chapter 7
Cassandra
While doing the tour, Antoine showed her where she would be sleeping and even though Cassandra didn't have anything in the room, she felt like that was the only place she could really be without Antoine around. He wasn’t pleasant, which wasn't much of a surprise, because when she worked for him, he wasn't very pleasant there, either. He was just so gruff, though things were different now. She wasn't just around him because she needed a job. Now, she was with him to keep her safe, as well. It was just a lot to put on someone that she didn’t really know all that well.
He came later to tell her that dinner was ready, and Cassandra realized that she had been sleeping. Her hair was all messed up and she wished that she had brought something with her. She had a brush in her purse, though, so she was able to run it through her hair and feel at least halfway presentable before she went down the hall to the kitchen.
“It smells good.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
He was still in a weird mood and she just kind of kept her distance a little bit, without being too obvious about it. Antoine was up and down and really short with her. She had a feeling that it had to do with the fact that she had seen his drawings, especially the one of her.
Antoine made them both a plate and Cassandra sat down across from him. Surprisingly enough, talking about the office being blown up and people chasing him was easier to talk about than a simple drawing. Cassandra had a bunch of questions, but she didn't get very many answers. It was pretty clear that he was trying not to lie to her, but at the same time, he wasn't trying to tell her anything, either. It ended with a whole lot of ambiguous answers that could have been taken in multiple ways. Cassandra had a feeling that's what he wanted.
