Dinner!
Dinner!
Kiba's greatest strength was his charm but it was also his greatest weakness. He was envied by the men and desired by the women.
The more one grows up, the more was the disappointment by the burdens of reality. The responsibilities, the complex relationships, the boredom and the lack of fun in life makes one hate the world secretly.
In such times, people would give anything to be taken away from reality and engulfed in illusion. They wanted to live the moments where they were free, loved, and pleasured; just like a fantasy.
Kiba offered the women this fantasy. He was a charmful man just not by his words and personality but also by his looks and reputation.
He offered pleasure and wanted pleasure in return. There were no other expectations. This made him an ideal seducer for women, especially married ones since there were no strings attached.
This also made him desired by the young women who were exploring the world of sex and pleasure.
He was desired by the young and mature alike for he offered more than the boring reality ever could.
A woman seeks a husband by thinking from her mind but a lover? The lover was from the heart, someone who could please her ways her husband couldn't!
Kiba was the charmer and the ideal lover. Alas, this also became his weakness for these qualities gave him infamy.
Many women would often fear to be associated with a serial womanizer due to the social stigma involved.
While the young or mature women with financial and independent thinking wouldn't fear this so-called stigma, the other women were different.
Emily was one of those women who didn't wish to be seen with Kiba in open, even though it was just a dinner.
At least, that was the case until a few moments ago...
"If you know how quickly people forget the dead...you will stop living to impress people!"
The words ringed inside her mind as she dashed out of her room.
----
Kiba arrived before the elevator. He wasn't least bit surprised or disappointed by Emily's refusal.
In fact, he expected her to refuse. He was someone who knew how his qualities would affect his target and as such, he planned accordingly.
~DING~
The elevator doors opened up. He slowly stepped inside and the doors started closing in.
"Wait!"
A hand suddenly came just as the doors were about to close. The sensors felt the presence of the hand and the doors retraced back.
"Miss Emily?" Kiba asked, surprised.
"Apologies," Emily stepped in and the elevator closed, "I'm sorry for my early behavior."
"You weren't at fault," Kiba pressed the ground floor on the switch panel, "My suggestion was rash."
"Maybe," Emily agreed with a faint smile, "But I think it was worth trying."
"Really?" Kiba was pleasantly surprised.
"Yes," Emily nodded, "How about 8 o'clock at Close Horizon?"
"That would be great," Kiba approved of her timing, "See ya."
Kiba stepped out of the elevator. After coming out of the police building, he teleported to Agatha's apartment.
He wanted to ensure he spent some time with her even though he has started his pursuit of dreams again. This would mean he has to balance the time he spent on the academy and other places.
------------
Evening.
Close Horizon.
"You are early!" Kiba exclaimed as he stepped out of the car in the parking lot, "I thought the police were known for their tardiness!"
Some distance ahead, Emily stood, clad in a black dress.
"We are not always late!" Emily has worn a small amount of makeup on her gorgeous face. A little amount of mascara on her eyelashes and light lip gloss on her cherry lips.
"That's good to know!" Kiba joined her as they moved towards the diner.
------
At the corner of the diner, Kiba and Emily sat opposite each other. A waitress offered them the menus.
"What would you like to have?" Kiba asked.
"Caesar salad and razor clam chowder," Emily offered her suggestion.
"That should ready for us the main dishes," Kiba agreed as he turned towards the waitress, "Please add red wine and shrimp tacos as well."
"Your order will be ready in few minutes," The waitress took her leave.
"I assume you're new in the city," Kiba started the conversation.
"I'm new, yes," Emily was happy to see him start the conversation, "You probably know the reason."
"Of course," Kiba sighed in his heart, "The incident at the wasteland?"
"Yeah," Emily looked somewhat troubled, "That incident has given us nightmares."
"I can't blame you," Kiba agreed, "I have heard some of your colleagues disappeared yesterday when the incident repeated again."
"They are dead," Emily didn't mind sharing the detail since it was hardly a secret, "I was luckily in the city otherwise..."
Kiba agreed with her fear. If she was in the wasteland, he would have killed her no matter what type of beauty she was. Some things were more important than pleasure.
"Let's not talk about my job," Emily cleared her mind, "I wish to know about you."
"You already know about me when you checked my background for your investigation," Kiba replied with a smile, "I'm an open book with no secrets."
"I don't think so," Emily disagreed.
She wasn't able to find much about him except for his mercenary jobs and the womanizing habits. From what she could tell, no one knew about his family, home, etc.
He was an enigma in the era where hiding such details for someone so famous was almost impossible.
"I'm just a man who wants the world to be filled with happiness," Kiba tried to change the topic, "What is it you seek in life?"
"Honestly I don't know," Emily answered frankly, "There were things I sought, but they are no longer worth pursuing after what you said in the morning."
"That's a good outcome," Kiba took a glass of water from the table, "We should live for ourselves and not others."
"It is easy to say," Emily didn't feel it would be easy to implement that in life.
People like to believe the thoughts and views of others don't matter but they mattered the most. A single negative statement could ruin the mood.
"Perhaps it would be difficult," Kiba consented with her views, "But how would you know without trying?"
"I'm trying," Emily looked around the diner, "Otherwise we wouldn't be here."
Kiba responded with a warm smile.
"Don't you ever feel hesitance going against the religious and cultural views?" Emily asked.
Besides trying to forget the embarrassing episode from the morning, the other reason she agreed for the dinner was to know more about his views.
If a person goes slightly against the established social norms, they would be bombarded with religious and cultural views.
How could he so free in a judgemental world where one was in the bindings of religion and culture?
"I would quote the great Ninon de l'Enclos," Kiba answered with a smile: "If a man needs a religion to conduct himself properly in this world, it is a sign that he has either a limited mind or a corrupt heart."
"That's bold!" Emily was startled by the deep words.
"Hardly any bold for me," Kiba shook his head, "She said these words centuries ago where independent thinking wasn't appreciated!"
"I guess it is easy for a man to agree with those words," Emily said with a sigh, "We women are supposed to be virtuous."
She knew she might become a topic of gossip if some acquaintance saw her here. She was new in the city but many in the top echelons know her due to the investigation. Her job carried more than one type of risk...
"Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention," Kiba said with a smile, "It helps us, men, to have a woman caged by our inventions."
"I assume you hate virtuous qualities!" Emily replied. The waitress returned and served them with wine.
"I don't hate them," Kiba clarified, "I just don't want them to be forced on me or people I care about."
Emily was charmed by his views of the world. As the conversation moved further, she couldn't help but agree he was far different from the impression she had.
"I'm glad I agreed for the dinner," Emily said as she took her glass of wine, "The views I so respected earlier are now shaken but I'm more relaxed now."
"I would cheer to that!" Kiba clinked his glass of wine with hers.
"Ah!" A startled expression appeared on her face as her gaze went to the entrance of the diner.
"Hm?" Kiba turned to see what surprised her, "They are..."
Morgan, followed by Suzane and Olly, entered the diner. The three were aptly dressed for a party rather than a dinner, especially Suzane.
She was wearing a ravishing one-shouldered, light-blue silk dress and a knotted strand of pearls.
"Emily?" Morgan noticed Emily and Kiba as well, "Kiba?"
He was stunned to see his respected colleague with infamous Kiba. In fact, he disliked Kiba for crippling his son so he felt deep resentment to see him with a colleague of his.
Emily could read his expression and this somewhat angered her. She was here for dinner and nothing else, and yet, she was being judged.
"Let me handle this," Kiba left his seat. He moved towards Morgan and the others.
Behind, Emily wondered what he planned to do.
"Mr. and Mrs. Morgan," Kiba greeted them, "And my favorite relative Olly."
Olly felt the world shaking as he heard familiar words. Ever since he saw Kiba coming out of his mother's bedroom, he has been having nightmares.
In the nightmares, Morgan would blame Olly for the affair and punish him severely for introducing Kiba to Suzane.
"Hello," Suzane greeted him coldly, "Nice to meet you as well."
"Please don't be so cold towards me," Kiba turned towards Morgan and said, "Emily wanted you all to join us."
"She wanted us to join her?!" Morgan and Suzane were surprised.
"Yes," Kiba slightly clenched his teeth as he continued, "She claimed you were like a brother to her, and nothing would give her more joy than have you with her."
Morgan's eyes lit up. While he didn't like to be addressed as a brother but the dilemma of Kiba pleased him.
He could imagine just how much disappointed Kiba would be if they join Emily for dinner. Kiba wouldn't be able to seduce Emily and this excited Morgan.
"Truly marvelous!" Morgan couldn't but smirk, "It would be our honor to join you and Emily!"
Morgan stepped towards Emily's table followed by Suzane, Kiba, and Olly.
"He must be scheming something!" Olly was sure for he has noticed a devilish glint in Kiba's eyes, "Poor dad doesn't even realize he is being conned!"
"Emily, thank you for inviting us!" Morgan said as he took a seat opposite to hers.
He intentionally chose this seat so that Kiba wouldn't be able to sit opposite to hers. He also signaled Suzane to take the seat next to Emily, giving Kiba no choice but to sit next to him.
Olly, on the other hand, was made to sit in an extra chair since the table was originally for four.
"I'm glad you could join!" Emily was startled by Morgan and others joining her table, but she didn't let it show on her face.
She believed Kiba was trying to ensure there would be no gossips regarding her.
"He is truly different!" Emily thought, "Nothing like the rumors!"
Kiba now sat in front of Suzane, his expression slightly dejected.
"Serves him right!" Morgan was sure the dinner would be fun...