Silverware clinked and reverberated around the room, the silent chews echoing in the air. It was all somber and quiet as lips moved, and glasses were passed, with Zayn and Rina watching each other, their eyes sending messages across. While his father and mother sat at both edges of the table, only Zayn and Rina were there with them, already halfway into the first course.
But the silence suddenly dissipated as Mago appeared through the hallway, laughter in her eyes and a spring in her steps as she bounced into the dining room. “Rina!” she beamed when she saw her, then rushed over and wrapped a hand around her shoulders. “I was just thinking about you a moment ago. I even asked Zayn, but for some reason, he failed to mention that you were coming over.”
Mago glared at her brother with accusation in her eyes, but Zayn didn’t appear ruffled in the least. He barely even glanced up as he continued with his meal. It made Mago want to disturb him more, so she walked over to him and nudged him playfully on his shoulders. “Don’t you think I deserved to know she was coming over?”
“Why would I discuss anything that has to do with my fiancee with you?”
Mago placed a hand on her chin and looked around the space, acting like she was deep in thought. “Wait a minute. Let me think about it. There can’t be any reason at all…Oh! There is the fact that I am going to be her sister-in-law.”
Zayn shook his head slightly and turned to look at Rina. “She has always been this way since we were kids, always hanging out with me and my friends even when she wasn’t wanted. At some point, I was considering calling her a pest. I think my friends beat me to it.”
“That never happened!” Mago argued, stomping her foot on the ground like a kid. “You never had any friends other than William, and we didn’t even go to the same school. Talking about William, where is he?” For a market analyst, she sure found it easy to change from one topic to the other without feeling the disconnection. Her eyes moved around, looking for him. It was ironic because William had an overwhelming presence, such that no one had to search for him to notice him. In fact, he was usually the first person anyone noticed.
“He won’t be joining us today,” Zayn murmured. “He had a thing to do with his mom, so I gave him the evening off.”
“Don’t you think that is so nice of you,” Mago said in a mocking tone as she plopped into the seat next to him, diving into her meal. It was humorous that both their parents didn’t even interfere whenever they got into that mood, but it was almost the same thing Zayn did as he barely gave her a response.
“Pass the bowl, please,” he murmured.
“No.”
Zayn sighed and moved to get off his seat, but Mago passed it over to him still. His lips quirked in a smirk and he shook his head for the umpteenth time. “You need to be at the office on Monday. I hope you brought the brochure with you. Men like Mr. Chan always like to double-check things so it will be really helpful.”
“There was also a new discovery made in the market just this week. Most economic trends…”
“Can we not talk about work when we are here to get to meet Zayn’s fiancee and intended spouse?” Mr. Graham questioned as he pushed his bowl aside and leaned into the backrest. “And Rina, dear, you shouldn’t pay them any mind. They are always like this when they see each other. It’s strange how they are still the closest.”
“I remember when they used to fight a lot as kids,” Zayn’s Mom chuckled. “During those days, it always looked like a war around here. But when that eased, anyone who came between them usually got attacked. Nathan tried it one day, and he had the both of them to deal with one oddly calm and the other with fire sparking through her ears.”
“It wasn’t that bad, Mom,” Mago whined at the same time Nathan walked into the room saying, “Did I hear my name?”
The shift in the energy of the room was instant and palpable. Even Rina felt it, wondering why that was as Nathan sat next to Mago and grabbed an apple off the fruit bowl.
“Did you wash your hands, Nathan?” Mrs. Graham asked almost immediately, in a bored tone, like she knew he was going to do something like that.
Nathan rolled his eyes. “I just had my bath. Really. You all need to give me a break.”
“Don’t talk to your mother like that!”
“I’m sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mom.” He dropped the fruit back into the bowl and the groan from those seated was loud. However, there was no need to correct him on that again as he had already moved on to the next discourse. He angled his head as he regarded Rina, and then a sinister grin broke out on his lips. “My dearest soon-to-be sister-in-law. I was wondering when my baby brother would bring you here to formally introduce us.”
Rina didn’t think baby brother was the right term to describe who Zayn was to Nathan, since everyone in the country had heard the gist. It wasn’t a secret that Nathan had been in and out of jail more times than anyone could count.
“It’s nice to meet you again, Ms. Powers.” Just to annoy Zayn, he leaned across the table to take her hands in his, lingering longer than necessary. “Her skin feels softer than Jada’s. I guess this means…”
“Shut up.” Zayn’s voice was cold and brute.
“What? I was just saying?”
“I am not going to repeat myself, Nathan Graham. You go right ahead and say one more word about it and I would make you regret ever coming to dinner tonight.”