Substitute for Lawson

9.3

After a couple of hours, the whole big company relaxed, decided that everyone could ride together, see the surroundings, and it seemed that the idea was good, if not for one thing:

- I can not! - begged Emily as she and Alice walked along the long hangar. Alice intended to choose a calm and friendly horse for her friend, and the girl seemed to sit for an hour in the saddle with the instructions of the trainer, she was frightened to trembling knees when Lucas offered a free walk. - What if I fall? What if I can't stop the horse? It's me! This is likely ...

- But we'll be near! - the girl insisted and, stopping at one of the corrals, pointed out to her friend a horse named Thunder. - This horse is very calm! He has never kicked with newbies!

- I ... - the girl froze. The black horse looked at her, and she looked at him. “No…” she bit her lip at the end. - Alice, I'll stay here, okay?

“Please prepare him,” without listening to the secretary, Kim called the groom who was nearby.

When the horse was ready, the girl could not be persuaded to sit in the saddle. Neither the groom, nor Alice, and even Mr. Blount, who has extensive experience in horse riding, could not agree with the stubborn one. Panic fear of driving did not leave her in any way.

- Let you ride, and I'll stay here ... look at the horses, feed them ... help Mr. and Mrs. Green? - clasping her palms in supplication, the girl moaned.

Damian, who had previously walked the entire perimeter of the farm out of boredom, became even more angry. Before that, he heard this coward whining, and now when he was tired of it, he had to get off the animal and go to figure it out himself.

“So so,” the man barks, putting his hands to his hips. Both girls stare at him, and Emily seems to stop breathing. When Damian's face took on such an expression, it seemed she could not disobey. He comes close to the girl, and making a maneuver unexpected for everyone, easily lifts her into his arms. The girl who screamed, already thinks that he will forcibly put her on a black horse, but he goes to his horse. All the same easily lifts her above him and seating Emily in the saddle in a woman's position, lightly slaps his palm on her calf. - Come on, cross your leg, can you do that? - you can't disobey in any way, such a tone, just automatically makes you obey. She obediently throws her leg over and grabs the saddle with her hands, fearing that she will fall over. Damian steps his foot on the bandwagon and climbs in behind Emily. - Since you are afraid to go alone, then we will go like this. - he cuts off, taking the reins in his hands as usual.

There is a deep silence in the air. Lucas, who had skated Mia before, tried to pretend to be serious and just not laugh, Richard and especially Clarice were touched by this funny picture, and Alice could not come to her senses and understand what had happened.

- Well, since everything has been decided, then let's go? - Lucas interjects and seems to be addressing Alice, who is frozen at someone else's horse.

“Yes, go ahead,” Richard agrees. - Alice, wake up!

The girl returns to the spotted horse, and deftly climbing up, looks at everyone.

- I'm ready.

- Aunt Emily! Mia breaks in, giggling. - Dad said that only princesses ride like this! You and I are two princesses, Aunt Emily!

The words of the child embarrass her even more, and the rest ... they are having fun, bursting out with loud laughter, everyone appreciated the delicate situation in which Damian drove the secretary. Yes, and he himself grins and cannot help smiling when he hears the girl breathing frowningly and noisily.

Split in pairs, the company moved in a small cortege, in front of which was an adult couple, who had completely forgotten that they were not on a secluded date. Clarice and Richard whispered, laughed and eventually left somewhere further, leaving the young family and their friends alone. The Kim family enjoyed the slow walk, laughing at the questions of the curious daughter.

Damian and Emily rode in silence. The calmly walking horse no longer frightened the girl, but to feel the close contact between her and the man sitting behind, drove her crazy. With her back, Fox felt the contact of her back with the strong chest of her boss, felt his pleasant scent of perfume that pursued her everywhere, even at home. From time to time she stared at his hands, which so strangely beckoned to touch them. He himself behaved calmly, even disappeared into his thoughts and could not (or still could) suspect how the cowardly girl was now tense.

“Ah…” the girl suddenly spoke up, squeezing out a single sound. Damian, stuck in his thoughts, blinked in confusion and stared at the girl in surprise.

- M?

- Isn't it hard for her? Emily clears her throat.

- In terms of? - the man did not understand, frowning slightly.

- Well, we are riding it together ... It must be hard for her ...

“No,” he grins, curling the corner of his mouth. - It's not hard ...

***

The walk continued until late in the evening, and there was the generator of ideas for the Kim family, who suddenly had the idea to rent one of those houses that the owners of the farm rented out for a day. The disgruntled housekeeper, along with an unfinished family dinner, had to go out of town and finish everything in a kitchen unfamiliar to her. Trying to her to help Alice, Emily and even Clarice, received more reproaches and two young girls were completely expelled from the kitchen.

Damian, who was entrusted with lighting the fireplace in the living room, sat alone in front of the fire, and, staring at it, went into his thoughts out of habit. The busy day exhausted him, a little more and he will fall asleep right here, lying on the floor on a sheep's clothing, but he really rested today. From the metropolis, work, costumes, papers. It's better here than sitting in an apartment or going somewhere to have fun, at the end of which to get acquainted with another doll.

Emily made her way into the living room. The girl needed something to occupy herself. Examining the rooms of a traditional stone house that looked like a medieval one and conveyed all the flavor, she reached the living room, not expecting to see Damian there, Amy shuddered slightly, but when she saw a large shelf with books that were probably set for decoration, she began to examine them while taking out one by one. Stretched out on a sheep's skin, he put his hands under his head and stared at the secretary. Simple and at the same time not ordinary. What's wrong with it? And even if you put on makeup and put on a tight outfit, it will still be wrong.

Feeling the gaze, the girl spoke:

“They kicked me out of the kitchen,” she explains apologetically.

“Mmm…” Damian grins, grinning his teeth. - You were useless there too?

- Mister Lowsen ... - the girl grumbles offendedly, slightly frowning. At first, the book that attracted her became not interesting, or rather ... she could not concentrate on it. Sitting down in an old chair, she leafed through her page after page, but the bewildered girl did not even delve into it.

- By the way ... - the man smiles and laying on his side, for convenience puts his elbow under his head. - Enough to poke me. Irritating.

- What doesn't annoy you? - Fox grimaces, leafing through the book even faster and already on the second circle it seems.

- Then I'll tell you, but for now ... let's talk about it. Outside of work and if we are in a common company, since it happened ... do not force me out. Feeling like I'm an old tree stump. - clinks he glares at her.

- And what should I call you? - stares at the boss with courage, clapping a book.

- He said not to poke it out. I have a name.

- Damian? Is that what I mean to you ... that is, to call you?

- Exactly. - he hums with satisfaction and, in order to interrupt direct contact, returns to his original position - on his back. How strange.

After a delicious dinner, the whole company of seven people settled in this very living room, drinking hot tea and a variety of games. Alice melted a little, observing the woman, she thought that hasty conclusions should not be drawn and now the main thing is that her father is happy. The youngest Kim, having brought in the master's cat after the horse ride, squeezed the whole evening, which made the poor animal endured with the last bit of strength. The old dog, who passed all the responsibility onto the cat, quietly slept by the fireplace, warming one or the other side. It was already dark outside for a long time, and everyone seemed to be going to spend the night in the house, but someone called Clarice. The worried woman could not stay and Richard accordingly, too, accompanying his lady both left. Next, little Mia wanted to sleep, and she had to put her first Lucas, and then Alice, because her daughter demanded her mother.

The three of us left in the living room, the conversation was already tied up more between men. Emily sat in a chair, stroking a tortured cat and leafing through a book. The cat suddenly woke up and jumped off his hands and ran into the hall, calling for Fox.

- Where are you going? - she found the animal at the front door. I had to release it. Without throwing anything over herself, she went out onto the wooden porch and, finding an unusual silence, froze. In the city, even the windows were not saved. In the apartment there was always the buzz of the city, but here the silence cut the ears. Breathing in the cool air, she wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. After standing this way for a while, she flinched at the sudden touch, which made her turn around. Oddly enough, she didn’t even hear the front door slam, or Damian sneak in so quietly. The man hung his jacket over her shoulders and stood beside her.

- Why did you get up undressed? - He stared ahead and narrowed his eyes slightly into the darkness.

“It's just…” he shrugs, feeling a pleasant warmth. - Thank you…

The man was silent.

- Why did you leave? - she dared to name it informally. It was inconvenient, but better than getting a frown.

“Lucas went to check on Alice,” he explains with a small chuckle.

- Mmm ... - nods for a second, trailing off. “They are a lovely couple, and Mia is ... an angel.

- I agree. - Leans against the railing, supporting his cheek with one hand. - I envy him. - and why did it carry him to revelations?

- Why?

- I used to laugh at him. I thought that he was depriving himself of pleasures by starting a family ... - there is a pause. - And now I envy. I myself would not mind messing around with children like that and love one girl.

- And what is stopping you? Amy can't believe her ears. It is strange to her that he is now sharing all this, although he is not even drunk to cross any boundaries. No one has ever been so frank with her, especially a man, such a man on the.

- The search for a girl bothers me. - Damian grins, throwing a short glance at the secretary.

- What search? - frankly grins. This is ridiculous. - Yes, there are so many girls running after you ...

- That's it. - clears throat. - What runs. Why do I need such a prize, which itself asks for when I'm not even doing anything? So boring.

"Maybe ... it's not about the girls?" Fox says at the risk of being scolded.

- And what then? The man chuckles.

- In you ... for example ... - she is already mentally preparing to receive a slap, but in response she heard only a sigh.

- Probably…

There was a creak of the front door and both turned to see Lucas.

- Oh, are you here? What are you worth?

- Well, what is it? - Ignored Damian, not even going to answer.

- Yeah ... - he sighs. - My children fell asleep ...

- Children? Emily asks, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah,” he grins with one corner of his mouth. - Didn't you know? I have two children: my wife and my daughter.

- I see, - the girl giggled, moved.

- Let's go to bed then?

- Oh, I'm probably home ... - the secretary caught herself, not immediately remembering that she had come here with Alice.

- Home? Lucas slaps his eyes. "Um ... are you sure?"

Damian sees Emily's hesitant face and, intervening, slaps his friend on the shoulder.

- I'll take her, I want to go home too ...

- Well, why are you ... - the CEO claps offendedly, crossing his arms over his chest. - Okay ... when you get there, you will call. - warningly sticks out his index finger to the deputy and threatens them.

- Okay, - the deputy laughs.