Love Not Included (An Arrange Marriage Story)

31

"No"

"But I've already invited them"

"Call them and cancel"

"Nicholas!!"

"No!" No matter how much Theora tried to persuade him he refused to budge on the idea of having Sergei over for dinner even after she explained he was coming along with Nina.

"But I thought you trusted me" Theora pouted

"I trust you but I don't trust him. I've seen the way he looks at you Theora and I won't stand for him to be in my house!"

Theora didn't want it to come to this but drastic times called for drastic measures.

"Nicholas, Sergei and Nina are coming to dinner tonight and you will be welcoming to our guests. That. Is. Final!" Theora put her foot down.

"Since when did this become a dictatorship!"

"Since I say so! If you act like a stubborn child you'll be treated like one" Theora replied "they'll be here by six so I expect you home early"

"I'm not going to like it" Nicholas said through gritted teeth "and I'm not going to be nice to him"

"I expect you to be civil not to turn him into your best friend. You're attendance is only thing mandatory" Theora said with her head held high in a challenging manner "be home by six"

"I'll come home whenever I want to" Nicholas storming out of the bedroom towards the stairs.

"Quarter past six! If you're a second late you can sleep on the couch tonight!" Theora called out after him. She mischievously giggled to herself this was turning out to be more fun than she expected. Not only will she be helping out a friend but inadvertently found out she's the boss in the relationship and Theora couldn't be happier about it.

Theora helped Misha prepare for dinner by helping out with the cooking and taking out all the dinnerware needed. Misha had called over another maid for the day and kept insisting that Theora didn't need to help but Theora still stuck around. She could see Misha looked slightly frail and tired probably still upset about not being pregnant yet so Theora chatted with her while they both cooked dinner to keep her mind off things.

"Oh god!" Misha exclaimed. Adding more salt and stirring it into the pot of sauce which Theora had made earlier then adding a few more spices.

"What's wrong Misha?" Asked Theora leaving the carrots she was chopping and coming up to her.

"Ugh" Misha made a nauseous face after testing the sauce "it's horrible we have to throw it out and start over"

"Wait let me check" Theora said taking a taste for herself. Theora was shocked that not only was the sauce fine it was absolutely delicious. "Misha the sauce is great! Why would you want to throw it out?"

"Really? But it smells and tastes so bad" Misha said in disbelief

"What are you talking about it smells great and also tastes great. See" Theora took another taste just to prove her point "it's insanely good"

"Huh? Must be the cold I feel coming on it's probably messing with my tastebuds"

"Cold?"

"Yeah I've been very sluggish lately and I'm having a headache constantly it seems like the first symptoms of a cold"

"Why didn't you tell me you've been doing all this work sick"

"I'm fine Theora plus it's not that much work I can handle it"