80 Dinner...
Wayland surprised me again when he stood up, extended a hand, and helped me into my seat like an absolute gentleman.
“You look stunning,” he said smoothly, his lips curling into a small smirk.
My eyes nearly popped out of my head.
Was that… a compliment?
Did pigs just learn to fly?
“T-thank you,” I mumbled, completely thrown off.
This had to be a tactic. Maybe he wanted to catch me off guard, make me nervous, sabotage my presentation, and then laugh at my failure.
Well, not on my watch.
“I don’t understand why we had to meet under these conditions,” I said, waving my hand around the room with a hint of irritation. “We could have discussed everything at your office without all this fancy setup.”
The Alpha looked at me, and I caught a mischievous glint in his eyes. That smile suited him perfectly. God, those lips were so beautiful...
Oh no, not again! Damn mark!
“Well, my office doesn’t serve food as good as this,” his velvety voice drifted into my ears. “I took the liberty of ordering us some dishes. Hope you’ll like it.”
He signaled the waiter, and soon a variety of dishes started arriving. The aroma was incredible, and I realized that I’d hardly eaten all day while working.
“But we met here to discuss important matters!” I said firmly, looking him straight in the eyes. I had the feeling he wasn’t taking the real reason for this meeting seriously, and that started to annoy me.
“Don’t be angry,” the brunette smiled as if he was reading my mind. “I just don’t like making decisions on an empty stomach. Let’s eat first.”
I eyed him suspiciously but started eating. Maybe he wanted to poison me to avoid problems later? I pushed the thought aside and tried to stay optimistic.
The food was absolutely magical, and after eating, I noticeably relaxed and softened. During dinner, the Alpha started a casual conversation about unrelated topics, and we spoke calmly—something I couldn’t quite wrap my head around.
There was no arrogance, teasing, or contempt—at least until the topic touched something painfully personal.
“How’s your sister doing?” That’s when all my calm disappeared.
“She’s suffering,” I said with barely concealed anger. “Her mate wants to run around with other girls and thinks it’s normal. How can someone treat their mate like that?! It’s beyond comprehension!” I saw the wolf’s Adam’s apple twitch, and he tensed up.
“Well, she’s still a child,” he remarked—and that just made me explode.
“She’s not a child anymore! She’s a young woman, not a child! She deserves respect, not to be forbidden to live her life while someone else fully satisfies his needs,” I snapped, my irritation rising. “Anyway, we’ve had dinner, so let’s get to the point, respected Alpha. That’s exactly why I came here!”
The werewolf looked at me for a few seconds—strangely, intently—as they cleared our table.
"Alright, go ahead. Tell me what you’ve prepared," was his command, and I opened my folder.
For a solid hour, I passionately explained to the Alpha how important entertainment activities are for children. I suggested dates for school holiday events and explained how everything could be organized. Then the topic shifted to extracurricular clubs.
“Today is Sunday, so it was hard to reach many leaders, but I found a football coach who agreed to work with us, pending your approval. Also, the chess club, an art instructor, a guitar teacher have agreed to work with us, and I’m currently negotiating with a ballet master for choreography. For starters, I think this is enough,” I poured out all my enthusiasm and energy, and the Alpha listened attentively. Then it dawned on me that his focus had drifted and he was unabashedly staring at my neckline!
I sighed heavily and looked at the man, waiting for his verdict.
“I admit, I didn’t expect this,” Wayland answered thoughtfully. “You’ve planned everything well. Physical education hours can be reduced and replaced with gentler subjects, which will give kids more opportunities and energy for extracurricular activities.”
That answer couldn’t help but make me happy, and I smiled broadly, unable to contain my joy.
“I admit, I didn’t expect this,” Wayland answered thoughtfully. “You’ve planned everything well. Physical education hours can be reduced and replaced with gentler subjects, which will give the kids more opportunities and energy for extracurricular activities.”
I couldn’t help but feel happy at that answer and smiled broadly, unable to contain my excitement.
“So, does that mean you approve?” I asked, just to be sure.
“I do,” the Alpha smiled slyly. “But I need something in return.”