Perfect Match: Irresistible Desire For You
Chapter 69

Hearing Patricia’s words, Zachary uncrossed his legs, rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward a little. With a sigh he rolled his head to loosen his neck muscles and then said with a quiet and earnest voice, “My dear cousin, have I told you that I hate people to hem and haw? Or did you not hear what I just said?”

Patricia could hear his wrists crack as he was slowly rotating them. The noise was not loud but it went right through her. She felt anxious. ‘This is too hard! It’s hard enough to deal with his interrogation, and now he is threatening me with violence. He has always been a good fighter. His whole life. Even if he hardly touches me, I don’t stand a chance. This is serious.’

After a brief moment of contemplating her situation, Patricia made the decision to not keep the truth from him. She sat up, prepared herself and slowly began to tell Zachary of the heavy burden she carried on her fragile shoulders.

Accepting that she had no other choice, Patricia left no details out. Zachary sat across from her, watching her closely and listening intensely.

Patricia’s heart was pounding inside her chest and she could not shake her anxiety. She spoke very fast and her expression was vivid. She was unable to hide her felling from him. Less than twenty minutes later she stopped. Silently, she looked at him. Then she picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. She swallowed and with a downcast look she said, “Dear cousin, that’s all. I really didn’t mean to upset you tonight.” She paused, “Now, you know how much I have sacrificed for your lifelong happiness, right?”

Zachary ignored her attempt of getting him to acknowledge her. He rested his head in his palms, thinking about what he had just learned. So much information to take in.

There were three points that bothered him the most. ‘Firstly, my mother worries too much. Is there anything I cannot handle? Well, even if she wants to help me, she should replace a more reliable person instead of Patricia. A mere girl, giggling and silly. Secondly, why do women worry about something so pointless? How come they have the ability to conjure drama out of thin air? What was the meaning of the idea ‘make someone jealous to get them to fall in love with you’? How come I am the hero in a play I don’t even know I am part of? Thirdly, Yasmin! Her indifferent behavior earlier did not suggest even a trace of jealousy! She has hardly shown any emotion at all. Could it be that Patricia’s plan hasn’t worked? Yasmin did not give me the feeling that she cared at all.’

Patricia studied Zachary, who still sat across her, holding his head, looking at the floor. He had been silent since she finished her story. She was still anxious inside. She needed a reaction. Confused, she asked, “Cousin, are you alright? If there is anything you don’t understand, would you like me to explain it more to you? What is on your mind?”

Her clear voice caught his attention. He looked up and studied her for a moment before he began to speak, “You have watched her. You have observed us together. What do you think—does Yasmin have a crush on me?”

Having learned that his cousin was coming to help him in this relationship, Zachary felt there was no need for him to hide his true feelings for Yasmin from his cousin. His face showed no emotion but his eyes could not quite hide the fact that situation troubled him. She could see his shoulders slumping. His big frame almost looked vulnerable.

Patricia’s heart quickened with a painful pang as she heard the desperation in his voice. She studied him silently for a moment. He avoided her gaze. She sighed quietly, ‘This is the normal reaction of a normal man.’

A “normal man” meant a man who changed his emotions. Someone who was open to change without feeling threatened by it. In the past, she didn’t consider Zachary to be such a man. All he used to be was restrained and scheming. He had never portrayed any other emotions and seemed unwilling to change anything in his behavior.

Patricia got up, patted her dress down, straightened her back and walked towards Zachary. With a newly found confidence she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. In a clear and calm voice she said, “Relax. Don’t doubt your charm. You are a handsome man. From what I have seen, I believe she absolutely has feelings for you. Absolutely!” As she repeated the word “absolutely”, she patted Zachary’s shoulder. Her hand looked small and fragile, but her movement portrayed a certain confidence.

He ignored her old-fashioned flattery. He brushed it off. It had no meaning to him. All he could focus on was second half of her statement. The strength of her grip as she patted his shoulder, the meaning of her “absolutely”. He felt that she believed in her words. He sat up, rolled his shoulders back, a spark in his eyes.

He took her hand and moved it off his shoulder. She held his gaze as he looked straight into her eyes and asked, “Why do you think so?”

Standing above him, Patricia got lost in the moment and forgot what this was all about. A new feeling began to creep up inside her and her heart began to beat a little faster with excitement. Patricia looked at the beautiful, strong man in front of her. This is what it must feel like to be worshipped by him. Her happiness began to rise inside her and she couldn’t help herself to throw her head back and laugh.

Zachary watched her for a second. With a slight shake of his head he got up and now towered over her. He looked down at her happy face and then raised one hand and patted her brotherly on the cheek. Immediately, Patricia stopped laughing.

She turned her head and swallowed. With a blink of an eye she batted her betraying emotions away. She cleared her throat and calmly said, “Isn’t the answer to this question obvious?”

Zachary raised an eyebrow and Patricia sighed. She took a step back and collected herself. Carefully, she began to state her observations and the opinions she concluded from them. Zachary was still standing next to the chair, leaning against it, his arms crossed while he was listening intensely.

He had too many questions to ask and after a while Patricia felt weary. She slipped back into her seat while speaking. She picked up her cup of tea again and despite the fact that it was now cold, she took another sip. Finally, she looked at him and with a collected voice she concluded, “According to everything I have seen, the situation I tried to manipulate and the way she looked, when she left I am sure Yasmin holds deep affection for you.” Patricia heard the sound of her own voice in her head and suddenly thought that she sounded lame, too professional. She looked at the cup in her hand, shrugged her shoulders and casually added, “Generally speaking, Yasmin is a little interested in you, but I am not sure that’s not enough.” She looked up, trying to see his reactions to what he just heard. In her head she finished her sentence with ‘So little that it could be ignored.’ Of course, she would never tell him that. Zachary seemed relieved, almost happy. His whole body seemed relaxed. He brought one hand to his chin and with a slight nod starting casually pacing through the room.

Patricia watched him and leaned forward to emphasize her next words “You should be more active, cousin. Women are emotional beings. They like surprises. They want to be swept off their feet. They want to feel like they are the only person in the world existing for you. If you act right, she will fall in love with you faster than you could have ever imagined. Come on!”

He looked at her, pondering on what she had said. Patricia hoped she was not showing how little confidence she had in her own words. She was one year younger than Yasmin, and she had only been in love twice for very short periods of time. She had no real experience, definitely not enough to give advice. However, Zachary seemed to see truth in her voice. She could see his thoughts racing in his mind. Patricia leaned back again and briefly closed her eyes. She had analyzed Yasmin in a glimpse of a second. Actually, she judged the other woman from a split second, watching her from behind while she left. Patricia had not seen her face. How could she know anything without having seen any emotions or feelings Yasmin might have shown?

After a couple of seconds, she opened her eyes again and looked back to Zachary. He regarded her in a different light now. Until a few moments ago, he had doubted his abilities to judge a woman’s feeling for him. Patricia had reassured him. With an audible sigh, he turned to look at the window and ran his fingers through his hair, relaxing his shoulders even more. His self-confidence seemed to come back and he was grateful to Patricia for that. To his own surprise, he even thought he might like her a little better, now.

Noticing that Zachary was obviously in a good mood, Patricia, who was a little guilty, was happy as well. Being afraid that he might ask some more profound questions that beyond her ability, Patricia changed the topic, “Cousin, are you in a good mood after listening to my analysis?” He turned towards her as she spoke. Not changing her voice she asked, “Where are we going tomorrow?”

Zachary smiled at her. He stepped closer, opened both his arms a little and said in a soft voice, “I’ll ask someone to take you to play or you can stay here tomorrow. I’ll take you out for fun the day after tomorrow.” He studied her face to see her reaction.

Patricia couldn’t hide her disappointment. She had expected more. She pouted and answered, “Okay, go ahead with your work. I’ll stay here like a good girl.” She looked away to other end of the room. She was sulking and wanted him know. ‘It will be a boring day tomorrow. My cousin and cousin-in-law have to go to work. I am not familiar with this city and there will be no one to keep me company.’ She would be lonely and bored. Patricia sighed. This is not what she had been hoping for.