A MAZE OF GREED

A young woman dressed in a light pink dress with a smile appeared in Ruth's sight. Ruth shook off the negative thoughts that she had after her encounter with her young neighbour, Claire.

She reached the place called 'The Baking Delight' before the people she intended to meet. She took that time to cool off her mind and uplift her mood to not spoil the time she would have with her friends.

Ruth's face brightened by looking at Thea's face. Thea took efforts to look good as it was not only breakfast with her friend but her fiancee was also accompanying them. She was meeting him after two weeks and she had missed spending time with him.

Ruth watched as a man came to stop beside Thea. Thea pointed in Ruth's direction and the man's head lifted to look at her. Suddenly Ruth felt nervous, she broadened her shoulders and her eyes scrutinised him from the distance.

The man was taller than Thea as she reached to his shoulder. He had a clean-shaven look that suited his square-shaped face. A warm small smile plastered on his face and his brown eyes were full of light. He was not only good looking man but had an impressive personality.

No doubt why Thea chose him as her life partner and couldn't stop talking about him all the time.

"Good morning, Ruth!" Came Thea's enthusiastic voice that snapped Ruth from her observation.

She blinked and drew her eyes away from the man's face. "Good morning!" She said in a gentle voice.

"Ruth, this is Rees and Rees this is Ruth!" Thea exclaimed.

Ruth looked through her lashes to the man in front of her, matching his unwavering gaze. Seeing her hesitation, Rees decided to greet first like a gentleman.

"Hello, Miss Moore. It's nice to meet you finally after hearing so many things about you." His head turned to look at Thea, who gave him a wide grin.

Ruth smiled and slowly accepted his hand that he offered. "Good morning! The pleasure is mine! Please call me Ruth."

"Ruth!" Rees nodded his head with a smile.

"Come on now, I am famished. Let's go inside and then we can talk." Thea took Ruth's hand and started walking inside the small bakery.

Rees shook his head lightly while following the ladies in amusement to see his fiancee all excited and over the board.

The three of them stepped inside the cosy place. It was a large room decorated to the taste of rich customers with various paintings hanged on the brown walls. The round-shaped tables were arranged in a manner that provided enough personal space for the customers seating on any of the two tables.

"Please!" Rees was a man with mannerisms, he pulled out a chair for Ruth. She bowed a little and murmured a thank you while taking the seat.

Rees then pulled another chair for Thea and she sat while giving him a smile that he returned with sincerity. After he settled in his chair, Ruth expected an awkward silence to follow but that never happened because of Thea's excitement.

"So?" She asked with arched brows.

"Would you ladies like to order first?" Rees asked.

"Definitely! Food comes first than anything." Thea said.

Rees placed his and Thea's order with a waiter. By this time he was well aware of her likes and dislikes. He then looked at Ruth.

"What would you like to order Ruth?"

Rees's question made her nervous for she didn't know what to order. How could she be blamed, as it was her first time visiting an eatery or restaurant? Her hazel cloured eyes snapped towards Thea, silently pleading for help.

"Rees, she would have the same food like mine." Thea said.

Rees looked at her. "And how do you know what she wants, love?"

Thea blushed furiously at the mention of the endearment her fiancee used. Ruth's eyes widened a bit because she didn't expect him to be this bold.

'They both are alike. Carefree and kind-hearted', thought Ruth.

"um... I know because she is my best friend!" Thea said while tucking her hair behind her ear.

Rees questioned Ruth. "Is that fine with you?" Ruth replied with a small smile. "Yes."

Rees confirmed the order with the waiter then the waiter left saying their order would be arriving shortly.

"Thank you for taking out your time to meet me, Ruth. Thea told me many things about you that I was looking forward to meet you in person." Rees initiated the conversation as he got to know from Thea that Ruth was a shy person.

He wanted to make her feel comfortable around him as people often get intimidated when they get to know about his profession as a guard for the O'Dell family.

"I hope she told only good things about me." Ruth said playfully and Thea mock glared at her friend.

"I was also looking forward to meet you. I wanted to know who has dared to take responsibility of 'Miss Trouble All the time' " Ruth laughed. Soon a thought crossed her mind that she shouldn't have said that as she was yet to know Rees. 'What if he didn't like a woman who talks freely like this?'

The thought passed instantly when Rees burst out laughing. His shoulders shook as his hand came to hold his stomach. Ruth noticed the ripped muscles under his shirt in awe. Of course, Rees was a muscular man as he was a guard by profession.

"Ruth!" Thea hissed feeling embarrassed.

"You never mentioned this to me, Thea." Rees said.

"Because that is not true." Thea huffed while crossing her arms in annoyance.

Ruth felt relieved, she got comfortable in Rees's company. He was a man with a strong personality but he had that warm feeling around him that made him able to impress anyone in a single conversation.

"Oh, it is! That is what everyone calls you at Mr Cooper's tailoring shop, including Mr Cooper." Ruth laughed remembering the mashups her dear friend created in the past week.

After fifteen minutes of light conversation, their food arrived. Thea didn't waste a moment and dig into it.

Ruth was amused watching the two people so in love. She noticed how Rees cast loving glances at Thea. And his usage of the endearment 'love' for her was too cute to forget.

Ruth realised that whatever she had heard about him was all true. He was a kind, gentle, polite, loving and caring person that every woman wished for. She was happy that her friend found someone like Rees.

"I was looking forward to spending a day with you." Thea said sadly while running her finger on the rim of her coffee mug.

Rees gave her an apologetic look. "I would have loved to. What could have been better than being with you? But unfortunately, today is not a day. It's very important for me to go to 'the great manor'. But I promise that I will make up for this next time." He said, squeezing Thea's hand that rested on the table.

Ruth noticed the gesture and felt like she was invading their private time. But asking to leave earlier would have looked rude as Rees wanted to meet Ruth and spend his time with both Ruth and Thea. So, she kept focused on the food.

"Yeah, ok!" Thea said with a small smile.

That made Ruth recalled her conversation with Thea from the last night.

"Rees, if you don't mind can I ask you something?"

Rees shifted his attention from Thea to Ruth. "Yes, of course!" He picked up the glass and gulped down some water.

"It's Sunday. And as per my knowledge, even the guards who fight on the battlefield for the O'Dell family gets a holiday. Then how come you have to work even today?" Ruth spoke her mind.

Rees's face became serious but he maintained that calmness to not offend the two ladies in front of him. Thea was also now looking at him curiously to get the answer.

"I am not only a guard or soldier who fights in a battelfield anymore."

"What? Did they fire you? And you are telling me this now? Oh god! I shouldn't have quit my job! Now how we are going to have a grand wedding? And what after marriage? I-"

"Thea...love... Thea!" Rees raised his voice a little but nothing to the level where he would hurt her.

Thea stopped abruptly looking at him worriedly.

Rees laughed at her overreaction. "No love. They didn't fire me. Instead, your soon to be husband is promoted to be the bodyguard of the Young Master himself." He said puffing out his chest a little with pride.

Both the ladies' eyes went wide at his words as they watched him surprised, their mouths agape.

"You... what?"

"Really?"

Ruth and Thea shared a secretive look at the mention of the Young Master.