Not a Demon, an Angel

Roland was taken aback. As he'd peered out of his office, his imagination had run wild. One's mind would often play tricks on them when they were alone in the dark. He'd half expected a demon to come for him. But as she walked into the light, it became apparent that it wasn't a demon but an angel who had come for him.

"W-wow," he stuttered. "I don't know what to say. This is so thoughtful of you."

Veronica giggled and lightly brushed her nose. "Hehehe. It's nothing really. I didn't even make it."

"No no. The fact that you came all the way over here at this time is… Honestly, it truly warms my heart. Thank you for being such a lovely friend," said Roland.

Her eye twitched slightly at the word 'friend' but she carried on as if nothing were amiss. "Shall we eat then?"

"Alright, is the conference room okay with you? Or would you rather go down to the cafeteria?"

"I brought a blanket; shall we have a picnic on the floor?" she asked shyly.

Roland couldn't hold back his laugh. Veronica was a strong, intelligent woman; he wasn't used to seeing her act like this.

'What's up with Roni? She's acting like some high-school girl…'

She pouted and demanded, "What are you laughing at? When a beautiful girl brings you dinner, you should be kowtowing, not laughing!"

Her fake anger tickled him even more. He started laughing uproariously, unable to control himself.

When got himself together again, he took the hamper from Veronica and laid out the blanket. They decided to set it up in the hall, since it's not as relaxing to take a break in the same room you've been working in.

Roland had wanted to lay the food all out on the blanket, but Veronica had insisted on being in charge of that.

She had the hamper by her side and placed a small amount of food on Roland's plate.

Roland harrumphed and complained, "What's this? It's not even enough for a starter course."

"Tehe. It's an appetizer. I'll give you your starter after that."

It was Roland's turn to playfully pout at her. "You're such a tease…"

They sat on the rug and ate delicious food for over an hour. Every time Roland finished his plate, Veronica would add something different to his plate. There seemed to be no end to the food; it was as if the hamper was a TARDIS. By the end of it, Roland was so stuffed that he had to undo his belt.

Throughout the meal, the brilliant smile on Veronica's face did not dim even once. She was relaxed and as happy as one could be. Simply eating with Roland made her more content than anyone.

'This is all I want,' she thought to herself. 'I don't care for anything else in the world. As long as I have a place by Roland's side, I'll be satisfied.'

She gazed adoringly at Roland's profile. He was lying on the blanket, dozing.

Seeing Roland lying there defenseless, a thought popped into Veronica's head.

She slowly leaned in toward him…