Arya and Asher (3)

Arya had ordered an Italian salmon with tomato basil salsa. Asher had ordered a risotto Alla milanese.

"Asher, do you even know what a risotto alla milanese is?" Arya asked with curiosity.

Asher just raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "I've already told you. I may be a grim reaper, but I'm not oblivious of what you, humans, eat."

"Self-note. Never let Asher get hungry because then he gets grumpy," Arya said out loud smiling.

"Self-note. Don't talk so much with Arya because she starts talking nonsense," Asher smiled back.

This had been the first time, Asher had smiled at Arya, and it made Arya's belly flutter.

It was close to lunchtime, so the small Italian bistro was full of people. It turned out that Asher did not really know what a risotto looked like, and when Melinda came back with his dish, he almost threw up in disgust.

"What's the matter?" Arya asked confused since the risotto looked and smelled delicious.

"What is this mushy thing?" Asher looked at the risotto in disgust.

"Risotto, and is not mushy," Arya said as she grabbed her fork and took a bite of Asher's risotto, "Mmm… it's perfect!"

Asher pushed his plate towards Arya, "Here, take it if you like it so much."

"Are you sure?" Arya asked with risotto still in her mouth.

Asher continued staring in disgust at his dish, "Sure, have it. I'm not that hungry…" Just as he finished his sentence his stomach growled.

"Pfftt…" Arya could not help but laugh. She would have never imagined that her grim reaper would be so picky in food. "Here, have mine."

Asher stared at Arya's order.

"Don't tell me you also hate tomato sauce. Come on, at least try it!"

Asher picked up his fork and tried the salmon.

"So, what do you think?" Arya's eyes were focused on Asher's lips, "it isn't so bad, is it?"

Asher took another bite, "It isn't so bad. At least it doesn't look all mushy."

"So, now that you are fed and happy. Can we talk about you know what?"

"Finish your food first, Arya. You are too skinny. Don't you think I know you starve yourself just to have that body?"

Arya bit her lower lip. She already had a killer body. Her future add-ons with plastic surgery were just to enhance her beauty. Yet, Asher had not even once looked at her.

"Could it be that I'm not her type? But… that's not possible. I'm every man's type! Don't tell me he is… No way!" Arya was panicking in her mind.

Asher snapped his fingers at Arya's face again. She had left her risotto half-eaten and started daydreaming again. This time thinking of Asher's sexual orientation and his lack of interest in her.

"Hey, can you stop daydreaming for just a minute?"

"Asher, do you think I'm pretty?" Arya spurted out.

Asher sighed. He believed that the most important thing in Arya's life was other people's validation of her.

"If I were to say yes, will you finish your food?"

"That's not your honest opinion then, Asher! I want your honest opinion! Do you think I'm pretty?" Arya pouted.

"Are you sure you want the truth?"

Arya nodded as she gave another bite to her already cold risotto.

"I don't. You are not pretty in my eyes."

Arya almost dropped her fork. Had she heard wrong? Did Asher really think she was not pretty? Before she noticed, tears were already streaming down her face.

People were staring in their direction.

"Hey, why is the girl crying?"

"Did the guy made her cry? What a scumbag!"

"Isn't she too young to be his girlfriend? Is their relationship even legal?"

"Should we call the police?"

Asher looked around as he handed a napkin to Arya, "Here, clean your tears. You are making a scene. Do you want to get me arrested? Calm down and I will explain it to you."

"Why… why would I want you to explain in detail why you consider me ugly?" Arya sniffed as she received Asher's napkin.

Asher handed Arya her glass of water, "Here, drink some water, your eyes are already getting puffy."

"Thank you."

"When I said that I didn't consider you pretty, I wasn't referring physically. You are pretty, Arya. But your inner beauty is lacking. You are narcissistic, selfish, impatient, unforgiving…"

"Stop! Don't continue naming my flaws. I know I've got them. If I weren't this flawed, I wouldn't have gotten such a horrible death."

Asher sighed, "I wasn't saying that you are flawed, Arya. Also, the way you died was not influenced by your imperfections… not completely." Asher was thinking that lying to Arya would have been a better option. But he knew that if he lied to her, she would not improve as a person, and therefore, she would not be able to complete her mission.

"I'm flawed. Everyone is flawed in some way or another! Even you are flawed. You are cocky, egocentric. You don't give a damn of what other people think about you."

Asher was about to say something, but Melinda came and interrupted. She could not hear what Arya and Asher were talking about, but it seemed they were having a quarrel.

"Excuse me, may I take your dishes?" Melinda asked with a smile.

Arya's face was red and puffy from the crying, and Asher was clearly pissed off.

"Take it. Also, bring me the check."

"Um… Do you want to order some dessert? We've got our signature tiramisu. I think your girlfriend is going to like it."

"Was I not clear? Bring me the check, now!"

Melinda grabbed the dishes and retreated completely defeated. Arya could not believe what she had just seen. Asher had been rude to someone.

"Asher, how could you be so rude to her. She was just doing her job."

Asher then smirked and grabbed Arya's hands, "See, you are not flawed. Just as you've said. Everyone has their imperfections, but that doesn't make you a horrible person. You are the one who decides to be a horrible person or not. Like me right now, when I scared the waitress."

"So, you used her to teach me a lesson?"

"Sort of. Also, she was annoying me with all the not-so-subtle flirting," Asher said.

Arya could not help but laugh. Her cry finally stopped. "You, Asher Kenward, are the worst! But… I don't mind it. Also, I think you are right. You will see I will become pretty..."

Melinda soon came back with the check, and Asher took out of his wallet a black credit card, "Please add 25% in tips."

"Tha… thank you," Melinda said surprised.

After paying, Asher and Arya went back to the car so Asher could drive Arya back to her house.

"Want to continue our talk by phone? Since you ended up crying all afternoon?"

"Yes… I should focus on starting my mission. This is my second day, and the only clue I've got is that there may be a petal at SHIA."

"I'll call you at 9:00 pm then," Asher said as they arrived back at Arya's house.