Developing Attraction

"Indeed. A genuine conversation is always far more appealing than a scripted one." Bill responded with a gentle smile, pleased that this girl he had met all those years ago had not changed, but had grown into an intelligent and beautiful woman. It was true that all three women present were exceedingly beautiful, but in Bill's eyes Elisabeth was by far the most impressive beauty. Unlike the child he had met those years ago, who was small and sickly, the woman before him was the picture of feminine beauty. He had imagined that as she got older she would maintain a smaller size as she was so very small back then, but that was not the case. She wasn't exactly a tall woman, but she was of average height, a thin woman with notable curves, and bore delicate feminine features. Her long blonde hair was tied back and like the crescent shape on her forehead her eyes were a bright sparkling blue that keenly noted the subtle changes in the people around her. Bill had always felt that the way these meetings were carried out was somewhat ridiculous, but he never had the courage to say so. So, he couldn't help but admire the audacity of the young woman who had said what he wanted to say so many times as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Not everyone appreciated her honesty, however. Most of the men took offense. They went through a long screening process to be able to be there and didn't care for the implication that they were somehow being fake. The ladies in the room weren't offended as they were all very aware that these interactions were shallow and staged. They were, on the other hand, worried that the offense done to the men's egos would affect the quality of  the mates they would have to deal with in the future. As such they could not remain silent. This presented the perfect opportunity for the eldest of the three women, a twenty three year old named Lillith, to make an impression on the men in front of her. She swept the ringlets of red curls from in front of her big brown eyes and leaning ever so slightly forward and with a smile she said, "I'm afraid that young Elisabeth here has let her nerves get the best of her. After all, it's not every day that we are graced by the presence of such charming gentlemen." As she spoke these words she focused her gaze on one gentleman in particular. While the act may have seemed like the heartfelt actions of one woman looking out for a younger one, in truth every word and action was chosen with great care down to the man she chose to look at. At first glance he didn't stand out from the crowd, but after years of experience Lillith could see just the degree of effort he had put in how he presented himself that day. While he wore the same kind of suit and musky cologne as most of the other men present, there were a few details that made him stand out to a discerning eye. Unlike the others who had unintentionally layered multiple scents on top of each other by the use of multiple products such as hair gels that each had its own scent. He instead opted to use less effective but scent-free alternatives that left him with a less potent and cleaner scent. The calluses on his hands paired with the faint signs of dark circles around his eyes meant that he was very likely a warrior of some sort. Despite this he had opted to bring a hand picked bouquet of wildflowers rather than a pre-arranged bouquet that he could buy on his way here. Yes, he may have seemed unassuming, but he was exactly her type.  She only hoped that this small action would be enough to catch his attention.  Jason the man in question had been a knight for over a decade, and had never really put much thought into the possibility that he could be chosen as a mating partner for any woman, let alone the beauty who was smiling at him in that moment. He had been so anxious that his mind hadn't stopped racing since he found out that he had been summoned, but seeing Lillith and hearing her words had made every thought in his racing mind stand still leaving only one thought in its place. He knew that he wanted to talk more with her. 

The next couple of hours went by just as expected. Everyone sat down and enjoyed a marvelous dinner. The polite small talk that accompanied the meal worked as a perfect vessel to gain minor insights into the minds of potential matches. Elisabeth found this part to be particularly grueling, but given the tension her earlier comment made she had little choice but to smile and act as if she were enjoying herself. She ate quietly for the most part as the other two women were more than willing to carry most of the conversation. This was a fact that she was honestly glad about. While she did have to answer the odd question, she also didn't make any active effort to initiate conversation. Still, she kept looking at Bill as if studying him. In truth she was dying to talk to him. She knew that without the pretense of this meeting they likely never would have met again, but the nature of their meeting also meant that she couldn't speak to him freely as she did when she was younger. She wanted to ask him about the book he brought with him and about the progress he had made in his research and any other changes in his life. She wanted to talk at length about her thoughts and feelings and to tell him about Millie and how different things had been since she was moved to the Astrindale Kingdom. For the first time since she was actually a giddy child she felt like one and she had no idea how to express those feelings in a polite environment, so instead she avoided any serious conversation. Bill wasn't oblivious to all of this, however. He had no idea what exactly was going on in her head, but he couldn't help but smile as he observed the several anxious glances she made in his direction. He desperately wanted to know what was on her mind, but decided not to ask. Instead, he quietly delighted in observing just how much she had grown. One thing was incredibly clear to him by the end of dinner. The woman sitting in the room with him that night was a far cry from the girl he had met during the days of the pandemic. Not a child anymore, but a woman who was far more impressive than he could have ever imagined. When he had arrived that day he had really expected to go away with nothing to show for it. He had never even really entertained the idea that he could really be chosen as someone's mate nor did he desire to do so. He had only entered the mating program because it was the only way to get close enough to women to complete his research and over the years that had never changed, but by the end of dinner he was certain that he would do anything just to see her genuine smile one more time.

Time moved on and from dinner they had moved on to dancing. Dance partners were picked at random and the dancing didn't stop until every man had danced with every woman. Through this simple event it was exceedingly clear which were the most likely couplings of the evening. This was something that the men watched carefully as they waited for their next dance, and the women carefully glanced over at the men waiting even as they tended to the partner in front them. Simply observing who watched who was an easy way to tell what the most likely prospects were, but when the most likely couples danced it was even more apparent as in that one dance neither one took their eyes off of the other. The dance often just confirmed what was already known, and for the most part that's exactly what happened that night, but not without any wrenches thrown into the mix. Lilith clearly favored Jason as he favored her. The 19 year old girl, Sara, appeared to favor the young man who had brought the chocolate, much to the other men's surprise and disappointment. It was clear the whole evening that Elisabeth would favor Bill and vise versa, so it seemed that the matches were all but set. That is until Elisabeth found herself dancing with the snake of a man she had offended earlier that evening. His name was Leopold and in truth he was a very attractive man. If Elisabeth were being honest she'd have to admit that based on his looks at least he was actually the most attractive man there. The problem was that his personality was both perplexing and abrasive making this potentially her most dreaded dance of the evening.  She put on a fake smile and greeted him politely as he approached, hoping that this dance could somehow go by quickly. Not only was she eager to distance herself from him, but more than that she was eager to get to her next and final dance of the evening. As such she had some difficulty hiding the awkward mix of excitement and dread that she felt going into this dance.

Leopold regarded Elisabeth curiously. He didn't quite know what to make of her. Despite the obvious sting he felt at the beginning of the evening upon hearing her harsh words it didn't seem that she meant them callously in any way. If anything he was sure it was the opposite, as she was genuinely hoping to have a deep conversation that night. Through the course of the night, however, she made it exceedingly clear that she had a specific man in mind and that man was not him. At this point it was also fairly obvious that he wasn't a suiter that any of the women present were particularly fond of. He had mated before, in fact, it had only been a couple years since then. As a result, he had started the night rather arrogantly believing that he would obviously be the best choice. That perception was quickly shattered by this woman, no matter how unintentaily, in mere moments, and that was a fact that bugged him to no end. In his previous experience mating just a few properly timed words and actions were enough to seal the deal, but this woman had him pegged from the moment she walked into the room. He had managed enough to curry some favor with the others, but Elisabeth had not only put up a relentless barrier against his charms but also appeared to enjoy watching his frustration as he failed to break through it. For a man like Leopold, however, this challenge was far more interesting than anything he had anticipated. He was as determined to change her opinion of him as he was certain that with enough time he would doubtlessly fall for a woman like that. It was an intriguing if not terrifying notion that only increased the excitement he felt as he approached her. He paid close attention as they exchanged greetings before the dance. After watching her so closely that evening he was sure that he could make out some of the true emotions that she veiled behind her perfectly rehearsed smiles, at least he could make out enough to understand that dancing with him was the last thing she wanted to be doing. The repeated glances toward the side of the room where the other men waited was just further proof of that. With nothing left to lose he decided to try something he had no intention of doing that night. He spoke to her honestly. He sighed and said,"There simply isn't enough time in the night to understand what's going on in your head, yet I am still hopelessly trying to do just that."

Not expecting to hear him say such a thing, Elisabeth was slightly taken aback. For a moment she failed to hide the surprise from her eyes, but she was quick to recover. "I'm not sure what you mean." she said, feeling somewhat confused at his comment.

Leopold chuckled, finding genuine delight in Elisabeth's reaction. With this he gained the confidence to continue knowing that he was either digging his own grave or gaining favor with a young woman who's mannerisms had repeatedly stolen his attention that night. "Well," he said, "you started the evening by implying that the whole affair was simply a shallow event perpetrated through a series of fake gestures. Admittedly I took some offense to this comment." he paused to take note of her reaction, and sure enough it was clearly evident that she was very much aware of his feelings and that on some level she was even happy about it. This was the most he had learned about her that evening and it made him even more eager to continue, so he continued. "Then you turned around and showcased the exact type of rehearsed manners that you started the evening condemning. I will give you some credit for consistency, though, as you very consistently have shown a certain disdain for me. I do wish I knew what it was that I did to offend you. " 

Elisabeth looked down as she tried to collect her thoughts. She had been called out, and felt completely exposed as a result. It wasn't often that someone was able to see through her like that and she wasn't quite sure what she should say. More than that she could tell that he was speaking in earnest. This combination completely shattered the mental wall she had spent the evening building and compelled her to return his honesty with some of her own. Feeling very nervous she said admittedly, "Your actions ever since you arrived have been like a snake in the grass, from the harshness you've shown with the other men to the flowery but insincere words you've used to praise the women.  As far my actions are concerned, while my earlier comment was not meant as an insult it was immediately obvious that it was taken as one. Since no one shared my desire to drop the formalities and speak to each other honestly I simply adjusted my behavior to reflect what was expected of me." Somehow saying all of this made Elisabeth feel even more uncomfortable and self conscious.

 She pressed her face into his shirt hoping to hide the growing embarrassment she felt and dreading the expectation of a smug expression she was sure he wore on his face. If she had looked up she would have noticed that his expression was anything but smug. He was an intelligent man, and had a fair understanding of what life was like for the women who were born into this cruel world. Nor did he pity her. Seeing the strength that she had to admit something that was so well known yet never spoken, he found his awe at the woman before him matched only by his curiosity. "I think I understand." he said, hoping she could still hear the sincerity in his words. "It must be exhausting to always have to pretend to be what everyone expects you to be, never free to show the world the person hiding beneath the pretense. Thank you." Elisabeth looked up, startled by his words. She had no idea why he was thanking her, but with his next words he explained. "By giving me the opportunity of talking to you like this tonight you have shown me something that most men will never be lucky enough to see. You're an amazing woman. I only wish that I had more time to get to know just how amazing the woman behind the mask really is." Elisabeth wanted to respond, but it was at this precise moment that the song and subsequently the dance ended. As the man before her walked away Elisabeth felt conflicted as she found herself in some way feeling drawn to this man whom she had spent the majority of the night avoiding.

The emotions that were welling up inside of her came to a sudden stop as her attention turned towards her last dance partner of the evening. It was the man she had been waiting to talk to, Bill, and seeing him walking towards her brought on a new set of emotions that washed away any thoughts of Leopold. She smiled a bright smile and greeted him warmly. "I've been waiting for a chance to talk to you," she said. "It's been a long time, Doctor Thompson, or should I call you Bill?" This was the only time that they were likely going to be able to talk alone that night, and Elisabeth was well aware of this fact. That being the case, she felt that making mention of the fact that they had met before would be a good place to start. 

This action came as a bit of a surprise to Bill, however, who sheepishly replied by saying "Bill is fine." He had recognized her from the start, but it actually surprised him quite a bit that she made mention of remembering him. Despite how it may have appeared he wasn't a timid or shy man in general. In fact, it was usually the opposite. He was generally a very straightforward and confident man, but there was something about the woman standing before him that made him question all of that. He had never really put any thought into becoming a father and only joined the mating program because having access to women was imperative if he was ever going to finish his research into how to solve the growing issue that the extremely lacking population of women in the world presented. This being the case, even when the possibility of mating had arisen in the past he had brushed the idea off. The prospect of the women involved also presented a problem in his mind as he truly thought of them as his patients so no matter how attractive they may have been he felt uncomfortable with the idea of mating with them. When he saw Elisabeth, however, he had trouble finding anything that wasn't desirable about her. Everything about her drew him in and he found himself desperately wishing to know more. "You remember me?" He asked, feeling surprised. 

"I do." she replied, cheerfully. "I've seen a lot of doctors in my life, but you are not like any other doctor I've ever met, or any man for that matter." Bill could tell by the way she said it that her words were words of praise, but try as he might he couldn't understand what he had done to deserve them. Elisabeth noticed his confusion and in hopes of clearing up the confusion said, "You are extremely attentive, and seem to notice even the smallest details about every one of your patients. While on the surface you appear to be a very focused and calculating man, you also often show through your actions that you are a very considerate and compassionate one. For example, when I was sick there came a point where I took a turn for the worst and most of the doctors wrote me off as if I were already dead, but not you. Even when you had nothing left to offer medically you found ways to lift my spirits in other ways from the gift of a new book to moving a dear friend's bed closer to mine so that I didn't have to be alone. Through these simple actions you gave a sense of hope. More than that, I developed something of a crush on you back then. Every day I eagerly awaited the times in which I would get to see you, so much so that to this day I hoped to see you again. Though, I am afraid that my childhood memory didn't quite do you justice. You're so much more than I remembered that I find myself quite overwhelmed and unsure of what to say. As a result, I'm afraid I've begun rambling. Sorry." Somewhere in the middle of explaining all of this she began to feel rather self conscious. While she had always wanted to thank him for his kindness, she had never meant to expose so much, but dancing so closely with this man she found the words pouring out of her, one on top of the other. By the end she felt certain that he would see her as the frail child she once was, and while her initial reason for wanting to see him was simply to thank him, she found that the idea of him seeing her in such a light bothered her much more than she could have ever imagined. 

Bill didn't see this at all, however. As he listened to her words he was completely mesmerized by the young woman before him.  He could only imagine what she must have seen for such small gestures to leave such a lasting impression on her. He had seen her intelligence before, but that evening he had been completely awed by it. Even in a world that only showed her how her feelings were a weakness to be hidden away, she had the strength of heart to open up the way that she had done that evening. She had so many amazing qualities hidden away behind the formalities and fake smiles that she was forced to endure, and he was one of the few who were lucky enough to really be able to see it. For this he felt as if he may have been the luckiest man alive, and knew that he couldn't leave without expressing this in some way. Rather than reply with words he simply pulled her in closer, so close that her face was flush against his chest. In response to the sound of his rapid, but rhythmic heartbeat Elisibeth fell even deeper into his arms, burying her face into his shirt and breathing in his scent. They danced like this till the end of the song, even as Leopold stood to the side of the room watching, or rather glaring. He detested this feeling that was growing inside him, but he was helpless to its power. He couldn't turn away, but the longer he watched the worse he felt. It was a feeling he had never really felt before, jealousy. The dance was only a few minutes long, but for Elisabeth, Bill, and Leopold it felt like it went on forever. Two were lost in their own world, while the other was stuck on the outside looking in, wishing that he could be the one out there holding her like that. Leopold may not have understood what he was feeling, but he was certain of one thing. No matter how things turned out that night, he would do whatever it took to make Elisabeth look at him like that, like he was the only man in the world. Despite how they may have felt in that moment, this moment like all moments was fleeting, and before they knew it the moment had passed.