The Bed You Make
Chapter 11, Continued
Dara Jensen Cassadine stood before the endless array of clothes in her closet and tried to make a decision on what to wear. Or so she told herself. The truth was that her mind raced with questions about the meeting she had agreed to attend. No matter how many different angles she approached the matter from, Dara could not come up with any other plausible reason but one: the meeting was yet another attempt to get Dara alone and rescue her, if need be, from the ‘clutches' of Stefan Cassadine. As though, she frowned, she was incapable of taking care of herself.
She pushed aside the tan Alessandro Dell'Acqua dress and the burgundy leather-trimmed Taiza jacket and flared skirt. “What does a person wear to an intervention?” she mused aloud.
“If you are so assured that such a situation will occur, why do you insist upon attending this meeting alone?”
“Because there is no reason for you to come along.” Dara finally selected a simple Carolina Herrera houndstooth suit. She turned around and collided with Stefan. “I wish you would stop doing that!” she complained. Just seconds ago his voice had come from the center of the room. “It's like living with a ninja!”
Dara was extremely aware of Stefan's hands lightly gripping her waist. She steeled herself not to pull away from him. If he thought to test her, he would lose. “You can let go now,” she suggested politely. “I'm pretty sure I won't topple over. Beside,” Dara reminded him pointedly, “I have a meeting to get ready for.”
Stefan silently considered his new bride. “Very well,” he stepped aside and gestured that Dara should pass. “If you insist upon going to this meeting, there are certain conditions that we must agree upon.”
Dara listened to his terms in silence. To her surprise, she did not hear anything that was unreasonable of Stefan to ask. “Agreed. Now… I have to get dressed or I will be late.”
Stefan left to put his conditions into place and Dara turned her thoughts back to the upcoming meeting. As she often did in preparation for a difficult trial, Dara began to rehearse aloud both the questions and answers that might be posed in the course of the encounter. She did not spare herself, but instead put forth every pointed and personal question about her relationship with Stefan Cassadine that she could think to ask.
“Dara Jensen…Cassadine,” she corrected, “you can handle this. All you have to do is pretend you're matching wits with your new husband.”
