– You are a unique woman, you are intelligent, beautiful, and magical. I have always wanted a son to inherit my business. I had bad luck before, my wife was mentally ill, extremely dysfunctional. And I have found you, you are sexy, smart, and we will start a family, – Dave’s voice was deadly cold and dispassionate.

– You have a daughter, my dear.

– I want a son, a family, you are the ideal candidate, why banter?

There was something cruel about his seemingly nice and smiley demeanor. Something that kept raising red flags in my mind, but I could not figure out what exactly it was.

– I want you to join me this weekend, – he kept talking, detached, serious, and cold. The day was chilly. We were sitting outside a local diner where he took me for lunch. I was wrapping myself in a shawl trying to stay warm on that rainy afternoon. – I have a nice ranch in Colorado, you will like it. I will take care of all your expenses, I will buy you a flight, pay for your own rental vehicle, you will have your own room there, you will be happy I promise. – His voice was dull, his smile was artificially pleasant.

I was quiet and freezing; I needed a hug, but he was not making any attempts to move closer.

– Vixen, everyone wants to marry me. You have no idea how lucky you are. I am worthy of your time.

– You should … – I suddenly lost my voice. Breathing in cold air triggered bad coughing. – You should love the person you want to marry otherwise starting a family makes no sense.

– I know exactly what I want, I chose you, and I will pursue you. I know you much better than you can imagine. – He was mercilessly cold, and it was scary. – I did not mean to upset you or be an ass, I am just being honest.

– I am too hysterical, too psychotic, too anorexic, and too pedestrian for you. You should find a better fit, – my body was shivering, my mind was unable to focus, early signs of sinus infection got me anxiously irritated.

– Stop telling me what I need, – metal voice, polite manners, and a smell of freshness from his polo shirt. He clearly used a high-quality laundry detergent.

– I am panicky, I worry all the time, – I kept going talking with my hands, hurrying to express myself prior being cut off again

– This is what makes you so appealing to guys, Vixen, your panic attacks.

– What do you mean? – I stiffened in astonishment, the shawl slid under the table exposing me entirely to the humid and windy afternoon.

– You are very helpless and naïve when you panic. You open up quickly, you get horny, you give yourself to a man completely, you can be used in all different ways, and it is very hot. I love your panic attacks. – The wind was blowing harder, leaving goose bumps on my naked shoulders and clogging my ears. He was fascinated with my panic attacks, it was concerning, it did not sound right. – I have learned about you much more than you think. I know you date other guys Vixen, that’s fine until we commit to a relationship.

– Did Heather tell you this? – the threat was here, close, knocking on my temples, causing heart palpitations and shivering down my spine.

– I do not discuss the woman I chose for the marriage with a prostitute. Come on, you really think I am such a fool and do not know what is going on in your personal life? I always stay informed, otherwise I would not be who I am. I know you are feeling scared now, you are so cute.

He was right. I was scared. The smiley mask of a blue-eyed, sandy-blonde, and well-mannered guy fell off revealing the claws of a cold-blooded and cynically relentless stranger. It started raining again, cold drops on my skin and harsh wind in the ears caused excessive eye-tearing. I was getting sick.

– So, I feel anxious, I panic, and you like it? – my voice was calm, but I emoted heavily through my gestures.

– Stop twisting what I say. I will go slow, no rush, I understand that you need time to get used to me. I will work on your self-expression later. You should not be too emotional.

The person under the happy-polite-and-easy-going mask was smart and controlling, I was an open book, a toy to play, a pet to train. My head felt heavy, my throat was sore. I thanked him for lunch, gave him a hug, and hurried to the nearest grocery store for lemon and honey. I needed to treat my cold.