They walk up the street, passing the consignment shop she planned on going in. They walked for an hour, neither one saying too much outside of pleasantries. Stopping at a small park, he lead her to one of the wrought iron benches and they sat down. Morrigan blushed as he gently moved a stray strand of hair away from her face. Her heart was pounding and she wouldn't have been surprised if he could hear it.

"I heard your phone conversation... it seems that I'm not the only one with a bothersome mother." He strokes her hair. He can't believe that she's here with him. He enjoys just stroking her hair feeling her close to him.

"Oh, I doubt your mom has anything on mine." Morrigan giggles, enjoying the feel of his hand stroking her hair. "I bet she's done called my phone at least 100 times since I left the bank. She means well, I guess. But you know, it gets old with someone constantly trying to "look out for your best interest." It's more like they are only looking out for what they think is best." She scoffed as she leaned against him. "She ruined a perfectly good moment when she called to lecture me on paying the phone bill."

"At least your mother cares about you." he says putting an arm around her. "All my mother has ever cared about is status and wealth. She wants me to marry some high society woman... and I've turned down everyone of them she's tried hooking me up with. All they've ever wanted was money. That's the only reason they even looked at me."

"I doubt she would like me much then." Morrigan laughed. "I might not be drowning in debt but I'm not some rich girl." It felt good when he had wrapped his arm around her. Something was starting to bother her as she sat there. "Do you think this is awfully weird to be so attracted to a stranger? I mean, I don't normally go around kissing guys who catch me from falling. But yet, I did with you."

"I will admit to having never done anything like that before either. But with you it just felt... right." He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "Very right."

Morrigan blushed. She glanced around to notice that the evening was drawing near and the park lights were slowly flickering on. Time was flying by so fast and she just wished she could slow it down, better yet stop it altogether. A few moments later, she heard someone calling out to her. Frowning at her luck, she looked to the right to see her older brother jogging towards them.

"Morrigan! You got mom worried sick about you.." Her brother stated to say, his blue eyes darting between her and Kirin. "So, who's this? I'll assume he's the one Lina was gushing over." He extended his hand to Kirin, who had to remove his arm from around Morrigan to shake his hand. "I'm Eric. I'm hoping you guys haven't been sitting out here all day."

"My name is Kirin." He takes the hand that was offered to him. "We have been here for awhile." Not that it's any of your business. He thinks to himself.

The color drained from Morrigan's face as she heard Eric's phone ring the special ringtone that he had assigned to their mom's number. She buried her face in Kirin's chest so he would see the dread she was feeling. Knowing her mother, Kirin would be forced into going to dinner and asked a bunch of questions.

"Morrigan, mom wants you to bring Kirin to supper in thirty minutes." Eric replied after hanging up the phone. "She offered to let Lina actually marry me if I make sure you guys show up so I guess I'm tagging along." Morrigan groaned loudly.

"Eric, I'll save up for you two to elope if you pretend you didn't see us slip away." Morrigan begged. Eric shook his head and grinned widely.

Kirin strokes Morrigan's back. "It's alright. I'm used to being thrown into social situations." He stands offering her his arm. "It will only be worse if you put it off."

She takes his arm and feels him lift her up. He's right. The longer I make mom wait, the worse she'll be when they meet, Morrigan thought to herself. As they headed towards Eric's car, she thought of something.

"Kirin, you didn't have any plans did you?" Morrigan asked. "Maybe you should call your driver so they know where you are going."

"I told my driver I was going for a walk and would be back later when I left." He says smiling at her.

"You're not much help." She leans up towards Kirin and whispered into his ear. "A heads up: My mom does tend to ask a lot of questions. And I mean a lot."

"She might not ask too many. Lina's over there now giving her first impression." Eric remarked. Reaching the black Prius, both Kirin and he bumped into each other as they offered to open the passenger door for Morrigan. Flashing his a small smile, Eric walked around the car and got into the driver's side.

Kirin chuckles. "I can handle questions. It's a skill that comes with owning a business. Lina seems like a nice girl."

Eric beamed at Kirin's compliment of Lina as he fastened his seatbelt. Morrigan looked back at Kirin sitting in the backseat behind Eric. The car started up and Eric drove towards the small apartment building where Morrigan lived. The drive was somewhat quiet as Eric asked a couple questions to Morrigan, mainly ones about her raise and the dress she told Lina she had to have.

"I didn't get the raise." Morrigan frowned. "As for that dress... Well, I kinda forget about getting it. Which is fine. I didn't like the shade of red it was." Eric looked into the rear view mirror at Kirin and then at Morrigan. Pulling up to the apartment building, they were greeted by a woman in her forties with dark brown hair.

"Morrigan! I swear, girl, you shall be the life of me yet!" The woman yelled as soon as Morrigan stepped out of the car. Grimacing, Morrigan apologized and then introduced Kirin to her mother.

"Mom, this is Kirin. Kirin, this is my mom. You can call her-" Morrigan said until she was interrupted by her mom.

"I'm Sara. Nice to meet you. Finally, I won't have to worry if my little girl is going to be an old spinster!" Sara exclaimed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He says kissing the back of Sara's hand. He can't keep back a small smile. He had called home while in the car to let the servants know he would be having dinner out. He also gave them all the night off with pay.

"Your face seems familar, Kirin." Sara remarked after he kissed her hand. "You're not some criminal on the run are you?"

"Mom! You watch too many of those cop shows." Morrigan scolded her mother. They headed into Sara's apartment, not before Eric pointed out the one directly across the hall from Sara's was Morrigan's to Kirin. She frowned as Eric winked at Kirin when he mentioned that Morrigan lived alone and rarely got visitors outside of the family and Lina. I'm going to kill him... she thought as she pictured many ways to do so.

"No ma'am I'm not a criminal. I own Rosenbaum Enterprises." He says choosing not to react to Eric. Though he was glad that even though she lived alone her family was close by. Once inside he undoes his braid. The tips touches the floor. ((Remember he had had it wrapped around his waist.))

"Get outta here! You can't be that same guy. I read about him in the business journal that he was currently engaged to some royalty girl from Spain." Eric exclaimed. Morrigan looked over to Kirin and shot him a questioning look. Until she noticed that he had let his hair down.

"Oh..." Morrigan sighed as her left hand reached to feel how soft and silky his hair was. Sara and Eric had walked into the kitchen, unaware that they hadn't followed her family in. "I didn't realize your hair was so long. I like it."

((Oh it's still in a braid btw.)) "I was but it didn't work out. Much to my mothers disappointment. He says before they had left. "Thanks. I like it most of the time. One of the best things about being rich is I have somebody to wash my hair and braid it for me." He says enjoying the feel of her hand on his hair.

((I figured it was. Letting it down might cause her to faint, lol.))

"I normally wash mine myself." Morrigan remarked as she pulled her hand back and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Inside the kitchen, the three people interested in Morrigan's "date" sat at the small wooden table waiting. Lina had pulled a chair up close to Eric's and Sara had placed two other chairs close together opposite of them. On the table was a roast chicken and bowls of potatoes and peas.

"It actually wasn't any big deal. We just weren't suited for each other. And she was in love with somebody else. I wasn't going to force her into a relationship. Especially when neither of us would have been happy." He says as they head into the kitchen. "The food smells wonderful Sara." He says pulling out Morrigan's chair for her.

"Well, Mr. Rosenbaum, thank you for the compliment." Sara smiled as she fixed the plates of food. "It's a good thing you two didn't get married and then have to get divorced... If only I had enough sense not to have married my husband. We were two totally different kind of people." She sighed deeply as she looked away from everyone. "He didn't take to kindly to me seeing another man even after I found out he was seeing my cousin. Which is why I gave up on finding me a man and try to dedicate my life to making sure my kids have someone who won't screw around on them."

"I rather you get a love life and let me be, mom." Morrigan stated acidly. "You know that you're just punishing me for dad's mistakes."

"Well sometimes opposites do attract." He says. "And you don't have to worry. I'm not the kind to fool around. Especially when I have found my soul mate."

Morrigan started to choke on her food when Kirin mentioned the words soul mate. Is that what he thinks we are? Soul mates? Morrigan questioned herself. Butterflies began fluttering around busily in her stomach so she excused herself to the restroom.