Her lips were still pursed—she looked like she still hated me. But the options that I was offering her seemed like they were torturing her just as much.
"Still not interested?" I asked with a playful tone. "Very well." I turned away from her, and that was when she finally spoke again.
"Wait," she exclaimed, making me turn to look at her again, amused. "Are you really going to let me eat those foods for free?"
A deep chuckle left my lips. "Trust me. You can try all the dishes there until you're satisfied, without having to pay a single damn cent."
She swallowed again.
"What are we waiting for?" I smirked, pushing my hands into my jacket. "Miss...?" I asked for her name, looking into her eyes.
"Cassandra," she finally said, her voice small.
???
We ended up in a simply furnished cafe with a cozy atmosphere and a beautiful view of the lake. I'd never seen someone eat so eagerly, like she was eating her last meal on earth.
She literally devoured all the foods that I ordered for her.
Damn. She must have been really hungry.
"Are you always this hungry?"
"I am extremely hungry right now," she said, her eyes still not leaving her plate. "Besides, just like you said, the food is delicious. And," she paused as she took a gulp of her orange juice, "it's been ages since I could eat whatever I wanted without having to be punished afterward." She blurted that out.
I didn't think that she even realized how strange her sentence was. I frowned. What was she talking about?
Can't anyone just eat whatever and whenever they're hungry?
"So, Cassandra..." I began.
"Cassie." She looked up at me, still munching her food.
"Right,Cassie," I said.
Wow. That was a change. I guess the food had indeed made her happy, enough to warm up to me.
"Where are you from?" I asked. "I know that we're from the same country. But, which part?"
"I just moved to LA with my stepmom," she said nonchalantly.
"Why are you here?" I asked, still curious as to why a naive girl like her suddenly decided to wander alone in a random city far away from her home.
"It was my ultimatum," she said, the dining utensils dropping onto her plate as she finally finished her food.
"A what?"
She gulped her orange juice again and huffed.
"Myul-ti-ma-tum," she emphasized the word. "My stepmom wants me to make a really big decision, and so I told her that I wanted a vacation alone to clear and refresh my mind first. Unfortunately, my budget isn't good enough for me to experience everything around here—although she did help me top up some money to buy the plane tickets. But gosh, isn't this place amazing? The view is breathtaking. Absolutely phenomenal," she exclaimed, excitement in her voice.
My eyes drank her happiness. Her energy made me feel like I was experiencing the same joy. "Why Hallstatt of all places in the world?"
"Because this is one of the most beautiful places to spend winter." She grinned. "And I love,lovewinter. I love the snow."
Again, I stared at her with amusement. She was talking like a kid.
"What's this big thing your stepmom wants you to do that made your wish of coming to Hallstatt come true? I bet that it has something to do with college," I guessed.
