Smoke And Mirrors ***completed***

Chapter 4.

Like a fierce tornado, Barbara St. Trenton swept through the pristine white airy kitchen, blowing past Richard, her husband who had to duck for cover.
Cabinets and the fridge doors opened and banged shut just as quick as she hurled ingredients on the counter. Richard who was still unnerved by her but would have eaten dust before he admitted that truth took a deep breath and cleared his throat.
He was your stereotype patriarch in every sense of the word who had been taught the toxic values of masculinity since childhood.
The fact he had gone ahead and married a woman who unmanned him and disapproved of his ideologies still boggled his mind. How was that for folly?
In truth, he had never set foot in the kitchen and he was still getting over the novelty of the place but he masked it well.

"Um." He begun but his confidence failed him his ego and manhood getting a paltry blow but his hesitation was justified if not clever after all he had been married to this woman for decades and caution was always wise if not prudent. Chopping his balls and frying them for breakfast wasn't just a threat but a reality that had became his worst nightmare.
He was too fond of them to risk them and dealing with her was like walking on eggshells.
She wasn't a spring chicken anymore but he would have sooner swallow a hot coal before he gave that thought voice which was a sure road to perdition. Though, he had to admit, she still maintained that ageless beauty and a timeless grace that was at full display as she whirled around in the kitchen. At full command of everything, you just had to admire that. Age,as he had come to know, hadn't tempered with her temper and he knew better than to poke the dragon so it was pure stupidity that had him opening his mouth which experience told him never made anything right. Just the opposite in fact and today wasn't any different.

"Um,sweetheart it's just dinner."

He said leaving him to wonder what was so wrong with that simple statement hadn't he even called her sweetheart?
Women! He had long given up on trying to understand them and he suspected that's why Jesus never bothered with them. He should have borrowed from Jesus infinite wisdom and given them a wide berth. Talk about the stupidity of men where a beautiful woman was concerned.

Barbara whirled around, there was no other word for it and pinned him down with glare that could have melted ice. Her blonde hair dancing around her beautiful face like they had life of their own looking like Medusa . At that moment he expected himself to turn into a stone.
He was probably stronger than her there was no doubt about at least physically. In terms of personality and will power he had his doubt after all hadn't she put him in his place time and again and once reduced him to tears by a look? There was nothing self conscious or contrived about it. It come naturally to her like breathing.
And she looked hot with her face flashed he thought but quickly banished the thought when she narrowed her eyes clearly getting the drift of what he was thinking. Richard had long given up on trying to find out if she was a mind reader or just perceptive. Either way he hated both.

"Dinner?" She growled, "and it's supposed to just magically prepare itself or walk through the door right?"

Richard had lived with her long enough to know better than answer such a question.

"OK OK but Jason isn't fussy or anything. All this drama is needless."

"Drama? You call this drama. You do realize my youngest son is bringing home is wife but what will a man understand?"

She said as she fiercely chopped red onions like she was imagining them being his head. The ominous sound filling the kitchen had him taking a step back.

And Technically they weren't married yet and Jason was also his son but then again what did a man understand.
She streaked past him the sharp knife in hand which had him holding back a very unmanly yelp but he only flinched when she yanked a cupboard behind him and took a sparkly glass bowl before she slammed it shut jarring him and shaking his confidence in the process.
He was fighting a loosing battle to keep his calm and he knew he would have to get one of his friends to punch him or make life hell for his employees to reassure  himself of his manhood after all he had no power in his own home but he could always make her submit in bed he thought darkly but with her still brandishing the knife he couldn't get close to set his plan in motion.