EPISODE 5
I looked at him and he was still on his phone, I looked back at the teacher.
“…Kendra and Justin” he concluded.
The class was dismissed and I quickly went to Ryan’s seat, he was writing something on a piece of paper.
“Hello, I’m Aaliyah” I waved at him.
“Jerks Café by seven, don’t be late” he passed me throwing the paper to me without even looking at me. He is so mean and reserved, I wonder what his problem is. I watch him exit the door.
“Aaliyah” Harvey tugged his hands under my arms and jerked me out of my thoughts.
“Hey” I turned to him and smile.
“Wanna get out of here?” He asked me.
“But I thought you said…”
“Come with me” he shrugged.
I sluggishly followed him out of the building, he led me to a café not too far from school.
“Nice view” I said as we took a booth close to the window.
“I need coffee,black no cream and you?” Harvey faced me as the waiter stood watching us.
“A hot latte for me, thank you” I said with a smile and Harvey smiled too. “This is nice but I feel I’m not having the fun I’m suppose to be having” I sighed looking out the window.
“I thought Paris would be it, I mean there is something missing…”
“Love” Harvey interrupted.
“What?” I looked at him.
“Paris is a city of romance so it makes sense if you feel incomplete” he winked at me and I smile.
“Like everyone who isn’t in a relationship is incomplete” I rolled my eyes and we chuckled.
I wasn’t kidding, I was expecting Paris to knock my socks out but it seemed boring, I mean it’s the same routine everyday, go to class, come back to my hostel, sleep and now I’m paired with a socially dysfunctional person. Let me die already. “Want to get out of here?” He asked and I raised my brow in confusion. “To where exactly?” I asked still raising my brow.
“There is a fair not too far from here, we could hang out there” he scoffed.
“What about Louise, we said…”
“She will understand” he added.
“Let me just call her” I tried picking up my phone from the desk but he held my hands.
” two is enough, three would be a crowd.” He looked into my eyes.
“Fine! If Louise find out we went out without her, you would be in trouble not me” I raised my hands up signifying I’m not part of this arrangement. “Sure” he smiled.
Harvey insisted we walk to the fair, there is no fun in Paris while taking a taxi, “a little exercise wouldn’t stress you out” his words not mine because I think I might pass out from this horrible trekking, I felt dizzy and sat on a chair in front of a restaurant so I could catch my breath. This cancer gets me tired all the time. “Lazy much?” He asked sitting next to me.
“You didn’t tell me this was a journey to the promise land I would have brought my trekking strength with me” I teased and he laughed.
“It’s not that far, the fair is just two blocks from here, he pointed at thin air because I wasn’t even seeing a sign of a fair.
“I’m tired” I shrugged.
“You can lay your head on my shoulders” he offered and I smiled.
“So people can think I’m your girlfriend right?” I joked and we both laughed. “And what’s bad about that?” He asked this time with a half-serious, half-playful face.
“Just…” I was cut short by a call, I slipped out my phone from my bag and it was my mom. I declined and put the phone on silent slipping it back in my bag. “You didn’t take that, was it Louise?” Harvey asked.
“No, it was my mom, she wants to check up on me and those crazy stuff” I rolled my eyes.
“Oh c’mon, you lucky to have your mom calling you, mine is always busy with work” his look change to a sad one and I placed my hands on his to comfort him. He smiled and took my hands in his, we didn’t talk for a while, we let our hands do the talking as it was locked with each other.
“So we going to the fair or not?” I broke the long silence.
“There is no fair around here, the fair even close to this place is far, very far” he said.
“So you lied?” I flinched and got up.
“Kind of, you said you weren’t having enough fun so I thought if you walk a little, you’d be able to clear your head” he sounded really nice.
“You thought wrong” I pretended to be mad and walked back heading towards school. Honestly the walk kinda helped, I feel tired physically but better psychologically.
I checked the time on my phone as I walked ahead of Harvey.
“Six forty-seven” I half-screamed.
I turned to Harvey who was following me quietly behind, I love how he gave me my space.
“I’ve got to go meet Ryan for our project” I tell him.
“Now” he huffed.
“Yes, at jerks café, I’m running late” I said already stopping a taxi.
“Can I come with you?” He asked.
“I relieve you of your bodyguard duty” I smiled and dashed into the taxi as he watched us zoom off. I released a sigh and brought out the paper Ryan gave me earlier.
“Tell anyone about jerks café, I’m gonna kill you” I read aloud.
My breath seized as I read it over and over again. Well I’d be dead in three months anyways so I guess I’d just die today instead.
The driver pulled over at jerks café. I paid the fare and walked quietly into the café, there is something different about this café, it looks exquisite and sumptuous. I trailed my eyes back and forth trying to find Ryan. I found him, he was sitting in a booth close to the window. I’m twenty minutes late because this café is quite far from school.
“Hey” I waved at him dropping my bag in the chair and sitting opposite him. “There are rules in order to work with me…” “Rules!” I exclaimed interrupting him.
“Rule number one, don’t interrupt me while I’m talking” he said firmly with fire in his eyes like I was his secretary and he was the boss. “I’m sorry” I apologised lowly.
“Rule number two, don’t apologise to me” he continued.
“Okay, are you ordering something or not?” I asked and he sat there looking at me like he just got his heart removed so he is unable to feel.
“Rule number three, no friendly suggestions” he added and I couldn’t help it but smile.
“Rule number four, no smiling, laughing or making a silly joke” he grunted. “I’m sor…sor…what I’m I suppose to say then” I lost it because his rules were too much.
“I’ll give more rules as we progress” he brought out some designs from his bag and
placed them on the table.
“Pick one of these” he ordered.
I looked through the designs over and over again to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.
“Well I was thinking maybe we could you know add our ideas together to make a badass design” I said really slowly because I was scared.
“And who told you your designs could be merged with mine?” He gave me a stern look.
“I’m sor… I’ll just go through the designs again.” I faced down and he took out his phone because a call came in, he walked away so he could pick the call. He came back few minutes later.
“You have such a good taste, why did you choose this café?” I asked as he took his seat back.
“Rule number six, no personal talks strictly work” he said with one of his stern looks.
“Rule number seven, no breathing” I joked and laughed.
“Didn’t I tell you not to joke?” He half yelled.
“I’m sor…okay Ryan” I said embarrassed.
“You know what, I have an emergency I need to attend to so we would do this another time” he grabbed the designs.
“Allow me to take them home so I’d go through it and pick out the best” I held his hands so he wouldn’t take them.
“One stain on it and you are dead” he threatened and headed for the door, he was about leaving when he turned back.
“Rule number seven, don’t ever be late to our meetings, see you the day after tomorrow, same time same place” he left.
I turned back to the table looking at the designs, they are very good I mean professional type of good, those kind if designs model would be proud to rock at fashion’s week. Vogue would pay anything to get their hands on this but it wasn’t me. I tucked all the designs in my bag and headed out. I took a taxi, I was feeling very tired and weary,I brought out the designs and was going through them when a call came into my phone. It was my mom, this time I picked up so she wouldn’t worry much. I placed the designs on the chair.
“Oh my goodness, why didn’t you pick up earlier? You almost gave me an heart attack” she screamed over the phone.
“I was in class mom” I lied rolling my eyes.
“Hope you are not too stressed?” She asked.
“I’m fine, I’m about going to bed” I replied stepping down from the taxi, I dipped my hands in my bag and paid the taxi man. I kept on talking with my mom till I got to my room and hanged up. Louise was watching movies and eating, her favourites things in the world.
“How was your day?” She asked.
“Fine, I met with mister fierce today, he is even worst than imagined” I pounced on my bed.
“I’m sorry” she pouted and came closer to me.
“I know, I know” I pouted also.
“Let me see the designs you guys made” she smiled.
“So you can steal it?” I asked and she shrugged.
“No, I’m just curious” she said.
“Don’t worry you will see it on the project day.” I replied dragging my bag close to me so she wouldn’t check them. I opened my bag so i could bring them out to hide them.
“Oh my God!” I exclaimed.
“What?” Louise panicked.
“Oh my God!!”
“What?”
“Oh my God!!!”
“What?!”
“I forgot the designs Ryan gave me in the taxi” I slumped.
“Oh no” Louise remarked.
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TBC
MARRIED AND STILL SINGLE
[Broken vows]
by berlie
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