Frozen in Time - Radia Al Rashid (best book club books .txt) 📗

all other members? Shoot!

“How long will it take?”

“We are almost at your destination, Ma’am. Hopefully, ten more minutes will suffice.”

“What the... ten more? Shoot! He’s gonna kill me.”

The driver remains silent in reply without intruding unnecessarily like some other uber drivers I’ve faced back in New York. My phone dings with an incoming text. Is this Rogers sending my death sentence via text?

I nervously check the phone, and phew! It’s Drake.

“Yo! How’s LA? You alright there?”

“LA is okay but you need to remember, Rogers the monster sent me here to begin with. So, I’m heading towards my very first meeting with the team NOW! I sharply exhale.

“What? WHAT? You just got there. Jesus!”

“I know! Trust me, my name is on top of Rogers’ will-kill-slowly-like-a-sadist list. He HATES me.”

“Argh! he’s a real jerk. Okay, have you got to at least know any of your team members?”

“You kidding, Drake? I just got here. It’s been 28 minutes I’m on the soil of LA.”

“LOL! Such a precise timing.”

“Of Course! I’m counting every nano second cos I’m really freaked out of the project manager. I don’t know if he’s gonna kill me or skin me alive if I’m late! After all, Rogers appointed him.”

“Pfft! Quit being dramatic, dummy. Reach safely and text me when you’re finished with the meeting, kay?”

“Kay! :/”

“Good luck!

Chapter Six

 

“OMG! Let me process, you the greatest nun in the history of nunnery going on a date?” amusement is apparent in Drake’s voice.

“You swine!” I laugh, “First of all, I’m not a nun and secondly, it’s not a date.”

“That’s what we guys love to say. Come on, dumbo! You know that guy likes you.”

“Na’a! he just saw me once before and no! I don’t believe in love at first sight shit.”

“You don’t believe doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” He teases.

“Shut it! So, what are you up to? Anything new?”

“Nah really, very typical. I miss you, weirdo.”

“Aw! Miss you too, dumbo!” I yawn.

“Alright! Sleep tight now or else you’ll look like your usual panda self on the long-awaited date! The hottie will be freaked out.” He chuckles.

“Wait up you jerk. I’ll kill you for sure.”

He grins, “Goodnight, loser!”

“Goodnight asshole!”

Sarah’s words keep echoing in my ears making it impossible to sleep. God! isn’t she right! She is indeed 100 % correct about everything she told. Argh! I just don’t want to confront Richard ever again! I think, it’s not even possible to face him in this life. What if he suddenly pops up out of nowhere and confront me? What if he starts insulting me in front of his wife and kids? Shush! Enough with Richard and your what ifs, now focus on Aron. Don’t blow up this meet up, you stupid! I scorn at myself.

 

“Hello there! How are you doing, Ms. Walker?” Aron nears to nope, not give a hug but to shake my hand. Quite a professional move, I see. Damn! That cologne. This guy is too much.

“Oh hey, Mr. Wilson. I’m doing alright, thanks. What about you?”

“Can’t complain.” His cheery voice brings along that bright smile on his face.

“Cool.” I sit on the chair giving a generous grin.

“You are not completely new to LA, I suppose? How are you re-adjusting here?”

“Sorry? Oh, yeah it’s going alright, I believe.” I startle a bit.

“Great to hear. Coffee? Shake?” he motions to the menu, “It’s on me.”

“No, no Mr. Wilson. It’s really nice of you but let’s...”

“No, Evelyn, I insist.” His voice gives off a sense of surety. No doubt, he’ll bring on the topic of my name change stuff pretty soon.

“Alright then, if you say so.” I give a small grin.

The expression on his beautiful face doesn’t change at all. This guy must have the ultimate skill to hide his emotions from the people around.

“So, how long have you been working for Mr. Rogers?” he asks casually.

“Um, two years?” it sounds rather like a question, “I mean, yeah, two years to be precise. What about you?”

“Almost four years.” He grins. Aha! He’s been working around the time Serena... I shake off the dark thoughts from finding their ways to my mind.

“That’s pretty cool! How’s been the experience, I mean working with Mr. Rogers?” I ask unintentionally emphasizing a little on the name, ‘Rogers’.

He grins even bigger in reply. This creature is absolutely one of the finest pieces I’ve ever come across. I clear my throat to shift my attention or else I’d start blushing like a retarded goat.

“Can’t complain actually. I mean, okay, you’ve been working with him for quite a long time to at least understand his tactics, I suppose?”

“Me? Na’a! I cannot understand this guy at all. He is beyond comprehension or at least, that’s what seems to me.” that little complaining tone creeps into my voice.

He laughs lightheartedly, “I think, you need to give it some more time and voila! You’ll start deciphering his apparently dorky behaviors.”

“Apparently? You really don’t believe he ACTUALLY is a dork?” I narrow my gaze.

In reply his laughter sounds louder than before, “I understand why it is too hard for you to cope with him. It’s just, he wants people to reach their ultimate potentials, you know. He loves to nag the ones he thinks really worthy of doing something great. I’ve been there. So, I know.”

“Seriously? I thought I’m on the top of his hate-you-to-death list. He always insults me in front of everyone and that’s precisely the reason I thought you’d be insulting me or kicking me out of the meeting room cos I was 4 minutes late.” I take a sip of my coffee.

“That’s funny!” he continues chuckling, “No worries, I’m not that harsh.” He air-quotes.

“I’m glad you aren’t.” I grin.

“So, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable but aren’t you the similar Evelyn from my neighborhood back then?” Here you go! OMG! He just squeezed the topic in all the casual talks to make it sound like the most harmless talk in the human history! He’s so smart but even this oh-so-harmless way of asking is starting to freak me out.

I clear my throat in reply trying to put together something sensible to say in response to his question.

“I’m not you know, trying to accuse you of anything here, okay? Don’t feel uncomfortable at all. It’s just, I could recognize you first thing yesterday in the meeting but thought of personally talking it through. I am not trying to pry on your life, Evelyn. I’m just curious. If you think it’s gonna be too much boundary crossing to share, then you don’t have to. But it’s really nice to see you again after all these years.” His blue eyes sparkle.

“No, Mr. Wilson, it’s okay to ask, you know. I’m just a little confused as in what to say here cos it’s been a long story. That criminal, I mean the real one,” I gulp, “he’s been after us since then and even when he was still in the jail Serena, a relative of ours was killed here in LA. We were living in a different neighborhood then but it was becoming more and more threatening for all of us. And the aftermath?” I snicker ironically, “I cut off all the connections with my past life abandoning all the people...”

“Shoot! I’m so sorry to hear that, Evelyn. I had no idea it kept going on even after that terrible incident. I’m really sorry.” He reaches out to hold my hand.

“It’s okay, Aron, I mean... Mr. Wilson”

“Aron is fine.”

Okay…I guess something bad happens to everyone just in different ways, right?” I try to smile casually.

“Yeah!” he gives a tight-lipped smile.

“And I have a favor to ask.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Please, tell your friend that I am genuinely sorry for what I did. I was going through so much and that psycho actually made me believe in his crap...”

“Oh, that’s absolutely unnecessary. Come on, you didn’t do anything wrong back then and obviously, neither did Rich but it’s totally understandable, Evelyn. You don’t have to apologize.” He gives an assuring look.

“Thanks, that’s really very kind of you guys. Um, so tell me something about yourself. I mean, apart from the fact that you are the project manager here.” I smile to shift the topic from serious to a little lighthearted realm.

“Yeah, that sounds cool! After all it’s a date. I mean, I didn’t mention it, did I?” he scratches the back of his neck smiling.

“That’s what I was kinda aware of.” I also smile in reply.

I don’t regret the last two hours spending with this guy. He is incredibly cheerful, funny and not to mention drop dead gorgeous.

“Thank you so much Mr. Wilson for today. I enjoyed a lot.” I say stepping out of the café.

“Mention not Ms. Walker, same here. I’ve enjoyed too, a lot.”

“So, I guess I get to head home now.” I tuck my hands in my pockets.

“Why don’t I drop you off at your apartment?”

“That’s really...”

“Sweet of me?” he chuckles, “You can be really formal and respectful Evelyn.”

I laugh in reply, “I mean, it will be too much trouble for you, Aron. I guess, it’ll be better for both of us if I just take an uber.”

“I am not going to carry you on my back, it’s just driving a car. What kind of trouble might it cause!” his voice filled with humor.

“God! you always have the next answer ready with perfect touch of logic and humor! Alright, let’s go then.”

Smiling he casually holds my hand. My you-cannot-hold-his-hand instinct kicks in but I manage to shove it aside. We head towards his car with an awkward silence hanging between us.

“What’s this smell? It’s really refreshing.” Getting into the car, I try to start a conversation not long before I realize the smell is actually coming from him, it’s his cologne.

Dang it! That awkward silence felt more comforting than this! Way to go Evelyn!

He smiles with a bit flirtation on his lips, “It’s actually...”

“Your cologne! Yes, I get it, sorry that was awkward. I was just trying to break the silence with even more awkward of a question.” I silently laugh at my stupidity.

“No worries! That was quite a nice compliment, I must say.” Still that flirtatious smile hovering over his lips. I am not going to lie. He looks really good with this smile. Argh! Shut it! You’ve been on the no-date mission for too long not to drool over everyone right now! It’s just your hormones!

“Guess some music might help?”

“Absolutely!” I find the option quite an effective weapon to break this lingering awkwardness.

Rest of the way to my apartment, snippets of various small talks about music and sports keep the conversation going between us.

“So, I was thinking, you know, as you will be working for almost the whole of the next week, what about going out in the weekend?”

“Another date AKA get-to-know-more meet up?” I raise a brow at him.

“Oops! No, I was thinking more of a hang out with the team members.”

“Cool! I’m up for it.”

“And you wouldn’t agree if it was a date!” he teases.

“I don’t remember mentioning that.”

“You implied.” He grins.

“I have enough doubt about that Mr. Wilson.” Am I flirting with him? Huh! Not bad.

“After the hangout, we can plan the next date, maybe!” he brakes the car with the ever-present grin.

“Sounds good. Thank you for the ‘really great time’.