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

Chapter Eight

 

Richard’s POV

Melissa smiles at a redhead before stepping out of the cafeteria. She is unusually friendly with everyone she comes across.

“Guess what! I’ve met a wonderful girl out there.”

“Course! So, she’s one of your besties now?” I tease.

“Duh! Of course, she’s gonna be my bestie in no time. Come on, I’m no moody like you.” She shoves my arm, “so, you done with chatting with your friend?”

“Yeah! Let’s go then?”

“Yeah, sure! Oops, wait I forgot to take Eve’s number.” The name thuds in my ears.

“Who?”

“Eve, I mean Evelyn. The friend I just met over there. Babe, can you please wait for a minute before I rush to the cafeteria real quick?”

“Course!” I mutter mindlessly. It’s a pretty common name! There’s no need to assume it’s her. Besides, why am I still so carried away with the thought of her? She doesn’t care! Hope she’s doing great in her life. She shouldn’t be wandering around my mind after so many years. I mean, I’ve had few relationships before but none of them bugs me the way this non-existent romantic affair does. Still! Damn it.

“Babe, I’m back! Let’s go.”

“You done with taking your redhead friend’s number?”

“Yeah, OMG! She’s so pretty but nope, you can’t call her that though.” She pouts.

“You girls are naturally too jealous.” I beam.

“Really? What about you guys? Huh? What did you do when I met that really handsome guy back in Milan?”

“Come on! That was explicit flirting. I’m not flirting with the redhead here. I didn’t even call her pretty, you said it to begin with.” I smirk.

“Whatever Mister! Let’s go.”

“So, Aron invited us to a party this weekend. Wanna go?”

“Hell yeah! You know how big of a party animal I am!” she grins.

“Cool then. Oh, What about that party with your restaurant mates?”

“That will be next week. Oh! Great, why don’t I invite Eve to the party?”

“Eve means the redhead you JUST met?”

“Yaha! And wait, she’s very enthusiastic about culinary arts which you by the way, don’t understand a thing about.” She scoffs.

“O wow! I am really interested to meet that girl now.”

“Why?” she pumps her brows.

“I just want to see the charm she must have to make someone fall in LOVE with her within this brief amount of time.” I tease.

“You suck, Richie! I hate you.”

In reply I give a generous grin.

“She’s a fashion designer in your friend’s company, by the way.”

“Why do I need to hear this?”

“No, you don’t. I was just checking if you’re interested or not.” She scorns.

“Hell! When I said you girls are too jealous, I don’t think I was wrong!” I chuckle.

“We just care too much, for the jerks we call our boyfriends.”

“Should I say thank you so much for being the best girlfriend in the world or should I defend myself stating the reasons why I am not a jerk?”

“OMG! Richardddd, you’re...”

“The worst? I know.” I shrug.

In reply she smiles what she usually does at the end of any of our fights. I’ve met Melissa around ten months back during the inauguration of my Madrid branch. To be very honest, she’s one of the sweetest persons I’ve ever come across in my life. We did not rush anything although the very first time I saw her in that local restaurant, I knew we would head towards dating some time. As the whole incident about Evelyn was still bugging me fresh, I thought of giving it some more time to develop into something serious. Things grew naturally and now we are here, seeming to be a perfect couple with itsy bitsy issues behind the scenes. I don’t know if I’ll sound like a jerk for saying it but still after seven months of relationship with Malissa, I think about Evelyn. I don’t know what it was that felt so special and unforgettable about her and it has been holding me captive this whole time. Now that Melissa brings the name again! my mind is being shuttered with memories, thoughts and the most idiotic of them all, the sheer possibility of her being with somebody else. I mean, it sounds pretty cliché and deserves to be in some Shakespearean romantic plays but the thought feels too scorching to tolerate. But again, I’ve moved on with my life with Melissa, why would I expect Eve not to do the same with someone, anyone she’d think to be suitable for her.

“Hey! Babe?”

“What?”

“Where were you? I’m asking you a question for the tenth time now.”

“Ops, sorry hon! What is it?”

“Wait, what were you thinking?”

“Work!” Of course, I lie.

“You know what? If the Nobel Prize association gave away their awards for being the most Workaholic person in the world, you’d get it as the first ever in the history?”

“Guilty!” I grin.

“Slow down a bit sometimes, ok?” she holds my hand.

“I will.” I mutter through my smile.

“So, I was asking if I should wear something fancy for the party, your friend’s party, I mean.”

“Um, I don’t know really! Ouch, don’t kill me but I don’t understand anything about you know, girls’ wardrobe. So, why don’t you ask Aron?”

“Cool! I’ll ask him myself then. One more thing, is it gonna be some office party or his personal thing?”

“Oh, it’s mainly his sister’s anniversary party. So, yeah I guess you can wear something fancy.”

“O wow! See? Who said you don’t understand girly stuff?” she chuckles.

“It’s common sense anyway.” I shrug.

“Of course! The one thing you lack a bit.”

“Really? You’re so mean.” I laugh.

“I’m just honest! Hey Rich, do you think you’ll do some singing at the party?” her face suddenly lightens up with enthusiasm.

“What? NO! I forgot how to sing a lullaby let alone a full-blown rock song. Come on! Stop it.” I pfft.

“You still can do a wonderful performance, trust me. Remember our 4th date? You sang and all others were totally enchanted?”

“Wow! You really remember our dates by sequence? That’s cool but there were only 10 to 15 people including 7 to 8 little kids who clapped because they felt real bad for me.”

“Richard! Don’t sell yourself short like this. You know you still can do much better than you can even think of. Wait, let me talk to Aron and set up some gig for ya.”

“You won’t.”

“I will!” she singsongs.

“Stubborn to the bone!”

“Look who’s talking!”

“Seriously, Melissa?”

“O yeah.”

“I give up.” I groan. “if you need to leave the party secretively for my crow like song in front of all the guests, don’t blame me!”

“No worries, La culpa es mia.” She smiles.

“No olvides.” I beam in reply.

 

Chapter Nine

 

Evelyn’s POV

“So, you’re saying that Melissa girl came to the office with her boyfriend?” Sarah shoves a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

“Yaha! That’s what she said. What about you and me go to the restaurant tomorrow after work?”

“Sounds good but wait a minute.”

“What is it again?”

“Her boyfriend came to meet his friend and you heard Aron being happy meeting someone after so long, right?”

“Yeah! So? What is wrong with all this?” I quirk my eye brows.

“I think, I mean don’t take it as the inevitable fact but I assume this boyfriend of Melissa is Richard.”

Like a video in a bad internet connection, suddenly my vision starts buffering. I did not see this coming. And nope! I did not think about it this way!

“Pfft! Stop it. How can you be so sure about your conclusion?” I try to sound casual.

“My instinct doesn’t lie!” she gives me a lingering look.

“Wh- okay, so um let’s figure that out tomorrow. Guess what, it’s fine by me if Richard actually is the boyfriend of the pretty girl I met. I mean, they’d look really cute together anyway.”

“Dang it, Eve. You’re totally hurt! I get it.” She reaches over to put her arms on my shoulders.

“Whatever, Sarah. Shit happens.”

“Yeah, but I kinda start hating this Melissa without even meeting her. Don’t judge me for being completely irrational. Friends always come first.”

“Aw!” I chuckle, “Quit it! She’s so sweet and friendly. Trust me, you’ll like her too.”

“I hope she looks much uglier when she is not under a heap of make-up products.” She scorns.

“Come on! Shush. Enough with your witchy behavior Ms. Sarah. I’m gonna start dating Aron anyway.” I can feel the fakeness in my own voice.

“Oiiyeeh! You really are gonna?” she sits straight jumping like a kid.

“That’s what I just said. Maybe it’s not Aron per se but some other guy for sure. I need to get out of this no connection zone, remember?”

“Absolutely! Yay.” She hugs me.

It’s gonna be alright! I mean, Richard is just a guy, not some Greek god my stupid self from six years back created out of him! I’m not going to cling to the notion of his being my one and only, it sounds stupid anyway! I keep reassuring myself over and over again. In my head, it’s totally fine and maturely settled that Melissa and Richard would look an absolutely great couple! But I still don’t know what the reality holds in store for me.

The workload has been comparatively lesser than that of yesterday. So, I try to complete the tasks a bit ahead of time. I am preparing to leave the office when that cologne invades the room. Too dramatic of an expression, I know!

“You already done with the work?” how can he always sustain the same amount of cheerfulness in his voice. Is he a monk or something?

“Um, yeah Mr. Wilson, I’m done with all the tasks that were assigned for today. I also followed up the designs with Madison and Michael as mentioned. I was actually going to let you know before leaving. It’s just, I need to go somewhere in the afternoon. But if it’s not okay with your policy then...”

“My God! calm down Evelyn.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and smiles, “You’ve done everything and extra you were supposed to do. Sure, you can go now. I just want to say, good job! You’re such a versatile designer we’ve got.”

“Oh, thank you very much Mr. Wilson. It means a lot.”

“Cool! See you tomorrow, then?”

“Yeah, tomorrow it is. Bye.”

“Oh! before you go, I wanted to say something about the hangout I mentioned the other day.”

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead.”

“So, something came up and I needed to change the plan a little. It’s my sister’s anniversary on Friday. I would like all of you guys to come to the party instead. We can do the hangout thing later.”

“Sounds cool! Wow! Congratulations to your sister. I’ll try to come to the party.” I grin.

“Thanks, but nope! You have to come Evelyn. Nothing like “I’ll try to” will be accepted. Got it?”

“Yes, I guess.” I nervously grin.

“Cool! Bye for today. Reach safely.” He gives me an intense look before leaving. As a result? My heart starts pumping gazillion tons of blood all at once. This guy sure knows how to play with the hormones of a stupid like me. Dang it.

I think of dialing Melissa’s number before getting to her restaurant. I shouldn’t startle her suddenly as she is still a new acquaintance. Besides, what if her boyfriend is there with her to exacerbate