Ch.18
951 Words
Althea’s Pov
"Take a seat." Mr. Valenti directed me as we arrived at a restaurant near our workplace.
Huh? What did he just say?
"What did you say, Mr. Valenti?" I repeated, ensuring I understood him correctly.
"I said, take a seat." He reiterated, gesturing towards the chair across from him.
Hmph!Like a well-trained dog, I settled down in front of him.I positioned myself before him, taking in his looks. His hair shone brightly and was styled perfectly atop his head. It was evidently damp from the shower. His face appeared impeccably clean and smoothly shaven, devoid of any stubble. The Armani grey shirt he wore hugged his frame like a suit of armor—he exuded charm, strength, and attractiveness.
"Eat." He instructed as the waiter set down two slices of toasted bread, an egg, and two sausages before me.
"No, thank you. I’ll have breakfast once I get home."
He abruptly set down his spoon and fork, glaring at me. "It’s already eight o’clock in the morning. Stop talking and eat," he insisted, resuming his breakfast.
I hesitantly picked up the spoon and fork, feeling quite uncomfortable having breakfast with my boss. The food looked enticing…hmmm…it had a wonderful aroma, and my stomach let out a loud gurgle.
I dove into my breakfast with enthusiasm, realizing just how hungry I was. I was halfway through when I caught him watching me over his coffee. With a quick glance, I looked at him and then at his plate. It was completely empty.
"You need to eat more. You’re really thin." Preach! Wow, he was addressing me as if I were a child. My anger flared up. I had thought he was intelligent and educated at some prestigious institution. What happened to his manners?
Stay calm, Althea... take a deep breath, I reminded myself.
I was taken aback when he abruptly stood up and said, "I’ll see you at work tomorrow."
"Um... yes, sir." He nodded and quickly left me alone in the restaurant, hastily sliding the bill under the plate.
Eros Pov
Jesus Christ! It's really her.Ella.
I was terrified to blink, fearing that if I did, she would vanish in an instant. This couldn't be happening; it felt like I was in a dream, hallucinating, and under the influence.
I was completely speechless, frozen in my seat, my entire body tense, and I was sweating heavily.
She smiled as she received her order from the waiter. Then she turned and walked out of the restaurant. Without hesitation, I got up and followed her. I needed to speak with her.
"I’ll catch you at work tomorrow," I told Althea, as I tucked the bill beneath my plate and rushed towards the door.
Once outside the restaurant, I stood there, my face and eyes scanning from left to right. I spun around repeatedly, darting to every corner of the restaurant, looking for her... searching for any sign of her.
She’s vanished... she’s truly disappeared without a single trace.
My blood simmered with anger and my head pounded as I reflected on my dreadful foolishness. I should have gone up to her right away and spoken to her. I had been searching for her, and now that I finally found her, I lost her once more.
I was foolish, incredibly foolish.
*****Twenty years ago********
"Don’t you have any friends or something?"
I glanced up at a girl who was looking directly at me with hazel eyes.It was the first day of kindergarten, and everyone else seemed excited.
I found myself sitting alone on the swing set, gently swaying back and forth. I wasn’t feeling the excitement. In fact, I was quite bored. Unfortunately, that was the reality of not having any friends.
We had just relocated to the wonderful state of Virginia last month, leaving me without any ties to the local kids.
I’m not the type to be outgoing. I usually prefer to observe rather than dive into new situations; I tend to remain quiet instead of sharing all my thoughts and feelings.
I nodded in reply to her question, which brought a smile to her face.
"Alright...Alright.....Just stay right here," she said with excitement.
She dashed away from the swing set and into the adjacent field, where she crouched down as if searching for something. I adjusted my position on the swing, trying to catch a glimpse of her actions.
When she finally stood up again, she rushed back to me, out of breath but still beaming.
"Here, if you take this, you can be my friend. I have plenty of friends, so I can introduce you to all of them, and then you'll have many too. Just don’t let the others know when you meet them," she whispered. "I didn’t give them anything." At this, she giggled. "You just seem like you need something beautiful and colorful to brighten your day."
Without hesitation, I took the object from her hand. It was a flower—a Rose, to be precise. In that moment, I realized I now had two beautiful and vibrant things in my life.
"Hold on," I exclaimed suddenly, pouting and causing her to jump. "I forgot to ask your name! You wouldn’t want to remain a stranger, would you?"
She let out a charming laugh. "You can call me EVE..”she whispered.
"What’s your name?" she inquired.
Just as I was about to respond, she interrupted, "Oh, I know... I’ll call you... Adam.” I heard her say.
Eve , Eve, Eve. I kept repeating it in my mind until her name consumed all my thoughts.
I must find her. I must find Ella, she’s the only one who can tell me where she is.
- Writer
