Chapter3
1627 Words
‘You are hilarious, Isabella.’
I smiled as I burst into my apartment. I felt for the switch and put on the light in my parlor.
I loved my apartment. It was a steal: the building was close to my office and to all the important stores. And it was beautiful. It had a small foyer with an earth-toned rug, a spacious living area with large windows and a pert kitchen. The apartment even came with a comfortable, red sofa with throw pillows in vibrant colors, a coffee table made with rustic wood with intricate carvings, and a small bookshelf I lined with art books and a vase of fresh flowers. It even had a small dining nook beside the kitchen, and a sleek vanity with ample storage with a walk-in shower in the bathroom.
It was a rare apartment in the heart of town and it ate deep into my budget. Three years later and I didn’t regret snagging it up.
But it was not my love for this apartment that had me humming to myself as I shooed off my damaged dress and jumped into the shower.
‘You are hilarious, Isabella.’
I was hilarious. I had only heard those words from my best friend and it felt nice to hear it from someone else too. Actually, it felt more than nice. It felt exquisite, satisfying, amazing.
If a drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a man who could afford expensive old wines, and who mints gold thought of me as hilarious, then I was.
It took a while to notice I was singing a Celine Dion special at 2am in the morning in my shower because of a random compliment a man paid me. I shut my mouth immediately and hoped I hadn’t woken my next door neighbor. So much for feminism and being strong and independent.
I rinsed the lather off me and stepped out of the shower. I shrugged into clean Pajamas and waddled over to my compact kitchen to pour myself a glass of iced water. I passed a mirror in my hallway and saw I was still smiling.
Okay, let me be fair and admit this was a fun night. This was a night people wrote novels about. This was a night that people told in old Bars on Tuesdays. This was that scene in a movie that only seemed normal on screen but was so freaking abnormal everywhere else.
I had been in a real life car chase. Literal bullets had flown past me. Okay, let’s back it up, our Gala was attacked, and a Knight in Shining Armor swooped down and rescued me. Never mind the men seemed to be after him. He had saved me even when he didn’t have to.
We had escaped completely unharmed and had proceeded to dine in a hotel I only dined in, in my dreams. I drank several flutes of a wine I have read about but had never actually seen or touched. My Knight had drawn out my seat for me and treated me to a large dinner that should have cost my three months salary. Then he answered my questions, well not all of them. Listened to my stories with interest, laughed sincerely and called me hilarious. And what was more? He had driven me here and dropped me off with some money to fix my dress.
I retreated to my bedroom and plunged into my bed. I needed to get some sleep but I wished I didn’t. I didn’t want to wake up and find this was all a dream. Worse still, I didn’t want to wake up and have to continue my life at the Chamber tomorrow.
‘You are hilarious, Isabella.’
My smile deepened as my sleepy eyes closed slowly.
Suddenly, I sprang up, my eyes wide.
Wait.
I never told him my name.
*******
I tap my cell again but there is no notification. I straighten up and concentrate on my knitting. I have been working on this blanket for a month now, and it’s already halfway done. I am quite slow but I also have work and other things that take my time.
I weave the needle through a few holes absentmindedly then turn to my phone again. I am about to tap it when my best friend suddenly jumps up.
“Okay. That does it! Why are you so restless? Are you expecting a call or something?”
I straighten up and shrug. I don’t want to answer that question. I know what she will say if I do.
“Isabella?”
“Just confirming the time,” I fib.
“Isabella!”
“Fine! Why hasn’t he called?”
“Who?!”
I watch as realization dawns on her. “Oh Lord, Bella! You want that man to call you?”
“For the last time, he only…”
“Mints Gold. I know! You think if I was sinister, I would simply tell you?”
I frowned. “You wouldn’t?”
“Okay, I will. But in this metaphoric scenario, you are a stranger.”
“He only shot at them because they almost killed us…”
“Then he walked away feeling nothing. You were shaking all over and he didn’t even break a sweat. You know what that means?”
“That he handles pressure well?”
Mia slaps a hand on her face. It has been two weeks since that wild night and I had heard nothing from my knight in shining armor since. He seemed to have vanished the way he appeared.
“It means he has killed before, dumb brain! And he didn’t even go to the Police.”
“We needed to get out of there.”
“And I guess after that, dinner was more important than reporting a shoot-out.”
“Well, maybe he did after he dropped me off. Besides, it was in the news and now the case is closed. What does that tell you?”
“That someone paid good money to kill it off.”
I groaned and slumped on my sofa. “You watch too many terrible movies.”
“Well, you don’t watch enough because I cannot believe you would even want to meet this person again.”
“Look, if he deals with Gold. Then it makes sense a lot of people would be after him. Maybe he is just used to protecting himself. Do the math.”
“Don’t you dare use his words on me! And I have done the math. A man who carries a gun, shoots to kill easily and has dinner right after, is definitely more than a Gold Miner.”
I sigh and pick up my needle again.
“Besides, you claimed you never gave him your number, how will he…?”
“The same way he found out my name. I still don’t know how he did that but if he can do even that, then he can dig up a few digits and send a message!”
“Or maybe he doesn’t want to? I mean, why should he? He already saved your life, what more do you want?”
I hesitated.
“You want him to like you? Actually, why will I even ask that?! If you like him already, of course, you would want him to like you.”
“I don’t like him!” I defend myself.
“Really?!”
“I don’t. I mean, he is cute and attentive and has the most interesting pair of eyes and the handsomest laugh, but I know nothing about him. I just…I mean, it will be nice to know someone like that.”
Mia slaps a palm on her face again.
“Alright, it’s just a silly crush.”
“Well, get over it. This is not some silly rom-com where the girl falls in love with a bad man and survives. In real life, you move with the wrong crowd, you get the wrong results.
“Hmmm…when you say ‘wrong results,’” I lowered my knitting. “Wouldn’t that mean that the original result I should get for moving with a wrong person would have to change because then that would be the right result?”
“Shut up.”
****
The sky’s dark the next Monday as I headed out of my office and into the streets. My apartment was just a block away so I rarely drove to work.
I glanced at my watch. It was a few minutes past nine and I was exhausted. My feet and neck hurt and I was starving. I could not wait to get home and make myself dinner: cold takeout.
I groaned at the thought but my feet increased its pace. Food was food.
I was so exhausted, I barely saw the black Benz parked by the curb beside my apartment building. I simply marched towards the large doors.
“Miss Moore?”
I jumped in fright.
I turned around to see an older man in a suit. In his hands was a bouquet of flowers and a shopping bag.
“Who are you?!” I gasped.
“Mr. Rossi asked me to give you this.” He stretched the flower and the bag to me.
“Mr. Rossi?!” I asked.
‘I am Alexander Rossi.’ The voice replayed in my head before the man could answer. I hesitated, my heart beating wildly.
“What’s inside?” I asked, breathlessly.
The man did not say another word so I accepted the flowers with shaky hands.
I took the bag too and peered in. My eyes widened when they fell on a pretty dress.
“He said to get dressed and follow me.”
I looked up sharply.
- Writer
