A DATE WITH DESTINY

Chapter 5

“ No, I need a companion,” He said seriously, “ And I chose you,”

Sayisha was aghast. She had never felt so stupefied in her entire life. It was strange how this man could make her feel so many different emotions in just one moment.

It wasn't surprising that she could not think of anything to say for a long moment and just stood quietly, staring at the stranger stupidly - the stranger who had walked into her life without her permission, unnerved her, and now wanted her for a companion - the stranger who had yet to give her even a hint about his true identity.

“ I…….,” She sucked in a deep, long breath. “ I think that you ought to leave,”

She dragged her feet to the door and pushed it open. A gust of warm air hit her and she sighed. She wished she could run out and escape from the man inside, but then again, why should she?

He was the one intruding, so he should leave. She couldn't let him affect her so much that she would lose her sense of reasoning.

With a new determination, she swung around to tell the man off in a final tone. However, she turned too fast and she had not been expecting him to be standing right behind her. As soon as she swung around, she found herself bumping into his firm chest. She gasped as her pulse quickened and her heart beat accelerated. It was a most abnormal reaction, and for a stranger at that. Even when she had fancied herself in love with Kenai Vesper, she never felt her heart beat for him for even a second. All she had felt was a mild happiness, and a little satisfaction.

But ever since she met this man a while ago, everything had begun to feel different. Even breathing in his presence became difficult. It was as though he was controlling her and she was succumbing to his every will without having any choice.

She was afraid and furious with herself for reacting in such a manner to this stranger who she wished would just disappear.

“ Sayisha Quinn,” he murmured, and she lifted her eyes slowly until they came to meet his. She did not know why she wasn't surprised at hearing him call her name.

His eyes were startlingly blue, with flecks of gray in them. She had known his eyes were blue, but seeing them up close made her realize how magnificent those eyes were. Although this man's features were insanely perfect, his eyes were a different story. His eyes did not seem ordinary. His eyes had this terribly domineering look, and she was almost sure that if he stared at her long enough he could see her deepest secrets and fears.

His eyes took her breath away.

His eyes terrified her.

“ How……do you know my name?” She managed to get the words out of her mouth eventually.

It was amazing how she managed to say the right words when at that moment, she was terribly confused. She was completely lost in the magnetic power of his eyes.

“ I did say that I had come specifically to see you, and yet you're surprised that I know your name?” His tone was not exactly condescending, but it was enough to make Sayisha regain a bit of her senses.

Yes. He did say he had come for her.

And he had said that he wanted her for a companion.

She suddenly felt sick in the stomach.

“ I think that……..

“ You ought to stop thinking,” he said curtly, giving her an arch look.

“ I…….” She started to speak again, but he pulled his eyes away from hers, breaking eye contact and releasing her from his spell. She quickly put a distance between them as he turned to stare at something in the distance. He furrowed his brows and his face took on a grave, decisive look.

Sayisha did not know what he had seen or heard to make his mood change so much but she was glad that his attention had been diverted, so maybe he would leave her alone. She didn't even want to know who he was……No, scratch that. She did want to know. She was insanely curious. But she was more wary.

She could survive not being able to satisfy her curiosity but she would never be able to survive another moment in this man's presence.

“I must leave now,” he said and she looked up at him, making sure to avoid those eyes.

“Oh,” she said simply, hoping that her relief was not that evident in her expression.

However, he seemed to be able to read her mind, or so she thought.

He chuckled softly and took the few strides that brought him to her, closing the distance between them.

Sayisha began to back away but realized that the wall was already right behind her and there was no where else to run.

There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he watched her unsuccessful attempt at escape.

“ You do not understand a word I say, do you?” He whispered and she shivered.

“ My hearing is quite good, you know. Unless you were speaking a different language, I can assure you that I did understand everything you said,” she retorted in a surprisingly steady voice.

“ You said you came to see me. You haven't been in the country for long. You need a companion. And you chose me. And now, you must leave,”

He gave her a look of quiet appraisal.

“ A perfect summary that is,” he smirked and she tried not to glare. “ But that is not the end of the story Sayisha,”

“Oh?” Now, she really did glare.

And here she was thinking that she would finally be rid of him.

“ I must leave, but we shall meet again very soon,” he said in a tone that told her that he was trying to let her know that their meeting again was one of the inevitables of life that she just had to accept whether she liked it or not.

“Sooner than you might expect,” he added and before she could construct a witty reply in her head, he was gone - the same way he had come.

His exit was sudden and abrupt, and it felt like he had never actually walked through the door. It felt like he had never been in the saloon with her. It felt as though he had materialized out of thin air and vanished after saying whatever he wanted.

She was not quite sure though since she wasn't particularly in her right mind. It was possible that it was all in her imagination. She told herself that if she stepped out she would see the tall stranger with midnight black hair walking down the street dressed in his expensive clothes, and he would be standing out because he was different from everybody else.

But when she pushed open the glass doors and stepped out of the saloon, there was no man walking down the street, no tall, handsome man with midnight black hair. It was past seven in the morning and the streets were still empty and quiet. All the shops were closed apart from the bakery and the post office.

Sayisha slowly walked back into the saloon, wondering how hungry she was that she could have imagined an unnatural encounter with an extraordinary man.

Her stomach growled and she sighed.

She was definitely hungry enough to imagine such a thing. Anything to put the thought of food out of her mind.

She sighed again and prayed for Marcy to show up soon. She was about to sigh for the third time when a young man walked into the saloon.

“ Oh hello there!” He called out to her raising two brown paper bags.

“uh…hello,” she replied without bothering to stand up. He was wearing the uniform of the new bakery. She remembered they called it SWEET DREAMS. She was quite sure someone had ordered donuts or muffins and the man had come to the wrong place.

“I'm sorry, but we didn't order anything,” she said quickly before the man had the chance to speak. “ It must be the Reilly's,”

“ Yes, I'm aware that you didn't place an order, but these aren't for the Reilly's. These are for you ma'am,” The man said and dropped the paper bags on the counter. “ Don't worry, they're completely free - a treat from SWEET DREAMS,”

Sayisha stared from the paper bags full of the most appetizing pastries she had ever eaten in her life to the man who was smiling so kindly at her, looking so happy with the knowledge that he was doing his job right, and her jaws dropped.

She wanted to tell him that he must be mistaken, that she could not possibly get a free treat from SWEET DREAMS because she could never afford to buy anything from them. She wanted to tell him that it was impossible for such a wonderful thing to happen to her. She was never lucky, so this either had to be a mistake or ……..

“ I hope you enjoy the treat ma'am,” the man was saying to her but she could barely hear him. “ Have a nice day,”

And then he was walking out of the saloon and she was still thinking.

She was hungry- Starving in fact - and just at that moment, the new bakery decides to give her a free treat. HER. Not some random person. Not some other person. She, who was never lucky.

Could she ever be so fortunate?

“ Sayisha Quinn, something is wrong,” she said aloud as she pulled the paper bags close. She sniffed the sweet smell of freshly baked donuts and her stomach grumbled.” I don't know if this is real or just my imagination, but……I really don't care anymore,” she tore open the first bag and grabbed two donuts at once, taking a huge bite. It was so delicious that she wished to cry. The sweetness was like heaven to her and she realized that the taste in her mouth was not something she could imagine. It was real.

This was real.

She was on the fifth Donut when a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

She had not been imagining things like she believed. She had really gotten a free treat from SWEET DREAMS. The food was in front of her as evidence.

Then, it meant that she had really envountered that strange man with the midnight black hair and beautiful eyes.

She shuddered. He was real. She hadn't inagined him at all. Even now that he was gone, she could vividly remember how he had made her feel and how she had reacted to him.

He was real. He had come to her. He had come FOR her.

And he said he would come back.

And he would definitely be back.