CHAPTER 3: ON LEAVE
1420 Words
KAIA HAD her luggage ready when she received a text from her boyfriend, Craig.
“See you in 12 hours, honey. I already booked the cabin all for ourselves.”
They met at a bar sometime in September, and they’ve been hanging out since then. 5 glasses of whiskey and a kiss shared on the dance floor, and that was the start.
Only that most of their dates had to occur online, given that Craig is a pilot flying overseas. Craig’s carefree personality pulled Kaia in, and that connection continued for 2 months.
Kaia typed in a reply as she grabbed her laptop to file an entire week of vacation leave. Her lips were pursed together into a smile as she crafted the perfect lie to use as a reason for her being gone during the holidays—for at least a week.
She roamed her eyes around her apartment one last time before putting on her sunglasses. It’s gonna be a long drive to the forest park where Craig had booked their cabin. But from the pictures, the view was majestic, though a little isolated.
She drove her car from the busy road of the city until she passed through the borders and wandered into what seemed like an endless highway. Her GPS was the only thing guiding her to the destination. She wasn’t familiar with it at all.
Music blasted inside the car when her phone rang. The name of the person she despises most displayed on her phone screen.
“Hi, Sir…” Kaia faked a cough as she answered the call.
There was just silence on the other line, and she waited for a minute before she heard Nikko’s familiar breathing on the other line before he finally spoke.
“Are you at home?” Nikko asked on the other line.
Kaia’s brows furrowed, unsure if she heard the words right. She was kinda taken aback by the question because no way she is near her home at all.
Nikko cleared his throat, as if realizing the words he said didn’t come out right. “I mean, you should rest. I have already approved your sick leave requests. If you need anything…medicine, check up coverage… uh… the company can take care of it. Just call Misty.”
Oh yeah, his newly hired secretary who seemed to look at him with puppy eyes all the time whenever he holds a meeting with all the departments.
“Kaia?”
That was when she snapped out of her thoughts. She hasn’t answered him yet and the air inside the car felt a little awkward even though she is alone.
She stepped on the padel, increasing her speed. The highway road had been almost filled by cars now because of the holiday season. With blizzards in the air, it would probably snow soon.
“Thanks, sir. I am alright, though a full rest would really help my aching muscles. This flu might be here for quite a while but my body sure is stronger like a horse.”
Shit, Kaia. What did you just say?
She slapped a hand onto her forehead. Luckily, she heard Nikko laughed a little on the other side of the phone, and that somehow calmed her nerves, she was close to panicking. What if he finds out the truth that she wasn’t sick at all and had just come up with reasons to be with her boyfriend during the holidays?
Kaia cleared her throat. “Thanks for checking up, boss. I’ll see to it that I’ll be back to the office soon and will drown you with the hottest showbiz leads in no time, you better be ready.”
This time, Nikko laughed louder. There were a little noise on the background… and Kaia imagined him leaning on his swivel chair at the office.
“You better make sure. Bye.”
“Bye, boss…” The call ended like a fog disappearing in the morning as the sun strikes. Something inside her lit up too… but decided not to mind and focused her eyes on the road.
A few miles away from the cabin and the snow got worse. Cars lined up almost bumper to bumper as the traffic got worse as well. Kaia looked out at the window only to see more and more people rushing to the stores and others crossing the street. There are some roads who had probably closed already.
“Watch it!” Kaia stepped on the brakes when a car suddenly swerved on her side.
She calmed herself down before reaching out for her phone. No recent message from Craig.
She imagined her luggage at the back of her car and nodded. The clothes she packed would like for a week for sure, given the snow and the need for more clothes to keep up during the holidays.
She reached for the stereo and played some songs. Her parents took a vacation abroad for Christmas. Her brother, she did not dare ask what he would be up to. Cause he would just tease her if she did. And her? Well, spending the holidays with her boyfriend doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Kaia had passed the last city before reaching the cabin. At 10 PM, the snow had filled the road but lucky enough it wasn’t that deep yet. A few meters away… until she was finally minutes away from the cabin house. True enough, from the pictures, it was quite far from the town center but the long travel was worth it as she finally saw the lights leading to the cabin.
She passed by a few houses until there were none. She kept driving, and after a few right turns, she finally arrived at her destination.
The snow had already gathered at the front porch of the cabin, yet the warm light that glowed from the inside enticed him to run inside.
She pulled up at the parking lot only to see a car already parked there.
It was the newest car model that she didn’t get to see in the city often. Her hands expertly maneuvered the steering wheel so she could park beside the car.
“Did Craig arrive first?” she mumbled to herself, eyes squinting. As she turned off her car’s engine, she grabbed the jacket placed on the passenger seat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
She then rushed to the back of her car to grab her luggage, then made her way to the front porch.
There is something strange, though.
Kaia dialed her boyfriend’s number, but it just went to voicemail.
She tried to peek inside the house but the curtains were sealed shut. Well, she already has the passcode for the cabin. If Craig arrived there first then might as well just surprise him.
Tiptoeing closer to the front door, Kaia slowly pressed the passcode and the door let out a subtle ding before it opened.
“SURPRISE!” she squealed as she finally got inside.
To her horror, it was Craig that met her eyes the moment she stepped inside.
It was a man; his eyes met hers, and it felt like the world had stopped and her breath halted.
Fuck! Why is he here!?
The silence was so loud it almost hurt her ears. Nobody spoke first. Kaia was still holding her luggage so she used it for support when she felt her knees were starting to get weak.
Nikko stood up from his seat in the living room, holding a steaming cup of what she think is coffee.
Kaia couldn’t even contain her shock that she forgot t even blink.
“What are you doing here?” Kaia mumbled when she finally got into her senses.
“I’m supposed to be the one asking you that,” Nikko retorted with his cold inquiring voice.
“If I’m not mistaken, aren’t you supposed to be in your home resting…” He managed to walked towards her just inches away from where she was standing. “You said you were sick.”
Kaia gulped. “I was! –I mean, I’m sick…”
Nikko looked at her with suspicion. Serious. Curious. Yet judging.
His eyes met hers and it felt like he was searching his soul on them.
The intensity of his stare made her insides tingling and strange… and—
Kaia had to look away.
“Cat got caught your tongue, huh?”
Nikko mumbled as he leaned in closer to her.
Her heart went absolutely wild.
- Writer
