Chapter One – Who Is He?
1246 Words
Marina’s POV
The moment the car sped away, Camila came rushing in like a gust of wind. “Pinch me! Oh, my gosh! I can’t believe it!”
I gaped at my hassled assistant for a second before rolling my eyes at her melodrama. “What happened now?” I didn’t need to prompt her, since she was dying to blurt it all out!
“Have you seen the new owner’s right-hand man? Oh, my gosh! He looks like a Greek God with eyes to die for. One look and you will feel like tearing off your clothes and attacking him!” I gaped at Camilla. Her description reminded me of the golden-eyed man I saw a few minutes ago. Was he the one she was gushing so much about? Yes, it could be, since he fitted the description well!
“You’ve definitely lost your mind. Come on, forget him, and pack up. It’s late and I have to drive all the way in the darkness.” The thought of it made a shudder go down my spine. The last stretch didn’t even have streetlights! I wondered why my grandparents built a home in the wilderness instead of in the town!
Camila gave me a look as if I was the weirdest woman alive! “Are you sure you’re straight? Don’t you want to know the guy’s name? Well, I’ll tell you, anyway! He’s Arian Freling! It’s as exotic as he is! I could chant it all day! I think I’m crushing on him already!”
So went her melodrama while I packed up quickly. At one point, I felt like throttling my assistant for rambling on about the man! It was true; he was drop-dead gorgeous, but didn’t she know how dangerous such guys were? They never settled down with one woman! I felt a little jealous that she could be so vocal about her feelings for the same man even I felt attracted to. No, I would never tell her I had met him already!
“Can you stop and get down to work?”
She stuck out her tongue and helped to lock up the shop. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Bye!” I walked away to my car, but somehow the hair at the back of my neck stood straight up. I had the uncanny feeling of being watched. I looked around the busy place before climbing into my RAM pickup truck. There was no one around. I knew it was just my nerves playing up at the thought of driving back.
If it hadn’t been for my granny’s memories associated with the house, I would have sold it already and shifted to a tiny apartment near the shop.
The house has so much; it was almost impossible for a busy person like me to sort through. Every cabinet contained a mountain load of mysteries, ready to be discovered. Only I didn’t have the time or energy. From what I gathered so far, my mother also used to live here before her untimely death! Granny never told me a thing about my father. It was a taboo topic and granny would always get upset if I asked her. I stopped prodding her when I grew up and sensed her animosity towards my father.
I drove the rickety pickup truck all the way home, praying that it wouldn’t give up on me tonight. It belonged to my granny, and I had no other option than to use it. With five months’ rent overdue, I couldn’t dream of buying a new car. Granny hadn’t been able to earn much in the last eight months before her sudden death. Maybe her health didn’t permit her to work much. It was only Camila who managed the shop on her own, juggling her studies simultaneously.
It took me almost a month to settle down, and it was only this month that we earned above our expectations. Hopefully, after a month, we could clear our dues.
A steady drizzle of snow, sleet, and rain started, much to my discomfort. The weather became freezing, and I drove slowly to avoid a skid. Couldn’t it have waited until I reached home? As I cleared the last inhabited road of Cherryville, I again had the feeling of being watched. The rearview mirror didn’t show a thing. Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination.
A shudder went down my spine as I neared the secluded trail that led up to my house. I glanced at the rear-view mirror before turning towards the trail. Did I see a black Land Rover parked at the curbside at the far end of the road behind me? The rain made it impossible for me to see clearly, and I drove slowly over the treacherous path. Maybe I would have to shift to a more accessible place once I cleared the dues.
The car rocked a little, and I applied the brakes to stop it. I just hoped it wouldn’t give up on me now at the last minute. I didn’t want to look at the ominous jungle outside, casting strange shadows all around. Up ahead, the dark clouds hung over the town like a curtain, hiding the Moon totally. Everything was dark and eerie and I was stuck, still far from home.
Counting down in my head, I restarted the engine, but the car skidded across the slush. My belly dropped, and I felt like I was sliding. I applied the brakes, but it didn’t work. The car headed straight for a 200-year-old giant hemlock!
I tried to throw the car into reverse, but it was too late. The car skidded ahead while I frantically tried to gain control of it. I gave up at the last minute and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for my doom.
Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching to a halt made my head reel. Was it my car or was another car here to save me? How can that be possible when no one lived in the vicinity?
In an instant, I felt a tug, as if something had just stopped my car at the last minute from hitting the tree. I opened my dazed eyes and looked around in the darkness, trying to focus in the freezing sleet. The trees swayed wildly while the wind howled around me. There was no one around. I felt a presence behind me and turned around. I was sure there was someone who just stopped the car. How could that be possible?
I squinted and just as I thought, I could make out the outline of the Land Rover I had seen earlier. I caught a fleeting sight of a dark figure clad in a black suit climbing inside. He turned to look at me before closing the door, but I froze as my eyes met his glowing golden orbs!
The car swerved and drove away back the trail while I blinked with disbelief. Why would the man Camila had been gushing on about, save me? Why was he stalking me? I had given him the red tulip bouquet he wanted. Then what did he want from me?
I slowly started my car and drove towards my home. Maybe tomorrow I will find out more about him. What was his name? Yes, Arian Freling! The name didn’t suit him, though.
All the way, I couldn’t forget the man or his eyes. They hounded me even when I closed my eyes.
- Writer
