"Goodnight bes" They finally ended their conversation.
Jena peeped at her phone and realised that they discussed for over an hour! She really had to go to bed now if she didn't wanna be scolded by miss Becky at work tomorrow.
"Goodnight snuggles" she kissed her huge and fluffy brown teddy bear and cuddled it tightly as she slowly fell asleep.
Snuggles was a gift from her mom and dad on her fifth birthday celebration. Unfortunately, neither of them lived to celebrate another birthday with her.
. . . .
Saturday...
Two weeks had passed since the day she last saw her mystical white knight, but a day didn't pass without her thinking about him. He kept popping up in her head. He was all over her freaking mind!
It was already 10:30 pm and they were already packing up for the day. They received tons of customers today, so they were all pretty exhausted and couldn't wait to go home.
Usually, they lock up by 10pm sharp but the customers were just too many today, like something particularly special was going on today that neither of them were aware of and, facts considered, it would've been very unprofessional of them to leave the customers unattended.
Good to go, Jena was already leaving when she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Devin, her friend. And colleague.
"Oh, hey Dev, it's you" she said, adjusting her bag.
"Yeah um I wanted to ask... Any exciting plans for the weekend?"
"Not much, just relaxing"
"As usual"
They both laughed. "How about you?"
"Just some errands and maybe catching a movie. But if you're up for it, we could go grab lunch together"
"Mmm.. I think i'm up for both the movie and lunch"
"Oh.. My pleasure then" They both laughed again. "So am I walking you home today?"
"Um I'd love that but I still have some errands to run before going home you see"
"Alright then" he smiled at her "I'll see you, tomorrow?"
"Of course. Goodnight Dev" she waved
"Stay safe okay?" She nodded before he smiled again and left.
Screeching tyres, a close call as a car swerves just in time, narrowly missing Jena.
. .. .
Struggling with the zip of her bag, Jena stepped out onto the road without looking. The bright car lights first blinded her momentarily before the sound of screeching tyres pierced her ear. She instinctively covered her eyes when she realised what was happening, half expecting to be run over. What was she thinking?
Where the hell did the car even come from?
Then,
She started to feel this oddly familiar aura..
Tentatively, she opened her eyes, only to be met with a gaze that sent shivers down her spine.
There he was, no other person than her enigmatic white knight.
"The universe does have such a unique method of bringing us together. Right, rainbow?" he spoke first, sending a delightful tingle through Jena as she realised how dearly she had missed that voice. What is wrong with you Jen!
"Um mr Lucien.. It's you.. again" she swallowed, voice barely above a whisper.
"Fate seems to enjoy our encounters, eh" His eyes travelled down to her scattered bag on the ground. She was surprised when she saw him bend down, and even more surprised when she saw the reason why.
Well, it wasn't just Jena taken aback, The guy behind the wheels of Lucien's car was also caught off guard.
"Lucien, since when did you get so kind" he whispered to himself, a sly grin playing on his lips as he quietly observed Lucien play his game.
He handed the bag over to her. "You own this?" Lucien asked, surprised.
"Hmm. Didn't know little rainbow was so naughty" he teased playfully, a twinkle in his eye.
"What? Give me that!" She snatched her property from his hand and tucked it discreetly inside her bag.
Somehow, her shyness made him feel funny inside.
"I have to go now, you see" she said, avoiding eye contact with him.
"You always have to go, rainbow. Why is that?" He asked and observed her. She was just putting on a pair of jeans and a shirt with a pale blue scarf wrapped around her head and face. She looked so plain, unlike the first day they met. She looked like a true waitress now. No offence. But still, he couldn't stop staring.
"Stay with me for a while, rainbow.. You don't always have to go" he moved closer and played with the edge of her scarf while she did nothing but watch him, frozen.
"Watch while you're crossing the road" he let her scarf go. "You may not get so lucky next time"
"Th.. Thank you" she murmured and watched his graceful back to his car, his coat swaying elagantly to the rhythm of his footsteps.
Again, what's with him and coats?
As expected, he felt those pair of brown eyes shinning brightly on him as he entered his car.
"You're not gonna drop her off?"
"Mind your business will you?" Lucien shrugged.
The man could only smirk at his friend's response, remembering how nice he was to the lady just seconds ago and how, well...
. . .
She couldn't stop thinking about him when she got home.
Fate seems to enjoy our encounters. His words repeated in her head. Or was he the one who enjoyed their encounters? Lucien Sanderson, freaking CEO of such a prominent network security engineering company, the country's richest business mogul, best in business and every other thing he does, and, Jena White, the world's greatest introvert... she realised she didn't even have much to say about herself which made her pout.
He told me to stay with him for a while, then he just left me. She suddenly became pissed. Why would he do that?
More importantly, why was she pissed?
Ring ring... her phone rang. She was so happy when she saw the caller.
"Helloo bes"
At least something to get her mind off him
. . .
His gaze wandered, not to the city lights outside the window but to the subtle details within the room, his mind seemingly elsewhere. The soft hum of the city below was drowned out by the silent intensity that surrounded him.
But in the quiet of his sanctuary, his thoughts danced around a presence not physically there, yet her essence lingered in the very fabric of the space.
Running his fingers through his hair, he lazily let them fall, undoing his shirt buttons, all the while, consumed by her memory.
"They're here" a certain deep voice announced. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to register his brother's sudden arrival until he spoke. That was when he glanced out the window to find a fleet of opulent cars parked outside. Instantly, he understood who 'they' meant.
"I'll join them shortly"