Margaret attempted to start her white Yaris for the fourth time, but the car wouldn't cooperate, much to her frustration. She found herself cursing her decision to not ask Liam, her driver, to send her to the café . It frustrated her even more that the car had chosen to malfunction just two miles away from the café.
With an air of frustration, Margaret stormed out of her car, looking at it angrily. Feeling reluctant, she opened the hood and stared at the complex machinery inside, unsure of what to do. Meanwhile, she unconsciously twirled a strand of her reddish-brown hair, which she had meticulously straightened just moments earlier. In search of an apparent miracle, she looked around, hoping for some assistance, but found none. Frustrated and defeated, she let out a sigh, and in that moment, her head accidentally struck the underside of the open hood. She winced in pain, uttering a small cry.
"Let me help you with that."
Margaret's ears perked up as she heard the familiar voice behind her. Startled, but grateful for the offer, she tried to extricate her hair herself, only to feel a sharp pain. Just as she began to try once more, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her head away from the open hood. She gasped, simultaneously relieved and surprised by the unexpected touch.
"Thank you so much," she said, turning to face the person who had come to her aid.
Margaret's eyes widened in surprise as she turned to face her rescuer, revealing none other than Aaron Dunn. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt her cheeks flush as she struggled to contain her emotions. "I-I'm sorry," she mumbled, her voice almost a whisper, overwhelmed by the unexpected encounter with the man she had been silently admiring for quite some time.
"Oh come on princess,no need to apologize"Aaron said,a smile playing on his lips.
His casual "princess" made her heart flutter, and she found herself unable to control the weird smile that escaped her lips. Her cheeks burned with a fierce blush as she struggled to maintain composure.
"I-I don't know... I suppose I feel a little silly for not being able to handle something as simple as opening a car hood without assistance," she stammered, her voice laced with embarrassment and a hint of vulnerability.
"It's okay What's wrong with your car anyway?"He asked.
Margaret watched as Aaron approached the car and took a closer look at it. "It's just that the car won't start," she explained, trying to keep her voice steady. "I've tried starting it four times, and it just won't respond. It's rather frustrating, isn't it? "
"Yep, it is .But I'm not that good at fixing cars "He confessed,drawing a sharp chuckle from her."For real princess ." She bit her lip as he teasingly called her "princess" once more.
"I'm not going to bother with fixing the car myself, so why don't you hop into my car so I can give you a ride? Where are you headed?"
He asked, extending an invitation for her to sit in the passenger seat of his black Ford. His offer made her heart race. She couldn't believe that she was going to be in the same car with Aaron.
Margaret added, "I'm actually on my way to the cafe."she managed to say.
"Alright, let's go," he said. Margaret picked up her purse from her car and then followed him to his. Aaron gently opened the door for her, and she climbed in with a smile.
He sat down in the driver's seat and started the car. As he drove, he glanced over at Margaret. He had been hoping to run into her and this was unexpected. As he noticed her looking outside, he wracked his brain for something to say. The first thing that came to his mind was, "Did you miss me?"
His question caught her off guard and sent shivers down her spine. "What do you mean?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've been thinking about you since the day after the party," he replied, his voice soft. "Have you been thinking about me too?"
Margaret blushed . "Maybe."she said coyly.
He couldn't help but grin at her response.
"Great," he said, and an awkward silence filled the car. Margaret found herself wondering why he had asked her that question. The thought of him having a crush on her made her feel strangely conflicted. Her palms felt sweaty, and she found herself resisting the urge to look at him.
She felt a strange mixture of happiness and nervousness knowing that the guy she had a crush on was interested in her. Suddenly, he spoke up."Is this the cafe you were talking about?"
Margaret hadn't even noticed that they were in front of the cafe.
She turned to him, trying to act nonchalantly, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."She said.
"Do you mind if I escort you in?"He asked ,acting weirdly attentive.
Margaret couldn't understand why he was behaving this way.
"Sure , why not?"She managed to say.
They both stepped out of the car and Aaron held the door open for Margaret, gesturing for her to enter the café. Feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, she walked ahead of him into the café. Once inside, they found a table and sat down, glancing over the menu as they decided what to order.
Aaron scanned the menu and spoke up, "I think I'll have a cappuccino and a slice of that chocolate cake, please."
Margaret followed suit, perusing the menu before deciding, "I'll have a latte and a blueberry muffin."
The waiter approached their table, taking their order, and responded, "Certainly! I'll bring those out for you shortly."
With their orders placed, Aaron relaxed back in his chair.
Aaron's eyes locked with hers as he spoke, his voice steady but betraying a hint of vulnerability.
"I'll admit, I've been hoping to run into you these past days, trying to find a way to be in your presence. I just didn't think it would happen so soon."
Margaret's cheeks flushed slightly at his words, the mix of surprise and emotion evident on her face.
Margaret couldn't help but blush even more at Aaron's confession, her heart racing in her chest. She managed a shaky response, trying to remain composed.
"You were...thinking about me?" she asked, a touch of disbelief in her voice.
Aaron replied, "Actually, I was thinking about you. That's why I asked if you missed me. I was hoping you had been thinking about me too."
Margaret, sensing the weight of his words and her own emotions, took a moment to collect herself. She finally met his gaze, her voice shaking a bit as she spoke.
"I...I did miss you," she admitted, her cheeks coloring slightly. "But why did you ask me that question?"
"Well....."
Suddenly his phone rang.
Aaron cursed under his breath as his phone rang, signaling an incoming call. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out the device and looked at the glowing screen. The caller ID displayed a name: someone involved in the Cruze Empire investigation, Donald . Despite his reluctance to answer and leave Margaret alone, he knew he had no choice. Duty compelled him to answer.
"I'm sorry.I have to answer this."He apologized.
"It's okay."Margaret nodded.
With a sigh of resignation, he pressed the 'accept' button and brought the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"Aaron answered.
"Boss you've got something. Looks like the Cruze empire is about to drop a new label."Donald said causing Aaron to smirk.
"Okay. I'll be on my way."
With that he ended the call.
"I'm sorry but I have to leave. It's important."Aaron tried to explain.
Margaret nodded, understanding that Aaron had somewhere he needed to be.
"I'll call my driver to come pick you up. The mechanic is also on his way." Aaron said politely.
"No problem, thank you for everything," she replied. "I'll just call my driver and arrange for him to pick me up.You don't need to call your driver. Take care, Aaron," she said, already feeling a pang of disappointment at the thought of him leaving.
"Okay then."Aaron said and left.
Aaron didn't want to leave Margaret but he had no choice. He had to put the Don's wishes before him.