Eva’s heart skipped a beat at his heated admission. Did he really consider her beautiful, or was he playing with her head, knowing how much it affected her? She knew his nature, having observed him closely since they were in school. He wasn’t one to sing praises of a girl’s beauty. Then what happened now? With him being engaged to the most gorgeous and sophisticated woman on the planet whom men craved, how could he find a simple girl like her beautiful?
“Umm, thank you.” It came out as a breathless squeak, embarrassing her a lot while he smirked and moved away, opening the overhead cabinet over her to take out the crockery. She gaped at his casual stance with surprise. How could he be so calm, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bombshell on her? He gave her a brief glance full of amusement, taking in her jaw-dropped look fixed upon him.
“I don’t prefer cold steak!” he said with a small smile as he carried the dinner plates and cutlery to the table, bringing her back to reality. She looked away and concentrated on carrying the food out of the kitchen with her cheeks coloring at being caught gaping. With Alexander helping her, the air was charged with heated undercurrents and hot glances he cast in her direction all the time. Laying the table, they sat opposite one another to eat. It felt as if they were indeed a couple, newly married, exploring their feelings for one another, and doing the housework together. Eva wished in her head that it would be real! Why couldn’t she have been the rich heir to some business empire and Alexander’s fiancee instead of Beatrix?
“Perfect!” She looked up at him as he savored the food she had made with so much care. “So, are you all packed up and ready for the trip? We need to leave at 4 o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, I’m ready. How long will it take us to reach there? Have you informed Alyssa?” Alexander shook his head, concentrating on his food while deep in thought. Eva waited for his reply wondering what he was thinking so deeply about.
Alexander was in a dilemma, wondering whether to tell her about his plans. There was a 52- minute layover time at Phoenix, Arizona, and he wanted to break their journey instead of taking a connecting flight. They would stay for two days at Phoenix before heading off to San Jose. “No, we’ll surprise them.”
“Oh, Alyssa hates surprises, but maybe she’d love this one.” Eva smiled, serving herself the glazed carrots she had made to go with the steak. Alexander smiled with relief to see that she didn’t prod him much about his plans. She was the most innocent girl on earth and he liked that quality in her very much.
“You didn’t tell me how much my flight tickets cost you.” Alexander gave her an annoyed look.
“I’m paying.”
“No, I’d like to pay my share, otherwise I won’t go with you.”
“Fine, you can pay me when we return,” he said, irritated by her stubbornness. It was no point arguing with her. She wouldn’t agree at all.
However, as bad luck never left his side, Alexander had just finished his dinner when he received a call from his mom, who wanted to accompany him to San Jose. “Mom, you should have told me before. There aren’t any tickets available on the flight now. It’s not possible for me to postpone.” He argued on and on while Eva sat eating with a pale face, all enthusiasm leaving her body. If his parents were planning to go there, she would have to cancel her plans. They hated her and she had no wish to get insulted.
“When are you both planning to go?” asked Alexander, feeling totally frustrated. Why did his mom have to disrupt their plans? Couldn’t he get at least a fortnight to enjoy his life?
“No, please plan after a fortnight when I return. Why do you have to take Beatrix there? As if she cares about anyone else than herself. No, I’ve broken up my engagement with her. She’s not part of the family anymore. She’s with Sean Fairfield. Don’t you both get it?” yelled a furious Alexander, getting up from the table and storming towards his room. Eva sighed, her heart constricting with dread. This wasn’t good news at all. She couldn’t hear his mom’s voice, but from Alexander’s conversation with her, she could easily understand what was going on.
She cleared the table with a heavy heart, knowing that maybe Alexander would cancel their trip. She had been looking forward to this so much! Now she would have to unpack everything and go to work again from tomorrow. Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away. Maybe she wasn’t God’s favourite child!
Completing her work, she was about to retire to her room when Alexander emerged from his. “Eva,” he called her softly, taking her by surprise. Eva stopped in her tracks and looked at him, expecting him to cancel the trip. She wouldn’t react! She would smile and accept his decision.
“Don’t lock your door. If you oversleep, I wouldn’t be able to wake you up on time. We need to leave by 4 o’clock.” Eva gaped at him, not having expected him to take her along.
“Are we still going?” she asked breathlessly, unable to believe that she heard him right.
“Yes. Be ready.” He suddenly flashed a wide smile and disappeared back into his room, leaving Eva gawking at his door.
What just happened? Why was Alexander so happy? Were his parents still going with Beatrix? How did he make them postpone their plans? With so many questions playing havoc in her head, she completed the last-minute planning and finally hit the bed. Just as Alexander told her, she didn’t lock her door.
It was 3:30 in the morning when she felt someone stroke her cheek, slowly in a tantalizing way, immediately making her alert. No, this wasn’t a dream at all. There was someone in her room, on her bed. “Wake up or I’ll kiss you, Eva.” Upon hearing Alexander’s husky voice and his warm breath on her face, Eva’s eyes flew open to see his face inches away from hers.
“What? I mean, what are you doing on my bed?” she croaked with surprise. It was still dark, and she was too sleepy to deal with Alexander now!
“It’s 3:30 already and we need to leave at 4. Remember?” he chuckled at seeing her reaction.
Eva immediately sat up, rubbing the sleep off her eyes while he watched her animatedly. “Umm, would you mind leaving my room? I need to get ready.” Alexander chuckled and stood up.
“I’ll make coffee. Come quickly.” He left her room, and Eva locked her door, blushing furiously even thinking about him. How long had he been there watching her sleep? She touched her cheek where he had left his touch. If she reacted this way to such trivial things, how would she save her heart for the next fourteen days? Hearing him in the kitchen, she came to her senses and quickly freshened up. Changing into a midnight blue warm top and a pair of figure-hugging jeans, she picked up a matching jacket to pair with her outfit. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and was ready to go.
When she went out, she noted even Alexander was ready to go in a pair of jeans and a black tee shirt. With his muscular, tattooed forearms on display, Eva could hardly concentrate on the coffee he had made for her. “Sleepy or excited?” he asked, watching her as he sipped his coffee.
“Excited, obviously. This is my first trip anywhere outside NYC. Thank you for this first opportunity.” Eva looked into his eyes which seemed to glitter with satisfaction.
“Good! I want to be your first in everything!” Eva sputtered while he smiled and got up to rinse his cup. What was that supposed to mean? Dazed, she thought about his retort. Yes, to date, he was the first one to kiss her, to take her to a nightclub, to take her out of the city. He was also the first man she lived with in the same apartment.
“Done?” he asked, coming back and hovering behind her chair.
“Yes.” Eva got up but came nose to nose with him. Why did he have to stand so close to her and stare if he was in such a rush? Didn’t he realize it was disconcerting and made her late in everything she did? She skirted around him, careful not to touch any part of his body, while he watched her with hooded eyes. Quickly rinsing her cup, she placed it where it belonged and then gave a final look around to check. Yes, everything was switched off.
“Let’s go,” she said, rushing to her room to get her luggage. Alexander had already got his, and finally, they locked up the apartment and left for the airport. Eva wanted to ask if his parents were planning a visit as well, but didn’t find the courage to ask. What if they were? Would she return now?
They boarded the flight, and she gasped with surprise upon hearing the announcement. The flight would land at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in 5 hours and 41 minutes.