100 ways of seduction

CHAPTER TEN : SEARRA

I take a turn and park by uncle's shop.

I take the coffee cups and get out. The shop looks busy when I enter.

A waitress passing by me points back door, "He's in the kitchen."

"Thanks" I say. I really need to learn their names.

I go to the kitchen to see only uncle.

"Is today their day off"

"Darling" he smiles and dishes out food into a plate. "What a pleasant surprise". He rings a bell and the waitress comes for it. "Today was exhausting and its almost closing time, so I sent them off and someone needs to hurry to the market to get the new batch of fish"

He stares at coffee.
"Coffee after a tight day. Perfect" he takes it and takes a gulp."What would I do without you" he asks going to the sink to wash his hands.

"Burn the place down" I say and walk to turn off the stove.

He laughs, "Old age reflexes.. So....how was it"

"What?"

"The gift"

"Oh yes, thanks for it, I...."

"You didn't open it did you? I'd know if you did" He smiles and walks back to me. Without warning he pushes meat into my mouth.

"Delicious right, my new recipe"

I nod, "By the way what happened to your sign, I noticed it wasn't there" I tease.

"Drop it while I'm not forcing you to eat a bowl of noodles"

I laugh and raise my hands in defeat.

He finishes up and still makes me the bowl of noodles.

I help him clean the kitchen.

"She's not going?" I ask him pointing to the waitress.

He smiles, "Maria just keeps finding more excuses to stay here. I think she's in love with the shop or maybe Coin. You should see the two of them."

"Wait, Coin? Do you mean the stray cat"

"Watch how you speak about a member of our family"

"What" I laugh, "I can never understand you uncle"

"Neither can I? Last time I remember asking you to come back here with a boy"

"It's not as simple as it is? Right now I'm focusing on studies"

"That's what my aunt said. She died a lonely miserable virgin?" He says shaking his head.

"Ew. No stop. Don't go any further" I chuck down some water and get up, "My times up"

"Not gonna say hi to Coin?"

"The two of us have a mutual 'I don't like you' feeling. I'm sure he will understand"
I look at Maria again, "And be careful of her. She's too curious to just be in love"

He gives me a bag of food. "For Alex. Tell her to drop by sometime. I miss her fresh sense of humour" he chuckles.

I wave him and when Maria waves at me, I wave back. I'll have to keep an eye on her.

When I sit in the car, I get a text.

I read the text before checking who it's from.

You look good in red.

I suck in a breath and slowly look around but theres no car nearby.

I check the number, its an unknown number.

My phone rings and i jump in my seat.

Its another unkown number. I slowly click the answer button and put it to my ear.

"Where are you?"

That voice. I haven't heard from him since that night. When he told me to text, I never did.

"Don't you know?"

"You don't have the luxury of having me stalk you yet, darling"

My mood immediately switches, "Sometimes I forget how much of an asshole you are"

"Where are you?"

"Somewhere about 40 minutes from campus"

"Good then meet me at the park? There's something you should know"

"So you are not the one who sent the text"

"Which text. Aw shit, meet me here now.......please"

"Something tells me that you are not used to using that word"

"And yet within our short encounters, you've got me to say it twice. Come to the park, we'll talk there" he says and hungs up.

I text Alex to tell her I'll be late then head to the park.

Darren is sitting on a picnic mat and when I get down he turns to me. How he does that is still a mystery.

I walk to him, "Picnic?"

He pats the space by him but I sit opposite him, "Start talking"

He stares at me, opens the basket and takes out a shrimp.

I swallow, "The fuck"

He bites into it and puts it down wiping his hands, "I don't leave loose ends. Whenever you think of a ruined picnic with a looser. I want you to remember me as that looser and no one else."

This guy. I chuckle, "You are insane"

He continues to stare at me, then his demeanor changes, "My dad wants to meet you" he says.

I pause, "What, why"

"That bastard stayed true to his words.My dad wants to meet you before the shipping day"

"How does any of that involve me"

"Don't you remember?" He asks.

"Remember what-"
If she is yours then I want to see her at every meeting.
"What, you can't be serious"

He doesn't reply. He is serious.

"Tell him no"

"He is not asking, he's demanding" he says.

"Then tell him to be a little nicer and I might consider" I get up.

"If I don't send you to him he is going to consider you as just an asset and get you"

"And what else does he consider me now apart from being an asset" I tease.

"My girlfriend" he says with a blank look.

I swallow, "Thanks for the awful picnic" I say and begin to walk away.

"Are you gonna run away again?" he asks

I don't turn back. I continue to walk to my car.

When I get in, I lock the door and take a deep breath. I'm not dead. I'm still alive. I just met a guy who I'm positive had a gun with him. He's a dangerous guy and I survived a gun fight. I swallow the fear down down my guts.

When i look back out, he's gone. There's nothing there, no picnic mat, no basket as if he was never there.

Whatever I have gotten myself into, there must be a way out. There has to be.

I step on the gas and drive away.

Run away?

I guess he knows me that well. Too well.

.