ELLA (completed)

Chapter 9

Chapter by syaminhazam

[EDITED]

There is a back lane behind the staff room, I’m waiting. -Marcel

I have no fancy clothes to wear so I just wear the yellow knee length sleeveless dress that I wore this morning. Sighing, I walk towards the back lane that he mentioned just now in the message.

His black BMW was there waiting for me. He was leaning beside the car, his gaze was down, on the ground. Taking a deep breath, I trotted towards him.

“You look beautiful,” he said smiling.
I can feel my cheek burn, it has been a long time since a man complimented me. Averting my gaze, I tried to open the car but his hand was fast, stopping me.

“You sit at the front with me, Leo is at the back”

He then opened the door and motioned me to get inside the car. Leo, who was sitting at the back, laughed when I got in.

“Where are we going Buddy?” he asked when Marcel locked the car and started the engine.

“We are going for lunch,” I answered.

“Yes, lunch,” Marcel then shifted his gaze to me.

“There is this new restaurant that I want to check out,” he then looks at the road, maneuvering through the traffic.

I can feel his gaze on me as I look out the window, taking in the scenery outside. The restaurant that he told us about is on the outskirts of the town. It is small compared to his, but the lush surrounding makes it look homely.

Leo was jumping excitedly as he saw the small playground on the left side of the restaurant. He asked my permission to play at the playground, which I declined. I told him that he must eat first before playing before he slowly agreed.

As we walk inside, I can feel that the crowd inside the restaurant were looking at us. Marcel slides his hand on my back, pushing me closer to him. I look up at him, showing my displeasure but he still has that smile on his face.

We took the table in the corner, a bit secluded, away from prying eyes.

“I want to ask this question, since the first day I saw you,” he paused looking directly into my eyes after ordering our food.

“Yes, ask me.” I look at Leo who is playing with the fork and spoon on the table.

“Where is your husband?” he blurted out the question.

My breath hitched, caught in my throat as the question falls on my ear. every time Leo asked me this question, I always lie to him, telling him that his father died in a car crash. That’s not the truth. The truth was far more sinister and dangerous.

“He.. he died in a car crash,” I looked away, averting my gaze. Sacred that my eyes will tell him the truth.

“How?” he asked.

I breathed out a relieved breath as the waiter came with our food. We dig into our food silently. Leo finished his food fast as he wants to play at the playground.

“Mummy see, finish” he showed me his empty plate.

“Wait, mummy finishing mummy food then we can go out together,” I told him.

He was grinning ear to ear. Kids, they find happiness in something simple not like us adult, I told myself.

“It’s okay, you can go now.. buddy has something to talk to your mummy,”

I was stunned as marcel told Leo that he could go. I need to stop this, I told myself. Marcel is giving Leo conflicting orders. Right now, I just watch as Leo marched outside, exited that he can play.

“Mr. Marcel-,” I snarled but was cut short as he puts his finger on my lip.

“How was the food?” he asked, the corner of his mouth turned upwards.

“The food is excellent actually, better than the food in your restaurant,” I responded.
He looked at me bewildered. The corner of his eyes crinkled with the corner of his lip turned up. I was waiting for his hurtful words or maybe some kind of  punishment. The food was better, lying won’t make anything better. His face hardened as his eyes narrowed on me.

You shouldn’t lie, Ella.

His lips pursed into a thin line as small chuckle came out from him before his body rocks with laughter.

“I heard that actually, so I came here just to check on the reviews… so yes the food is great like you said, better than the food served in our restaurant,” he speaks in between of his laugh.

Tucking a strand of hair away from my eyes, a smile crept on my face.

“You should always smile Ella, it make you look sweet and beautiful,” he rains compliments on me again.

Shifting in my seat, I looked around the small restaurant. The walls filled with nostalgic pictures maybe memories of the owner, I thought to myself.“The pictures makes the atmosphere here more relaxing, right?”

I was taken aback as his fingers slowly laced with mine. Slowly, I pulled my hand back, trying to free my fingers from his grasp. His fingers held more hand tightly.

“What are you running away from, Ella?”
My heart pounding behind my chest and my pulse rate accelerated as he planted a kiss on my hand.

“Listen sweet Ella, I’m actually attracted to you, I have never felt this before,” he said.

His grey eyes looking at me adoringly. His fingers slowly caressed my jawline sending shivers down my spine. My anger towards him melted away. There is something tugging my heart, a feeling that I lost, kept away while raising Leo. A small voice behind my mind speaks to me, only me. Reminding the extra baggage that I carry, warning me again.

That voice always guides me, keeping me safe all the while I’m here. Nothing came out of my lips as his hand caressed my hand and he keeps on telling me how he finds me amazing, raising Leo alone all by myself.

“Attracted to me?,” I laughed bitterly.

“There is nothing to laugh about,” he frowned.

“Yes, Mr. Marcel, you are attracted to a woman with a child-,” I paused

“We just know each other just over a month, maybe the different feeling you have is just infatuation, nothing more,” I stared him.

His jaw clenched as his brow knitted together, “ It might take your whole life to know and love someone, or just a few moments,”

Finding back my courage and my voice, I speak “That might work in Romance novels, not real life .. and I come with extra baggage, Mr. Marcel,”

“Call me Marcel, we are not at work,” he said irritably.

“No Mr. Marcel, I must remind myself that you are my employer and I’m just your employee,” I told him directly pulling my hand away from him.

“So, this is where we stand, boss and staff huh, “ He said gritting his teeth.

“Mr. Marcel-,”

“Look, I almost lost myself just now when that man held your hand, you should understand that you are not just a staff for me,”  his grey eyes bore into mine.

“Leo is not extra baggage,” he continued.

“He is not, he is my strength.” I snarled.

“Then, what is your extra baggage?” his eyes narrowed on me.

Suddenly I felt myself falls into a trap that I made myself. A trap that I created. He shouldn’t know. Heck! Nobody should know.

“None of your business, Mr. Marcel,” I snapped.

Quickly I stand up and marched outside. I couldn’t careless about the crowd or the gasp that I hear as I opened the restaurant door. I have made my mind, Leo will start going to the school tomorrow. Marcel is so wrong if he think he can seduce me by being good with Leo.

My body fired up with the anger that I felt. How can he think Leo is my extra baggage? He shouldn’t look into my past. I tried to show Leo my smiling face as I walk towards him. Calling him back.

At the same time, I feel his hand on my shoulder. Closing my eyes, I tried to cool myself. Leo shouldn’t know that I’m angry. Leo will cry if he saw us fighting in front of him. His emotion is as frail as a cup of glass, easily shattered.

“Look, I’m sorry but my feelings are real, I might be falling for you Ella” he said turning me around.

Falling for me? I sighed. He might be joking. He is rich and handsome. Women fall at his feet at the mere mention of his name. He is a playboy, that’s what’s  written in the magazine. I might just be his flavour of the month as they say.

Leo is so attached to him. He is only a temporary man in Leo live. Marcel won’t always be there for Leo.

“Falling for me? Look Mr. Marcel I’m a normal woman with normal need, I can’t be labelled as the flavour of the month,”

Leo walks to me with smile plastered on his face. I haven’t seen him smile like that before. His smile lit up his whole face. Then, it dawned on me that I need to separate Leo away from Marcel. This feeling in Marcel is just infatuation or maybe lust. Once it’s gone, Marcel will walk away from my life and Leo will be hurt.

“You know Mr. Marcel, Leo is just a kid, and I think… it’s better if you and him, stay apart. He is so attached to you.”

“But, I really like him,” Marcel gaze falls on Leo. His shoulder slumped.

Clutching Leo near to me, I saw a cab approaching. Hailing it down, I turned my heel carrying him up on my arm.

“He never saw his father, this feeling you have, it might be temporary for you but for my son, it will destroy him if you walk away one day,”

The cab stopped and I pushed Leo inside.

“This feeling is not temporary Ella,”

I can see the hurt in his eyes as he clutched the door, stopping me from closing it.

“Last question, don’t you like me, or at least attracted to me?”

Closing my eyes, I lied to him again, “No”

🐾🐾🐾

It's been great so far.