Frozen in Time by Radia Al Rashid (the speed reading book .TXT) 📖

you know.” I swallow. “And here’s a wonderful news, Julia has got married two years back, yeah! And she has a beautiful baby girl now. Her name is Samara, I can’t wait you to see her.”

“OMG! This is great, Eve! Congratulate Jules on my behalf and tell her I’ll give her a tight hug first thing when I’ll go to her place” she squeals, “I’m SO HAPPY that you guys are safe and doing great. Thank God! Evelyn, let’s meet up you bitch.” Her voice gives off the hint of smile.

“Of course, that’s why I texted you in the first place! I’m so excited to meet you girl! I’m really nervous and confused but I am genuinely looking forward to this meet up.” I wipe off my tears.

“Tomorrow afternoon, you pick the place and text me the address.” DO NOT YOU DARE TO BAIL ON IT.” She chuckles.

“I won’t, I promise.” I silently grin suddenly feeling a weight off of my heart.

“See you then, Evy. Love you.”

“Love you! Bye.”

“I’m so happy you agreed.” Julia pulls me in a hug.

I smile with a deep inhalation, “Jules, I’m going to LA next week.”

“What?” she pulls away from the hug holding me at arm’s length. “You’re going to LA? Is it work?”

“Yeah, Mr. Rogers appointed me in the team for out LA project.”

“Wow! This is great news, hon! That a-hole finally gave you an opportunity, I see.” She smirks.

“Seems to be.” I snicker, “but Jules, after all that happened, I’m really freaked out of the very mention of LA now. I’m still thinking about bailing on the offer.”

“Wha- no! Evelyn, you cannot bail on an offer just like this. Believe me, this opportunity will open up a great doorway to some exciting chances for you.”

“You think?”

“Nope, I know.” She grins warmly.

“I hope so too, Jules.”

Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it is totally natural for a devastated girl like me to see fear in every step. I want to believe Jules when she says it’s gonna be great for me. I want to believe that I can get back to the normal self who used to LIVE, not merely survive.

“Evelyn Walker, huh? And look at you, looking even more beautiful than ever with that bright red bob.” Sarah takes a sip from her lemonade.

“I don’t know, it’s just some permanent disguise I guess.” I shrug smiling.

“It suits you, like totally. Then, tell me, tell me what are you doing? Where are you working? Everything!” she sits straight.

“So, I’m a fashion designer now, SURPRISE!” I chuckle, “and I work for an a-hole.”

“This is hands down an awesome news!” she squeals, “not the latter part though.”

“Yeah of course! Trust me, he drives me CRAZY every single time, I mean, whatever. Let’s talk about you. What are you doing Miss successful?” I wink.

“Ah zip it, I’m no Miss successful. So, I’m still working with dad but you know, in a better position.”

“Aha! Let me guess, you are the COO or CFO now?” I beam.

“Your guessing power is insane, girl! yeah, I’m the COO.”

“Holy frigging moly! I’m talking to the COO of White Swan Inc. right now! how lucky of a girl I must be, yay!” I yelp making her roll her eyes and laugh.

“Wait, going back to you’re a-hole boss, is he cute? I mean, are you guys having some kind of Christian Grey and Anastasia relationship over there?” she wiggles her brows.

“OMG come on! That sexy Christian Grey and this disgusting robot, Mr. Rogers? You got to be kidding me girl!”

“Ouch, that bad huh? What does he do actually, I mean why are you so pissed?” she keeps smirking.

“Don’t go dirty on his topic, trust me you’ll throw up if you ever meet him. He’s basically a mechanical jerk who wants everything and by everything, I mean EVERYTHING done ahead of the clock. I was 2 minutes late the other day for my presentation and you wanna know what he said?”

“What?” she giggles amusingly.

“Hello, Ms. Walker, now that you’re here 2 minutes later than the scheduled time, shall we begin?”

“You kidding, right?”

“Na’a! he said that, in the exact same tone and to my excuse on being stuck in traffic his reply was, “You get out of your home at least about two hours before the time you plan to reach your office Ms. Walker, this is NYC. Hope you won’t forget that the next time. Now, can you commence the presentation?” I air quote the words. “Now, will you still call him the sexy Mr. Grey, madam?”

“No, no! I’d rather prefer calling him my dad. He’s exactly the same.” She laughs.

“God bless you.” I join with her in the bout of laughter.

After talking for which feels like eons, we get out of the restaurant deciding to walk for a while.

“You know what? I think you guys should come over to my place someday. I mean, you, Jules, Matthew, Samara and ehm, your good friend Drake.” She deliberately bats her eyelids while being super dramatic.

“Sarah! This is not a romcom” I motion to me, “and no! I will not look at Drake as anyone more than a friend.”

“Why not? Have you not yet looked at that handsome face? Are you really that blind, Evelyn? Why wouldn’t you at least give it a shot? You told me how you two are always on the same wavelength when it comes to any idea. Can’t you see you do have a connection going on here? Don’t act dumb, girl!”

“Wait a minute, being on the same page during office talks or roasting Mr. Rogers is totally a friend thing, you know a friendly connection is going on between us two. Shush…shush no more spreading matchmaking pixie dust, alright? I will come to your place with Jules and her family, that’s happening but no, dragging down Drake all the way to wherever I go? No ma’am, I don’t like it.”

“You’re stubborn as ever.” She slightly tugs at my arm.

“I haven’t lost that quality with my long brown hair.” I chuckle.

I think she is kinda intentionally blocking out the way to any possible questions about Richard. I think she already knows he is settled down with his wife and kids maybe here in New York. So, I guess no talk about him, huh? Good! I get to forget him and maybe I should start dating or something to make the process quicker.

“Hey! Are you listening?” Sarah waves her hand before my eyes.

“Oops! Yeah, I’m sorry I’ve been having this zoning out crap for a while. What were you saying?”

“I was telling, so you’re moving back to L.A., of course on a temporary basis but how are you feeling about it? Excited? Nostalgic? Afraid?”

“Um... I don’t know, it’s more on the fear side, you know. I’m still unsettled about the whole thing.” I shrug.

“Listen to me, here’s no need to beat yourself up by being isolated from everything thinking about some unknown fear. Eve, I cannot imagine how awful life has been to you the past years, but I am requesting you to try to accept the reality as is. You can do it, believe me.” She puts her arm around my shoulder.

“Yeah, you’re right. I think I’ll start facing my fears with taking this job at L.A., more like the first stepping stone, wish me luck.” I grin.

“You’ll do amazing. If you want, I can come with you for a week. The first week, I can be there with you, helping you to settle down a bit then I can come back.”

“You’re still that sweet girl, Sarah. How are you so kind?” I hug her. “Wait, uncle can be mad if you leave your work for me.”

“No, silly. No worries at all. I’ve just finished a project successfully and dad provided me a week off as reward. It’s gonna be so much fun! It’s a girl’s trip, yay!” she squeals.

“Seems to be! cheers to our long-awaited girl’s trip.” I raise my water bottle.

She laughs in reply, “Only a little addition this time.”

“What?”

“Phone calls from Mr. Rogers here and there.” She smirks.

“O NO! I kinda forgot that a-hole.” I groan.

 

Chapter Five

 

“Jules, we arrived safely yes, I am inside the apartment now with so far no monster whatsoever.” I chuckle at Julia’s concerned voice over the phone.

“Where is Sarah, is she with you?”

“Yes, Jules, she is right here with me, ain’t you hearing her witch-like laughter?”

“Okay, cool. Hey, listen if you think you need to ask anything or just you know talk about anything, call me right away. I will receive the call no matter if it’s 3 am. Understood?”

“Yes, Ma’am! And besides, we are in the same country Julia, don’t worry at all. Sarah is here with me, at least for the first week, right? You’re actually tearing down my confidence instead of encouraging.” I tease.

“Oh sorry, yes I need to provide you with assurances, shoot! Okay, you’ll be just fine Evy. Call me if you need anything. Love you.”

“Love you too, Jules! Bye.”

“My laughter is witch-like, huh?” Sarah pokes my head.

“Ouch! Yeah, I believe witches adopted the laughter from you.”

“And your laughter is like... dang it, why can’t I find any appropriate comparison!”

“Because, my laughter sounds normal.” I laugh.

“Good for you.” She snorts.

I head to the washroom before Sarah singsongs from the living room, “EVELYNNN! Your boss is calling.”

“You pick up the phone and flirt with him or something, I am in no mood to listen to his crap.”

“What? He can send you back to NYC if you disobey him.” Her voice filled with amusement.

Groaning, I stomp towards the living room, “I hate you.”

“Love you too.” She keeps smiling like an idiot.

I scowl before picking up the call, “Hello.”

“Ms. Walker, I believe you already arrived there at L.A. and you will have your first meeting with the team in precisely half an hour. My secretary will email you the address. Be there on time.”

“But, what! I just arrived…” he’s already hung up the call.

“O my God! that a-hole! See? Your favorite jerk just hung up on me AGAIN without... holy shit he didn’t even ask how am I doing or is it comfortable here! Now he wants me to attend the meeting in HALF AN HOUR? I WILL KILL HIM.” I scream with anger.

“Ouch! Slow down Eve, listen to me.”

“What? Now this is me who needs to slow down? No, darling, it’s that jerk who needs to die.”

She remains silent not fueling my already existing anger any further.

“It is in half an hour, right? I think, ten minutes just passed.” She utters slowly.

“SARAH!”

“It’s not my fault, trust me.” she tries to conceal that stupid smile on her face. She sure is being entertained by my shitty life.

“I need to take a shower for God’s sake. I stink.” I growl.

“Alright, go take the shower before that Hades again emerges from the underworld.”

“Hades is much cuter than this rubbish pit.” I storm off to the washroom.

Twenty minutes later, I am flying across the street in the uber. I am tapping the back of my phone nervously as all sorts of possibilities are gathering slowly inside my mind.

If I am two or three minutes late, will the project manager kick me out? Will he yell at me or will he silently insult me like that jerk in front of