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

my already worrying state of mind? so, I better call her beforehand.

“Hello!”

“Hey, Eve! What a pleasant surprise!” she saved my number, woah!

“How are you doing, Melissa?” I try to sound nearly as cheerful as her but of course to no avail. I’m too exhausted to be Melissa-level excited.

“I’m doing g-reat! What about you? When are you coming to my restaurant?”

“That’s precisely the reason why I called. So, I along with a friend is coming within an hour if that’s ok with you.”

“OMG! That’s absolutely okay with me! you guys just give me a call so that I can show you around.” Her voice says she’s grinning big. “Should I come over to pick you up?”

“No! that wouldn’t be necessary. We can easily uber to your work, no worries. I got the address you texted me earlier.”

“Ookie dookie! I’m waiting for you guys.”

“Yay! See you then.”

“Yep, see you!”

Sarah gives me a lingering look before starting to talk, “This girl seems real nice and I’m afraid it’d be harder to hate her than I thought.” She shifts on other side to face me.

“I know right? That’s what I told you earlier and most importantly, you don’t have to try hating her. I mean, come on! That doesn’t seem logical. She obviously didn’t abduct Richard from me and start living together, right? Why bother? And besides, we don’t even know for real if Richard is her boyfriend or not.”

“My instinct doesn’t lie babe!”

“Shush your instinct!” I sneer.

Although I’m saying how uncertain we are of the possibility of Richard’s being her boyfriend, my stomach churns with the thought that has been going wild in my mind. What if I’ll confront him today? Will he recognize me? Will he play it cool in front of his girlfriend? Will he completely ignore my existence? Or, will he be as surprised as me? I don’t know! Dang it. 

“Call the pretty chef.”

“You sound a little gayish.” I tease Sarah.

“Pfft! I’d date you if I was though.”

“Shut it!” I snigger.

“Is it her over there?”

“Where?” I crane my neck and spot Melissa talking to some customer with her signature smile smeared on her face.

“Uh-huh! That’s her.”

“Damn she’s pretty.” Sarah exclaims.

“Told ya!” I head towards the table where Melissa is standing.

“Hey there Mel! I’m here to get on your nerves already Ms. Pretty chef!”

“O hey! Look who’s here!” She rushes to hug me.

And then I can see the customers sitting at that table. I don’t know the couple but I know the other guy sitting there with the couple. It’s Mr. Richard Miller.

Instead of being consumed by the shock and becoming a light-struck mannequin, I immediately shoot a glance at Sarah. She makes a throat-cutting gesture with her finger. I can feel the blood draining from my face.

“Eve, let me first introduce you with my boyfriend and best friends.” Melissa tugs at my arm making my head turn towards her.

“H-ha? Sure, cool... I mean of course.” My palms start sweating and you guessed it right, my heart starts racing with the velocity of 1000 miles per nano second.

“Hey, you okay Eve?” Melissa sounds concerned.

“Y-yes of course she is. It’s just she didn’t have her breakfast this morning. I told her to have it but she didn’t listen to me. she never does.” Sarah steps in to rescue my troubled ass.

“O God! that’s no good. Eve, you just sit here and grab a bite first. It’s on me.” Melissa rushes out the words.

“N-no no! it’s okay, really. I am just fine. No need to be super worried about me.” I smile palely. “I actually came to have some fun time with you. So, guess I should go to the kitchen with you. Doesn’t it sound good?”

“But girl, you are looking really pale. I don’t think you can handle the heat and noise of that busy kitchen in this condition. Why don’t you eat something beforehand?” I look at the person speaking, “oh sorry! Let me introduce myself first, I’m Sloan, Mel’s best friend slash sister.” the girl from the couple I mentioned earlier holds out her hand with a bright smile.

“Hey Sloan, pleasure meeting you. Um… I’m Evelyn and I think well, maybe I guess…”

“Yes! We’ll eat first, my stomach is burning!” Sarah cuts off my completely nonsense mumbling.

“Cool! I’ll have to do some work over there. Just come straight to the kitchen as soon as you’re done with eating, alright?” Melissa pats my shoulder before kissing Richard’s cheek and leaves.

“So, I guess let’s introduce ourselves properly first.” Sloan breaks the two minutes long awkward silence.

“Sure! So, I’m Sarah…”

For the first time after almost six years, I set my eyes on that pair of enchantedly icy cold eyes. My heart feels an instant sting like nothing else to compare to. My throat tightens and I look away before my stupid tear drops would decide to slip free. He looks exactly the same, at least from the outside.

Chapter Ten

 

Richard’s POV

I would lie if I say I haven’t thought about the possibility but now that it is happening for real, the ground under my feet starts shaking more fiercely than any other earthquake in the history. I feel baffled and lost and absolutely devastated. The face I’ve been trying my hardest to forget all these years comes right in front of my eyes calling out my girlfriend’s name. She’s not just any Evelyn I hoped her to be. She is my… well, she is the Eve I thought to be mine someday but... Damn it! Why did I have to come here today? Why did Melissa have to meet Evelyn of all other 7 billion people on this earth? Yeah! She sees me too and wait... is she becoming sick? O no! she looks really pale. Who is she looking at? Sarah! Woah, so they live here in LA now? Is she gonna faint? Should I reach out?

“Eve, let me first introduce you with my boyfriend and best friends.” Melissa’s voice startles her. I cannot keep my eyes off of her face but she hasn’t looked directly at me since she spotted my presence here.

“H-ha? Sure, cool... I mean of course.” Her voice is trembling and I’m feeling extremely guilty for putting her in this sort of a place today. It’s my fault that I came here the same day she decided to come, is it really? After so many arguments and counter arguments she settles on the chair right in front of me. She looks the same, I mean almost except for the red bob. She is equally beautiful either way though. For the first time she looks at me, right at my eyes. I gulp. I feel immensely vulnerable at this point as if I did some grave sin and just caught red-handed although nothing like that happened. She gets hurt no doubt, her eyes are tearing up. O God! what do I do!

“Richard?” Kevin taps on my shoulder.

“Hm?”

“You okay buddy?”

“Course!” I clear my throat, “What is it?”

“It’s your turn in the introductory session.” Sloan smiles.

“Oh, yeah right. So, I am Richard Miller.”

“Evelyn Walker.” She utters steadily.

“W-Walker! Ow, nice to meet you.” I cannot hide the confusion from my voice. Evelyn Walker? What! How?

 

 

 

Evelyn’s POV

No doubt he got shocked to hear my surname. His ever-calm face holds a hint of confusion instead of the annoying level of quietness. I sniff casually to hold back my stupid tears from flooding down at this oh-too-wrong moment.

“You okay?” Sarah whispers.

“Ha! Yeah, totally.”

“So, do you guys live together?” Sloan glances at us, “I mean, of course as friends,” she grins.

“No! she doesn’t live here. It’s just she came with me to stay at my place for this week. I am a ‘chronic worrior.’” I air-quote, “so she actually has been my babysitter this whole time.”

In reply Sloan and Kevin have a good laughter and Ted just keeps up with the situation with a little grin. At the moment, the food arrives providing me with the opportunity to shift my attention to something else. Thank God!

“So, Miss Sarah! Where do you work?” Richard asks rather curiously.

“In New York, I mean in my father’s company.” She nods with a smile.

“O wow! Your dad owns a company! This is so cool.” Sloan actually is a clone of Melissa. They seem to have inhaled a large amount of extroversion and excitement before being born. It’s actually pretty cute.

“Great! And you, Ms. Walker?” this name sounds a little weird in Richard’s voice.

“Um so, I’m working for Starlight Clothing… LA branch.”

“Aron... I mean one of my friends also work there, cool.” He rubs his chin uneasily.

“That’s right! Aron Wilson you’re talking about? He’s the manager of this project, such a great guy.”

His jaw clenches a little at my reply.

“Speaking of which, wait a minute, it’s the Aron, Samantha’s brother, right?” Sloan glances alternatingly at me and Richard.

“U-huh” we say in unison.

“How do you know his sister?” I blurt out.

“She’s my friend. We’ve been practically inseparable back throughout the college but you know, job happened.” She shrugs.

Woah! This is some serious maze of relationships going on here! Everyone is related to everyone. Sweet! I scorn silently.

“Cool! So, you guys coming to her anniversary party I suppose?” she grins big.

“Ah-well, I don’t know…”

“Eve will go.” Sarah steps in to mess things up even more. “I cannot be there sadly! You know, WORK!” she air-quotes, “but she’ll go obviously.”

“But Sarah…”

“Oh no worries now. You were a little unsure because you thought nobody familiar would be there to accompany you. But look, Sloan, Kevin, Richard and Melissa...  I guess everyone will be there, no?”

Sarah’s cheerful voice is making me livid, honestly.

“Yeah! Sure.” Kevin replies with a mouthful of pasta.

“I’ll think about it then. I guess, I’ll be heading to the kitchen now.” I give a little grin and push to my feet. “If you wanna join, you can come.” I look at Sarah before turning to leave.

“I think I’ll join you guys after a while. I’m having a great time here.”

“Good for you.” I mutter.

“I can see you’re really busy over there, Melissa. I think I’ll be visiting you some other day.” I yell over the noise.

“Sorry hon! It’s suddenly become too busy. You can wait a bit more and talk with the folks for a little while. I don’t think it’ll take long for me to get back to my normal routine work. I’ll text you to come here then.” She speaks on top of her lungs.

“No, no! it’s alright. You do your work. I’ll see you later. Thanks for the delicious meal by the way.” Smiling at her I leave the restaurant through the back door. One of the staffs seems kind enough to open it for me.

“Sarah, I’m waiting outside. Couldn’t stand the crowd in the kitchen, so convinced her to meet later. Get done with your crap over there and come out quick.”

And send!

This is too much to handle. All I wanted was some peace and here? life has got all sorts of disasters to offer! Gah! Why do I still have feelings for the douche! Why! WHY? Wow, he already forgot me and started his blooming romance with that pretty, successful chef! and I’m here mourning over him like a complete loser!

I keep pacing and beating myself up as always.

“Woah, woah! Girl! calm