Share
31.
Ayesha collected her order of burgers and fries after her number was called out. She left Joseph and Carol to collect the rest of their meal while she headed for the bench. The rest weren't far behind her.
"And for the finale, the drinks and peppered wings," Joseph announced as he placed the drink on the table before helping Carol set the plates of chicken beside them.
They sat around the table under the shade provided by the large white umbrella mounted through the centre of the bench. It was a hot morning, with unrelenting heat and bright sunlight. Even sitting down didn't stop Ayesha from breaking out in a sweat.
"Peppered wings might not be the best idea," Carol grumbled as she picked some of her fries, dipping them in some sauce. "Heat will only aggravate the intensity of the spices."
"Heart wants what it wants," Ayesha replied as she feasted on her wings. "These taste fantastic."
"Since when did you start eating so much spicy food?"
"S
Related chapters
An Unroyal Alliance 32.
Dimitri padded around the kitchen, preparing the fruits to make his second round of smoothies for his guests. His sisters and Bob arrived early the previous day, and his parents followed after them. Steven, and two other girls, friends of Vienna, arrived late in the night. After a good night's rest, Steven suggested they spend the afternoon outside by the pool. So, while Dimitri took charge of making drinks, and snacks, his mother handled the barbecue. He opened the blender and, with Davina's help, mixed in everything he needed for the smoothies. He plugged it in and turned the knob, but nothing happened. "Is it really alright for Sofia to come?" Davina asked after fussing beside him for some time. "Why not," Dimitri replied, distracted as he worked on the blender. He scowled as he shook it, but it didn't budge. "I think we have to use another one. This one's not working.""Dimitri," Davina stressed, dragging him back to the counter before he could move to get the cupboard open. "I
An Unroyal Alliance 33.
Dimitri reached across the barbecue to pick up his ringing phone from the side table. After his mom got a call from work, he was left to man the barbecue. Distracted by what he was doing, he didn't bother looking at the caller ID. "Hello?""Hello, good afternoon.""Hi." He replied breezily, stepping aside as Vienna and Davina blazed past him, giggling while running around barefoot. Bob shouted after them to be careful, and his mother repeated the warning at the top of her voice when they didn't slow down. "Sorry, I caught you at a bad time?" Ayesha apologized, clearly hearing the chaos that was erupting around him. The loud laughter and splashing of water was unmistakable. "Not really. I am having a family get-together, so they are going crazy in the background.""That's nice. It sounds like a lot of fun."It was, and he had her to thank for that. Her speaking about her brother and family drew him to throw the party, but he kept that piece of information to himself. "What's going o
An Unroyal Alliance 34.
"Who were you talking to?""Dimitri," Ayesha replied as she put her phone away. She showed Joseph the package of cabbage she spotted earlier. "Dimitri works in agriculture. This is his company's product. I don't know why I have not noticed them before.""I am surprised you still remember who he is.""What's that supposed to mean?""Ever since Carol showed you the picture of his ex and gave you a rundown of their relationship, you seemed to have taken a back seat when it came to him.""And if so, then?""Seriously?" Joseph took over pushing the cart while she scanned the aisle for yoghurts. "I never thought you the type to be intimidated by another woman.""It's not intimidation. It's me trying to save myself any troubles or heartaches in the future.""Like how?""They dated since college, Jo. College. And since then, it's been on and off. That's over ten years of his life going back to the same woman over and over and ov
An Unroyal Alliance 35.
Ayesha squinted from discomfort as the light in the room suddenly made her head spin. Strangely, she had felt a little better after a good night's rest and a morning at class, but when she started working, the soreness and the headaches started up again. Her throat felt raw, and her tongue heavy. Soon it felt like a pulse was drumming behind her eyes, and working became impossible.As soon as she finished sorting the clothes into the carts, she mustered the strength to wash them, then dried them before she went looking for their manager. Thankfully, she looked as bad as she felt, so he permitted her to leave. Without wasting any time, she emptied her locker, wrapped her earpiece around her phone and stuffed it in her purse, grabbed her bike from its parking space and started wal
An Unroyal Alliance 36.
Dimitri stood and listened as the call went through, but no onereplied. It was the second time he had called that morning, and he didn't feel confident to try a third time. When they ran into each other the previous evening, he was alarmed to hear that she had fallen ill. So, when it looked like a reasonable time to call, he called to see how she was doing.It was unsettling that she didn't answer, but he decided to wait for her to call back. If she was sleeping, the constant ringing would bother her. So, he continued down the trail.His phone rang much later, and he slowed to a walk. He assumed Ayesha was calling back, hopeful that it meant she was alright, but it was his mother."Mom. Good morning.""Good morning, Dimitri. How are you?""Good.""And how is your morning going?""Also good. I am hiking.""Hiking?" She repeated in disbelief. "In this weather.""What's wrong with the weather?""It's quite ho
An Unroyal Alliance 37.
Dimitri arrived at the hospital in a state of measured panic. He was worried about Ayesha's health but kept a level head so he could provide any information the doctors required. Dimitri carried her to the emergency room, calling for help as he laid her on the nearest available stretcher. With his hand in her own, he waited impatiently for the nurse to rush to their side. Before she started, she encouraged him to leave, and he moved to, but Ayesha squeezed his fingers before he could pull them free. "Don't leave me." She whimpered, her hand clutching his. It was the first thing she had said since he found her, and it clawed at his heart, the panic and fear he heard in her voice. The nurses didn't let him stay, so he had to let go of her hand, promising under his breath that he would be there for her until she woke up. Dimitri paced back and forth in the lobby, wondering what his next step should be. He wanted to phone Joseph, her roommate, to inform him of Ayesha's situation, but h
An Unroyal Alliance 38.
Parched, Ayesha swallowed. She twisted on the bed, her muscles feeling unfamiliar as she slowly came to herself. Her eyes followed the encroaching light. She looked down at herself to see the blue blanket resting on her. The strange bed and several other items, like the simple single wardrobe and bedside table were enough to tell her she was in the hospital. Her eyes fell on a figure folded on the couch with a pitiful excuse for cover over his body. Recognition took some time to creep in. Her eyes took in his wavy hair, the thick, rich black, highlighted by the light. Most of his face was tucked underneath the blanket, but Ayesha had a good idea who it was. Fondly, she watched him sleep, her mind taking in the sight of him nestled on the chair. It was a few sizes too small for him, and he was forcing his body to fit. When the sun hit his eyes, he scowled in his sleep, squeezing his lids tighter and tucking his head father into the blanket, making her chuckle. The sound roused Dim
An Unroyal Alliance 39.
"I am about to leave the hospital. The doctor discharged me, and I feel a hundred times better now.""How will you get back?""Dimitri offered to take me home. He should be here any minute.""Okay. We are settling into a hotel for the night. We will get some rest and be home early tomorrow morning.""That's good. It's not always safe to drive at night. Is Carol asleep already?""No, she is in the shower.""How was your trip?""Fine. Great, actually. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Right now, I am crashing for the night.""I'll let you sleep. Take care of yourself.""And you. Don't rush into anything. Eat something filling and take any drugs you have been asked to take. Try to get some sleep as well.""I will. I will. I love you.""And I love you too. See you tomorrow."Ayesha sunk down to the sofa, leaning over to knot the lace of her sneakers. She pulled the tilt chords on the blinds and
Latest chapter
