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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
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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
An Unroyal Alliance 40.
Dimitri walked up to the front door of his house, staring down at the wrapped package sitting at the foot of the door. The box was covered with brown paper. A rose made from a gold ribbon was plastered on top. Confused, he looked around the compound, wondering how long it had been there and who put it there. When he left for the hospital earlier, there had been nothing.He picked the card, tucked into the ribbon, first and read the message."Dimitri. Thanks for inviting me to the party last weekend. I had a lot of fun." He sighed, looking down at the box. "Sofia."Dimitri took the box inside and placed it on the coffee table. Diligently, he ripped away the ribbon before tearing the wrapping away. Inside was a wooden docking station made of dark, burnished wood. His initials were carved into the bottom and traced with golden paint. He turned the package around, looking it over.Sofia was one to show her gratitude with gifts. When they were kids, she'd buy them icecreams or tickets to t
An Unroyal Alliance 41.
Dimitri turned in bed, half asleep. He listened for the sound of the doorbell. It came again, and he groaned, muttering in frustration as he snuggled his head deeper into the pillow and tried to block out the rest of the awakening day. It had been a long night at the office, signing documents, revising contracts and scheduling meetings. He intended to sleep into the morning until he was sufficiently rested, but whoever was at the door had other plans. The ringing stopped. Two rings and everything fell silent. Ordinarily, he would have continued sleeping, but he groggily sat up, looking at the clock and searching for his phone. If anyone of his family was at the door, they would have called when he didn’t answer after the third ring. When nothing happened, he sluggishly dragged himself out of bed and into the living room. Still hazy from his interrupted sleep, Dimitri padded to the door. He looked at the security monitor but only saw a woven basket filled with clear p
An Unroyal Alliance 42.
Ayesha smiled as she walked up to the sliding door that led to the swimming pool. The entire setup was inviting. The rippling water reflecting the sun's rays across the surface gave it the appearance of a sparkling gem.“Did you design this too?”“No. No. I am not that talented yet.” He joked, leaning his weight on the frame of the door. “I just chose what design I thought would best fit my backyard and allowed the men to do theirwork.”“Did you also design your apartment when you lived there?” She asked with interest, turning away from the pole and resting on the door frame too.“I did, but unlike with this place, I didn’t have much experience and made many mistakes.”“With?”“Colour. Furniture. You name it. I painted the walls one colour and later on it didn’t match some of my furniture. I learnt from my mistakes and grew my own taste fr
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