Chapter 16
1519words
Aurora screamed, pulling the phone away from her ear to glare at the screen, "What do you mean there is no Uber available!"
The customer agent sighed, clearly frustrated with her antics, "Our drivers usually take a leave on this day of every month. You can check in tomorrow."
She scoffed in disbelief, "So you expect me to wait here until tomorrow for your driver's resumption?"
"Well, uh-I didn't. What I mean to say is-umm-" The customer agent stuttered and she rolled her eyes before ending the call.
She stared blankly at the empty road. Most of her colleagues were gone by now. Evan was being his usual self and there was no other step forward. The only thing she could do now was walk to the nearest bus stop.
She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder before moving to walk when a sudden thought occurred to her. There was still one option left and she dreaded calling him. But there was no other way left,
She picked up her phone again and tapped on his contact. He didn't pick up, so she called again. On the third try, doubt began to seep into her chest. It was a stupid decision in the first place, they weren't even friends in the first place. She was about to throw the phone back into her bag when the screen came to life and her ringtone pierced the air,
"Hello," She murmured as she placed the phone on her ear, "Ryan?"
"Hello, Flower," His gravelly tone rumbled through the speakers, "Did you miss me?"
Heat crept to her cheeks and she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. "Um-actually, I called to ask for a favour."
He said something but the background noise made it almost impossible to hear him so she put the phone on speaker. "What did you say?" She asked.
"I said what favour would the princess possibly want from me?"
Aurora kicked her foot against the gravel, chewing on the inside of her cheek, "Well, the thing is I'm stranded and I don't have a ride back home-"
"You can't take a taxi?" He cut off and then yelled something in another language, "What did you say, princess?"
"I couldn't get a taxi, can't you just help me out this once?" She half-yelled, already starting to get annoyed with him.
For a moment, he didn't say anything and she was about to hang up when he spoke, softly this time,
"You're at the dance school, right?" She muttered a yes, "I'll be there in a minute. Hold tight."
"Thank you." He murmured something that sounded like an okay before hanging up. Aurora sighed, her eyes focusing on the empty road ahead. A quick glance at the watch on her wrist told her that the time was a quarter to five.
She folded her arms across her chest, pacing aimlessly around. This was all Evan's fault, she had an inkling that he did all this on purpose. He probably wanted to make fun of her and lied, she wouldn't put it past him anyway. The roaring sound of an engine approached, snapping her from her musing,
She looked towards the loud noise, directly at the road. When she spotted a black dot moving closer, she squinted to get a better view of the object. It was a black motorcycle, driving towards her at full speed, she wondered who in their right mind would drive something as dangerous as that.
When the vehicle stopped a foot from her, a surprised squeal escaped her mouth and she jumped back in shock. The driver had a large black helmet on and he moved to take it off, jet black curls tumbled over the nape of his neck
When familiar dark eyes fell on hers, she took another step back. No way!
"You-you can't expect me to ride this with you!?" She made a noise at the back of her throat when the corner of his lips curled upward.
He picked up another helmet, it was of a smaller size, and handed it to her, "I got this on my way, it should fit."
"No, No, No," She waved her hands about, eyes wide in alarm, "I can't get on this! It's a death trap."
He chuckled, shaking his head from side to side. "Here," He chucked the helmet at her and she shakily cut it, her fingers suddenly slippery.
"Ryan!" She squawked but he ignored her, igniting the vehicle. It rumbled loudly, the sound almost deafening.
She clutched the helmet tightly, saying a silent prayer as she climbed on top of the motorcycle. She placed the helmet on her head before latching the straps together.
"Oh, by the way, you don't mind if I stop for food, right?" He looked over his shoulder, "I'm kind of hungry, aren't you hungry too?"
"Uhhm-" She trailed off, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Good," He kicked the accelerator and it made a reeving sound, she wrapped her hand around his stomach tightly, shutting her eyes. "There's no need for you to get so scared. Just hold on to me."
In response, she tightened her hold on him and rested the side of her face against his back. They sped out of the curb, driving fast on the road. Aurora was terrified of how fast the vehicle was speeding down the road so she kept her eyes sealed shut.
The entire ride was so frightening, she swore she was going to vomit by the time they stopped. Her wish was quickly granted when Ryan slowed down,
"Open your eyes, Flower," He placed a palm against her locked fingers, gently prying them away, "Come on, flower."
She released a shaky sigh before opening her eyes, she leaned away from him and accessed her surrounding. They were parked in front of what looked like a dingy restaurant with people flowing in and out of the entry door. Curiosity pricked at her and she slowly released him before stepping down.
"Don't tell me you plan on eating here?" She eyed the rundown building suspiciously, her fingers tightening on the helmet.
He followed suit, climbing down as well and killing off the engine. "Come on," His left arm wound around her waist and he tugged her into him, "Let's go eat."
"Wait!" She yelled, grabbing his arm in panic, "What if someone there recognises me?"
He looked at her as if she was speaking gibberish. She was offended by the expression on his face and opened her mouth to say so when he snorted,
"Don't worry, princess. I highly doubt anyone eating in there is interested in ballet." He had a mocking undertone tone and a smug grin that was quickly wiped away by the glare on her face.
She didn't completely believe him but allowed herself to be led into the restaurant. The inside was just as awful as the outside, the lightning was low and the room was overly crowded. It made Aurora cringe at how noisy the place was, waitress in mini skirts and skimpy bras sauntered around with serving trays in hand.
"Here," He directed her towards a table at the corner and pulled out a chair, "Betty!" He yelled loudly, waving a hand in the air.
A busty blonde strolled towards them, swaying her hip from side to side. She batted her false lashes at them, specifically at Ryan and smiled seductively,
"Hey, honey. What can I get you this fine evening!" She had a lilting Texas accent and when she leaned forward, displaying her abundant bosom,
Aurora lifted a brow questioningly and pretended to focus on her phone instead. However, Ryan placed a hand on her thigh and squeezed gently,
"I'll get the usual and um-" He turned to her, asking quietly with his eyes, "What would you like?"
Aurora's eyes darted around the dim room, various aromas were hanging around in the air. The scent of chicken, casseroles and pasta tickled at her nose, making her stomach grumble lightly,
"I'll get a salad," She muttered making the waitress shoot a shocked look at Ryan. She ducked her head shyly, suddenly growing hotter by the second.
"A salad?" Betty asked loudly and she felt different pair of eyes fall on her, "Honey, are you kidding? Ryan, your sister looks so skinny it's almost alarming, why don't you order a meatloaf and put some meat on those bones," She cooed softly, batting those fake lashes again.
Aurora winced, her brows furrowing. She had no idea what to say back and she was feeling increasingly embarrassed. This was a first for her, she'd never had any issues ordering a salad before. In fact, the usual response was proud or envious looks.
Ryan cleared his throat suddenly, directing the attention on him, "She'll eat what I'm having, Betty and she's not my sister," He curled a finger around her chin, turning her face to his.
"Ryan, what are you-"
The rest of the sentence died on her lips when he pressed his mouth against hers, his fingers holding her face in place.
