DARK SECRETS

25. The Talk in the Garden

For the first few days in the mansion, Erick and Yasmine acted like they didn't know each other, especially Yasmine. She acted like she didn't even exist, like she was a ghost. She didn't join him on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead, she was always in the kitchen to cook whatever she wanted to eat and head to her room in the guest house. The maids had always tried to help her make her food or at least force her to eat what they cooked but she always declined politely, saying they shouldn't worry about her and cook for their boss instead. She would go to college and come back quietly. She was lively and friendly to everyone in the house, and she seemed to have grown on everyone in the mansion, even up to the gardener. 

The only person she didn't talk to in the mansion was no other than Erick himself. 

It was like she was avoiding him; she made sure she was nowhere to be seen every morning when he prepared to go to his company, and in the evening when he was coming back as well. 

And during weekends she was never in the mansion. She was always off strolling around the big compound. After all she was new to the place. She needed to familiarize with her surroundings. 

On this particular weekend, Yasmine wasn't so lucky. As usual, she went out to stroll around the compound, exploring places she hadn't been to before. She didn't know that Erick was around. She didn't know he didn't go to work, and neither did the maids alert her that he would be around. She thought she was free. She didn't want to see the man's face for some reason. She would feel embarrassed.

Erick had gotten the full information from his workers on how she spends her day and weekends. He already knew it by heart, so he decided to see it for himself. He wanted to talk to her on the contract and found out why she was so scared of meeting him. So today, he decided to have his breakfast in his room and told the workers to tell her that he wasn't around, if at all she asked. Unfortunately, Yasmine did ask, but she wasn't told the truth. 

No one could blame the workers though. Erick already made them lie about with the authoritative nature. Erick had some of the security stalk her movements and report it to him. 

''Sir, she is at the garden now with the gardener, helping him water some flowers,'' one of the securities he had watching her said on comms. 

''Watering the flowers?'' Erick repeated. 

''Yes sir.''

Erick scoffed.  What was she thinking, helping out a gardener?

 ''Does she think she is here as a domestic worker? ''Erick thought. He now saw the need to talk to her. She was here for him, not to work in his garden!

Even when he heard she assisted the maids and cooks in the kitchen, he was shocked. He wondered why she would try to help out. Some of the women he brought to his home never even tried to check how his kitchen looked like, much less help out. Erick liked it though. He knew she wasn't like the rest of the girls he had met ever since he met her on the road that fateful night when his driver almost killed her with his car.

She was different.

''Thank you, Greg,'' Erick switched off the comms and decided to dress up and check up on her. He didn't like the fact that she was trying to avoid him. After dressing casually, Erick headed to the garden. From afar he could see her in gloves, her carrot color hair tied in a bun smiling contentedly as she engaged the gardener in a discussion that got her full attention. 

It was the first time Erick saw her smile so freely and he got captivated so much that he dropped dead on his tracks and watched her.

She had a beautiful smile, he admitted.

A captivating one.

But suddenly, her eyes met his and immediately he saw horror written on her face as her smile immediately disappeared like it wasn't even there. She froze for some seconds, and soon turned her face away and started pulling out the gloves on her hands hastily. 

Then Erick knew he had to say something or else she would run away again.

''Yasmine!'' He called. She froze. Erick signaled to the gardener to leave them as he approached her. The gardener hurriedly packed his working tools and left. 

Yasmine didn't face him.

When he got close to her, he said; ''Why are you avoiding me?''

''Me?'' she said. ''No, I'm not, there's no reason for me to avoid you. I haven't done anything and neither have you.''

''Is that so?''

''Of course.'' 

''If that's the case, why can't you face me?''

Yasmine didn't answer.

She didn't know what to say. To tell the truth, she really had been trying to avoid him. She knew the reason why she was in the house. She just didn't want to talk or see him because if she did, they would have to talk about the contract. 

She needed to keep her own end of the deal. 

But somehow, Yasmine thought she could eat her cake and have it. 

But there was no escape. Immediately she saw him staring at her while she was helping Jack the gardener, she knew it was game over. She gasped in horror and tried to run but it was too late. 

What was she thinking anyway? That there was a way she could stay in the mansion without them meeting face to face like they already did?

She was so foolish.

''Yasmine, turn around and face me.''

Reluctantly, she did.

''Now will you still lie to my face and tell me you were not avoiding me?'' Erick asked. 

''Fine, you're right, I was avoiding you. ''

''Why?''

''I can't tell. I've been acting on my instincts lately.''

''And your instincts have been telling you to avoid me or try to run away like you tried to do just now?'' he asked, puzzled.

Yasmine shrugged.

''Yeah, I guess so.'' she said. 

''You're funny, Yasmine,'' Erick said instead.  ''So, why'd you run?'' he asked. ''You're scared of me?'' 

Yasmine scoffed. ''And why should I be scared of you? You don't scare me.'' she said. 

''Fine, let's keep it that way for now,'' he said. ''Are you enjoying your stay here?''

''It would have been great if I was only here to sightsee, not been kept here against my will.'' she said. 

''You agreed to come here, Yasmine,'' Erick said. 

''Yeah, after you put a debt big enough than I can handle,'' Yasmine protested. 

''I am going to give you the contract to sign soon,'' he said, ignoring her protest. ''You can make adjustments as you see fit on most, but a few would be compulsory, so I don't want you to protest when you see them. Do you understand?'' 

Yasmine didn't answer for some seconds before she finally nodded her head. 

''Fine,'' she said. Obviously, she wasn't pleased with his statement, but she didn't have any other choice than to agree to it. She just wanted him to go and leave her alone.

Erick watched her for some seconds, before he sighed and got ready to leave. 

''Enjoy your stroll around the premises,'' he said and walked away.

Yasmine sighed in relief immediately he left. She just couldn't stand being around him for now. She knew she had no choice, obviously now their meeting was inevitable. She just wanted space away from him for a while. 

She wanted to come to terms with herself living in his house. She had to.