Evelyn: His Desire

3. Evelyn

As I mingle with the crowd, I'm unable to shake off the memory of my encounter with Mr. Blackwood . There was an undeniable spark between us, one which I'm unable to ignore no matter how hard I try.

Just then, Sophia appears by my side with a knowing smile on her lips.

"I saw the way you looked at him." She says bumping my shoulder.

A pink hue covers my cheeks but I shrug it off.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I avoid the butterflies emerging in my stomach upon thinking about him and clear off any ideas she is having.

I see Sophia rolling her eyes on my statement from my peripheral.

"You can deny it all you want,but there's definitely something there." She doesn't listen to me.

"Don't fantasize." I still deny her thinking that she will drop the subject soon.

She stops bugging me about it, knowing quite well that there's no point and it's just a waste of time. But deep down, I know that Sophia is right.

There is something about him that intrigued me, something I can't put my finger on.

"By the way, he is hot." The thought penetrates my mind and I mentally curse myself for thinking like this.

I just want to focus on my career more so I brush off the lingering feeling or curiosity about the mysterious man I bumped into.

Lucas comes running in a hurry and jerks me. 

"Calm down. What happened?" I sign him with my hands while telling him to calm his breathing.

"Everything is sold out Every-single-one-of-them. Can you believe it?" His happiness does not know any bounds.

My lips part and I'm shocked to the core.

"OMG!!! I'm so proud of you babe." Sophia's voice filters my ears and she captures me in a tight hug.

"And on top of that, they are all bought by one person." Lucas wiggles his brows and his lips curve forming a smirk.

"Double OMG!!!" Sophia shrieks on top of her lungs.

"What! Wh...who bought them?" Now I'm curious about the man who likes my art so much to buy all of them.

"Who else, it's Mr. Adrian Blackwood ." Lucas says waving his hand in the air.

My jaw hangs to the floor and this is a bigger shock than the previous one.

“Close your mouth, Ma'am." Sophia teases me and bumps her shoulder against mine.

Soon, the exhibition gets over and I finally take a breath of relief. After wrapping up all the work and seeing all the helpers leave, I inform Lucas that I'm going back home with Sophia . 

I step out with Sophia and we both settle in my car. 

As usual, I'm the one who's driving and she enjoys her music. We both jam on it when she suddenly shows her wicked smirk. 

"What?" I ask her who's still seeing me like I have done something and didn't tell her about it.

"Don't you dare hide from me." My thoughts come into reality when these words pour out of her mouth.

"O God, there's nothing." I say in a dramatic tone.

"My intuitions are never wrong." She says with a proud face.

"Well this time, they are." I tell her in a serious tone.

"Whatever lets you sleep at night." She says with a smile still grazing her lips.

I ignore her and we go back to our jamming session. 

After a long drive, I park the car and we retire to my bedroom. 

Sophia stays with me most of the time and it has become normal for us and our families.

Laying on my bed, I see the glittering ceiling of my room and get lost in my own world. The world where someone's hazel eyes have captured their place. And I doubt if that's the world of my mind or my heart. 

I toss and turn in my bed deprived of any sleep. So, I stand up on my tip-toes to avoid any sound that could wake up Sophia and move out of my room. My feet take me to the terrace that becomes my safe place away from the distraction.

I used to come here with Nana to watch stars when I was little. Since then, it has become my comfort place where I feel her. 

I watch the night sky. Several stars cover the sky as if they are decorating the blank sheet of sky and filling the darkness lurking behind with their light. 

A gust of wind whooshes and a few strands of hair cover my face. I feel as if Nana is caressing my head. I'm wearing a silk night dress which sticks to my body with the force of wind.

"I miss you, Nana." I sigh.

Sleep covers my eyes and I go back to my room.

As I settle back into bed, the events of the evening swirl in my mind like a tempestuous ocean. Mr. Blackwood's unexpected purchase of all my artworks at the exhibition sends a ripple of excitement through me, mingled with a tinge of apprehension.

Why did he buy them all? What does it mean? Questions flood my mind, each one more insistent than the last. I try to push them aside, reminding myself of my dedication to my career, to my art. Yet, his presence lingers like an enigmatic shadow, refusing to be ignored.

The gentle rhythm of Sophia's breathing beside me offers a semblance of comfort, grounding me in the present moment. But even as I drift towards sleep, his image flickers behind closed eyelids, an indelible mark on the canvas of my thoughts.

Closing my eyes, I try to push away the thoughts of Mr. Blackwood and focus on the soothing rhythm of my breath. But his image keeps creeping back, his presence lingering in the corners of my mind like an elusive puzzle waiting to be solved.

But I shrug my thoughts away and try for sleep to come while focusing on my breathing.