Incandescence

Chapter 29

Anis

The air inside the car was thick with tension. We both were avoiding talking to each other as we knew it would turn into another fight, which would be worse than the first one, which I didn't want. I wanted her temper to cool down a bit before I approached the subject again. For one second inside, Alisha had angered me and I'd lost control of my anger which resulted in my saying what I said. Maybe I shouldn't have said that, I knew, but now that the damage was done, I had to figure out a way to fix it. Alisha was pointedly ignoring me, by keeping her face averted towards the other side, feigning interest in the road outside. Her stance was rigid. She clutched her wallet tightly in her slender fingers, which was the evidence of her tension.

I had to make up to her some way.

I tuned the player in the car to the CD's option. I knew the song that was playing because I'd been listening to it the last time I was in the car. The car was suddenly filled by the song "If I let you go". Alisha turned towards the deck, looked at the display and then turned away disinterestedly towards the window again. She was good at giving me a cold shoulder but I knew what I had to do. I took my phone from the dashboard and wrote a text.

Are you up for the next step in our plan?

Sending the text, I reined the car neatly in front of the hotel and parked there. A valet rushed over to take the car keys and park the car for me. I stepped out and tossed him the keys while a security guard opened Alisha's side of the door, allowing her to step outside. I smiled. Today, I was cheated of opening the door for her. I had somehow grown to like the simple act of opening the door for her.

She was silent all the way up towards my office. I hated it when Alisha was quiet. I liked her talking and lately, the chirpy nature that I'd come to like so much. Everything about her pleased me, her laughter, her smiles, her antics, and even her anger. I liked to rile her so much so that she would have that beautiful frown on her forehead and look at me with such intelligent eyes that I felt insignificant in front of her. I wanted her to stop hiding from people just because she wasn't beautiful. She was the most beautiful girl for me if only she saw herself from my eyes and I wanted to show her that. That was the reason of coming to this trip, to make her see herself from my eyes.

We reached my office suite and I unlocked the door with my card. The corner that was Alisha's, now had a mini-table like mine with a new computer system installed there for her use. I had watched her get uncomfortable while working on her laptop so I'd ordered this for her. Her eyes shone with surprise when she saw the mini-office look that I'd created for her.

"This is for me?" she asked with a surprise in her voice.

"Of course!" I responded as I watched her walk towards the table and sit down.

"The seat is quite comfortable." She said as she sat down and stretched her legs in front of her. I found that really endearing. I smiled at her and walked towards my own seat, bringing my computer to life and checking my messages.

"Thank you Anis." There was sincerity in her voice as she said that. I looked up from the file I was reading and looked at her.

"Pleasure is all mine, Alisha." I replied.

The phone buzzed just then, breaking the spell between us. I groaned. There was always something coming between us.

"Hello?" I spoke with irritation evident in my voice.

"Sir, there is someone here to see you." The receptionist informed me.

"Who is it?"

"Dr. Asad..." That's all I heard.