Love Is...

30. A Test

CHAPTER – 30

LOVE IS... A TEST

'The test of love is not when we are together. It comes when we are not together and realize that despite the distance, love is still there.'

Brooke Wright – our next candidate - was the daughter of one of the famous designers of the New York City. No wonder her red short dress spoke volumes about sophistication, exclusiveness, class, and money. Her raven hair contrasted her sharp blue eyes. In one word, she was 'gorgeous'. As I looked at her from across the table, I concluded that Ashton's disinterest from the beginning of this assignment was soon going to vanish. Every man in the room had eyes only for her. And every woman, just like me, was staring at her in jealousy. My apple green dress, though, well fitted, was nothing in comparison to her red dress. My brown hair seemed dull in front of her shining black hair. Her blue eyes were enough to demand every ounce of attention from everybody in the room. And then there was that pimple right in between my eyebrows that just made me realize that I was nothing but a mere human, and she was nothing short of a Goddess. There was just no doubt about the fact that Ashton was going to like her.

"You must be Liana Moore," she said, the moment she approached the table I was seated at.

Smiling, a task I managed to accomplish somehow, I stood up and confirmed her suspicions, "Yes. And you must be Brooke Wright."

Her red tainted lips lifted up in a smile as she nodded. She sat down on the chair opposite me and flicked her hair to the back. Biting my lips, I sat down on my chair as well. "Ashton Parker is not here yet?" she asked, raising her perfectly arched eyebrow.

Grimacing slightly, I told her, "He should get here soon. He is usually always on time. I wonder, what happened." Liar! In order to ask him about his current whereabouts, I picked up my phone from the table and started dialing his number.

"Oh, it's okay. The traffic tonight is pretty bad." She dismissed with a reassuring smile.

I smiled back, but messaged Ashton, 'Where are you? She is already here.'

Immediately, I regretted my decision of meeting him directly at the hotel instead of going to his apartment and coming with him. He had asked me earlier in the day if I would meet him at his apartment, but me being in a terribly confused state of mind, had told him that I would meet him at the hotel only. He had found it weird considering the fact that we had went to all the appointments, before this one, together. But I dismissed it, saying that I had to spend some 'family time' with my parents who were in town.

He replied about two minutes later, 'In the New York City'.

Chuckling slightly at his stupid reply, I replied back sarcastically, 'No! That's impossible.' There was just no use of trying to get a straight answer from him.

'Love is impossible,' was his reply and I bit my lip after reading that.

'No! It's not,' I wanted to reply and just as I was about to type it, I was interrupted by Brooke.

"I hope you don't mind, but I really need to have a drink before I meet him." I looked up from my phone to Brooke, who was looking at me with a hopeful look on her.

"What?" I asked again, doubting my hearing abilities.

"Yeah. This stuff is new for me," she mumbled, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. A little surprised smile made its way to my lips at the obvious nervousness displayed by a woman as beautiful and striking as her, while she continued, "I mean, I don't even know what we would talk about. Can you tell me, how he is? I wasn't even shown any picture of him. Oh, is he nice?"