The Samosa Affair

Chapter 2: A disastrous meal (not samosas this time)

Shia arrived 5 minutes early to the lunch meeting.

Attempting to multitask and check her email and walk simultaneously, she crashed into another man while entering the restaurant called Cynthia’s. As she looked up she saw it was the same person as this morning. “You again,” she growled. “You should really start looking where you’re going”

“Me?,” the stranger replied angrily, “I wasn’t the one staring at my phone screen.”

With a huff and hair flip, Shia walked away and called Alexander. From behind her she heard a phone ringing and as she turned the mysterious stranger with the stormy eyes answered,

“Alexander Shane. Hello…?”

Shia was speechless and stared at him, the phone still at her ear. Shia finally took notice of Alexander as someone other than the guy-who-kept-crashing-into-her and eyed his muscular physique coupled with a tailored black suit that was definitely designer. His tie was impeccably knotted unlike her dad’s usual samosa shape with not a wrinkle in sight. She refused to let that soft looking jet-black hair, stormy gray eyes, and fine jawline get to her. Shia forced herself to ignore his physical attributes and broke the spell his handsomeness had cast. Alexander, in turn looked up and met Shia’s light brown eyes that were wide with shock. They stared at each other for several minutes before the hostess came to and started flirting with Alexandar. “Hello Mr. Shane, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Have you been working out you look more muscular. Your table is ready. Only one person right? No date?”

“...What?” Alexander replied still glancing at Shia who was dressed in a fine tailored outfit herself with a black blazer and pencil skirt that gave her an hourglass figure; this coupled with her red stilettos made her look equally ethereal. “Um.. no two,” he said clearing his throat while gesturing to Shia.

“Oh I see this way,” the hostess said with a mean look at Shia which accurately conveyed her envy.  

Shia slowly walked after them with a frown on her face. No way this jerk-face is the person I’m going to have to be working with she thought.

Shia stared at the menu in front of her. Even though she had just eaten samosas, the delicious descriptions on the menu were making her hungry again and she refrained from ordering just about everything. As she narrowed down her choice to her favorite lasagna dish, she looked up at Alexander who looked very tense.

“So… we’re traveling to central California to get some leads tonight,” stated Alexander awkwardly.

“...yes…I have some connections up there who can help us,” replied Shia.

Alexander then proceeded to look at Shia in silence over the table as they both waited awkwardly for their food to arrive. The silence was broken as the waitress that was throwing dirty looks at Shia from earlier came back with the drinks. Alexander noticed the look with a raised eyebrow and a smirk but didn’t comment. The waitress stumbled over Alexander’s foot and Alexander caught her but not before she spilled the drinks all over Shia. “I am so sorry!”, she apologized to Shia in the fakest tone and battered her eyelashes at Alexander, “Thank you sooooo much. What a handsome gentleman. I don’t know what would have happened without you. I’ll be right back with new drinks,” the waitress said to Alexander with a smile. What is she talking about. She tripped over HIS foot and she calls him a gentleman. He is not! Shia thought angrily to herself.

“Now that’s being nice instead of yelling at your savior,” Alexander pointed out to Shia whose temper increased. “And she admires my amazing looks. Just like every woman,” he arrogantly added.

“I’m going to get cleaned up” Shia said abruptly walking away from the jerk. I’m supposed to be discussing plans for the trip with him but he is being so rude. Ugh. How much worse can this get. As Shia turned around a corner she almost crashed into a middle-aged couple. “I’m so sorry”, Shia exclaimed.