Battles in the shadows

LOVE?

Hello wonderful readers!!! Thank you for stopping by once again. I am sincerely sorry for not updating much earlier. I have been busy and honestly, I wasn't satisfied with the ideas that was running through my mind. So here is the next chapter of Lauretta's story. Sit tight!

Five months had passed since the encounter with the headstrong Lauretta. How does he tell her he knew her from their childhood days? But he had been just a visitor to Botswana then, trying to get over the loss of his parents in a fatal car crash. He was visiting with his grandfather to the latter's close friend practicing Medicine in Botswana. He knew the shy Laura who would stay indoors most part of the day and came out only when visiting with her adoptive parents. Thoughts of the orphan girl never cropped up his mind all the years that passed till he saw her again months. He was so happy and impressed at how far she had come. It is a good thing to be adopted by good parents in such a harsh world...it isn't a great place for a child to live alone.

One afternoon he decided to take a bold step and ask her out to dinner. He found out about her favourite restaurant and made sure to be there on her lunch break. He should have been scared after the way Lauretta treated Maurice just five months ago but he decided this is what he wanted and will fight for it. And so he sat across her on the table she was seated eating her lunch. He greeted her with a bright smile and she responded warmly.

Cool. Great start Brandon!

They ate silently and did not acknowledge each other's presence any further. When he saw that she was about to leave he internally made a sign of the cross and smiled once again.

"Hello Lauretta."

She looked up, her face void of any expression or emotion.

"And you are?" She asked flatly.

Does she have a vendetta against men or something? Brandon thought to himself.

"You must have forgotten me. We met five months ago. You collided into me on your way out of the restaurant." he replied coolly.

Laura closed her eyes briefly and gave a weak smile.

"I didn't realize it was you. Great memory you have there." She said sheepishly.

"No problem at all. But don't you remember me?"

Laura sighed deeply. This was going to be a long lunch hour with the guy pestering her this way.

"I don't know you from Adam so please stop questioning me like a private Investigator." She replied with a smirk.

"I am sorry you feel that way. If you like, we could discuss it over dinner."

Laura rolled her eyes and laughed inwardly at the silliest line ever.

"Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe...I would like to be friends with you since we didn't get a chance to do so fifteen years ago. I must admit I did forget about you but I saw you several months ago and the resemblance was just too good to be a coincidence."

Laura got interested and urged him to continue his story.

"I want to get to know you better." He added finally.

"Where do you know me from?" She asked with her arms folded across her chest and her back resting on the bench she sat.

"Botswana. You are Lauretta Roberston aren't you?"

She unfolded her arms and looked straight at him. She could not remember Brandon at all but he sure did know her first family.

"Any proofs of your stay in Botswana or anything to show we knew each other?" She asked.