What Goes Around [on hold]

Chapter 3 ~ Prepared

Becca, on the other hand, didn’t put much thought into who she would set Darcy up with at all.

She had decided as soon as the topic of blind dates had come up exactly who she would set Darcy up with. That Mr Taylor was who she had in mind. 

She didn’t exactly know why it had to be Mr Taylor, but she narrowed it down to two reasons:

One, she knew that, if Darcy and Mr Taylor did become a couple and live ‘happily ever after’, that would confirm Becca’s destiny to be alone. If, however, it did not work out, then Becca still might have some hope left, that she would have her friend and they could be alone together.

The second reason was a strange one. For some reason, something told Becca that she must choose him for Darcy. Almost like her subconscious was trying to tell her something. So, she decided to go along with it, and resolved to ask Mr Taylor the next day he was in the restaurant. It was a long shot, anyway, thought Becca. Who would want to listen to Rebecca Sallose? 

When the day did come though, that Mr Taylor visited La Mer de Saphir, there was something in the air that pushed Becca along to go through with it. She had never really talked to him before, or at least, not anything more than a “Hello”, but for some unfathomable reason she just wasn’t nervous.

She hovered around his office, which was behind the kitchen, at the back of the restaurant, until she had caught the attention of Stephanie: someone so ridiculously infatuated with him she had given herself the position as his personal guard dog and golden retriever. She lurked up to Becca, in her lurk-y way, and stood next to her, towering over her in a proud kind of manner.

“Is Mr Taylor free?” asked Becca. She usually would have been afraid of someone as opinionated and self-important as Stephanie, but she knew her for so long that the fear had completely faded away.

Stephanie sniffed in reply, and then said, “Maybe. What would you want with a man… like… that…?” she said, trailing off dreamily at the end, in a way that made Becca sicken.

“I have some important business to speak with him about.”

“Would you like to tell me what that is?”

Becca swallowed. “No.”

Stephanie sniffed again, and marched off to only-God-knew-where. 

The door was free. The guard dog was gone. Becca stood in front of it, wondering whether to knock or not. She knew that if she did, there would be no turning back.

And then, she did it.

She knocked on Ian Taylor’s door. 

“Come in,” the low voice answered from within.

With a hesitant hand, Becca turned the handle and walked in – all confidence gone, now. She was terrified. 

He was sitting at his desk, flipping through some paperwork, but he looked up when she came in. He raised his eyebrows, and said, “Please, sit.”

Becca obeyed.

He leant forward with his elbows on his desk, his hands clasped together. He was looking at her intently, but Becca found herself not in the least stirred by those sparkling eyes. She was rather scared of how she was going to phrase the question.

“What can I do for you, Rebecca?” he asked, using her name.

“I – I have a question to ask you.”

He sat back in his chair, and said, “I’m all ears.”

“I, um, I… this is going to sound strange, but… - and I know this is highly unprofessional of me and that you probably have much better things to do but… you see, I have a friend who…” She sighed. This wasn’t a very good start.