A Wish Episode 13 ??♀
Author: ADEMIDE
My Fairytale ?♀
Theme: You’re Fired!
GOLD MALL
Ephyra alighted from the taxi and paid the driver. Gold Mall has an enormous building with every window having a designer brand engraved on it “G.M”. People walking in and out of the building with paper bags in their hands. Ephyra gasped when she stepped Into the Mall. It had all variety of goods. Suddenly,she started to feel a pounding pain at every step she took with her right ankle. Though she thought of calling James to inform him about it but she waved it off. James might try to convince her to quit the job for spraining her ankle few days at work. He would get mad at Harry for hurting her. So she concluded that it was best to endure the pain.
“Now how am I to find Boss in this big place?” She limped farther and went to the Jewelry section after passing by the Large grocery store.
“Excuse me..” She said to the lady at the desk.
“How may I help you Miss?”
“Perhaps..have you seen Mr Harry Jones around here?”
“Oh yeah..he’s in the clothing section” The last replied
“Please where is the section?”
“On the second Floor so you have to take the elevator” She pointed towards a direction
“Oh Thanks Miss!” Ephyra said
She moved towards the elevator and soon was on the 2nd floor. She saw the Salon section and looked in it to see if Harry might be there styling his hair.
“Wow!” She gasped when she saw the ladies sitting in front of large mirrors.
“So..pretty” she muttered
She looked at her phone, 9:20am. Ephyra prayed that Harry won’t fire her for coming late to the Mall.
“He can’t fire me..Mrs Isobel hired me..not him”
Then she stopped to think as she stared at her phone
“What if he tells his mother I am not punctual and that -“
She was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“I can’t run my agency like that..”
She looked up. And Harry was there!
He was walking towards her with three other people. Two women and one man. Ephyra knew they were models like Harry.
“Boss!” She waved at him
Harry looked at her. His eyes did a slow crawl on her. And he noticed she was not on heels anymore but boot. Ephyra cleared her throat and managed to walk to them. She did a good job at hiding the fact that her ankle was hurting badly.
“Who is she?” The man asked
“Jason meet Ephyra. She’s my PA”
“Oh Ephyra it nice to meet you” Jason said
“Likewise” she shook hands with him and Jason kissed the back of her palm.
“You’re such a beauty”
Ephyra raised her brows
Harry cleared his throat. He was not comfortable with Jason’s attitude towards Ephyra.
“Ephyra meet Tiana and Tatiana..they are the new models I just signed into my agency”
“Hi Ephyra” they chorused
“Hello” she replied with a half smile.
Jason stared at her taking in her beauty.
“Wow!..Harry your PA is hot and sexy…she looks exactly like a professional model”
“No she’s not a model Jason. I thinks its time to leave.. Take the ladies to the agency I will meet up soon”
“Ephyra I hope to always see you around at the office..or we could have lunch some other time…”
“No..no not with this one Jason..she’s got a boyfriend” Harry announced without thinking. Ephyra gave him a surprised look
Boyfriend?! That was a lie
“Oh really? Ephyra I should have expected that right?”
“Uhmm..” She looked at Harry. Ephyra wasn’t comfortable with the look on his face.
“Yes” she faked a smile
“Go ahead Jason” Harry said
“Okay”
“Bye”
The ladies waved at him
“Why..why did you tell Jason that I have a boyfriend?” She asked
“And is that what you should be asking me right now?”
“Huh?.. I thought I asked you a question too”
“I told you to get here by 9:00…what’s the time now?”
“9:30” she replied in a low tone
“Good..You’re Fired!” Harry grounded out
“What?!” Her jaw dropped. And Harry started to walk away.
“Boss! That’s unfair!” She screamed
Harry turned to face her
“I got here before 9:30” she said
“What time?”
“There was no bus at the station…I couldn’t make it on time…so I arrived by 9:20”
She answered
“Keep that excuse to yourself..”
“But..I’m being honest here..” She muttered
He studied her expression
“Follow me” he said
“Huh?”
“Do you want to get fired?”
“No Boss”
“So follow me”
And she followed him
“I need to get clothes for the Models at my agency. So we would be very busy In the next couple of days” he said
“Are you listening?”
“Yes Boss”
“So let’s go to the clothing section”
“Okay”
“That’s remind me..don’t tell old lady anything about my agency”
“Why?”
“Its none of her business”
“Okay” she stopped
And cursed under her breathe at the sharp pain in her ankle.
“Are you okay?”
Harry looked back when he felt she was not following him again.
“Oh yes..yes”
“Why did you pull off your heels?”
“There was no way I could trek to the station on heels. Are we still heading to the agency?”
“Yes to get my schedules from my Ex secretary”
“Ex secretary?”
“Yes she resigned this morning so you are taking her place as my PA. So walk fast because we have a lot to do today”
“Okay” she followed closely. Finally, they got to the section. Ephyra saw clothing racks filled with clothes in different styles and colors. Gowns,silk dresses,jeans,shirts and all. Dresses over the section. There were a lot of them. The three women in the section bowed to Harry when he walked in. Harry went to the racks and started picking out dresses from them. He threw them into Ephyra’s hands. Then she thought she might die of stress or the pain in her ankle.
“Boss..why am I the only one carrying these clothes? I thought the ladies are here..to help”
“Are you complaining?”
“No”
“You can give up right now”
“No,I’m not giving up”
“Okay..but remember..I’m not giving you a ride in my car to the office. You have to find your way”
“No..not again Boss..why won’t you let me in your car?”
“I don’t like sharing my car with anyone”
“It doesn’t make any sense. I had an accident earlier while you were trying to -“
“Stop making up excuses”
He silenced her
He kept dropping clothes in her hands.
“I can do you a favour” he said
“What?”
“You have to pay me for the ride to the office”
“That’s not a favour” she muttered
“Pardon?”
“I wasn’t talking to you”
“I would do you a great favour by giving you a ride in my car..”
“But I have to pay…”
“Yes..or else you have to carry these loads to the office alone”
“What?!’
“Having a second party in my car makes me uncomfortable”
“Unbelievable”
“You have to believe me”
He grinned wickedly. Ephyra hated him for his toughness and because he was doing everything in his power just to make her give up.
“Okay..I’ll pay you”
“$100”
“What?! $100?”
He nodded
“That’s too much for a fare around town”
“Then take a taxi” he said
“$20”
“Did I tell you I need money to buy candy?”
“No..I don’t have enough money on me”
“Then it either you trek to the office or call your boyfriend to bring you to the office”
“How did you know I have a boyfriend?”
“Am I wrong?”
“Have we met before?”
“Maybe..”
He shrugged
“Where? When? I don’t remember seeing you anywhere except when I searched for Goldmynes”
“Never mind” he picked the last clothe on the rack
“So does that mean you will give me a ride?”
“No..admit that you have a boyfriend and I will consider giving you a free ride”
“But..what has that got to do with -“
“Fine! Then find your way alone!” He gritted
He went to the desk to pay his bills. Two women calculated the price tag on each clothe.
“No need for that ladies” the third woman at the desk said
“Why?”
“Madam Isobel called in earlier and said you shouldn’t pay for anything” he gave her his card
“I am paying..”
“No Sir..please I’m not ready to lose my job”
“Calculate it and let me have the receipt”
They calculated it and packed them into bags. They were a lot of bags to carry!
“$2000 Sir”
“Okay” he leaned forward on the big desk
“What’s your name?”
“Rose”
She replied with a smile
“Okay..thanks” he turned away from her
“Let’s go” he said to Ephyra without making an attempt to carry any bag.
Ephyra eyed the bags
“Come on..or else I won’t give you a ride in my car”
“Okay”
She carried all the bags with her strength. And Harry was stunned to see her carrying them without stress. She managed to get the bags into Harry’s car outside the Mall. She stuffed them in the booth and entered the car beside the driver’s seat. Ephyra sighed in relief.
**
**
**
GOLDMYNES COMPANY
ISOBEL’S OFFICE
Eleanor barged into Isobel’s office without listening to the words of the secretary.
“Madam Isobel.. I’m so sorry..I tried to…”
Isobel silenced her
“You can go Tracy”
Then she stepped out of the room.
“Where are your manners Eleanor?” She said in a low tone
“Oh! Sorry Madam Isobel I lost them the very moment you hired a new worker for Harry”
Isobel smiled
“Anyways sit down and let’s talk”
“No” she declined
“Okay…so why are you here?”
“Why did you hire a new worker for Harry even after he made it clear that he doesn’t want any…”
“Did Harry complain to you?”
“He doesn’t have to -“
“Any why are you concerned about this new worker?..From what I can remember..Eleanor you never cared about them”
“Things are different now”
“What is -” Isobel paused
She thought for a second and it struck her
“Oh I see”
“What do you see?”
Isobel busted into laughter
“What’s so funny?” Eleanor asked angrily. Fury crashing over her.
“Are you jealous of the new worker?”
“Jealous?” Eleanor repeated
“Yes…Jealous that she’s beautiful. And you are concerned that she might capture my son’s heart”
Eleanor glared at her
“How did you find out about her?”
“And what do you mean by capturing Harry’s heart?”
“Well it just something you couldn’t achieve for years…but I feel Ephyra will do better”
“What?!…but you told me that I was going to marry Harry no matter what…and I’ve been waiting for years”
“And does he loves you?”
“You said he loves me”
“I said..but did you ask Harry?”
“Why are you doing this to me? I wanted to give up on him but you begged me not to…”
“You are wrong Eleanor. Have you forgotten the deal?”
“What deal?”
“Deal of making Harry fall in love with you. I told you that if you succeed then I won’t oppose your marriage to him. And you promised to help me talk to him in return.. You promised to bring us back together but what happened? You failed at everything Eleanor. And I still kept working on your career. I didn’t give up on you hoping that someday you would win his heart and help reunite us. You were only concerned about your love for him that you neglected your promises,my emotions of wanting to be close to my son again”
“I can’t believe this..” She muttered
“So you think she can win his heart?”
“My deal with her is not about winning Harry’s heart. It about reconnecting me to my son and also teaching Harry what loves means..True love which comes from the heart without pretence”
A tear slid down Eleanor’s cheek
“Should I apologize to you?” Isobel asked
They heard a knock on the door
“Come in” Isobel said
She expected Tracy but Harry walked in.
“Good Afternoon Old lady”
She stood up from the chair and went to him
“Oh son! How are you doing?”
“I’m fine”
Eleanor wiped her face
“When did you get here?” He asked her
“Not quite long”
“She was at your office?” Isobel asked
“Yes”
Harry dropped a brown envelope on the table
“What -“
“The payment of the clothes I bought at the mall. The lady at the desk refused it”
“I gave the order son”
“This is business”
“Yes I know..and its all yours”
“How on earth did you find out I was at the Mall?”
“Ephyra told me when I called this morning”
“She did?”
“Yes…and are you getting along well?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I’m just curious…since you didn’t call me the first day she showed up at your doorstep..up till now”
“I am kicking her out of my house very soon”
“Come on son don’t be too harsh on the poor lady,she’s only trying to make a living”
“Accept this money and I’ll let her stay”
Then she collected it from him
“Well..I plan to pay double of the money you offered her and more by the end of the week”
“She won’t accept it…she’s different from the other women I’ve hired son”
“Are you in love with your maid?”
Eleanor blurted
“she is my PA”
“Oh that trash…you’re calling her a PA”
She spat
She carried her bag and made her way to the door.
Anger crashed over him and he clenched his fists.
“She’s not a trash. Her name is Ephyra and she’s worth more than you are Eleanor”
Isobel gasped in shock
“What?!” Eleanor turned to look at him
“Uhmm..son -” he jerked free from her grip
“We have to stop this nonsense now..don’t let us pretend anymore”
He looked at Eleanor
“I don’t love you Eleanor and I never did… And I can’t love you” he said and walked out of the room.
“I can’t take this anymore” she gritted
“You will pay for humiliating me like this Isobel” she grounded and stormed out of the room.
Eleanor promised to make them pay for causing her pain. She won’t let things go just like that..no one hurts her and gets away with it. She concluded.
**
**
A WISH Episode 14 ??♂
Theme: Serious Talk
HARRY’S BEACH HOUSE
“This is worst than I thought” Ephyra muttered as she sank into the couch. She dialed James number and he picked immediately.
“Hi James”
“Hello Ephyra.. How is work?”
“Fine..how is Gideon?”
“He’s fine”
“Can I ask you something?”
She asked
Ephyra checked to see if Harry was out of ear shot. He was in his room.
“What’s wrong?”
“Actually..it not about me” she paused
“Ephyra just tell me about it”
“You see…I went to work with Mr Harry today and at the office a lady sprained her ankle and now she’s feeling the ache in it”
“How did she sprained her ankle?”
“She fell on heels” Ephyra closed her eyes. She silently prayed that James won’t ask too many question which might lead to him finding out she was injured.
“And I guess she stressed it too much.. That must have caused the pain right?”
“Yes”
“So what’s the…”
“Tell her to go to the hospital to get an X – ray done on it to see if it broken”
“Well..she doesn’t want to go to the hospital that was why I called to see if you can suggest a quick remedy and what to relief the pain”
James was silent. He wondered how fast Ephyra had started to have friends at work
“Are you sure it not about..you?”
“No..no..I’m fine..James”
“Okay..if your so called friend doesn’t want to go to the hospital then a massage would help a bit. Massage with a bone ointment, bandage around it and pain reliever. But I suggest that she visit the hospital”
“A massage with bone, ointment, bandage and pain killer”
“Yes”
“Okay..I will relate everything to her” she bit her lower lip
“Let’s talk later..I’m still at work”
“Take care” she hang up
“You are an expert at telling lies”
She heard his voice. Ephyra looked up and Harry was there looking straight at her.
“Ahmm… what do… you need boss?” She stuttered
“Are you okay?” Harry stared at her
“Oh..yes..yes..I’m fine”
“Come here” he ordered
“Huh?”
“You heard me”
He gestured to her to come close.
“Okay” she stood up gently. Ephyra closed her eyes as she felt the pain again. Harry watched her with his gaze on her ankle.
“I don’t remember seeing anyone with a broken ankle at the office”
Ephyra was silent as she limped to him. She knew Harry had caught her making things up. She winced at the pain. Harry went to her before she could take another step.
“I asked if you were fine at the office.. And you kept saying Yes” Harry said in a low tone
“Yes..I’m fine” she said unsteadily. She moved away from him but he blocked her pathway.
“How did you end up like this?” He asked with a concerned look
Ephyra frowned at him. She hated the look of innocence on his face.
“You don’t know?” She asked
He nodded
“Then it better not to know” she shoved him aside and motioned towards the kitchen. Harry followed her and whirled her to face him. Ephyra yelped in pain at the swift movement. A tear slid down her cheeks. She had been trying hard not to cry ever since the pain started. It was hard to hold it back now that he was acting as if he was not the cause of the pain.
“Let go of me!” She screamed and pushed him away.
“You’re.. So..so heartless! What’s so wrong in trying to make a living in this world! I knew it wasn’t going to be easy out here but I took the chance.. I knew working and living with you won’t be an easy task but I still took the risk! And I’ve been trying my best to keep up with your toughness since I came around! And I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up..but then what happened?! First I got buried in the snow and now this!” She pointed to her ankle.
“All because of your silly toughness I got my ankle broken! Why?! And how did I end up like this? You say?”
She hit his chest and Harry staggered backward.
“Oh come on! Don’t act like you don’t know…and you didn’t see me through your rear mirror after you pushed me this morning! You knew I was on heels but you pushed me because you didn’t want me to ride in your car!” She threw her hands up in the air.
“You’re so selfish Mr Harry Jones! And you only care about yourself! And that’s unfair!” She stopped
Her chest rising and falling. Ephyra waited for Harry to say a word but he didn’t. He moved away from her and walked to his bedroom. She exhaled roughly when she heard the door again. Harry came back with his jacket on. She met Harry’s gaze and she saw the pain in his expression. Ephyra hated herself at that moment. She knew she had gone too far..to harsh on him with her words. And she regretted letting her anger take the best part of her seconds ago. Ephyra limped to the window and raised the curtain, Harry was driving out of the private driveway. She wondered where he was headed by this time of the night. And she panicked at the thought of Harry sleeping out tonight. What if Isobel calls to check up on him? She thought. Then she realized it was best to have ignored Harry than telling him the truth. Ephyra limped back to the couch and settled on it.
***
***
***
Harry hit the steering as he drove down the silent and dark road. He looked down at his cellphone. Ephyra was calling him. Every of her words echoed in his head. At that moment she was talking,the impulse to reach for her and pull her to himself was there again. But he had held back to let her say all that was on her mind. Harry realized he wanted that contact with her and that was totally foreign to him and disturbing. That was the word he’d been looking for since the day he saw her. She had been distracting him.
He felt guilty for causing her pain and he flinched at the pain he saw in her eyes.
***
***
“It about to snow in -“
She turned off the weather forecast news as she rushed to her room ignoring the pain in her leg. Harry had been gone for about an hour now and he hasn’t returned home. He didn’t even pick up his calls. Ephyra was worried about him. She grabbed her jacket and moved out of the house.
“Where did he go?”
Ephyra asked herself. And she panicked again at the thought of Harry getting buried in the snow.
“If he is around…no one is going to save him” she said loudly. She dialed his number again.
“Please pick up Mr Harry…I’m so sorry” she paced the porch slowly.
“Oh my Sea please bring him back home safely” she paused
“Maybe I should go and look for him. I can’t keep standing here…but what if I get caught in the snow again” she thought deeply. Ephyra took a step and she realized her legs were weak
“Damn it!” She muttered
Then she sat on the stairs to wait for Harry. Minutes clicked by, Ephyra checked her watch 10:15pm. She looked up when she heard the sound of a car Horn. Harry was pulling into the driveway. She stood up but she couldn’t walk to meet up with him. She noticed the small paper bag in his right hand. Ephyra saw the tension in his face,the way the lines at his mouth deepened when he came to her. Ephyra met his gaze and she began to say.
“I’m..I’m sorry..I shouldn’t have said anything about -“
“Forget it”
He shook his head
“I’m sorry”she whispered again
“Why are you outside?” He asked with a stern tone. And Ephyra looked up at him.
“You..left without saying..anything ..and I became worried after I listened to the forecast….”
“Can we go in now?” He asked
“Of course” she said
And when she thought he was going to leave her to find her way inside, Harry leaned closely.
“You can lean me” he said
Harry placed his hand around her shoulder
“Thank You” she said
And they both walked back into the house. Harry motioned to her to sit on the couch and she did. He sat on a pillow on the floor in front of Ephyra and crouched down on it. He dropped the paper bag on the floor beside him.
“What are you trying to do?”
She asked when he brought out a bandage,ointment and painkiller.
“You’re an expert on question asking” he said
Moisture gathered in her eyes when she realized Harry had drove down to the mini mart to buy the things James prescribed to her. He held her ankle and twisted it gently.
Ephyra held back a sob.
“It won’t take long” he said
Ephyra nodded
Suddenly she heard a crack in her ankle. Ephyra winced at the pain. He looked up at her and noticed the tears at the corner of her eyes.
Harry flinched at the pain he saw there. And he hated himself at that moment for causing her pain. He dropped her leg gently on another pillow.
“You’re so distracting” he muttered without thinking but soon as the words came out he knew the truth in them. She’d been distracting him from the beginning and she hasn’t stopped. He stood up and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He gulped down the whole glass before going back to Ephyra with another glass. She collected the glass and held it in her hands. She sniffed.
“So you went to the Mini mart?”
Harry settled back on the pillow
“Questions again” he said
“Yes..I like asking questions. And I get to point and I’m pretty curious”
“So I bet when you were a kid,you distract people easily with your curiosity and questions” he said as he massaged her ankle gently
“I bet you were annoyingly tight – lipped when you were a kid” she countered without missing a beat. Harry glanced up at her with a half smile on his lips.
“No…I changed up” he replied
“This is about your father right?”
His smile disappeared. And she noticed it.
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have mentioned it”
“Forget it” he said
Then he wrapped the bandage around her ankle.
“I should be the one apologizing for hurting you” he said
“It okay”
“You were right about everything you said earlier…I am mean and selfish to my workers but…..I wasn’t always like this…”
Ephyra studied him closely. An image flashed through her mind.
“Perhaps…have we met?” She asked
“So you don’t remember seeing me anywhere?” He asked
She closed her eyes
“I think you need to see a doctor” her eyes flare open.
“No I don’t like the smell of hospitals”
“You’ve been there before?”
“Yes..two months ago..then I ran out of the hospital”
Harry wondered if she was insane back then… Running out of the hospital with no shoes.
“I bumped into this weird guy” he met Ephyra’s gaze.
“He insulted me and James”
She used the drug Harry dropped into her palms. Harry knew she was talking about him.
Ephyra leaned forward
“You look like that guy I saw that night”
He nodded
“I was the same guy you met that night”
Her eyes widened in shock. She reached out to him and roughened his hair with her hands. His hair fell over his eyes.
“Oh! You are the same guy!”
She covered her mouth with her palms.
“I..I..didn’t realize it..”
Harry stood up
“Are you hungry?…or will you like to have a cup of coffee?”
“Yes…and a cup of coffee”
“I’ll be right back”
“Wait…can I come with you?’
She blinked
“Sure” he answered
He went to her
“What are you trying to do?”
“What does it look like?”
He lifted her up in his arms
“Thanks” she said
Harry dropped her in the kitchen chair gently. He went to the refrigerator and returned with a bowl in his hands to the gas cooker. Ephyra sat back in the chair just watching him. He found a pot and poured the stew in it. In moments the stew was heating. He pushed a coffee mug to her before he crossed to the sink and ran water over his hands. Then he dried them on a towel. She saw the way he took several deep breaths. The way the action stretched the fabric of the black shirt,then the way he dropped the towel on the counter and pressed both hands on the edge of the sink. He lowered his head a bit then with a harsh intake of air he straightened up. Ephyra hardly knew Harry Jones yet she sensed his pain and felt concerned for him.
“Are you okay?’ She asked
He didn’t respond
“Are you tired?…or is there something bothering you?”
He sighed and turned to her. His face passive.
“My mom caused his death” he said finally
“No…you are mistaken”
“No…she picked up a fight with him. She accused him of having an affair with his secretary. He left….and we heard of his death. And in the end.. He was innocent. It was all her fault!” He clenched his fist
She knew that,but it didn’t stop her automatic sympathy at what he’d lost.
“Oh…I’m sorry” she whispered
“No apologies needed”
Ephyra wanted to stop the whole conversation
“Boss..I can tell you that the stew’s going to burn if you don’t stir it” she said looking past him at the stew and the steam rising from the pot. He turned,picked a spoon and stirred the stew. She stood up to get the dishes. The room seemed unsteady and her legs felt weak. She held onto the back of the chair. Harry looked at her for a long moment.
“Sit..you’re pale” he said. She wasn’t going to argue,not when her legs felt like rubber. She sank back down in the chair.
They ate in silence until Ephyra pushed her dish.
“I’m full” she aid
He was done too..she poured herself more coffee. She sipped the coffee as she met his gaze over the rim of the heavy mug. Harry cleared his throat.
“I was going to ask you what you studied in college?” He said
“Uhmm…”
“Journalism?.. Or you do research writing.. Because from the way you asked questions,I’d say its a fitting field for you” he said
“I’m not in that field. I am curious and I like finding answers for things” she didn’t want to discuss it with him. She wasn’t in any field. Ephyra only found herself in the Human World according to her Wish. It Was a shocking dream that she kept alive for years and it became a reality”
Harry let it drop. He stood,picked up the dishes and took them to the sink. He rinsed the dishes quickly. She made to stand and head to bed but the minute she tried,her legs gave out. She reached for the table for support but Harry was there catching her by her arm,steadying her. He let her get her balance.
“Take it easy”
Ephyra knew she needed his support. She wished she could just move away from him but she couldn’t stand without him at that moment.
“My legs are weak”
“Lean on me” he murmured
He had his arm around her, supporting her the way he had that night she fell in the snow. She closed her eyes tightly, wanting desperately to say she could walk and he could let her go but that was a lie. Ephyra wanted him close.
“Thanks Mr Harry” she whispered
“You..know you can just call me Harry”
She looked at him
Harry helped her back to her bedroom
“Climb in” he helped her into bed
“Thank You” she said laying back on the bed and sighed with relief. She closed her eyes waiting while the world fell away. She felt him touch her cheek and she slipped into the softness but before Ephyra could let go she felt his lips brush hers, the mere suggestion of a kiss and then it was gone. A Wish? A Dream? Ephyra couldn’t tell and in that moment between sleeping she didn’t care.
Harry had never taken advantage of a woman. He’d never kissed any woman. He’d never done anything that irrational. He was violating his well constructed rules when he kissed Ephyra. He didn’t know where the kiss had come from or the need to get closer to her. An ache in his being,the solitude that had been his goals for years. He drew back,giving himself distance. He’d been alone for too long and he was losing it. He walked away and didn’t look back as he exited the room.
?
?
A Wish Episode 15 ??♀
Author: ADEMIDE
Theme: Super Healing 2
HARRY’S BEACH HOUSE
Ephyra awoke to a cool morning. She lay there in silence for a moment. She heard footsteps by her door. She got out of bed. She felt stronger now,her legs steady.
Harry knocked on her door
“Ephyra are you up?”
“Yes..yes..come in Boss”
He opened the door
“How are you feeling now?” He asked
“I’m stronger now”
Then she suddenly remembered her ankle
“My ankle…” She took steps forward
“Huh? It doesn’t hurt anymore” she said looking up at him.
Harry shot her a confused look
“You aren’t feeling any pain in it?” He asked
“Yes”
She twisted her ankle. Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the bed
“Sit” he said and she obeyed him. Harry crouched down and removed the bandage. He examined the ankle by twisting it gently.
“Does it hurt?”
“No..no Pains”
Harry was stunned. It was a fast healing! Last night he had thought of taking her to the hospital this morning to get an X – Ray done on her ankle. But, she was fine now. It would have taken days for her to heal if she had sprained it..and weeks if it was broken.
He stood up.
“I’m fine” she said
He nodded
“Come to the kitchen to have breakfast” he said
“I will take a shower first” she said
“Your choice”
Harry moved out of the room. Then she remembered what she thought was a dream.
Climbing into bed,Harry kissing her? No! That had to have been a dream. If not a dream, a hallucination..not reality. She went to the bathroom.
Minutes later,she left her room and headed towards the kitchen to the smell of Bacon and egg frying. She stepped in and found Harry there. She stood in the doorway and watched him. Harry turned then and his eyes flicked over her. There was nothing in his expression that told her if anything had happened last night.
“Sit down…” He said
“I should be the one doing all this for you” she said
“You can take over when you are perfectly fine”
“I’m better”
“You take the day off today” he said
“No”
“It’s an order” he said
There was no arguing with him,so she let it drop.
They ate in silence. Ephyra picked on her food as she wondered if Harry had kissed her last night. No! Harry can’t… Harry stood up and carried his dish to the sink. She picked her almost empty dish.
“I’m so full” she said
She went to Harry and rinsed the dishes as he washed them. They both wiped their hands on a towel. Ephyra needed to know what was true and what had been her imagination.
“Won’t you give James a call?..just to let him know you are doing Fine”
“Of course…I need to thank him” she wet her lips
“I need to ask you something”
“Questions”
She stared at him and said
“Did you kiss me last night?”
He was taken aback by her question. He leaned on the counter and folded his arms.
“I’m disappointed” he whispered
“Why?”
“Well I always thought if I kissed a woman,she’d at least know she’d been kissed”
She knew that was true…for a man like him. She knew she wasn’t in her right mind and she had been imagining all sort of things.
“Never mind” she said
Ephyra would have left if he hadn’t touched her upper arm.
“You are serious, aren’t you?” He asked. She stared at his bobbling Adams apple. There was no way she could meet his gaze.
“Forget it” she said
She would have made her way to the door but Harry stopped her again.
The tips of his fingers went to her cheeks. The soft touch riveted her to the spot.
“You don’t remember right?’
He stared at her. Her gaze still on his Adams apple.
“Did..did you.. kiss me?”
She asked
“I kissed you” he said
She exhaled, the sound unsteady. So it hadn’t been been a dream. He’d kissed her.
“Oh” she whispered
“Oh yes” he replied in a low tone. Then he moved closer,so close she felt his breath on her skin.
Then his lips were on hers. She couldn’t move,she couldn’t think of what to do, she just existed for that moment. He nibbled on her lower lip and then the contact were gone. She could see him again, moving back, his eyes looking into hers. She fought the urge to touch her lips as he was farther from her.
“Now you’ll remember” he whispered
And even though he wasn’t touching her now,it did nothing to lessen his impact on her.
“You were leaving to call James”
The mention of James made her stomach clench. Ephyra turned and headed for the door. He closed his eyes. He’d thought about kissing her from the first. Ephyra was in a relationship with another man. And it was pathetic. He shouldn’t be kissing her but she could tip his world off balance.
He’d apologize later.
♦
*******°°°°°°°°°°°********
“Where are you going?” She asked
“I need to meet up with a clothe designer” he answered
“Okay”
She nodded
They stood staring at each other in silence. He needed to apologize for kissing her. Harry itched the bridge of his nose.
“I’m sorry” he apologize
Ephyra looked away from him. Harry tucked his hands in his pocket.
“I don’t know if you still want to work for me. Ephyra I’d understand if you want to leave right now..for what I did earlier. Actually, you can leave…to save your relationship with James”
She didn’t respond
“My mom would definitely understand if I explained things to her”
My mom? Ephyra thought she had heard it wrongly. Harry called Isobel “Mom”. He was changing.
” I’m not in a relationship..” She said
“I mean..James is not my boyfriend”
His forehead creased
“So who is he to you?”
“He found me..I was buried in the sand by the beach. So he helped me to the hospital. I don’t remember anything about my family…”
She bit the inside of her cheeks. She hated the fact that she had to lie to Harry.
“So James took me in”she said
Harry felt the tinge of happiness within him. She wasn’t in a relationship with James. Then he suddenly pulled her into his arms. A huge smile on his face.
” Ephyra I am sorry for everything… The snow, your ankle…everything”
Even though she was surprised by his action towards her,she didn’t know when she wrapped her hands around him. And He hugged her tightly.
“You want to stay..don’t you?”
He asked
“I have a contract with your mom”
“Please this is not about her” he whispered
“Do you want me to stay?”
She asked
Harry was silent. He need not to find the answer, he already knew what his heart want. He pulled back to look at her.
“Boss I will leave right away if -“
His lips crashed on hers. His kiss was a little rougher than usual. He held on around her waist and the back of her neck. Ephyra met him eagerly not wanting to break the contact. He parted from her and placed his forehead on hers.
“Stay…I want you to stay with me” he said
He’d no idea why he was acting differently with Ephyra. She was the only woman ever to yell at him aside of his mother. And the only woman to move his heart in a strong way. He wondered why he was reacting so strongly to her being there.
Ephyra was silent.
“I won’t stay too long” he said
He kissed her forehead and moved out of the house.
She sank onto the couch,looking down at the tips of her fingers. She tried to think of everything. Heat surged into her face and neck when she recalled the kisses with Harry Jones. She could hardly believe Harry asked her to stay with him…and the kisses.
What does that mean?
Her heartbeat rapidly and her middle clenched.
Is this the way to Love?
She thought deeply
And she wished she could know.
A WISH Episode 13 – 15
#OpraDre
To Be Continued……
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