Read Online Forever Love (Arabesque) by Celeste O. Norfleet - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Celeste O. Norfleet
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business. It has nothing to do with you. How dare you—”
He hurried toward her. “Gia, please wait—”
“You followed me,” she stated, obviously appalled by his audacity. “I can’t believe this. Are you some kind of nutcase stalker or something?”
“No, no, I promise you, I’d never do anything like that ordinarily, but I was just—”
“What? What? What could you possibly say to me to make this look right? No. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care what you were doing. You followed me here. That’s called stalking. There are laws against stalking another person in this city. I can’t believe—”
“Look,” he said sharply, instantly stopping her tirade. He looked around, as did she. They were the only ones in the lobby except for a young man wearing earbuds polishing the floor with a large humming machine on the other side of the large open space. He wasn’t paying any attention to them. “Just hear me out,” he said much more calmly.
“Fine, explain. What are you doing here?” Gia said hastily.
“I wasn’t stalking you. I was concerned. You ended our conversation so abruptly back at the office and then you drove past me like the world was about to end. At first I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Then when you didn’t immediately come back out, I thought I’d wait here for you.”
“You’ve been waiting here all this time for me,” she said.
“Yes.” He nodded.
She looked at him, feeling foolish. She had overreacted. She looked away. “Okay, fine, you were concerned. You still shouldn’t have followed me. This is very private.”
“Yes, you’re right and I understand that. I should never have invaded your privacy like this. I’m truly sorry. But as I said, I was concerned. Is it your grandmother you’re here visiting?”
Gia nodded and began walking toward the huge windows surrounding the lobby area. “Yes, she had a stroke.”
He nodded. “I heard. Is she going to be okay?”
She nodded wordlessly. Saying the words was still too difficult. She felt emotions welling up inside her. She swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears that always threatened whenever she was here. “She was getting better, but then this evening she had a fall.”
“I’m sorry.” He walked over and stood behind her, but kept enough distance not to make her nervous. “How is she?”
“She’ll be fine. No broken bones.”
“Good,” he said, then looked around the empty lobby. “I’ve heard of this facility. It’s very well respected. I understand they do exceptional work here.”
She looked up, seeing his reflection in the darkened glass. He turned, looking right at her. Piercing dark eyes met tearful ones. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just going to sit a moment.”
He nodded. “Then I guess I should go. Good night.”
“Good night,” she said.
He didn’t move. He just stood staring at her reflection. Then a few seconds passed. “Good night,” he said again, then started walking away. A few feet away he paused and looked back at her. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
She turned to him. “No, not really, just a couple bites of cold pizza, that’s all,” she said.
He walked back over casually. “I know a great place—good food, wonderful service, quiet and it’s not too far from here. I was gonna stop by and grab something to eat on the way home,” he said. “Would you like to join me?”
“No, thanks, that’s probably not a good idea.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, moving closer. “How about this? We go to the restaurant in separate cars. We sit at two different tables with no direct contact. We can even pass notes between our waitresses.”
She laughed at the image of his silly suggestion. “Thanks, I think I needed that right now, but as for your very generous and very odd invitation, not a good idea,” she repeated. “Thanks anyway.”
He nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. Good night.”
He hurried toward her. “Gia, please wait—”
“You followed me,” she stated, obviously appalled by his audacity. “I can’t believe this. Are you some kind of nutcase stalker or something?”
“No, no, I promise you, I’d never do anything like that ordinarily, but I was just—”
“What? What? What could you possibly say to me to make this look right? No. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care what you were doing. You followed me here. That’s called stalking. There are laws against stalking another person in this city. I can’t believe—”
“Look,” he said sharply, instantly stopping her tirade. He looked around, as did she. They were the only ones in the lobby except for a young man wearing earbuds polishing the floor with a large humming machine on the other side of the large open space. He wasn’t paying any attention to them. “Just hear me out,” he said much more calmly.
“Fine, explain. What are you doing here?” Gia said hastily.
“I wasn’t stalking you. I was concerned. You ended our conversation so abruptly back at the office and then you drove past me like the world was about to end. At first I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Then when you didn’t immediately come back out, I thought I’d wait here for you.”
“You’ve been waiting here all this time for me,” she said.
“Yes.” He nodded.
She looked at him, feeling foolish. She had overreacted. She looked away. “Okay, fine, you were concerned. You still shouldn’t have followed me. This is very private.”
“Yes, you’re right and I understand that. I should never have invaded your privacy like this. I’m truly sorry. But as I said, I was concerned. Is it your grandmother you’re here visiting?”
Gia nodded and began walking toward the huge windows surrounding the lobby area. “Yes, she had a stroke.”
He nodded. “I heard. Is she going to be okay?”
She nodded wordlessly. Saying the words was still too difficult. She felt emotions welling up inside her. She swallowed hard, trying to hold back the tears that always threatened whenever she was here. “She was getting better, but then this evening she had a fall.”
“I’m sorry.” He walked over and stood behind her, but kept enough distance not to make her nervous. “How is she?”
“She’ll be fine. No broken bones.”
“Good,” he said, then looked around the empty lobby. “I’ve heard of this facility. It’s very well respected. I understand they do exceptional work here.”
She looked up, seeing his reflection in the darkened glass. He turned, looking right at her. Piercing dark eyes met tearful ones. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I’m just going to sit a moment.”
He nodded. “Then I guess I should go. Good night.”
“Good night,” she said.
He didn’t move. He just stood staring at her reflection. Then a few seconds passed. “Good night,” he said again, then started walking away. A few feet away he paused and looked back at her. “Have you eaten yet?” he asked.
She turned to him. “No, not really, just a couple bites of cold pizza, that’s all,” she said.
He walked back over casually. “I know a great place—good food, wonderful service, quiet and it’s not too far from here. I was gonna stop by and grab something to eat on the way home,” he said. “Would you like to join me?”
“No, thanks, that’s probably not a good idea.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, moving closer. “How about this? We go to the restaurant in separate cars. We sit at two different tables with no direct contact. We can even pass notes between our waitresses.”
She laughed at the image of his silly suggestion. “Thanks, I think I needed that right now, but as for your very generous and very odd invitation, not a good idea,” she repeated. “Thanks anyway.”
He nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure. Good night.”
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