The Emerald Chase - Episode 12

*Dedicated to Amma... Your guess was correct....

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His frowned deepened when his phone beeped.. It was a call from that incompetent private investigator. "hello?" "Sir I'm sorry.. I was caught up in some important issues and I couldn't make it.. I'm on my way.." Emerald says from the other end of the line. "Important issues? More important than this that you had to stand me up huh? This is business... Not a romantic dinner!!" He yells.. He could hear her sigh. "Twenty minutes please.. I will be there".. "Ten minutes else your superiors would hear of this!!!" He responds harshly and hungs up. "What impudence!!" He growls as he sparks the engine to life and makes a U turn towards the restaurant......

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He parks his car at the parking lot and alights... From afar, he could see a woman standing at the entrance of the restaurant, craning her neck and throwing her eyes about... She seemed to be searching for someone. He leaves where he was standing and walks over to her... "Looking for something?" He asks with a frown. "Oh ermm yes... I was actually waiting for..." She pauses and checks her phone for the name. "Darren Adams?" He completes.

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-emerald-chase

. "Oh its you... I'm sorry I'm late.. Actually I..".. "Save your excuses. You are just going to waste more time with your obnoxious apologies" he cuts in rudely and sidesteps her entering the restaurant. She sighs and follows him...

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"Just look at the time miss Emerald... Twenty minutes past nine!!! And our meeting just started.. Do you not take your time serious? I could have done something more profitable with the one hour I spent sitting here like a zombie!".. "Mr Adams.. Can I have a copy of your client's files please... I will need them" she says as soon as they sit ignoring his annoying comments.. She owed him no explanations.. "It's very rude and unladylike to talk to someone without maintaining eye contact... It shows you aren't interested in the conversation".. She gasps and suddenly shuts her mouth.. Her day had been long and stressful and here he was adding more salt to injury. He hadn't said a single nice word.. All his sentences were full of sarcasm.... Not wanting to start a quarrel, she lifts her face and stares directly at him. "Can I have them please?".

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As soon as her eyes meet his, his anger seemed to have diminished.. Now that they were inside with bright lights all over, he could see her face clearly now. Her hair was disheveled... It looked like she hadn't bothered to look at herself in the mirror... Her shirt was a bit crumpled... His eyes concentrated on hers and he realised they were very red and swollen... It was no doubt she had been crying..... Was that the reason she was late? What could have probably made her so cry so much.. Boyfriend issues? Or husband issues?? He wondered and shook his head... "Concentrate Darren!" He mutters to himself... He watches her sniff and blink back tears as she looked through the files. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Water?" He found himself asking. She scoffs and shakes her head.. Like he cares!! "No".. "I wouldn't want to waste more time than I already have... I'll go through the files at home and contact you... Bye" she says getting up and packing the files into her bag.. He watches her exit the restaurant before getting up...

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Walking towards his car, he spots her standing near one of the parked cars with her shoulders heaving up and down.. "Are you okay?". Startled, she turns sharply and steps back.. "Yes". "Can I be of any help?". "Why do you even care anyway?". "I understand I went entirely overboard with my anger.. I'm sorry" he sighs.. "May I know why you won't stop crying? Your eyes are very swollen and it doesn't look good... Let's go have some coffee or something " he offers. "No thanks". "Can we take a walk then?". "Why are you insisting Mr Adams?" She asks. "Because I'm well known for my ability to help most damsels in distress" he winks and she smiles. He wasn't so bad after all.. Come to think of it, she could use a friend every now and then... "Shall we mi lady?" He says with a British accent. "Sure sire" she smiles.

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Minutes later, they were walking on the streets munching on biscuits they had bought at the roadside... "Are you a half cast?" She asks with a biscuit in her mouth and he raises an eyebrow. "Why?" "Well because you seem to have some foreign accent when you speak and...." She pauses and eyes his hair. "Your hair looks very silky... Unlike the typical African kinky hair" He laughs "Well yeah..I've spent more than half of my life overseas but I'm not a half cast". "Hmmmm" "So if you don't mind, may I know why you were crying so much? Boyfriend issues?". She shakes her head "never had one" "A grown woman like you? You never had a boyfriend?.... Hmmm.. Have you ever been kissed before?" He blurts out and suddenly wishes she didn't hear him. "Well no" she shrugs wondering where the conversation was leading to.. "Hmm..." He thinks for a moment while staring at her beautiful face... "Why are you staring at me?" She asks. "You suddenly looked like someone I've had an encounter with before" "A one night stand I guess or a fling" she rolls her eyes. "You can be very blunt with words but no.... It was a bad encounter" "Tell me". "Never mind". "No tell me...

Read " The Last Virgin " by the same author ( eliza )

. I want to know" she pouts and he laughs.... Why was he feeling so comfortable and at ease with her even though he had known her for barely two hours... "If you insist... To cut long story short.. I saw this girl walking absentmindedly and didn't notice a large pothole before her... I tried to get her attention but she didn't hear me so I had to do something. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back and without letting me explain, she slapped me, twice, on the same cheek right there in the middle of the road!" He says holding his cheeks. "Oh my God!!" She exclaims.... His story was almost the same as hers... It couldn't be just a coincidence..... Could he be the one? The same guy she had slapped twice four years ago? Her eyes peered into his, wondering if it was him..