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"Sam?" I heave a sigh of relief at the sound of the voice. I turn to Chris and notice his concern immediately. "I was looking all around for you."
"Mr. Jenkins!" Peter straightens and stretches his hand for a shake. Chris obliges before turning to me again.
"Are you okay? You look pale."
"I'm just fine." I nod. His eyes tell me he doesn’t believe me.
"Do you want to say a quick hi to your dad before he leaves?"
"He's leaving already?"
"Yes, come on, let's go. Bye, Peter. "
"Thanks so much for that," I say as Chris pulls me away.
"I got you." He winks.
My dad is already on his way out of the door and I have to hail him down.
"I see you're enjoying yourself, eh," he says, looking me up and down in my dress. "Keep the wolves away from this one, Chris," he mutters silently.
"I'm right here, Dad."
"I know. I should be expecting you home tomorrow, right?"
"Sure. Are you missing me already?"
"Like crazy. It's all quiet. No one makes sudden noises from their room anymore."
"You see why you should try keeping me by your side more often," I say, gauging his reaction to my implied meaning.
"Alright, see you both soon. I have to catch a nap before jet lag gets the best of me."
"Jet lag?"
"Yeah, I had to dash out of town for a brief meeting, somewhereclose to Georgia."
"Donald, you could have just sent someone for that."
"Yeah, but I couldn't really find someone. So, see you guys soon."
"Bye, Dad."
"Bye, love." He gives me a peck on the cheek and leaves for his car.
"Such a workaholic," I say. I notice Chris' attention is somewhere else. I see Peter still lingering in a corner, sipping a drink, and making an extra effort to seem like he isn’t watching us.
"Do you want to leave? We could go to the garden just by that side. It's quite serene. There's a fountain too."
"Sure," I say and allow Chris to lead me.
The garden is less noisy. There are just a few other people here also in search of solitude in the midst of all the fraternizing going on in the hall. We find a bench to sit on and soak in the view of the stars and a little strip of the moon.
"I’m really sorry for leaving you earlier. I didn't want to be rude to the lady."
"Nah, I could see they all had their sights set on you. They all looked a little relieved when you introduced me as your secretary as well." He blushes to the root of his hair.
"You don't have to be shy. They have every reason to be like that." I push him playfully and he captures my hand in his, encasing my small, chubby fingers in his long, slender ones. My legs dangle as I inhale the sweet scent of the flowers enhanced by the cool breeze blowing softly. I find myself enjoying our silence so much that I lean into him. I shiver a little as the cold stings a bit. Wordlessly, he removes his jacket and drapes it around me, my eyes lifting in appreciation. I get stuck looking into his vibrant blue orbs shining with a reflection of the garden light.
"Em... I.." I can’t find my words. Our faces drift towards each other. A feeling of Deja vu washes over me. Footsteps and twigs snapping at a distance break us apart. He coughs.
"We should go," he says.
"Yes, we should."
We head out of the garden with him keeping a distance I desperately want to close.
