Helpless Happenstance
Eyes met, emotions erupted
Fires blazed, hearts abducted
She looked at him and fell into a trance
Swirling in déjà vu, as she held his glance
Vienna
My phone buzzed on my desk, highlighting a missed call from Alex.
It had been the third call since this morning, since the moment I’d run into my office, trying to unsee what I’d seen.
I hadn’t replied to any of them.
How could I, when all I’d been able to think about for the past six hours were those eyes?
I could never forget those eyes.
The chaos of green and blue that danced in those irises was so rare and unique, it was impossible to be unaffected by their hypnosis.
And yet, I didn’t know who those eyes belonged to—I’d panicked and run before getting a closer look at the face with those eyes. Something about his gaze unleashed a tempest that had ripped through my entire being.
I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, those eyes could destroy me.
My phone buzzed again.
Alex: Guess you’re busy, Vi. I called a few times. No big deal. I just had some time to spare. I’m in Dubai for a fortnight btw. Message me anytime. Hope you’re doing fine.
Me: Sorry, I was a little swamped with work, so couldn’t answer.
That was a lie. Work had been the furthest thing from my mind.
Me: I’m doing good. And I bet you’re enjoying Dubai, because if I recall correctly, you’ve wanted to go there since you fell for Naz, from UAE Junior year.
I laughed then, recalling what a flirt Alex had been in high school. No girl had been immune to his charm or advances. He’d even asked me out once, when we’d first become friends, but I’d said no, and I was glad because my no had turned him into my best friend instead of a passing fling.
For three years, we’d been inseparable. He’d been my partner in crime, my shoulder to cry on, and the ears to share all my stories and dreams with.
So why had we drifted apart so easily after my accident? Maybe because by the time I was fully recovered from my accident, six months later, something in me had changed, and I could no longer look back at the person I was who’d been forever changed in the crash. I’d become an entirely new person. Maybe that was why it had been so easy to let our friendship go.
A small voice inside me rose without a reason, dying just as instantly. A wave of anger rushed through my body as I tried harder to find the answers. The emotion was unwarranted, but I couldn’t brush it off. It felt too real, too valid, but why? I had no reason to be angry at Alex. We were equally responsible for our falling out.
It was in the past. My phone buzzed again, breaking my thoughts.
Alex: Damn, you remember, huh? I thought you’d have forgotten.
Me: Ha. Alex, I remember everything about you.
Smiling, I waited for his response, which didn’t come.
Curious, I texted back half an hour later.
Me: Hey, you there? All good?
Alex: Yes.
Why was he retracting? Had he taken offense to my joking?
Me: Is something wrong?
A moment passed before he replied.
Alex: Vi, nothing happened, I just got a little busy. Can we talk later?
I hoped that was all it was, but unease seeped through me.
Me: Sure, message me whenever. And I hope you’re okay.
His reply was slow.
Alex: I’ve been better. But all good. Have a great day.
Alex’s behavior didn’t sit well with me. Every time I brought up the past, it seemed like he retracted. What was going on with him? I said goodbye to him and spent the remaining hours of work struggling to concentrate. My mind was a jumbled mess, jumping from one thought to another, trying to decipher the turn of events. I had a lot to do with the presentation tomorrow, but I couldn’t focus.
Who was that person on that screen?
Why is Alex acting so strange?
Where is my life headed?
Will I ever finish this presentation?
Five hours later, I got home, barely finishing my dinner with Cassie before I rushed back to work on my presentation. My stats were in disarray, and I needed to get my numbers sorted for the business plan I’d been working on. I couldn’t afford to mess up. Mike had taken a considerable gamble giving me this position, and I didn’t want to disappoint him or Cassie for getting me this job. Their support had been monumental.
So, I gave up my sleep and worked through the night to get things done.
Finally, at one in the morning, I finished.
Cassie had already called it a night, and I, too, was ready to crash. It had been a long, confusing day, and I needed to sleep. I had to be fresh and prepared for tomorrow.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before finally making it to bed.
I tucked myself in, switched off the lights and before I could even blink, I was dead to the world.
I slept in peace.
Images of my parents’ laughing faces played in my head as I fell deeper into my sleep.
My mom was making a salad as my dad prepared his authentic Indian fish dish Bhetki Maacher Paturi on the side. I was setting the table, laughing at my parents’ harmless bickering.
In a blink, I was no longer in my dining room. I was driving with Alex, in his brand-new Mustang, his graduation and eighteenth birthday present. We were laughing and discussing the big graduation party his parents were throwing him next weekend. It was also his going-away party before he moved to Princeton to pursue his business degree. We drove by the coast, uncertain, yet looking forward to the new chapters of our lives. I teased him for his recent breakup, but Alex didn’t care. He’d always been the guy who hated getting tied up. He just wanted to enjoy his life and never settle. But deep down, I believed he was waiting for someone.
Once again, my thoughts scattered, placing me in a lovely garden. Colorful flowers and big lush trees surrounded me. Feelings of resentment and betrayal floated over me, darkening the beautiful scenery. I was in pain. My heart felt shaken and wounded, but I liked it. I basked in this pain as my conviction strengthened, and I stood up, pushing it all behind. I walked toward the manor. With stylish exteriors that could’ve belonged to a residence in some old English movie, the house seemed unreal. The architecture and the vast landscaped areas elevated the majesty of this unknown manor. I didn’t know who this beautiful manor belonged to. But it didn’t matter, because it was my escape from the reality I’d run away from.
I stepped in and drowned in its beauty, exploring the stories hidden in the corners of the walls. The interiors were modern, renovated to suit the era in which this building stood. I walked around, taking it all in, somehow knowing exactly where everything was. I explored the fully equipped kitchen, swooned at the room filled with a timeless collection of books. Another turn, and I was passing the living room. Huge windows brought light into the most amazing living room I’d ever seen. Dressed in whites and golds, the room was nothing short of regal. I looked out the windows, suddenly realizing how dark it had started to get. Rain clouds grew denser by the second. Curious, I headed toward the entrance, shivering a little as the air started to cool. A distant sound caught my attention as I pushed opened the big doors and stepped into the entryway. Facing the long driveway curving toward the house, I looked around for the source of the distant sound. I took another step toward the lawns, just as the first drop of rain caressed my skin, bringing a smile to my face. A soft drizzle started, and I looked up, embracing the ease spreading through my body, making me forget everything.
The distant rustle filled up the air again. I disregarded it, enjoying the scent of the soil bathed in rain.
A far-off bark echoed, followed by another.
I looked around in caution. The barks were getting closer. Panic rose in my body. Somebody was here other than me.
The rain got heavier, the barks got closer. Despite being unafraid of dogs, fear crept through my skin, forcing me to run. Almost drenched, I sprinted toward the door.
Two extremely agile gray Weimaraners closed the distance between us, their ghostly gazes locked onto me.
A shrill shriek escaped my mouth at how close one was getting.
I changed direction, running toward the driveway instead, hoping to circle around and get to the door before the dog pounced.
I screamed at top of my lungs and ran as fast as I could, as if my life depended on it.
“Spade and Sasha, stop.” A voice boomed over the thundering clouds, affecting my speed. “I said stop,” the deep baritone commanded.
The voice entrapped me, forcing me to look back.
There were no gray ghosts on four legs following me anymore.
I sighed in relief.
My world went from vertical to horizontal in a second. I lost to gravity and crashed to my death. I was falling; every bone in my body would break. I could feel the impact of the crash already. I could sense the pain starting to drown my body.
A loud yell came out of my mouth as I flailed about, trying to grab something. A thick wet lapel came into contact, and I caught onto it. I buried my face in what I now realized was a person’s chest and waited for my demise.
We fell together. His arms came around me reflexively, and I forgot how to breathe as his scent infiltrated my senses, his warmth wrapping me in surrender. What his touch ignited in me was unreal, raw and laden with uncontrollable heat.
We fell to the ground. I winced as the pain radiated through my body.
“Fuck,” he swore, and it was the same voice that had stopped the dogs from following me.
My entire weight was lying on the stranger’s solid, tall body. His strong muscles pressed into my body, making me uncomfortable, waking up emotions I’d never felt before.
We were lying on the ground in the rain, soaking wet.
Suddenly self-conscious, I pushed away from him but fell right back as I felt the weight on my supposedly injured hand.
He grunted as if in pain. “Damn it. Wait a second,” he muttered, his hands still wrapped around my body, his voice pulling strange emotions out of me. Avoiding his request, I tried again, avoiding putting weight on my injured side. I lifted my head as slowly as I raised my body.
A distant glow from the entryway light illuminated a hazy profile of the man’s stubbled jaw, leaving the rest of his face in complete darkness. I shifted, and more light reached his face. As our eyes met in the dim glow, my world ended.
My entire existence drowned as the most vivid mixture of green and blue eyes trapped me forever in their magic.
I woke to the sound of the alarm.
My entire existence startled.
My body shivered, my heart was racing. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t focus on anything but the memory of those eyes. They were the very same eyes I’d seen yesterday on the screen, the very same eyes that had seeped into the most hidden corners of my soul and created a havoc of epic emotions.
“Breakfast’s ready,” Cassie called from the kitchen.
Taking in a breath, shaken and reluctant to face the day, I stood up from the bed. “I’ll be there in fifteen.”
I walked into the bathroom to get ready. I had no time today to deal with this new dilemma. I had a presentation due in three hours. I needed to get it together.
My reflection didn’t restore my confidence.
My black pantsuit and soft pink shirt did nothing to hide the fact that I’d lost a lot of my curves in the past two months since splitting with Jason. Makeup-free, I looked mediocre, someone who could easily be ignored. My hair was a mess I’d barely managed to tame in a decent bun. My eyes were burning amber, rich in color but tired. They were my father’s eyes, the one thing that linked me to my Indian genes. A part of me wanted to show who I was. A part of me wanted to wear bright colors and let my curls fall wild, the way they were meant to. Another wanted to strut with confidence, unafraid to show my curves and be looked at. And yet, I could never allow myself to be this free. It was safer to hide. I’d fought too hard with my demons to gain this control, and I wasn’t ready to lose it. I wasn’t prepared to go back to those nights after the accident when horrid nightmares ate at my sanity. No, I needed to be in control. I couldn’t allow my past, my horrid crash, to take over my life.
“Your breakfast is getting cold. Come eat. We need to leave in ten.” Cassie stood by my door, ready in her bold-printed blue dress and black pixie cut hair. She was the exact opposite of me, full and curvy, confident and sure of herself.
“Everything okay?” She shook her head as she reached her conclusion. “Another dream, huh?”
Her eyes softened as I gave her a curt smile and used the little makeup I had to add some life to my face.
I went through my notes one last time, confident yet pensive about what I’d done. I had been diligent and vigorous with my research and preparation as always, but this was ten times bigger than anything I’d ever done—and it was my first big presentation with the company. I felt like I had to prove myself.
Even after a short team debriefing—and a quick pep talk from Mike as I walked into the conference room and took my seat—the sense of unease kept playing in my mind.
Something was off.
Barely managing to curb my anxiety, I kept my focus on the projector screen, taking notes as, one by one, the board of directors spoke through the conference calls.
My attention was focused entirely on my screen when the projector image changed, and the room darkened. I bent to grab my pen drive as a baritone voice filled the entire conference room with a buzzing energy.
“Good morning, everybody,” he said. “I hope it’s been a good start to the week.”
I froze.
My hand clamped on the USB drive.
My heart went erratic.
Hot blood rushed through my veins, and my breath hitched, failing to calm the rising reaction in my body.
That voice.
That very voice.
It was the voice that had called out my name as I drowned in willing surrender. The voice that had eased me from my panic and loneliness the night Jason had left.
It was the same voice that had echoed in my dream, ordering the dogs to stop.
It was the very voice booming in this room.
The rich, layered baritone with a fading English accent.
It was ripping my entire being apart.
It oozed with arrogant confidence, a sensual undertone that could undo anyone from their resolve.
It echoed deep within the recesses of my tattered soul and simultaneously repaired and fractured my existence.
Dread and curiosity pulled me in two directions.
I wanted to run as far away from the promises this voice held.
I also wanted to sit up and look straight into the person’s eyes and put a face to the voice that was my undoing.
I decided to dare.
Taking a deep, jagged breath to keep calm I sat up and ever so slowly dared to look.
Blue and the green. The most vivid combination of blue and green eyes looked straight in my direction.
The same eyes I’d seen on Kelly’s computer.
The same eyes I’d seen in my dreams last night.
The same eyes were right in front of me on the big screen, adding glamor and suspense to the most sinfully breathtaking face I’d ever seen.
My reactions were too slow to register, as I took him in.
He spoke, and I stared, unable to look away.
I was trapped in a trance.
Lust and fear.
Love and anger.
Desire and demise.
Chaos and peace.
I couldn’t register a word he said.
He made me feel everything.
I wanted to laugh with sheer joy at having found him, and at the same time, I wanted to rip his heart apart and crush it in my hands and watch it bleed.
My emotions ran in extreme opposites.
I didn’t know what to do; I was paralyzed in my seat. What the hell was the matter with me?
“Mr. Sharp,” someone called from the desk, and I shattered.
Kingston. His name is Kingston Sharp. A voice deep within me announced his name with utmost clarity, and my entire state of inertia exploded into a reaction.
I was on fire, my being ripped apart from my body by the man on the screen.
He was my end. I jumped out of my chair at the realization and ran out of the boardroom.