Chapter 564: First step

Ian led the group towards his office. While Valerie and Stuart were right behind him, Aria was two steps behind them, with Preston following her closely. He was too excited to see her. Even though she was in the front and he could not see her pretty face, he was just contented to being this close to her. It had been a long time since he last saw her, and now that she was right near him, he did not let go of this mind-blowing opportunity.

Preston hurried to catch up with her, and he cleared his throat to gain her attention. Aria was taken aback to find the man suddenly walking beside her and she gave him a confused look.

"Hello." Preston greeted her with a wide smile. He was beaming in delight. Even his eyes were twinkling in joy, and Aria blinked at him, wondering what had got him all exhilarated.

"Hello." She replied with a smile of her own, still perplexed by the man's abnormal behavior.

"You might not remember me." 

"Ohh, I do." Aria let out a laugh. "I have a good memory and I definitely keep those people in mind who would shove me aside in anger." She teased, and Preston's face scrunched up in embarrassment. He scratched his neck, not knowing what to say to the girl when he knew that was his fault in the first place.

"I am sorry for what I did that day. It was rude of me to have pushed you, Doctor...." Even though he knew her name, he wanted her to say it out loud to him.

"Aria West. And that's completely fine. I understand your sentiments. You were worried about your friend. Maybe I would have done the same if I were in your place." Aria remarked, and Preston let out a relieved sigh.

"By the way, I am Preston Walsh." He continued.

"I know."

As soon as he heard Aria's reply, his heart soared with happiness. Just the thought of her knowing his name made Preston all giddy and thrilled. He could not stop himself from smiling even if he wanted to.

"You seem a little different, Doctor."

"Different? How?" Aria stooped walking, forcing Preston to stop walking too.

"I...Yes. It is as though you have grown more courageous if that makes sense." He added, not knowing if his words irked the girl in front of him. Contrary to his expectation, Aria started chuckling, taking him by surprise completely.

"People do change when they say a quick hello to death," Aria replied mysteriously, not wanting to give away the details of what had happened. She started walking again, only for Preston to stop her immediately, startling her in the process.

"What happened, Doctor?" His face was tense, completely different from how flustered he had been a few moments ago, and Aria did not know what had changed in him.

"Just a small mishap. Nothing significant." Aria brushed it off, not wanting to involve the strange man in her personal life.

Preston was just about to ask her more when he realized that he was crossing a boundary. He pulled back at once, not wanting to leave a bad impression in her mind again. He had already done it once and regretted it doing so even now. He did not wish to have a repeat of it when all he had in mind was to leave a good and favorable impression of him in her mind.

"I am sorry, Doctor. I got carried away. I was just worried." Preston tried to explain his behavior even though he had a hunch that Aria would not believe it.

"Should I believe you on this?" Aria narrowed her eyes, teasingly. "Why would Mr. Walsh be worried for me when we are nothing but strangers?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "At least, we were until now. Let's go. We have something important to tell you."

Aria tilted her head, gesturing for him to accompany her before she started walking in the direction Ian and the others had gone.

'Strangers.' Preston thought to himself with a sigh. 'I do not just want to be a stranger, Aria. I want something more, something that lasts forever. And what did you mean when you said that you almost died. What had happened?' He wondered with a frown. 

Aria stopped walking when she realized that the man was still where they were before. "Mr. Walsh, the meeting is in the other room as far as I remember, not in the corridor." She joked, her voice bringing Preston out of his reverie, and he smiled at her attempt to joke with him. He walked to where she was standing, the gleam in his eyes returning immediately.

"Since we have started joking with each other, shall I presume that we are past the stage of being strangers?" He queried, hoping for the girl to agree with him and to his relief, Aria did.

"I think so. Maybe now we are acquaintances." Aria replied with a mischievous tone, and Preston let out a helpless laugh.

"Acquaintances?" He pouted, making Aria giggle softly.

"Yes. I think that is what we are right now."

"But what if I want something more, Doctor?" Preston's face turned serious all of a sudden, and Aria's smile too slipped when she heard his question.

"Something more?" Aria gave him a suspious look and from her expression alone, Preston understood that her thoughts were running wild. Before any misunderstanding could happen, Preston jumped in to clear his stance.

"I want to be your friend, Doctor. Can I not be?"

"Ahh, I see." Aria's eyes widened in realization. She wanted to smack her head for thinking wrong even though she had an inkling that she was not. The man seemed to have some feelings for her, which were quite obvious in his eyes. But she did not probe further into it, for she was yet to confirm it.

Anyhow she did not mind having Preston's friendship. She had heard about him from Maggie and from her words, she knew that he was an honest and upright man. She was only glad to be his friend and hoped that it was all he wanted of her. She did not wish for it to become awkward later if it was anything otherwise.

"Friends?" Aria went back to her mischievous self, her smile returning on her face. "Are we friends now?"

Preston realized what she was doing and he continued with their interesting conversation. "I think we are. Otherwise, we would not be standing here in the corridor, joking with each other instead of going to the meeting."

"Oh. You are a bad friend. You made me late for the meeting. Now, Ian will kill me for being late." Aria complained and smiled at the nurse who was walking by them.

"Guilty as charged, Madam." Preston raised his hands in mock surrender, and Aria could not help but glare at him.

"Let's go before our Bosses come searching for us." Aria almost ordered him, and Preston did not mind being ordered by her. If it were in his hands, he wished to get ordered by her for his entire life.

"Yes, Ma'am." He obliged, and the duo started walking again, only this time, Preston could not stop smiling.

'I have taken the first step. Let's see where this goes.'