Chapter - 201
"Ah... Look at the time. It's already this late. I had so much fun that I lost track of the time, "After dinner, everyone was laughing among themselves, having a good time when Audrey finally took note of the time.
"Oh, c'mon, it's not even nine. Stay for a bit more," Martha who was sitting beside Audrey held her hand and said, "Or even better, just stay the night here."
"I would love to but I have already made some plans with a friend of mine," Audrey expressed her regret, "If I had known it would be such a pleasant evening, I would have definitely ditched her earlier. But it's too late to cancel now."
"I hope you understand," Audrey asked.
"If you say it like that, there is nothing more that I can say, "Martha was downcasted, but she had this simple smile on her face, "But promise me that you will visit more often while you are in town."
"Absolutely," Audrey agreed as she gracefully stood up, "With how funny your son is, there is no doubt that I am going to visit again. You won't mind it, would you, Damien?"
"Ah... Absolutely not... You are always welcome," With a big smile on his face, Damien happily said, but when he saw his brother staring at him, his face dropped the next moment.
"Alex, would you mind dropping Audrey home? It's getting late, and I don't want her to travel alone." Martha asked.
"Me?" Alex was taken aback but nodded, "I don't mind if it's alright with her."
"Oh, no... It's alright," but Audrey refused, "It's not time yet."
"Not time yet?" Martha looked confused, "Is it early or something?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking out loud. I mean, I need to pick up the girls first, and I think Alex will feel out of place there, " Audrey said, "It's alright. I am a tough girl... I can handle a couple of douchebags on my own if anyone tries to mess up with me."
"Oh, I know you can," Martha smiled ear to ear, hearing Audrey brag. As she said that, Martha looked at Audrey with a hint of affection reflected in her eyes.
Meanwhile, as Alex and Damien observed the look on Martha's face, Damien could not stop himself from saying.
"Psst, do you see the way she is looking at her?" Damien whispered to his brother in a hushed voice, his eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"It's in the fridge... Hehehe... That's nice... But did I say Ice-cream? Oh no... I said it wrong, silly me," Damien slapped his forehead, "Actually, I was thinking of something spicy and mouth-watering.
You know they say that spicy food helps lift up your mood. Alex has been a little down lately, so I am taking him to this Indian place I know. Don't worry. We will be back soon."
"But..."
"Okay... Tata... bye..." And without giving his father a chance to stop them, Damien pushed Alex and hurried out of the house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hola, señorita!! So, how the hell was your first encounter after so long?" A voice blared through the phone, "Did you guys break some beds?"
"That's hard to say," Audrey replied. She parked her car at the turn, a few houses away from Martha's house, and dialed someone's number.
"What the hell do you mean?" the man on the other end asked, his curiosity piqued.
"He's playing the damn amnesia card," Audrey spilled the beans.
"Are you friggin' sure it's just an act? He might actually be screwed with amnesia," the voice shot back, "From what I know, that dude was seriously messed up when he was last seen on that damn ship."
"It's possible, but I can't believe it," Audrey had her doubts, "Or is this some wicked coincidence?"
"What coincidence?" the man pressed.
"Forget it," Audrey waved it off, "But seriously, you better make sure this line is secure. I don't want any prying ears on our conversation."
"Who the hell do you think you're talkin' to? Even if Jesus himself tried, he wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on our chat," the man boasted.
"Good, then I'll contact you again later," Audrey wrapped it up and hung up the phone. She cast one final glance at Alex's house and peeled out, leaving the scene behind.
* * * * *