“Hello again” He says in a cool tone.
“Hi.” I say to him trying to sound just as cool.
“What brings you here tonight?” I think of the last time I said I was with my dad and that awful are you a daddy’s girl flashes round in my mind. “I’m here for the party.” I say trying not to show the despair in my voice.
“I never introduced myself the other night, I’m Adrian Black.” He looks at me waiting for a reply.
“Nice to meet you Adrian Black"
“You are Alanna am I right?”
How does he know my name? I must have blurted it out the other night whilst he was interrogating me.
“Yes that’s right my name is Alanna.”
“You have a lovely name, it really suits you.” Is this guy for real,
“It’s just a name it doesn’t define a person.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” He says smirking. “Do you live in London?” I pause as I answer.
“N-o I am from New York.”
“I go there a lot on business.”
“Yeah, London New York there are a lot of connections between the two cities.”
“Yes and what is it that you do?”
“I am just about to start my second year at Columbia University,” I say as I think is this guy actually being nice. Is he showing interest?
“What is that you study?”
“Social studies, I am hoping to be a graduate next year and go on to become a social worker or something along those lines. I want to help the kids of the city that are homeless and have come from broken homes, one day I hope to start a private orphanage, somewhere I can help every child find a loving home.” I say with pride.
I can see his face change like what I just said was something that maybe he is passionate about also. I feel the urge to ask him but scared of what his reaction might be I choose not to.
“Alanna may I ask you something?”
“Of course” I say with absolute poise.
“Have you ever had a boyfriend?”
That is the same thing he asked Jessica but for me I have to answer truthfully, I look up into his green eyes and say
“No Adrian I have not had any boyfriends.”
I catch a little smirk on the guys face like that was the best thing he had heard all year. I feel a sudden nudge, I turn and my dad is right behind me.
“Lanna its time,” “seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.”
“Happy new year,” I hear everyone in the room shout.
“Happy new year,” My dad says and he takes me in his arms and gives me a big hug.
“Happy New Year, Dad.”
My dad’s colleagues rush over to rejoice in the New Year’s celebrations. As for me I look over to Adrian Black, where he is standing with the dark haired man he looks over at me, and mouths.
“Happy New Year,”
I nod back in agreement and let out a smile as he turns and walks away I can’t help but think that guy is such a mystery.
The next morning I wake up nice and early after all I only have a few hours before I have to start packing for home. I finish my breakfast and go over to the side table where my phone is. I slide open the top drawer of the table and pull out the two little white envelopes and the small round Black box. As I read the words, again I start to think of who could be sending me these gifts. The thing that strikes me most about this is no one knows I am here except from my mom and Sophie but they were just as puzzled by this as me. I take out the round earrings that it is clear to see is real diamonds they are white and princess cut. They must have cost a lot but who would send them? Then it hits me
“Marco.”
I cannot believe I never thought of it before. He knows I am in London and somehow found out where I am staying. It is he; he is the only person it can be. I sit on the bed and try to come to terms with what I have now found out. I sit and try think of reason for him sending me the gifts after I turned him down. It is now clear for me see he sent the gifts he simply said,
“Enjoy,”
Each time trying to fool me into thinking, it was someone else. The email, which I have never received before, the phrase
“Look what you’re missing.”
What he had said to me that night at the party
“I will take you shopping buy you anything you want.”
That is the reason for the earrings a clue for me to edge closer into thinking it was he all the time. I reach over and grab my phone I quickly start to compose a text to Sophie,
Sophie I think I know who is sending me the flowers and the earrings its Marco it has to be him there is no one else. Text back when you get this all my love Alanna
I place my phone on my lap and sit patiently as I await Sophie’s reply. I don’t know what I am feeling right now if it’s a relief that I now have a suspect someone to point all my frustrations at or am I sad that maybe just maybe I wished that on some level it would have been someone else someone I didn’t know. At least then, I would not have to see their faces every day and wonder what they were thinking. BEEP my phone, I slide to unlock and see a message from Sophie,