Genre: Romance
Rating: NC 17
Disclaimer : Standard disclaimers apply. The characters belong to Shalz R.
Chapter 13: Part Two : Let's Go Camping!
Ian drove back and told everyone that he had been gone to take care of the camping trip. He actually still had to plan everything out, make reservations, and get licenses. He just sat in his library with Adrian and Tyler with details of various camping sites and making arrangements, and quite unlike him, leapt at each phone call. He had serious doubts whether McKenzie would allow Sonya the required leaves. “I think I’ll have to talk myself. Sonya should’ve left it to me in the first place. That would have solved the entire problem. I could call up now also, but no … I will have to wait till Sonya calls me. Anyway, if he doesn’t allow her, he will allow me!“ he smiled to himself.
Adrian and Tyler looked at him and then at each other and wondered.
“Found something good?” Adrian remarked.
“Huh! What?”
Adrian looked over at Tyler. “You were smiling! So found something good?” Tyler repeated Adrian’s question.
“Oh! Nothing! Just ... it’s been long since we went camping … so it just feels exciting.”
“Yeah! Very exciting!” Tyler said looking at Adrian.
“And interesting!” Adrian added.
Ian just ignored both of them, knowing very well what they were referring to. He just picked up the details of his selected campsite and walked out.
“What do you think he was smiling about?” Tyler asked
Adrian shrugged his shoulders and was about to speak when Ian returned, picked up his mobile and walked out again. Adrian looked over at Tyler again, “Well! Whatever it is he certainly is quite smug about it!” They exchanged a knowing smile; they had known Ian long and well enough to know what he was about.
“I’ve never seen him waiting so anxiously for a call. Not even when it was for his best movie or even when he was expecting a call from Samantha. Amazing! What’s gone into him!” Tyler would have been even more surprised had he known that the reason for Ian’s eagerness was that these would be the only few days he would have with Sonya before he left for his shoot.
“There seems to be only one thing on his mind ever since the party.”
“Sonya Stephen.” said Tyler.
“I’m pretty sure he’s waiting for her call.” Adrian guessed quite correctly.
“Maybe the cupid finally struck him.” Tyler joked and they looked at each other and laughed.
“Actually, I think it’s not that serious right now. He says they are just friends. And I think I’ll believe him, until he is ready to believe that it is something more. Last time we forced him to date her. I can’t help feeling that we were responsible to some extent for what happened. If we had let it remain just an official relationship like he wanted it, things would have been different today. We had pushed him on.” Adrian said.
“I know. I wish we hadn’t pushed him for the first date. I can never forget the day when he came back after meeting Samantha for the last time. He looked like he had lost everything. I had wished that we did something about the absence of love in his life. But I hadn’t even dreamed that this would happen. Hope this works for him. Sonya is a nice girl. Even if cupid doesn’t strike them, she would and maybe has made a good friend to him.”
“And he to her.” Adrian said, “See the way he is so enthusiastic about getting her on the trip!”
* * *
Sonya continued her work, trying her best to ignore the people. She knew she had to call up Mr. McKenzie. “But if I call up now, then I’ll have to inform Ian and then Ian would have plenty of time to argue with Mr. McKenzie. I have to delay it till the last moment to make the call so that Ian will have no time to make his call. But I’ve got to know Mr. McKenzie’s schedule before that. Besides I also have to know about the new projects. Since I won’t be going on the trip I have to do the projects. I think I’ll first call up his secretary and get to know his schedule for the day.
“Hello, McKenzie Creations.”
“Hello Grace, this is Stephens”
“Hey Stephens. My! My! What a big hit you are! And so lucky too!”
“Grace shush! Don’t be so loud please. Listen just let me know the schedule of Mr. McKenzie.”
“His schedule?”
“Yes, I just want to know when I can call him up or meet him.”
“Oh!” said Grace and listed out the schedule to Sonya.
“Ok. So he has a meeting at lunch and then he doesn’t return to office. Right?”
“Right.”
“Ok. Thanks. I’ll call him up soon.”
“Ok. You’re welcome! Bye.”
“Bye!”
Sonya replaced the phone and resumed her planning “I think I’ll call Mr. McKenzie just when he is about to leave for his meeting. Then he would leave and Ian would have no time to call. Even if he does, Mr. McKenzie won’t be there. Yes, this will work.” She continued her work waiting for the last moment.
* * *