AngerArrogance Page 4
Devin’s cheeks rose, cresting a big smile. Surprised, he found she actually had a sense of humor under all that anger.
He commented, “Thank you for not planning my demise, but I wanted to see and check on you.” He paused for a moment. “Thought I would stop by and make sure you were doing okay.”
“You sure are acting strange,” her forehead furrowed in confusion at his words. “Do you have bad news for me or something?”
He shook his head no. “There’s no bad news. We got off to a bad start. I would prefer that things not be so brutal between us all the time. That’s all.”
Taking a seat on her bed, he sat as close to the edge as he could get without sliding off. He took a quick glance at the flowers she hadn’t thrown away. An even quicker smile bent the corners of his lips.
“So, how are things going? Did you have a good day at work?” he asked, not knowing what else to say.
“I’ve been well. Work was good. I come pretty standard, routine, and boring with no special needs.” She replied with eye-squinting reluctance.
When she didn’t volunteer more, Devin stood. “Well, I will let you get back to your night.” Pausing for a second, he finally said, “Good night.”
He hadn’t pushed any of her buttons, nor had he given her a chance to argue. He left her sitting on her bed looking confused.
Chapter 7
Padre
Ever since Alana got married, it seemed like everything outside her marriage had drastically improved. How could she be in an arranged loveless marriage with a husband she didn’t even like, yet every other aspect of her life started to improve ten-fold?
Maybe nature had found a way to even the odds.
Her father started visiting regularly, her in-laws were wonderful, her friends still loved and supported her even though she had hidden her marriage details from them, and she had gotten a raise at her job big enough to make her shout.
She hoped it was a coincidence, but over the past few months, the processes she used to coach her patients were not only effective, they had drastically improved. The progression of her therapy sessions were working unbelievably well and fast.
She already had a reputation for being a miracle worker, but lately the vive in the center had shifted. Patients with the most severe injuries were all requesting or being assigned to her. Co-workers and patients were claiming she had the healing touch. It amazed her that everyone she assisted within the last few months had recovered from their injuries or were well on their way back to healing. Am I getting lucky? Are my techniques so well executed that I am somehow achieving maximum results? She didn’t know, but things were starting to lean towards the weird and hard to explain.
Today however, events turned towards the unexplained. A Physical Therapist’s dream, every patient Alana encountered took an immediate turn for the better. A series of one-day miraculous recoveries seemed more along the lines of a miracle versus skills.
She had been working with Mr. Thornton for two months, teaching him how to walk again and he had chosen today to take his first few steps after a car crash had paralyzed him from the waist down.
Mrs. Ross, who had suffered a stroke, started moving the right side of her body after six months of therapy. Then, Tommy, her youngest patient who had been in a wheelchair for over a year, started moving his legs and toes. His poor mom had been praying for a miracle and actually believed she had gotten one.
Alana received an abundance of hugs and praise for what was being hailed her gift. Now, any patient who heard news of her healing people wanted to schedule time with her.
***
Thankful for her lunch break, she walked three blocks to her favorite little deli: Tasty’s. Walking into the familiar food court, she waved at people she knew and had become familiar with.
His presence snatched her attention. She found herself looking into the face of a priest that seemed somewhat out of place. His intense expression prompted her to wave and send a pleasant smile his way. His eyes lingered, projecting a wicked gleam of horror in their never ending dark depths. His alarming gaze had an unwavering determination to keep grabbing her attention. His face, even when he smiled, made her want to crawl under the covers and hide. Pale and unblemished skin was the background to eyes so dark they blended with his pupils. One paper white hand sat cross the other as his thin frame stood erect and tall. Alana fended off a cold chill while making her way towards the deli line.
She received funny looks as she hurried past people she usually exchanged friendly words with. Her distraction caused her to be uncharacteristically rude, but she wanted to put as much distance as she could between her and the father. His cleric’s collar was unusually white, like his skin, it radiated a brilliant glow.
Seeing that there was only three other people in the deli line meant she’d have a ten to twelve-minute wait. She laughed at herself, realizing how routine and boring she had become. Thinking herself silly, she told herself she was overreacting. She was especially overthinking her so called healing quality at work. There was no way she was able to mend people with some type of magical ability.
Shivering, she couldn’t shake the chill that rode her neck and back. She risked taking a glance back and looked directly into the priest’s face. He hadn’t moved an inch. Except for his collar, he wore all black. No matter his attire, he didn’t strike her as a man of the cloth. His presence was off-putting. His eyes hadn’t ventured away from her since she entered the food court. His constant gaping unnerved her. The tremble of her flesh picked up the pace, threatening to crawl off her bones.
“Excuse me. Hello.” Tony, the clerk, had been trying to get her attention.
She tore her eyes away from the priest and apologized. “I’m sorry Tony. I’ll have the club sandwich with the baked Lay’s BBQ chips, no drink.”
Smiling, Tony said, “Seems like that padre over there is a fan. He is watching you like a hawk.”
Alana couldn’t figure out what it was about the priest that freaked her out. Taking another quick look back, she realized he looked dead. The paleness of his skin against his all black suit and the inky black of his eye against its white black-ground kept her staring back. That’s it! It appeared as if life didn’t exist within him. He’d lost his spark of life. Clergymen are the people that should inspire comfort, but not this father.
Alana struggled to ignore him, but his incessant gawking had her pulling at her clothes and folding her arms around herself for warmth.
Handing the other clerk, Ms. Gladis, the money for her food, Alana instructed, “Keep the change.” The extra three bucks she left put a smile on Ms. Gladis’ face, but Alana’s anxiety kept her from returning a smile.
Sensing the priest eyes on her, Alana’s unease kicked up a notch when it felt as if he were searing his way into her mind. A few times she was compelled to go towards him, but stopped herself. This encounter was number one on her list of most unusual experiences.
She shook her head a few times to ward off the strange pull he had over her. By the time Tony handed her the sandwich and chips a wave of nausea swept through her.
Whoever this priest was, his presence had literally made her sick. Alana speed walked back to the therapy center and barely made it into bathroom. She threw up everything in her stomach and sat on the closed toilet trying but failing to shake the sickening uneasiness the priest had dredged up.
The topping to her weirdest day happened when she made it home that evening. Her husband had managed to convince her to go out with him again, and she'd agreed without a fight.
Chapter 8
Why did we get Married?
Devin prayed he and Alana would at least make it through the entire meal without an episode. After a half-hour without incident, he was pleasantly surprised by her good behavior.
Although Alana seemed preoccupied, she made genuine attempts to be cordial. Unable to keep his eyes from flirting with her body, Devin wondered if she were well when she didn’t react rudely.
Giving a quick overview, Alana didn’t go into specific details. “Twenty-six-year-old Physical Therapist. I belong to a book club. Earned my Master’s degree a year ago and am currently pursuing my Doctorate.”
She hadn’t mentioned any former men in her life. From what Devin learned of her attitude, she had probably killed them all. Smart enough not to voice his opinion, he smiled.
Giving her a quick overview of his life, it surprised Devin to see her listening intently. She raised an eyebrow when he informed that he was also a dual degree earner, one of which was his Master of Business. She failed to hide her surprise when he talked of working his way up the ladder to VP of his family’s software enterprise. Devin ran the business so his father could pursue his political aspirations.
As they continued to talk, Alana found Devin a lot more enjoyable to talk to than she had given him credit for.
Finally, she asked the question she had been longing to ask. “Why did you agree to marry me? You could have chosen anyone you wanted. Besides, there are not many men willing to marry a woman they have never met, especially one they have never even seen.”
He shrugged. “Because my parents asked. My dad told me of his wishes to upgrade his political career. Also, I knew I needed to get my personal life in order.”
He noticed a mixture of surprise and confusion on her face. Learning closer, he placed an elbow on the table and lowered his voice. “Why did you do it? I mean, if were being totally honest, you don’t seem all that interested in being married to anyone.”
She’d convinced herself she’d agreed to marry because of what her dad had pitched to her, but now she wasn’t so sure. Just to give Devin an answer, she said, “My dad sold the idea to me. He was worried about me, was probably burdened by me, and wanted to ensure I had a name and financial security. At least, that’s what he told me.”
Intrigued, Devin knew she wasn’t telling him everything. He scratched his head. “It’s become obvious that you’re not in this for the money. Not only did we set up an account for you, but you were added to my account and you haven’t touched a dime from either.”
“My father’s constant nagging got on my nerves and honestly, I have nothing to lose by doing this. If I want out, I can put in a year and go back to my boring life. As far as money, I make good enough on my own and the pre-nup I signed says I get a million for spending a year married to you. I see no need in being greedy.”
Devin’s constant gawking unnerved her. “What is it?”
Uncertainty had a tight grip on his mind. “Sometimes it seems like there is a lot more to our marriage than my parents are letting on. I believe there are some major pieces missing. It seemed almost too easy for our parents to convince us to do this.”
He watched her straighten in her chair, unable to hide the concern and tension her body projected. “My dad made it seem like this marriage was much more important than giving me a name and financial stability. He made it seem more urgent, that if I didn't do it, something bad might happen.”
Worried now, Devin added, “I honestly don’t know all the facts. This was important to my parents. I trust my parents with a blind kind of faith. They would never ask me to do something unless it was for a good reason.”
The more Devin thought about it, the more he became convinced that his parents weren’t telling him anything because they were hiding something.
He and Alana formulated all types of conspiracy theories, convinced that their marriage was about more than politics. His father had never specifically named the type of political upgrade he was interested in.
Devin spoke apprehensively, “I have had concerns about our marriage for a while now. If this is about my father’s political career, then why was it rushed? I have a sneaking suspicion that there are some ulterior motives. Now that we are married, my parents are more hushed than before.”
Leaning further over the table, Devin continued lowering his voice to a whisper. “I think my cousin is a spy for some secret government branch. He has access to top secret information and technology. None of us has a clear idea of what he does specifically, but if there is anybody that can find answers, it’s him.”
He noticed he’d finally seized Alana’s complete attention. “If you’d like, I can try to make contact with him. Tell him what we think and see what he can find out for us.”
Excitement shined though Alana’s smile. “Sounds great, but I take it this cousin of yours is not easy to get a hold of.”
“That’s right. I will try one of his phone numbers and if he is not on one of his secret assignments, he will get back to me.”
Caught by her smile, Devin wondered how such a rude and unbearable women had somehow snagged his attention. She had become interesting and more tolerable.
They kept the small talk going on the drive home. Walking Alana to her room, he wanted to hear at least one curse word before calling it a night. As she reached for her door knob, he grabbed it before she could.
Smiling at her questioning eyes, he asked a question he knew she'd ignore. “Aren’t you going to kiss me good night?”
She maintained a poker face. “No. And never.” Promptly, she removed his hand from her door tossing it aside.
A landslide of curse words was Devin’s goodnight greeting as Alana entered her room. Walking towards his room, he laughed. He found it strange that her rude attitude was becoming a source of amusement for him. He knew how to push the one button she had left and it was starting to become fun.
If we ever become lovers…
Chapter 9
Armed with Explosives
The Nazari family never passed on an opportunity to entertain their wealthy friends or host social events. Due to Joseph Nazari’s political status, the media frequented their home and took every opportunity to catch them in public.
Alana had completely forgotten about the social event she and Devin would have to perform in. On her way up, she met Devin coming down.
His smile was one of the friendliest she had seen. He greeted excitedly. “Hi. Did you have a good day?”
The question was simple enough, but unexpected. She shot a sarcastic looked over each of her shoulders before answering. “I had a good day, thanks for asking. However, I did forget about this event.”
He assured, “Don’t worry, my mother will ensure we’re there on time.”
Inclining her head, Alana continued towards her room. Looking back, she wondered what had gotten into her husband. He’d been awfully friendly and cordial lately.
Managing to throw herself together quickly, she had enough time to relax before facing the audience.
With great hesitancy, she put on a smile and joined the party. Her new family introduced her as the newest member. They fussed over her like she had become an important member of the family. They were either all great actors or genuinely happy to have her around. The thing that really threw her for a loop was the fact that Devin appeared most delighted. Was it pride she had seen shine across his face?
Like her wedding day, she presented a fake smile to a bunch of people she had never met. Surprisingly, she found she wasn’t as out of place as she assumed she would be. After faking it through endless conversations, she and Devin had finally been released to their table to take a break away from the crowd.
***
Devin finally got his chance to take in Alana’s attire. She wore a dark green ankle-length strapless dress with a neckline that plunged just above her navel. A multi-colored gem-encrusted necklace rested above her breasts and gave the appearance of being a part of the dress. The necklace saved the dress from being too revealing. Her earrings were a series of silver and gold loops that contained gems that m
atched her necklace. Her hair was pulled back in a large elaborate bun that gathered towards the low right side of her head.
Assisting Alana into her seat, Devin secretly took in her magnificence. Has she always been this gorgeous? He checked her out thoroughly. Even her shoes added to the package. They were high gold heels with cut outs on the sides and toes. The outfit and the way Alana wore it, definitely held his attention. He deemed her in that dress the best piece of art he had seen in a long time. She was flawless. He understood a bit better why some women spent so much time choosing clothes and accessories. Tonight, he appreciated every piece on his wife’s body.
Either she was getting prettier, or he hadn’t truly looked at her before now. He turned his attention on himself for a moment. I don’t look half bad myself. Judging by the way female eyes kept travel his way, he was sure he wasn’t anything less than magnificent.
Alana noticed how much, and how often, her husband looked at her. His lingering eyes made her a little uneasy about her appearance. Scanning herself, she wondered if she had pushed the edginess of her outfit too far. She wasn’t a stylist by any means, but with the help of her friends, magazines and now her mother-in-law, she was adequately equipped to doll herself up fashionably.
Alana found difficulty in keeping herself from responding to Devin’s seductive stare. His attention had her anxious and oddly excited. He desired her, and it annoyed her that she desired him on some strange level. It was hard to ignore his good looks and dark blue tailored to fit suit gave him the look of a high fashion model.
As she thought about it, a lot about her husband that used to annoy her didn’t anymore. When did our relationship take a turn in this new direction? None of it mattered. After the sixth month she planned to return to the comfort of her solitary life and leave her husband and his girlfriend behind.