Chapter 9: Chaos of the Heart
That afternoon Neal came again to pick up Candy for the volunteering work. Candy had been anticipating his visit, she couldn't wait to hear the news from Jay. She looked outside trough the windows waiting for Neal. When she saw his car coming, she dashed downstairs. She opened the door almost right after he pushed the door bell.
Seeing his appearance, she almost gasped openly, forgot totally about Jay.
He's fully dressed in the most exquisite dark gray suite with a light silver tie. His shoes polished so bright, they shone. The scent of his subtle cologne floating in the air mercilessly knocking her nerve senses.
After awhile she managed to speak. "Er, as I explained yesterday, we're just going to the hospital basement to read a story." Candy gulped, awed, trying to look composed.
"As I said yesterday, I wasn't listening to a word you said," he said calmly. "No time to go back home to change. That's fine. It's better to overdress than under-dress."
"How's Jay?" Candy asked in the car.
"He found an interesting place. An old barn. He's investigating it now. Will tell me more this evening," he answered.
All the time, his eyes looked at her, non stop. She looked somewhere else, feeling uncomfortable.
"You don't comb your hair in piggy tails anymore?" Neal asked.
The way he said it and looked at her made her body stir.
She shook her head.
"Since when?"
"Two years ago. Why?"
"You look more mature this way. It suites you better."
Flirting Neal, she thought blushed everywhere. But, somehow she liked his attention. It's been so long no one did it this well, she thought. The way he flirted was unlike anyone else, it's subtle, pleasant, with a touch of sophistication which made her feel important somehow. Or perhaps it's simply because he's overly breathtaking today.
He grinned and started to tell stories about Florida.
Instead of listening, she's observing the man, trying to find what made Beatrice giggle and think hot. He has a date? She thought curiously and examined him some more. At some point their eyes met. She had to admit that he had grown up to be a handsome man. Devilishly handsome. Breathtaking. Unlike then, now his eyes shone with pride and self confidence. His face was less round giving him the look of a grown up man, shoulders were broader, and he had a seemingly yummy washboard abs under his white shirt.
When her eyes stopped at his large smooth hands, unavoidably, visions flashed from her boiling imagination of how it felt to be touched by them, do the unspeakable with the rest of his body. Yes! She understood why Beatrice giggled. She could believe that he had a date. Not only that, she started to wonder how many girls had surrendered to his touch. He's manly, masculine, every part of him hit high notes in her desire nerves cell.
Then, she realized that his alluring bronze eyes were watching her closely.
"Candy... what are you thinking?" he asked examining her blank face.
She blushed, embarrassed by the improper thought that had been occupying her brain.
"Er... What other important rules I haven't told you about," she said lying.
"Really?" he grinned. "I don't think so. I think you're thinking what I was thinking," he said softly.
"I am not like you," she said blushing beet red."I know how bad you are."
"No you don't," said Neal grinned sinfully. "I doubt you know how bad I can be." His eyes flashed, amused. " On the other hand, I notice with me around, one can get infected quickly."
She felt hot ripple inside her. She felt relieved that they had arrived so she didn't need to reply to him. Quickly she grabbed her bag and went out from the car.
When they entered the big meeting hall, the room was instantly filled with noticeable gasp as well dressed Neal entered. She noticed but pretending to be oblivious.
"This is Neal Leagan," introduced Candy briefly. "He is my partner today."
He kept walking behind her following her and didn't seem to mind at all to be behind her witnessing her in charge of the day activity. He's watching her coordinating the event, seeing her instructing people, greeting everyone, shaking hands and more. Throughout, she could feel that he didn't take his eyes off her. Got embarrassed, she sent him away.
"Now, do your work. I have to prepare to read my story now," Candy said to Neal.
"What should I do?" asked Neal.
"Oh Mr. Leagan, do you need help?" asked one female staff readily.
"Of course he does, today is his first day, isn't it?" said another one, also female. "Over here, we wrap gifts. I'll show you how..."
"No, let me show him," said another female staff.
"I could too," said yet another female staff.
...
Before long, Neal was crowded by female staffs who whisked him away eagerly competing to give him instructions and other things in the most pleasant ways. Candy saw him grin to her from the far. Candy went alone to pick up a book to prepare her reading material. But she could only stare emptily at the pages.
It drove her crazy to watch these girls surrounding him non stopped laughing, giggling, and teasing him. And even though she tried to convince herself that she hated him, somehow she wanted to send all these girls away from him. Thus, she did exactly just that.
Candy approached the crowd. "Today I wrap gift, he will tell stories to the kids." She pulled him to have a private discussion with him. "Read a story that has moral values, remember they are kids."
"No problem. Moral values," he grinned wickedly. "Don't worry."
Candy tried to finish her work as quickly as she could to check on Neal. When she came back, she saw Neal was sitting on a stool, finishing telling his story.
"... Lo and behold, when the frog kissed the princess, the frog turned into a handsome prince... But, guess what, to their surprise, now the princess turned into a frog. They asked the witch why so?" said Neal telling his story.
All the children clapped their hands and roared in laughter. "Why?" they shouted merrily almost at the same time.
Oh no, Neal, Candy thought panicked. Don't improvise, please.
"The witch said, not only the princess had to learn to kiss a frog, to be fair the prince must too," continued Neal. "And so they kissed again and finally the frog turned into the princess. They lived happily ever after..."
The children clapped and ran to surround and hug Neal. Soon he disappeared surrounded by happy children. He got up carrying two smallest girls to save them from being squeezed by others. The two little girls were clinging to his neck and he carried them effortlessly one in each arm. His tall figure was surrounded by happy children who're fighting to hug him. Candy never saw this soft scene of him before.
"One more! One more story, Mr. Leagan!"
"That's for next year," he said with a grin.
"We like your modified fairy tale stories. Will you come again next year, Mr. Leagan?" asked another one.
"I will. Promise!" Neal answered
"Mr. Leagan will you marry me when I grow up?" asked one little girl.
"That...," he glanced to Candy, "... depends on Ms. Ardlay."
"Ms. Ardlay, I think he likes you," whispered the girl to Candy.
Candy blushed. "Alright, children let's open the parcel," said Candy.
Their visit was tremendously successful. The children were overly excited by Neal so they were extra cheerful today. The staffs were very happy to see the happy faces of the little guests in addition to the visit of the charming man who's so delicious to the eyes.
"Where have you been hiding him, Ms. Ardlay?" they kept whispering to Candy as they walked them outside.
...
ooOoo
"They like you," said Candy grumpily to Neal in the car.
"All girls in this planet, except one," responded Neal cheerfully.
"Albert has married. Archie too. Now I know why you haven't got married," said Candy contemptuously.
"Why?"
"Because you enjoy all these female companions a bit too much."
"Wrong. Because my beloved woman isn't ready yet to return my love."
"Really?" she asked cynically. "How many more do you have in Florida?"
"Uncountable. But I'm not referring to them. I'm referring to one woman who's right now sitting next to me," he whispered.
"Whoa! Charmer...," she smiled right away, shyly. Somehow she felt a heavy rock was just being removed from her heart.
"Finally, you smile?" teased Neal. "Were you jealous just now?"
He whispered gently with a certain voice and smile which, from his experience, he knew no girls could resist. He's confident that the time had come to make her surrender to his kiss. He turned sideways, to bring his arm to pull her closer. Finally, he would taste the sweetness of her lips.
But just when he's about an inch away he saw her eyes flashed, a second later a hand flew to his face. He caught her wrist just in time before it hit him.
"Why do you always have to want to kiss me?" she hissed angrily. Her gaze turned chilly instantly.
"Why do you always have to be so violent?" he responded back. His gaze turned defiant.
"Because you don't actually want me. You just want to humiliate me as always. To you, I'm just a poor orphan girl who needs to be mocked," she said, dangerously soft, snapping her wrist from his grip at the same time.
"That's not true," he said. That hurt. The regret of his past hostile behavior came back. It was unbearably painful. He could hardly breath.
"As soon as I give what you want, you'll trash me, mock me. It's the trophy of personal pride that you seek after. It' s not love, it's merely a game," slammed Candy.
"You're wrong. Why can't you see things beyond the past..."
"Could you if you were me? Could anyone?" she exploded angrily. "The reason that I'm with you now is just for Beatrice and Albert. After he's found, I'll stop seeing you, too. Now, back off. Treat me like a mere stranger from now on."
He had wanted to explain it all to make her understand. He had waited for the opportunity to apologize to her. The time, he decided, was now. He debated whether he should shake her and slam her with argument, or say it calmly, or whisper softly in her ears. He chose the second.
"Let me explain...," said Neal using his most professional tone.
"Nothing you say will change my perception about you. Save your breadth," cut Candy. She closed her ears with both of her hands.
"You have to listen," said Neal. He pulled her hands that covered her ears forcing her to listen.
"No, I don't want to listen!" screamed Candy trying to free her hands from his tight grips, in vain. "Release me, bogeyman. I don't like you! Not a bit!"
"Listen to me..."
... Knock knock...
Two staffs were knocking at the car window seemed to want to urgently talk to Neal. Reluctantly he lowered down the window.
"Excuse us, Mr. Leagan. Quiet urgent. We have an information about Mr. Jay. He's in the hospital."
Candy's heart almost stopped beating. Wrong timing, thought Candy. What if he's mad, refused to help, and stopped the investigation.
Neal nodded to his staff.
"I get to go to check what's wrong," said Neal to Candy.
Candy felt extremely relieved that he's willing to move forward with the investigation. Very grateful in fact that she had to suppress the urge to hug to thank him. She hurriedly got off from the car with heart beat so hard and tears were ready to flow. She couldn't stay one more second in that car. All the mixed feeling, hatred of the past and tenderness of the present which started to grow overwhelmingly, was just too confusing.
-To Be Continued-
Thanks for reading. Thanks so much for still being here to follow the story.