RIA ♠
EPISODE •• FORTY •• THREE
THEME: INTRODUCTION GOES WRONG! ????
°°°°°°° IDAHO °°°°°°°
FREDERICK POV ????
Phone conversation ????
“How are you doing Jack?”
I said to Jack Bryant as soon as he picked the call
“Oh! I’m fine Frederick”
“Well I just called to confirm the news that has been moving around like a wild fire in Idaho”
“What news?”
“It about this..clothes designer in Chicago”
“Oh! You mean Ria Robert?”
“Oh Yes! Ria Robert.. Do you know her?”
“Yes but I haven’t met her in person. I watched the news too and she’s pretty famous now in our state”
“You don’t know her?..but I heard it that your family is solidly behind her”
Jack rolled into laughter
I wanted to know if they were supporting Ria to know my stand. If she’s alone then it will be more easier to destroy her.
“Not all my entire Family Frederick.. Just my wife and son. Ian is in love with the lady. And he has done a lot for her”
I shut my eyes on hearing Jack’s words.
His son loves Ria. And his wife is also supporting her.
“And don’t you think Ria is just trying to extort from your son?”
“How?”
“I’m just saying. Jack you know how women are..and talking about this women that used to be poor and hopeless…they are opportunists and I see them as gold diggers. And who knows Ria might be one. Don’t be surprised if she ends up taking all of your son’s money and use it to establish her business.. And then she will leave him”
Jack was silent
I couldn’t figure what he was thinking but I hoped that what I said was enough to convince him that Ria Robert shouldn’t be with his family.
Jack sighed
“I don’t think Ria Robert is that kind of woman. She is not bad and she can’t be a bad influence to my son.. Or whatever it is you’re trying to say. I know my son Frederick, Ian won’t fall in love with a deceiver and my wife is always quic-k to s-en-se deception..like she is s-en-sitive. Perla would have figured out by now if Ria meant any harm for my son”
“Then what about you?”
“Me? Well I’m not so concerned about Ria Robert. But as much as my son loves her then I don’t have any choice. I have to accept her too. She’s ap@rt of our family now”
“Okay” I muttered
I wasn’t expecting Jack to accept Ria. It seems she have all of them wra-pped around her f!ngers.
How long has she been with Ian?
And I doubt it if they all knew about her past.
“So what about that deal you told me about?”
“Yeah..your son is yet to sign the deal”
I replied
“Frederick..let’s stay out of it.. I’m sure both of them will handle the deal..but I will still try to talk to Ian”
“Okay”
“Bye”
I hang up and threw my phone on the floor.
I shouldn’t deal with Jack or his wife..Ian should be my main target.
He is in love with Ria and I’m sure he will be willing to do anything for her just to win her heart.
I’m sure she hasn’t told him about me that why he hasn’t come for me.
So let’s see if he will keep loving her after he finds out what she used to be.
A S-x Slave to a Heartless Criminal!
I grinned wickedly
♦••♦••♦••♦••♦
° RIA ROBERT COUTURE °
IAN POV ????
I paced Ria’s office. The time was 7:30pm and she hasn’t returned to the shop. Ria said she was in the taxi when I called around 4:45pm from the office to pick her up. I shouldn’t have believed her when she said she was in a taxi!
Or was she stuck in the traffic?
No! I pas-sed the same routine and no traffic even the devise on my phone signified that there was no traffic on the highway.
I stood up and walked out of the office.
I shouldn’t sit around and wait for her.
“Mrs Elise -” I called
She was handling the supplies my company delivered a while ago while Loretta was taking stock of dresses with one other lady.
“Yes Mr Ian”
“I will have to go and check on Ria at the institution”
“Why don’t you just call her?”
“She is not picking up my calls when I called her earlier”
“I tried calling her too but it switched off. And it unlike her to come late to the sto-re”
I nodded in agreement
“plea-se let me come with you to the institution”
“No you don’t have to Mrs Elise.. Just finish up your work”
“Okay”
I motioned toward the hvge glas-s door and stepped out of the building.
Then I saw her. Ria was in a car that just pu-ll-ed up in front of the shop.
My forehead crea-sed when I noticed it wasn’t a taxi.
It was a BMW!
I frowned de-eply when I realised Ria lied to me again.
And most of all she was with a man!
Pang of anger and jealousy sh0t throu-gh me as I watched her smile at the man in the car.
Then our gaze met but I didn’t smile back at her.
She turned to the man and said something to him.
Ria c@m£ out of the car and the man did the same too. And I couldn’t move from where I stood cause different questions flooded my mind.
Who is he?..
Why was she with him?
Why was she in his car instead of a taxi?
She was smiling at him..like she was happy with him.
It struck me that she was with his..that was why she didn’t want me to come and pick her up.
“Ian good evening”
Ria said when she c@m£ closer. The man stood behind her
I didn’t respond to her greeting.
I just stared at her.
I better be wrong this time!
I want to believe she must had a good reason For being with this man. And I hope it not what I’m thinking!
“Ian,meet my Friend Ethan Dantes” Ria introduced
“And Ethan this is Ian Bryant”
He reached out his hand for an handshake.
I looked at him.
Friend? And when did Ria started having Male friends?
The man was well built in than I was but we are the same height.
I shook hands with him
“Nice to meet you Ian. Ria alre-ady told me about you”
Wow! And she even told him about me!
For how long has she been meeting up with him?
“It a plea-sure”
My answer was sharp
But Ria didn’t tell me anything about him.
I gave him a stern handshake and we both stared at each other for seconds before Ethan let go of my hand with a smile.
I gave him a half smile. I’m sure Ethan was wise enough to un-derstand what the stern handshake means.
“I should head home now Ria”
He said to her
“Don’t you want to meet my team and get to see my shop?”
He wants to leave but she wants him to stay and introduce him to everyone.
Ethan looked at me and then back at Ria
“It running late..let’s do that some other time” he responded
“Okay” she said in a low tone
I studied her expression
She was Disappointed.
I tucked my hands in my pocket and clenched my fist.
I’m starting to s-en-se some connection between them. Ethan entered his car and drove off.
Ria turned to face me
I drew in a de-ep breathe and relaxed
“You told me you were in a taxi”
“Yes I was in the taxi when you called -” I chuckled
“And you still ended up in a BMW. Now just tell me that the taxi broke down on the highway and Ethan offered you a ride. You accepted and talk to him in his car and now.. he is your friend”
I said
She sh0t me a confused look
“No that didn’t happen” she said
“Then what happened? How did you end up in his car?”
I tried to keep my voice down.
I was annoyed or maybe jealous.. I don’t know!
“Why are you so mad at me?”
She asked
“Mad?now you think am mad…you didn’t allow me to come pick you at school but you let him drive you instead -” I pointed to no one In p@rticular.
“Ian..st©p jumping into conclusions and give me a chance to explain” Ria answered
I relaxed
“Who is he?”
“Ethan is my old Friend”
“Old friend?”
She nodded
Now he is an old friend not a new one. I admit that I don’t know much about Ria.
“We grew up together in Idaho”
Yeah I know her hometown is Idaho! But she never told me she had a friend!
“So how long have you been meeting him?”
“I just him met him today”
Wait today?..oh! Maybe I’m just over reacting!
Wait up..Ria grew up blind so how did she recognized him to be the same old friend?
And as if she had re-ad my mind when she said
“I didn’t recognize him when he st©pped his car right in front of me. I thought he was one of those men who always offer women free ride so I just ignore him..but he chased after the taxi and when I couldn’t stand it..i went to him. I heard his voice and he also said some things that made It clear to me that he was my old friend”
“Okay..so you were with him all those times?”
“Yes” she replied sincerely
She was telling the truth
I over reacted.. And tried to make a big issue out of it.
It shouldn’t be!
I leaned in
“I was worried about you when I c@m£ to the sto-re around 5:30pm and Mrs Elise told me that you were not in yet. And I should have called earlier before..but i didn’t want you to think I was monitoring you. I only called around 6:50pm and you didn’t pick up”
I fli-cked her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.
“Yes I saw the missed call but my phone went off when I was about s£nding you a text to inform you that I was with an old Friend”
She stepped backward and brou-ght out her phone from her bag
“Look at it”
It was dead
“Yeah Mrs Elise told me”
“Ian I’m sorry I should have called the Moment I saw Ethan coming after me”
“It okay..and I’m sorry too.. I’m sorry for misun-derstanding you. I was only surprised to see you with him”
She nodded
I don’t want to think that Ethan will cause problem between me and Ria.
He better not get ideas in his head..cause I’m not going to let her go to him even if he is her old friend.
I pu-ll-ed her in for a warm embr@ce.
I don’t Want us to be in a situation like this again..whereby I will be doubting Ria..or thinking that she’s lying to me.
Trust! That should be the major thing between us. We still have to learn to trust each other.
Tbc