Cracked Sources (B01 E09)

“A toast,”

Mark popped the champagne bottle and
emptied into two beautifully designed glasses, “A glass as beautiful as
you,” He cheerfully said as he lifted a glass to Anna. She chuckled. They
clinked the glasses to cheer. They had already talked about frivolous stuffs
and now was the time to thread into more personal territories, they both felt
alcohol would help them lighten up and flow with the moment of the platonic
date.

“Is there something between you and
Patrick,” He dropped the first thought that came into his mind. About time
the half bottle they’ve already drunk started taking effects. Anna tried to
hide her emerging laughter, she wondered what exactly she’d find attractive in
Patrick to be involved with him. “No,” she finally answered when her
laughter had subsided.

“What about Andrew?”

Mark’s attempt at humor wasn’t settling
fine anymore because he was encroaching towards the truth, and also because he
reminded of the one person she didn’t want to think about this evening. Anna
remained silent.

Mark took a brief pause to think of the
right words to say, he continued “Andrew loves you, Patrick loves, and
now, I can’t help but love you as well.” Anna looked at him in amazement,
at that moment she felt very special, to have captured the interest of two
major players at Akin Chambers wasn’t an easy feat, one most girls would die
for. He stared into her eyes, as though he hoped to see her inner self, and
continued “I must confess it’s more of fascination at this moment, but I
think your spell has caught me also, and its pleasuring to me.” Anna
heaved a sigh of relief when he was finally done speaking – her ears had heard
too much for an evening. Like most girls did to play hard to get, she politely
rejected his coy offer to date her. He expected she’d reject him on a first
trial and openly admitted he might wait for her and try again.

Anna wanted to leave now, she declined
his offer to drop her off, with the way he was acting she might be better off
safer in a taxi than in his car.

 ***

“I’m coming, just a moment
please” Andrew shouted. He ran down his stairs to the door.

“Who
do we have here?” He smiled at the delightful sight of
Anna at his door, he felt was looking too beautiful and didn’t bother with his
initial question of where her key was. She answered she was with Mark which
didn’t sit well with Andrew, he immediately wore a jealous look on his face. “That’s not why I’m here,” She
brought back his attention. “Which
is?” Andrew queried.

“I
can’t have you pulling the kind of stunt you pulled at the office today,”
Anna started. She walked pass him into his living room upstairs to take hold of
herself and the moment, and nor jump on him as her hormones wanted her to do.

“That
stunt as you call it, was for your wellbeing, and I’ll do it again to whoever
tries to make you feel unsafe,” Andrew said
without hesitating. He didn’t get the angle she was coming from but couldn’t
give it a chance to rise above what he had to say.

Anna stressed her point, they weren’t
dating, he publicly declared territory on her the way he did earlier at the
office would only do more harm than good to her image. “It could destroy
my reputation at the office,” she stressed further “And I need a good
reputation to excel when I finally become a Lawyer. Andrew felt whatever she
was saying now wasn’t unconnected to her date with Mark, “I can’t stop if
that’s what it takes to keep you safe.”

“What
am I to you, Andrew?” Anna cut him with her question. It
caught him unaware. He couldn’t give her a tangible answer. Anna asked him
again, this time with a louder and teary voice.

Andrew was still silent, and rooted on
the same spot. Anna stared at him for a while, and moved for the door. It took
Andrew a while to decide on his next line of action, he ran after her calling
her name, but she ignored him. He ran down the stairs after her, she was
already at the door. When the door opened they both saw Beatrice there, about
to knock.

“Entertain
your guest. Please don’t follow me.” Anna pleaded,
and walked away into the dead of the night.

If there was something Andrew had come to
understand in his many years with women, it’s never to argue with them when they’re
ridden by emotions. He let her be as requested, but watched her disappear into
the dead of the night until Beatrice’s soft voice called for him to come in.

Beatrice planted a kiss on his cheeks as
he walked pass her at the entrance. She smiled at the empty darkness as she
closed the door behind her.

***

Mark’s phone rang. He chuckled at the way
he saved his hardworking assistant’s name – My PA.

“How
are you my dear?” He offered her the first greeting, she
responded, she was sorry to disturb his dinner with Anna but seemed relaxed a
bit after he told her their dinner had already ended.

“I
just received an official mail from the Supreme Court. They want to reopen the
Crescent case.”

Mark remained silent, his mind in deep
reflection: His fear had become real. “Any other thing?” He asked.

“Yes
Sir. Our first court appearance is next Tuesday.”

Mark thanked her for immediately bringing
it to his notice, and bid her goodnight.