Chapter 6 – At home – 12 noon
As Pharveen walked down Kerity Drive, she thought about the tall man she had bumped into. She remembered the way his eyes had twinkled when he smiled at her, the way his lips curled upwards slowly as he grinned, and the way his arms felt around her waist. A warm flush crept up her face. She wasn’t used to thinking about a guy that way, at least not with that kind of intensity. She stopped in front of her gate and opened it. The more she thought of the incident, the more her face turned red. To think that all he did was prevent her from slamming into the ground. What if he had actually held her close because he wanted to? A shiver ran down her spine.
She quickly stopped herself from thinking too deeply about him. She knew that it was impossible for her to meet him again. And, that it was obviously just a fantasy for him to fall in love with her. As she thought back to the way his face seemed just the perfect shape, she realized that there was something about him that didn’t quite add up. That’s it! It was his hair, and the beard. Somehow, dirty blond did not suit him very well, and the beard was a little much for his otherwise smooth face.
Pharveen had never minded facial hair, unlike many of her friends who hated guys with moustaches or beards. Pharveen was of the opinion that some guys look good in a goatee, while others looked better clean shaven. This guy, well, she couldn’t really tell, but what he had was longer than a goatee and it didn’t seem to fit.
She entered the house and lifted the two bottles out of the plastic bag. She examined them and found no damage despite the accident. Relieved, she kept the bottles, reminding herself to tell her mom about the new bottles.
She went upstairs and changed out of her jeans and t-shirt, into a pair of Adidas Bermudas and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt. She lay down on her bed and once again found her thoughts drifting to the gallant stranger outside the supermarket. She tried reliving the moment by going through the memory like they were still frames. It was then that she suddenly sat up with a look of dismay on her face. Her wallet! She didn’t remember coming home with it. She went downstairs and traced her way from the door to the kitchen and upstairs, but still couldn’t find it. She figured that the wallet must have fallen out from her bag when she had stumbled.
She decided to go back to the store and look around. She changed back into her jeans and grabbed her sling bag which carried extra cash for emergencies. Pharveen flew down the stairs and just as she reached the door, the bell rang.
She opened the door not really knowing who it could possible be, but all lessons on opening the door to strangers flew out her head.
The tall guy had found her. He had followed her home. He was a psycho. He was going to kill her. All these thoughts entered her mind as her eyes recognized the hero from the supermarket. Those thoughts just as suddenly disappeared when her eyes met his.
They stood there staring at each other for a good minute or two. Kevin couldn’t believe he was seeing her again. He was so glad that she had come home so fast. After she had run off, he went into the supermarket and bought what he needed, then decided to do something impulsive. He went over to the chocolates section and chose a box of Belgian chocolates.
He hoped she liked Belgian chocolates. He had the urge to make her smile. Kevin thought he was going crazy. He only just met her and already he was buying her a gift, wanting to please her. What was happening to him?
Kevin broke the silence. “I found this outside the supermarket. It’s yours isn’t it?” He thrust his hand forward, holding the wallet.
Wonderful, he thought to himself. How more rude can a person get? His tone seemed curt and unfriendly. Yet, it was not at all what he felt. He wanted to talk to her and be nice, but his mouth was not listening to the instructions.
Pharveen was a little taken aback by his tone. She narrowed her eyelids. Looking down at his hands, she saw her missing wallet. She took it back and muttered a thanks. She didn’t know what to say to someone who had helped her, and then ask in that tone, and then help her again.
“Thanks, erm…I was about to go out and look for it. You saved me a lot of trouble.” She answered as calmly as she could.
Kevin saw the emotions flash across her face. She wasn’t too happy with his introduction.
“I am sorry if I sound rude. It’s just that, well, I was kinda nervous, about returning your wallet.” He said with a small shy, cheeky grin.
Pharveen was captivated by his smile. She couldn’t stay angry with him, not with a smile like that. She was still wary, since he was a stranger, but there was something about him that made her feel safe. It sounded stupid, and probably the reason why there was so many robberies. She shook herself and tried to get back her common sense.
She took a step away from the door, pushing it at the same time to make the opening even smaller. Kevin realized she was being cautious, and didn’t appear offended. He put up his hands as if to show he didn’t mean any harm. Pharveen still didn’t dare trust her instincts.
“Thank you. But maybe you better leave now.” Pharveen said in a no nonsense tone.
Kevin just stared at her. He was amazed that no matter what mood she seemed to be in, her eyes were exquisite. They were dark and penetrating, framed with long, curled dark lashes. Staring into them was like drowning in a black pool.
Pharveen felt her face grow warm under his gaze. Her sense of propriety led her to draw herself up and say in a cutting tone, “Well, are we done then?”
Kevin did get a shock, but he was a little amused at her attempt to get rid of him. He knew it was time to leave; he didn’t want to scare her too much. He remembered the box of chocolates in his hand. He decided against giving it to her right then. He’d send it to her later or something, or maybe it’ll give him another excuse to see her. He bowed his head slightly in apology, and left her with another killer smile before turning and walking down the lane to the gate. She watched as he gave her one last glance, and a small wave and walk away.
Mechanically, Pharveen pushed the door close. Her head was filled with images of his smile and the way his eyes seemed to absorb all the sincerity and warmth that his smile gave out. Instinct told her that anyone with a smile like that could never be a bad guy, but she was afraid at her willingness to just trust him. That was one of the main reasons she had asked him to leave. One more smile like that, and she’d be inviting him to stay for dinner. Her mom would have killed her – that is, if her mother noticed in the first place.
A shrill ringing broke Pharveen’s thoughts. She rushed to the phone. Immediately, she recognized the voice of her best friend, Josephine. Her heart had stopped beating so fast, and she welcomed the distraction.
“Pharveen,” Josephine said excitedly, “guess what…Holly and I were thinking, since we haven’t spent much time together, whether you’d like to have a girls’ nite out, just the three of us?”
Pharveen thought it over. She missed seeing her pals, and it would be great to just go out, and gossip and whatever.
“It sounds great. Which night would be best?”
On the other end of the line, Josephine thought it over. She mentally went through her diary, and decided that for the next few days, she was totally free. She informed Pharveen who also said the same days were great for her too. Josephine was keyed up and she said she’d tell Holly about it straight away.
After hanging up, Pharveen’s thoughts automatically drifted to the handsome stranger who had returned her wallet. She remembered the earlier encounter in front of the supermarket, which had also left her tingling all over, just by remembering it. Before she could think about it more, Josephine called back, this time with a confirmation of their outing. Holly was only free that night itself and they didn’t want to postpone the get together, so Pharveen agreed to be ready by 6 pm and meet them at Josephine’s.
The minute Pharveen hung up, she went upstairs to pick out an outfit to wear that night. She’d leave a note for her mom who was going to fetch Nick on her way home. She was looking forward to seeing Josephine and Holly again. And, she actually stopped thinking about the gorgeous guy at her door for a while.
