Call It Fate - Part 3

Dedicated to the romantic in all of us.

Jenna unsuccessfully suppressed a yawn and grabbed her handbag. “Sorry! It’s been a long day. Shall we go?”

            “Yeah, let’s. Let me walk you to your car.”

Jenna walked beside him in relaxed silence for a while. The crowds of earlier had trickled down to only a few people milling about in the cool night breeze. She noticed he seemed preoccupied. Was he going to ask her out? She hoped so. Unbelievable that the marriage broker found a decent one this time!

            They stopped beside her car. Jenna fiddled with her keys. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed that he hadn’t said anything about meeting again. Maybe she should drop an encouraging hint. “I had a really great time tonight. I guess I’ll see you around?”

            “Yes, about that. Actually there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

            Now he looked downright nervous. Jenna felt a pit of dread in her stomach. He was going to blow her off, wasn’t he? But she tried to keep things light. She shot him a playful disgusted look. “What? You’re not really a pilot?”

            “Oh I am.”

She braced herself as she watched him inhale and looked her straight in the eye. But there was no way she could have prepared for the next thing he blurted.

“I’m not Prabu. My name is Ashok. I’m so sorry for not telling you earlier. I’m really an asshole aren’t I? But everything happened so quickly…”

            Jenna stared at him uncomprehendingly. Her brain seemed to have turned into a sluggish mush. “But you’re from the marriage broker right?”

            “No, I’m so sorry. This is really a case of mistaken identity but I can explain - what are you doing?!”

            Jenna’s brain had suddenly clicked into action and she plunged her hand into her handbag, pulled out her pink pepper spray and was aiming it at Ashok or whoever the hell he was with deadly accuracy.

            “Get away from me you pyscho!”

            “Jenna, please! Listen to me. Everything else was the truth.” Ashok pleaded, his hands up but not backing away.

            She thrust the pepper spray towards him. “Are you mad? How can I trust anything you say? Last chance, get away from here before I start screaming!” She looked around wildly, wondering if anyone could hear her.

“Jenna, the only thing I kept from you is my name. Which was really stupid of me. Here look!” He stretched his arm towards her and Jenna instinctively jumped back. “It’s my phone. Take it and look at my Facebook profile. You’ll see I’m just a regular guy.”

            Jenna hovered between anger, suspicion and curiousity for a moment. Curiousity won and she snatched his phone. She kept the pepper spray aimed at him and quickly scrolled down his profile. Then she looked up in surprise. Ashok was watching her anxiously.

            “You’re mutual friends with Alex.”

            “Alex Wong? Yes, we were classmates. How do you know him?”

            Jenna lowered the pepper spray an inch. “My colleague. Small world.”

            “So you believe me now? Forgive me?” He looked at her earnestly. 

            Jenna lobbed his phone back at him. He caught it easily. She wished it had hit his head. Just then, he smiled his charming sideways smile and Jenna felt her warring emotions fuse into undeniable attraction for Ashok. She lost her battle to remain angry and noticed his eyes light up with relieve. Damn it, was she that easy to read?

            He approached her, right palm outstretched. “Hello, I’m Ashok. Would you like to go out with me tomorrow night, Miss Jenna?”

            This was insane. He was insane. But she was bewitched by his audacity.

            Laughter bubbled out of Jenna as she clasped his hand. “I would Mr. Ashok.”

            And then she drew her hand back and swung a solid punch on his toned right bicep.

~The End~ (For real)

~Anya~