The Hunt 2

EPISODE 6: The hunt 2

Aurora looked at Lorin who was in front of the mirror assessing the armless silk silver gown that was sent to her yesterday. She looked pleased and content with a plastered smile to her face, her cheek could burn.

"You really–reeeally think that he likes you?" She asked her, bewilderment written on her face.

"I don't think so. I can smell it!" Lorin dropped the gown on the bed and sat by it. "He could have asked anyone but he chose to ask me."

"That doesn't mean anything."

"It does to me." She replied her warily. She touched her chest for reassurance and said, "Don't kill my hope." She picked up the jewelry box that accompanied the dress and opened it. "And I am certain he is a bachelor. I haven't seen him with a woman. Ever. This could be my chance."

"Your chance to woo your boss?"

"Hm-hmmm. I like the way you said it. Woo...I could try my luck."

"Isn't he the same boss you always come home cursing when he makes your days difficult at the office?"

She sighed. "Yep! He could be a bit of a bulldog sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from being handsome."

"Ahhh.."

Aurora was getting tired of her talk, alright. There was no way to talk Lorin out of this one. She had a habit of fantasizing about things that didn't exist. She shouldn't worry, once she's found a new hobby, she'd easily forget about this one moment...one event at a time.

"If you say so." She said and turned back to the book in front of her and getting ready to get back to studying as she had her medical board exams to attend to. "Oh," She turned to face Lorin again. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? It's almost time."

She gasped. "Really?" She looked at her phone. "Oh shit! I have an hour left." She stood up, hurriedly picking up the dress and jewelry and rushed out of Aurora's room and into hers.

It was a four bedroom apartment they stayed in. Each room had its own bathroom and the only thing they shared was the living room and kitchen. The other two rooms were empty and they wanted it that way, so that when they had visitors at the same time—which they always had from time to time, there would be free rooms to accomodate them. The rent and bills were an equal division between them.

Aurora was a curly redhead with rare emerald eyes, light caramel skin tone, pointed nose and full oval shaped lips. And apart from having a beautiful face, she had the most kindest of hearts. And that is why she was reading medicine so she could care and help those people in need. She'd never forgotten her drive. And everyday, she reminded herself why she must do this, cause that was her driving force.

Her father wanted her to go for engineering like him, but all her elder brothers were already in engineering except one who went against their dad to join the marines. He's been three years in and still going.

"The medical board exam is tomorrow." She sighed and took out stick notes to jot down points and pinned them to the white board in front of her. She went back to reading.

~~~

Lorin looked at herself one more time in her mirror, the gown was her exact size and it dropped to the floor. She had the pearl earrings on and a tiny piece of pearl pendant on a thin piece of silver jewelry. Her black hair was packed up stylishly with tiny drops of pearls as hair pins on it. It added to the aesthetic and no one could deny that she wasn't beautiful tonight. Not like she wasn't beautiful any other night, but tonight was different.

She picked up her silver and bronze coloured purse and walked out of her room.

She opened Aurora's room door and expected. "Tada!". She said, but there was no response. She looked at Aurora, she had fallen asleep.

"Awwn. Poor thing!" She said and walked into the room to where she sat; she was asleep on the book she had been reading earlier on. Reading medicine must be tough!

She tapped her, "Aurora..Aurora?"

Aurora mumbled some words and turned her head to the other side, adjusting to make herself comfortable.

Lorin exhaled heavily. "Just when I thought I should bother you one more time..." She picked up her note tag and a pen and jotted down some words. She kept it close to the book so that she could wake up and see it immediately.

When she was done, she heard her phone ring. It was Fred. She smiled and picked it up, raising it to her ear. "I will be down now."

She dropped the phone in her purse and closed it. Looking at Aurora one more time, she said, "My destiny calls." And grinned.

•

•

She was awed.

"Woaaaaah!" She said as she walked down the few steps that led in front of her building. "This is huge!" She muttered to herself.

She was expecting something grand, but not this grand. She looked at the luxurious white limousine parked in front of her house...this was made for the elites.

"Good evening." Fred greeted her when she got to the vehicle.

"Wonderful evening, Fred." She grinned.

Fred always had an aloof facial expression like the boss. But unlike the boss, he had more reactive timing and gave compliments one or two times.

He smiled and acknowledged her outfit with a nod. He opened the door to the limousine. "He's waiting."

She looked into the limousine and saw the crossed legs of Dillion in it. She straightened up and went in.

...

Dillion was on his tablet when she came in and sat. The first thing that floated by was her subtle perfume. It filled the whole chamber of the car and it triggered his brows up.

He was always sensitive to smell. More than anything else, he liked people who smelled nice and he couldn't help but to give her commendation for making an effort not to clogg him with harsh, dense fragrance.

He looked up at her, she looked a bit uncomfortable and edgy as she kept on adjusting her clothing.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine, boss."

He accessed her outfit, it looked nice and simple. Exactly what he was going for. "The dress fit?" He said and turned back to operating his tablet.

She looked up and him, he was dressed in a black and white tuxedo, a tiny black tag earring to his right ear and his usual short curly hair was pulled forward into a perm, adding fullness to his jawlines.

"Thank you for the dress, sir. It fits perfectly. I couldn't get my eyes off myself in the mirror." She chuckled, but he didn't react to the statement.

The light in the chamber was dimly lit and she watched as the light from the tablet illuminated his face, ranging from overly bright to dim. Then to bright again.

She was cold. She didn't think it through to carry a coat with her and the vehicle was already on the high way.

She looked around the limousine chamber for something... anything.

Dillion didn't raise his head but he could sense what she was really feeling . So he picked his coat that laid next to him and handed it to her.

She collected it and said, "Thank you."

"If you need something, next time, ask." He looked up at her.

She nodded gently and covered herself with the coat. It smelled like coconut oil mixed with lavender. It smelled nice.

~~~

The rest of the journey was ridden in silence—A few sentences coming in once in a while and was mostly something related to work.

Slowly, she felt the vehicle taking a turn at an axis, moved a few line forward and came to a stop.

She moved to the window and glimpsed through the curtain, it was a wide landmass and the people present there were dressed elegantly. The men in tuxedos and suits, while the women were in ball and dinner gowns.

She saw from a distance flashes of camera lights taking pictures of people posing one which way. Every male had a companion present with them.

"It seems we are here." She said absently to Dillion.

He didn't reply.

She was still looking at the landmass, awed by the beautiful women present. She saw some celebrities and that made her swallow. "Isn't that Larry Donas?" She asked herself. "And Shelia McComber?" She gasped and looked at Dillion who was watching her intently.

She realised it was because of the way she was behaving he was watching her and felt ashamed. "Sorry sir." She said. "It was out of excitement. I have never been anywhere like this and certainly not in the midst of celebrities."

"I didn't ask."

The door to the limousine opened.