Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

CHAPTER 2.

"But he that dares not grasp the thorn.
Should never crave the rose." -

Anne Bronte

Lennita strolled through the halls of the consulate building in Urberium. The white tiled corridor meandering around the building to the back of the estate where the guest houses were located. Five cottages in all lined up the path that was hedged in by pink hibiscus bushes interspersed with short pine trees and every once in a while, the path would break off to reveal an entry way of one such cottage.

Lennita walked over to the fifth door and rapped on the door twice.

"Ryan!"

She heard a groan from the inside, followed by the shuffling of feet and a half dressed man opened the door, rubbing his eyes like he had been roused up from a very deep slumber.

"Ryan! You stink!"

"Hi siz" He grinned back at her.

Lennita glared back at him and pushed him to enter into the cottage.
Ryan closed the door behind him and followed his sister back into the room.

"Stop smirking at me and put a shirt on this instance!"

"Aye! Aye! Siz." he walked into one of the bedrooms and came back out with a polo shirt and a toothbrush in his mouth. His sister had already cleared out one of the leather sofas that had been filled up with his trash and was now sitting down, sizing him up before she said what she had in mind.

"What?" He mumbled as he took in her expression.

"Mother called,"

"And?" He shrugged his shoulders ad he settled down on the sofa's armrest.

"Katrina is pregnant."

At that,  he stared at his sister as if she had grown an extra set of eyes.

"No way!"

"Yes, on a third month I think."

"I do not believe it."

"Really?" His sister sneered at him. "You better believe it. Now get up and stop moping. I am not ready to lose another niece or nephew because of your own stupidity."

His once blank look now mirrored his anger even as he glared back at his elder sister for that last statement.

"I was not the one who arranged that marriage !"

"True, but how long will you continue to feel sorry for yourself! Katrina is a nice girl. You may even grow to love her if you tried!"

They locked eyes, two pairs of hazel, glaring back at each other. Finally, Ryan stood up and walked back to his room where he threw a few possessions into a duffel bag before taking a quick shower. When he walked out, his sister had already left the cottage and on the table before him was a note and plane ticket to the Ueteribus.

Thought you would need this

Love,
Lennita.

Ryan found himself smiling despite himself. He then looked at the time stamped on the ticket and then at his watch.

"Holy... Thirty minutes!"

He folded up the ticket and placed it in his black duffel bag. Swinging it across his shoulder, he turned towards the door and twisted the knob only to come face to face with the Consulate chauffer.

"Ferdinand!"

The chauffer grinned back at him.

"Mr Thorpe, the car is waiting to take you to the airport."