Time is just an illusion. What you need is to live this very moment. That's all what matters.
-- Elif Safak
The bus stopped at the Versatile Dance Academy, Isabella's destination. She was so preoccupied with the thoughts of those unknown letters on her window sill when her head hit the front seat. She was brought back to reality with a jerk. She checked the time by her watch and anxiety filled her bones.
Late!
She stepped out of the bus and rushed to huge building in front. She stepped inside the building. The interior was very beautifully designed. It was all white with a mahogany circular stair going upward. She gasped and adjusted her glasses.
The place looked so beautiful. She did not belong there, she thought. It was a like stepping in heaven for her.
A pretty girl wearing a black blouse and yellow jegging approached her. "Are you looking for someone?" She asked.
Isabella stared at her breathtaking slender figure and neatly applied eyeliner which gave her eyes a smokey look. Her eyes were big and her pointed nose stood out on her face. She was an epitome of beauty. A Greek Goddess indeed!
"Um..No!" Isabella stammered, intimidated by her beauty.
The girl smiled. "Do you want to get yourself enrolled in a class?" She asked.
"No! Actually, I had applied for the receptionist job. I was supposed to join from today." She looked at her.
"Oh! Finally you are here." She smiled kindly.
"I just got confirmation yesterday." She explained, adjusting her spectacles.
"I'm Nancy Lawrence. My dad is the owner of this academy. I'm here on the round." The girl smiled extending her hand towards Isabella.
"Isabella Martins." She said looking everywhere but her eyes and finally shook hand with her.
"There's your desk. It was vacant for a week already, so pull up your socks and get into work. You'll be supervised by one of my staffs and if you're stuck anywhere, give them a call.." Nancy said in a bossy voice.
Isabella gripped her handbag tightly and headed toward her table. She turned her head to see whether Nancy was still looking at her but she had left. Just then she bumped into someone and her butt landed on the floor.
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" An intriguing voice asked her.
Isabella looked up and saw a very familiar figure in maroon full sleeved t-shirt and black trouser offering his hand. She instantly knew who the person was. His eyes bore into her measuring the depth of her soul.
Oh my!
The guy she bumped into was the same guy she bumped into farewell evening.
Mr. Farewell!
"What the hell is he doing here?" She murmured to herself.
"Did you say something?" He asked.
"Um...no" She shook her head and looked at him offering his hand for her to get up.
Her eyes were glued at his face. He was handsome indeed. His full beard covered his jaw. His hair a mixture of black and brown were neatly tied into a small ponytail at the back of his head. His manly scent sent shivers down her spine. His greyish blue eyes were mysterious. His lean and perfect manly structure drew all her consciousness and attention.
"Hey! Are you going to spend the whole day on floor?" His voice brought her back to reality. She held his hand and suddenly felt the goosebumps erupt on her arm. She felt a spark and immidiatly pulled her hand away.
"I never saw you here." He said still looking at her, studying her keenly.
"I got a job here. It's my first day t-today." She stammered and cursed herself for that.
"Oh, Okay! By the way, I Am Zachary Simons. I am a dance trainer here." He said checking her out up to bottom.
"Oh! I see." She responded catching him looking at her.
"And you are...?" He looked toward her.
"Isabella Martins." She smiled.
I know he wanted to say but kept quiet and nodded his head.
"I'm the new receptionist here." She smiled weakly.
And he knew that too.
"Alright! That's pretty good. I'll see you around then." He smiled back making her heart weak.
One of the dancer called Zachary and he had to go.
"I' m sorry, I gotta go." He said and turned around to leave.
Isabella went to her desk and saw so many files waiting for her attention. She checked out everything and arranged them in orders. She attended calls from all the people who were intrested in enrolling there names. She gave them specific dates for their enrollment.
She was sitting on her chair relaxing when the landline on the desk rang.
"Hello, Isabella from Varsetile Dance Academy here. How may I help you?" She said politely.
"Hello Isabella! I'm Josh from American Dance Hack Club. We have to inform you that 'Armour' Group from your academy is selected for the yearly competition which will be held in Miami." A manly voice informed her.
"That's good news sir. Thank you for the information. " She said.
"Get the dance group ready for the battle in Miami. It will be held in the last week of this month." He said.
"I'll inform them" She said hanging up the call.
She went toward Nancy Lawrance's cabin and knocked twice. She waited for few minutes still there was no answer from her.
She knocked again. The door opened abruptly and a man in black shirt and blue faded demin left the cabin wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The man was really good looking and must be in his early twenties.
Isabella stared him for long observing him and then stepped inside the cabin.
"Miss Martins, do you even know not to know constantly when someone's not answering? Why are you here?" Nancy shouted at her as soon as she stepped inside. Nancy looked like she'd kill her. Her lipstick was smuged and it was enough for any sane person to understand what was going on.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lawrence. It won't happen again." She adverted her eyes from her smugged lipstick.
"Why are you here?"
"I got call from American Dance Hack club. They said the Armour Group is selected to compete in Miami" She spoke in a single breath.
"Wow! Is that really true?" She got up from her chair, looking so excited.
"Yeah and the competition will be held in the last week of this month"
"We have ample amout of time. We had been trying to get selected since past five years and now that we got it we'll nail it." She smiled at Isabella.
Nancy took out her cellphone and dialed a number. Putting the phone to her ear, she fidgeted with her fingers.
"In my cabin right now." She said in stern voice.
"No ifs and buts. Come to me right now. NOW MEANS NOW!" She looked pissed and disconnected the call.
The smugged lipstick on the sides of Nancy's lips bothered Isabella. She wanted to tell her but she did not want to be fired on very first day. But now that she called someone in her cabin it would cause her humilation so she got all the shits together and enlightened her.
"Miss Lawrence, I think you should go for a quick touch up." She said politely.
"Is something wrong with my face?" Nancy asked with a frown. Isabella nodded.
Nancy took out her handy mirror and saw her smugged lipstick. She was a little embarrassed. For a moment, her eyes reflected an ounce of hurt but she covered it immediately. Isabella could read her empty eyes and wondered what could make her feel so empty. Was the man in black shirt responsible for her sad eyes, she wondered. Nancy touched up her face and the door opened.
There stood the handsome dude. He came inside casually like she was no boss to him. He looked at Isabella and passed her a small smile.
"Anything wrong with her?" He asked eyeing Isabella as she stood there like a scared rat who had ran into a tank full of cold water in the month of freezing December.
Nancy shook her head and told him that his group was finally selected to represent New York in Miami.
The happiness in his eyes was so radiating. He was so happy that he hugged Nancy right away and then Isabella who was standing next to Nancy.
Isabella's lean body shuddered at his touch. She felt the electric spark running through her veins. Her heart throbbed rapidly. Never had she even touched a guy like this. Her cells tingled and she was actually scared of the feeling.
"Zachary!" She whispered.
Zachary came back to his senses and let go of her. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled nervously.
"Um...I'm-I'm sorry, Isa." He whispered in a groggy voice making her knees go weak.
Isa ! So he got a nickname for her.
"Its fine." She smiled warmly thinking of what he called her. She like the way it sounded.
Isa!
***
Isabella was walking her way to home when Zachary chased her on his bike. He stopped when he reached her.
"Want a ride?" He asked, looking at her.
It was getting darker and darker. Isabella was scared so she managed to say yes.
She sat behind him. Her hand was on his shoulder. Zachary smiled. He felt those butterfly sparks afterall he was with the one he wanted to know wholly and deeply. They remained silent during the whole ride. They did not know what to say. Zachary stopped in front of Isabella's house.
"How do you know this is my house?" Isabella asked.
"Just a guess." I know everything about you, he wanted to say but refrained. Neither he wanted to scare her nor he wanted her to think of him as a stalker.
"Thank You for the lift." She said and opened the wooden gate.
The heaven thundered and it started to rain. She looked up in the sky and turned towards Zachary. She was actually worried about him riding in the bad whether.
"If you want you can stay with us till the weather clears. Weather is turning bad." She said looking toward heaven.
"No no...My mom would be waiting for me. She'll start worring if I don't reach soon. I'll go." He said.
She nodded and started walking toward her home.
"Isa" He said.
She turned and looked at him.
"Can we be..." He stopped.
"Can we be...friends?" He asked.
She smiled from the distance and nodded. His wet cheeks blushed with happiness.
"Go...otherwise you'll catch cold" She said with a smile on her lips.
"Yeah!" He ignited his bike and drove away and it rained heavily.
***To Be Continued***