A Collection of Short Stories
The Encounter
The first time she saw him, he was standing in front of the crowd, speaking in a way that only company CEOs could speak. Hundreds of people fixed their eyes on him, listening intently as he spoke. The seminar had been going on for about an hour now, and Meadow had started to get bored. After a while, she had stopped listening altogether and stared at his flawless face. She watched the way his lips moved as he talked and studied the lines on his face. She was certain that she had never met a lonelier person in her life. His eyes were dark, and they intrigued her. He was a Taft after all, with a reputation of being manipulative. Somehow, that made him more intriguing than ever. He had never met a girl he did not fascinate with his charm and a father who never hated him on first sight.
With a flicker of his eyes and gesture of his hand, the seminar was over. Meadow stood up from where she was sitting, grabbed her bag and made her way out of the hall. It was summer after all, and she had no intentions of wasting the beautiful day that was ahead of her. She strode out of the room, confident that his eyes have looked over her more than once. She was not sure whether this should make excited or uncomfortable, but nevertheless, the thought stayed in her head. She walked quickly, not wanting to let more time go to waste. The seminar had taken up most of her morning, and Meadow did not want the rest of her day to be given up for work. Meadow loved work, but sometimes she, too, wanted time to rest. She was not looking at where she was going. She only walked with the intention of getting to the nearest coffee shop to unwind and probably wake herself up with caffeine.
Everything happened quickly, and even Meadow who was always prim and proper had not prepared herself for what had happened. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor and was in the middle of tangled arms and legs, coats and scarves.
‘Watch where you’re going,’ she said snidely, not looking up from where she was. She knew very well that the person she had bumped into was now standing up and she was still on the floor. Slowly, she got up, trying to fix her disoriented self.
He raised his eyebrow at her remark. Who was she to tell him to watch his steps? It was she who had in fact run into him. ‘Well, next time, if you would only think straight, then maybe you would not have bumped into me.’
Meadow’s ears perked as she heard the voice of the man who was now speaking to her. She had still been fixing her clothes, trying to brush off the dirt that she had come in contact with when she fell, and therefore had had no chance of looking up to see the person she had bumped into. There was no need for that now since she recognized the voice so well. The person she had bumped into was Jace. Jace Taft, who, only a few minutes ago, had been speaking in front of a large crowd, giving tips on how to run business. ‘If I’m thinking straight?’ she asked him. She knew how he was, and she knew he was trouble. She knew who she was and she would not go down without a fight. ‘I’m pretty sure you already saw I was walking, and you still chose not to move away.’
He laughed at her. It was obvious to him that he had already fazed her, and yet she still stood her ground. This interested him, though. Never had anybody dared to stand up to him. Being the CEO of a huge company tended to scare people a lot, this he learned as he stayed in the business industry. Not wanting to spend time over a petty mistake, he ended the conversation by arching an eyebrow at her – a gesture that showed he was still in the winning position. He walked past her, making sure that he bumped her on the shoulder.
Meadow, realizing that she had been defeated, could do nothing but scoff. This was the first time she met the man who was supposedly on top of the world. Already, she knew she hated him.
With a flicker of his eyes and gesture of his hand, the seminar was over. Meadow stood up from where she was sitting, grabbed her bag and made her way out of the hall. It was summer after all, and she had no intentions of wasting the beautiful day that was ahead of her. She strode out of the room, confident that his eyes have looked over her more than once. She was not sure whether this should make excited or uncomfortable, but nevertheless, the thought stayed in her head. She walked quickly, not wanting to let more time go to waste. The seminar had taken up most of her morning, and Meadow did not want the rest of her day to be given up for work. Meadow loved work, but sometimes she, too, wanted time to rest. She was not looking at where she was going. She only walked with the intention of getting to the nearest coffee shop to unwind and probably wake herself up with caffeine.
Everything happened quickly, and even Meadow who was always prim and proper had not prepared herself for what had happened. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor and was in the middle of tangled arms and legs, coats and scarves.
‘Watch where you’re going,’ she said snidely, not looking up from where she was. She knew very well that the person she had bumped into was now standing up and she was still on the floor. Slowly, she got up, trying to fix her disoriented self.
He raised his eyebrow at her remark. Who was she to tell him to watch his steps? It was she who had in fact run into him. ‘Well, next time, if you would only think straight, then maybe you would not have bumped into me.’
Meadow’s ears perked as she heard the voice of the man who was now speaking to her. She had still been fixing her clothes, trying to brush off the dirt that she had come in contact with when she fell, and therefore had had no chance of looking up to see the person she had bumped into. There was no need for that now since she recognized the voice so well. The person she had bumped into was Jace. Jace Taft, who, only a few minutes ago, had been speaking in front of a large crowd, giving tips on how to run business. ‘If I’m thinking straight?’ she asked him. She knew how he was, and she knew he was trouble. She knew who she was and she would not go down without a fight. ‘I’m pretty sure you already saw I was walking, and you still chose not to move away.’
He laughed at her. It was obvious to him that he had already fazed her, and yet she still stood her ground. This interested him, though. Never had anybody dared to stand up to him. Being the CEO of a huge company tended to scare people a lot, this he learned as he stayed in the business industry. Not wanting to spend time over a petty mistake, he ended the conversation by arching an eyebrow at her – a gesture that showed he was still in the winning position. He walked past her, making sure that he bumped her on the shoulder.
Meadow, realizing that she had been defeated, could do nothing but scoff. This was the first time she met the man who was supposedly on top of the world. Already, she knew she hated him.