29. Go back on your words, Father

DANIELLE'S POV

Is this really the Daniel I know? Like what? I reached out my hand and retrieved the hanky. After wiping my face quickly, I asked.
"What are you doing here?" I was still doubting the possibility of him really being here.
"What's the name of this place?" He retorted, drawing out a seat. Oh, The King's Coffee Palace, I see. I eyed him meticulously as he sat down opposite me.
"Why are you sitting down here?" I asked again. He chuckled. What? He chuckled? Such beautiful sound coming from such beautiful face. His deep dimples revealed. Oh my! I really wanna touch them. So adorable. If this a dream, please I don't wanna wake up.
'Snap out of it Elle! Stop acting so smitten.' My subconscious chided.
'But I am smitten!' I retorted.
"Because I have the right to sit wherever I want." He smiled proudly.

Proud, beautiful Jerk!

"deo jaju us-eoya haeyo jal eoullineun geos gat-ayo(you should smile more often, it looks good on you)" I muttered in Korean.
"What?" He asked. Oh thank goodness I didn't say that in English, I would have been done for. I don't want him thinking I'm hitting on him.
"Oh nothing." I smiled innocently.
"About earlier...are you okay?" He asked worriedly. Worriedly? Is this really happening?
"Yeah, I'm good." I said simply. I can't tell him anything when I barely know him.
"Okay, you can have this." He stretched out a black umbrella to me. To say I'm stunned is an understatement. I'm beyond stunned. What's going on with Daniel Roberts?
"Since when did you become this nice to me?" I asked, receiving the umbrella.
"Since today." He stood up and was about walking off when I stopped him.
"Thanks Daniel." I said with a grateful smile. "I see you aren't a total jerk after all." I smiled brightly.
"Now you know," he chuckled "You are welcome Diva." He offered me a small smile. I see someone did a little research on me. As if remembering something suddenly, he asked me.
"Aside from that day at the science hallway, have we ever met before? I mean, did we ever crossed paths before coming to Royal Empire University?" He asked seriously.
"No, I don't think so." I said, although I still feel some kinda familiarity around him, but I wasn't gonna tell him that. Don't ask me why. I also don't know.
"Alright then." He said and walked off to another section of the coffee shop. I stared at his retreating figure, he was wearing a black hoodie. I looked down to the hanky in my hand and to the umbrella beside me. The girls would be so thrilled to hear that Daniel Roberts acted like a total gentleman today. I smiled at the thought of that. Thanks for lifting my mood Daniel.
I picked up my coffee and sipped from it, eww cold already. I dropped it back. Standing up, I walked towards the exit door of the big shop with my properties and the umbrella Dan gave me, I already paid my bills earlier. On reaching the door, I glanced back briefly to see Dan staring at me.
Good! Things are beginning to become interesting. I smiled and walked out, opening the umbrella as I walked to my car in the garage.

DANIEL'S POV 

~Few minutes earlier ~

"This should be all, right?" I asked the manager of my dad's coffee palace as we walked out of his office into the shop. I was going through the last transaction file of this branch.

"Yes sir, that's all for now." He said.

"Okay then, keep up the good work. I'll head back now." I returned the file to him, and we shook hands.

"Thanks so much sir." I nodded and turned around to leave when my eyes landed on someone. Diva. Seems like fate has a way of making us cross paths. She was making a call.

I stared at her for a while. She doesn't look cheerful or extremely fearless right now. Rather, she looks weak. I noticed her wipe her eyes. Seems like she's crying silently as her hand caressed a gift box, probably the reason of her tears. Whatever could make the bold, fearless girl cry must be something she can't handle. Something really stronger than her.

For some unknown reasons, I felt pained to see her cry. I wanted to do something that will ease her pain.

I watched her glance outside through the transparent glass building, it was raining heavily. I walked to the counter and the workers greeted when they saw me, I returned their greetings with a smile.

"Can someone please get me an umbrella?" I asked. A waiter quickly went to get it. Moments later, he returned with a big black umbrella, exactly my kind.

"Thanks." I said and walked closer to her table. She was through with her call as she buried her face in her hands. It's obvious that she was truly crying silently.

"Is everything okay, miss?" A waiter walking by asked her. She wiped her face quickly with her hands, head still bowed.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." She replied. I was just three steps away from her table.

"Alright Miss." The guy walked off. She quickly grabbed her bag and ransacked it for something. Probably a hanky. I smiled as she huffed in despair.

I brought out my neat blue, towel hanky and walked over to her. I stretched it out to her Immediately I reached her table. She dropped her bag, that's when she noticed my stretched out hand. I chuckled mentally when she trailed my hand to my face and was stunned Immediately she recognized me.

But just as she stared at me wide eyes, memories flashed in my head. The faceless girl at the beach In my childhood days was her? Same stare, same eyes, lips and face, everything identical. She's the one I've been trying to remember?

I was mesmerized instantly. Was that the reason behind my constant feeling of familiarity with her?

"My hand is hanging." I said softly. She stared at me, puzzled for some seconds before reaching out and retrieving the hanky from my hand. And as she did so, her fingers slightly brushed on my skin sending jolts of electric currents down my spine.

Diva wiped her face quickly before looking back at me, even in this state, she's still very beautiful. Her eyes, raised cheekbones, lips, nose and all were a perfect combination, no single blemish with the perfect spotless skin.

All long story cut short, she's literally the most beautiful black girl I'd ever seen and somehow I felt proud, knowing that.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"What's the name of this place?" I retorted drawing out a seat. Recognition dawned on her as she eyed me meticulously as I sat down, probably wondering what's up with me.

I also don't know. But one thing I know is that, from now onwards I won't be avoiding her again, now that I know we've met in the past when we were still very young.

"Why are you sitting down here?" She asked again. I chuckled. It was as if my chuckle had an effect on her_she was looking at me in such an adorable manner.

"Because I have the right to sit wherever I want." I said, smiling smugly.

"deo jaju us-eoya haeyo jal eoullineun geos gat-ayo(you should smile more often, it looks good on you)" She said in Korean.

"What?" I asked, feigning ignorance to what she said. 

I was more than impressed with the fact that she understands Korean and was very fluent in speaking it. Even though my mom wasn't completely Korean, she taught me how to speak and understand the language. To say the least, I'm very pleased right now to know that Diva, who's a mixed race American could understand Korean so perfectly. And for the fact that she just complimented me was making me feel so elated. My smile is really beautiful, I know. I did my best in hiding my smile or is it blush?

"Oh nothing," she smiled innocently like she didn't say a thing.

"Earlier, are you okay?" I asked worriedly. If I'm not mistaken, there's more to my connection to this black Queen than I think.

Jay haven't said a thing about what he told me three days earlier, he said he was waiting for something. I'll definitely make him talk today.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said simply, not wanting to talk about it.

"Okay, you can have this." I said stretching out the umbrella to her. She looked so stunned. I know, I'm trying to change, I've grieved losing Goldie for long, it's really time to move on.

"Since when did you become this nice to me?" She asked, receiving the umbrella.

"Since today," I replied standing up to leave but she stopped me.

"Thanks Daniel," she said with a grateful smile. "I see you aren't a total jerk after all." She added, smiling so brightly.

"Now you know," I chuckled. "You are welcome Diva." I smiled. But then I remembered I needed to ask her.

"Aside from that day at the science hallway, have we met before? I mean, did we ever crossed paths before coming to Royal Empire University?" I asked her seriously, I needed to know.

"No, I don't think so." She said. She probably don't remember again.

"Alright then," I said and walked off to another section of the coffee shop.

"Sir Daniel would you like a cup of coffee?" A waitress asked, just as I sank into a seat.

"No Riha, just get me another umbrella." If it were before. I might have scolded her or any female for even talking to me.

"Ok Sir," She walked off.

I glanced back at Diva. She was leaving already. Just as she reached the exit door, she turned back and glanced in my direction. Our eyes met and she smiled and walked out. 

I won't be avoiding you again from now on Diva. I smiled just as Riha returned with an umbrella.

"Here Sir,"

"Thanks Riha," I collected it.

~~~
FAST FORWARD

"...I didn't transfer from Newark to this Uni because of any girl Dad. I only came to study as you requested, not because of some rude girl."

"That doesn't mean you have to be rude to Mr Caden's daughter. Remember he's my friend." Dad said. I gritted and hitted the steering angrily. I was stuck in this annoying traffic for over fifteen mins when dad's call came in. That sly girl had the audacity to tell my dad I was 'rude' to her through her dad, when it was the other way round.

"I wasn't rude to her, I only asked her to stop melding in my affairs and quit following me around. Do you know that arrogant girl prides herself saying she's my future wife? Where does that rubbish gibberish come from? Her dad being your friend doesn't mean she shouldn't know her place. Honestly dad, I don't like this. If this is some kinda joke it has to stop. I don't know whatever promise you made to her dad that gives her the audacity to be saying such unreasonable stuff. I can't and I won't have any sort of relationship with her, you parents keep your relationships to yourself. Do you even know how she acts? She bullies others, she's arrogant and disrespectful. She once stupidly threatened me when she's no where near my level. Luciana even had the guts to send someone to spy on my activities at my dorm!" Jay doesn't want me to know about the fake janitor Lucia assigned to us but I'm just as smart, so I let him handle it. Because if I do, both the janitor and the matron and all that's involved will face my wrath. That's why Jay doesn't want me to know, but it's all good.

"Listen to me Jordan." Dad started, calling me by my middle name as usual. "I'm sorry about her attitude but I guess she's just happy to meet you my son. Your mother must have told you about the meeting with Mr Caden. But don't worry, you can just try being friends with Lucia, I'm sure you'll get to love her soon." He said casually, like it was a normal thing.

"What's that supposed to mean Dad? Is that how you met Mom?" I flared up. He was sounding really ridiculous, does he know?

"Jordan I'm your father. You don't question me in that manner!"

"Wow great! You don't want to be questioned in that manner yet you wanna mess up my life because of some unreasonable promise you made to an old friend? Look Dad, I'm very well aware of how you and Mom met and it wasn't anything like this. I Daniel, wouldn't have anything to do with a spoilt, arrogant and unruly girl and that's a promise. If you really want the happiness of your children, you wouldn't dare or even try to arrange partners for them. For goodness sake Dad, you of all people should know marriage isn't a child's play! It's supposed to be a life time commitment Dad. It's best you tell Mr Caden that plan was a total mistake. Don't make me regret having you as my dad. If you really still want to continue, you should consider having another son because this one here isn't gonna be part of that treacherous practice no matter what you do! Good bye Dad, it wasn't so nice talking about this with you."

"My son, I understand how you feel now. But it's been said already and you know I don't go back on my words." He said pleadingly.

"Then you'll have to go back on your words this time, as the price to pay for not hearing from your son before uttering such strong words in your excitement of meeting an old friend. Don't call me, Dad. I won't answer until you dissolve that statement. Cut me off if you want, you know I'm very well able to care for myself. Good bye." I removed the earpiece from my ear and flung it somewhere, disconnecting the call. My Dad knows me well enough to know what I can do when really angry.

The honking of cars brought to my notice that the traffic had eased. I stepped on the pedal and drove off, placing a call to Jay.