chapter-22: Special Food

Aria Anastasia
My eyes jolted open, only to see the white ceiling. The familiar smell hit my nostrils and when I looked around, a groan escaped my lips.
I was at the hospital, and I hated the smell of the hospital. It was nostalgic.
However, I was feeling better now. My head felt lighter, and it was relieving for me. I tried to get up and sit, but it was troublesome for me. When I looked at the couch, there was no one in the room��not even Zaiden. I didn��t know why I was expecting him to be there. I knew that I liked him, but I didn��t know whether he had any romantic feelings for me.
I tried to get up one more time and that was when the room��s door opened and a familiar figure appeared.
��What are you trying to do?�� asked Zaiden as he got inside.
��I just want to sit,�� I answered, feeling happy that he was here with me.
��Let me help, wait,�� he said and helped me sit properly. Once I was half-seated, he sat on the chair next to the hospital bed and took my hand in his. Sucking in a deep breath, he let out, ��Thank God you are okay now. You had a high fever.��
��I remember everything until I lose consciousness,�� I informed him. ��What happened then? Was Liam the one who held me in his arms after I was about to fall?�� I remembered only a few things while losing consciousness. So it was confusing for me.
��The intern did hold you and prevented you from falling on the ground,�� he answered, but the way he said ��the intern�� was very bitter. ��Anyway, tell me. How are you feeling now?��
I pointed my index finger to the water on the table and Zaiden got up to pour me a glass of water. I was thirsty. After he handed me the glass, I gulped the water in one go and then handed him the glass. I started speaking, ��I feel much better now. I feel stable-headed as if I can fully focus on work now.��
Zaiden pursed his lips. ��Well, lady, you are on a leave, so get the work thinking out of your head.��
I arched an eyebrow. ��A leave? The last time, I remember you saying that we have plenty of work to complete.��
He smirked and said, ��At least, you remember me before fainting, not the intern.��
I rolled my eyes. ��Seriously, Zaiden?��
��I am just saying whatever I am thinking,�� he said, putting an innocent look on his face.
I was about to say I was hungry, until my eyes fell on the wall clock. It was half past-three in the day, and Zaiden was supposed to be in the office. He said that I was on a leave, then what was he doing here?
��Zaiden,�� I started speaking as he hummed in response. ��The leave you granted�� Are you sure your name is not written on the paper of leave, instead of mine?��
He furrowed his brows in confusion. ��No. After Daniel wrote the application, I double-checked before he submitted it to the HR department.��
��Then what are you doing here at this time?�� I asked, a small smile appearing on my lips.
When he understood what I meant to say, a smile threatened to form over his lips which he covered up with a cough. ��I am gonna go and inform Dr. Adrie that you are awake.�� With that, he got up and dashed out of the room, leaving me alone and unanswered.
I chuckled, shaking my head lightly. My eyes fell on my phone near the nightstand. I took it and saw the texts and calls from my mom, Freja, and Yana. The last text from my mom was, ��Zaiden is keeping me updated, honey. Don��t worry and take care.�� So Zaiden was informing my mom about me from time to time, which meant he called my mom. Great! My mom should be dancing in happiness now that she got his phone number.
I decided to call Yana and see how work was going in my absence. I dialed Yana��s number, and she picked it up at once.
��Good afternoon, Ma��am. How are you?�� she asked me.
��I am fine, Yana. What about you? How is working going on?��
Yana sighed, which I could hear through the phone.
��What happened?�� I inquired when she didn��t reply to me. ��Is everything okay?��
��Ma��am, it has been only twenty-four hours without you in the office, and look at you. People die to get a leave from work and you are calling me from the hospital to ask about work. How can you be so dedicated to your work?�� Yana pointed out.
��Yana, I am the MD for a reason,�� I uttered. ��Now give me the work updates. I think I shall be released tomorrow because Freja said that my mom would book tickets to come here from New York once I get discharged.��
��Yes, Ma��am, you will be discharged by tomorrow, and about work���� Yana filled me in with work details and took my suggestion in a few things. Before ending the call, she told me, ��Ma��am, you know, Boss spent his day with you in the hospital and came to the office at night to complete the work last night. Even today, he told Daniel that he would complete his work tonight. He really must feel something for you.��
��I will talk to you later.�� With that, I had cut the call. I didn��t want Yana to guess something. But my heart fluttered at the thought that Zaiden changed his working hours just to stay with me. He was doing so much for me. Was it an indirect sign that he liked me back?
I had to do something for Zaiden, so after he went to the office at night, leaving me in Dr. Adrie��s care, I told Dr. Adrie to discharge me now. She agreed after much persuasion and here I was, walking in the grocery store at night.
Zaiden didn��t know I was discharged yet. I wanted to make something special for him since he did so much for me. After I make something, I would take it to the office as he was there working overtime. Then I would tell him that I liked him. The plan was simple.
As I was walking to look for more things in the grocery store, I didn��t realize someone was behind me until I bumped with that person.
��I am so sorry. Are you okay?�� I asked, turning to the person.
He had a small smile playing on his lips, as he shook his head in denial. He seemed to be in his mid-forties. His blue eyes met mine. He said, ��I am okay, don��t worry.��
I looked at him for a while. We had the same eye color.
��Are you hurt, daughter?�� he asked politely, while my heart stung when he called me ��daughter.�� It felt weird, but a good kind of weird.
I shook my head, not being able to utter a word.
��You look so beautiful, and your eyes are pretty,�� he commented. ��I pity your father. He must be having a hard time finding the perfect guy for you, fully matching your looks.��
I chuckled. ��I don��t have a father.��
A sad smile covered his face. ��Oh, I am sorry.��
��It��s okay,�� I said with a smile. ��Anyway, you know, I am here to buy groceries because I want to make something special for someone I like, though I don��t know whether he likes me back or not. But I want to show my gratitude to him and confess that I like him.�� I was walking towards the counter, pulling the trolley filled with groceries.
He was walking along with me. ��That��s nice. I am sure he will never reject such a beautiful and polite girl.�� He further asked, ��Do you know how to cook?��
When I let out a nervous chuckle, he mumbled, ��Oh, dear God.��
After the meeting with the man in the grocery, I got home and finally managed to make lasagna. The entire kitchen was a mess. The vegetables were scattered around, tomato sauce and mayonnaise were covering the counter, and somehow I managed to drop the salsa on the floor.
But the lasagna looked edible. It was the first time I cooked something with much dedication. I lived alone, so I would eat out most of the time unless my mom would visit me. If Mom was there, she would cook everything and even pack some for me to carry it in the office.
I packed the lasagna in a carrier and decided to go to the Storm Fashion Industry. I took my car keys and drove to the office. Once I reached there, I went to Zaiden��s floor. The entire floor was empty as expected.
With a grin on my face, I walked to Zaiden��s cabin. I was about to knock on the door, but it was open. When I peeked through the door, I found Zaiden talking to a woman, who seemed of our age. He didn��t have a sister. If she was his cousin, he would��ve mentioned it to me before.
I didn��t know why, I felt my heart clenching after seeing Zaiden talking to another woman. He was sitting right next to her. A tear slid through my eye as I kept the food at the empty reception and stormed off the office.