MEETING MR. BLACK

The playground was filled with kids chattering and giggling. All the parents watched their kids carefully to avoid any casualties.
The kids looked happy as they all played with their friends, all except one person.
He was on a swing away from the other kids. He just sat there looking at the ground lost in his thoughts.
He didn't have his parents to play with him to fill the role of friends, it was a pitiful sight, yet no one seemed to care.
Unknowingly to him, he had caught the interest of one of the many children, and that child so happened to be Ellie.
Ellie left her friends and went to where the boy sat. She stared at him closely for about two minutes before speaking.
"Why are you here alone?" She asked.
The boy looked up at Ellie, wondering how she got so close to him without him noticing.
"I want to be alone" He sadly told her.
"No one should be alone. I will stay with you"
"Go and play with your friends, I am not fun"
" No, I want to be your friend. Don't drive me away" Ellie said with tears in her eyes, she was about to cry.
The boy grumbled. Why did this pesky little girl come to disturb me? He thought.
"Go," He said sternly.
He heard sniffles coming from the girl. He didn't think she would actually cry.
"Don't cry, okay? I am sorry" The boy apologized to her.
"Will you be my friend?"
"You don't need me as your friend," He said and she began to cry again.
"Okay, fine. I will be your friend" he said and she immediately stopped crying.
"My name is Ellie," she said smiling.
"..." He didn't say anything.
"What is your name?" She asked.
"Black," He said and Ellie frowned.
"What kind of name is that?" Ellie asked.
"A name" He replied to her.
"Why don't you want to tell me your real name? I told you mine" Ellie whined.
"If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"
"No, but if you don't I will cry again," Ellie said.
"Gideon, that is my name"
"Ya..y, now that we know each other's names, we are the best of friends," Ellie said and jumped excitedly.
"How old are you?" Gideon asked her.
"I am ..." She counted her fingers and said, " six, what about you?"
"Ten"
Gideon eyed her. She was just a year older than his mother's favorite child and she was a lot smaller than her too.
There was no way he would be best friends with such a small kid.
"What shall we do?" Ellie asked Gideon, to which he only shrugged his shoulders.
He didn't know anything about what the other kids liked to play with. The park was boring for him, the only reason he was there, was that he didn't want to stay at home by himself.
At least even he deserved to go out, not only the strange girl. He also wanted to take his mind off things.
"I know, let's play tag," She said.
"What is t...?" Before he could finish that question Ellie tapped him and ran away, giggling.
Still confused, Gideon ran after her and caught her in no time.
"No fair, you are too fast"
"Did I already win?" He asked her.
"Let's play another game. We will play rock, paper, scissors" Ellie said.
At least Gideon knew how to play that one. After seven tries and Ellie constantly losing, she whined again.
"Why do you keep winning? Are you cheating?" Ellie asked him.
"No"
"We will play another and this time I will win. My friends say I am the best with this one" Ellie said with her chin raised high.
"Okay then, let me see what you got" unknowingly to Gideon he had already begun to have fun with the little girl.
And just like that, they played throughout the day and Gideon enjoyed every minute he spent with her.
"I don't want to play games with you anymore, I keep losing" Ellie whined for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
"Then what do you want to do?" Gideon asked her.
"I am hungry," She said rubbing her tummy.
"Should I buy you something to eat?"
"No, my mum brought me a lunch box. Wait here I will get it and then both of us can eat it together" Ellie said to him.
"Okay," Gideon said.
And just as he was told, he waited patiently for her to come back.
Ellie opened her bag and brought out two sandwiches. She gave one to Gideon. He was hesitant at first but he eventually took it and ate it.
"I am so full," Ellie said.
"Thank you for the food" Gideon thanked her.
"It's what best friends are for"
"Best friends," Gideon said with a bright smile on his face.
" Hmmn, let's make some rules".
" Rules?" Gideon asked to be sure he heard correctly.
" Yes"
" Okay"
" The first rule, you can't have any other best friend but me," Ellie said and Gideon nodded. It wasn't like he was planning to in the first place.
" The second is..., I am the only one who can call you by your name, except for your parents and maybe your boss," Ellie said.
" Why?" Gideon asked.
" Because I say so?"
" Okay. Do you have any more rules?"
" No, but I will tell you when I have mo..." Ellie was caught off by her mum.
" Ellie, it's time for us to go," her mother said.
" No...o, I am playing with my friend" Ellie said with a pout.
" You have been playing with him all day, I am sure he too would love to go home to meet his family"
" Fine," she said to her mum.
" I will see you here tomorrow right?" Ellie asked him with a bright smile.
" You will"
Ellie attacked him with a hug before taking her bag and leaving with her mum.
The rain fell heavily and because Gideon didn't come with an umbrella he had to walk in the rain until he reached home.
He fell sick the next day and couldn't make it to the playground to see her, and he couldn't go on the other days because his parents didn't allow him to leave the house either, for fear that he would run away because of their plans to send him to a boarding school.
Ellie waited though, she waited until she eventually forgot about him, but he never did.
...
A few years later...
"Ellie" Ellie grumbled in her sleep as she heard someone calling her name.
"Hmmn?"
"El, wake up"
"Leave me alone"
"You need to wake up or you will be late for your interview"
Ellie jolted up and hurried out of her bed. There was no way she was going to screw up her interview.
" Thanks, mum," she said to her mother.
" Anything for my little baby"
" Yes and that little baby will need you to excuse her" Ellie said pushing her mother out of her room and closing her door.
Ellie did her business and dressed up in corporate, the first impression is always the best.
"Bye mum, Bye dad," Ellie said walking past her parents in the living room.
"Hold your horses," Her mother said and she stopped walking.
"What have I told you about skipping breakfast, young lady?" Her mum questioned.
"I am not going to skip breakfast, I will stop at a cafe and eat something"
" You better," Her dad said just as her sister came into the living room with sleepy eyes.
" Aren't you going to work?" Ellie asked her sister.
" By this time of the day? I need my beauty sleep" Her sister yawned and said.
" You will be late for work though," Ellie said.
" Whatever"
" Why can't you be as responsible as your sister? As the elder you are supposed to show a good example, or would it have been better if I birthed Ellie first...." Her mum began to scold her sister and Ellie used that as an opportunity to slip out before her mum delays her any further.
Ellie was anxious throughout the whole ride. She wondered if she was going to get the job. She didn't have the best grades, but she didn't have bad grades either. She was just somewhere in between.
" We have arrived," The driver told her.
" Thank you," She said to him as she gave him his money and got off the car.
Ellie sucked in a deep breath and went into King's corp. It looked like bliss. The thought of being able to work there gave her butterflies in her tummy.
"Hello, I am here for the interview," she told the receptionist.
"Yes of course, but don't you think you are a bit too early for the interview?"
"No, the interview starts at seven-thirty, it's just seven right now. Waiting an extra minute won't kill me" Ellie nervously blabbered.
" Actually, the interview starts two hours from now"
" Come again," Ellie said.
" It starts by nine thirty"
" But I was told seven-thirty"
" Yes that was the former time, we sent an Email stating the interview will start by nine- thirty"
" What?"
Ellie got her phone out of her bag and looked through her emails. She used her hand to smack her forehead after seeing the message.
" I am so sorry for bothering you," Ellie said apologizing.
" It's ok, it's my job anyway. There is a diner nearby, you can stop by there and wait a bit"
" Thank you very much," Ellie said and left the building.
She legged her journey to the little diner. It wasn't much, but their food smelt mouth-watering. Ellie couldn't wait to get an order and have a bite out of it.
Ellie happily jogged to enter the line. After a few seconds someone else joined at her back, his sent engulfed her nose. He smelt better than the food in her opinion.
Ellie placed her order, after waiting a good five minutes and of course, she waited for a few more before she was given her food.
She was about to leave the line, forgetting that there was someone at her back, she bumped into the person with her food tray and her soda poured on her body.
"Shit" she cursed under her breath.
Why did these things have to happen today? she asked herself.
"I am so sorry" Ellie apologized looking at the mess she had made on her tray.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
That was the most beautiful and manly voice she had ever heard in her whole twenty-four years of existence.
Her eyes followed up from the tray to his muscular arms to his broad shoulders then to his Adam's apple, until they finally met his eyes.
"Gulp" He was darn handsome.
Ellie's knees felt weak just looking back at him.
"Ellie" Her name left his mouth.
She blinked two times, just in case she wasn't hearing well, although blinking doesn't affect her ears in any way.
"D..do we know each other?" Ellie asked him and his face hardened.
"We don't. From the way you are dressed, it looks like you have somewhere important to be" The man stated.
"I do," Ellie said that not because she wanted to answer his question but because she was imagining him proposing marriage to her.
After the words escaped her mouth, she shook her head and turned away from him with embarrassment.
How could she think about such nonsense?
Ellie didn't know that her reply to the imaginary proposal was also the answer to the question he had asked her. She wasn't paying attention to him at all.
The man grabbed the tray from her hands, with his fingers brushing against hers. Sparks shot from where his skin grazed hers.
***"Could this be love at first sight?"***, She asked herself.
"Come with me," The man told her and her body began to move on its own. She followed behind him obediently without asking any questions.
The man led her to his car and he opened the door for her to get in, which she did.
It wasn't until he had started driving, that she began to question her actions. For all, she knew he could be a serial killer or a kidnapper.
"Where are we g...going?" Ellie asked as he drove past King's corp.
"To get you changed, I hope you wouldn't be late to where ever it is you were going?" He asked.
She looked down at her watch and saw that she still had an hour and thirty minutes before the interview will begin.
"If we make it back in an hour," Ellie said.
"Perfect" He stated and no one said a word after that.
Ellie would sneak glances at him here and there and although she was caught a few times, it didn't stop her. She just couldn't control it.
"We are here," The man said and Ellie looked outside the window, it was a clothing boutique.
They both got out of the car and went into the shop. The smell of new clothes immediately hit her nose.
"Welcome back," The woman behind the desk said to him.
***"welcome back" what does she mean by that, could it be that he already has a girlfriend? If not then why else would he come to a women's boutique?***, Ellie thought.
"Is this your sister who you always come to my store for?" The woman said.
Ellie didn't know why but hearing it was because of his sister made her feel relieved.
"No. She is a friend." Hearing him say that made her blush bright red.
They hadn't known each other for long but he was already referring to her as his friend.
"Oh my, what happened to you?" The woman asked after noticing the stains on her clothes.
"I spilled a drink on myself" Ellie admitted.
"I am guessing that is why he brought you here," She said.
"It wouldn't take a toddler to figure that out?" The man stated and the shop owner glared at him.
"Follow me, dear, let's get you something else to wear," The woman said to Ellie and they both left Mr. Black.
And after what felt like forever, Ellie came out wearing something decent. It was much better than the outfit she had put on this morning.
The man eyed her and gave her a look of satisfaction.
"How much?" He asked the owner and she told him the price. Ellie's eyeballs almost bulged out of their sockets.
She couldn't even protest and tell him she would pay for it herself. She just stood there silently and watched as the money was deducted from his card.
"Let's go"
It wasn't until they got outside that she thanked him and told him that she would pay him back, but he replied with "There will be no need for that".
The man drove her back to the diner where he had found her and bought her the exact same order as before.
"Thank you for everything you have done for me today," Ellie said with her head bowed.
"I would have done that for anyone ***(lies)*** . I would be leaving now, so please take care" The man said.
"Wait, will I see you again?" Ellie asked before realizing her question.
The man flashed her a smile showing off his pearly white teeth, " I guess we will have to wait and find out" He said before finally leaving.
Ellie frowned once she realized that she didn't even get his name. With a grieving heart, she ate her food and went back to King's corp. Thankfully she had arrived just in time for the interview to start.
Ellie sat patiently for her turn while she watched different people come out of the interview with sad faces, some were on the verge of tears.
The closer it was to her turn, the more anxious she became. Finally, she watched the last person who was before her, leave the interview room.
"Ellie. Ellie page" Someone called out.
"That is me," Ellie said while getting up.
"Please go in, it's your turn," The woman said flashing her a bright smile, which Ellie returned.
"Thank you"
Ellie sucked in a deep breath before going inside. To her greatest surprise, the kind man who helped her earlier was here. He was sitting in the middle of everyone present.
"Have a seat".
...
The interview was pretty tough, but it wasn't something she couldn't handle. The interviewers were impressed with her presentation and they even gave her a comment. However, the person she wanted to impress the most didn't utter a word throughout the interview.
Ellie was currently waiting outside for the interview to end. She wanted to speak to the man one more time.
Ellie had to wait an hour after all the applicants had been interviewed before the interviewers finally came out. They were probably discussing who was going to get the job.
The man saw Ellie staring at him and decided to wait behind while the others went away.
"May I help you with something?" He spoke first.
"Uhm, No. It's just, what a coincidence that we met here too" Ellie said.
"If that is all, I will take my leave"
"Wait, I...uh, I just wanted to thank you once more"
No matter how hard she had prepared her mind, she still couldn't ask him for his name.
The man just smiled at her and walked away.
"Woah, what was that?" Ellie's sister came out of nowhere and asked.
"My little sister is hitting on a man"
"Go away," Ellie said.
"Don't bother with him. He might be loaded and handsome but he is gay"
"Gay?"
"Yes, what a waste," Her sister said once more before leaving.
"It doesn't matter if he is gay, I will definitely win his heart and then we will have our wedding" Ellie said while smiling to herself.