Falling in Love : I love you, Today and Forever

'Whatcha doing?' Rachel sent a text to Daniel. After they had revealed their feelings to each other yesterday, they had spent the entire night talking on the phone. They only went to sleep when the first rays of the sun started peeping in through the windows.

'Having another cup of coffee.' Daniel replied. This was his fifth cup of coffee within two hours. He was exhausted and sleepy. But he couldn't take rest as he had worked at his firm. Though he did not get any sleep the previous night, he was not complaining. He had spoken to Rachel and had got to know a lot of things about her.

"Me too." Rachel sent him a picture of a coffee mug along with a heart.

Daniel smiled. He was quite happy in this relationship. He never knew that the strong and confident looking Rachel had a quirky side too.

Bryan tapped at Rachel's door.

"Come in." Rachel said, her eyes still on the phone.

"Miss Carter, Mr. Jared Augustus is here to see you."

"Yeah right. I had an appointment with him. Send him in." Rachel said while typing a message to Daniel.

"Okay."

'The heart is fine. However, I would prefer a kiss.' Rachel read the new message.

'Wow just in 24 hours you have learned the art of flirting.' Rachel sent the text. Her ears had become red.

There was a knock at the door again. Bryan pushed open the door and walked in with a man, whom Rachel assumed to be Jared.

"Hello, Mr Augustus. Rachel Carter." She shook his hand and gestured him to take a seat. The man was handsome and tall. He had a piercing on his right ear. He looked suave in his casual attire. Although everything about him was debonair, his eyes were deadly. Even when he was smiling, he looked creepy.

"Hello Miss Carter. I didn't expect you to be this young. I am amazed." Jared said staring intently at her. His strong regard made Rachel uncomfortable. She felt like ants were crawling on her body.

"Thank you Mr Augustus. Now, as we had already had a talk on the phone, you want to build a shopping mall."

"That's correct." The man said, his eyes not leaving her.

"Where is the location?"

"Central State."

"Central State?" Rachel was a little bewildered. Central State was the richest commercial area in the city. It housed all the cosmopolitan clubs, a lot a designer shops and world-class restaurants. Opening a shopping mall in this area might not be that beneficial as there were all the shops, right on the streets. As far as she knew, there was no land available even to open a small shop, let alone a big shopping mall.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" Jared raised his eyebrows.

"Mr. Augustus, as far as I know, there are no empty lands available in Central State. So, where do you want to build a shopping mall?" Rachel's voice was doubtful.

"I recently acquired a few shops in that area."

"So, you want to pull them down."

The man nodded. During the entire conversation, not once had the man's eyes deviated from Rachel. His eyes were like the X-Ray machines scanning her thoroughly.

Rachel was a tough nut too. She would not crack quite easily. She stared back with equal defiance. She had trained herself in self-defense under Noah's orders and was no less strong than some of his men. If the man in front of her did something as to bring any harm to her, then definitely it would be him on the losing end.

"First I'll have to take a look at the location. Only if I find everything correct, I will proceed with the next step."

"That's alright with me." Jared stood up. "So, when shall we go?"

"How about tomorrow at 11 am? I have another appointment today. So, I am a little busy." Rachel said, following suit.

All this time, Bryan was sitting beside Jared silently. He had made note of their conversation. When he was about to follow him, Jared spoke up making him halt. "I'll see myself outside. No need to follow."

After Jared left the room, it was Bryan who spoke first. "Oh My God. What was that? Was I the only one who felt that his character was a little weird?"

"Did you feel that too? I thought I was the only one who thought it was suffocating. Did you see his eyes?" Rachel said placing her hands on her hips.

"Yes. They looked lethal. Like. Um.. Like. What's the word?"

"Like viper." Rachel completed his words.

"Yes, just like a viper."

Rachel was silent. She had never met a man like Jared who looked venomous.

"Rach, I suggest you do a thorough check before you proceed with the project," Bryan said, after some time.

"You are right. I can't take risks with this man."

Bryan left her alone after taking her leave. Rachel thought for a while and gave Joshua a call.

"Hey, Missy. What made you call me all of a sudden? Aww. Did you miss me?" Joshua's excited voice was heard from the other side.

"Josh. Shut up. I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask anything you want. I am all yours."

"Nah. I don't have such a bad taste. I don't want you." Rachel's thoughts flew back to Daniel.

"I think you have a bad taste. You have no idea how many girls out there are dying just for me to spare them a look."

"I think I am going to puke. Your words are like stinking fish." Rachel made a puking noise.

"Rach, you are just jealous that I have many admirers."

"Yeah, I am jealous. I don't know how your admirers have no brains."

"So, you accept. You are jealous. Don't worry Rach, there will always be a special place for you in my heart."

"Spare me. I don't know how many women you have given the same special place in your heart. I don't want to be one of them."

"Ouch. Rach, you hurt my heart." Joshua faked a pained sound.

"Go to Ian he will cure you."

"No I will not go to Ian. I'll go to Aria. She will cure me."

"Who is Aria?" Rachel asked finding the name quite familiar.

"She is Ian's colleague."

"Is she the one my brother has take a liking to recently?"

"How did you know?" Joshua was surprised.

"Josh, I heard your talk at the hospital. It's not difficult to guess."

"So, why did you call?"

"Umm. Have you heard about Jared Augustus."

"I think so. His name is quite familiar. Why?"

"He came to my office today. He wants to build a shopping mall in Central State and he wants me to handle the project."

"That's cool," Joshua replied excitedly.

"I am not sure about that."

"What happened Rachel?" Joshua heard her hesitance.

"I don't know. He has these weird eyes. They were making me so uncomfortable. Not only me, even my assistant felt that there was something wrong with him."

"It's just his eyes right?"

"No Josh. Not only his eyes, even his aura was weird. It was like poison, he was like poison."

"So, what do you want me to do?" This time Joshua felt that there was indeed something wrong. He had known Rachel since their baby days and she had never expressed this way about anyone before.

"Can you find about more about him? I just want to be cent percent sure before proceeding further."

"What do you two brother and sister take me for? I am a video game designer, not a person who does background checks on people. Why do you make me do such ridiculous jobs?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at his whining. "You chose the path. Bear with it."

"Lady, I chose to be a video game designer, not a detective."

Rachel yawned. "Great. Good luck with your work. Bye."

Joshua stared at the phone after the call was cut.

"Maybe, I should start charging fees whenever I am asked to do a background check."