A chapter in my book turned script(contd)

A man walks to the receptionist. He is in a light blue blazer, black shirt with its last two buttons popped open and no tie. He is in his early forties.
“Good day sir, how may I help you?” the receptionist says
“I believe I have an appointment with Mrs Sullivan. Is she in this time?”

“Yes, but she is presently occupied,” the receptionist says.
The man walks to one of the sofas in the office, plops himself gracefully, crosses his legs and throws his arm leisurely on the black leather. He stares at the flat screen in front of him, not able to reign in his boredom. Someone comes out.
“Can I go inside now?” he said to the receptionist.
“Let me inform her first.” The receptionist punches in some numbers on the dial pad in front of her.
“You two o'clock is here mam- Alright, would let him in.” She drops the phone and motions towards the door.
“You can go in,” she says
“Thank you.”

Stella's head is buried in the papers on her table. Without glancing at him, she points to the couch in the left corner of the room.
“If you don’t mind, I would be over in a while,” she says without looking up. She wraps up whatever is on her table and stands up. She looks at her client but his back is to her.  “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting for to long” she walks around to him
“Not too long”
She stands in front of him. She pales in recognition, her throat suddenly patched. She struggles to find her voice.
“Darlington!
She quickly remembered the last time she saw him. How sweet and loving he had been as always. When had he never been sweet? She shakes her head to drive all her thought and emotions away. This was someone she had fought for. She had imagined their meet again, but it had been nothing like this. This was too fiction-like. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. But here they are.
Darlington rises up “Stella, how are you?”
“Fine.”
“Please seat down.”
“I should be the one telling to sit down, it my office.” They both sit down. Her knees wobbly and jerky, emotions running amuck all over her being.
“Darlington!”
“One and the same.” he says.
“How has life treated you?”
“Mi Cher, definitely good.”
“I see,” she shakes her head. “Let's get down to business.”
“Take it easy, it's been long you know.” He looks and appraises her from hair to toe slowly, he smiles compellingly. “You look very good,” he says.
“Thank you.” She takes a deep breath as his appraisal stirs something deep in her. She remembers.

                                                                          * * *
After getting the home early the next morning, she had tried to sleep but she couldn’t. She had kept tossing and turning, thinking about him. He had been a complete gentleman. They had only talked. It had been the first time she had ever bared her heart to a complete stranger. Why, she hadn't known. All she knew was this need to connect with him. She had finally slept at seven after an hour of tossing.
“Wake up lazy bones.” It was her younger sister, Rita. “Stella I am going to the mall, would you like to come?”
“I am a little tired.”
“Kasali is taking us and don’t you need to get a something for the Owaifor’s party tomorrow”
“Is it tomorrow?”
“Just said that, didn’t I?”
“Gosh, I forgot. But why are we shopping then, didn’t mum and dad shop for us last week in UK?,” she said.
“So, I know. But I am to hit the mall. It not necessary for cloths you know,” Rita said.
“Right, Miss shopaholic. Now I have to go with to ensure you don’t buy out a whole store”
“Very funny,” Rita said. Rita had pulled her into the bathroom, had rustled some outfit for her while she had been taking her bath and cheered her on while she was dressing up. They had gone downstairs to find out that their parents were back and were downstairs watching TV while snacking on fruits. She also had realized then that she had slept for nine hours.
“Where are you girls going to?” Mr. Silver said.
“We are going to the mall. I told you earlier father,” Rita said.
“Stella are you going with her?” Mr. Silver said.
“Yes daddy.”
“Now you can go young lady. And Stella please make sure she doesn’t spend all my hard-earned money today.”
“Why is that everyone in this house calls me a spender. I must have gotten it from someone, you know.” Rita said with a smile.
Mrs. Silver who had just being watching silently laughed and said. “Rita don’t mind them jare, you definitely took after someone and we all know who that is.” They had all turned to their father.

They had window-shopped for a while.
“Rita would you like a cup of ice-cream or something. I need to get something for myself because my throat is patched,” Stella said.
“Sure I wouldn’t mind a cup. Please make it chocolate. I would wait here for you.” Rita said.
“Do not get into any shop before I arrive,” she said.
“I would stay here,beside the money is with you so why are you worried?” Rita said.

She had returned to find Rita gone. She shook her head, wondering what shop her sister was presently in. She had deftly switched the cup holder in one hand and fished her phone out. As she was about to call her sister, Rita had come walking out of a boutique.
“Here is yours,” she gave Rita a cup.
“Thanks.”
“Okay out with it. What did you do to make you all look all guilty.”
“What is that meant to mean,” Rita said.
“It means that you have that look, that you usually have when you’ve done something naughty so out with it.”
“I didn’t do anything naughty, it is just that-”
“That-, out with it.”
“I was helping a guy shop.”
She had laughed “help a guy shop, who, when and why?”
“How am l supposed to answer all these questions. Anyways I saw this guy shopping through the window. He apparently needed a woman’s opinion so I gave mine. He is still waiting by the way, so come.” Rita had grabbed and pulled her to the boutique. As she entered, she immediately saw him. She had hesitated a bit but straightened and allowed herself to be dragged towards him.
“Darlin, this is my sister, Stella.” Rita turned to her and said “Stella meet Darlington.”
“Hi.” she managed to mutter.
“This world is actually small. I wouldn’t have guessed that Stella was your sister,” Darlington said.
“You know each other?” Rita said, looking at her sister.
Darlington answered “we met at a party.”
“Oh, what a small world. Anyways, are you done or do you still need my help,” Rita said.
“Sure, I would love to get more shirts, some pairs of shoes and other accessories.”

They had left the mall with quite a substantial amount of bags on their hands. On getting home, there parents exclaimed “did you two buy a whole shop?”

“I thought Stella you had promised to curb your sister but it seems you gave in,” Mr Silver said.

“Papa I did and we actually didn’t buy the whole shop, kia” she had said.
“So what happened,” Mrs. Silver said.
Rita had flopped on a couch, laid her shopping bags gently beside her “well I helped someone and was rewarded for my help.”
“Stella?” Mrs Silver said.
“Well, there was a young man who she gave her expert opinion on shopping. He was greatly thrilled by her shopping tip’s that he decided to pay for whatever she picked.”
“And of course I still shopped with your money, but I didn’t pass the margin.” Rita said.
“So who was the good Samaritan,” Mrs. Silver said.
“Me mum,” Rita said
“Right, Stella who was the young chap?” Mrs Silver said.
“We really don’t know him, only that his name is Darlington”
“Ok, you can both go upstairs and put your stuffs away.” Mrs Silver said.
“He is a hunk you know,” Rita had pronounced.
“Who are you talking about?”she had feigned ignorance.
“Who else than Darlin”
“Who is Darling” she had said sarcastically. 

“Darlington of course” Rita said.
“Sure he is.”
“Is that all you've got to say?”
“What do you want me to say, do I have to droll also?”
“Okay why are you angry?”
“Angry. Me, you must be joking.”
“What did I do, you have being giving me that vibe since, what did I do wrong?” Rita said.
“What do you mean? I am not annoyed with you.”
“You could have fooled me you know.”
“Why do you call him darling,” she had said without thinking it through.
“Oh, so that is what has been biting you since morning. You should have said it earlier instead of brooding. Anyway that is his nickname. And it is Darlin without the G, you know.” Rita said.  She had realized then that her sister saw too much and had read meaning into her question. But she had been glad to have that cleared. “So how do you feel about him?” Rita said.

“I don’t know, beside isn’t a little early. He has not asked me out, you know.”
“I thought I saw you guys exchange phone numbers and all?” Rita said.
“So?”
“So it means that he is interested and would call. Don’t worry your pretty head about it.” Rita said
“I wasn’t worried.” she had said.

                                                                       * * *
Looking into his face, she wonders what he sees when he looks at her. She hopes he likes what he sees. She straightens her dress and rearrange her hair, praying that age has been kind to her. She honestly wish she could know what he is thinking, at this particular moment. Although she could wager that he is also remembering how it had been between them.