Episode 09

Micaela's POV

It was still surprising for me to see Fernando Perez right in front of me. What was he doing here? The way he played a role of a jerk to my friend Sabrina was quite amusing, I don't know him to be such a person. He told my friends to excuse us that he wanted to see me, that got many thoughts running through my mind. What does he wants to see me for? It's been thirteen years ago we saw each other last and then we weren't even talking not to even mention the friendship lie I told my friends about us few minutes ago.

"Where are we going?" his voice snaps me out of my deep thoughts and I glanced at him walking beside me.

My mind has traveled far away from here but my body was still right here with him. After we had came out from the club, I was taking him to a roof top where I always go to if I want to have a quiet moment and also have a better view of the stars. I believe we can have a conversation there without anyone bothering us. He wanted to talk to me, I don't know what was on his mind, but I hope is not what I'm thinking.

"We're going to somewhere more of serenity than the club" I replied. The 24 story building is just a block away, we'll get there in no time. Or maybe he's bored of my silence and can't wait to get over this conversation with me and leave afterwards.

"Do you speak Korean language?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yes I do, schooling and living in this country requires one to know this language if not you will miss out from many opportunities" I replied smiling. Maybe he does want to talk to me after all.

"Interesting. I actually thought about it when I arrived, I knew it's going to be mandatory to learn their original language".

"We're here" I announced as we got in front of the building.

"Where is this?" he asked gazing up to the last floor.

"This is the company I was working with when I came here. I use to be the secretary of my boss but with time he made me his PA because he was always seeking my advice".

"Oh, that's nice. You used the term 'was', are you no longer working here?".

"No. I stopped working here a year and half ago when he knew I'm a writer. He introduced me to one of his friends that has a book publishing industry. I began working with them as an editor. It was there I sharpened my writing skills and was able to publish my books in hardcopy while my friend JB publishes my e-books on Amazon. But the fact I stopped working here doesn't mean my relationship with everyone here ended. I still come around and help out at times".

"Wow, quite amazing. By the way you're a great writer" he commended and a huge smile spread on my face.

"Thank you. But how did you know that?" I asked out of curiosity.

"I read your book" came his reply and a cold breeze hits my exposed arms and then sweat make it way to my forehead but my body was freezing. "So what are we coming here to do since it's a company?" he asked not noticing how pale I looked now.

"Uhmm... there's a rooftop we can sit and talk" I replied nervously.

"Oh, fantastic, let's head there now" he said and gestured me to take the lead and I nodded and walked into the building.

My mind was feeling so restless as we took the elevator lift to the rooftop. Which of my book has he read? Could it be he has read Shattered Hearts? What if he did, is that why he is here? I slowly gazed up at him with eyes filled with guilt, "Fernando" I whispered his name and he glanced down at me. Yeah, Fernando is a tall guy of about 6.2ft or even more than that I guess, while I was just an average lady of 5.7ft. The way he was staring down at me right now with those beautiful brown eyes is making my cheek heat up.

"Yes?" his voice snaps me out of my dazed self.

"I just wanted to ask, which of my book did you say you read?" I asked and waited for an answer. My palms were getting sweaty out of nervousness.

"It's....."

The power supply in the elevator suddenly went off and the elevator shook causing both of us to loose balance and I squealed in fright and held on to something... not something, I was holding Fernando's hand. Time stood still and both of us said nothing in the dark, he flinched from my hold and my face flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I was just scared" I apologized stepping an inch apart from him.

"What just happened? Why are the lights off? Why is the elevator not working? What is going on?" he asked many questions in just 30seconds. That is when I glanced around in the dark and noticed the elevator is out of service. Oh no, please not right now! I prayed inwardly.

"I don't know. Let's just wait, the power will come up soon" I assured him and reached out for my phone to put on the flashlight. I hate darkness, it gets me so scared.

"I hope so, we can't get stuck in here!" he said sounding a bit angry.

God wouldn't allow us to get stucked in an elevator. I can't stand the hot atmosphere that is already stirring up between both of us. We waited for 2minutes and the power wasn't coming up. My heart was beginning to throb fast and my palms were getting more sweaty than before.

"What is going on? The power isn't coming up?" he whisper-yelled to my face and confusion hits all over me.

"I... I don't know why is not coming up. Maybe... maybe they're trying to power it up. Let's wait for some couple of minutes if it can be fixed" I said with a shaky voice.

"This is the last time I'll be waiting for another minutes, if something is not done I'll hold you responsible for this" he replied coldly and shivers ran down my spine.

Why is he sounding so aggressive? Does he hate it so much to spend another minute with me? He doesn't even know some things about me and he's hating me this much, what if he does know me, is he going to kill me? I'll never tell him the truth if is what it takes to be alive.

We both stood there waiting for power to come up, that way the elevator lift will start working back. The minutes passed by so fast and when I checked my time it was past 11pm, the last time I checked was 15minutes ago. I was so devastated to even open up to Ferd. I saw he brought out his phone from his pocket to check the time I guess.

"What?! 11:20 pm?" he exclaimed and I glanced down in guilt. "Are we just going to keep waiting for them? Can't you see the power is not coming up and we're stucked here?!" he yelled at me.

"Calm down, we're not stucked. Let's wait for another 10minutes" I replied calmly and he snorted.

"I should wait for another 10minutes? Are you fucking kidding me?" he exclaims and I jerked back only for my butt to hit the metals.

"Stop getting so paranoid, be patient for just 10minutes and...."

"What if the power still doesn't come up in 10minutes, what's going to happen?" he asked and I went dumb. "You can't answer that because you never thought of that" he spat angrily and I watched as he rubbed his forehead frustratingly.

The time seems to be slow this time around maybe because I kept checking it every 30seconds. After a long wait the time finally reached 11:30 and I squint slightly at him. He refused to stare at me and neither did he raise his voice at me. I got confused on why he was being silent. I tried to touch his arm but I was scared he'll yell at me and flinch from my hold, he might even think I'm trying to seduce him.

My back slide slowly on the metal and I sat down on the iron floor in the elevator. I held my head confusedly and I was almost at the verge of crying. Fernando doesn't like being with women after what happened to him years ago, he has no girlfriend and he's not thinking of having one. Don't ask me how I knew this, just know that Fernando is the only man I know too well, period. I understand the anger, pain and frustration he's going through right now for being stucked here with me in this elevator. Why should this happen today of all days? He might be thinking this was all my plan to bring him here and get stuck with him.

There has to be a way out, I should call my boss Byung Joon and tell him about it if he can fix this. I touched the screen of my phone and I saw there was no signal on my phone. I groaned frustratingly and buried my face on my thighs and sobbed silently. I shouldn't have brought him here, we could just have whatever conversation he had in mind outside the building. But how would I have known this will happen? Why is my life like this, why am I always making mistakes? When I thought I could sort things out with Fernando, here I am causing pain to him, I'm such a failure. Bad luck keeps following me wherever I am, where have I gone wrong? My sobs became uncontrollable and I didn't care if he was listening to it or not, if crying makes me feel better then I'll cry more.