10 Parisa Barnes

LUCAS

The lighting in Quik was dim and the air was thick with the scents of so many different foods.

The restaurant had large mullioned windows and long blackout curtains. The tables were a mahogany colour with vibrant flowers in vases on each of them while the floor was polished concrete. There was a lounge area in the corner of the room that had embroidered couches, oval coffee tables and tea served from golden trays in golden teapots.

It was a book four months in advance restaurant, not the kind of place you get a table on impulse.

They also offer take outs and delivery in a separate building that was adjoined to the restaurant but you had to be a prominent person if you want to be attended to.

Lucas checked the e-mail Parisa sent to him for the sixth time as delicate live piano music filled the restaurant. He didn't want to mess anything up. He had arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes before the time she had said in the e-mail and the time now was nine-eighteen PM. She had also sent him another e-mail to tell him that she had already booked a reservation and he shouldn't bother about it.

A notification from Fodel appeared on the screen of the phone. It was about the awards Imani Tallerico was going to be awarded. He'd seen it on the news in the morning and he couldn't help but feel a little bit angry at the fact that she didn't reply his e-mails.

"Are you ready to place an order now, sir?" the waitress asked with a smile after stopping at his table.

He returned her smile. "No, not yet," he replied and she nodded at him before she walked off.

His phone buzzed on the table with an incoming message and he picked it up immediately.

He didn't know why he had been half-expecting it to be an e-mail from Parisa Barnes to let him know that she couldn't make it but instead it was a message from Vinay asking if the woman had arrived. He replied with a 'no' before he leaned back in his seat.

From his seat he had a view of the entrance, only couples came and left but there were a couple of business men in black suits sitting at the lounge area. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the face of one of them.

Nikolay Ponchikova. Vampire king and self proclaimed genius. He was the CEO of Temple, a wine company, and philanthropist. He hated Lucas Harrison and Lucas hated him too, maybe even more.

Nikolay scowled at Lucas when he saw him and proceeded to stand up.

'Oh, hell no.' Lucas narrowed his eyes at him.

If it was any other day and any other place, Lucas wouldn't mind. He'd kill him if the action wouldn't cause a domino effect. But not here. There were people here and he didn't want a repeat of what happened four years ago.

One of the other men who Lucas recognized as his second in command, Takeda Miyuki, stood up and held him back but he tried to move around him before Takeda whispered something in his ear.

Nikolay glanced at the man and clenched his jaw when the front door was opened by the doorman and Parisa Barnes walked in.

With golden hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall flowing mildly and her head held high, she waltzed with an effortless saunter. The hostess quickly went to her and began to show her to where Lucas was and when her light brown eyes met his, she smiled.

"Oh," Lucas muttered in surprise before he tried to stand up but she waved him off.

"Sit down, Mr. Harrison," she said and Lucas sat back down as she slipped into the chair opposite him. "Good evening. Sorry I was late. I was stuck in a traffic jam and I don't fly in cars."

The woman had a certain air of elegance and authority and Lucas was quite impressed.

"No problem –"

"I don't want to take much of your time so I'll go straight to the point. Imani Tallerico can't help you, she won't help you." She held out her hand to stop Lucas when he opened his mouth to say something. "It's a personal reason and I'm not going to try to convince her."

Lucas slumped in his seat and his heart sank. He was lost in the torrid vortex of the moment as what Parisa said swept over him. He felt the kind of sadness that seeps into your bones but while his body seemed to grow colder and his mind seemed to fill with a leaden feeling, his face remained stoic.

He let out an unbelievable scoff. 'What am I going to do now?'

"But I have another scientist who can help you," she held her hand up again when Lucas opened his mouth and he gritted his teeth.

He didn't like being shut up but he was willing to allow it. For his people.

"I read all your e-mails. I know what you're dealing with and I want to help. The name of the scientist is Jacob Peterson. He is no Imani Tallerico but he's almost as good as she is."

Lucas closed his eyes for a brief moment. He didn't want another scientist that will try and give up hope after a few weeks. He didn't want to give his people false hope again.

He wanted Imani.

He wanted her because she was the one that found the cure to the Sirizan virus and this new virus was quite similar to it. He wanted her because he believed she was the one who could help them.

He opened his eyes to see Parisa with an expectant look on her face, she was waiting for his answer.

'Beggars can't be choosers,' he thought and hoped that Jacob Peterson was really almost as good as Imani is.

He took in a deep breath. "Okay."