Chapter 5. Dropping Her Home

Raven wanted to object to his judgemental remark, but she didn’t want to anger him further. He already had a poor opinion of her. She wondered how he knew about their plans. Did he have spies around to keep a check on his employees? Maybe. She composed herself and picked up the file that was on top. She had no idea what to do with it and gave him a discreet look. Ralph Van Halen chose that exact moment to look up impatiently at her. 

“These are important documents, all haphazardly stored. Check which folder they should go into and arrange and sort them into their respective folders. Am I clear?” he asked impatiently, holding her gaze. Raven nodded. 

“Yes, sir,” she breathed, taking the huge bundle from him. It would take her all night! This wasn’t her work, but how could she argue? He was the boss, after all. Didn’t he have any PA to do all this work? The faster she completed the work, the earlier she could go home. She concentrated on her work. For the next few minutes, she only worked, dedicatedly, hunting for the documents and sorting them accordingly. It was very a tiring and boring job, not her cup of tea, but she didn’t complain even once. She didn’t even look up once to check what her boss was up to. Her neck felt stiff and her stomach grumbled, but she kept on and on till she completed it. 

At last, she was done. She closed the last file and closed her tired eyes with relief. She could go home now. Opening her eyes, she looked up at last. To her horror, Ralph Van Halen was sitting and staring at her fixedly, with his head resting on his hand. His laptop was closed as if he had completed his work and was waiting for her. How long had he been watching her? She had no idea. Blushing furiously, she got up. 

“I’ve finished the work, sir. Where do I keep these files?” she asked courteously. 

“They could wait till tomorrow. It’s late already,” he snapped, getting up. Raven looked at her wristwatch and gasped at seeing it was eleven o’clock already. How did time fly away so soon? She did not know! She took out her mobile phone from her backpack and her eyes widened at seeing ten missed calls from her dad. They would be anxious about her! Ralph watched her expression with interest. It was clear that she had no idea of time. Maybe her boyfriend was waiting at home for her after all she had told him she was in a relationship. His blood boiled and his jaws clenched at the thought. “Can I leave, sir?” she asked with an anxious expression. 

“Is your boyfriend waiting for you at home?” he asked with disgust, but she was too worried about her parents to hear anything. Raven rushed towards the door without realizing that she didn’t have a car to go home. She had never traveled alone in the tube rail so late at night. Maybe she should take a cab home. She walked into the elevator, but to her surprise, it didn’t close and Ralph too walked into the elevator with her, his face grim and angry. 

“Anthony brought you from your college, didn’t he?” he asked her. Did her parents already go to the police? Were they hunting for her everywhere? She’d never been out till so late in the night. Raven’s family has been living in a two-storied house in an affluent neighborhood of Fulham for the last 40 years. Her parents had handed her their old car on her eighteenth birthday and insisted that she used it. They had been doing well in their software development business until recently. However, she always used the tube to commute to college. 

“Yes, sir. I’ll take a cab.” Ralph felt a little guilty that he had detained her for so long. 

“I’ll drop you home. No arguments,” he ordered. To his surprise, she didn’t retaliate and followed him meekly to his car. 

“Give me your address, Raven.” She told him her address, her voice drowsy with sleep. She had woken up at 4 o’clock in the morning to complete an assignment and she couldn’t keep awake any longer. Ralph drove towards the address, she told him. He was very curious to know who she lived with. Would she go home and kiss her boyfriend just like she had kissed him in the morning? A strange restlessness filled his entire body. 

“So, your boyfriend should be anxious at home. Right?” he started again, but there was no answer again. Was the girl deaf or dumb? Frustrated and angry at being ignored, he cast a quick glance in her direction, ready to blast her. However, to his surprise, he found her fast asleep on the seat beside him. She looked so innocent and her creamy complexion glowed under the streetlights that he felt a pull at his heartstrings. 

On reaching her home, he parked his car right in front of her house. Switching off the ignition, he turned and watched her quietly. He didn’t want to wake her up. She looked so ethereal, like an angel. Ralph had never felt himself soften towards any girl in his twenty-eight years of life. His reaction to a girl he just met had him perplexed. Although he hardly knew her, his mind didn’t listen to any logic. He craved to relive the kiss again. Maybe after another kiss, he’d feel normal. 

‘Ralph, she’s eight years younger than you and she already has a boyfriend. She would never kiss you again,’ reminded his inner voice. He never believed in relationships. For him, no-strings-attached, one-time, casual sex was the way of life. His good looks, money, and position always made him popular amongst women. There never was a dearth of women willing to warm his bed and he was no saint. He took advantage of it and lived life on the edge. 

Then why was that innocent kiss so special to him? Why did he crave it again and again? He stretched his hand and touched her cheek, stroking it with the back of his hand. It was so soft, he could carry on the entire night and not be tired of it. She might be extremely exhausted to have fallen asleep this way in his car. He stared at her slightly parted mouth as she slept. Could he run his thumb along and feel their warmth and softness again? She suddenly stirred, and he stilled. Surprisingly, she leaned into his hand. Ralph felt himself soften at her behavior. He wanted to pull her close and kiss her as he had in the morning. 

“Raven, we’ve reached your house,” he whispered into her ear, inhaling her sweet smell. 

“Hmm,” she mumbled, stirring a little and again going back to sleep. 

“Wake up or I’ll kiss you again,” he whispered into her ear. 

“I-I’m s-sorry, sir. I f-fell asleep,” she stammered, opening her eyes wide. 

“Thank you. I’m going.” She opened the door, climbed out, and staggered towards her door while Ralph sat inside the car silently, watching her ring the doorbell. The door flew open and he could hear a male voice yelling at her. He couldn’t see the man from his car. Was it the boyfriend? Ralph couldn’t sit back and watch the man blast Raven anymore. How dare he talk to her in this manner? She was so tired as it is. He strode towards the door and then saw the man who was yelling at Raven, who took all the scolding silently. The man’s features resembled Raven’s, and he was old. 

“I’m sorry, Dad. It won’t happen again,” she told her dad meekly. Ralph froze. He was her dad! He went forward to save the girl from her father’s wrath. After all, it was because of him that Raven was late. 

“Mr. Porterfield, it’s not her fault that she’s late,” he started, but her dad glared at him. 

“Who the hell are you?” 

“Sir, today there was a campus interview at Raven’s College. She has joined my company for an internship. I’m Ralph Van Halen, Production Head, Partner, and Founder of JC Group Inc. Since we were finishing some work, Raven was held up at the office. Next time, I’m sure she’ll inform you,” he informed. Her dad’s mouth hung open as he recognized Ralph immediately. 

“Thank you for dropping our daughter, Mr. Van Halen,” said a woman coming out. Ralph smiled at her. 

“I’m Eva Porterfield, Raven’s mom. This is James Porterfield, Raven’s dad,” she introduced. “Hello, good to meet you. It’s late. I must be on my way,” he told them and left without looking at Raven anymore. He knew she was watching him and if he looked at her, he wouldn’t be able to leave. 

He left and drove home with images of Raven’s sleeping face flashing across his head. It was well past midnight when he reached his huge, sprawling mansion. Parking his car, he unlocked the main door as quietly as possible. He knew his grandma would be asleep and the slightest noise always woke her up. His grandma was the only one who was permanent in his life since his parents had separated when he was five years old. 

His grandma had brought him up, giving him the love and care of both parents. He had never felt their absence because of his grandma. She loved this house, which his grandpa had built for her, and refused to live anywhere else. It was because of her that Ralph came back to London and spent most of his time here with his grandma in his childhood home.