Shattered Love

Chapter 22: Halloween Parade

It was Halloween and here she was standing in the middle of the grass field clad in a pirate suit with an eye patch covering one of her eyes. Alexandra was at the Halloween Parade held once in a year and she never thought until yesterday that she will be spending her time on this very day attending to this kind of event.

Nikolei had once again persuaded her to attend this parade with him as his company since his son went with one of his friends and Nikolei's workers. She'd call Grant before, asking him if it was okay to go out with Nikolei Machiavelli once again since it wouldn't be nice if some despicable rumours about her spending time with Nikolei while Grant was away reached out to him when he was not told about it.

So, she decided it's better to acknowledge Grant in everything she did if it involved single gentlemen from her own mouth rather than to let him find out about it the hard way. She wouldn't want their relationship to be torn apart by just some untrue rumours.

She sighed profoundly and slowly plucked some of strawberry cotton candy in her hand before putting it into her mouth and let it melt. The field was exceptionally beautiful, decorated with strings of colourful lights with stalls and vendors arranged orderly in lines selling foods and offering a chance at childish yet fun games.

Nikolei had went to buy them some milkshakes, and here she was waiting for him patiently as she watched the surrounding around her rather amusingly. He had gone with the look from the olden days the aristocrats used to wear. He stood confidently on her door step that evening, sporting the classic Victorian Era dark brown frock coat with a royal blue ascot tie around his neck along with a tall black top hat. His hand held a vintage-looking walking stick, grinning widely at her without feeling a bit embarrassed.

Its unfair, very unfair for him to look that modern in such an old fashion style. He even stood tall in his position, with passers-by turning their heads just to look at his ridiculous good-looking fashion sense.

"Here you go!" He exclaimed excitedly when he handed her a tall glass of milkshake. "The line was very long and almost everyone apologised to me tonight for stepping on my shoes."

"Thanks." She replied, sucking the straw carefully.

Alexandra glanced at her watch as she drank her milkshake through the colourful pinstripe straw. Both of them were siting on a log that was made to become a chair. Nikolei too was drinking his milkshake, sparing her a glance once in a while.

He cleared his throat, "So... has my dad been coming alone to the bakery?"

"No, not really. He came with your sister, Petra, sometimes." She said rather monotonously. "Uh, cotton candy?"

Nikolei chuckled and plucked some of the cotton candy from Alexandra's hand. These small gestures made his heart fluttered, and sharing food with Alexandra was something he was happy to do again. He had come to think that tonight was a date, unbeknownst to Alexandra who thought that she was doing this in favour for him who had no one to go with.

Well, yes... Gayle had went with Maria, Boris and Lily to the parade, but that was after he persuaded him to and Gayle, like the good son he was, he had followed what he had planned with no questions asked. Of course, Gayle did sent him a weird look with the questioning stare evident in his eyes, but he never really did come forward with it although Nikolei had hope him to.

Quickly, he stood up from the log and extended his hand towards Alexandra who was watching him wearily. He grinned, "Come on. Let's try the Haunted Boat Ride."