Goosebumps! (Taming Her Cold Hearted Boss).

Alice Ruiz hopped along the street excitedly.

Mum promised to get her a new phone once she becomes part of top three in this cooking competition.

It past just past 3pm, but the street was beginning to fill with people, most of who were returning from work.

She was supposed to take a cab since Mum's restaurant was a few metres but she decided to walk.

She pulled her knapsack tighter, fantasizing on all what she would do on her phone when she gets it.

"What the hell?” Alice kicked a stone angrily when she almost stumbled over it.

Alice was still fuming when a man on sunglasses stopped to stare at her like she was crazy and then walked past her.

His manly cologne hit her nostrils and as if in slow motion, she turned around to stare at him.

His blonde hair was styled intricately and she caught sight of his slender fingers.

Decked on an all white outfit, his face was so smooth, his cologne alluring and his stance apt.

And beneath those clothes, Alice could imagine the kind of hot body to be revealed.

So handsome, so charismatic, so my type! Alice squealed in her mind.

And so rich! She added when he crossed to the other side of the road, stopping at a limited edition Benz, to speak to his driver.

But when he removed his glasses, all the blood drained from her face.

Isn’t he James Carson?

Alice's heart started palpating hard.

She tried to get a better view but he put on his glasses and kept talking to his driver.

She tried to calm her nerves and get a grip but memories of her mother and her father going through a divorce because of this man rushed to her mind.

All the pain, misery and suffering they had to put up with made her she clench her fists in anger.

And here the asshole was, smiling and looking all happy.

Alice snapped her eyes open to see that he had gotten into his car and was about to zoom off.

“Wait!” She screamed, but it was too late.

Before she moved 2 steps, the car zoomed off but she kept running after it. “Wait up, James! You bastard!”

She slipped and fell in the middle of the road. "You’re gonna pay for what you did, I promise you!” Alice screamed furiously.

Luckily, the road wasn’t one ploughed frequently by drivers.

Alice got up just in time as a cab passed by and she quickly got in.

There would be traffic up on the main-road and if that is the path that asshole is going to take, she would be able to meet up with James and teach him a lesson.

“Sir, can you stamp harder on the accelerator?” she asked the driver.

“Okay, Miss. But you still haven’t told me where you’re going.”

“I’ll tell you when I get there.” Alice sat up, straining her neck out the window as they whizzed past several trees and shrubs, then the cab took a left turning and got into the main-road.

Her prediction was right, there was traffic.

As soon as the cab got in line, she stepped out to take a better view of the cars lined up in front.

“There you are, bastard, wait till I catch up with you!” Alice screamed angrily, getting weird looks from other drivers.

She hid her face and got back into the car. “There,” she pointed. “I want you to follow that white Benz to anywhere it goes. I’m gonna pay you handsomely!”

The traffic eased when the green light came on, all the cars took on full speed and the cab driver did as she instructed.

Alice beamed happily and sent a quick text to her mother. ‘Hi Mum. Good news, I’m about to catch the man that caused our family so much pain. Love XoxO.’

When she looked up, they were following behind James’ car by a few meters.

All of a sudden, his car took a bend from the highway and began to travel a less used road.

“Miss, do you know those men?” the driver asked.

“Yes I do, that man is an asshole!”

“I think they know we are following them,” his voice was shaky. “What if they’re kidnappers or worse, cops?"

Alice had also considered of the possibility but she waved it off. She was bent on getting this man, confident that once she got him, he would end up behind bars forever!

James’ car began to slow down.

“M. . .Miss, I think they’ve found us out.”

“No worries, he can’t hurt us. I’ll pay you triple the amount, Go on!”

The cab driver was about to tell her to keep her money when James's car sped up again and zoomed into another turn which opened to a more crowded road.

Alice decided it was best they keep their distance this time.

A few minutes later, James’ car finally entered into a park surrounded by fences, with a huge signpost- Cannes’ Community Park.

Alice gripped her purse harder.

What was the asshole doing here?

Last time her parents heard of him, he escaped abroad with several people’s money.

Why would he come to this town again?

The cab man dropped Alice off. “I won’t be allowed in Miss, I do not have a ticket.”

Alice emptied her purse and handed him with all her money, but he frowned. “Is 50 dollars all you could give after promising to triple the fare?”

“I’m sorry sir, that’s all I have.”

“Then you shouldn’t have been so loud mouthed in the first place!” he scowled at her and drove off.

"What?" She scoffed in disbelief, looking around.

Two guards were seated at the entrance of the park, guarding half-heartedly, they both dozed off but were quick to get up to check the ticket of the next customer.

She's close to catching that bastard, but how was she going to get in on the park?

After pacing the road for a minute, Alice decided to approach them.

“Hi, Miss.” The younger man flashed his teeth at her.

“Oh, Hi, where can I get tickets to get into the Park?”

“There.” He pointed at a small stall down the road surrounded by a few people.

“Oh, thanks.” Alice smiled and pretended to walk away.

Cannes' Park was abandoned by the state when another one was built, it was such bad state that very few people visited.

Haiui could boast of a very few central parks but they still neglected this one.

Alice stopped walking momentarily, she had no money to get a ticket. What was she going to do?

An idea popped in her head at once and she smiled.

At the kiosk, the cashier was a young woman.

“Hi, Miss, how can I help you?” Her lovely voice rang out despite the frown on her face.

Alice couldn’t blame her, she knew how it felt to cater to several hot tempered people in a day without being allowed to yell back at them.

“Uhm. I’m here to get a ticket.”

“10 dollars.” The lady stretched out her right hand.

Alice scratched her hair. “There’s actually a problem, I have no money but-” She paused to bring out a pearl earring from her purse. “Can you take this? I got it at the Wallace Mart for 20$”

She stared at Alice strangely for a moment before taking it. And handing her a ticket. “Here you go.”

Alice raced back excitedly, letting out a gasp when she got in.

The entrance was surrounded with all sorts of short shrubs and a few shedding trees, leaving only a narrow path for walkway, she moved farther in, hoping to meet anyone.

Alice stopped to listen when she heard the sound of drums and singing from afar.

Seems like a party was going on here.

As she ducked under the last tree, a large field spanned in before her. Several people were dressed up in costumes, dancing round the field, with a stage raised at the centre and drummers in costumes to the right.

This must be the famous Cannes’ Festival held every year, where high school students from all over the country come here dressed in costumes to celebrate. The party usually consists of a drama, poetry, dance, cooking competition and a whole lot of things to make high school students giddy.

She always heard of it but all through her high school never visited.

It all looked so mesmerising.

But, this wasn’t the reason why she was here, she was here to catch the man that scammed her parents of all their life savings.

James was putting on a white suit, it won’t be hard to differentiate him amongst others and-

Alice snapped her head to the left when she caught a glimpse of a man on white ducking behind some trees.

She dashed past the crowd of actors and dancers to follow him and when she was past all the hullaballoo, James was nowhere to be seen.

Alice ducked behind the tree and was fascinated to discover that this another part of the Park- a garden with lush grass over-looking a cliff.

James was seated on the bench beside a lady, with their backs to her talking in hushed tones.

She stared at them for a moment, thinking of a plan.

Jump on him and grab his collar all of a sudden? Or appear like a civilized lady and accuse him of fraud?

She was still thinking when James put on his sunglasses back and stood up, Alice quickly hid behind the tree as they both returned to the field standing hands in hands, the lady pointing at the dancers and giggling.

Alice couldn’t take it anymore, she lurched towards them from behind. “Hey you, mister!”

Due to the noise, they didn’t hear her and began to walk away.

Alice yanked his shirt from behind. “Hey, you! I was calling you, are you deaf?” She hollered at the top of her voice.

The man let out a strangled breath. “Excuse me, Miss. I didn’t hear you but that doesn’t give you the right to harass me like this.”

His voice was quite different from what she remembered but Alice persisted. “You fraudster, you remember me, can’t you?” She glared at him, her face reflecting in his sunglasses.