Truce for now……..

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Sometimes we encounter a common goal. A temporary truce can be a great thing. Another time it can be the very thing that will give you the opportunity to remove an obstacle that has been bothering you. Two birds killed with one stone. A table was set in between five people. Tom was drooping down almost to sleep Helea and Aiden was talking about something in the corner seat. Liam was looking around observing something. Megan was missing in the gang she left the office earlier than others. Alya nibbled on the cheese puffs there is something about it that attracts her to order every time they visit the place. At first it was supposed to be just Tom and her for dinner somehow they had more people joined in from the office and Liam was already in the café when they arrived. A smell hit her nose she sniffed and saw a waiter bringing over the food they ordered two large size pizzas and garlic bread there was a few fried chicken on the sides. She ignored what anyone else was doing and followed what her stomach was demanding, she grabbed a slice from the pan and took a bite. It was a bit hot to touch but she ignored it continued eating. Liam who was seating on her right side grinned at her, “ You sound really hungry.” Alya, “ Yeah we missed lunch time today,” she pointed at Tom who ate in a sluggish way he looked more sleepy than hungry. Aiden poked him to get up he quickly got up and concentrated on the food. Helea took one of the bread from the basket, “You two seemed busy today we did not see you in the coffee room too.” Tom, “ It will be a long time before I go to the coffee room again it is bringing me trauma.” Aiden frowned at him, “ Serves you right for not thinking first and spreading things.” Tom made a face at Aiden, “ Look who is talking…….” Liam laughed at this, “ Let him have a break buddy he is working hard. I am surprised you are not too much bothered about it.” He looked at Alya. Alya quickly looked up to see everyone starring at her. Most of them curious look but Aiden looked indifferent, “ Ahhh I just think it was an honest mistake, besides it got solved right? So, nothing matters anymore.” Liam nodded at this, “ Good point, it did picked up so much because you have so much unknown about you.” Alya took a bite from the chicken piece, “ I just don’t have anything I mean no one asked.” Aiden took this chance, “ Well I have one why are you having a career here? Instead of working at the same place as your brother? ” Alya almost choked on her food ‘that was such a direct question.’ she thought. She smiled nervously it is not a topic she can talk about comfortably, “ I was never a good student. I would not live up to his stature there. So, when I finished my studies here I just took the first job I could get selected in.” Helea looked a bit uncomfortable for her she squeezed Aiden’s hand as if to warn him not to bully her. Liam, “ Me next, You looked cute with your brother how many members you have in your family?” Alya thought, ‘ He must be talking about the time when James visited .’ “ Ahh it is big now I have besides my parent there is James my elder brother you meet him and Lucas. Mama and Baba lives with James. They are both married with kids.” Helea, “ Ah you took the vacation that time to visit your family…” Alya completed it for her before she could finish, “ Actually I was visiting Lucas and his newborn twins. I missed their birthday. James lives in the States.” Helea remembered Alya saying something about visiting back home, “ Is it not the same place where you were living in your childhood?” Alya nodded, “ Yeah the place is same, but the house is not. We moved after I went to college. Lucas came back from his overseas work after a year and settled their cause of his wife’s work.” Helea, “ Wow I did not know much about you after all.” Alya quickly tried to fix that, “ It is fine this is nothing important.” She focused more in the pizza. Tom, “ There is one thing we all know you like coffee too much. Have you seen the number of cups you finish each day?” Helea nodded, “ That is a thing you drink too much.” Alya pouted her lips, “ But it is so tasty. The smell makes me feel so fresh.” Helea, “ I think you are more addicted.” Tom mumbled, “ She is more addicted to the person who introduced it to her I think.” This made Alya jump from her seat she quickly blocked Tom’s mouth. Alya, “ Nothing nothing I am just in love with the coffee.” She laughed nervously. The rest of the dinner went by with normal chatting. Aiden was still guarded around Alya. She suspected that he is not okay with her yet. Helea was excited about the upcoming trip they will participate as it will be just for a training program only a few of them will be selected. Alya got interested as soon as she heard that Chef Wen will be joining them. The dinner took the last of the energy from Tom and Alya they looked like small puppies ready to sleep. They excused themselves as the first to leave. She did not notice that Aiden followed them at the gate. Aiden called her “ Sarah we need to talk.” Tom realized this was a right time to leave and bid goodbye. Alya looked at Tom leaving she was screaming inside, ‘ DO NOT LEAVE MEEEEE.’ slumped her shoulders, “ Yes Aiden?” Aiden, “ I believe I owe you an apology from the last time.” Alya looked at him with suspicion she thought, ‘ Helea must be forcing him to do this.’ “It is alright you were just worried.” Aiden, “ But I still cannot stop suspecting you ….” She looked at him thinking, ‘ jeez why am I not surprised at this?’ Alya thought of cutting him some slack, “ I do not have anything to hide Aiden you can think what you want to think, but I am more concerned about who started the rumors in the office.” Aiden nodded, “ Yes that is more important for now there were some things stolen from the main server.” Alya, “ You want to say that data was indeed stolen? Which company was it twirls?” Aiden, “It was sold to them but somehow the Twirls did not want data in this way and decided to warn us. You were just a distraction.” Alya looked down holding her chin thinking of something, “ We still do not know who it was? I think we can get more if we find who spilled it in front of Tom. It feels planned.” She looked in the café a bit “ Does Helea and Brian know everything about this?” Aiden shook his head, “ Only parts I did not talk about your past.” Alya held out her hand, “ I am also looking into it. Aiden I am going to ask you to cope with me for a while till we find out the real person behind this.” Aiden nodded and shook her hand they decided to work together ‘ truce for now.’