"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I nudged Romilda.
It was a bright Thursday afternoon to stay indoors. I almost regretted taking a leave from work. Almost. Work at Bexley's was intense at times, but it kept my head occupied. It's better to fry your grey cells than sit and watch stupid stuff on TV. I missed peeking at Josh's handsome face, to be honest. If it were not for Stupid Turner, I would have told him Josh much I adored him. Will Turner promoted to the Stupid level. At this point, I had an established hierarchy for his simultaneous erratic behavior:
Indifferent Turner < Drunk Turner < Grumpy Turner < Tyranny Turner < Stupid Turner
"I am not waking up till it's evening!"Roms cried from her bed.
Poor girl had been sleeping in for quite a few days this week. The nearing graduation had driven her crazy. After a year-long drop, she did exceptionally well at her third-year finals. Kade had kept her sane.
"You sure?" I asked.
"I am damn sure. I feel it in my tits!" She said groaning.
I decided to spend the afternoon reading a Jane Austen novel. I settled with 'Persuasion'.
"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant..." I nearly cried reading Wentworth's confession.
Austen had me questioning on how many Anne Elliots and Frederick Wentworths were still out there! I had not heard of a love story that bloomed with a 'second chance'. Why? Life was small, and there were plenty of fish in the sea! Forevers are once in a lifetime, and could anything change that. What about the anonymous Office Romeo? The thought had me unsettled.
"Whatever, I will still find a way for him to be with his Juliet. I don't want to lose Josh." I muttered when I heard sounds in the kitchen.
"Who wants some pasta, Indian style?" Roms screamed from the kitchen.
"Weren't you sleeping in?" I asked, putting the book down.
"I have got places to be. I am going out on a date!" She squeaked and danced a little as she walked into the kitchen.
Wow. To be young and in love!
I wondered what people do on dates. I was not a prude or an old whack, but truth be told, I could count how many boys I had kissed to date. There wasn't much to count, just two - Brian from Middle School and Will, and if a dare counts then, Ronny from college. A realization hit me. I hadn't dated much. Will's face popped in my head with the thought. Ridiculous! To think there could be anything good between Will and me. I sighed.
~
"This is really good." I said taking a spoonful of pasta.
I heard the knock on our door. Did Kade finally decide to lift the veil of anonymity? I had never seen him pick up Roms before. It was about 3:45. The date was up for 4. Roms had told me a hundred times that she needed to be out before 3:50.
"Was Kade gonna pick you up, Roms?" I asked.
"Nope. Must be someone else!" Roms giggled as she put on her lip-gloss.
"Weird. I will go get that!"
I opened the door to find Will in a robin's egg blue shirt and denim.
His blonde hair was tousled. Still donning a shaved mug, his hands occupied with an envelope and a bouquet of daisies. Hot but. What the fuck?
"How may I help you? Boss. Will. Mr.Turner. Ugh, tell me." I pretended to be 'nice'! Didn't I?
"May I get in first, and then you can practice blabbering for a decent time!" He chuckled and entered in without waiting for my word. The nerve of this man!
When I turned around, I found him sitting on our couch. I raised an eyebrow.
"As far as I remember, I didn't break your vase or ruin your office this time! Why are you dressed like Josh from 'The Hating Game' ?" I said
"None of your concern, Shortcake." Fucker.
"Who you calling 'short'?"
"Who you calling 'Josh'?" He spitted as if it was the filthiest word on Earth.
"Whatever! Why are you here?" I scoffed.
"I thought we were friends!" he said.
"That's what they all say after kissing!" Douche bag!
I eyed Romilda, who shot me an innocent look. Someone's in hot water. Roms went in to give Will a quick hug.
"Who are these flowers for?" Roms asked
"For my feisty employee, I am afraid!" He replied, and they both broke into fits of laughter.
Making his way to me, he offered me the bouquet of daises. Quite gentleman-like manners, but from a man who had a personality of a tramp. He was trying to be nice. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, trying to shake off the awkward feeling.
"We need to talk, Eva!" He put in shortly.
"About what?"I asked awkwardly, clutching the bouquet tightly.
"About stuff..." He said blankly.
Roms stepped out of the apartment as we talked. I never felt more disowned than that in eternity. What about the 'sis code'? Leave no sister behind? Wait, is it the 'bro-code'? Why don't we gals come up with ours too? Sisters before half-minded assholes. Why can't we?
"Okay. Before we go on with whatever we are to talk about, out of fake concern, would you like to drink something?" I said as I walked towards the kitchen.
I didn't care if he died of thirst. However, how pitiful it would be to see a man dying in my apartment. Not that I wasn't aware of people dying from thirst.
"Just water, please. Sparkling would do." He said as he took a seat on the couch.
"I own a house, not a hotel. We only have tap water!" I scoffed, filling a glass with tap water, and offered it to him.
"Anything works as long as you are serving!" He took it, giving me a big grin as he took a sip.
What the-was he flirting with me?
Two could play this game! I am so damn in if that is what it takes to defeat Will Turner's flaring ego. Bring it on, bastard!
"Anything, you say?" I said and moved closer to him, halting a few inches from him.
His eyes stared at mine, and I flashed my best smile. I felt his cheeks turning red. Oh God, is this what it takes for him to blush! I will make him weak in the knees. Somebody's gotta put him back into his place.
The next thing I knew was his fingers brushing past my locks. He tucked two locks behind my ear. His fingers moved softly. Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn't ask for this! I felt blood rushing into my cheeks, my breath turning heavier. Something crackled between us, and the air had a zing to it!
No, no, no! I wasn't supposed to be on the receiving end. I moved two steps backward and tumbled down, landing on my back. Ouch!
"Are you okay, Eva?" He asked, his voice husky
"How's that possible with you around?" I mocked, moving away from him.
His expressions changed from being hurt to cold, and the usual distant look was back. Shit! Not the intended effect.
"Get a seat and get done with this. I am in a hurry." He said, irritated.
"Okay!"
We sat opposite to each other in the living room, and he produced an envelope.
"Your cheque..." He added, and I flipped it open. My eyes went wide.
"With a pay raise?"
"Yes. With a pay raise. For your efforts and hard work. And a probable promotion." He affirmed.
"For real?" I screamed with joy.I couldn't believe it.
"Yeah!" He said and smiled.
He was here to hand me my cheque!
The amount was crazy. Cassie was right- wait for the paychecks on the worst days at work.
"Hmm. Thank you." I said rather awkwardly, feeling a little bad for before.
"With all due honesty, I don't expect you to be polite, Eva. After the party, I know you have been through a lot.
I just wanted to personally and appropriately apologize to you for my actions. I will keep my distance." He said, and my face dropped.
"Apology accepted." I put in duly, making it less tiresome for us.
Tyranny Turner swallowed his pride to be here; it would do for now. I didn't expect him to change overnight. For starters, this was good, more than good perhaps. The new Will Turner would be too fake for everyone, for me. Some things are best taken slow.
"See you on Monday, then!" Will said as I heard the doorknob turn.
"No weekend shifts?" I asked.
"Not this week." He grinned.
I stared at the envelope in my hand a little longer.
"For Eva"
I had seen the handwriting before, but where? I will figure it out later.