Living Alone Together - Chapter Eleven
Two separate lives are lived side by side.
Chapter Eleven.
"So... How was it?" A cheerful Cora asked.
"It didn't happen, Cor."
"Huh? Why not?"
"He didn't show up."
"But, how come you came home late?"
"I went out with a friend."
"Who?"
"William."
When her sister fell silent on the line, Aislinn asked, "What? He saw me and took me to dinner."
"So you got your date, anyway."
"Yeah... I guess. Wait... Not really."
"You weren't gonna tell me, were you?"
"No, I wasn't planning to. But I thought there's no reason to hide it."
"I guess."
"He's a good guy."
"Of course he is. He's your boss."
"Speaking of which, I gotta go pick up lunch for him and his clients."
"K, see you later sis."
"K. Bye!" They ended their phone conversation.
William and Aislinn started their day with the slate clean. However, like all slate when cleaned, the residue of what was there before could still be seen, so was the tension crackled in the air. They did their best to do their jobs and interact as professionally as possible.
Williams nerves were tried when he didn't get his cup of coffee. Instead, he had to pump it out of the coffee dispenser himself and mix in the coffee and milk. After one sip, he just threw it in the sink and walked into his last meeting trying to hide his inner turmoil.
Aislinn didn't sit in the meeting. She opted to do her menial office duties. While doing so, a delivery man appeared with a bouquet of flowers that turned out to be for her.
Who could have sent them?
She flipped over the card and read the short-handed message.
"Dearest Aislinn,
I'm deeply sorry that I missed out on Thursday dinner.
Please say I can make it up to you.
Friday. 8PM. The Reverie. - Colin"
So Colin was her blind date's name. Her heart stirred a bit. Hope floated in the air and she shook her head from the daydreams that threatened to take over her.
Should she go?
William came out of his meeting as she was still contemplating whether to take Colin up on his make up date.
Forgetting about pretenses, he asked, "Pretty flowers, Ace. Who are they from?"
"They're uh, from my.. uh... blind date," she stammered.
"Trying to make up for missing out?"
"Yeah," she answered, busying herself back to work.
He looked thoughtfully at her and asked, "So, are you going?"
"Haven't made up my mind yet."
"Ok. Well, you know I'm here if you need a shoulder to cry on, again," he said as he walked off.
"Thanks for your vote of confidence William," she said through her teeth. And as if some other being took over her body, she threw her eraser and hit his left shoulder-blade.
He shut his door quietly on her, and quite audibly roared with laughter behind it.
Mortified, heat rushed to her neck. What had come over her?
She couldn't control her temper anymore.
Meanwhile behind the door, William couldn't contain the mirth that bubbled inside him when he felt her pelt him with something small. Looking down at the floor for a split second he saw the tiny offender. Her little butterfly eraser.
Finally taking control of his reserve he wondered what her decision would be about taking him up. Wishing she wouldn't take up this man who ditched her on their first date, he knew better. She's someone who would give a second chance.
Maybe if he were to be direct and serious with her, would she realize that the woman he was talking about last night, was her?
"So... How was it?" A cheerful Cora asked.
"It didn't happen, Cor."
"Huh? Why not?"
"He didn't show up."
"But, how come you came home late?"
"I went out with a friend."
"Who?"
"William."
When her sister fell silent on the line, Aislinn asked, "What? He saw me and took me to dinner."
"So you got your date, anyway."
"Yeah... I guess. Wait... Not really."
"You weren't gonna tell me, were you?"
"No, I wasn't planning to. But I thought there's no reason to hide it."
"I guess."
"He's a good guy."
"Of course he is. He's your boss."
"Speaking of which, I gotta go pick up lunch for him and his clients."
"K, see you later sis."
"K. Bye!" They ended their phone conversation.
William and Aislinn started their day with the slate clean. However, like all slate when cleaned, the residue of what was there before could still be seen, so was the tension crackled in the air. They did their best to do their jobs and interact as professionally as possible.
Williams nerves were tried when he didn't get his cup of coffee. Instead, he had to pump it out of the coffee dispenser himself and mix in the coffee and milk. After one sip, he just threw it in the sink and walked into his last meeting trying to hide his inner turmoil.
Aislinn didn't sit in the meeting. She opted to do her menial office duties. While doing so, a delivery man appeared with a bouquet of flowers that turned out to be for her.
Who could have sent them?
She flipped over the card and read the short-handed message.
"Dearest Aislinn,
I'm deeply sorry that I missed out on Thursday dinner.
Please say I can make it up to you.
Friday. 8PM. The Reverie. - Colin"
So Colin was her blind date's name. Her heart stirred a bit. Hope floated in the air and she shook her head from the daydreams that threatened to take over her.
Should she go?
William came out of his meeting as she was still contemplating whether to take Colin up on his make up date.
Forgetting about pretenses, he asked, "Pretty flowers, Ace. Who are they from?"
"They're uh, from my.. uh... blind date," she stammered.
"Trying to make up for missing out?"
"Yeah," she answered, busying herself back to work.
He looked thoughtfully at her and asked, "So, are you going?"
"Haven't made up my mind yet."
"Ok. Well, you know I'm here if you need a shoulder to cry on, again," he said as he walked off.
"Thanks for your vote of confidence William," she said through her teeth. And as if some other being took over her body, she threw her eraser and hit his left shoulder-blade.
He shut his door quietly on her, and quite audibly roared with laughter behind it.
Mortified, heat rushed to her neck. What had come over her?
She couldn't control her temper anymore.
Meanwhile behind the door, William couldn't contain the mirth that bubbled inside him when he felt her pelt him with something small. Looking down at the floor for a split second he saw the tiny offender. Her little butterfly eraser.
Finally taking control of his reserve he wondered what her decision would be about taking him up. Wishing she wouldn't take up this man who ditched her on their first date, he knew better. She's someone who would give a second chance.
Maybe if he were to be direct and serious with her, would she realize that the woman he was talking about last night, was her?
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