From Here, To Eternity

003

"Do I have to?"

I roll my eyes at Jane who is now being persistent on taking me to the mall

"YES!!", Jane shouts, "You got the job so get in loser, we goin' shopping"

"But I have decent clothes.."

"Decent clothes?", Jane cuts me off mid sentence, "You've been wearing the same pair of sweatpants and tees since 2010!."

"Pfftt. Why do I have to wear something different NOW? For my boss?? Please, I'll pass", I snap my fingers

She laughs at my words and says, "Sing, look, it's been five years"

I sigh as she continues speaking.

" You're young, you're twenty five for god's sake. And there must be people, you know, who might be interested in you or you might be interested in them. It's time to come out of your shell and enjoy life a little. "

I look at her for awhile.

" I'm going there to work, not to date ", I say flatly.

" Oh god, this boy. ", Jane expresses dramatically," Look, I'm sure your boss expects his assistant to look good, okay? Come on, I won't go overboard, just the basics. Melanie, what do you say? Papa needs new clothes, right? "

" Yes Aunt Jane, he wears the same clothes everyday. ", Mel says making me chuckle.

"I don't wear the same clothes everyday Mel.", I say as I laugh.

"You do, They're all grey."

"Your dad lOVES grey." , Jane says as she makes an exaggerated face.

"By the way, he's hot right?"

"Who?"

"Krist Perawat?"

"I don't know. Search him up", I say as I fix the bedsheets, "He's all over the internet"

"NOOO I want to hear it from you brother", Jane smirks.

My cheeks turn pink when I think of him and how he caught me checking him out.

I click my tongue and respond, "He's okay..I guess"

"Okay? I guess??" She teased, "Oh c'mon!"

I shrug.

After my wife passed away, I just stopped looking at people. I didn't think of anybody as attractive or someone as interesting. Camilla's absence still pains me to this day, but I bottle it up and store those feelings away. Maybe I'll never be able to be in a relationship with anyone..ever again.

"You okay?", Jane pats me on my back

"Yes", I smile at her

"Well, I hope this job is everything you ever wanted.", she says as she gives me a side hug.

"I'm not sure yet but-", I say as I look at Mel eating her noodles . "Anything for my daughter"

Next day at work

"Thanks," , Mr Perawat says as I place his coffee in front of him.

He checks his watch and I feel glad when he realises I an right on time.

"Did Violet brief you?", he asks me.

I see his eyes casually trace my body and I bit my lip. Maybe he just noticed the change in my attire

But still, his dark eyes are piercing and very engaging.

"Yes sir."

"Alright", he says as he starts arranging his files, "Your desk is at the left corner. "