Pernicious

3.

Evelyn Jones

Aroma of coffee hit my nostrils when I entered the cafe. Ron and Candice had already occupied a table, waiting for me.

Two days ago, Ron demanded that we go for brunch together as we barely met.

I walked towards them and Ron smiled at me when he saw me coming. Candice had her back towards me but glanced over her shoulder when she saw Ron smiling.

"It's been weeks since I last saw you Ron, how are you doing?" I said. He has been very busy since he started working at a hospital as a nurse.

He stood up and gave me a quick hug." I'm doing great. What about you?" He asked me above my head.

"Me too, I missed you."

"Hello? I'm sitting here too. You didn't miss me?" Candice said, still sitting in her chair, holding her hands out by her sides.

I playfully rolled my eyes at her and smiled. "Stop being dramatic, I met you two days ago." I said and hugged her when she stood up.

"Two days. It's a long time." She said, chuckling over my shoulder. We sat down and ordered some pancakes and talked till they arrived.

"You are going to choke on your food and die without experiencing how it feels with a huge dick instead."

My eyes widened at Candice's remark and I choked on the pancake which I have been stuffing in my mouth like a starved pig. I started coughing and my eyes started to water.

Ron stood up offering me some water while rubbing my back. I gratefully took it from his hand.

Candice immediately took out my inhaler from my tote bag which I was carrying, inserting the pill in it while looking at me worriedly.

After taking a sip of water, I took the inhaler from her and inhaled the medicine through the mouthpiece, breathing better than before.

I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 9. My doctor told me it's not severe but advised to carry an inhaler around just in case. I rarely used it but still carried it with me.

"I'm so sorry Eve, I didn't mean- I should have known-" I interrupted her frantic apologies with a head shake while wiping under my eyes.

"How could have you known that I was going to actually fucking choke on the pancake? Other than the possibility that you are Doctor Strange." I said jokingly.

"That was a good one by the way." I said and started laughing. Sensing the environment has lightened around us, Ron, too, burst out laughing.

Candice was looking at us weirdly. "What the fuck are you guys laughing about? What if she had actually choked and fucking died or had to be hospitali-"

"Then I wouldn't have known how it felt like to be choked on a huge dick." I interrupted and at this, Ron started laughing harder and slapped his knee.

Candice shaked her head and huffed out a laugh before taking a sip from her glass of water.

___

I was at the bar, serving a customer her drink when another customer came and leaned against the hightop at my right.

I glanced that way and the small smile that was on my face, dropped instantly.

Rude fuck was leaning on his left side against the hightop and was busy on his phone with his right hand in his pocket.

He was not in a suit tonight but in a black t-shirt which fitted perfectly on his muscular body, black jeans and balck combat boots. He has rings in all of his fingers. Only the pinky finger of his left hand had a ring with a black square stone while the others were all silver.

He also has a hoop through his left upper ear cartilage. Tattoos covered his left hand entirely, stopping near his wrist.

I didn't see any of that the last time I saw him.

He was now looking up at me from with raised eyebrows.

"Me gustaria un vaso de whisky." He said in a husky voice.

God, his voice sounds so good.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him in question.

"Quiero un vaso de whisky." He said again.

"English please." I said, annoyed by him already.

"I asked you in english before but you just kept staring at me." He said in a taunting voice.

"I said I want a glass of whisky."

I closed my mouth shut and turned around, embarassed of gawking at him for the second time.

Ready with a sarcastic comeback and his drink in my hand, I turned towards him after clearing my throat and calming my racing heart.

He took the drink from my hand without letting me slide it on the counter for him to get it.

His fingers brushed against mine.

Goosebumps erupted all over my body.

I fucking forgot my comeback.

I looked at our fingers touching and then his eyes and found him already staring at me.

I pulled my hand away and went to the other customers to get their drinks, not looking towards my right at all.

I turned back when no one looked like they wanted a drink. He can ask Justin or Zack for a refill if he wants. I'm busy making a drink for my imaginary customer.

After a very long time, I gathered the courage to glance over my left shoulder. He wasn't there.

Thank fuck.

I let out a relived sigh.

___

I was going to walk back to my apartment tonight. Candice called me earlier and said that she felt a little sick and was leaving between her shift. I had just stepped outside the backdoor when Candice called me again.

"Hey, where are you?" she asked, her voice sounded groggy.

"Just left the bar. How are you feeling now?" I asked her.

"My throat hurts." She said. I could hear her rummaging through a something. "Stay there I'm coming to pick you up."

"What?!" Was this woman okay?

Oh yeah, she's not.

"Shut up and go back to bed. Get some rest Can." She coughed and I heard a muffled 'I'm fine'.

"No. I'm going to call a cab." I wasn't. "You stay at h-"

"I'm fi-"

"Candice." I said in a stern voice.

"Okay." She said in defeat.

I ended the call after I told her to take care and that I'll be coming to meet her tomorrow.

After a few moments, a car slowed down beside the sidewalk where I was walking.

I glanced at the car and saw non other than rude fuck a.k.a Kayden behind the wheel.

I looked forward and kept walking. He placed his right hand on the backrest of the passenger seat and the other on the steering wheel while leaning to his right so he was able to look out the passenger seat window.

"Need a ride?"

"No." I said blankly.

"Okay." He straightened and drove away.

"No, wait!" I said loudly before he went too far and was out of earshot.

I didn't want to walk alone at night.

The car came to a halt and I let out a defeated sigh. Having no other option but to take his offer, I started making my way towards his car.

//