Arranged Roommates

|24| Teenager-ish Crush

"That's just... eww. Aryan is like an annoying elder brother to me. What I meant to say was, I can't keep up with his hasty orders. It gets too tiring. How many times have I convinced him to hire a junior assistant to subordinate me but he never listens...No offense, but your husband is a bitch-boss reincarnated," Her voice was shrill angry, and frustrated at the end of her monologue as her chest heaved up and down. She drowned the glass full of water down her throat in rapid gulps.

Finishing, she swabbed her face, running her palms across it, seemingly frustrated. And then in a stern tone, she let out, "I am sorry for the outburst. I promise I am generally more stable than this."

Giggling, Tara whispered incredulously in a hushed cadence, "She is on her period. Don't mind her for being too testy."

Mini's sharp gaze fell on her friend. "Thanks for the heads up, babe. Glad you know that you find me 'testy'. Such a great friend you are."

Tara nudged an elbow to her ribs. "Aww, Min, now don't be like that." She turned her eyes to me again before whispering, conspiratorially, "We need to feed her this instant otherwise the consequences wouldn't be good."

"I am right here, you know," Mini cut in.

Tara gestured to the waiter for the order. She then side-embraced Mini, in a comforting hug. "Now, what do you want to eat? The regular period remedy ramen or are you in the mood for something else?"

Mini breathed out, heavily. "Ramen would be good."

She moaned in pain, clutching her tummy to suppress a cramp, and bend forward to rest her forehead on the table.

"I don't feel alright."

"You need some painkillers? I know a pharmacy nearby." I offered, worriedly.

"Painkillers don't work for me. The pain becomes numb for a while but after a few hours it becomes a hundred times worse than before," She said, staring longingly at the kettle of tea kept on the table.

Pouting, she asked, "Do you think the staff here would mind if I picked that hot kettle up and kept it on my tummy for a few seconds?"

I understood her sentiment quite well.

"Umm...I am sure they won't mind it but-" Before I could finish the sentence, she picked it up and kept it on its desired destination. This time, her sigh was soft and relieved as she closed her eyes, her head lulling back on the chair.

Everybody in the vicinity gaped that the antiques that were being performed on our table.

The waiter descended to our table at that exact moment and cleared his throat. His eyes indirectly motioned toward the kettle. "Uh...ma'am," He searched for the correct words to say but couldn't seem to find any.

Saving him of his misery, I said, "Please bring us four glasses of boiling water and a bottle of water." It was an order, more than a request.

He looked at me like I had made the most absurd demand in the world of the restaurant hospitality business but then nodded when I gave him my signature scary glare.

"I would have peed my pants if I was on the receiving end of that glare, girl." Tara's eyes followed the retreating back of the waiter as the corner of her painted lips tilted up in a smile when she glanced at me. "Damn, you are scary."

That I have been told.

I didn't have the heart to take the source of relaxing heat away from Mini, even though it was making us the center of attention for every single eye here.

The server halted beside us as I uncapped the water bottle. He eyed me suspiciously.

I skimmed at him blankly, wanting him to go away. "We will inform you when we are ready to order. Give us a few minutes."