Quadruple update because y'all deserve this... and the Trident of Poseidon tbh for all my absences.
As always, I love y'all infinity times infinity. or double infinity. or whatever the live laugh love yt ppl say.
Enjoy, my lovelies!
xoxo
Derek
Oh Derek. Please, you fucking idiot, say something.
"R-Right." I finally nodded in his direction. "I live in the apartments off Sax, down this road here."
Having the opportunity to rip my gaze away from John's and set them back onto the road, felt like someone gave me a hit from their oxygen tank... after damn near drowning in the Indian Ocean. I was a happy to focus on something other than John's continued side glances.
My brain was in shambles as to whether it was overreacting to some very normal conversational glances, but what I did know was that John really needed to focus on the road more.
Luckily we pulled up to the front of my complex just minutes later. I couldn't wait to start gathering my things and launch myself out of this car (respectfully, of course) but John stopped me before I could dish out a quick thank you and be on my way.
"Would you like me to walk you up?" He asked, placing his hand briefly on my shoulder. I turned back to him with a smile. On the surface, I hoped this smile looked genuine, because inside I wanted to shrink myself into oblivion.
"That's really not necessary, but thank you for such a friendly offer," I replied. "Really, you've honestly done so much more than you needed to tonight, so thank you."
The smile that spread across his face, forced an even more genuine one from myself. I quickly slid out of that passenger seat, but as I closed the door, the side window rolled down.
This guy was fucking relentless.
"I'll be in New York for a few days, but when I get back here, there is something you could do for me that could make us a little more even. I mean I did liberate you from the dungeon those government aides forced you into."
Well that was one way to put bailing me out of jail.
A chuckle escaped my lips, and before I could stop myself, I gave him a nod.
It was as if whatever urgent energy he had on his face, sort of just washed away. He relaxed in his seat with that killer smile still threatening my very existence.
"Perfect. I'll see you soon, Derek," was all he said before he shifted gears, and the sports car pulled away. He didn't even tell me what the thing was, but that was all the go-ahead I needed, to quickly get my ass into my apartment building. I was so lost thinking about the last few moments of that car ride, I didn't notice not the one, not two, but about five wet floor signs in my apartment's lobby.
And what happened next, was something out of a damn movie.
First I felt my right foot give out from beneath me. Then, in an effort to stop myself from face planting, I landed on my left foot. Unfortunately, that foot didn't give a fuck about my well being either and completely let itself go. This forced all my belongings (including the cake) to go flying from my arms.
Luckily my face didn't ram right into the tiled floor, but I felt the impact on my whole upper body.
Tears started to well in my eyes, as that familiar stinging sensation overtook my senses. It wasn't from pain though, oh no. It was the torturous image of seeing my piece of cake splattered across the fleshly mopped floor.
"Are you okay?" I women asked from somewhere in the lobby, but I didn't even bother to look in her direction. I was too busy mourning my deliciously unhealthy dinner.
There was a hand at my side moments later, helping me up. I hadn't even noticed I was still frozen in place on the floor. "My cakeee," I whined out in protest. That's when I took note of the lady besides me.
She was much younger than I expected, and in a managers uniform. A gorgeous shade of pale pink stretched thin across her plump lips as she offered me an uneasy smile.
"I see that, yeah. I tried calling out from the front desk but you were moving so quickly, the wet floors stopped you first." She joked, helping me pick up some of my belongings that had fallen from my bag.
Her eyes hovered over the precinct label on the bag, but she didn't say anything as she handed it back to me.
"I'm sorry," I started, waving my hands loosely towards the delicate chocolate icing that had made one with the marble tiles. "If you show me to a mop, I can clean this up."
The pain of losing the cake slice hadn't subsided, rather it was the pain of a pretty lady seeing me fall, that hurt even harder.
I dusted myself off, attempting to look less disheveled and even less like an idiot who'd ignore an entire row of wet signs.
"Can I help you to your apartment?" She asked. I quickly shook my head no.
"That's okay, I should be able to handle it from here." I smiled down at her. She pushed a few long straight strands of her reddish brown hair back, giving me a better view of her brown doe like eyes.
"This is the only floor with tile, so you've got some good odds up there... but I'm heading up anyways to check on maintenance, so I don't mind." She replied, which made my smile widen.
I gave her a quick nod, letting her lead the way towards the elevators.
John
I had started to pull out of Derek's complex, but that was when I remembered I forgot to make sure he'd even got in okay. My car made a tight turn in the parking lot, pulling back around to the front, and as the glass doors of Derek's entrance came into view, I caught just the last few moments where he completely fell in the lobby.
First I was in shock, watching almost in slow motion as his bag of personals and cake were tossed in the air. When that cake box opened and the piece went flying, I almost felt the pain Derek must've, and I didn't even like cake.
My seatbelt was off before I could throw my car into park, but more motion through the exposed doors made me pause.
There was someone at his side now, helping him up.
That was quick, I thought.
I couldn't really see much of her face from the framework of the doors, but the smile this woman gave him was large and friendly. Her hand lingered on his arm a moment as they maybe exchanged conversation... Both their backs were turned to me, so I really have no idea what was going on.
She helped him gather his items quickly, shuffling over to what looked like his phone which slid across the floor away from him. That was when another few words were exchanged, to which Derek offered her a smile. I felt like I could see it plain as day... then he turned further away from me, making it almost impossible to see them as they both moved past the lobby to the elevators.
I pulled my car out of sight before either of them could turn around in the elevators, and when I was completely out of the parking lot, I strapped my seatbelt back on.
She must have been his girlfriend or something, I thought as my car veered back onto the empty roads.
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