Nora's P.O.V
I’d avoided Elijah for the remainder of that day and the next few days, only ever answering to his commanding orders and requests. The possibility of any actual conversation was squashed under my feet like I’d squash creepy crawlies. It seemed to be a good idea at the time, but it had backfired.
‘What if something went wrong in Las Vegas?’ I had pondered at the time I’d stormed out of the office. That trauma from the near-to-death situation came to fruition. I’d shuddered and reluctantly forced myself to go back to Elijah that day where I’d then tried discussing with him this whole trip, but he’d ignored the topic. He wouldn’t even discuss the three-day trip with me, he’d basically done the exact same thing to me what I was doing to him, and it was infuriating.
Elijah didn’t seem to care though, as usual his arrogance and nature to seem apathetic to everything ignited my imagination to conjure up images of different ways I’d kill him, slowly, torturously, creatively, painfully. Those thoughts were one of the remaining few that kept me surviving at the office, and I was pretty sure it was the same for every other worker in Coopers Inc.
We all hated Elijah for the fact that he’d do anything and everything as long as it was under his control without our permission. Case example could be the fact that he’d gone behind my back and forced me to join him to go to Las Vegas.
It would end up being another event that would go terribly wrong, just like the party, where I’d either want to choke Elijah and suffocate him or I’d end up getting more questions to a labyrinth of confusion rather than answers to help me make sense of him. It also didn’t help that I was still waiting for Elian to reply to me about Ben and I hadn’t managed to ask my mom or dad about my potential sibling, but I was working on it.
But then again, on the plus side, I’d never been to Las Vegas before. I knew it was named Sin City because it allowed people to do things there, they weren’t normally allowed to do anywhere else. It was famous for its gambling casinos where you could win chunks of money but apart from that Las Vegas was an unknown contradiction to a normal life. Maybe I could look forward to traveling a bit and experiencing new things, but I wasn’t happy about how this entire thing had occurred.
Fast forward a few days and it was now Sunday. I was gloriously relaxing, considering I was at home and laying in bed with my laptop. I’d spent a few hours watching crime thrillers, all the best ones that included different ways serial killers and psychopaths had gone about committing their attacks. ‘It was some innocent shows, I was just studying… I mean, just looking at the murders. Nothing special.’
The onslaught of a gurgling stomach had driven me to begrudgingly get out from beneath my duvet and head to the kitchen. The quiet pitter patter of my feet slowing down when I walked into the living room first and saw Nina sitting on the floor cross-legged at the coffee table drawing something on some blank pieces of paper. Out of curiosity, I peeked over her shoulders and watched as she artistically drew a skull with a rose growing out of its left eye.
I raised my brows, she was surprisingly talented at drawing but of all the possibilities to draw, why had she chosen a skull? ‘My sister’s weird’, I deemed hilariously as I rolled my eyes and ruffled her hair. She protested loudly and swatted my hands away.
“Go away Nene, I’m drawing!” She whined pathetically, trying to go back to filling in the rose petals with a deep shade of red.
“Yeah, I know”, I smirked until she groaned and tried to ignore me, “You’re not so bad at this whole thing though, maybe you’ll be an artist.”
“I don’t know what I want to do, I still have some time to figure things out”, Nina replied, and I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t worry about it, you’re right, you have plenty of time”, I finished and left her alone to go to the kitchen.
We had some leftover pasta from last night, and I was way too lazy to make some fresh food, so I heated the meal up and asked if Nina wanted some too. She wasn’t hungry so once the food was heated and ready to eat, I sat down on a stool in the kitchen and started to gulf the food. My fork scraped along the plate, but I continued to guzzle the pasta on the utensil before shoving it into my mouth. I took my phone out and shuffled through Instagram in boredom.
A weird sound emitted from the stairs as I heard the clicking of heels coming down them. ‘No one apart from me wears heels and that’s because I work in the office, so I have to. Who on earth is wearing heels in this house?’
The shuffling of material accompanied the heel clicks and mom elegantly stepped into the living room. From my position in the kitchen, I could see her perfectly well and the view was astounding. Dressed in a beautiful pink knee length dress, the material flowed around her curves perfectly, adorned on her shoulders was a black blazer jacket and matched to it were black heels. Mom was wearing full glam makeup that made her look iridescently beautiful, her cheeks were blushed and highlighted, her lips a peachy pink and mascara and eyeshadow shined from the light above her.
My mouth opened in wide surprise at this new person standing there shyly in the living room. Nina had turned around as well and gaped at our mom, eyes wide like saucers, her colouring pencils spilling from her hand onto the ground. ‘She looks so different, where’s she going dressed like that?’ I thought confusingly.
After our dad left, skin care routines and stylish outfits became nothing of importance to our mom. She closed in on herself and made her family, meaning my sister and I, and work her main priority. Mom ended up sacrificing more for us than she ever gave herself, she was selfless. Most of the time she looked tired and dull, but right now mom was smiling like a blooming pink blossom tree. ‘She’s rocking the dress, but seriously where is she going?’
The silence in the living room and kitchen was deafening until Nina gathered the courage up to speak and she blurted, “Mom you look beautiful, really.”
Our moms’ eyes twinkled like sapphires as she did a small 360o and showed off her fashion choice, “You honestly think so? I wasn’t sure if I should wear this or some basic jeans and a black blouse”, She replied hesitantly.
“No, I like this style. I can’t remember the last time I saw you in a dress. Quick! Let’s take a photo of you!” Nina excitedly proposed as she picked herself up from the floor and ran to mom, grabbing her phone out to flick on the camera. Mom laughed at that and agreed, striking some cute poses and them some silly ones as they pretended to be on the Victoria secret model way.
During this time, I’d become agitated, fidgeting with the fork I was still holding and bouncing my foot up and down on the stool. I loved my mom, I truly did, but this was unknown territory for all of us. ‘What was she up to?’ I gathered the courage to blurt aloud one of the many questions I had on the tip of my tongue, “Where are you going, mom?”
Mom stopped posing and Nina seemed to realise the scope of the situation, stopping herself from taking anymore photos and sparing some distance in between her and mom. I put my fork down, adamant to get an answer from my last remaining parent whilst mom sighed. She carefully watched us as she decided how to approach this situation the best way.
I thought she’d ignore us or try to make a lie up, but Mom just kept quiet until she headed over to the sofa and grabbed her phone, pressing a few things on it. I stalked over to her and peaked at the phone from beside her, watching mom book an uber online. It was to a location on 46th Park Avenue, far away from our house I realised.
“Well, sweetie, I’m meeting with Dr Arthur at a café. Don’t think this is a date, it’s not, believe me”, She finally replied confidently but I could see her cheeks turning redder than the blush. It was obvious to me that she was lying, ‘Who’s Dr Arthur? Come on, I know it’s a date’, I frowned.
Mom rarely ever dressed up and the fact that she’d done so, for a man, nonetheless… Well, it was sublimely shocking. If she’d done so though, it meant that she really liked the man and wanted to impress him, which meant that maybe mom could finally find her happy ever after.
“Can I ask about this Dr Arthur, mom?” I asked with a concerned stare, following her to the sofa and sitting down as mom pretended to be busy with her bag. I needed to know whether this gentleman was a good person or not. It wasn’t like I was going to let my mom date a psychopath, I’d seen enough of their behaviours on TV shows.
Mom eventually submitted, looking up to me and smiling gently, “Honey, Dr Arthur has worked in the hospital for several years and we’ve known each other for almost five years now.”
I nodded thoughtfully, I guess it was a relief that she’d know Arthur for so long but then again, she’d lived with our father for over eight years and could never properly figure out what his motives were. It would probably be best to keep an eye out on her.
“Mom. You know we love you and we want what’s best for you but is it such a good idea to be meeting up with a colleague dressed like this if it’s not a date?” I suspiciously asked her, wondering how she’d explain herself to me now that I’d backed her into a corner.
Mom shuffled at that, going back to her previous ignorance of the conversation. She’d finally stopped playing with her bag, placing it on her shoulder as she stood up straight and eyed Nina and I carefully. I turned to see Nina with a stoic expression and motioned for my sister to come nearer so she could sit with me on the sofa.
“Mom? Just tell us the truth”, Nina pleaded, grabbing onto my hand and squeezing it tightly. I realised that it was scaring Nina to think that maybe something she didn’t like was going on involving our father. Mom slumped her shoulders in defeat at Nina’s tone.
“My baby’s, it’s nothing to be worried over. Look, Dr Arthur asked if I had some spare time during the weekend and I said yes. He then asked me to go with him to a café for coffee and food. He didn’t officially call it a date, but I thought I’d dress up because I think he’s funny and I like spending time with him”, Mom confessed.
“Do you have some romantic feelings for this Dr Arthur guy?” Nina questioned and mom blushed again.
“I don’t know. This could just be a simple one time offer, it might not even lead to anything more”, mom nervously replied.
Nina and I looked at one another, sharing similar thoughts. We analysed our actions and the given situation, realising that mom really liked this colleague of hers and we should probably dial down our behaviour. ‘Hold up, maybe we’re just being paranoid’, I reasoned as mom started to make her way out to the hallway and Nina and I followed her, ‘We should let our mom have fun. That’s what we’ve been wanting her to experience, she deserves to be happy.’
“So, it’s basically a date then”, I stated, and mom slumped her shoulders in defeat before she turned to watch us.
“Darling, I’m not really sure what it is right now. We haven’t labelled it as anything specific and anyways”, Mom shuffled her feet and looked at the ground for a second before regaining the confidence she had earlier and added, “I don’t want to jinx it. I’d actually like to see where this could lead.”
Nina and I studied our mom for a minute before looking at each other and nodding at the same time, a set of determination crossing our features as we decided to support our mother in this newfound romance.
“Mom, keep your phone on all the time and call us if anything happens. Stay safe and have fun”, I let her know whilst Nina nodded her head.
“If he acts even the tiniest bit suspicious or weird, leave and come straight home, okay?” Nina added and our mom laughed at us sweetly.
“What would I do without you two girls, eh? Don’t worry, I’ll be safe, and I’ll call you straight away if anything happens. Now, I have to go so behave whilst I’m gone and no eating that cake, I made earlier”, We were warned and Nina and I looked at each other, another hidden meaning crossing in our eyes.
“Alright, we won’t”, We both submitted defeatedly, and mom gave us a peck on each of our foreheads before she opened the door, stepped through, and made her way to the Uber that was patiently waiting for her arrival. We waited until she stepped in then waved to her as goodbye before the car disappeared and we closed the door, bolting it securely.
“Nene, do you think Dr Arthur is a good person?” Nina innocently asked as we made our way to the living room. She picked up her spilled colouring pencils and placed them back on the table, turning to watch me as I thought on how to answer that.
‘I mean, I guess he is. I don’t even know the guy and I’ve never seen him before but if mom likes him then I’m good with him.’
“He must be good if mom’s willing to try and experience love again”, I finally stated taking my time to go back to the kitchen before I picked up the pasta and finished it off.
Nina accepted the answer, her eyebrows still furrowed as she continued her drawing. I didn’t want my little sister to think negatively about this new man in mom’s life. She’d been raised in a bad situation and considering it was at such an early age, it wasn’t a surprise that Nina was sceptical of men and potential father figures. It would end up meaning that if this Dr Arthur remained in our lives, he’d have to work hard with Nina to earn her trust.
After dinner was cleaned and put away, I silently crept back to my room. I had no work to finish during my time off and I never bothered picking up any hobbies to try and practice whenever I had the time. My life was basically dull. Even though I had always wanted to try hockey, it just wasn’t meant to be, so instead I focused on work and studies. Now as I shifted back to my bed and gently sat down on the edge, I tried to figure out what I should do next.
I had already done the basic past time activity: watching movies. I’d eaten my lunch and spent some quality time with my family, so now what?
Remembering my plan to work on figuring out Ben and where he stood in this entire mess, I decided to give Elian a chance to explain himself through a call. He never did end up replying to my message. A call would be easier to make conversation with and it would run smoother than through text. I clicked on his number, waiting for his voice to come through but instead the answering voicemail message came through telling me the line was busy and asking me to leave a message where he’d get back to me.
I ended the call, disappointed that he’d been unavailable. It almost seemed like he was ignoring me to be honest, ‘Or maybe he’s just busy talking to someone else and doesn’t have the genuine time to deal with me’, I tried to suggest half-heartedly.
Figuring that I’d need to vent my Las Vegas trip with someone to get it off my chest, I decided to call Jane. If anything, she, and I were alike in the sense that on a weekend we were super lazy and did absolutely nothing on those days. I called her cell and she immediately picked up making me shoot up from the bed in surprise, ‘She was probably waiting for someone to call her.’
Jane’s voice instantly came through, “Hey, did you know Elijah and Anna got into a fight yesterday? That’s news headline worthy! There’s a rumour going round that they’re dating too, so it’s extra juicy gossip!”
I stalled for a second, confused at how Jane had found that particular incident out, ‘Was this actually in the news or was she just pulling my leg and she’d just got it from someone else?’ This entire day was completely tiring me out and I hadn’t even left the house, but I quickly thought up a response and replied to Jane.
“Wait, wait, wait. How do you even know about the fight? Also are you mad, they’re not dating. Elijah told me they’re just best friends”, I answered her stupefied.
“Oh, wow. Well, that’s a shocker. I’m definitely sending that to all my group chats then”, Jane responded, and I rolled my eyes at her behaviour. I fell back onto my bed my back softly caressed by the blankets where I stared at the ceiling, but I could hear Jane tapping at the screen energetically.
“How did you even know about their fighting anyways?” I asked her as Jane paused her tapping and went silent for a second.
“I have a top secret inside source that tells me all of the super sensitive info inside that company”, She whisper-yelled closely to the mic making me grimace and hold the phone away from a distance. I laughed at that comment, rolling on my stomach, and kicking my legs up in the air.
“Right, you’ve got me, but I didn’t tell you that piece of information, so who else have you got working for you?” I pretended to muse with a detective-like police voice.
“Ah well, there might be someone named Naomi Chan working there and she’s got plenty of info on her, so I just use her for intel”, Jane carelessly explained before hurrying to add “But don’t worry, you’re my best friend whilst Naomi is just a friend. Okay?”
“Okay, but again when did you even make friends with Naomi and how did you even come across her in the first place?”
“Landon knows her”, Jane curtly answered and followed it with more detail, “He introduced me to her when we were out shopping one time and apparently, she’s his old next-door neighbour from a while back. Oh, and by the way, Naomi is basically the Twitter in real life. Literally the personified version of the social media programme.”
I chuckled at that, hearing my sister stop up the stairs like an elephant before she walked into her room and shut the door, the silence behind her convincing me she’d gone back to drawing just in her room. I asked Jane for her advice.
“I have a question, want to help me out here?”
“Shoot, I’m all ears.”
“Hypothetically speaking, if your boss asked you to go with him on a three-day business trip to Las Vegas, would you go?” I pondered, completely ruining the whole subtle questioning. Jane shrieked in excitement once again making me distance the phone from my ear.
“Oh my God! Are you kidding me? Are you seriously asking me that? Oh my God, I’d say hell yes!”
“Stop screaming so loud”, I complained, rubbing my ear from the pain it rang only to find Jane still going at it with a loud voice, “I don’t know if I should go.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? Las Vegas is an amazing place and I’ve only been there once. I’d love to go again if I could so you should definitely take this chance. Who knows when you’ll get the next opportunity to do so?” Jane suggested and I had o give her credit she had a point. It could be a few years before someone offered me a trip to Las Vegas.
“Don’t get me wrong Jane, I’d love to go, seriously I would. But, not with Elijah, it’s really awkward right now between us.” I replied. Jane sighed at that, probably fed up now of my issues with Elijah and how I always complained about him.
“Look Nora, if this is your one-time opportunity then grab it with both hands and take full advantage of it. It’ll be fun”, She playfully suggested making me groan in annoyance.
“No, it won’t. He isn’t someone you can have fun with, at the most he’s someone that’ll take the fun away from everything and leave you stranded with paperwork and boredom. Plus, I don’t even know him that well, it just complicates everything”, I whined like a spoilt brat curling myself up and trying to warm up my body as it froze from the temperature of the room.
“You need to stop complaining about him Nora. It’s Las Vegas for crying out loud! If anything, this could be your chance to get to know your boss better and also, he’s your boss, if he told you to join him and go to Las Vegas, you’ve got to do it.”
“Ugh it’s just effort.”
“I’m tired of that attitude of yours, lighten the fuck up already. It’s Las-fucking-Vegas. Have fun and now I’ve seriously got to go I’m waiting for Landon to call me about his latest football negotiations”, Jane chided me before she ended the call without letting me say goodbye to her. ‘At least that explained why she picked up her phone so quickly’ I figured before sighing depressingly and tucking myself back into bed.
‘Las-fucking-Vegas, huh? The famous Sin City. Yeah, nothing would go wrong with this trip, right?’ I sarcastically thought. If I could keep my distance and just do what Elijah says, then maybe I’d get away scotch free from him and his tirade. He’d probably want to avoid me anyway, he’s too high class to spend his time with me and then, straight after this trip I could just go home, and it’ll be alright. Everything should go back to normal.
“Hey sis!” Nina’s voice echoed through the corridor and bounced into my room.
“What?!” I shouted back.
“Want some of moms cake, if we take a little section off it, she won’t notice!” Nina suggested and I grinned cheekily before getting out of bed and padding to the door.
“Only a little bit and we have to wash and hide the evidence afterwards, okay?” I proposed as we started to make our way down the stairs to the kitchen.
“Sounds like a plan”, My sister nodded, opening the kitchen door, and taking out mom’s famous chocolate cake.
“Only a little bit”, We both drooled, slicing the portions inconspicuously.
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3984 words