"It is rude." My voice was stern.
"Rude to speak of the truth―Orpheus?" She took my name, it felt so special to hear my name from her.
"Rude to keep every guy in that category." I clarified.
"I'm sorry" she paused. "To say that you do belong to this category." she smiled apologetically.
"You―" I gasped. I was strong enough to move her from my path, but something stopped me. Was it her smile?
I decided to pretend she wasn't there. It was surprising to notice how often our conversations got awkward in the end.
"Honestly Orpheus! I can help you―" She paused and my heart skipped a beat at the same time. "Your friend." she corrected. “If you are willing to tell me about your life, something that is not known to anyone but you. Trust me." She placed her hand on my shoulder. I felt worn out, and finally gave in, though I still wasn't able to understand why she needed to know about my personal life if it was my friend I actually talked about.
I nodded in a yes. She simply smiled and in the next five seconds, we were back to our places, only this time, there was seriousness all around.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes." She smiled.
"I am talking about my friend. Do I need to tell you about my life?" I asked.
"Yes. A man is known by the company he keeps."
Intelligent girl. Few seconds slipped in silence. She asked me her first question.
"How many girls have you slept with, Orpheus?"
The very first question hit me at the back of my mind like a hot iron rod would.
"I'm not sure. I don't count." I confessed, shamefaced.
"Hmm. How many girlfriends did you have?"
This conversation was turning out to be even more worse Than I had expected.
"Why are you asking all of this?" I asked, irritated.
"Can't you answer me without arguing?" She was as calm as ever, well this was awkward just for me I guess. My personal life was being discussed here at the present after all. So obvious.
I hid my anger and wished if I could get a single opportunity to save myself from this humiliation.
"Many! I don't know why I'm still going on with this!!" It was too much to bear. The torture was just the worst one I'd ever been through.
She nodded with her eyes closed, without an exception of a wide smile, like she understood all of it.
"Then why are you here?" She looked straight into me after that. Her stare was piercing me and then I realized something I should have the moment I met her. There was something more than love that I was experiencing right now, something deep inside was blossoming, making me lighter, I could feel the air passing right through me, like there was nothing inside. My entire body was calm, just a corner, that was ignited by a fire that didn't hurt me at all, slowly spreading all over me. I had never felt this way before, never felt so well in my life. Things weren't difficult to understand now.
"That is what I was trying to do!" She stood up, walking towards me. "You're smiling!" She sat near my feet, with legs folded.
"That ― right there ― looks best on you. I know it's hard, but try to be this ― always." She stroked the back of my hand and in that very moment, I understood, she was the only one my heart was longing for. It took her so long to come in my life, but now I couldn't imagine her getting away from me. I instantly knew the answer to her question; I was here, because I was meant to be here, forever, with her.
“And what about Mike?” I mocked.
“Well, he should stay put for time being and see if she’s really what he needs.”
“Then I think all the questions were irrelevant. Right?”
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
"You're stubborn enough not to let this go so easily." I smiled crookedly.
She winked at me. “Inherited from my grandma."
Outing.
After a long drive of nearly forty five minutes, which I hadn’t noticed earlier, I arrived in front of her apartment. Being a weekday I hadn’t really prepared myself for the surprise visit from the paparazzi since the spectators won’t be home, but as an act of precaution, I wore a bowler hat, just to be on the safe side.
She opened the door, wearing her usual apron that she uses when she cleans the web that remains on the walls unless I clean them. I was surely getting used to my woman without her knowing it.
"Hi." She beamed.
"Hey" I stepped in, smiling as I took my hat off.
When I turned around, her eyes were studying me as if I was her history book rather a human being. "You look... great."
"Don't I look good always?"
"You do. But you look very fresh."
"I took an early bath today." I bragged, like a small child.
She looked at the wall clock and then back at me, sighing as loudly as she could. "It's nine am."
I immediately knew what she was up to. "You're teasing me?"
"No."
"Good. You should know that you can't tease me." I sat on the couch with a huge thud.
She removed her apron and threw it away on the pile of clothes that were kept for the laundry. "You're challenging me?"
"No. I am just informing you."
"Anyway. I was cooking momos, you want some?"
It had been nearly twenty days today and my usual stay here was no big surprise for her. Nowadays, she just made whatever she wanted to, only an extra plate more for me to have it. So, maybe, we were already in sort of a live in relationship by now, and getting to know her bit by bit taught me something in the process…. She hated meat.
"I thought you were vegetarian." I commented.
"I am. This is my secret recipe, and I am making vegetable momos."
"Oh. I would rather have them packed for me."
"Why?" She asked, her voice strained.
“I was thinking to get some fresh air."
Her brows creased and she made a puppy face. "Oh Orpheus, Headington isn't that polluted."
I moaned in dismay. This girl just didn’t let a single opportunity, of teasing me, slip out of her hand. "Can you stop pulling my leg for the love of momos, Oceana?"
"I am just telling you that you can still breathe fresh air here." She chuckled.
"Very funny." I grumbled.
"It is." She went towards the kitchen and I followed her like a lost dog.
She put the momos on the plate and sat down to have it but I simply picked the plate up before she could attack them with her fork. "Enough with the jokes and teasing and taunting, get ready."
"For?"
"Have you ever been to the outskirts of the city?"
"No."
I held my hand out to her. "Come let’s go, you're going to love this."
She put her hands behind her head."Whoa whoa whoa... Out? Really? You mean in the sun."
"No.” I sarcastically added a remark. “How about the winters?”
"Oh.. Trust me that would be fun." she chuckled.
Could this girl be any more frustrating?
"I was trying to pull your leg." I moaned once again at my defeated attempt to do something she was extremely good at, and I was just DUMB.
She winked and crossed her legs at the same time. "I knew that."
"How in the world are you so aware of my actions."
"Magic."
"Are you getting ready or should I carry you in this... whatever you're wearing?"
Finally my efforts yielded the desired results. She got up and ran for the closet room, shouting back at me. "Have patience Mr. Orpheus, I am coming."
I got out of the car and admired the vast field which wasn’t groomed of course and that made it a little worse for my little pixie who absolutely had NO IDEA of what was about to come to her.
“Oyi princess, come out. We have to walk from here.” Unconsciously, I readied myself for an earful bash that I was about to get.
I heard the door of my Reventon closing with a bang. I simply smiled, still facing away.
"A field?” she shrieked, and it was certainly not the exciting fit that we usually hear outside the cricket stadiums when England wins the match. “Orpheus... I am wearing heels. Were you sleeping all this time?"
Uh-oh. I had a vague sensation that I was forgetting something, not realizing that it could be this important. But even with that anger on her face, she looked A―DOR―ABLE.
“I didn't notice." I quickly looked away. If she continued with this sweet torture on my heart, I might not assure her about her safety with me. I was having a hard time already.
"Now what?"
"Should I carry you?" I smiled earnestly.
The look on her face could be compared to…umm… murderous. "Are you kidding me?"
"No."
She stomped back and sat on the bonnet of the car with her legs crossed. She was looking at the other side.
"Bring me that surprise here."
I couldn’t believe what she just said. She ordered ME?
How could someone be so lovely and yet so annoying at the same time? Either way, she was right. She WAS different from other girls. Beyond different, she was unimaginable.
I gave her a brief ‘Don’t-be-difficult-coz-this-is-very-new-to-me’ look. She simply turned her head away. How rude!
"Don't act like a kid Oceana." I ran my fingers through my hair.
"I am not. You were so dumb, my ankle might get sprained."
Okay. This girl really had a truck load of guts. I never wondered why millionaires fell in love with such girls, but now, I totally knew the answer.
I hid my amusement behind a hard face. "I told you we were going to visit the outskirts. Were you sleeping?"
"Don't accuse me." She roared, and unbuckled her high heels. What was she thinking before choosing to wear them? Did she think I was going to take her out for a date?
Oh well she guessed it right… It was just not the ideal date actually.
She walked towards me, still in the grumpy mood; shoved her hand inside my jeans’ pocket, (not to mention that I was just too confused to react to whatever she did.) put her heels in the car and locked it.
“Here, keep it safe. You might not want to lose the key to your fav-our-ite car. And this field is vast. Some people can lose it on purpose if they are pissed off at you.” She held out the keys. But I barely moved. I could feel my racing libido.
“Hey.” She waved her hand in front of me. Once, twice. “What. Are you dead?” She shook me by my hand.
And fortunately, I regained my sanity. I looked at the car keys and her puzzled look.
“Why do you keep touching me?” I nagged. Blaming her for my racing heart beat was a bit…. stupid. But I wanted to show her I was a good man who respected people’s space, and I couldn’t let her know how painful it was for my body to control itself. “What, do you like me so much that you can’t live without touching me, or are you doing it on purpose. Lady, you are doing what I hate since day one!” I yelled.
She stood there in a mute mode, and I realized that in an attempt to depict myself as a nice guy, I had made it worse…. Worst.
I sighed and started with my apology. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Actually I am not used to such a rough behavior, and, I have never been with someone out of my friend circle for so long. I hope… you’re getting what I just said.”
I waited.
She looked at me with a complete blank expression.
And then out of nowhere, that ‘racing libido’ look surfaced on her face.
“It’s good that you apologized. Come.” She said to me as she took my hand.
“Wh…Why didn’t you throw a temper tantrum?” I asked, still dazed and disoriented, following her as if she was the one to know the way to her surprise. Actually, she was going the wrong route but that could be dealt with later.
“Because I am different.” She smiled. “And people should vent their anger you know. But what I loved about you the most was the way you apologized. You were thoroughly cute.”
The sentence made me smile like a sixteen year old shy guy who’d been complimented on how nice he looked with the chubby cheeks.
“Umm… I think we’re going the wrong way.” I whispered.
“What?” She breathed in horror.
“I am sorry.” I withdrew my hands from her hold. That would have been less upsetting than her leaving it. I noticed that she was standing bare foot. "Are you going to walk bare foot?"
"You said the surprise isn't going to come here so practically there is no other option."
I gave her a naughty grin but she didn’t react, maybe she knew what was going to come to her already. I chose to speak out anyway. "You know I can really carry you."
"Shut up Orpheus, I am so mad at you." She started walking the other way, totally ignoring me.
"I am sorry."
"Shut up!"
I was way ahead of her and we were walking in complete silence. The atmosphere between us now comprised of unspoken curses and glares that she wished I could hear and see respectively. I was grateful about getting myself saved from all of that. I quickly called my driver.
“Ken, I want a Scarpa trek shoe for a female.”
I told him the size and our location, and gave him twenty minutes for the job. Since this was more than enough for someone who drove at the speed of a hundred miles an hour. Now it was my job to walk as slow as possible. Hurting her was something I would avoid at every condition.
"I am mesmerized, thank you." Finally, finally.. I heard her talking to me.
Aware of the fact that she wouldn’t see me smile, I had my set of teeth wide open for a full display. "You said you won't talk."
"I asked you to shut up; I can still talk to you."
I looked back at her without an exception of a wide grin.
"Oceana, your logic ―"
"Is undeniable, right?"
"Yes."
She hurried at my side, agitated at something I had no idea of.
"Can we walk a little faster?"
"No.” I looked ahead, making myself clear about not getting my nerves in a mess by looking at her. “I don't want you to hurt yourself."
"I am not going to get pricked Orpheus."
I opened my mouth to say that I didn’t care about walking fast, when I saw poor Ken running towards us. It just took him twelve minutes… impressive.
He stopped at a distance of few feet, panting louder than required.
"Sir." He opened the box for the approval.
I nodded at the sight of the shoes."For the lady."
He bowed and greeted Oceana and placed the shoes next to her feet. Before he could take the shoes out, she stopped him and informed that it was really easy for her to wear shoes; she can wear it on her own.
As soon as he left she looked at me, startled.
"You got me a pair? Why?"
I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. "Told you, I don't wanna let you get hurt."
She sat down and started wearing them. "Impressive. You have your helpers even here?"
"Everywhere." I flaunted. At least this was something I was good at.
After walking for like, five minutes in silence, she started off with her natural chatting sessions.
"What is so special about the place Orpheus?"
"I believe you depict a lot of patience than I will ever show."
"God!! Okay."
After hunting down some guts, I resolved to pop a question to keep the conversation going.
"How's Summer?"
"She is good.. More than fine in fact. I can't believe she's got a new date!"
I chuckled at her verbal expressions. She was literally adorable. Actually she was no less than a little kid, amusing as ever.
"She did?" I joined in, acting like a child myself. I was enjoying this.
"Yes. And she wants me to get committed with er... Will."
All my humor vaporized with this last sentence.
I tensed at the mention of her friend dating her."Wi
ll?"
"Wilson Kenston."
I remembered meeting a guy with the same name in one of the parties exclusively held for dad’s special guests. Wilson Kenston was…. The heir of Kenston’s hotels and resorts, or maybe not.. he might be someone else.
"Why would she want that?" I frowned.
"She thinks I'll be happy if I get into a relationship. And this Will guy, he acts like he's totally in love with me."
"Really?"
"You think I'm lying?"
"No. I think you are speaking the truth."
"Of course. You know this Will... he is a millionaire. But he looks awkward when he pleads."
I guessed it right. I did meet this guy and he was HANDSOME, not that I was happy to know that our preferences matched.
"Everything is fair in love I suppose." I note with a hell lot of interest that her revelation was making me jealous.
She ran to keep pace with my long dugs. It looked funny when she tried to match it with her short legs. "Even the begging?"
"Everything."
"Have you ever begged?"
Whoa.. This element of surprising me was never too far.
"No. I have got everything I need."
"Yes.. I can see that. Rolls Royce, Revento, Daniel Roth and Girard Perregaux Opera Three Musical Hours Watch that you're wearing... It is obvious."
I grinned at her with raised eyebrows. "Looks like someone is getting jealous huh?"
Her eyes widened at my comment and she shook her head pretty hard."Why would I? I can afford a scarpa approach shoe. See?" She pointed at her feet.
I nodded and laughed at her innocence.
This walking stuff was pretty much annoying. I felt very tired of walking even with her next to me. Tired of walking, not her endless chattering. She was my little chatterbox. My baby.
"Oh.. Where were we? Yes... your clothes and toiletries."
I glared down at her tiny little figure. "Do you want me to go back?" I demanded.
Shimmers & Shrouds (Abstruse) Page 5