by Erin Rickman
“Yeah, Hector, Kenji and I. We go every month, it’s always a good laugh.”
I noted that I would then see them there and exchanged numbers with both Hector and Atlas so that if we wanted our paths to cross, it was a simple text away. We started the walk to the office and said goodbye to Hector. We mindlessly discussed our plans for the day and what we had been doing the night previously. Atlas explained he had met a ‘very nice’ lady and they had gone to dinner. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but I was slightly annoyed and not surprised, of course, he regularly met up with a plethora of gorgeous women. Why did I feel like this? I shocked myself; I wasn’t sure where the annoyance had come from in regards to Atlas’ love life. I barely knew him, and I had Jai. I brushed the fellings off. I was most likely intrigued by Atlas; he was engaging and hilarious. He was a natural at making people feel at ease; I had never met someone who had such an innate gift with people before. I wished I was as good at it as him. Unfortunately, I was somewhat intolerant, which lead to me being too blunt when it came to people. Andrea would often joke about my ‘resting bitch face’. My phone buzzed in my pocket.
From: Jai
Good morning, have a good day! I love you. xxx
I smiled at my phone while I typed out a quick reply to Jai, telling him I loved him too, and I would message him at lunch. As we entered the office, Kenji was at his desk with his computer loaded. He sat hunched over, his hand supporting his head as he stared intensely at the papers in front of him. Apparently, Maze had sent some more sample analysis results on Wednesday. Kenji hadn’t mentioned any movement on such samples, and by the look on his face, there was still no good news.
It was almost getting tiring watching new research papers, analyses and reports coming in and having absolutely no success. After being here three years and working on virtually the same project, it’s no wonder Kenji was so uptight.
“Kenji, Blaire is at Haven Heights tomorrow. We might see her there!” Atlas was far too preppy for nine am.
“Oh, how fantastic,” Kenji said, not moving his eyes from his workload. The reply wasn’t sarcastic, but there was not a pleased undertone to it.
Although I had been in the office nearly a week, I was yet to meet Maze, and her desk still looked untouched. To me, she was nothing more than a name without a face. Atlas seemed fond of her, though, he seemed fond of everyone.
I had started to wonder if Maze was real, or a joke my colleagues had set up for ‘the new girl’. I certainly wouldn’t put it past Atlas. Although I was still getting to know the two boys, Atlas had fast proven he was a joker with his quick wit. Though, his fondness for Maze was hard to act—it seemed pure.
I didn’t have much training left to complete, and it was looking like I could potentially be in the lab by next week. I sat down, turned on my PC, and readied myself for another day of not-so-exciting preparation. I had moved onto the lab base training, covering what to do if you inhale the sample or it gets in your mouth. I imagined that no matter how dreadful my life would become, purposely infecting myself with a deadly disease was not on my to-do list.
After an hour, the door opened and in marched a man in his mid to late fifties. His hair was white, long and pointing in all different directions; his hair looked like it had not been brushed for a long time. His rounded glasses sat on his crooked nose. His eyes were brown, tired and sunken as if he hadn’t slept for days. His cheeks were flushed a rosy red. His lab coat had various stains from who knows what substances. He was a tall, skinny man. Doctor Van Wick.
“Morning, boys, any movement with the data?” he asked promptly.
“No boss-man,” Atlas began, “I’m going to try and cross-map it to the COVID-19 vaccine in twenty twenty-one today, but I’ve already tried the last eight years of flu, MMR, hepatitis, and no luck.”
“And what about you, Kenji?” Van Wick asked, not caring to hear from Atlas unless the news was favourable.
“No,” Kenji replied. “Even with the new test findings, it’s not showing any similar patterns to the most prevalent diseases. It has a protein make up like nothing I have seen before.” Kenji’s frustrations were evident in the way he spoke.
Finally, Doctor Van Wick turned to me. “You must be Blaire. It is nice to meet you. Very impressed with the dissertation. Apologies for not meeting you sooner, it has been a crazy few weeks.”
“Doctor Van Wick, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for having me on the team.” I held out my hand to shake, he glanced it over and reluctantly shook it.
“Call me, Arnie. Additionally, it’s not that I don’t want to shake your hand, despite my career choice, I am a bit of a germaphobe. I suppose looking at what diseases can do will make one weary.” He chuckled, but it was clear he was uncomfortable.
Not long after, he said his goodbyes and left. Before this, he informed me that Monday morning would indeed be the day I enter the lab and possibly meet Maze. It seems she is his right-hand lady, hence the reason she is always with him and never in the office. I was excited to finally meet her, from all Atlas had said she seemed fantastic.
✽✽✽
Soon enough, Saturday rolled around, and it was five in the evening. I had just got out of the shower and was contemplating what to wear. I stood in my walk-in wardrobe and stared at the clothes on my rail, pushing my untamed curly brown hair from my face.
Did I want to make it casual, as it was merely a comedy gig? Or did I want to dress up as Atlas—Jai even, was going to be there. I mentally slapped myself, as I surely should not mistake a work colleague for my boyfriend, regardless of the fact he looked, sounded like and acted like a god.
I settled for something in the middle, so I looked nice but not too over the top. I donned a cropped, olive green wrap around top, tied in a bow to secure it around my torso. On my bottom half, I utilised my oversized black trousers with a frilled hem, accompanied by the black belt that came with the item of clothing. On my feet, I wore black dolly shoes. I checked myself over in the mirror, where my pale pierced belly was on show; I never was one for fake tanning.
I completed my make-up, wiping away the excess foundation that covered my two small silver nose rings on the right-hand side of my nose. I then arranged my curls into beachy waves using an unholy amount of products. Not long after my phone had binged.
From: Andrea
R u nearly done? Jai and I will b there in 5
I hadn’t realised the time flying by as it was now ten to seven. I quickly grabbed my bank card, ID and lipstick before racing down the stairs. However, I could not find the handbag I wanted for the night. I racked my brain for the places Mel would have put it, eventually I found it hanging up in the corner of my walk-in wardrobe.
I entered my living room, waiting for the doorbell to ring. My father was out, the first Saturday of the month was the night he played poker. My mum sat wrapped up in her dressing gown, curled in the armchair with a book in one hand and wine in the other.
She peered up. “You look nice, is this that comedy gig?”
“Yeah.” I smiled feeling excited. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
She nodded. “You deserve it.” She paused for a moment. I wasn’t sure if what came out of her mouth next was a genuine thought or the bottle of Pinot Grigio she was finishing. “I’m proud of you, Blaire.”
I had heard the phrase before, but the name that followed was never mine but more often than not, my brothers. Listening to it roll out of her lips so much recently filled me with warmth. All though I would never admit it aloud, I had always wanted to hear that my mother was proud of me. Regardless of the wine in her system, it filled me with a sort of pride, one I had rarely felt before.
“Thanks, Mum.” As I went to continue the conversation, the doorbell rang. “This is my cue. Mother I have to go.”
“Grab your key and be quiet when you get in!”
I swiftly moved to the door, grabbing the key off of the stag key holder we had mounted on the wall. I swung the door open to see t
wo of the most influential people in my life.
Andrea’s long, hip-length black hair and dark Hispanic skin glowed under the porch light. She wore a figure-hugging black dress, showcasing her wide hips and flat stomach. Her dark eyes were shining. She looked terrific, as always.
Jai wore a dark burgundy shirt, the top button undone. His messy curls were controlled by the products in his hair. He donned tight black skinny jeans and his bright white Air Force Ones. His smile was wide when he saw me, glancing up and down.
Deep down, I had never understood why he was interested in me when Andrea was basically a sun-kissed model. I looked ghostly white in between these two. However, at that moment, I was glad he did. I found myself thinking that Atlas may be god-like, but Jai had quirks, like the way his smile was lopsided or his hair would move and fall in front of his face. Regardless, who wanted perfection, which almost seemed mundane. Atlas who?
✽✽✽
It wasn’t long before we hit the centre of town with my house being situated on the outskirts. Throughout England, my cities nightlife was known to be one of the best. Everything and anything occurred which made for an exciting night out. Everywhere I looked, there were groups upon groups of people. Mainly around our age, however, occasionally you would spot the odd middleaged group. The town was loud, the sound of hen and stag dos howling while pub music blasted.
Jai was explaining his excitement for the gig, stating someone he had watched on social media was playing tonight. Comedy was something my partner thoroughly enjoyed, and if he were not such a natural brain-box, it would have been his calling.
“You know,” I piped up, “some of the guys from work are here tonight.”
“Are they hot?” Andrea asked without missing a beat.
I promptly rolled my eyes. “Andrea, you have a boyfriend, who is taking you to Paris, may I remind you?”
“Oh yes,” she sighed.
Andrea very much knew her beauty and, considering her turnaround of relationships, I was surprised that Henry held her interest for so long. However, it almost seemed like it would not be much longer. Andreas’ attention span on males was like that of a goldfish’s memory: short, sweet, and nearly none existant. Henry was her longest relationship to date. I had always imagined Andrea being the trophy wife to a rich footballer or famous actor. Not that I would ever say this to her, but I think she did too. Henry was neither of those.
I looked down at my phone and saw I had received a text.
From: Hector
We’re inside, see you soon! :)
I typed out a quick reply to say we were not far away from Haven Heights. Eventually, we reached the doors, and the bouncer greeted us. He took our IDs, eyed us up and down, and nodded for us to enter the venue. The music blaring was current chart music. Jai shouted that he would find us a seat while Andrea and I got the drinks. We had concluded the first round was on me. As we walked up to the bar, I noticed three bartenders and Andrea was eyeing up the male.
“Jesus Christ, Andy, he’s not a piece of meat,” I scoffed.
“No, but if he was, boy, would I devour him,” she paused, “or him, twelve o’clock, make it subtle.”
I turned around slowly looking behind me. I couldn’t make out much of the man’s face; however, the broad shoulders and jet black hair were unmistakable. I glanced either side of him, the ginger-haired boy and the dark-haired boy with the quiff confirmed my suspicions. I watched as the ginger-haired boy waved, which caused the tallest dark-haired boy to turn and smile.
“Oh my god,” Andrea exclaimed. “He is coming over, how is my form?”
I laughed turning back around to face my man-hungry friend. “Andy, that’s Atlas from work,” I clarified.
She stared at me, giving me a gentle shove. “Jesus, B, you kept it quiet that you worked with a Greek God!”
I shrugged. “He’s alright, I suppose.” Though, my stomach tingled as I thought about Atlas. I pushed them aside; I had come here for a good night. I didn’t need the guilt of analysing my relationship with Jai. Therefore, I tried to ignore the butterflies.
A breath tickled my ear, causing me to jump. “Ouch, words hurt, B,” Atlas said from behind me, mocking Andy’s nickname for me.
“Sorry.” I smiled sheepishly, turning to face him. “It’s nice to see you.”
“Hey, Blaire!” Hector grinned and Kenji, well, glared.
“I’m Andrea,”—she extended her hand to Atlas—“Blaire’s best friend.”
Atlas and the boys exchanged pleasantries and names. I watched as Kenji stared her down, but not the way he did me—it was almost as if he did have a heart in there. The stare wasn't one of desire, but admiration maybe. Hector was thirty seconds short of dribbling. I grew a little jealous at the male attention she would often get—no one ever looked at me like that. Andrea took no notice; she was used to guys ogling her up and down. During this time, I had ordered and received the drinks.
“Who’s the third drink for?” Atlas asked, leaning on the bar slightly.
“Jai,” I answered, soon realising I hadn’t mentioned him, “my boyfriend.”
“Of course,” Atlas remarked. “I’m not surprised! Do you mind if we join you?”
I laughed. “I think the question is, would Kenji mind? He despises me.”
“No,” Atlas said adamantly, “he’s actually a lot nicer to you than he is to others. Don’t fret.”
I was slightly taken back, if this was how Kenji was to me, when I assumed he didn't like me, what was he like to someone he really didn't like?
We headed back to the table, I introduced Jai, and the boys shook his hand, pulling one and other in with a pat on the back. The standard male greeting. As they all claimed their seats, I watched as Jai eyed up Atlas. It seemed he was feeling how I had always felt next to Andrea in our teenage years. Plus, he was used to being the only male in our friendship group. I squeezed his hand, and he turned to me, smiling. Regardless, he was uncomfortable. Jai made it very apparent in his interactions with the other males.
Eventually, I decided that I'd had enough of the testosterone spike in my partner; so, I downed the rest of my drink for an excuse to leave the table. Upon doing so, I felt someone prod my back. Turning around, I saw Atlas. I sighed as he was at the centre of the hormone spike in my partner and a contributing factor to me wanting to leave the table.
“Getting a drink? I’ll join you,” Atlas yelled into my ear. Between the music and his loud voice, my ears rang, but despite the pain, his voice was still one of my more preferred things to hear. I just wanted the acts to start soon, then maybe Jai would ease up.
I nodded reluctantly, and we continued to the bar. “What do you want?”
“It’s fine, B, I’ll get my own.” He smiled awkwardly.
“No, come on, what are you drinking?” I persisted. “And don’t call me that.”
“I’ll have a Budweiser,” he sighed, not ready to debate with me. “Andrea calls you it.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed, “but she’s not mocking me with it.”
“Well, B, get used to it.”
I put in our orders to a female bartender this time, who smiled at Atlas, paying no attention to me. If I were someone of importance to him, like a girlfriend, I would have taken offence. He grinned back, openly looking her up and down.
“Don’t be a pig.” I nudged him with my elbow. “You’re just as bad as Andy.”
“Blaire, when women are that good looking, you can’t not explore what their genetics have to offer. You can’t bone a personality.”
“Charming,” I drawled.
“Speaking of being good-looking, your fella is a catch.”
“Yeah, he is,” I agreed. “Do you feel a bit threatened?”
I wasn’t sure why I was testing the waters with Atlas, but I couldn’t help it. There was just something about him that drew me in. I put it down to how he looked dressed up; it was hard to ignore how attractive he was. I felt a wave of distress wash over me; I shouldn’t b
e taking note of another male's appearance like this when my partner was across the room, or anywhere, for that matter.
“Please, I could have any girl I want,” he joked, brushing off his shoulder. He was confident, but I wondered if he was too self-assured.
“Oh yeah?” I challenged him. “Prove it.” The minute the tease left my mouth I wished it hadn’t, but I couldn’t stop myself.
He leaned in closer to me, our faces barely centimetres apart. I could smell his cologne, which was musky with an underlying smell of bergamot. I looked up to meet his eyes, noticing that his green eyes were not just green, but the right eye has a small brown birthmark. His gaze was intense but oddly satisfying, causing my breath to catch in my throat.
“So, do you come here often?” His eyebrows wiggled.
I burst out laughing and took a step back, using this as my moment to distance myself from him. “Do not tell me that is your best chat-up line—I would think being a ladies man would bring better trade-mark phrases than that.”
“Old is gold, B; don’t reinvent the wheel.”
“Anyway, I’m being serious.”
“And so am I.” He leaned over to grab the drinks as I paid. “Come with me. I want to get some fresh air, and it’s pretty warm in here.”
I glanced back over to the table; Jai was sitting talking with Andy. I didn’t want to risk being too long, so I turned Atlas down. Instead, when we approached the table, he nudged Hector, who glanced back at Andy before agreeing to go with Atlas.
I took a seat next to Kenji, and noticed that his eyes were glazed over—next to him was a collection of empty pint glasses. He looked me up and down before standing, clearing his throat and announcing he was getting another drink. I wondered if he should slow down, but then I doubted he would ever have my best interests at heart, so I wouldn't have his. Kenji was a grown man and could look after himself, therefore I stayed quiet.