I cursed once more at the confusion my jumbled up memory caused me. For all I knew, it could’ve been just some sort of delivery that the younger me ordered a few days ago. Or, perhaps, an angry client or a workmate that I missed a meeting with for no apparent reason. Fuck me sideways, this was so annoying.
I stood up and went to open the door, praying that this will be something quick enough and my food won’t have time to go cold. Please, I needed just one boring, uneventful day.
“Morning. I, like, well…” I heard a familiar voice. “I had some time to cool down and get some thinking done. Erm, I don’t know what to say. Um. Am I still welcomed here?”
Before my frozen self stood Olivia. She looked great in the outfit of her choice - a black slash neck pullover and a red mini skirt that reached to the middle of her thighs. That is, if you ignore details. Like slightly bloodshot eyes, or poorly disguised bags under them and really awkward smile, that failed to reach said eyes. Her body language was also all over the place, she appeared nervous, lost and her movements were lacking usual self-confidence and grace.
“If I’m not welcomed, um…” Her awkward smile dimmed even more with every word, and I could hear her voice shaking a bit. “I… I will just go away already, okay?”
My hand moved before my brain could fully decipher what I just heard, catching the shoulder of Olivia, who was already turning to bolt away. It was still a mystery for me as to what was going on here, but I definitely didn’t want her to leave.
“It seems like we need to talk,” I sighed. “Come in. I was just about to have breakfast, want some as well?”
My words had a noticeable effect on the girl. Nervous tension left her body and the smile finally was able to reach her eyes.
“Um, I remembered how empty your fridge was yesterday and brought some steamed buns from the Chinese place I told you about.” She raised a hand with a plastic bag that I previously somehow missed in my observation. Inside the bag were quite a few food containers. “I wasn’t sure about which fillings you like, as well as the amount I should take, so I bought all they had on hand.”
“I knew I liked you for a reason.” I smiled and took the bag out of her hand and took a step to the side to let her in. Olivia responded with her own smile and went inside. Only to halt in her step. I followed her gaze, trying to understand what just happened.
Right. There, right beside my own pair, stood Claire’s white sneakers. Way too small and feminine to mistake for anything that could belong to me. But, of course, it was not the end. I hate you so much, fate.
“Hey, Tian. Seems like I need to take your offer, after all.” I heard Claire, who, right at this very moment, exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her upper body. Whatever happened to her hoodie? A mystery.
“I was away for a few hours. A single night...” groaned Olivia. “Well, at least she is hot.”
Bloody hell. I wanted a smoke. And coffee. And, perhaps, to yell at the top of my lungs how done I was with all the bullshit.
On the other hand, it certainly wasn’t dull.
***
One awkward explanation and introduction later, I was quietly munching on the steamed bun, great stuff by the way, and slowly sipping my green tea.
Everything went surprisingly uneventful. But then again, neither of the two had any real reason to be jealous. And didn’t that thought sour my mood! Well, not really.
Speaking of the girls. The second-worst outcome actually happened. They hit it off really well and now were sitting together on the windowsill, gossiping about one thing or another. Something about relationship problems and what type was worse. Dense motherfuckers who couldn’t take a hint even to save their lives. Or sharp bastards who could read you too easily, but still choose to play dense whenever it was to their liking. No idea why they were glancing this way while talking about the latter. None whatsoever.
The two of them, merrily laughing together, were a sight for the sore eyes. Brilliant smiles, bright eyes, beautiful features, all of that, and much more, made my eyes and thoughts wander around quite a bit.
Olivia got back, at least outwardly, to her usual cheery self that I liked so much. As for Claire… She managed to somehow get her hoodie wet, and it was currently drying. As a temporary replacement, I found her one of my old t-shirts, judging by the size, from around two years back. It had a print of the same band as her hoodie, and was much too small for my current frame. Actually, it was pretty tight, especially around the chest area, even for her, but she refused to switch it for another one. Something about 'limited edition'. My offer to give it to her was met with an overjoyed squeal and a tight hug. The following flustered meltdown at my reminder about important lessons added even more to my amusement. Totally a worthy price tag for an old t-shirt.
***
Few hours later. The hoodie was finally dried enough for Claire to wear it again, so she took that as her cue to leave. Without taking off her new t-shirt, of course.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Is she another one of yours? A person of interest, I mean.” Olivia asked, after I closed the front door.
“I can’t deny the future possibility, but not right now,” I told her the truth.
“Did you really not sleep with her?” And another question.
“Correction. I slept with her. It’s just that there was no sex involved.” And my answer. “Hey, before you ask another question. How about we get a bit more comfortable first? I bet it will be a long talk.”
She nodded and we went to the bedroom. Olivia sat on the bed and patted her thighs, inviting me to rest my head. While it was a good sign, I decided against taking the offer and sat down facing her instead. This was an important moment, at least it felt to me like that. And I wanted all the advantages here, including the ability to read her expressions and body language.
Noticing my actions, and reading something only she knows from them, led to the return of her earlier anxiety. All of my experience told me to feed more into it, to throw her out of balance, to ultimately capitalize on my opponent’s mental weakness. Except, was there an opponent this time?
“Olivia. With everything that happened earlier, I forgot to say an important thing,” I broke the silence first. “Glad to see you again.”
And, once again, those simple words of mine were effective to fight this anxiety off.
“Hey, Michael. Or is it Tian?” Of course, she did notice. And was smart enough not to ask this question until there were only two of us. Now that I think, for the whole day she opted to call me honey. “I…”
“Both are my names. Michael Roah is what my father named me officially, it’s a name that is in my official ID. And it’s a name I am used to associating with myself,” I interrupted her to clarify this point. “Tian is a bit more… complicated. It’s also my name, or at least what my grandfather used to write me under into the family tree. For a period of time I used it as a throw-away for one-night stands, and yesterday I was a bit too drunk and slipped into habit.”
Another positive reaction. I couldn’t be sure why, but this point was important for her.
“Michael.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “I am really curious about one thing. Why do you keep telling the truth? Wouldn’t it be much easier to just lie your way through? I'm pretty sure you could.”
This question really threw me off for a moment here. Why, indeed?
“Because it’s boring,” was my simple answer. “Always telling people what they want to hear. Or what I need them to hear to get a certain reaction. Both of those tend to show me a one-sided picture of a person. Skewed by the way I influence them.”
“I… understand.” No, she certainly did not.
“To put it simply, I am interested in seeing as many different sides of you as possible. Hence, I am telling the truth to get a genuine reaction out of you,” I smiled. “The results are a mixed bag so far, but at least it’s something new.”
Silence. I was waiting for the reaction, and my conversation partner was busy thinking about something.
"Hey. Can I just tell you the truth as well?" Seems like Olivia finally got to some conclusion.
"Of course," I nodded.
"Hm, this isn't as easy as I thought." She said after a moment of trying to find the right words. "I think it won't be a surprise for you, but I have a multitude of reasons for…all of this."
I nodded again, deciding against interrupting her
"It may be hard to believe, but one of them is that I really like you. Simple as that. You are everything I ever dreamed about in a boyfriend. Tall, fit, handsome, and rich. You know how to push all my buttons with such ease! And don't make me start talking about the sex. Um, I’m not a stranger to sex and I really like it. It's fun, it's pleasant. But you showed just how limited my perspective was before. You made me feel so wanted, so beautiful. Almost… loved."
She fell into silent reminisce, with a light smile adorning her lips. After a few moments, she continued, her smile dimming.
“But that’s not the only reason. You see, I want to believe that I got my life plan figured pretty well. I will graduate from a mid-tier university, find myself some sort of ‘personal assistant’ or ‘secretary’ job for someone rich enough. All I really want is an easy, comfortable life, free of worries, free of responsibilities. And your offer was a dream come true for me. A few fairly uncomplicated conditions to follow, and I’m set for life. It was supposed to be such an easy yes.” She squinted her eyes, as if imagining something wonderful. “Except it wasn’t. It wasn’t at all. When you were talking about that special woman of yours, I became so damn jealous! And then you told me that at some point you will just leave me behind, as if it was inevitable. As if there is no chance whatsoever for you to see me as someone unique.”
For the umpteenth time in the last few days, I found myself utterly dumbfounded. My whole mind was frantically calculating what I can/should/want to say in response. But Olivia didn’t give me a chance.
“I spent the whole night thinking about everything. You. Me. Your offer and conditions. My unexpected jealousy. I haven't caught a wink of sleep, you know.” She chuckled softly. “Hey, honey, I will agree to your offer in full, if you accept two conditions of my own.”
This actually gave my overheated brain a moment of respite. Good, negotiating was a lot less stressful than sorting out feelings and emotions. Wish I had some time to simply relax and decompress. It became harder and harder for me to feign normalcy here.
“Let me hear them first,” a noncommittal response that indicated interest.
“Oh. They are very straightforward. First, when you lose interest in me, I want you to give me a chance to get it back. Don’t just ghost on me, okay?” I nodded, that was an easy one. “And the second one is even less complicated. If you want me to share you with someone, make sure that they are up to a certain standard!”
What the fuck. I looked at Olivia, searching for the signs that it was a joke. But her whole appearance was dead serious.
“You heard me. If you agree to these two things, I will agree to all your conditions. I will accept and share you with whoever you want. Hell, I will even help you to build your harem.”
Huh, didn’t I hear words like that before? What was my answer then? Ah, right. I ran away.
What the actual fuck. I felt my outer mask giving another crack. Screw it. I gave up, letting myself react like I truly felt at the moment. I laughed my ass off.