DARLINGS: He’s cold-hearted, but he’s mine

Watching the skillful movement of his spouse’s delicate fingers, a man in his late twenties could feel himself getting drowned in the dark sea of endless love again. Beaming with smiles, he approached her silently from behind, his hands encircling her as he leaned in to inhale the scent of her hair. “ Babe… ” She drawled, her lips also stretching into a smile. Tilting her head slightly to get a glimpse of him, she remarked “ Your back ”. “ Well, I’ve been back for a while but someone was too busy to notice, ” He said in feigned annoyance. She pouted and stared at him apologetically, “ I’m sorry ”. “ It’s fine ” He replied with a smile. “ What are you painting? ”. “ This? ” His spouse asked pointing at her new work of art. “ This is life from my perspective ”. “ Huh? ” He muttered utterly confused. Well, he wasn't surprised. The room was filled up with the so-called Abstract painting that she claimed held deep meaning. “ Yeah,” She chuckled. “ You see, honey, different people view the word LIFE through different lenses. For me, life is unpredictable ” She said and paused pointing at a part of her painting. “ Life is like a game of Ludo, whether you win or lose depends on your luck with this dice called destiny ”. “ Life is like the beautiful flower called ROSE, ” She said pointing to another part of her painting. “ When you get too immersed in its beauty, its pickles are there to remind you that everything has a ‘but’ ”. “ And lastly, ” She sighed pointing to another section of her painting. “ Life is vain. In the end, I learned that it’s vanity upon vanity ”. She glanced at her husband and could tell he didn't completely agree with her theory. She smiled and added, “ You know, honey, if I hadn't known you enough to know of your struggles, I would have said you don’t know what the world is like for other people who weren't opportune to be born with a silver spoon and for those who lose theirs on the way ”. “ Not everyone is lazy. Everybody wants to be rich and well off, many strive for it but only a few are given the chance to be there. The world is partial, not all of us were given equal chances nor offered fair rewards for our struggles ”. “ So, do you think you were lucky with the dice called destiny? ” He asked after a moment of silence. “ No ”, She stood up and took a few steps back, an act that made him furrow his brow in confusion. “ I was fortunate ” She beamed showing off her wedding ring. He pulled her closer, his smile brighter than hers. “ I love you ”. “ I love you too ” She replied and leaned in for a kiss. ****** EILEEN The sound of the alarm clock on my phone notified me of the end of my shift. A sigh of relief escaped my lips but I couldn't rejoice for long before my boss showed up. “ Our VIP customer is here. Go get his order ” He said in his tiny voice which was too feminine for a grown-up adult like him. “ But my shift is over ” I protested. I had plans to visit my brother at the hospital before going for my audition which was in a few hours but he is always around to ruin my plans. “ So? ”. “ Can you please have someone else do it? ” I pleaded trying to sound as humble as I could. “ You know we can’t have the newbies take care of the VIP’s order and Helen is yet to show up ” He snapped making me scoff inwardly. If only he would know his place with that voice of his and stop ordering everybody around trying to assert dominance that wasn't necessary, it would have been better for him. I knew what he was driving at. Helen is my best friend, and I wouldn't want to drag her into more trouble than she already is in. “ Fine ” I muttered begrudgingly. “ Better ” He hissed and marched off. Sighing in resignation, I went off to the VIP area and took the dude’s order alongside his girlfriend’s. ‘It’s not like he is older than me, he is just lucky to have been born with a silver spoon’, I thought as I angrily went to and fro. If only I still had mine. And just when I thought I was close to getting it all over with, the unexpected happened. I spilled juice on our VIP customer. Dang it! This always happens anytime I go about my duties in anger. I was afraid his girlfriend’s shriek would alert my boss, who must be lurking around to make sure I didn’t mess things up. I don’t know why, but he is always on his toes around this young man. “ I’m so sorry ” I immediately muttered an apology not sure of what else to do especially with his girlfriend acting like she was the one I had spilled the liquid on. I knew I was in trouble, I couldn’t afford to get on my boss's bad side especially when I might be needing his help soon. “ Are you crazy? ” The dude’s Barbie doll shrieked again and slapped me across the face. ‘Okay… just perfect. F**k you, boss!’, I cursed inwardly. ‘You should have just let me leave after my shift. I wouldn’t have suffered such humiliation if only you hadn't been a d**k’. “ Celene! ” The dude snapped and stood up as well. Well, there was nothing I could do other than apologize again and keep my head down. I was seething inwardly. To this rich brat, who never worked for anything their whole life, I was nothing but something to trample upon. I mean, I’m human too and mistakes are inevitable but people like them never consider stuff like that. “ I’m sorry, sir ” I apologized once again, trying to sound as sincere as I could. “ It’s fine. It was a mistake after all ” He replied and his words made me raise my head to look at his face properly for the first time. There was no hostility in his eyes as he stared back at me, and I wasn't sure if I was seeing things when he smiled warmly at me. He was quick to look away and I could not be any more relieved for I was drowning in the beauty of his electric blue eyes that seemed to be staring into my soul. My heart was racing, and I wasn't sure why. “ Apologize ” I heard him say, his word snapping me out of a trance but before I could process the meaning of the word I used to be familiar with, he said again “ Apologize, Celine ”. I furrowed my brow in confusion, as I stared at the two before me. Gone was the tenderness I thought I saw in his eyes when he looked at me earlier and he was staring at his girlfriend with icy eyes that could make anyone melt under them. “ She- ” His girlfriend made to say in protest but he cut her off. “ She’s human and you have no right whatsoever to hit her ” He muttered icily. “ I was standing up for you ”. “ I never asked for your help ”. “ You know I won’t, right? ”She replied after a moment of brief silence. “You know well enough that I won’t apologize to a lowlife commoner ”. Ouch! Okay, that hurt. But sadly, I was so used to hearing those words that I couldn't care any less. I always have a kind of resentment toward rich kids but maybe the guy standing before me was different from his kind. He was speaking up for me and I was grateful. “ You have to. Apologize, Celene or we’re over ” He said shattering the little fantasy I was having. It was at that moment I got it. He was probably already tired of her and was using me as an excuse to discard her. I knew I needed to speak up because I was already getting uncomfortable. “ Sir, I- ” I was however cut off by the gesture of his hand that told me to remain quiet. They stared at each other for a while, their silence eerie. I could feel the hair on my neck stand on end, and it seemed to me like the air around me had dropped a few Celcius. “ Are you putting me down for a lowly commoner? ” She asked puzzled but his silence was enough of a reply for her. “ I’m leaving. Let's talk when you’ve calmed down ” She declared and carried her bag but as she made to leave, his words made her stop on her track. “ Once you walk out through that door, there will be nothing to talk about, ” He said decisively. She stared at him for a while and continued to walk away. It was obvious what she had chosen. She had chosen her ego over her relationship. She left but not before she threw me a dirty look, a look that was meant to be telling me that we shall settle our score the next time we meet. Thank God there was no one else in the VIP area, that would have caused quite a scene. Now left alone with him, I wasn't sure what to say. Was I to apologize to him or thank him? But he saved me from the stress of thinking and spoke up even before I could speak. “ You may leave, ” He said without sparing me another glance. I bowed in courtesy and left without uttering a word. “ What took you so long? ” My boss asked immediately I got to him. “ I saw the lady you were supposed to serve left in anger, what did you do? ”He asked again before I could give a reply to his first question and his words suddenly made me feel a surge of anger. “ Don’t worry, your VIP customer didn't leave yet ” I replied and left angrily to change my clothes so that I could quickly get off work. I was sure even without looking at a mirror that there were finger imprints on my face considering how fair and delicate my skin is. But he couldn't ask me what was wrong even if it was out of mere curiosity rather than affection. All he cared about was his VIPs and I was a nobody. This is the irony of the life I live. I was nothing and was seen as someone who would never amount to anything. This is my life. But at least, someone else did for me, something he, my boss, had never done for me and that was enough. However, at the thought of that, I felt a weird kind of sensation towards this guy whose name I didn't know. Maybe it was gratitude? Or maybe it was something more.