Love is Like A For*bid*den Fruit

Chapter 3

Elena’s Point of View 

Nicole thought for a while and replied, "let's get off from work at 6.30pm and go straight to my apartment. I have many dresses that will be of great fit for you. No need to go home and travel again from there to Nick's. We know that the pub is quite close to my apartment. You can change and go back home or can even stay at my place tonight. I have a very nice and comfortable couch. Don't worry", I saw a glimpse of a smile on her face and felt relieved that finally I made her smile.

Me and Nicole got off from work at around 6.30pm in the evening and went towards her apartment. We both changed and dolled up to enjoy some clubbing time in the Nick’s. We reached Nick’s and enjoyed to our heart’s content. I was happy that Nicole got to shrug off the heartbreak and enjoy her time flirting with the drunk and dancing guys on the dance floor and enjoying dancing to the fullest. I felt tired and left towards the bar and ordered some french fries and cheeseburger and went towards an empty table.

I watched Nicole let go of steam and she started making out with a stranger on the dance floor. It was my cue to take her back and let her relax for a while, before making any harsh decisions. I was well aware that Nicole is not the one-night stand kind of girl and was kind of a commitment freak. She would definitely regret in the morning, if she goes with the flow and ends up going to some random guy’s apartment to spend the night together.

I pulled her from the dance floor and offered some of my burger and french fries, she got up instead and left towards the bar and returned with a waiter carrying many rounds of shots on a tray. I knew where this was going. Either she would end up drinking all and making bad decisions or I'm going to end up with a very bad hangover tomorrow. Oh God, I hate hangovers. Please save me from the wrath of this heartbroken Nicole.

We ended up having loads and loads of shots and thought about leaving towards her apartment, as we both were quite wasted and couldn't walk past the door, without tumbling on our feet or bumping into someone else. We somehow managed to reach the door and we hailed a cab and left towards Nicole’s apartment. Luckily, I had a little bit of consciousness and successfully hailed Nicole into the apartment from the cab.

I changed her and removed her makeover and let her sleep on her bed. I moved towards her cupboard and removed a pair of tee and shorts and changed into it. I removed my makeover with great difficulty and finally fell on the couch. My head was throbbing and I checked the time. It was 2am in the morning and I was very much tired. I set an alarm for 7 in the morning and dozed off, as soon as my head felt some source to lay on.

I woke up to the sound of the alarm on Tuesday morning and I could feel my heartbeats in the form of drums banging in my head. OMG, someone must have left the lights on and I was feeling very much irritated with the light in the area. I opened my eyes with great difficulty and looked around me. Nothing seemed familiar and that was when I realized that I was not in my room and instead was in Nicole’s apartment. I woke up and sat on the couch and found Nicole dragging her body inside the kitchen to prepare some coffee. She waved a “hi” at me and was moving more or less like a zombie.

“Are you feeling okay?” I whispered at her, as I knew very well that she was in the same condition as me.

“Sshh Sshh Sshh. Don't shout. I could even hear your breath from here. I’m feeling like a newly turned vampire”, she replied by shushing me.

I laughed and my headache became severe because of my laugh and I gently banged at my head from both the hands. I got up and moved towards her bathroom and completed my morning duties. I came towards the kitchen and Nicole was feeling a little better by the looks of it. She brought both her arms forward and I saw aspirin in one hand and water on the other. I took the tablet and finally the drums in my head resided. I was still looking like a zombie and couldn't even open my eyes properly.

I started checking my mobile. “I got a message from Rachael Stiff that the CEO of the London branch will be visiting us. I got to get ready and leave early. You also don't lag behind. Let's have our breakfast outside. Come on get ready soon” I pulled her towards her room and I removed a white full armed shirt and a trouser for me and she dressed in her pencil skirt and beige button down. We both pulled our hair into a ponytail, as we both were not having the patience to tie the hair into a bun. We left towards the office and hailed a cab. It was very difficult to even look around properly, as everything felt like straining our eyes. Luckily, we both applied lots of concealer to cover the bags under our eyes, but failed to completely cover the dark circles under our eyes.

We reached the office and I greeted Sarah. I inserted my card into the machine to sign in and ran towards the lab. I somehow managed to put on my lab coat and started my day’s work. God, my head was really killing me and so I took another aspirin. I felt kind of relieved and was feeling really hungry. I wanted the morning to be over soon, as I could have some nice and big lunch with Nicole.

“Oh My God. What happened to you, Elena? You look so pale and weird and your eyes are puffy like you have cried yourself to sleep. God, you girls. Did you go clubbing yesterday?”, Rachael asked me with a stern face. 

“Yes ma’am. It was a favor for a friend, because she was heartbroken and needed a way to blow off some steam. I am so sorry for coming to work looking like this” I replied with my head down, as even looking up was making my eyes sore and painful.

“Go apply a bit of my concealer more under your eyes. Why don't you girls understand that clubbing and especially drinking is not good for health, during weekdays. You have to come to work tomorrow and how could you be so negligent. There is a visit from the CEO to our branch today. After he is done with it, you can go and rest for a while. Take the rest of the day off, as we can't afford any mistakes while working”, she more or less scolded me and I just nodded my head.

She turned away and that was when I saw him enter into our lab covered in all protective suits and face masks. Not everyone had the authorization to enter into the lab and we people working in the lab should follow strict protocols like wearing a lab coat and sanitizing our hands every now and then, and to wear gloves all the time. This is because, we were working with chemicals and the company didn’t like to have any hazards, because of the lack of cleanliness and discipline in the lab.

I couldn't see anything but his eyes, which bore at me like looking into my soul and scrutinizing my every thought. His green eyes were like a sharp arrow that was directed right into my soul. He stared at me for a few minutes carefully observing every inch on my face. He then changed his view like he realized something and checked everything and left his way.

Even though I was not feeling my normal self, I couldn't shrug off the sense of him looking at me like he wanted something from me. I just shook my head and gently slapped my cheeks with both my hands and left towards the reception to invite Nicole for a trip to the cafeteria. I saw him again, but only his back this time, as he was moving towards the exit with some security and our manager following him just behind.

He turned and I couldn't see his face properly, but I did scan him from where I was. He was more or less 6ft tall and had a well built body. He looked like a person who takes extra care of his physique.  His 3 piece suit really did do justice in enhancing the handsomeness and ruggedness of his ripped muscles. I averted my eyes as I couldn't hold my stare longer at him.

I waved to Nicole, who was in much worse condition than mine. I gently smiled at her and she returned with a weak smile. “Come let us go to the cafeteria and have something. I’m feeling very much hungover and tired and hungry. Mrs Stiff literally kicked me out of the lab and asked me to take the day off” and we both made our way towards the cafeteria. I bought some fries and burger and orange juice and she bought the same.

We made our way towards the empty table and sat. She  started as soon as we sat, “Did you look at that CEO of ours from the London branch? Oh my God. he is like a dream of every girl out there. What a handsome face, awesome physique and his glare and look, I fell hard for him” she sighed, keeping her right hand on her heart.

I started laughing and we both had our food and thought about taking the rest of the day off. I checked my mobile and had 5 missed calls from my mom and a few texts from her as well. I got up suddenly and told Nicole that I need to call my mom and so I have to leave early. She managed to eat the food as early as possible and we both left our ways towards our own destinations.

I reached home, freshened up and changed into my comfy PJs and went towards my mom’s shop. I was feeling kind of okay now and thought about helping mom in her shop. I went inside and saw her preparing a bouquet of multiple colored roses for some customers.

“Hi mom. How are you today?” I greeted her when I entered the shop.

“Elena Caroline Lockwood. Where the hell had you been yesterday? You didn't even think about dropping me a message as early as possible, when you decided that you won't be coming home. I don’t remember teaching you ever to be disrespectful to your mother young lady”, my mom started shouting at me by middle naming me. I knew that she is royally pissed and I won’t be hearing the end of it anytime sooner. Luckily there was no one at the shop or it would have been very much embarrassing for me.

“I’m sorry ma’am. It won’t happen again. One of my colleagues needed help and I had to stay back with her. We decided to go clubbing and I ended up staying at her place. It really won’t happen again Mrs. Lockwood. Please forgive me this once”, I felt like a 10 year old did something wrong and was scolded by her mother. No matter what my age and accomplishments might be now, I am still afraid of Mrs. Lockwood and her temper. She becomes a mad woman once she loses her cool and goes into her angry mode.