Scarlet Resurrection

Lockdown

Scarlet woke up to the smell of warm coffee wafting through the open bedroom door. She opened her swollen eyes and squinted at the brightness in her room. Someone had opened the curtains, and set a cup of coffee on her bedside table.

Sitting up in bed, she cradled the cup of coffee in her hands, enjoying the warmth. A cup of coffee was just what she needed to clear the heavy-headed feeling after crying. Drinking the last of her coffee, she walked into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

After a quick shower, Scarlet put on a pair of shorts and a tank top and pulled her hair into a messy bun. She thought of cutting her waist-length hair and laughed out loud at the thought. Adrian had refused to let her cut her hair, and had only allowed her to trim it occasionally.

Allowed. The word weighed heavy on her mind. She had never thought of the rule about cutting her hair. “Stop”, she whispered to herself. She did not want to think about Adrian negatively.

Pushing the thought out of her head, she grabbed the empty cup and walked downstairs to the kitchen to make breakfast. She found Michael sitting at the counter, drinking a cup of coffee, scrolling through his phone. Pulling the empty stool next to his, she sat down facing towards him.

“Good Morning, Michael” she greeted him brightly.

“Good Morning” he responded, staring at this phone.

“You know it's rude not to make eye contact when you're talking to someone” she admonished.

Setting the phone down on the counter, he turned his face towards her.

“Good Morning, Ma’am”

“That's more like it!” she said, grinning at him, putting on her bravest face. She could not let him think she was constantly upset. A small crease appeared between his brows as Michael stared at her, seemingly worried. Seeing the look on his face, tears welled up in her eyes, and she jumped up from her seat and ran towards the staircase. She heard hurried footsteps following her.

Scarlet felt the room spin around her as she reached the staircase, and she sat down heavily on the bottom step. With her eyes closed, she pressed her palms to the sides of her head, trying to control the dizziness.

She felt Michael sitting down next to her on the staircase. She squeezed her eyes, wishing he did not have to see her like this.

“I’m not usually like this. I’m not constantly in the middle of the breakdown usually”, she explained.

“You know, I would think there was something wrong with you if you weren't constantly breaking down after burying your husband. You are grieving. Let yourself grieve” he said softly.

Scarlet was surprised at the tenderness in his voice. She slumped against him, resting her head on his shoulder. They sat there in silence, until Scarlet felt normal. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Michael, surprised to see him staring back at her. His eyes exuded warmth and concern, and Scarlet felt some comfort from that.

“Shall I make you some breakfast? I think you’re feeling lightheaded because you’re hungry” he asked.

Scarlet nodded, remembering that she had not had anything to eat yesterday. Michael stood up, offering his hand to her, which she took shyly. The hand on his skin felt rough against hers; the hand of a man who used his hands and against that of someone who did not do any work.

He pulled her up and put his arm around her shoulder, and walked her to the counter. She sat down on the stool she had abandoned and watched him as he opened random cabinets looking for a pan. She wished she could help him, but Scarlet had never set foot in the kitchen to cook any meals.

Minny had been hired shortly after they had moved in, and she had refused to let Scarlet help her with anything. She usually arrived at work around 07am, and Scarlet could not help but worry as she saw that it was past 09am. Minny was never late.

“Can I use your phone? I left mine upstairs”, she asked Michael.

“Sure.” he said distractedly, lighting up the stove. He had found the frying pan and had cracked some eggs into a bowl, which he had mixed with cayenne pepper and salt. Scarlet smiled as she picked up his phone, which was on top of the counter.

Adrian had always thought cayenne pepper was too spicy, but Scarlet loved having it mixed in with her eggs.

“I thought I was the only one who liked my eggs with cayenne pepper,” she said, in an amused voice.

Michael looked over his shoulder at her, his lips pulled up into a half smile.

“I usually eat it like this. Thought of letting you try my recipe,” he replied.

Scarlet raised her eyebrows at him, and laughed. “It’s definitely not your recipe.I have been having my eggs with it every morning since forever!” she said indignantly. Chuckling at her response, he turned back towards the stove.

Unlocking his phone, Scarlet dialed Minny’s mobile number.

“Hello?” Minny picked up the phone on the first ring.

“Hi, Minny. It’s me, Scarlet. Just wanted to check if you’re on your way to work.” Scarlet asked.

“I don’t think I will be able to go today. I’m not feeling too well. Might have come down with the flu.” Minny croaked back through the phone. Her voice was hoarse and she sounded like she was having some difficulty breathing.

“You sound awfully sick. Take all the time you need to get better. I will manage.” she said reassuringly.

“Thank you, Scar. You take care of yourself.” Minny said, hanging up the phone.

Scarlet kept the phone on the counter and turned her attention towards the plate Michael had set down in front of her. He had grabbed his own plate and had sat down next to her, and was wolfing down his share of eggs hungrily.

She picked up the fork next to the plate and slowly started eating. The eggs were delicious, and Michael had put in the perfect amount of cayenne pepper. Scarlet sat there enjoying her breakfast while Michael washed his plate at the sink.

The muscles on his back were fairly visible through the thin material of the white shirt he was wearing, and Scarlet stared at his back as he washed up. She could not understand the surreal attraction she felt towards him. Michael turned around to face her.

“Are you done?” he asked.

Scarlet nodded, putting the last bite in her mouth. He walked over towards the counter and took the plate and fork from her. She tried to grab them back, embarrassed at the thought of her bodyguard washing up after her.

He shot her a look to silence her protests, and Scarlet felt an unfamiliar tug in her stomach. His look commanded authority, and she had no problem with giving in to his commands. She blushed at the course of her thoughts and headed over to the living room to turn on the news.

“Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an executive order for stay-at-home measures for parts of New York which include New York City,Long Island,Western New York,the capital region and the Mid-hudson valley. The order will be executed immediately, effective from today, 22nd March 2020.”

Scarlet stared blankly at the screen, letting the news sink in. She had not thought the flu that was ravaging the country was this serious. Sensing someone standing behind her, she turned around to see Michael staring at the TV screen with the same blank expression. His eyes met hers as they both realised what the stay-at-home orders meant.

“I don’t think it's a good idea for me to stay here. It's inappropriate.” he said, his eyes betraying the slightest hint of panic.

“I think Minny is down with whatever flu is going around. Don't leave me here alone!” her voice was shrill as she realized that he was trying to leave her alone. She stepped towards him, grabbing his shirt by the fistful and started pleading. “Please don't go! I can't stay here alone!”

“I will arrange for the security team to be here around the clock.” he said reassuringly, not meeting her eyes. He seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts.

The thought of having unfamiliar people around her scared her. Scarlet felt a strange connection to Michael. He had seen her at her worst and had managed to take care of her, even though he did not know her personally.

She shook her head indignantly, and pulled on his shirt roughly to get his attention. He finally met her eyes, and Scarlet saw her hysterical face reflected in his eyes.

“I don't want them! I want you here!” she wailed. She did not know how to explain her fear to him without sounding irrational. Her wailing seemed to snap him back into reality and his eyes finally focused on her.

“As you wish, Ma’am.” Michael’s voice betrayed his reluctance, but Scarlet ignored it. She was just glad he had agreed to stay with her.

“Thank you.” she whispered, letting go of his shirt as she stepped away from him. He nodded at her, and Scarlet was reminded of the curt nod she had received yesterday. His warm personality from the morning seemed to have vanished, the thought of which hurt her.

Michael’s attention was back on the TV screen and his frown seemed to deepen with every restriction the newscaster prattled on about. She turned around from him and walked towards the staircase, heading towards her room with her head throbbing in warning of a migraine.

Reaching her room, she shut the curtains and crawled under the sheets, squeezing her eyes shut against the pain. Heavy rain began to patter against the window and Scarlet drifted off into sleep with the sound as her lullaby.