Amidst love and heartbreak

A hottie for Sarah

Maggie’s POV

Melanie was now in her room facing the window. It was still warm but there was a light breeze. The curtains were moving, following the movements of the tree in front of her house. Her room was dark because she chose to have the light off. She needed her time to process everything that happened today. He kissed her. And she got angry because it was her first kiss and he stole it from her. But then… she kissed him. What was she thinking? She liked it though. Melanie was a person that acted with her heart and she did what her heart told her to do at that time. He seemed very sad about the reaction he got from her. She couldn’t bear to see him sad so she did the first thing that came into her mind. She. Kissed. Him.

He had said that he would make sure he was her last kiss as well, if only she wanted him back. Did she want that? Melanie was so confused right now. If she told her mum about this, what would she say? Maybe that it was unladylike. Yes. That was probably what her mother would say. Her mother had always wanted her daughter to be the perfect lady with her manners. Melanie had pushed those limits way before the kiss. Even the fact that she would go read somewhere alone was more than any other girl her age would do.

What if he was not sincere about his intentions? What if he suddenly disappeared and she never saw him again?

I raised my head from the laptop. I take a deep breath and stretch my back. This part is making me feel things I have not felt in a while. I should better stop and cook something for lunch. Emma will be here soon. 

Khloe’s POV

I left my mum’s house and called Sarah. She was still having a coffee with her dad in his backyard. I thought she was done earlier when I and mum saw them but apparently, she had just come.

“Do you have time for lunch? This pickle is making some demands and I better fulfil them or I will be grumpy all the rest of the day,” I asked half-jokingly. I was joking about the demands but not about the mood I would get in if I did not eat soon. 

“Yes, the hearing I had today was postponed for another two hours so I have enough time for lunch. Tell the pickle that auntie will give him whatever he wants,” she said in the same light tone.

I am so blessed with a friend like Sarah. She can be a handful sometimes but she is really caring and helpful most of the time. Whenever I need someone to talk to, she is there for me. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that she complies with everything I say just to make me happy. Sarah would tell you to shut up and think better because you are ruining things more than solving problems. She was the mirror I needed to see myself into. 

“Ok, then. Follow my car so I can go to the publishing house and you to the courthouse, after lunch,”

“Coming right after you,”

We decided on our favourite restaurant. It was near my publishing house, but the reason we always went there was the creamy chicken soup and the delicious pasta. The baby was craving their pasta al pesto and I couldn’t say no to the baby. We arrived in less than fifteen minutes. Thank goodness there was no traffic. With the mood I am in today, I might have killed someone on the way here.

Sarah parked her car next to mine and as soon as she came out of the car and saw my frowning face she frowned as well.

“Who do I have to kill, or slap, or whatever you want me to do?” she asked half-seriously.

“No one. I am just in a mood with everything going on lately,” I replied. She is the best.

We found a table near the window because I loved the sun at this time of the day. It was warm but it wasn’t falling directly on us so it was perfect. We ordered as soon as the waiter came to our table since we already knew what we came here for. Sarah had a glass of wine. I had just water. I would have loved to java a glass of wine today.

“How have you been, girl?” she asked as soon as the waiter left our table with the orders.

“I don’t know,” I answered with a half voice.

“Why? Tell me more,” she insisted.

“For starters, Eric is being an ass lately,”

“Lately? For as long as I remember him, he has been like that. What did he do now?”

“Let’s say it is a promotion season at work. I have been busting my ass for a couple of years now because I want to become chief editor,” I say and she just nods. We have talked about this before. “He has been trying to get one of my writers to move under his wing. She is really talented,”

“That jerk,” Sarah hissed.

“He has been saying that I shouldn't take new clients because I am pregnant and shouldn’t overwork. Great excuse, right? Or is it just me seeing it?” I am really doubting myself now.

“Actually, he might be right on this one. Look, Khloe. I know how much you tire yourself to make your writers happy and help them through the process. The little human inside of you should not be suffering from your selflessness, though. You need to find a balance,” she said and my frown became even bigger. She was right on this one. I hadn’t even thought of the baby amongst everything going on with him.

“That being said, the jerk should have found a better way of saying it. He should have said something to you, if he was worried about you two, not try and take your writers from you. That is sabotage,” she said and the doubts I had before this last sentence were overclouded by the fresh anger that came with her last sentence. It is sabotage. Now that I am thinking…

“You know… I don’t want to say this but I have a feeling that my pregnancy was not accidental as I thought it to be,” I said and regretted saying it as soon as I did. He would never do that, would he? 

“I wouldn’t go that far, girl. Jerk and all but let’s not put him on a cross about everything,” she said with a half-laugh to make the situation less dramatic. I love the fact that I am pregnant. I love Emma and I definitely love the little bundle of joy that is inside of me. But if he did that on purpose, I will be pissed.

“You are right,” I said because I wanted to change this subject. “What about you? What have you done lately? Any new hottie in view?”

“Nope, no hottie in view or in my life whatsoever. Just the usual boring people I work with,” she said. 

“How has work been?”

“Fine, I guess. We have this important cause at the moment that might bring a lot of controversies. It is going to be good for my career. The only problem is that the boss assigned someone else in the same case as well. He wants us to work together but leave it to him to find the jerk of the place to work with me,” she said with frustration clear in her voice and face.

“Who is this guy? I am assuming it is a guy since you two don’t get along?”

“This guy is an entitled jackass that wants to show off and bosses me around,”

“And you being you don’t let him boss you around,”

“Exactly. To be fair, in most of the cases, though, he is pretty good. I wouldn’t say brilliant, because let’s face it, that’s me, but acceptable for the kind of work we are supposed to do,”

“Forget about the jackass. Why don’t you just start dating? You have been alone for a long time already. What are you waiting for?”

Sarah’s POV

“Because, girl, this time I want a monumental hottie beside me, I started, “I want someone tall with broad shoulders,” the door opened and someone entered the restaurant. His face was covered by the plants coming down from the ceiling. “Dark features. Probably blue or grey eyes. A couple of years older,” I was describing that person as it was very attractive to my sight, but my words got caught in my throat and I could barely pronounce them fluently. “Hair that I could play with when he is in a very compromising position,” and I winked at her. “And most probably I want him to fit perfectly in a suit, given the nature of my job and the fact that I would be in a professional attire most of my time,” I finished my little description and I finally could see the face of this Greek God I was so eagerly describing. A frown adorned my features now because that amazing person was none the less than Josh Richards, the jackass in person, the reason for my stress and the object of my constant fights. Thank goddess that he did not notice us and went to his already reserved table. What a small world I would say.

For the rest of the lunch, Khloe tried to make conversation but my mind was not there. If you ask me where I will not respond to you. I don’t even want to accept it to myself. I was so attracted to that body and the constant playing with his hair drove me nuts. But when I saw who he was I didn’t want to think about it.

The problem is that once you see something you can’t unsee it. My body, being in abstinence for a while now, was so eager to get to know his. My mind, though, knew everything we went through since university. 

Even though he was some years older than me we always happened to apply for the same programs at school and for the same jobs in different places.

We were almost done with our lunch when I felt a figure towering over us. I raised my head and saw Josh standing near with a lady behind him. I guess he had time for a date instead of getting ready for court. I was suddenly angry at his irresponsibility.

“Hello, ladies. I hope you enjoyed your lunch,” he said in the most professional tone. Who are you trying to kid, I wanted to say but I put on a smiling mask instead.

“Hello, Josh. I see you had some free time on your hands,” I said in a half teasing, half reprimanding voice. In my defence, the case was really important.

“I guess we both did since you are here as well,” he said in the same tone.

Josh’s POV

Is she kidding me now? I spend my lunch break talking to a witness and she has the nerve to reprimand me. How dare she? She has the nerve to make me look like I am wasting my time.

“At least I haven’t been gone all morning. I got some things done when mister I-know-it-all disappeared right before lunch. But I guess date is more important than the case that might change the course of our careers,” she said and I was speechless. She thinks that I was on a date now. And before lunch, she probably thinks that. I don’t even know what she thinks. Everything is so absurd that I refuse to make my brain cells work to understand it. I just decided to leave right at that moment. Making a sign to the lady behind me we leave the restaurant without sparing any other glance at their table.

Sarah’s POV

Anger is rising inside me. How dare he leave when we were having a conversation? Talk about an entitled jackass. I turn my face towards Khloe and she is laughing.

“What are you laughing about?” I ask frustrated.

“You two and how oblivious you are of the chemistry going on between the two of you,” she said with a light laugh. She was teasing me and wanted to see me pissed off.