Safe In Your Sound

Chapter 9: Dinner

In movies, when the girl is cornered by a guy and attempts to do something to her, someone will come and saves her. If not, the girl will save herself.

Erica is a tough girl and considered the amazona of her batch during high school. That's because her father taught her martial arts back then. However, in college, she became more feminine and failed to practice her skills anymore.

Her hands balled into fists, mustering all the courage that's left within her. She thought of pushing him away and kicking his crotch as a way to escape from him but with his size, she doubt if it would even work.

"Hmm? Care to speak now?" he challenged.

She swallowed the lump that was building up in her throat.

"T-this is invasion of privacy," she stuttered and was also unsure of what she's talking about. She just said anything that comes to her mind regardless if it's right or not.

Orly chuckled that annoyed her. She stopped herself from saying anything anymore that may only result to a far worse situation. She bit her lip in annoyance and frustration as she think of a way on how to get out from him.

Before she could think of anything, someone tried to open the door and it pushed her towards the man. Her hands immediately held unto his chest, unintentionally, in surprise.

"What the hell?" Andres exclaimed outside when the door only opened slightly and not fully.

Erica quickly panicked when she heard his voice and didn't even noticed that she was almost clinging unto Orly. Andres pushed the door more and before it opened wider, Orly pushed it back earning quite a number of "what" outside.

"s**t," Orly muttered.

"Yeah, right. s**t," Erica gritted her teeth as she glared at the man, still unaware that she was holding unto him. "This is all your fault."

Orly smirked. "Yeah. But can you get off from me now? You're invading my privacy." He taunted.

It was only then when Erica realized their position and quickly moved away from him, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"Orly, are you in there?" Andres yelled but they both ignored it.

"Apologise," Orly uttered, which sounded more like an order.

Erica raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You owe me one," he spoke.

Erica scoffed at his demand. This is so out of context. If there is someone who needs to apologise between the two of them, it would be him. She believed that he was the one at fault here and she barely did anything at all.

"Are you kidding me?" she laughed with no humor. "No way."

He opened his mouth to speak and before he could, Erica already turned his back on him and opened the door, revealing their co-workers with obvious shocked and confusion on their faces. Erica's jaw dropped open at the sight and she knew she did a wrong move.

Eyes were immediately on her every time she enters the store and when she does something, they were there to watch her. It was as if she had done something that caught their whole interest.

For two days, she had to deal with their curious and intriguing stares. But not only that, she also noticed Tanya's change of behavior towards her. From being a friendly senior, she became less friendlier and more of a snob.

Two days past when they all caught her and Orly together inside the locker room and it had stirred different stories among them which she thought has no strong basis. And what is more aggravating is that Orly seems to be enjoying what the others were doing.

"Hi, Erica," Andres suddenly came in. She was arranging things in her locker when the man approached her.

She smiled. Out of the others, Andres was the only one who didn't give any malice with what he saw that day. Not that there is really something to be malicious about, she was thankful that at least one has a reasonable mind.

He opened his locker before he strike a conversation. "Uh.. you're still going this Saturday, right?"

Erica stopped from fiddling her things. She had almost forgotten about what's happening in Saturday if he didn't ask.

"Uhm..." she probed. Actually, not that she thinks of it, she probably won't be going anymore. Knowing that Tanya might be really mad at her after what happened, she assumes that the woman had changed her mind from having her there.

"I'm not sure," she slumped her shoulders.

"If you're worried about Tanya, don't be. I'll be there anyway," he said.

"I'm still not sure, Andres. I might be busy..." she almost whispered the last words for no reason.

"But you'll try to be there, right?" Andres insisted. She knew he would not stop so she only nodded and said that she will try.

When she said that she'll be busy, she really meant it. It was because of the news she saw online. It was about her father.

Recently, she has been keeping up with the latest news and updates about their company and she is not liking what is happening. There has been an issue regarding the new drug they had formulated.

Being the leading Pharmaceutical company in the country, it is not surprising that it caused a fuss on everyone. However, she is afraid that her father is in big trouble.

"We are looking into it. We are doing our best to get to the bottom of it. We apologise for the commotion it caused."

It was the statement of her father through his trusted assistant. She has no idea what was going on but one thing is for sure, it is something serious and huge that it became such a trending topic in the internet.

She wanted to think otherwise so she could stop worrying about it but no. After running and being away from home for a month now, this was the first time she actually felt like she needed to go back.

But will she?

"Ate Erica!" Hope's voice echoed inside her head while she was opening her front door. She had just came home from work and it's been almost a week since she last saw and spoke to the little girl that now she's starting to hear her.

"Ate Erica!" There it is again.

She sighed as she opened her door. She was about to enter when a pair of small arms suddenly wrapped around her legs.

"Hope!" She exclaimed upon seeing the girl, smiling widely at her.

Erica crouched down to her level before she looked at the girl from head to toe. Hope giggled. "I miss you, ate."

Erica smiled. "I miss you too, Hope. What happened to you anyway?"

"Uh..." Hope's eyes darted behind Erica making the latter turn around to see what she was looking at, well, at this case, it a who.

His usually dark and menacing gaze was what caught her. She fought the urge to roll her eyes when she saw him coming near them and just returned her gaze back to the young girl.

Hope was wearing a pink dress and white ballerina shoes. "You look beautiful. What's the occasion?" she asked instead.

"We went to my classmates birthday party. It was very fun! There are a lot of games..." Hope started to tell her on the spot about what happened in the party. Erica chuckled thinking that Hope has really a thing about story telling. Once she starts talking, there's no stopping.

She noted to only ask her questions that would have short answers next time and save the long ones for when they are settled in a much comfortable place that's not outside.

Orly was already standing beside them, towering over them which Erica found as very domineering. He even has his arms crossed against his chest as he watched his daughter talk with a poker expression.

"Right Papa?" Hope asked and Erica was lost as what she was talking about now.

Orly nodded. "But we need to go to our own home now. Let your Ate Erica rest. She must be tired from work," he said, glancing at Erica before to his daughter.

"Your papa is right. You need to go home now. We can play on Sunday or maybe tomorrow after work," Erica smiled.

Hope frowned but eventually brightened up again when an idea came to mind.

"Have you had dinner, Ate Erica?" Hope asked suddenly that confused Erica, not only her but also Orly. They both looked at the little girl anticipating for what she'll say next.

"If you haven't yet then..." Hope uttered and Orly almost face-palmed.

"Hope," he called to stop her from saying what he thinks she would.

"...Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Erica didn't know how to respond to that. She was staring at Hope this whole time and the excitement and hope in her eyes were very evident that she had a hard time searching for an answer.

"Uh... I'm..." Erica tried to speak but there's nothing in her mind right now.

"Papa is cooking chicken tonight. His chicken recipes are so good, I know you'll like it."

Erica was lost for words alright. Like, why does Hope has to be so cute and irresistible? How do you turn down such a sweet little girl?

She didn't know how she found herself sitting on the couch with Hope, now changed in her housewear and waiting for Orly to finish cooking and call them for dinner.

"I showed Papa my painting and he told me that he'll buy me paint materials so that I can paint too just like you."

"Really? That's good. You'll learn and will be very good at it when the time comes too."

Erica doesn't remember when and how she was fond of children but whenever she meets one, she would instantly befriend them and if she could, she would play with them.

Her best friend told her that she's probably going to be a mother soon that's why but she never believed that. Being fond of children doesn't mean you'll be having one soon. To her, it was maybe because she never had any siblings to play with when she was younger. She had always played alone, and sometimes with her nanny.

"Who taught you to paint, Ate?" Hope asked.

"My mom did. Aside from being a doctor, she was also an artist," Erica replied proudly, slightly reminiscing the times with her mom.

"Your mother's a doctor? Wow! My Papa is also a doctor. Well, not yet, really. But he will become one soon!"

Erica's ears perked, a little bemused with what she heard about Orly whom she knew only as a bagman, and an annoying one, on that.

"He will be a doctor? Is he studying?"

Hope frowned. "He used to. But he promised me that he will go back to school soon so he could be a doctor."

So, he's pursuing medicine? Erica thought. But before she can think about it deeply, they were called on for dinner.

Hope was the one who pulled a chair for her while Orly placed the food on the table. He was still wearing his apron that looked very small on him, as Erica thought. Not only small but also very funny because it was pink and even has a Disney character on it. Pretty sure, someone other than him chose to buy it.

Erica was holding her laughter until she sat down. She took her gaze off from Orly and only watched Hope who sat on the chair across her. If she continues to look at him, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from laughing.

Orly took the apron off before joining them. They prayed first, leaded by Hope. It actually stunned Erica when Orly announced about the prayer. She is a Christian and she also used to pray before a meal when she was a child, but slowly forgets about it while growing up.

"It taste awesome, right?" Hope grinned when Erica took a bite of the spicy fried chicken in sweet and sour sauce. She nodded as she chew on the food.

"My Papa is really the best!" Hope held out a thumbs up towards her father and winked at him. Erica saw it causing her eyes to land on the man. She saw him shake his head at his daughter.

Hope was never out of stories to tell. She always have something up her sleeves even if it's about the most random things in the world like how ants live and more.

Erica's eyes would sometimes fall upon the man when Hope is talking, watching him for any reaction, and looks away when she feels he would look at her.

Their dinner went by smoothly, not as she expected but she was glad it did go that way. She was kind of worried that Orly and her might end up in another heated argument or may be worst. Recalling their previous encounter, she was actually amazed that they didn't had a part two of it.

"Did you like what my Papa cooked?" Hope asks almost the same question throughout their dinner, constantly emphasizing that her Papa cooked it.

Erica chuckled and nodded. From the girl, her eyes accidentally looked up to the man that was already standing by the door.

"You will eat with us again, right, Ate Erica? We'll do this again, right?" Hope beamed at her, holding unto her hand and appealing to her to say yes.

But Erica isn't really sure if she would want to do this again. First of all, she didn't really want to join them. Second is that she knows what Hope is doing. Although she thinks Orly might have spoken to Hope already, she doubt if the girl even understood it right.

"I'll see what I can do," she replied. Hope's smile widened to her ears.

Hope let her leave after that. Erica thought Orly would close the door immediately but he stepped out too and closed the door behind him before facing her.

"I'm sorry for how she acted tonight. I'll try and talk to her about it. And just to let you know, you don't have to say yes to her every time, Erica. She will accept anything wholeheartedly if you will be honest," Orly said.

Erica heaved. "I know that but I just can't say no to her. And, it's just this once. This won't happen again... right?"

He shook his head. "It won't."

Erica nodded. She was watching him intently as he stared back at her very sternly. He was the one who looked away first.

Orly was about to go back inside when she called him and he looked back at her.

Erica sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry."