"You wouldn't see me here if Daisy were back," said Edward casually. Leaning comfortably against his car, he wore a charming smile on his face. The man was the essence of chill and coolness.
"Daisy has a lot on her plate lately. The military gave her a lot of work to do. She has been so busy, she probably doesn't have time to think about home and her man. Did you try calling?" Kevin smiled back at him. When he folded his arms comfortably, the muscles on his arms expanded to fill his sleeves, his exquisite chest easily visible underneath his shirt. The man's figure was enough to cast a deadly spell over even the strongest willed woman. No wonder so many were hysterically infatuated with him.
"Not yet. Just go home, Kevin! I'll wait a little while longer." Edward lifted his head, as if by looking in that direction he could see the inside of the army base. To him, it was better to leave Daisy alone when she was working. She wouldn't hang around the base after work, and calling her might mean that he would have to wait longer for her to get done with her work. If he just showed a little patience, it was its own reward.
"Alright. I'm taking off then. Call Mark if you really get antsy. He should be able to remind her when it is time to stop and go home." There was a reason Kevin said that -- Daisy was known to get caught up in her work and forget to stop. She worked hard, sometimes too hard.
"Yeah, I'll do that. By the way, treat Leena nicely." No sooner had Kevin turned to leave than Edward said this. It wasn't by chance, and it wasn't a standard goodbye. Edward hoped that Kevin would just forget about Daisy and his infatuation, and Leena would have his heart. Anyone would feel sorry for Leena if she were unhappy. That was why those words left his lips, and he hoped it would make an impression on the young soldier.
"I will. Bye!" Edward's words had the intended effect. Kevin's body stiffened, and it was a few seconds before he could manage to get any words out at all. Edward didn't have to remind him to treat her well, but in those words was buried a message: "Forget about Daisy, and learn to love your wife."
A satisfied smile broke across Edward's face. Sometimes, it didn't pay to be too direct. Just a couple of words in the right place at the right time could communicate volumes. Men talked this way all the time. A clever man, Kevin must have understood the meaning in Edward's farewell.
Kevin climbed into the car. He nodded at Edward before driving off at full speed. His lips curled into a bitter smile. There were a lot of rumors about Edward, particularly concerning his skill and ruthlessness, and above all his intelligence. The president of FX International made it clear in just a few words that Kevin should just let Daisy go, and forget about his crush. And in doing so, love Leena with all his heart and soul. But this was not a novel idea. Since Leena was like a sister to him, he wanted her to be happy. As a husband, he wouldn't stand for any rivals for Daisy's affections. It was better for Kevin to move on and love the one he was supposed to love.
The night fell earlier in winter. The city had turned into a sea of colorful lights when Kevin hit downtown. Lights turned on or off now and again. They gave warmth and light to those still lingering on this cold winter night. If every light represented a home, then Kevin hoped these lights would never go out. Everyone deserved a home of their own, somewhere to go, somewhere to rest, and live, and love. These lights were comforting, and told Kevin he was home.
Kevin slowed down when he passed a flower shop. He thought for a second, and then just sped up again and continued to go home. Yes, it was romantic to get a bouquet of flowers for your girl, and she might even be more loving after she got a gift like that. But he didn't feel all that romantic today.
"It's so late. Why isn't Kevin home yet? Is he usually this late?" This was not the first time Claire complained about Kevin being late. She was so anxious she could not tear her eyes away from the clock on the wall.
"He must be really busy. He works overtime a lot anyway. Are you hungry, Claire? Supper is ready now. We don't have to wait for Kevin," said Leena with an embarrassed smile. Actually she got used to waiting. Kevin was late coming home a lot, so there was not much to do about it. She preferred to eat with him. But it was not fair for Claire to wait too.
"That's cool. I can wait! By the way, did something happen? You just don't seem like your usual bright self." Claire settled her gaze on Leena. She noticed something off when Leena came back this afternoon. But she bit back her words, and just waited. She couldn't wait any longer. She had to ask.
"Nothing. You're imagining things, Claire. I'm just tired. It was a long drive." Leena avoided eye contact. She did that when she lied.
Really?" Claire got her answer, but she was still suspicious. Still, she tried hard not to pry any further, and she promised Kevin she would try to get along with Leena. Curiosity killed the cat, and she didn't want any dead felines. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to make Leena mad.
"Okay, what do you think happened to me? I'm okay. Nothing happened! I'll fetch the soup. Kevin will be back any time now." Leena practically fled into the kitchen. She feared that her eyes might betray her secret to Claire. She was right, she wasn't in the best of moods, but she didn't feel like talking about it either.
Leena's attitude didn't escape Claire's attention. She observed her sister-in-law carefully, and it only magnified her suspicions. 'So what happened when she was out? She is really a mess!' Claire said to herself in secret.
Leena took a minute to calm down before she turned on the stove. She was relieved that Claire stopped asking questions, otherwise she would have been found out. She didn't do anything wrong, and there was no reason for her to lie. But what would Claire think if she found out about Leena's blind date? Though she was tricked into it, it didn't make her feel any better. Would her sister-in-law think that she was a tramp who cheated on her brother? She and Claire already had problems, and she didn't want to create any more bad blood between them.
Just as Leena predicted, Kevin got home soon, immediately after she set the table and served the soup. It didn't make her feel any better -- Leena still felt embarrassed looking at Kevin.
"Wow! You sure took your time getting home! Do you know how long we have waited for you?" Claire curled her lips disapprovingly while casting a look at Leena. Kevin arrived home pretty much when Leena said he would. Those two were sure in sync. Kevin was a creature of habit, like most guys, so it was easy for Leena to figure out when he would get home from work. She could predict the exact time he would set foot inside the house. Or did Kevin call before he got home?