"Grrrrrr"
Rhea's phone rang, she was so engrossed in the novel she was reading that she did not seems to notice. The phone kept on ringing non-stop.
"Who the hell are you that is disturbing at the crucial time! I am at the climax of this book and can't stop" Rhea groaned. The phone stopped ringing for a moment but only for it to ring again.
"Hey, who the heck are you and what the fuck do you want!?" She yelled as soon as she picked the called. She did not even who it was that called her.
On the other side of the phone, Eris froze for a millisecond. He was speechless, his lips trembled. It dropped open and closed again. Taylor who stood in front of the desk looked at boss and gestured to speak.
"Hello, hello, who are you? Are you not going to speak? Hey, hello, hello.... is this a prank call. Okay, I am hanging up now, your kind of prank is miserable—"
"Rhea"
Rhea paused, that voice, a kind of sweet sensation whisper that ignite her heart. Her jaw dropped but her vocal cords seems to fail her.
"Rhea, are you there?" Eris asked. He was confused about her sudden silence. It seems Taylor was right all along, she was mad at him.
"What do I do?" He mouthed to Taylor who shrugged in response.
"Get out!" He mouthed again and Taylor walked out of the room leaving his dear boss to his dilemma.
"E–ris" Rhea who just regained her voice finally said.
"You are mad at me" Eris voiced. It sounded more like a statement rather than a question to Rhea.
"Er.. why did you say that?" Rhea asked.
"You were not answering any of my texts and even yelled when I called" He responded.
'Ah .... that is what he thought' Rhea mumbled to herself. She had clearly forgotten about the texts he sent to her the day before and even took his call to be a prank call.
"No, I am not mad at you" Rhea said.
"Even if I never reached you for so long?" He asked.
"Even so, I understand you are a busy man after all" Rhea said and the line went silent.
"I missed you" he said after a while of silence.
In Rhea's room, she paused and stared at her phone for a really long time. Then a smile broke on her face.
"I missed you too" she replied in a small voice evident of her smile.
"I am glad you did" he said. "Do you mind going out with me sometime later?"
"Going out? You mean..."
"Let's go out on a date, our first date" Eris clarified upon seeing her hesitation.
"Huh?" Rhea was surprised, she had not expected him to be so straight about the idea of her going on a date with him.
"You don't want to?" He questioned.
"No, it's okay. Let's do it" She answered after giving it a thought. Going out with him did not exactly sound like a bad thing and a larger part of her really wanted to do it.
Eris ended the call after telling her that he would text her the time and place later. Rhea just stared at her phone for the longest time. She cupped her face in her palm and heaved a deep sigh. This year has been so so... she thought.
"How is it?" Taylor bobbed his head through the little opening of the door. When he was his boss dearest was in good mood, he walked in.
"What?" Eris questioned.
"Don't play dumb dear boss, did you not just speak to your lady? How did it go?" Taylor said.
"How is that your business? I see you have less work to do" Eris answered.
"Eris, you are so cruel!" Taylor cried. Although it was holidays, his boss did not consider giving him a break. Not like he complained though— or he did.
"You gave Audrey break but you won't do that to me! Why do you hate me so much?" Taylor cried dramatically, he held his chest and heaved a sigh of frustration. Eris scrunched his brows as he looked at his best friend.
"And why did you dare mention my name in my absence" Audrey, dressed in her corporate office suit walked in. She looked at Taylor before casting a respectful glance at Eris.
"Ah, you are here!" Taylor jumped from his seat toward Audrey who skillfully dodged his incoming hug attempt.
"I am here so...?" She asked.
"I know you will not believe what I am about to tell you but listen very carefully" Taylor voiced and Audrey raised a brow.
"Because our boss dearest found his woman, he is now planning to get rid of my presence!" Taylor said.
Audrey's lip twitched, at the mention of 'his woman', Audrey looked at Eris who did not seems to be paying attention to Taylor's dramatic performance. A certain light flickered in her vision and she blinked.
"Stop joking around" Audrey said, she pushed Taylor aside and walked closer to Eris.
"Eris" She called and he raised a brow indicating for her to speak.
"About the end of the year party—" she started but Eris cut her off.
"I am not attending" he said. Audrey's mouth hung open. She stared at him for the longest time and 'you are kidding' was at the tip of her tongue but she did not dare voice it out.
"I already told you he has better things to do!" Taylor chipped in but was ignored.
"E–Eris, you can't just— I mean, the party is a really important one for you to finally gain your stand in the company!" Audrey voiced her concerns cautiously albeit hesitantly.
"You think so?' Eris arched a nonchalant brow. He drummed his fingers on the table arrogantly.
'Can this guy be dumber?' Audrey thought as she stared at her boss. She gave what Taylor said a thought, what if he had gotten a woman—
"Nevermind, Eris knows best" Audrey said with a small smile. Looking at her closely, one would think the smile was not reaching her eyes. Eris only nodded, he had a lot of thinking to do and arrangements to make.
*
"Ouch, Claire, please be careful!" Rhea said but her voice came out as a muffle, thanks to Claire's hand that was covering half or her face.
"Stop being so ridiculous bestfriend, I am doing this for your own good" Claire said and Rhea snorted.
"What are you guys doing?" Carter walked in carrying cartons of pizza.
It was new year eve, Carter is busy receiving the orders for pizza and ice creams while Claire was giving her best friend a torturous make over.
"I am helping this maiden look much better" Claire responded.
"More like punishing her" Rhea mumbled but Claire who was hell bent on working her face to perfection did not mind at all.
"Why are you doing that, it is not like she is attending a socialite party or whatever" Carter said.
"You just don't know it, this is more than a socialite party, Rhea is going on a date! Our dearest friend is grown and have now gotten herself a boyfriend" Claire voiced.
"Not a boyfriend yet!" Rhea retorted and Claire rolled her eyes.
"Whoa, that Jordan guy is so damn fast in his chase!" Carter smirked.
"Not Jordan!" Rhea yelled, looks like this scene is happening again.
"Who the hell is Jordan!" Claire paused and glared at Carter who immediately put on his most sincere apologetic look. Rhea pouted as she remembered how the discussion with her mom always went.
She has woken up one morning and found Eris text of the address and time for the date. Although she was surprised that he was not planning to pick her up and give her a surprise date as the typical thing to do but she did not mind it at all.
After breakfast, she walked up to her mother and said.
"Mum, I am spending my New year's Eve out.... actually I am going on a date on that day"
"I see, that is the usual— Wait, did you say a date!" Laura yelled in realization.
"Mm... I guess" Rhea answered.
"Jordan really asked you out! So fast... he is such a smart kid after all" Laura said in awe.
"Mum, it's not Jordan!" Rhea said.
"Oh really, then who is it?" Laura asked. Her eyes sparkled in amusement, which mother would not, it was the first time in her daughter's twenty three years she mentioned anything about dating. Whosoever the man was, as far as it made her daughter happy, she would love him too.
"His name is Eris, you have never met him before actually" Rhea explained.
"Oh really, then I can't wait to meet this great guy then. Don't forget to get a dress, I think I should give Claire a call, her make up skill isn't so bad and...."
"Mum!" Rhea gave her mother a look.
Back to the present, Claire looked away from Carter and continued her piece.
"So, who is this guy?" Carter asked.
"Very soon, you will meet him... all done!" Claire said and looked at her Rhea to check for any mistake.
"Whoa, look at you, so beautiful. Eris is going to fall head over heels for you... I guess I should find myself a guy soon" Claire fawned over her friend. On the side, Carter looked at Claire with a arched brow that seems like he was saying 'really'.
"It's time to go Rhea, you don't want to be late" Claire said. Rhea picked her purse and took a deep breath.
"C'mon, don't be nervous" Claire voiced and pat her friend's shoulder.
"Don't get your man waiting" Carter chipped in and winked at Rhea who blushed. She looked at herself and walked out the house.
"Aww... she has grown so well" Claire muttered softly. Carter looked at her and smirked.
"Let's not miss out in the celebration" Carter announced and popped a bottle of Champagne.
"Yayyy!" Claire screamed. Last fun of the year, New year is only in few hours and every one is doing their things for the last hours.