"You know I thought you would be coming with Carter. Honestly, I am still surprised you came all by yourself" Rhea noted.
It was Friday evening, Laura had set the dinner for that day. Claire came earlier to help with the preparation of the dishes. She and Rhea stood outside by her car, they were about get into the car to drive to the grocery store.
As Rhea said, she was surprised to see Claire alone. She believed in her heart that the both Claire and Carter were close and would likely come over together.
"Why would you say that?" Claire said with a raised brow.
"I don't know. I just thought you guys are kinda close... I mean you are always together and all.... nevermind" Rhea answered and entered into the car.
Claire's gaze seems faraway before she shrugged and got into the car after her friend.
"You should stop all those silly thoughts of yours. I am only that close to him because he is our friend" Claire said. She laid emphasis on the word 'our'. She started the car and drove into the street.
"You know what, some how I feel you two should go out, I mean you and Carter look like a perfect match. The two of you seems to understand yourself so well. Infact I feel like you love him more than you love me and—"
"RHEA!" Claire yelled in irritation interrupting her friend.
Rhea blinked and stared at her best friend. She had never seen her lost her temper so easily. She was not even given a chance to ask why Claire what the matter was when the latter started talking.
"What do you mean by being in love? I am not in love with anybody! And what is all these you are saying about Carter and I being a perfect match. Stop being silly! I am not going to love any man—!" Claire rambled on.
"Take it easy. That was a joke okay, I know you are not in love and most likely going to be in love. Well, probably not now .." Rhea said and earned a glare from her dearest bestfriend.
"What I mean to say is that my dearest friend is never going to be in love with no man" Rhea retracted her words and Claire's tensed gaze became calm.
Rhea heaved a sigh of relief, she had thought Claire's reactions were only because of her father's past actions. If only she knew...
They drove silently for the next couple of minutes till they got to the grocery store. Claire found a spot and parked the car before the two of them stepped out.
Claire walked into the store and Rhea hurried after her.
"Hey, wait up!" Rhea called.
Claire paused and turned around. Rhea got to her, she gasped to catch her breathe.
"Stop pretending already, you only walked a few steps" Claire snorted.
"You— you..." Rhea voiced
"Are beautiful. I know, thank you" Claire responded walking away.
"You are such a bad friend!" Rhea said feigning anger and Claire sneered.
The two of them walked in the store to shop for the necessary things needed for the cooking. After about thirty minutes, they finished the shopping and returned home.
"Claire dear, please wash those vegetables" Laura instructed.
"Okay Aunt" Claire responded. She placed the vegetables in the basin and washed them.
"Rhea darling...." Laura called to turned around to face her daughter. An overly bright smile shone on her face.
"No. No, don't even mention it because I am not interested!" Rhea said immediately.
"You lazy girl! What help are you here for then! Just to cut vegetables?" Laura yelled.
"You know I can't handle a knife" Rhea retorted.
"Claire, can you hear that? You are supposed to be a woman!" Laura snapped. Flames blaring out of her nostrils and ears from her daughter's lazy attitude.
"Aunt, please calm down" Claire said. She tried to hide the amusement showing up on her face.
"Tell your bestfriend to work!" Laura answered turning to Claire.
"Tell my mother to give me some other duties apart from cutting vegetables. Why can't she ask me to wash them instead?" Rhea retorted. She also turned, now facing Claire.
"Can you hear that lazy daughter of mine?" Laura shook her head.
"I don't understand this woman at all. Are you sure she really is my mother?" Rhea rolled her eyes.
"Okay, it's okay. Aunt, it's okay... Rhea shut up already" Claire said trying to calm the two tensed women in front of her. But instead of mother and daughter duo stood akimbo glaring daggers at each other.
"Rhea, what are you doing! Time is going already and our visitors will be here soon" Claire voiced when she saw that the two were unyielding.
It was until at the mention of visitors that Laura got back to work. Rhea took the knife grudgingly and begin cutting the carrots in uneven shapes.
"With the mood here, I guess the mother and daughter have just returned from battle" Madeline who had just walked in whispered to Claire.
"You guessed right Aunt, those two are getting more infuriating by each day" Claire commented with a nod.
Madeline gave a small laugh and whispered.
"It make me wonder, how exactly the two of them have come this far"
"My thoughts exactly" Claire responded in a whisper.
"Hey! How dare you two talk about my daughter and I right before our eyes!" Laura who could not take the two gossips anymore said.
"I can't believe you two" Rhea added.
"Let's not mind them my dear child" Laura voiced. Rhea nodded and the two continued with their work.
Madeline winked to Claire and started her cooking. The best way to ease the tension was to gossip about the mother and daughter in their presence and it worked.
***********
"You should cancel all my schedules for the rest of the day" Eris said without raising his head from his work.
"What did you say?" Taylor asked. He stared at his boss in surprise.
"You heard me" Eris answered. His head still buried in his work.
Taylor thought he heard wrongly because at that time, Eris was at his busiest period in the company. He was jam-packed with series of meetings and workload. Taylor had not expected him to ask for his tight schedule to be freed.
"You know the meeting with some—"
"Cancel it. I have a more important place to be" He said.
"Oh... will the meeting you are going to attend be helpful for the company?" Taylor questioned eagerly.
"No. I am meeting with my soon to be mother in law" Eris answered.
"What!" Taylor yelled causing Eris to finally look up. He raised a careless brow.
"What do you mean by mother in law?" Taylor asked looking confused.
"Are you really so dumb? I am attending a dinner this evening with Rhea's family. Every other thing can wait" Eris deadpanned.
"Eris! The company is more important to you right now" Taylor voiced his concerns.
"You are wrong" Eris answered nonchalantly.
"Eris, I understand this is the first time you are experiencing this thing called love but you can't just rush things or do as you wish" Taylor lectured.
"You do as I say friend. I am the boss here" Eris responded. He checked the time on his watch, nodded and closed his laptop. He stood up and walked towards Taylor who was gapping at him in disbelief.
"You should do as I say. My woman should be expecting me" he gave Taylor's back a pat and walked out of his office.
Taylor stared at his departing figure continuously. He banged his head several times and did not even know when Audrey walked in.
"Why do you look so frustrated, where is Eris?" Audrey asked.
Instead of answering her, Taylor only raised his head and stared into her face. Several emotions flickered across his mind as he stared at her.
"I asked you a question, stop staring" Audrey voiced. Her brows scrunched together in disgust.
"Love is such a bullshit" Taylor uttered incoherently to which Audrey raised a brow.
"Eris had something else to attend to. I am going to cancel his schedule for the rest of the day" He voice, stood up and left the office.
"Hey!" Audrey called after him but he was gone. She hissed and stomped out of the office.
She wondered why she had to be stuck between two men. She found it so difficult to understand either of them but she had to endure it all to survive. After all the two of them had been her moral support all these while. With a little more patience with them, she might be able to overcome her troubles and who knows, she might even get one more thing -Him-
Her thoughts brought a small smile to her lips and her face brighten. She forget all her worried and stepped out of the company's building. She still had a long way to go after all.