"Do you know what day it is?"
Eric blinked, implying that this was a trick question but he answered either way.
"Huh! It's your's and father's birthday. right?"
He also understood that she wasn't one to joke. His face instantly changed to one of utter confusion.
Rose smiled bitterly.
"True. But this day also marks someone else's birthday."
??
"Who?"
Eric traced his question to various acquaintances of his and Rose's both present and past but came out empty-handed.
Rose scowl at him.
"How forgetful of you,"
He fidgeted before slumping in defeat.
"Pardon my incompetent memory, big boss. May I know whose birthday it is?"
He seemed pardon but yet lamented in his heart of how much of a tyrant she was. One couldn't blame Eric because Rose wasn't exactly an easy nut to crack.
A heartbeat later, Rose let loose a loud sigh, like just talking about this drained her of her energy but also somewhere else she felt comforted. An ease.
"Someone very special to my heart and dear to me. She was the reason why I was willing to forget my past. She was the seal that had me wanting to move forward."
Eric stared in a trance at the vulnerable side profile of a strong woman. The multi-colored lights reflected continuously on her like reflecting the emotions buried inside her. Her eyes almost closed, her duty lips set in a straight line, her cheeks a rosy hue.
She was a worldly painting.
"You always use anonymous ways to describe this friend of yours. At least tell me her name or let me meet her."
This wasn't the first time Rose had spoken of such friend, just as it wasn't the first time she drank her vulnerability away. He also wouldn't deny that he was also curious if not jealous of this significant individual that had taken over her heart.
"She's no more."
Eric froze in his place as an inexplicable surge of horror consumed him. His mind blanked out then started assuming facts.
His mind jumped to the rumors about a master Leonine that he suspected was her but didn't have evidence. had an insatiable harem of women at his disposal.
"So wait! You are a lesb?!"
His eyes widen even further.
"No, way! You are a homo!! Why didn't you tell me you're seeing both sides?!"
Rose had an urge to slap the living hell out of him.
"Are you stupid!"
Here she was having a serious conversation and he dared to speak nonsense.
Rose wasn't known for keeping her anger in check. He zoomed her way to his side, giving him a hard smack on the head.
"She's no more as in dead. D-E-A-D."
Another smack.
"Where did you hear me say I was Lesb or homosexual! Are there loose screws in your head?!"
Eric held her wrist, acting extra pitiful.
"Ouch! Ouch! Okay, I get it. Easy on the tuff, alright!"
She growled back. Struggling to release her wrist.
They started a tug of war, acting like children. Then suddenly, Eric realized an important fact.
"Wait! What?! So you mean to say that instead of celebrating your birthday with happiness, you instead mourn every year?! And who is she? Do I know her?"
She stiffen in his hand, an indication that he was right and she wasn't fully ready to talk about her.
Eric felt his heart give out to her.
"Rose don't you think it's high time you let go! I know it's hard but if you can just open your eyes clearly you will realize that this present had so much to look forward to than the past."
He didn't know when she had let her guard down. He held both her wrist. His eyes stared deeply into hers.
Rose stared back, she felt everything he felt. She had trouble swallowing at the intensity.
"Like you?"
The words came out unconsciously confusing them both.
He swallowed hard, finally realizing the position they were in. This would have been the right time to confuse his feeling. Her walls were down, her eyes were clustered from the flood of emotions, she was vulnerable...
"Yeah or little Kiara or Dad, Paul, Fiona, or even little Alec, the stone-hearted Daryl, miss Montrose."
She was vulnerable, and he couldn't take advantage of her like that. He was a gentleman and still her true friend
"I do, don't I?" Her lips tug at the corner to form a smile. Her features were gentler.
They troubled him. He felt conflicted looking at her now, the situation, and back to the party.
"Rose. Did you- did you mean what you said?"
She blinked those doe eyes softly, she shifted slightly to sit in a more comfortable position their knees touched, their hands still held. Eric wanted nothing more than for this moment to pause. He became scared and unsure if his question would ruin this closeness. He was still confused by what she had said at the party where she said
'She likes you dumbass.'
And a huge part of him had clearly misinterpreted her words to 'I like you dumbass and she knows that.' While the other - well it was still finding itself difficult to register in his brain.
He knew her too well that she was emotionally detached, had problems expressing, so for her to make that comment meant she did understand the true meaning of love. Although this was the closest they had ever been...
"About?"
While hesitating, He looked back into her eyes and saw her. He froze in bewilderedness at her whole real self. Then he realized something he suspected since the beginning of this year.
This arrogant headstrong independent tyrant was changing. She didn't realize she was getting more strong by letting go of her past and enjoying her present.
He likes seeing her like this. Gentle, confident, pure, and stronger.
"About loving someone but not receiving the love back. You know like Lana."
He wanted to know her more, understand why she was emotionally detached, so he could know how to heal her.
Then he saw it. That flicker of weakness in her eyes, how tears almost surge them, and how helpless she almost looked. Until it was gone.
It went as fast as it came but Eric still remembered them. Even though her eyes harden and she separated herself from him. His frown could only deepen at her pain.
"I do have experience with such cases."
Her voice was hoarse, deeper with an accent. A flash of familiarity as though lost in the past
Eric acted like he didn't notice by giving her the benefit of doubt.
"So what do you do? Did you fight for that love? And when was that?"
She returned him a weak smile.
"No. I let go. That's because It's better to be lonely than to be played by wrong people."
He was dumbstruck.
"That's true and also not true. Not all our paths are destined to be with the wrong people. But okay! You didn't answer me when that was? Was it in high school?"
His impatience for gossip was too obvious. Rose had to roll her eyes at him. It's time that there was a time she liked him and he didn't. But he didn't need to know that.
"Maybe... But- you know I did learn something over it. That life is too bright and beautiful to keep on holding to one thing that never looks your way or holds value to your future."
She turned back to stare back at him only to be stated by the baffled look on his face.
Her brow rose in a question mark of 'what?'
"Maybe you should listen more to your words, Rose. This act of blind hypocrisy isn't for you."
His voice was accusing. He also felt the urge to smack the living hell out of her. But he didn't. Instead, he meekly sat closer to her, stretched to pour two glasses of dry gin, and handed it to her.
"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us that we can kick ass at."
He clicked her glass before doing his down in one shot. Rose stared at him for a long while before drowning hers
The atmosphere became calm as they each took shots while letting the music consume them and their eyes appreciate the people dancing on the dance floor. Eric stared back at her and vowed in his heart.
#' And as for my issue. I will never give up. I will fight harder to get your affection. This I promise you, Rose. My mind tells me to give up, but my heart won't let me.'#
She was healing, and he promise to help her heal more.
Now with the mood defused, Eric was feeling more content in his heart, he felt as high as the sky. This to him was enough even though he still hadn't gotten the answer to who the anonymous friend was. And if she had feelings for him.
He trusted that time would be nice on him and reveal slowly.
"So what's the plan for tomorrow." He spoke so flippantly, he went as far as to slouch backward his arms behind his head.
Rose's gaze glared at him, no longer baffled that one minute he would act like a mature person then the next toss all responsibility away. His character was that of one having eaten a stolen cake then expecting the thief to serve him refreshments. Him eating the cake was his job but sorting out to find the cake and refreshments were the thief's job.
Such a character deserves a massive beating.
"You are my boss, I work under you. So you decide."
Eric was as sly as a fox, being so slippery to dodge her comeback.
"But you are the real boss with interesting fun activities."
This time she did turn to regard him like he was crazy. How did beating up gangs and savaging businessmen with her sharp tongue consider being fun?. Her work-life required that of her, being a young master and business consultant. She was a true procrastinator.
"You know. You don't have to be crazy to hang out with me. I'll train you. Make your appointment for tomorrow."
He gave a dismissive wave of her hand,
"No, no I'm nowhere near as capable as you are, big boss."
She sighs helplessly,
"Then you are a lost cause."
He let loose a booming laugh.