The next morning went by in a haze. Whether it was the effect of a light hangover or just not getting enough sleep, the first thing I can remember is almost falling over as I take an awkward step onto the train.
"Woah, you alright?" Charles grabbed my arm and steadied me as the doors slid shut behind us.
"Yeah, thanks."
I must be on a whole new level of tiredness to get this far in the day without realizing it. Did I end up staying awake and thinking about my conversation with Matt and Bell? That discussion went nowhere helpful. Still, I wish I remembered what the three of us said to each other before leaving the apartment today. Although, if I'm too tired to remember what I said, I was probably too tired to say anything worth remembering. Putting that aside, I'm wide awake now. I guess tripping and almost falling is a good way to get yourself up in the morning. As Charles let go of my arm, Matt sat next to me, and the train pulled away.
"Did you forget your coat at work last night, James?"
"My coat, Ah Erica has it. But she should bring it with her to work today. So I'll have it back by the time we start working."
"Ah… that's right. While Matt and I walked home by ourselves, the two of you went out to have fun. I hope you were able to relax after everything that happened yesterday."
"I think we managed to enjoy ourselves enough. And after talking to each other about work for a while, we decided to keep at it even if our effort seems to be going to waste. Although the alcohol may have helped with that a little."
"I bet it did… I talked to Lilac about work last night. Surprisingly enough, she said some pretty similar things to what Matt told me yesterday, and after thinking it through, I agree. We should at least put our best into the project before giving up." Smiling, Charles turned to Matt.
"I have to thank you for that talk you gave me yesterday. Without it, I'm not sure I would have had the motivation to continue coming to work."
"Hahaha" Lightly chuckling, Matt returned Charles' smile.
"Don't mention it. I was only telling you what I personally believe in and try to follow myself. Everyone finds their own answers to these kinds of difficult questions. But it makes me happy to hear that my answer guided you to yours."
"No need to be so humble about it… we are friends after all. It's ok if you take credit for helping me out."
"Alright, alright"
Matt's smile seemed to fade as Charles poked fun at him for trying to be modest. I don't think humble is the right word for what is happening right now, although I'm not sure Charles fully understands what Matt is saying to him either. Even after hearing it multiple times myself, I haven't been able to piece together what Matt and Bell mean when they say find your own answer. However, this conversation does make me wonder if Charles has chosen to fully commit to our job or not. I guess I will find out soon enough as we get to the office.
"You know… we have lived next to each other and worked together for a while now."
Before I can even think about what I'm saying, my mouth is opening, and words are spilling out. Am I just making idle speak, or is there something I want to get at here?
"That's true, although it's crazy that we haven't had the time to get together outside of work to do anything as a group." Not missing a beat, Charles immediately agreed to what I said and took the conversation a step further.
"I mean… I know both of you well enough. But I don't think either of you have gotten to talk to Lilac much, and she hasn't gotten to know Bell at all."
That's a fair point. Matt and Bell may have only lived with me for under a week at this point, but Charles and Lilac have lived next to me for the last couple of months, and I have not interacted with them outside of work at all. I'm not a fan of intrusive neighbors that feel the need to be best friends with everyone who lives close to them, but Charles is a good person, and I'm sure Lilac is too.
"Yeah, I guess we have known each other for a long time without really knowing each other."
I stare Matt dead in the eyes, and he glances out the window to avoid eye contact. That may have been a low blow, but I feel giddy inside for landing a shot on him.
"I tell you what, Charles, I don't particularly have any plans tonight, and although the timing is a bit rushed, I would love to have both you and Lilac over for dinner. If you would be able to drop by for a bit, then maybe everyone can finally get to know each other better."
"That sounds wonderful! I will let Lilac know right away." Smiling ear to ear, Charles pulled out his phone and started texting at record speed.
As the train came to our stop, the three of us got up from our seats and started walking to work together. Charles seemed to have an extra bounce in his step as he led us across the street and into the office. I'm not sure if that energy came from Matt's speech yesterday or my invitation to dinner tonight. Either way, it's good to see him in high spirits. To be honest, I'm not sure why I invited him over without planning anything beforehand or at least asking Matt and Bell if they were ok with it. But Matt and Bell didn't exactly ask me if I was ok with them appearing out of nowhere, so why should I offer them a choice? As I turned around to look at Matt, the cool morning breeze pierced my shirt once more as the chilled weather matched his disgruntled expression.
"I thought you disliked this job. How come you are going out of your way to spend time with coworkers all of a sudden?" Matt's words were almost lost in the wind as he whispered in my ear.
"I hate the job, not the people working there. I know Charles is a good person, so what harm is there in getting to know him better? Don't get confused about some bigger meaning behind this or anything."
"Oh." Matt's expression relaxed, and he smiled once more.
"I guess I was just overthinking it."
"However… I trust that you will have Bell under control tonight, seeing as we have guests coming over" A sly grin slipped on my face as we entered the elevator and headed up to the second floor.
"Oh no"
Matt's composure fell apart as the three of us stepped off the elevator. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders for some reason. Maybe it had settled on Matt today instead for a change.
"Ah, James!" Erica called out my name from across the office and walked over to where the three of us were standing.
"Thanks for letting me borrow this last night."
She held my jacket between her arms, and as I reached out to grab it, she leaned forward to whisper in my ear.
"I meant to thank you for helping me with work last night, but you ended up helping me again instead… I guess I'll just have to try again another day." Pressing the coat into my chest, she smiled and took a step back.
"T-thanks"
Fumbling over my words, I slid the jacket on and immediately felt its warmth. Is it actually warm, or am I going crazy? Maybe she wore it to work today too. Taking a deep breath in, I can smell her perfume lingering around me. I may have suffered on my way home, but I definitely made the right choice in giving this to her last night.
"Alright, everyone…" Turning to face the rest of the team, Erica began to discuss a new adjusted timeline for our project.
As far behind as we currently are, I'm surprised it took so long for this to happen. But I'm more surprised that no one is complaining about the increased daily workload. According to this new schedule, we will probably be spending an extra hour or two at the office every day before going home. I guess everyone is serious about putting their all into the project now. With this increased motivation and a new timeline, we will complete the project just before the deadline if everything goes to plan.
"Does that sound good to everyone?" Erica asked, quickly checking to see if there were any dissenting thoughts on the matter.
"Sounds good to me." Charles nodded his head in agreement.
"Good! Let's get going then."
As the four of us walked to our desks, another long day of work began. Or at least that is what I would normally think and say. For some reason, today was different. It could have been the mood in the office or the overall enthusiasm of our team, but the moment I sat down and started working, time started moving differently. Differently than it normally does at least. With the four of us working together at full effort and in full sync, the day flew by in what felt like a matter of minutes. But unlike times in the past, today we got everything done that we wanted to. The new timeline is starting to look less like a dream and more like a real possibility. As Matt and I started to pack our things up, I looked at the time. We were leaving a full hour later than normal, but the day had felt shorter than ever before. Is that because I had enjoyed what we accomplished?
"Hey James, I think she is trying to get your attention" Matt tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up to see Erica waving at me from her desk.
"You think she needs help again?"
"No clue, but you better get over there before she comes over here." Matt smirked as I sat my laptop back down and made my way to her desk.
"Hey Erica, do you need help with something before we all head out?"
"Ah no… not this time, but come here and look at this." Sitting down in her chair, she smiled and waved me over to her monitor.
"See this?"
Her computer had the files from everyone's work today pulled up. I'm not sure why she wanted me to see this. Was there something wrong with one of them?
"Is that everyone's completed work?"
"Yes! Everyone's work from today is completed and on schedule too!" Erica beamed back at me, smiling from ear to ear, her entire presence radiating happiness.
"And it's all thanks to you."
"Huh?"
That didn't sound right. What did I have to do with everyone completing their work on time?
"The whole day, I kept thinking about what you said to me last night, and it drove me to put my all behind our work today. Even with our increased workload, I managed to pull through thanks to you. And I'm sure it was the same for everyone else on our team too."
Returning her smile, I feel a pang of guilt. I can't tell her that I don't believe what I said last night anymore. It's nice to know that my advice motivated others to do better, but it could still harm them in the future. Although, if she is happy with the current present, does that mean it offsets the pain of an unpleasant future? I'm sure Bell would say so.
"Do you think we can keep this pace up for the next couple of months?"
"If we all work as hard as we did today, then I don't see why not."
Her optimism towards our job is now higher than mine has ever been. However, the current display on her computer might be helping with that. I can't remember the last time our entire team completed their day's work on schedule.
"I guess you're right about that." Looking across the room, I see Matt and Charles standing at the elevator waving to me.
"Ah, I should probably get going. I have to…"
My voice trailed off. Shit. I almost forgot that I had invited Charles and Lilac over for dinner. Our team may have completed everything we needed to at work today, but that doesn't mean I can relax. I still have to get the apartment ready and help Matt prepare a meal for everyone.
"Hmm?" Erica tilted her head while looking up at me.
"I have to get my apartment cleaned up since I invited Charles and his wife over for dinner."
"Oh… ok, you should probably get going then." Erica looked away from me and down at her laptop as she began to sign out for the day.
"I should probably head home too."
"Yeah…"
I turned around and started to walk towards the elevator, but the atmosphere felt off. Stopping, I looked over my shoulder and saw Erica quietly putting her computer away. Almost all of the energy she was displaying minutes ago had disappeared.
"Hey, Erica… if you don't have any plans tonight… you can come over for dinner too."
Her head shot straight up as she turned around to look at me.
"That sounds wonderful! I'll grab some wine on my way there for all of us to enjoy."
"Hahaha, that's not necessary…" First, she invited me to a bar and grill, and now she wants to drink wine with the whole team. I'm starting to think Erica likes to drink.
"Ahhh, don't worry about it." The sly expression on her face tells me that she completely ignored what I just said.
Beaming with energy once more, she started walking over to the elevator where Matt and Charles were waiting. If what Bell said last night was true, then my actions are accountable for affecting others' happiness in both the short term and in the long run. I've always been fixated on the future consequences of my choices, but Erica's happiness from getting invited to dinner and productivity in the office today seem to prove him right. Grabbing the briefcase from my desk, I join everyone as we leave the building and head to the station together.
"Does 7 pm work for everyone?" I turn around to look at Erica before she parts from the group to wait for her train.
"I might be thirty minutes late if that is ok."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. How about you, Charles?"
"Seven should work for me, and Lilac said she would love to come over as well."
"Seven it is then."
Stepping off the platform with Matt and Charles, I sat down and looked out the window to see Erica waving. As we pulled away from the station, my body felt warmer than it did on the way to work this morning. Even though we are not on the same train right now, I still feel like Erica is here with me. Ah, that's right, I'm warmer because I have my coat now.
As the three of us got off the train and made our way home, I found myself unlocking the door to my apartment. Holding it open, I let Matt inside first and call out to Charles.
"I'll see you in a bit then."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." Charles smiled and waved as he opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside.
Taking my shoes off, I followed Matt down the hallway and into the living room. Bell is sitting in his usual place on the couch watching a livestream on the TV. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think I have ever seen him outside of the living room or dining room once. Matt looked over his shoulder and glanced at me with pain in his eyes. An evil smile slowly worked its way onto my face as I pointed at him and then at Bell. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in, Matt walked over to Bell and tapped on his shoulder.
"Hey, we need to clean up this area and the kitchen. James invited some people from work over for dinner."
"He what!" Bell turned around and looked at me with a shocked expression.
Pain. If one word could convey the feeling of misfortune and regret I have right now, it would be pain. Matt looked at me with a smug expression as my plan to put him through a difficult situation had rebounded onto me.
"It's just the neighbors and Erica. But I need you to help clean this area up before they all get here."
"The neighbors? Like… the ones that complained about me making noise?"
"Yeah, so you better be on your best behavior."
"You know, that's a good idea, Bell." Matt spoke up, the smug look on his face still there.
"You should apologize to the neighbors for the noise in person since they are coming over."
Matt seems to think he is turning the tables on me here, but it's not too bad of a suggestion in the first place. "I think it's a good idea. You should do it. If you are genuine about apologizing or at least come off as genuine, it will put everyone on better terms with each other."
"... fine." Bell turned off the TV and stared at the ground.
I didn't expect him to agree so easily, but the more I interact with these two, the more I realize that having them in the same room together is a disaster in the making. Will they even be able to get along in front of others tonight? As the three of us start to clean up the apartment, I feel an overwhelming sense of dread.
Rushing between the kitchen and the living room, I put our strewn-about items away as fast as I could. Bell is walking back and forth between the closet and the couch, hiding his mess instead of placing anything where it is supposed to go. Looking around, there is not much more I can do without getting in his way.
"Can you finish cleaning this area while I go help Matt?"
"Sure"
Bell waved me out of the room as he grabbed a handful of game cases and walked towards the closet. Entering the kitchen, I stepped away from the counter as Matt picked up a knife and began chopping vegetables.
"We are just about done cleaning the living room and dining room. Is there anything I can help you with here?"
"Uh… let me think." Matt's chopping slowed as he looked around the kitchen.
"I'm probably going to make soup since you invited more than a few people over. But I don't know if we have any alcohol to go with it. Would you let me know what we have?"
"Sure."
Walking over to the pantry, I open it up and am greeted by a half-used can of coffee and a couple cans of beer.
"Uh… Matt, we have a bit of a problem."
A problem, more like an alcohol shortage. But seeing as I invited my coworkers over for dinner and drinks, that would still be a problem. I move out of the way as Matt starts to walk over to me. Still holding the knife, he looks into the cabinet and lets out a sigh.
"How much do we have?"
"Put the knife down! We only have three cans of beer!"
"Shit. We kind of need wine, but I don't have any time to go buy some."
"Hey, Hey, Hey! Grov-"
"Shut up." Walking into the kitchen, Bell only got half his sentence out before Matt cut him off.
"Wait, this is good timing. Are you done cleaning up your mess in the living room?"
"Y-Yeah" Bell took a step back as Matt swung the knife around and pointed it at him.
Bell looks like he is about to cry, and I can't really blame him. He had barely finished putting his things away and came to let us know. Only to immediately be told to shut up and have a knife pointed at him threateningly. Walking up to Matt, I grab his wrist and pluck the knife from his grasp. Setting it down on the counter, I sigh and turn to Bell.
"We don't have any wine to go with dinner, and I don't particularly think serving three cans of beer to six people is a good idea. Matt is preparing the food, and I need to be here when everyone starts showing up… Do you think you could run to the store and grab some wine for me?"
"Sure, yeah, I can do that." Bell muttered under his breath.
Still clearly shaken up by Matt's actions, it's probably best that I give the two of them space from each other. Reaching into my wallet, I pull out three twenties and hand them to Bell.
"Hey, Matt. What kind of wine will go well with the soup you are making?"
"Any kind of red wine should do."
"Then get enough for six people." Patting Bell on the back, I walk him out of the kitchen and towards the front door.
"If he pulls that again, I'm going to take away his knife privileges."
"Hahaha" Bell chuckled as he walked out of the door.
"Thanks, James."
As I walked back into the kitchen, Matt slid the last of the ingredients into the pot and covered it with a lid. Picking up the knife once more, I rinsed it off in the sink and slid it into the dishwasher.
"I don't know if you heard me earlier, but don't ever walk around the kitchen with a knife like that again. Nothing good can come from it."
"Yeah, alright." Matt slumped in a dining chair and looked at his phone.
"They could be here any minute. Would you help me set the table?"
"Sure."
Grabbing plates and silverware from the cabinets, the two of us prepared the dining room in silence. We may have been in a rush since the moment we got home, but it looks like we might get everything done before anyone arrives.
-knock knock knock-
"Ah"
I spoke too soon, or at least I thought too soon. Does that still count? Looking up at Matt, I drop all the silverware in one big pile on the table.
"It's probably the neighbors. I'll let them in while you finish this up." Walking to the door once more, I open it to Charles, smiling from ear to ear.
"James, thanks for inviting us over." Lilac spoke up from behind him as a cold breeze blew past us and into the apartment.
"Come on in. It's freezing out there." Shivering, I ushered them inside and closed the door.
"Erica should be here in a little bit, and Matt just finished throwing everything in the soup. So for now, why don't you both make yourselves comfortable."
As Charles and Lilac took their shoes off, the three of us entered the living room together. I could smell our dinner cooking from the kitchen as Matt joined us and sat down on the couch. Making my way over to a chair, I feel my legs almost collapse. I've been off the clock for well over an hour, but only now am I getting to sit and rest.
"How has work been going for the both of you recently? I heard a while back the company is expanding to new locations even though they are currently understaffed. Then last night, Charles told me about how your team got in trouble for falling behind." Lilac turned to Matt, seemingly prompting him to complain about work. Although if that was her goal, she chose the wrong roommate.
"Yeah, we've been behind in our work for a while now. So I'm sure everyone knew we would eventually get some sort of talking to. But I feel pretty good considering what we accomplished today. What do you think, James?"
"Uh… I mean, everyone worked better together today than we have in a long time. So if we can keep this up in the long run, completing everything on time should be possible."
Matt kind of deflected the question to me there, although I'm not sure why. Was he that confident I would agree with him? What would have happened if I said otherwise? The conversation certainly would have gone in a direction he disapproved of. I've been enjoying work more in this last week than I have for the last couple of months combined, but I'm not sure how he figured that out.
"Ha" Charles laughed softly, covering his mouth with his hand.
"I think I know how our team managed to pull together."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Matt smiled back at him with a smug look on his face.
"Isn't it obvious? A common enemy united us, and now we have come together to defeat it."
"Wha-" Matt sat with a stunned look on his face. I bet he thought that Charles would credit his motivational speech instead.
"Pfffft" Lilac blew air out of her mouth as she stifled a laugh.
"Hey James, don't you think Bell should be back by now?" Matt turned to me, trying to change the conversation topic.
"Eh, he did leave a while ago. If he doesn't come back before Erica gets here, I'll have to give him a call."
"Say… I don't think you've ever told me. Where does Bell work?" Charles turned to me with a puzzled expression.
This is it. One of the questions I had been hoping I would not get asked tonight. Although maybe it's best we get this out of the way while Bell is not in the room to answer for himself. Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the pause in our conversation drew longer. Wait, why am I embarrassed for him? Bell might be a part of me, but both he and Matt have made it clear that I am not them. As Charles and Lilac looked to me for an answer, I shrugged my shoulders and told them the truth.
"He is unemployed."
"Currently unemployed." Matt hastily cut in and corrected me without hesitation.
"Bell is looking to get into med school but has not been accepted yet. He is also too stubborn to find a job in the meanwhile."
"So… is he not looking for a job right now, or does he not want one at all?" Lilac looked confused as she tried to piece together the reasoning behind what Matt had just said.
It's a good question, but luckily enough, Bell's thoughts on the matter came from me. So I know the answer.
"Well… Bell explains it best. But he always tells me that unemployment is better than working a job he hates. Which is why he is currently refusing to work anywhere outside of his chosen profession."
"Hmm…" Leaning back in his seat, Charles stared at the ground.
"I can relate to that… or at least understand it. But at the same time, I don't know if I would call him smart or lazy. He is either ten steps ahead of us all or one hundred behind. That's for sure."
"I- that's a good way to put it."
I feel a little lost for words, but maybe that's because Charles took them right out of my mouth.
-knock knock knock-
"Speak of the Devil… I'll go let him in."
As I walk to the front door, Lilac continues to ask Matt more about Bell and his choice to stay unemployed. They better have changed the subject by the time I get back. Otherwise, this conversation will actually become troublesome. Swinging the door open, I stick my head out and prepare to scold Bell for returning so late.
"Woah!"
I stumbled backward into the hallway in embarrassment after being greeted by an unexpected face. Aggressively pushing my head out of the door was the wrong move, as it put Erica's face inches away from mine.
"Hahaha" Erica leaned forward, laughing at me as I fell backward on myself.
"Are you alright, James?" Bell peered out from behind Erica to see what the commotion was.
"Sorry, I'm late… I ran into her at the grocery store, and the two of us decided to head here together."
"I brought wine!" Erica proudly pulled a massive bottle out of nowhere, holding it by the neck.
"I got what you asked for too."
As I steadied myself and stood up, Bell handed me a bag with another two bottles in it. We are now sitting at three bottles of wine and six people. How did we go from having almost no alcohol in the house to having too much?
"That's… a lot. I'm not sure we will even need to tap into what you brought Erica."'
"Ah, don't be too sure." She looked at me with a sly grin.
"Well, thank you anyway. Why don't you both step inside here? It's freezing out there." Moving to the side, I let the two of them pass me as I held the door open.
"Do you want me to put the wine in the kitchen?" Bell looked back at me as he started to head down the hallway.
"Yeah, go ahead and set them on the counter" As I passed him the wine, Bell entered the kitchen leaving Erica and myself alone in the hallway. Turning to her, I smile and whisper.
"You better not drink as much tonight as you did yesterday. The last thing I need to do is walk you home when I'm already here."
"If I drink too much… you might just have to let me stay the night." Smirking, she raced forward and entered the living room without me.
Shivering at the thought of that, I turn around to make sure the front door is closed. Looking in the kitchen, Bell is nowhere to be seen. He must have slipped past me at some point. This is bad. Matt and Bell are in the same room talking to my coworkers without me. As I rushed after Erica, another chill ran down my spine. Entering the living room, I am greeted by Matt staring daggers at me. Did he pick up the knife again? No, wait, Bell is standing next to me. That must be the reason, but what does Matt want?
"Oh, Lilac! I almost forgot you haven't met Bell yet. It's crazy that we've been neighbors for this long, and the two of you haven't crossed paths before."
As Matt smiled and waved Bell over to where he was sitting, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Not because I was scared Bell would do something rash and ruin the dinner for everyone, but because Matt had just told the perfect lie with a smile on his face. In just one statement, he had captured complete control of the situation and forced the outcome he wanted on Bell.
"Ah… Bell, it's nice to meet you…" Lilac smiled softly and nodded in his direction.
I don't blame her for acting cautious of him, especially after discussing how he chooses to live his life. Looking around, Erica is talking to Charles, and Matt is eagerly waiting for Bell's response. Shivering once more in anticipation, it feels like I am the only one affected by the tension of the situation.
"Yeah, It's nice to meet you too. And before I forget, I just want to apologize for not paying attention to all the noise I was making the other day. It was completely my fault, and I am sorry for interfering with your work. I'll make sure to be extra mindful of it from now on."
Looking Lilac dead in the eyes, Bell delivered the most sincere apology I had seen in a long time. This was not something he came up with on the spot. From his body language to the way the words flowed from his mouth, he was being genuine. If Matt was cunning and deceitful to force this conflict, Bell responded honestly to resolve it. As all my worry washed away, Lilac's smile warmed up, and her apprehension of Bell seemed to disappear.
"I- hahaha, I wasn't expecting that." As Lilac leaned back in her seat and laughed, Charles and Erica quieted down and turned to look at her.
"Thanks, Bell. You didn't have to do that. I assumed it wasn't on purpose, but going out of your way to apologize means a lot to me all the same."
"I think the food is probably ready" Standing up abruptly with all semblance of enjoyment wiped from his face. Matt made his way to the kitchen.
"Sounds good to me. Are you all ready?" I looked around the room, and everyone nodded back.
"Lead the way." Charles smiled at me as he stood up.
As everyone walked to the dining room, I felt the atmosphere around me lighten up. Closing the door on Lilac and Bell's conflict certainly made everything feel warmer. Upon entering the kitchen, Matt handed me a bowl of soup, and I moved out of the way as he began to serve everyone else. Looking around for a seat, I realized a large shortcoming of our small apartment. We don't have enough room at the dining table for six people.
"I uh… just realized we don't have enough seats for everyone at the table. So if anyone wants to join me over at the kitchen counter, we have some bar stools. Sorry about that."
"Hmm? Oh, sure, don't even worry about it. I wanted to talk to you anyway." Charles walked over to me and placed his bowl next to mine.
"I guess I'll tag along as well then."
Erica grabbed the seat next to me and sat down. Leaning over the counter, she grabbed the bottle of wine she had bought earlier.
"How about we crack this one open?"
"Alright, alright, let me go grab some glasses."
Walking around the counter, I open a cabinet and pull out all five wine glasses. First, I ran out of space at the dining table, and now I realize we don't have enough glasses for everyone. Am I doomed to never have enough of anything I need?
"Who all wants wine?"
Calling out to everyone, I look over the counter at the dining table. Both Matt and Bell wave back, but Lilac shakes her head. It didn't even cross my mind that I would be leaving them together by sitting at the counter. But the three of them seem to be getting along, so maybe I don't have anything to worry about.
"I'm sorry, I should have told you before. Lilac doesn't drink." As I started handing Erica the glasses, Charles looked at me and apologized.
"Don't worry about it. That's not a problem."
In fact, it's a blessing, but I'll never tell him that. I keep slipping past one close event after another tonight. Luck must be on my side, although it would be less stressful if I didn't need luck to succeed.
Pouring everyone a generous glass of wine, Erica stands up and walks two glasses over to the dining table. Making my way around the counter, I join Charles, and the two of us begin to eat. The soup has a thick and creamy potato broth with all sorts of softened vegetables spread throughout. The perfect meal to warm you up on a cold day. It reminds me of something my mother taught me how to make a few years back. I wonder if that's why Matt knows the recipe.
"So, you said you wanted to talk to me?"
Setting my spoon down, I turn to Charles. I'm grateful he joined me at the counter, but the way he went about it was more than ominous.
"aha yeah… Don't worry. It's nothing bad. I just wanted to talk to you about work."
"Oh, did something go wrong with your part of the project?"
"No, no, nothing like that. Today went so smoothly that I was able to get more work done than I have in a long time. I actually wanted to talk to you about our new schedule. Do you think it's possible to finish everything on time this way?"
That's a good question, one I've been asking myself a lot lately. I may not have the answer he is looking for, but the least I can do is be honest. After all, my actions and words can affect the decisions of others. And lying to try to achieve a better future for Charles might end up giving him a worse present.
"To be completely honest, I don't know. I don't think any of us know. But if our efforts and results from today are any sign of what we can accomplish, then it might just be possible. Keeping this up for the next couple of months without fail will be hard on everyone. But there is a chance, and that's what I am hoping for."
"That's about what I thought too. It's going to be a rough couple of months up ahead." Nodding his head in agreement, Charles sat down his glass and sighed.
"Complaining about our new schedule while I'm out of earshot, I see."
As Erica jokingly slapped me on the back, a shiver went down my spine, and I almost spat out my drink. I was not expecting her to sneak up on, let alone touch me out of nowhere. Reclaiming her seat, she took a sip of wine and turned to Charles.
"I don't want you to worry about the deadline. If we each do our best, we can't have regrets, even if we fail. All of us worked better as a team today than we have in a long time, and that makes me believe that we will be able to get through this together."
"Yeah, it's just like he said. Even if we don't finish on time, our efforts are still real, and we can find pride in that." As he talked, Charles looked over his shoulder at the dining table.
I followed his gaze to Matt and Bell, who seemed to be having a heated debate while Lilac was laughing at them from across the table.
"Yeah, I think the moment he said that we finally came together as a team." As I turned around to face my food once more, Erica looked at me, and I got a sneaking suspicion they were not talking about the same person.
As everyone finished their meal, the conversations started to die down, and the night came to a close. Putting his dishes in the sink, Charles walked over to Lilac and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I've got work tomorrow morning, so it might be best if I head home and get some rest. You can stay later if you are having fun."
"Ah, it is getting a little late, isn't it? I think I'll head home as well. I did have a wonderful time, though. It was nice to get to know you, Bell."
"It was nice getting to know you too."
Bell smiled proudly as he looked up at me. For someone so against getting to know Lilac earlier, he seems to be happy with tonight's outcome.
"Yeah, this was nice. We will have to invite you all over sometime too." Matt walked over to the table and picked up Lilac's bowl for her.
"And I'll have to get you to teach me how to make this soup, Matt. It's the best meal I've had in a long time."
As Lilac's eyes shot wide open, I almost stumbled back in fear. Charles had just shot himself in the foot without even realizing it.
"I uh… am going to head out as well then. Thanks for having me over tonight, James. I'll see you at the office tomorrow, Charles."
Erica hastily put her dishes in the sink and waved goodbye once more before putting on her coat and rushing out the door. Clearly, she did not want to stick around and see the repercussions of Charles asking for the soup recipe.
"Well, I had fun too. Thanks for coming over on such short notice and everything." Matt smiled as he led Charles and Lilac to the door.
"Yeah, I'll see you both tomorrow morning!"
-click-
Upon hearing the door shut for the final time tonight, I let out a heavy sigh and slumped in a living room chair. I managed to pull everything off without any major accidents. Luck really was on my side. After briefly collecting myself, I joined Matt and Bell in the kitchen as we finished cleaning up from the party.
"Hahaha, I didn't think we could do it." After putting the last pot away in the cabinet and draining the sink, Matt started laughing.
"That's for sure. It took all three of us working together to pull it off, didn't it." Bell turned to me with a weary smile on his face.
Looking at the two of them, I began to feel an indescribable emotion in my chest. One of both longing and satisfaction. I was stuck in an endless loop of misery and solitude for months on end. Always eating and living by myself, wishing the next moment would break me free from my cycle of regret and sorrow. They may have appeared unwelcome out of nowhere, forcing themselves into my life. But tonight made up for that all by itself. For the first time in months, I had truly enjoyed myself.
"Wha-"
Bell let out a sound of surprise as I walked forward and pulled both of them towards me in a hug. Holding on to them tight, I held back tears.
"Thank you."
"... yeah man, of course." Matt squeezed me back, and I let them go.
"We do have work tomorrow, so both of us should probably head to bed here soon. Will you be staying up again tonight, Bell?"
"Nah, I'm also exhausted. I'm going to go to sleep right now."
As the three of us made our way back to our bedrooms, I waved goodnight once more and closed the door behind me. Stumbling onto the bed, I took my clothes off and pulled the sheets over me. Drifting off to sleep, I was filled with emotion once more. Although this time, there was no worry or longing. For the first time in a long time, I felt fulfilled.