[Present]
After successfully sneaking out of the room, Emma hailed a cab to her apartment and for the entire ride back, she cursed herself for doing something so stupid and reckless.
She knew drinking with strangers was a really bad idea in the first place and not sensible at all. Only if she could go back in time and undo whatever had happened over the last sixteen hours.
…..
[Emma and Anna's Apartment]
Taking out her key from her bag, Emma slowly unlocked the door. She then tiptoed inside the apartment, making sure not to make any noise.
It was still quite early and she didn't want to disturb her roommate, Anna.
"You are coming home now?"
Startled by the sudden confrontation, Emma gasped in horror. "Oh good Lord, you scared me."
"I scared you?" Anna frowned. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when you did not come home last night? And where the hell is your phone? I have been calling you since last night."
"My phone–" Looking for it inside her bag and pocket, Emma groaned in frustration. "Great, I left it at the hotel."
Slumping on the couch, she sighed, "Or maybe at the club."
"Hotel?" Widening her eyes in shock, Anna quickly approached her. "What were you doing in a hotel?"
When Emma did not say anything, she asked, "Were you there with someone else?" Without waiting for her reply, she kept bombarding her with questions. "Who was it? Is it someone from work? Is it someone you met at the bar? Is it–"
Cutting her off, Emma groaned, "Anna–" Grabbing her head, she sighed, "I am already having a really bad headache and you are not helping." She was already having a hard time trying to recollect what had happened last night but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't and Anna's excited questions were not helping.
"Okay fine, I'll let you rest."
"Thank you."
Impatiently tapping her finger on the couch, Anna groaned, "Ahh you have to tell me. Who was it?"
Just then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it–" But before Anna could get up, Emma pulled her down.
"What if it's them?"
Scrunching her brows, she asked, "What are you talking about? Is someone after you?"
"Maybe, I don't know–" Grabbing her belongings, Emma instructed, "If it's someone looking for me, tell them that I have not come home since last night, okay?"
"Okay but–"
"Please, Anna, do this for me and I'll tell you everything later." Without waiting for her reply, she ran towards her room.
When the doorbell rang again, Anna quickly opened it.
"Is this Ms.Parker's apartment?" When she did not say anything, Owen asked again. "I am sorry, did I get the wrong house?"
Anna, who was too stunned to speak, stood there frozen. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was she hallucinating or was Owen Anderson really standing in front of her?
"Are you okay?" Owen inquired. When she slowly nodded her head, he added, "Is Ms.Parker there?" When she nodded her head again, he said, "Great, can you please call her out?"
"Call whom?"
"Ms. Parker."
"Emma, she is in–" Awkwardly clearing her throat, she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, she is not here."
"She is not back yet?"
"No no, she hasn't come home since night."
"Oh I see, did you try calling her?" Owen asked.
"Yes I did, she said she will be home by evening," Anna answered, trying very hard to stay calm and not squeal like a teenager.
"Oh, so you called her?" When she nodded her head, he asked, "Can I get some water? I mean, if you don't mind—"
"O–Of course, please come in—" Letting him inside, Anna added, "We just have regular water, is that fine?"
"Regular water?" he asked, not understanding what she meant.
"The water we drink, you know. Simple, cheap water—" she nervously chuckled.
"Does everyone not drink the same water?"
Nodding her head, Anna agreed, "Yes, every normal person does but you are not normal.”
“Sorry, what?” He raised his brows.
Widening her eyes in shock, she vigorously shook her head. “That’s not what I was trying to say. You are normal, in fact, you are more normal than I am. What I meant is you are Owen Anderson, the billionaire, don’t you drink the super expensive black water?”
Sitting on the couch, Owen answered, “No, I drink regular water just like a regular person.”
“Right, I’ll get some water for you—” She then quickly rushed towards the kitchen to fetch a glass of water.
……
Giving him a cup of water, Anna apologized, “I am sorry, we only have wine glasses and—”
Taking the paper cup from her hand, Owen remarked, “It’s alright, I should be the one apologizing for troubling you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Sitting on the opposite couch, she asked, “So how do you know Emma?”
“I know her from the club she works at. I actually wanted to talk to her about something important but since she is not there, I’ll come back later.”
“When later? I mean, I don’t know when she will be back. What if you come and then she isn’t here, it will be troublesome for you.”
Nodding his head in agreement, he asked, “So what does Ms—”
“Anna,” she quickly answered.
“So what does Ms. Anna suggest?”
Hesitating for a while, she said, “Why don’t you leave your number or card and I’ll ask Emma to call you back?”
“That makes more sense.” Glancing at his watch, he added, “Or why don’t I wait for some time and see if she comes back. If not, I’ll do as you said.”
“Sure, I have no problem. You can stay as long as you want.” Nervously tapping her fingers on her thigh, Anna tried to keep a straight face. She couldn’t believe that she was sitting with one of the Anderson brothers under the same roof and brazenly lying to him. It was both exciting and scary.
Looking around, Owen remarked, “I must say, you have a beautiful apartment.”
“Thank you, it’s not that great.”
“Do you mind if I look around?” he asked.
“Of course.” Pointing towards the first room to the left, she explained, “That’s mine and the other one is Emma’s.”
Walking towards the wall which was filled with pictures of Emma and Anna, he inquired, “How long have you and Ms. Parker been living together?”
“Nine years.”
“That’s almost a decade, you two must be very close.”
“We are like sisters and—”
Just then a loud crashing sound interrupted their conversation.
……