It was truly an alluring sight. His intense neptune eyes met mine for the first time. Butterflies came hurrying in like raindrops superfluously with no reason. I was unable to turn away maybe I was caught by those blue-ocean eyes.
I could feel my body for a moment as I inhaled slowly. My fingers were tingling for something, something weird. I grabbed his cold hands, which seemed to smooth my own warmth. He smiled back at me, then I froze like a numbskull.
Unexpectedly, the spell broke. I withdrew my hands. What if he was dating someone? Flowers perhaps? They seemed to be lunch friends after he complained about her having company, instead of him.
I glanced back at him, as he kept on complaining to her. Shame ran over me, as my eyes had the opportunity and energy to unclothe him, not like I didn't have control. There was something wild about him. He was tall, and strongly built with wide shoulders. Probably taken, this man's alluring would have no difficulty with regards to ladies.
I could see his lips playfully demonstrate a secret smile towards Flowers, but then again was it just for her? Certainly, he seemed like the perfect dream man. However, sometimes that dream can be a mirage.
"Do you mind if I take a sit?" George said suddenly, looking at both of us. Flowers looked at me questioningly, and I smiled.
"Sure... why not?" Making Flowers glee. Enough room was on each side of the benches where we sat either way, but George decided to sit next to me. I ignore the thought that came to mind. Choosing to sit beside me meant nothing.
Both of them started to talk about office affairs that they were clearly aware of. I did my best not to eavesdrop, but I could not help it.
"Anna finally sold her car," George said, his voice was low but audible for me to hear.
"No, really? I thought she'd never disposed of the old bolted can," Flowers quietly exclaimed.
"I never accepted it was an antique vehicle, regardless of what she said," he slightly rolled his eyes, poking his food. Flowers chuckled.
"Whoever heard about an old-fashioned antique truck? It most certainly did shake and cackled to the point of being one, but no. That thing was simply old and going to pieces," Flowers stated. "At any rate, how much cash did she get for it? I'll wager she overrated it. It was never worth in excess of one or two thousand."
"She sold it to... Shane," he said as he shot a glance at her. Her expression was as if she was blown away. She covers her mouth.
She stared at her food as she spoke, "Oh, she didn't?" Uttering in dreadfulness.
"Yes, she did," George acknowledges her.
"Isn't he the one who is having an affair with her?"
"Yes... Everybody knows about it," George flaunted.
"That's not the point!" She jolted at him with her eyes, as she spoke underneath her breath. "He's... dating her daughter."
I choked on the juice I was drinking. Affair... with his mother's daughter, did I hear that right? I tried to retain my composure, as both of them stared at me.
"Sorry..." George said, glaring at me "I forgot you were here."
"Oh, do not mind me," I hurriedly said.
"Aha, I'm sure Soraya won't say anything," Flowers waved her fingers defending me. I looked at her slightly surprised. This was my first day, how could she say about someone she just met? I could have gone to anyone and spilled the beans. Then again, it was not like I knew anyone either.
George shot me a glance with those ocean eyes as if to ask if I could be trusted. I shook my head slightly as if to agree with Flowers's statement, not knowing fully what I was truly getting myself into.
I sat there realizing in that instant, that this was where Flowers got her information. Her knowledge about what was happening in the company, whether it be good or bad gossip. I questioned whether I should be uncomfortable about the whole situation, but this was no different from college. I personally had endured sitting at the office alone all day so far, no wonder hearing these stories somehow got her excited.
"I thought, we would at least don't have to watch that truck reel into the parking lot any longer," she pouted. George sighed in approval.
"I don't think she cares," George ended.
Without warning, he turned to face me. "So, Soraya... right?" I looked at him.
"Yes," wondering what he was up to.
"Any juicy scandal about your personal life, you want to spill and tell us?" He blurted out, raising an eyebrow. I paused, taken by surprise.
"George!" Flowers, throwing one of her fries at him. "Not nice!"
"What!" he shrugged his shoulder at her. "It's not like, working here you can keep a secret. My cat died last two months and everyone knew about it, and I didn't even tell you." Flowers sneered at him.
I just smiled. Typically office gossip, can either make you or tear you. This wasn't something I didn't understand or endured before. Plus, since I was the new person on the block, they're were bound to be whispers and answers to those whispers whether they be true or false.
"I have nothing to hide," I simply said.
"Innocent aren't we," he jeered me. Flowers still pouting at him for his response.
"Hmm," I use my index finger as if to consider. "Tell me what happened to your cat, and maybe I tell you a secret." I beamed my eyes at him. He dropped his forks and exhaled heavily, and immediately seemed to get uncomfortable. Flowers begins to smirk while drinking. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and then turned to look at me.
"You promise?" He asked. "Plus, whatever I tell you stays at this table."
"I can promise this won't leave the table... but maybe on the secret," I stated. I arched my hands on the bench and relax my chin in my palm. I was now interested in why everyone knew what happened to his cat.
"I have a dog named Rex," he began.
"I thought you had a cat," confused.
"I'm getting there," he stated. "My neighbor had a cat name, Cherry. Don't get it wrong, Rex and Cherry got along quite fine and I loved Cherry. So, one day after a long day at the office, maybe I was exhausted I do not know. I came home one day to find Rex..." he paused, "With Cherry in his mouth." I gasped, covering my mouth. He waved his hands slightly, to calm me down.
"I know, it looks bad." He ushered. "And of course, I panicked ... When I finally got Cherry, she was obviously dead, I couldn't help her. So then, I instantly thought of my neighbors finding out my dog killed their cat, and them hating or suing me for it," he sputtered. He ran his hands through his hair obviously, this was awkward for him.
"I know this sounds bad... but I clean Cherry up and placed her on their mat in front of their apartment," I gaped at him, and he shook his head at me knowing he was wrong.
"The next two days I saw them leaving with their suitcases. I greeted them, and my neighbor asked me if I heard that Cherry had died, and I was like 'Oh, damn... that got to hurt, sorry.' My neighbor proceeded to tell me that three days prior they had buried Cherry and the day after she came back to their apartment doorstep."
With that, I couldn't help myself but laugh, and I could hear Flowers giggles.
"This is not funny," he said.
"Your the one who didn't check to see if Rex really did some damage," Flowers uttered.
"Oh, wow," he rolled his eyes. "Like I'm an investigator that could tell if my dog kill the cat or not," he proclaimed.
"Tell her," she commanded. I looked at her and back at him, there was more? He exhaled heavily.
"Remember they had suitcases, right?" I nodded. "They thought the apartment was now haunted by Cherry. The worst part is they considered the whole scenario to be like the horror movie called 'Strays Cats', cats coming out of their graves. Half of the people on the complex vacated." he half covered his face in embarrassment.
I couldn't believe it, his simple mishap did all this.
"It made headline news," Flowers passed on.
"Flowers, it was local news... stop making it sound like the whole world knew," he squeaked.
"Yeah, right. Everyone knew you lived in the apartment complex and that cat you would talk about on a few occasions here and there. So when we saw her picture on the news, we were like how couldn't have told us she had died? I bet poor Rex missed her, and that's why he had dug her up."
"Hey, mind someone hears you," he hushed her. "They don't need to know about my, misunderstanding and what I did to that poor animal." He glanced at a few people passing a few distances nearby. Flowers narrowed her eyes smiling at him.
"Golly," I said. "My secret isn't that huge." I finished my drinks.
"So, what is it?" He urged me, and Flowers listened keenly.
"Oh, it's nothing I just cheated on my resume where I last worked. Add a few skills and certificates, which I didn't have any experience to get the job… and became a Manager," I said with a bright grin.
Well, of course, I knew none of was true, but I couldn't help but think who would fall for it. Flowers went all in as her face showed resounding awe of what I said, but George he was expressionless.
"What! And nobody found out?!" She asked. I was smiling at least one person was gullible.
"Aha, come on Flowers. Can't you see... that she's lying," George spat his words at her.
"Ugh..."
"She's grinning her teeth off, she shows no signs of remorse for what she did... unlike me and poor Cherry," he mouthed. I shrugged slightly, and Flowers realized my harmless joke.
"Innocent... aren't we?" He asked me.
"As I said I have nothing to hide," I proclaimed. He smiled.
"We will see about that," he said sipping his juice, glaring at me with those blue-ocean eyes.