"Is she really not coming?", asked Yuster.
She had arrived at the restaurant as usual and normally she'd find Lanelle ready, and they'd leave for work. But she wasn't there that morning. The brothers didn't know what was going on. Duante had banged on her door before getting down to the restaurant. He wondered if she hadn't heard it.
"Did you wake her up?", Yuster asked,
"I knocked.", Duante shrugged,
"But did she wake up?",
"I normally don't open the door to check.",
Yuster heaved a sigh. She dropped her bag on the table and fished out her phone. They watched her call Lanelle as she walked back and forth. It was a 2-hour drive to the city, and she didn't want to be late for work. On the bright side, she had the car keys. The only thing she worried about was accidentally leaving Lanelle behind thinking she wasn't going.
Lanelle didn't pick up the phone. It began frustrating Yuster. She called again. Luckily, she answered this time.
"Hey, I'm downstairs, are you coming?", she asked,
"No.", said Lanelle. But she didn't sound sleepy.
"Why? Is this about yesterday?",
"Mh.",
"So, you're not going to show your face at the hospital again?",
The statement grabbed the brothers' attention. Meshack stopped wiping the tables, and Duante paused the fridge stacking business.
"I asked for a few days off to clear my head, and they allowed me. My job is on the clear. Just go. Stop worrying about me.", said Lanelle,
"Okay.", Yuster nodded, "Alright. I'll come see you when I'm back.",
"Mh.",
Yuster hung up first. When she turned around, she was startled to find that she had created an audience.
"What happened yesterday?", asked Meshack,
"Why is she not going to work?", added Duante,
"Wait. She didn't tell you? When did she come home yesterday?",
"Afternoon.", said Duante,
Meshack looked at him, puzzled. He was just hearing about it, "What do you mean afternoon?",
"Lanelle came back early yesterday. She didn't look fine, so I let her be.",
"Why didn't you tell me?",
"You'd have interrogated her and from how she looked, that was the last thing she needed. But _ you know now.",
"Yeah, but I need to know more.", attention shifted back to Yuster again, "What happened at the hospital?",
"Well, _", she sharply exhaled. She knew it's a snitch behavior, still, "A woman claimed that Lanelle slept with her husband.",
"What!", the brothers exclaimed in sync,
"She caused a scene. First, she splashed hot coffee on Lanelle.",
"What?",
"Yes, and she was aiming for her face. Then she started calling her a slut and the accusations and we all just stood and watched as she humiliated her.",
"Who the hell is this woman?", stirred up, Meshack asked,
"I don't really know her name, but her husband is Tevyn. His dad is one of our patients.",
Her phone alarm rang on que. She quickly canceled it and grabbed her bag.
"I have to go. Lanelle is going to hate me for telling you all this, so choose your words wisely when you ask her about it, alright?",
"Yeah, we will.", Duante assured her,
Yuster rushed out of the restaurant.
Meshack and Duante looked at each other. Their eyes spoke the same language. There was no need for words when they'd already communicated telepathically. This Tevyn guy and his wife, they couldn't let it go so easily.
…
Deb watched as the fishermen dropped fresh fish in the glass tanks. She was the only woman in the room, the rest were men and most of them were old enough to be her father. So, usually, she'd immediately inspect, count, and do whatever a fishery manager would do, but she was oddly distracted that morning. She kept staring blankly at the sea that she couldn't hear when the men spoke to her.
It's all because of the dream she had the previous night, a dream where she was alone with Duante and the only thing she felt for him was love. In the dream, she saw the other side of Duante, the one which he loved her unconditionally, and she reciprocated the feeling and it felt nice, and too real. After she woke up, it hit her. And it seemed like her world took a turn. She was supposed to dream about Meshack, not Duante. And she wasn't supposed to feel good about the dream, but her whole being was overwhelmed with joy and love. But why?
"Deb?", a man called behind her. But Deb didn't flinch. He patted her on the shoulder, "Deborah.",
Deb was startled. She quickly turned around. She found the men staring at her with concern in their eyes.
"Are you alright?", asked the shoulder pat guy,
"Yeah.", she nodded, a bit awkward, "I zoned out a bit. Did you count everything? Are we good to go?",
"Yes, but you always like to assure yourself. The floor is yours.", said an older man standing at the tanks.
"You know what? I'm going to trust your Math today gentlemen. Let's go.",
The men chuckled. It was a first.
…
As soon as the brothers heard the truck pull up outside the restaurant, they knew it was Deb. Meshack grabbed the buckets on his way out. Duante stayed inside. It was too awkward to face Deb after what happened the previous night. But he wasn't the only one who felt different that morning, she did too. The only contrast was that while he didn't want to face her, she wanted to see him. She was a bit disappointed when the door opened but Meshack was the one who stepped out.
"Morning Babe.", said Meshack.
"Hey Mesh.", as she spoke, her eyes were still glued at the door, hoping for someone else to walk out, but it didn't happen, "Feeling alright?",
"I am now.", he handed her the bucket, "The usual. I don't need to check. I know it's good stuff.",
"Damn right it is.",
Deb began putting the seafood in the buckets. Meshack looked around. There was nobody to eavesdrop on them.
"About your tenant; Eris, right?", he began, speaking in a low voice.
"Yeah, what about her?",
"Do you happen to know if she's dating anybody?",
"I don't think she's seeing anybody. Why? You want to date a celebrity?",
He chuckled, "No, not me. I'm asking for Duante.", he looked back to see if there were signs of Duante coming, but there was none. The coast was clear, "He used to have a crazy crush on Eris, you know.",
"What? Really?",
"Yeah. She was his phone wallpaper for months. I think it's fate. Out of every place in the world, she came to our little town. I think it's destiny.",
"For them to be together?",
"Yes.", he stressed.
Deb gave him the first bucket. She started filling the second one.
"If that's the case, then Duante is a better actor than the ones we see on TV.", she proceeded,
"Why?",
"People always react when they meet their celebrity crushes. Most of us freak out. But when he met Eris for the first time, it was as dry as a desert.",
"Maybe he was too stunned to speak.",
But he spoke. Only to her. Eris was seated before them, but the only thing Duante cared about was Deb and her careless act which would have resulted in a burn. She couldn't help but wonder if she was the reason why he never flinched even after he saw Eris, his celebrity crush. Did he love her that much? Oh, it wasn't getting any better. Her efforts to shake Duante off her mind were backing down. She didn't know what was happening to her.
"Should we do something to make them be together?", Meshack kept scheming.
"How about we let them figure that out on their own?", Deb suggested, but her standing point was different from his.
"You know my brother. He's a bit shy.",
"His loss then.", she shrugged.
She gave him the second bucket and began filling the last one.
…
Inside the restaurant, Duante counted the minutes until Deb left. Her voice was a distraction. He kept looking at her through the window freely because he thought nobody could see him. He had no idea that Lanelle was standing behind him all along. She had come down to the restaurant through the backdoor and found a pitiful scene playing without a background music.
"Are you eye-fucking Deb?", she asked.
Duante was too startled to speak. He quickly turned around to see who said that. Meeting Lanelle's knowing smile was very embarrassing. Lanelle knew she was right.
"You like her, don't you?", she kept grilling him,
"It doesn't matter.", he grabbed the towel and started wiping the reception booth.
Lanelle walked behind him like a tail, bugging him with her interrogation, "Since when? Is she your first love? What do you love about her?",
"Just quit it, man.", he was irritated,
"Does Meshack know?", she gasped, "He should never know.",
"Are you done?",
"I haven't even started.",
"Why didn't you go to work today, huh? Let's start there.",
The smile on Lanelle's face died. She left his back and walked over to the tables. She sat on one closer to the reception, legs and arms crossed.
"I just need a rest.", she said,
"That's bullshit. Something happened to you yesterday. That's why you're here.",
"So what?",
"So, you better have your explanations straight before Meshack comes back in.",
"I'm not afraid of him.",
"You should be afraid of what he'll do to _ what's his name, and his crazy wife.",
Lanelle was a bit startled. She had no idea that the news had spread. She started feeling vulnerable.
"Who told you that?", she questioned.
"Doesn't matter.",
"It's Yuster, isn't it? That sneaky brat.",
They heard the truck driving away, and a second later, Meshack came back carrying two buckets of seafood. He was surprised to find Lanelle there. Duante excused himself to go get the last bucket. It was now the eldest and the youngest inside. Meshack carried the buckets to the kitchen and came back faster before Lanelle had the idea of running back to the house. Luckily, he found her right there. He pulled a chair back and sat across from her.
"Tevyn, that's his name, right?", he began,
"Yeah.", she replied. There was no point of lying.
"Is it true? Did you sleep with him?",
"No.",
"Do you swear?",
"Yes, I swear.",
"Why did his wife think there's something going on between him and you?",
"I don't know. I guess we got too friendly.",
Duante came back inside.
"When are you going back to work?", Meshack asked,
"Monday.",
"Good. Don't even think about quitting. And if what the woman said isn't true, there's no point in running away.",
"I know.",
"Okay.", he got up, "We might need an extra pair of hands today. Are you in?",
"I'm in.", Lanelle nodded with a smile.
***