Jade 

". . . Mum, what is this?" 

". . .a map. It's a map. I need you to keep it. When you're older, you'll understand why I'm giving it to you."

"Okay, but, where are you and Dad going?" 

"Jade, boo!" 

My eyes fly open and with a pissed expression, I look up to see who it is that dared to interrupt my train of thought. 

I see that it is Simona, my office best friend. I roll my eyes and fix my gaze at her. 

"What?" She moves closer to me, two bottles of soda in her hand. "Not glad to see me?"

She stretches a bottle of my favorite flavor of soda at me. 

"Glad to see you," I roll my eyes, collecting the bottle of soda from her. "Just not glad to have you interrupt my train of thought."

"Started daydreaming again?" She asks, slumping into the seat next to me. 

"I wouldn't exactly call it daydreaming," I say, slipping a straw into my bottle of soda. "Okay, yes, I admit my thoughts trailed off but I wouldn't exactly call it daydreaming." 

I mean, I wouldn't call the process of remembering the last conversation I had with my mother before her death, daydreaming. Or better put, the last conversation I had with my mother before she and my father were murdered. That's right. The appropriate word is murder. 

"So, since you weren't daydreaming, what were you doing?" Simona asks, sipping soda. "Thinking about your future man and how hot and charming he has to be?"

"Oh, Simona!" I roll my eyes and slam my palm on my desk. 

"What?" Simona gives an exaggerated drawl and laughs. "A woman cannot express herself anyhow she likes?" 

"I've told you over and over," I roll my eyes. "Whatever expectations you have of me, please do not expect me to love a man. . yet."

"I mean, why not?" Simona chuckles. 

"You know," I eye her and continue sipping my soda. 

"I know nothing," she says, giving me a knowing look. 

I know she is out to tease and taunt me just like she does every lunch break. It is not helpful that I'm thinking of one hundred and one things including all of the work I have at hand. This lunch break is one of the ways through which I destress and it is not again, not helpful that Simona has chosen this time to stress me. 

"Not today, Lucifer," I give her a knowing look and she bursts out laughing. 

I pretend to ignore her even though I know that's one of the hardest things to do. Simona is the only person I have a very deep connection with here at Ethereal Games, where I work. I keep a very professional and platonic relationship with everyone else. 

For Simona, our friendship was unique, sudden, and everything I wanted. I love to refer to her as my office bestie but the truth is, she's the only best friend I have even outside of work. And she could also be the pain in my neck whenever she felt like it. Just as she's choosing to be now. 

"I keep telling you, Miss Jade," she starts, sitting forward. 

"Don't Miss Jade me. . ." I cut in, chuckling. "I know what you're driving at."

"Hear me out, would you?" She says. "I keep telling you now and then, to have a life outside of work. You're making your life revolve around your job alone and that's not even fair. You're just 28. You're young and charming - every man's dream! What are you doing, wasting away. . ."

"Thank you for the reminder but I'm not wasting away, Simona," I cut in. "You make it seem like I'm one 40-year-old woman who has been diagnosed with the final stage of cancer, will soon die, and is doing nothing to make the most out of the few weeks she has to live. I mean no disrespect to cancer patients out there."

"Ah, well, there's not so much difference between your life and the scenario you cooked," Simona shrugs, fixing her gaze on her drink. 

Well, now that I think of it, Simona may just be right even though I hate to admit it. But to be frank, I'm a tad scared that my life seems to revolve around just my job. 

I work as a Cartographer for Ethereal Games, a company that specializes in virtual reality and augmented reality games. Every day, I come to work, get seated behind my laptop, and create virtual maps for virtual games. At times, when work is not so choking at Ethereal Games, I also work as a Freelance Cartographer for government agencies and I get well paid. My boss at Ethereal Games is not aware of my Freelance career as a Cartographer. 

So, if Simona says my whole life revolves around my job, then she may as well be right. Except that this is something I may not want to easily agree to. 

I look up at her, her mouth is moving. She has been saying something and I haven't been paying attention to her. She soon notices that I'm lost and she shakes her head in vivid disgust. 

"You zoned out again, didn't you?" She eyes me. "Shame on you."

"Yeah, shame on you," I sigh. "You wouldn't blame me anyway. Anyone who sits with you and doesn't rethink his or her life every minute has not gotten to know you properly."

"I'm still wondering whether or not to take that as a compliment or as an attack," Simona taps her index finger on her lips. 

"You're right whichever way you see it," I shrug. "so, you were saying?"

"There's a new boy in town," Simona says. 

"Simona, could you please give me a break from men?" I scream and our colleagues who have been engrossed in subtle discussions with each other suddenly look up and fix their gaze on us.

It's not helpful that our office is a large, open space with each person in their cubicle.

At this moment, I wish there was a way the ground could open up and swallow us both. 

When it seems our co-workers would not take their gaze away from us, Simona snaps her fingers, lets out a forced laugh, and says, "That's alright, babies, don't overthink this. It's not even as deep as you think." 

That seems to work as everyone turns away from us immediately. 

"See what you caused?" She whispers to me. 

"I should be the one telling you that," I snap my fingers at her and take a glance around. 

"You've just made me look like all I do when I'm next to you is talk about men," Simona sulks. 

"Oh, isn't it?" I roll my eyes. 

"I was only trying to care for you," she hisses.

"Yeah, you're right," I smirk and get up from my seat. "Let's go grab pancakes please; after all, it's lunch break. I'm famished." 

Simona says nothing. Instead, she gets up from her seat and together, we walk to the company's restaurant. There, we meet other coworkers already eating. 

I haven't met him yet, but from the look of things, it is safe to say that the CEO of Ethereal Games is someone who would like to foster relationships among his employees. Because why in God's name is the company restaurant built in a way that there's only one round table available such that employees have to eat together at the table?

I let out a sigh and exchange looks with Simona who senses my discomfort and grabs my hands while leading me to the far end of the table. I shouldn't have come here to eat pancakes. I should just have allowed Simona to get the pancakes for us and bring them to my cubicle. 

I slip into a seat as Simona goes to get plates of pancakes for the both of us. 

"It's nice to have you eat with us today," Simon says.

Simon is someone who I'd like to call Simona's office boyfriend. Those two have a silly chemistry and if I didn't know Simona's boyfriend, I could have sworn that Simona and Simon had something going on. Hell, the only difference between their names is just a letter. 

I look up at Simon and realize he's still expecting a response from me. 

"Err, yes," I clasp my hands and let out a smile, unsure of what to say. I do hate being put on the spot and that is exactly what Simon is doing. 

Just then, Simona returns with two plates of pancakes and I couldn't be more grateful. 

"Simon," Simona coos at him and I roll my eyes inwardly. 

She drops my plate of pancakes right in front of me and takes a seat next to me. 

"So, guys," Simon says, adjusting in his seat. "Have you guys heard?"

Right. Apart from developing games at Ethereal Games, Simon's job was to feed us with gists during lunch and sometimes, I liked it because it helped take attention away from me. 

"What's the news?" Allison, another coworker, asks. 

"Yeah, spill," Simona backs up. 

"Ethereal Games is hosting a masked party on Friday night and employees are expected to be around," Simon says gingerly.

I suddenly choke on my food and Simona is quick to pass me a glass of water. Party? Masked party for that matter? God, I hate parties! 

"What do you mean, masked parties?" Simona asks.

"Let's just say that the authorities have noticed that their staff are quite hardworking and resultantly, deserve to be treated to a masked party," Simon says gingerly as he shrugs and focuses on his food. 

"Quite thoughtful of them," another coworker says as I look straight into my plate of pancakes. 

"And another thing," Simon snaps his fingers as he says in an exaggerated whisper. "There's going to be a lot of hot guys available."

Simona coos and I roll my eyes in frustration. 

"Rumor has it to say that some of the hot employees from Ethereal Games's branch in California will be attending this party," Simon continues. "And the CEO himself would be present, hence the need for masks."

Simona claps cheerfully and jabs me excitedly.

"You should attend the masked party," she says in a whisper that's however loud enough for everyone seated at the table to hear. 

"Yeah," Simon turns to me. "Would you be in attendance?"

"Anything could happen," I shrug, looking down at my food and trying hard to get the pancakes past my throat. "Besides, attendance is not compulsory from all Simon's said."

"Looks like someone is trying so hard to look for an excuse to not attend the party," Allison scoffs. 

"I mean, we've never seen you with any man or stuff so maybe you should give this party a try, you know. . ." Simon's voice trails off as he chuckles.

I flash him a mean look. I don't care how close he and Simona are but it doesn't give him any right to think he can have a say in the affairs of my life. The friendship between himself and Simon remains their business just as the affairs of my life remain my business.

"I have no interest in attending a masked party!" I snap at Simon. "And one more thing. The fact that you're close friends with Simona shouldn't make you think you can relate with me like you do to her. You wouldn't tell me how to live my life! Get a life for yourself first, fam." 

I hear gasps around me. Everyone is shocked, to say the least. Even Simona is in shock. Oops, I must have overreacted.

"Well, you deserved that," Simona whispers to Simon, loud enough for me to hear. 

I roll my eyes, get up from the table, and start to walk away.

"You don't need to worry much, boo," Simona calls over my shoulders. "Friday is still four days away. You can still rethink your decisions."

"Oh, please, shut up." I raise a middle finger over my shoulders.

I am in no mood to rethink any decision and that's final. Or so I think. . .