Dangerously Yours Till Eternity

Christopher had taken the ‘see you around’ promise really seriously.

He had meetings in the restaurant everyday! Plus a dinner or Lunch with Elsa here and there.

She was stuck with having to see him everyday, his gaze doing things to her, her wet dreams about him increasing just as the nightmares about her mysterious groom.

It was all overwhelming, which was why she took a day off.

Her father had been a little worried, and he had chipped in a question or two about her state of health, while intently observing the bags underneath her eyes and her back-breaking, neck-snapping posture on the sofa.

“Are you sure you are okay? I’ve been observing you. I’m glad that you are becoming more responsible but–”

“I’m good, Pa.”

His hand tightened around his briefcase.

“Are you entirely–”

“Romito is fine. Will you stop worrying for nothing?” Her mother stepped into the sitting room in her loose blue shirt and black baggy pants, flats, and her branded handbag.

She could be a century old and she would still look like as if she was in her 30s with that bob.

Forever young!

She gave her husband a one over, observing his baggy blue jeans, before moving close to him, making it obvious that he was an inch shorter, brushing off invisible dirt from his yellow T-shirt, then combing the only surprisingly surviving strands of curly hair on his head.

“Perfect.” She mouthed and he rolled his eyes in response.

Secretly? He enjoyed her way of loving him.

“You are not turning in today?” Her mother said when she finally noticed her on the couch. “Realized working isn’t for you already? I have some hot guys that you might—”

Arrghhhh! Not this again!

“I’m just tired today, Ma. I’ll get back to work tomorrow.”

“Anyways, my Romito.” She walked over to the couch and pinched her cheeks. “The offer is always opened.”

Then she headed to the door before shouting back at her husband.

“Why are you still standing there? Let’s go!”

Her father hurried after her but not before checking her temperature again to ensure that she wasn’t burning.

***

Ivy stayed like that all day, watching movies, telling herself ‘just one more episode and I’ll stop’ till it was finally in the evening.

It was then that Elsa’s call came in.

“Yo, Princess! Are you sick or something? Can’t find you anywhere here. Or…” She drawled. “Did you finally give up on this work thing? Back to just looking pretty and spending money as we should!”

“I’m a little sick today.”

“Oh my goodness, tell me you are calling from the hospital!”

“It’s not that bad.” She rubbed her hand against her creased forehead, all these shouting over the phone was starting to give her a headache.

“Of course, you’ll say that. You hate medicine. I’m coming to drive you to a hospital myself.”

“Don’t you have a date tonight? The one that you have been trying to get your Christopher to go with you all week.”

“Oh… yes.”

“I don’t want you to miss that. You really worked hard for that date, you know.”

There was a silence, Elsa was probably weighing her options. If it was anyone else, Ivy knew Elsa would be standing that person up real fast but it was Chris and Ivy was banking on that.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay. If you die while I’m out here on a date–”

“I won’t.” Ivy chuckled.

“Promise?”

“Promise. Now go and enjoy your date.”

“And wish me best of luck, I hope to get laid at the end of it.”

“Best of–” she hung up quickly, finding it suddenly unbearable to complete that.

It was like a dagger was being twisted in her heart as the imagery of Elsa and Chris together took shape in her mind. Tears glimmered in her eyes and she clutched her chest.

Strange! Strange! Strange!

What was wrong with her? Why was this affecting her so much?!

This definately wasn’t normal.

It was just a one night stand, Ivy. Stop it, for goodness sake!

She took in a deep breath and smiled, the room changing the lightening as a result of the movie playing on the TV.

This was fine. Nothing was wrong. Everything was normal. It wasn’t like as if she was fantasizing every night about the same man her best friend was crazily attracted to.

Her heart clenched even harder at that, it got so bad that she almost called Davies to drive her to the restaurant so she could ruin Elsa’s date and see Chris once again.

That was it! She needed help!

Immediately, she had her phone pressed to her ear. As the phone beeped, she was silently hoping that the call wouldn’t be answered.

She really didn’t want to see her therapist despite knowing she needed her help, but she needed to do this. If the call doesn’t get answered then, that way she would be able to convince herself that she tri–”

“A call from my sweet Ivy?”

Well, wasn’t she just the luckiest person in the world?

“To what do I owe this honour?”

“To the fact that I’m losing my sanity and logical reasoning is slowly evaporating out of my body?”

“I’m not going to be busy tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s… soon?”

“I wouldn’t want to keep my favorite human waiting.”

“I–I— really don’t mind w-waiting.” She laughed nervously.

“See you tomorrow, Sweet Pea.”

Well, there was no escaping this one.

“See you tomorrow, Mrs Angelica.”

Then, she hung up.

Next, she got herself busy with preparing for Elsa’s birthday which was a week and some days away.

Anything to keep herself really occupied.

Besides, there was really nothing wrong with being extra prepared, right?

Finally, it was 11 o’clock.

She took a deep breath then fell back on the couch.

She did it! She resisted the urge to go to the restaurant.

Go, Ivy!

At 11:37, the door bell rang, which was weird because earlier, her parents called that they went on a business trip and they were not coming back until a week.

That was what they had said but business was a needy lover, they might have to stay longer than that.

The doorbell rang again but before Ivy could race to the door, Elsa stepped in, keys dangling in one hand.

“A little tipsy. Took some time to get it out of my purse.” She grinned at her, wobbling on her heels as she covered up the distance between them and threw her arms around her. “Princessssss.” She drawled.

“Aren’t you supposed to be logged into an hotel having the time of your life right now or something?”

“About that…” She pulled away, staggering to the kitchen while Ivy followed after. She poured herself a glass of water then gulped it down before slamming the glass back on the kitchen counter. “He had business to do. Everything was going fine. We even almost kissed, till something very strange and annoying popped up.”

“His business?” Ivy said, washing the cup then putting it back in its place.

“What?”

“You said something annoying popped up. So I guess, it’s his business.”

“Oh, yeah, that.”

Ivy shook her head, Elsa almost look like a ghost with her hair all over the place. But before she could ask about why she looked so… like this, Elsa had already grabbed a bottle of wine and she was pouring herself a glass.

“So you’ve been here all day, Princess?”

“You are drunk. No more drinking for you.” Ivy said, taking the glass and the bottle away from her. Once in a while, she played ‘mum’ or logical best friend. Usually, this was Elsa’s role.

“What are you now? My mum?” She bursted into a drunk laughter. “I wouldn’t even know how mums behaved. I’m not a princess like you, I don’t have everything.”

Ivy frowned, her heart twisting with bitterness.

She had thought that phase was already over between them, that they were way pass it.

When she spoke again, her voice was dead serious and filled with worry.

“What happened on that date, Elsa?”

“None of your fucking business!” She slammed her fists against the counter. Anger brewing in her eyes, her chest raising and falling rapidly. “How do you always manage to ruin everything?”

Ivy’s throat went dry immediately and her heart thudded painfully.

Did she… know?