“Hi Faye, it is Jordan here.”
Her hands folding the frilly
underwear froze in mid-air. The skimpy material slipped to the bed, and then to
the dark wood, laminate floor. Her heart stopped beating for half a second. His
voice—oh his booming voice—could still make her quiver at age twenty-seven.
Feeling quite unsteady on her feet, she sat her backside on the
neat-as-a-new-pin bed.
“Hi Jordan,” she uttered coolly.
“I was beginning to think you
didn’t remember me Faye. How are you? It was so good to see you after such a
long time.” She looked around her gold coloured wall paper, her eyes focusing
on the richer accent, blue colour she had recently injected to add luxury and
interest to her neutral backdrop.
After keeping quiet for a long
while, she sighed, knowing she couldn’t possibly play dumb forever. “I am good,
thanks. Accept my congratulations on your multiple awards the other night. I
didn’t get to speak with you before I left.” How hypocritical! She criticized
her endeavour at being nice, as a sham as she heard his intake of breath.
“It was all unplanned really. The
organizers heard I was in London and they decided to invite me. But now, I’m
glad they did, because I saw you again.”
How charming! Why was he wasting
his flattering skills on her? “Y-y-yes,” she stammered. Why couldn’t she stop
thinking about him? And why had he always been the standard with which she
measured every man she dated? Leaning forward, she wiped off an invisible speck
of dust from the blue vase resting on her recently exposed and accessorized
fireplace.
“Congratulations on your award!
I’m extremely proud of you, Faye. I’ve stopped by your blog and dug up several
magazines you write for. And, I can say the award is definitely well deserved.”
A glance in the framed wall mirror
on the right side of her bed revealed her cheeks were a light red shade,
mocking her resolve to remain detached. To her relief, Jordan couldn’t see how
his words altered her skin tone.
“Thank you,” was all she could
muster from her vocal muscles.
“Faye, can I make you an
irresistible offer?”
Her fingers clutching the duvet
trembled. Her heart skipped. “Yes, of course.” Her tone was obliging. I should be speaking curtly, she accused in her head.
