Blindsided

Part 13

Melanie

"And then... I shoved a bunch of crushed up post it notes down the back of his shirt and watching him squirm. It was liberating." 

"Well done Pers, standing up for women across the world."

"I didn't have much standing up to do. The guy was at least 4 inches shorter than me."

My soft laughs pairs with the rich rapping on the door in front of me, one of which my fist has come into contact with. I balance the bottle of vodka in the crook of my elbow, balancing the freshly bought cheesecake in my hand. No sound comes from the other side of the door, and for a second I'm worried I've knocked on the wrong door. Again. I seem to have a knack at this type of thing. My eyes flick over to Persephone, who's stifling her own laugh, probably thinking about the events of a few weeks ago. At least I'm not the only one.

The door is pushed open a second later, a large ball of fur rocketing out into the hallway. The over-stimulated dog dives straight for my legs, almost making me drop the bottle nestled into my side.

"Geez Clauds, easy on the precious cargo." I shepherd her inside, careful not to drop either of the items in my arms as I push my way through the large, timber door. "Helllo!" I call, letting Persephone swing the door closed, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. Although, my ears tell me there's nothing empty about the rest of the house.

"No, I said for you to put the potatoes on for 40 minutes, and to put the herbs on them. Where are the herbs Christian? Do these potatoes look like they're seasoned with herbs?"

"They're underneath the potatoes, I put the seasoning on the tray. Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" I turn the corner into the kitchen, just in time to see a stunned look stretching across Lera's face. She's looking into Christian's eyes, both of them biting back a laugh as they stare at each other. Christian cracks first, laughing softly as he reaches forward, letting Lera fall into his arms. She does so, letting out her own soft giggle. Christian leans down, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head. She lifts her head from his chest, their lips meeting in the middle. 

"Hmph." They break apart at my awkward cough, their eyes flicking from Persephone and I, blushes creeping up their cheeks.

"Well, I take it that neither of you guys opened the door." I walk closer to their kitchen island, placing the dessert box and bottle of alcohol on it. I head towards the pair next, bringing them both into a tight hug.

"No, Claudia's learnt how to open door knobs now. Help us all." Lera chuckles, shaking her head between hugs. 

"She looks a little nuts, do you want me to take her out for a walk around the block?" I offer, placing my shoulder bag in a corner of the living room. 

"Would you mind? Sorry, I haven't gotten a second chance to today, for... probably obvious reasons." She looks at Christian before gesturing to the potatoes. He sidles up beside her, sliding his arm around her waist and pressing another kiss to her forehead. 

"I'm sure the food will be fine. I'll only be 10 minutes." I call as I head towards the powder room, grabbing Claudia's bright green leash from where it hangs from the back of the door. Claudia comes running at the clinking metal carabina, and I clip it onto her collar. She pulls me back into the kitchen, and I bid my goodbyes to all 3 of my friends, hard at work in the kitchen.

"Keep it PG guys." I call over my shoulder, winking at Lera.

"Aww, no need to be salty Mel, this is just what having an actual relationship looks like." I poke my tongue out at Christian, clicking the front door open. Claudia's tail smacks against my knees as she excitedly heads for the stairwell leading to the ground floor. I tickle her ear as we enter the cool, dark passageway, climbing down the winding stairs in only a matter 9f seconds. I don't know whether it's the darkness creeping in or Claudia's excitement, but I don't think I've ever tackled a staircase quite as quickly in my life. We burst into the lobby, pushing open the front door of the complex a matter of seconds later.