Love Hate Relationship

Chapter 48

When Maya hit the kitchen she quickly took out her phone to fire off a text to Raven. "Operation popcorn! Operation popcorn is live at our house right now!!!!"

The response was immediate. "WTF? how did that happen?"

"Don't ask, total surprise. Let's just say that my son is cleverer than I knew. And, somehow, someway, Clexa is in the house." Raven had shared her nickname for the girls a couple weeks ago.

Maya almost dropped her phone when the ringtone blared. It was Raven, Facetiming her. She looked around for cover. She spotted the pantry closet, opened the door and wedged herself in. It was smaller than a phone booth, but she managed to shut the door with one foot resting on a box of soda cans. "Hello?"

"Well, fuck girl, you gotta lot going on over there," Raven said. She turned her face away from the screen and yelled, "Babe, popcorn. Now!" She looked back at Maya, then looked off screen again, "Please! Meant to say please, babe."

Maya was all jittery, hands shaking, her brow furrowed in a knot. "I know! My god, what do I do?"

"Well first, calm the fuck down."

"Okay, I can try." A box of stuffing fell from the top shelf and hit her in the head. "Ow."

"Where are you?"

"In the pantry closet," Maya said, lowering her voice, trying to be discreet.

"I like your enthusiasm," Raven said with admiration. "Now, work your magic, you can do this."

"Yes, I'll work my magic. Wait, what's my magic?" Maya asked, her voice rising in panic.

"Just get them talking, make them interact..."

"Honey?" Jasper had wandered in from the porch.

Maya froze. Now he was in the kitchen. "Yes?" she said hesitantly.

"Are you in the pantry closet?" Jasper was clearly perplexed.

Silence reverberated through the room for a good five seconds. "Yes." Maya held her breath. She wasn't sure who all should be in on the matchmaking plan.

"Okay."

And with that she heard him go back out on the patio. She exhaled, putting her hand to her chest. She held the phone back up, "Oh god, I've never been very good at this. What if I blow it?"

"Relax, you've got this girl."

"Okay, I should get back, I'll talk to you later."

"Ya...Oh, Maya!"

"What?"

"I dig your kid," Raven said appreciatively.

"I know, he's pretty great," she said with parental pride.

After Maya had gone off to fetch a beer, Lexa and Clarke were left to stare uncomfortably at each other. Both thrown off balance by the situation. Neither expecting to see the other so soon after their adventures on Sunday.

Lexa cleared her throat. "Well, here we are. Again." She glanced towards the kitchen hoping for Maya's reappearance. The silence dragged on making an awkward situation more so. "Life just keeps putting us together..." Lexa said, trailing off at the end. There seemed to be no escaping this woman. Dreams, fantasies, realities, she was everywhere. Was this some cross to bear? A punishment for some dastardly crime she committed? So much for meeting the woman of her dreams. Instead she would be spending the evening with the very taken Clarke Griffin.

Clarke put her hands in her pockets, blew out a deep breath. She was still cursing her stupid luck. "Life can certainly be funny."

"Mmhmm. Hysterical. Well, should we continue our truce? I mean, we don't wanna spoil dinner or anything. Let's just agree to be civil to each other, okay?" Lexa asked.