Buzz... Buzz... The gentle vibration of my Sony cellphone, which I had placed beside my pillow, jolted me awake from a deep slumber. I reached over and quickly glanced at the screen. "11 missed calls," I read slowly. Before I could tap the view button, the phone vibrated again, displaying Gina's name. I answered the call.
"Hello," I groggily greeted.
"Hello, Marina! Open the door. I'm outside!" Gina exclaimed.
"Okay, hold on. But please stop knocking on my door now," I replied. I pressed the recent calls button once more to see who had tried to reach me eleven times before Gina.
Gina.
Only Gina's name appeared on the list.
With a sense of curiosity, I made my way towards the locked door of my room. As soon as I opened it, I returned to my cosy bed.
"Marina, what are you doing? Come on! We're going to be late," Gina urged.
"Do we really have to go all the way to Shah Alam for breakfast?" I questioned, still half-asleep.
"We can't cancel last minute, Marina. I've already called Ally and Michelle, and they're on their way to Ali Corner now," Gina explained.
"Can you guys go without me?" I asked, hoping for a bit more time to wake up properly.
"It's not complete without you. Come on!" Gina hit me with a pillow.
"Okay. Okay. I'll get ready."
"I'll wait outside Marina... don't be too long."
Reluctantly, I went into the bathroom. As I was having a shower, thoughts of Shazlin and what had happened between her and Zara filled my mind.
"I'm sorry, Marina. Because of me, you're officially unemployed," Shazlin apologized.
"You don't have to apologize, Shaz. I should've left La Nona years ago," I replied.
"Thank you, Marina."
"I did what I had to do. I had to prevent you from killing Zara."
"You know what? I think I should write a book," Shazlin suddenly said.
"Oh, really? A book about what?" I asked.
"How to deal with crazy people," Shazlin replied with a mischievous smile.
"I have an idea for the title," I said.
"What's that?" Shazlin inquired, trying to hold back her laughter.
"CRAY-Z," I said, joining in the laughter.
"Well, I know WHO the Z stands for!" Shazlin added, and we both burst into hysterical laughter at the thought.
******
Gina parked her car in front of Ali Corner Restaurant near Plaza Alam Central in Shah Alam. Ally and Michelle, who had been inside the partially walled restaurant, waved excitedly at us as soon as they spotted us.
"Hi Marina," greeted Ally as I approached the table. As usual, he pouted his lips, and I knew exactly what he wanted.
"Hey, Ally! Welcome!" I replied with a playful smile. Michelle did the same. It was our little way of being polite.
"Why are you two late?" Ally asked, sounding a bit annoyed.
"Sorry... it's all her fault. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be this late," Gina explained, pouting her lips at me.
"I just didn't feel like going out this morning, but someone was really persuasive," I replied, giving them a rather cliché reason. It was an excuse I had used before.
"Come on, Marina! We don't get to meet up often. We're all busy on other days. This is the only time we have," Michelle chimed in.
"Well, I'm not busy anymore," I said, trying to sound casual.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm no longer working at La Nona."
"Are you serious? And why is that?" Michelle eagerly inquired.
I took a deep breath, knowing I had to mention Zara's name whether I liked it or not. "It's Zara. I can't stand it anymore!"
"Why? What happened? Tell me... tell me," Ally urged. If Ally started prodding, I knew our brunch session would last longer than planned. Ally had the persistence of an inspector, always asking for every important detail.
"It seems that Zara must be looking for replacements now," Ally informed us.
"Probably yes. Why, Ally? Are you going to La Nona?" I asked, slightly incredulous.
"Don't be ridiculous. I still remember how she turned Yani's life into hell for several years," Ally reminded us of our friend who had worked for Zara before Shazlin took over.
"No wonder you hate the idea of Marina working at La Nona," Gina chimed in.
"Now you know why, don't you? Working for Zara for more than two years is no joke. You deserve an award, Marina!" Michelle exclaimed. Gina and Ally burst into laughter at Michelle's comment.
"So next time, choose the right job, Marina," Michelle advised.
"I agree with Michelle. There's nothing wrong with being picky," Gina added.
"Yes, if we do something we don't like, we'll be trapped and feel the effects for years to come," Ally concluded.
"Oh, hey! How's it going with Norman?" Michelle blurted out, catching me off guard.
"We're actually meeting tonight at Sunway Pyramid," I replied.
"Does he know what's been going on with you?" Michelle asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Not yet... Marina hasn't had a chance to tell him," Gina answered on my behalf.
"What?! Your fiancé doesn't even know what's happened to you?" Ally exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"That's why I need to see him tonight. I want to fill him in on everything," I explained.
Michelle didn't say anything further, but her smile spoke volumes.
"You don't have to say it, Michelle. You know it better than anyone," I said, acknowledging her unspoken thoughts.
Let's wrap it up, Michelle."
"I don't think I need to. You know it better, Marina," Michelle replied.
YOU ARE READING
The Sphere
ChickLitMarina was trying to search for herself and began to question her life and her passion after what had happened to her love life and career. Many things to think about. How to choose? And how to make sure she was not left feeling bitter? It was time...
