Just Another Love Story

Chapter 6

The Boss never liked to be late. For his employees, being late meant being fired. Come on time or don't bother to come at all was the first thing all of his employees were told.

The Boss was seated in his chair behind his desk. In front of him sat two of his most trusted and best employees. With his eyes closed, The Boss was thinking of how to respond to his best's failure.

The two men on the other hand were sweating profusely; their heads down and fingers crossed hoping for the best.

"Look up." The Boss said calmly.

The two men looked up to see The Boss' dark brown, intelligent eyes boring into theirs. If they were new, they would've pissed their pants long before looking at The Boss.

"You two gentlemen have disappointed me greatly. You were given one single task to perform." The calmness in his voice was not a good sign for their future.

"We're deeply sorry, Mr. Boss." One of them managed to say, sweating as if he were sitting in a sauna.

The Boss stood up with great force knocking back his chair. He stood to his full height of 6'2" and slammed his palms on his desk. If he were a dragon, smoke would be coming out of his ears and nostrils. You wouldn't want to be on the other side of the table.

"Do you bastards not understand the seriousness of this task? Your "sorry" does no good here!" He was seething.

The two men seated in front of The Boss did not dare move.

"You were given one fucking task to complete and you were not able to do that either! How difficult is it to kill 3 civilians, you morons!"

It was never a good sign when The Boss started swearing. Someone was going to be in trouble, a lot of trouble.

"Answer me you stupid ogres of men!" The Boss was so angry his blood ran up to his face. But this anger was not all over the place. It was determined and focused on the two men seated in from of him; at their inability to complete a seemingly simple task.

The two men sitting across from The Boss didn't budge. They knew that when The Boss was angry and swearing, you were screwed whether you spoke up or not.

"Very well, then." The Boss said as an unnatural calm came over him. He stood up straight and smoothed the creases on the front of his shirt. He rolled up his sleeves upto his elbows and ran a hand through is dark brown curls, his eyes portraying the never fading determination and wit.

"Get out before I shoot your brains out." The Boss said as he removed his gun from its holster.

The two men seated in front of The Boss were staring wide-eyed at their employer. They couldn't move because of the shock. Why such a grave punishment for such a simple mistake? Many men before them had failed before; not once but twice and still got to keep their breaths.

"Tick tock" The Boss nudged them, his gun locked and loaded.

The two men quickly got to their wobbly feet and turned to run.

"Too late" The Boss said. "You had your chance." His features were so evil even Satan would've thought twice before interrupting him.

The birds perched on the windowsill flew away, scared when they heard two successive gunshots.

*

Andrew woke up to his head screaming. He tried to sit up; instead he fell off the couch with a thud.

Jane woke up to that thud. Her tears had dried while she was asleep. She searched for the source of that sound and found Andrew sitting up on the floor in front of her, his hair all tangled and a confused and painful look on his face.

As he opened his eyes and looked around and saw Jane staring at him blankly, the events of last night came crashing to him. To have Jane staring at him and waiting for an explanation quadrupled his pain.

Jane looked at Andrew patiently with a steady gaze. She was waiting for him to speak first. She held her face in her delicate hands, her hair falling over her cheeks. She closed her dark, intelligent eyes and took in a deep breath.

Andrew stumbled to his feet and sat on the chair he had dragged and put in front of Jane. He could see the pain on her face, the emotional stress she was going through. He felt as if no words could explain his behavior and yet an explanation was undoubtedly what Jane was looking for.

"Open your eyes, Jane." Andrew's voice was soft, soothing and full of remorse.

Jane opened her eyes. She wanted to know the truth but at the same time she felt that if she knew, it'd change her whole life.

Andrew took in a deep breath. "Jane, I'm so sorry about last night. I had to figure out a way to tell you this but I didn't how. I couldn't possibly see you cry."

Jane listened to him without interrupting. His lean body looked tired and strained. His face was reflecting his emotional pain as well as last night's liquor.

Andrew took Jane's hand in his. "The detective says that they found evidence which proves that your parents were murdered. But," Andrew swallowed his tears.

"But what, Andrew?" Jane asked without feeling.

"But the detective also said that it is a dead end case. They couldn't find anything that might lead them to the person who did this." Andrew couldn't look her in the eye while telling her the truth. He looked down at her hand instead; fair and delicate just like a fairy's.

Jane was silent. She didn't have anything to say. She had made peace with the fact that her parents were no more but the possibility, no; the fact that her parents were murdered was a completely different scenario. Jane racked her brain to find something; someone who might be able to fit the image of the person she had created in her mind who she thought was the murderer. She couldn't think of a single person who would want to harm her parents. However much she tried, she failed. Jane's sadness, pain and frustration escaped through her tears.

Andrew looked up when he felt water on his hands. It wasn't water, but Jane's tears. Andrew let go of her hand and sat there watching her cry. She was in pain, but oh so beautiful. He could stare at her for hours, maybe days at a stretch.

Jane could feel his brown eyes on her. He was looking at her; not through her but at her. He was looking at her tears, her pain, and her frustration. He was looking at her with feeling; not pity but something else. It was something more sincere than that. It was love.

Jane stood up and Andrew followed. Although it sent a wave of hangover pain through his body, Andrew ignored it and his full attention was on Jane.

Jane cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Andrew."

Andrew was confused. "Why?"

Jane leaned into him, her hands sliding behind his neck. She went up on her toes and kissed him full on the lips.

Andrew was taken aback by Jane's gesture. As Jane leaned in with her arms around his neck, Andrew's arms slid around her thin waist. The next thing he knew was that Jane's lips were on his and her hands were going through his hair and caressing his neck.

Andrew kissed back ignoring his hangover.