Phases Eight

Phase 10 IRIS

When my real self sucks, all I can do is act

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"Amy. This is Jake. I accept your deal"  blurted Jake. He sensed a slight tremor prevailing in his voice which made him break his knuckles in anxiety.

"Uhm..Jake, right now I'm busy at work. Shall we meet after five, at the Starbucks next to my hospital?" said Amy. Her tone of speech wasn't right. Jake could tell right away that Amy was sobbing. She let out suppressed sniffles while talking.

"Amy, is everything alright?"

In reply Jake heard a beep.

Amy cut the call. 

Jake threw the phone on the table with a annoyed sigh.

'How can she leave people hanging just like that?

This girl creeps me out.

Am I worried about her? Why should I? What relationship do we have? She's not even my employer yet. I should just forget about her.'

"Girlfriend problem?" asked Justin, busily munching his turkey sausage wrap. Jake was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he completely ignored the food on the table.

"You both seem to be very much interested in my personal life"  grumbled Jake, pointing at Justin and Anne

"Is Amy your girlfriend? You seemed to be concerned about her" snickered Anne, without looking up from her plate of food. Justin nodded, agreeing with Anne.

"Are you guys so desperate to know? Well, here comes your answer. Amy is not even my friend, and I highly doubt whether she is a girl" riposted Jake "I'll wait outside, so finish mine"

Jake lost his appetite. He prodded his plate to the center of the table and walked out of the shop.

"Jake has a girlfriend. Jake has a girlfriend.." sang Justin. In return, Jake mockingly scratched his forehead with his middle finger. Justin got his innuendo and abruptly stopped the song.

Amy's sobbing voice kept replaying in Jake's head. Normally, Jake became sensitive when women cried.

The women who were around Jake, his mom, Selena and Anne, rarely cried. Jake thought Amy also belonged to their category. She knew very well the consequences of her extreme emotions. She has been living like a saint, controlling all her feelings.

Did something tragic happened for her to cry? Should I check on her?

No. Brush it off. If really something tragic had happened, she wouldn't have asked you meet up at Starbucks.

Jake kicked at the lamp post on the side of the street in exasperation.

Oops..My toes. I kicked too hard.

"Oh my God! Our Romeo is being tormented in isolation. Why he hadn't seeked his Juliet already?" squealed Justin, opening the door and holding it for Anne to exit.

"How can I leave, when my girlfriend is standing right here?" Jake winked at Anne, and she faked a blush.

"Give up my dear uncle. I'm not interested in old men." She let out a suppressed grin and high-fived with Justin.

"Uncle? Old man? Am I getting dumped? Ah..My heart aches" Jake crouched holding his chest.

Justin bent down to Jake, "Start going out with Amy. I'll get better. The doctor will heal your heart ache"

"How much times should I say? We are not dating." glowered Jake, giving his best to shut their mouths.

"Then what about the meeting today evening?"