Just My Cup of Tea

twenty three

'Lanna! Oh god! I've been so worried! Where are you? What are you doing? I tried to ask about where you've been but I couldn't get a hold of your parents and no one would tell me and I was actually on my way to find Allison to - Lanna?'

'I'm here.'

Just listening to your voice and the way you actually care and sound concerned and thinking about how much I missed your vanilla scent.

There was a long pause on the other line. I brought my knees up to my chest and rested my chin, the phone still tightly clutched in my right hand and pressed to my ear. 

Say something dammit, speak!

'Are you okay?' he asked, his voice lowering with his concern. I thought about his question for a moment. 

'No. Not really.' I didn't feel like lying to him. Not today. There was another long pause.

'Did that son of a bitch hurt you? Did he say something? Did he...physically...'

'No! No, no, nothing like that-' I paused and thought about what I should say to him. Yeah I was upset because of Alexander but still, the two of us had a reputation to uphold, '-It has nothing to do with him.'

There was another long pause. 'Lanna...if he hurt you, please, tell me. I know we're not on the best terms right now but I'll come to wherever you are and I'll beat the blinking daylights out of him.' 

A small smile crept onto my face. 

'I'll keep that in mind, but no, it's not him.' 

'Then what is it?' my eyes watched the waves crash against the shore as I listened to the hastiness in his voice. He always spoke quickly. Rushed and loud.

'Just...' I inhaled slowly and rubbed my eyes with my left hand, '-keep talking.' His silence spoke in place for his confusion but he obliged anyway. He began to rant about his uncle's strict rules and his mother's relentless nagging about how he was never home and about how his best friend was now engaged and about a million other things while I held the phone against my ear and just listened.

I was hardly paying attention to what was coming out of his mouth. I just savoured the warm feeling that was in my stomach like the embers from a dying fire, just enjoying the last of the heat. 

'So is her majesty going to finally tell me where in the world she is?' Eric finally asked making me smile slightly to myself. 

'Her majesty will think about it.'

'No but really. I've been...so worried the past few days.' he admitted almost sheepishly. 

'I'm in Hong Kong. Business reasons.' At least part of it was true. In fact if the marriage was for business reasons why couldn't this trip be business related too?

'-and don't get on the first plane here. I'm leaving tomorrow anyway.' I smiled knowingly. 

'You know me too well. What time will you be arriving? I wanna come see you.' I bit down on my lip and looked down at my feet. 

'That probably isn't the best idea Eric.' Alexander would be there with me and  I wasn't prepared to have them meet for the first time. Especially in that kind of scenario. 

'I'll be there from the start of the day past midnight til the next day if I have to.' 

Of course you will.

'Don't waste your time like that.'

'Waiting for you would never be a waste of time.' With those words, I felt a sharp and painful clutch at my heart. My breath hitched and I hugged my knees tighter to my chest.