The Segment (Completed)

31. Who Would Play You?

(horrifically unedited)

As expected, when she came out of the bathroom, she found it empty and she heaved a relieved sigh. Richard had left leaving a faint trace of his cologne, the only sign that he was ever in her room. An ache had started to form behind her eye sockets and as she went to look for her stock of painkillers, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirrors and she stopped. Retracing her steps back to the mirror she stood and studied the reflection. Her skin looked ashen, her eyes were rimmed red and swollen, her nose was red, and her lips were dry and cracked.

Rachel was not exaggerating, I do look fucking terrible, Farrah thought to herself. She sighed. Looking at her reflection, she couldn't help but wonder why was it that things got so fucking complicated when they were in the same room. Their conversations, their understanding of each other was so much easier whenever they talked over the phone all those times Richard was away.

She sighed again and walked away from the mirror and quickly swallowed an Ibuprofen. She sent out a text to both Rachel and Ben that she was unwell and was going to sleep. She had to go through outfits and her script with Rachel, but that could wait until later. There were supposed to have an early team dinner in Richard's suite and she'd just do it then.

Her phone started buzzing nonstop and she knew that it was probably Richard calling her, he must have heard by now that she was unwell. Ignoring the buzzing of her phone, Farrah closed her eyes and wished, just for a second for Richard to forget about her. Stop fucking calling, she thought releasing a frustrated sigh, as she willed herself to sleep.

***

Blindly reaching over to her side, Farrah groped the bedside table for her phone. She squinted at the screen and saw that she was due her Zuhr (midday) salah. She once again willed her eyes to open, blinking rapidly as she looked at the ceiling. Laying her head on the plush pillow, she picked up her phone and started going through the accumulated texts and emails. She left Richard's messages the last as she knew she would be bombarded with a slew of questions. And she was right, she supposed Ben had managed talked some sense into him that he didn't come barging into her room.

R: Text me the moment you are awake. 12.08pm

F: I'm awake. 2.45p

R: How are you feeling, love? Any better? 2.46pm

F: Better, thank you. 2.46pm

R: Have you had anything to eat? For lunch? 2.47pm

F: No. I'll order something soon. I'm going to pray first. Talk later. 2.47pm

R: Your lunch is on it's way, love. It should be at your room by the time you're done with your namaz. 2.53pm

Farrah just dropped her phone on the bed, just as the doorbell rang. Standing up she walked over to the door opening it and was shocked to find Ben standing there with a trolley.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise.

"I was given a royal decree to make sure you accepted the food and you...you know...ate it," Ben said sheepishly.

"Are you here to fucking babysit me, Ben?" Farrah asked harshly as she let the door slam behind her as she trailed after Ben into the room.