p r e y

chapter eleven - a royal invitation

it wasn't until friday until amelia finally felt better though she was still very agitated. though she felt some indescribable fear thinking about it, she actually already missed working there.

"you're not usually sick" the older woman mentioned, pouring hot tea in two mugs at amelia's counter.

she's dressed in a pretty white blouse with a beige sweater and a beige corduroy. her dark yet graying hair framed her round face with a bob and a bang.

she's short too, about 5 feet 2 inches.

"i bet you over worked yourself too"she turns around with a mug, a pleasant look on her face; her small closed eyes also wearing a smile.

she walks to the couch where amelia was curled up in nothing but an oversized top and her underwear and offers her the steaming cup of tea.

after giving her the cup, she brushes her hand through amelia's tangled hair.

amelia doesn't say anything. instead she just observes her, listening as she continues to express her concern in fluent Japanese. Amelia watches her in confusion.

it wasn't that she wasn't familiar with the language for she was as fluent as the older woman before her. it was that she couldn't understand how utterly hospitable and wholehearted the woman was.

it was true that she referred to the woman as her aunt though she really considered her to be more a mother.

ms. jacobs had been a worker at the foster home where amelia grew up and had immediately took a strong liking to her.

even from then, amelia never understood the affection and she most certainly didn't understand when the strange Japanese woman had promised her a home. ms. jacobs had given up her job that same year.

three years later, when amelia was seven, the woman returned and filled out each file. she had gone off to marry a billionaire from Illinois thus allowing amelia to have access to any opportunity imaginable.

amelia felt indebted without a doubt and as soon as she started college, she moved out and did numerous part time jobs to help in whatever way possible.

though she told herself that she referred to ms. Jacobs as her aunt because people would believe that more than a maternal relationship; a small part of her felt like she did that to get away from anymore handicaps.

though she was the reason that amelia even had a job at the red empire.

"it was about time you took a break" ms. Jacob added and amelia's piney eyes trailed the shorter woman who had walked back to the kitchen to retrieve her tea.

sipping the unsweetened minty beverage, she slowly zoned out to another reality. where dark leather shoes would emerge from the elevator, right before left.

where nothing else was heard other than footsteps - his footsteps. for a second her stomach drops because she realized that she wouldn't see any of this  due to her absence.

it was friday after all.

she exhales shakily before closing her eyes and leaning back her head on the head rest, imagining what it'd be like to see his dull steely eyes staring at her.

having his hands caressing her body to check her fever as she lays across his lap. his thumb grazing her bottom lip as if to imagine kissing her dearly.

she imagines him staring at her in adoration and for once she stopped her own thoughts for she realized how far-fetched they were.

yare yare (good grief) she thought opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling.

"anything new" her aunt asks taking a loud slurp of her tea and amelia chuckles. she couldn't help but feel like her previous days and weeks were eventful but she couldn't remember why they were.

it felt like a block was in her brain and though she wanted to remember what ever it was, she gave up.

in the end, she never did remember and only had settled on mentioning that she had ordered house decor.

her aunt had cheered, mentioning that she wondered if amelia hadn't realized what a bland apartment she lived in.

they continued their small talk until eventually, ms. Jacobs announced her departing.

zoning in and out, amelia hadn't really realized the woman's absence until she was carrying her cup to the sink to wash up.

instead of washing up, she leant back on the counter and opened the fridge. it was at that exact same moment she remembered what was so eventful about the Friday prior to this.

mr. derret.

she hit her head on the top of the small fridge almost immediately and cursing aloud, she banished the thought from her head. For with it always came the nausea.

instead she focused on the absence of yogurt and ice cream in her fridge.

eventually she pulled on some sweats and pulled a cap over her messy hair.

with her mind set on getting to the nearby pharmacy and only that, she left the apartment.

in the elevator, she remembered how she had cried soulfully after the incident and she cringed.

Why had the memories finally come back when she didn't need them.

she thought bitterly once exiting the elevator and soon stopped to lurk in the shadows when she noticed a mailman at the locker like structures near the entrance.

she was almost certain he was in her mail box though she never said a word. she only watched him as he closed the mailbox and left, unaware of her lurking presence.

amelia walked hesitantly to the her mail box and opened it.

inside there was an envelope and a small slender gift box.

both red in color.

settling on opening the letter first, she tore the envelope a part and unfolded the paper. it was an invite to a business party that Mr. Cavill would be going to.

her heart stuttered as she analyzed the details of the letter. the main detail that he was inviting her to be his plus one.

he did not mention the time nor the venue of the event. only that she would be picked up at five pm on Saturday.

she was frozen in place yet somehow she still managed to reach towards the slender wrapped box and opened it.

inside was a pair of thinly rimmed golden glasses, almost identical to the one that had broken during the incident.

she flushed yet shuddered at the same time.