JossBas: Is It Really Meant to Be?

Chapter 23

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Frank's POV

I kept cursing myself for clumsily losing my footing and falling into Joss' arms.

I hoped that he did not think that I did it on purpose.

I quickly walked back to the kitchen sink and started to wash the dishes.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to help you with the dishes?" I was startled by Joss' voice.

He was standing very close to me, his chest almost touching my back. I thought that he had already gone to his room.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," I said quickly, "go and get your much needed rest."

I wanted to say, 'go away, you're making my heart race too fast for my health."

"Very well, then," he said, turning away, "if that's what you really want. I will go and wash up and turn in for the night. Good night, Frank, and thank you for the dinner and for taking care of the dishes."

"Good night, Joss," my voice was almost a whisper. I wanted to add 'I love you, Joss' but I knew that it would only make him uncomfortable and might make him resent me.

After I washed the dishes, I listened to some songs on my phone before going to the bathroom and taking my shower and brushing my teeth.

I felt good after my shower. Showers helped me to clear my thoughts and calm down my nerves.

I was whistling softly as I wrapped my towel around my waist and loosely tucked it in and walked out of the bathroom.

I was startled to see Joss sleepily walking towards the bathroom.

"Oh!" he said sharply, looking wide awake now, "I didn't know you were still awake."

"I just spent some time listening to songs first before I decided to take my shower, that's why I'm still up," I explained.

"I see," he said.

I was embarrassed to see him looking at my bare chest.

I quickly walked back to the living room where I had my pajamas laid out on the couch.

My heart was beating very fast again. I hated myself for letting Joss' nearness have that effect on me.

After I put my pajamas on and dried my hair, I settled on the couch which was wide enough to double as a comfortable bed for me.

I fell asleep with the soft music still playing in my ear.

I must have had a good night's sleep because I woke up refreshed in the morning.

I went to the kitchen, still in my pajamas, and took out a box of pancake mix from one of the kitchen cabinets.

I prepared the mix, making sure that I had poured in just the right amount of milk into the mix to make it fluffy when I poured it into the pan.

After I placed the last pancake into a platter, I took out a couple of eggs from the fridge, cracked them open into a bowl and sprinkled a pinch of salt and a little bit of black pepper on them before whisking them.

I had just poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan when I heard Joss' voice behind me.

"That smells really good," he was saying.

"Jesus Christ, Joss," I said, "don't creep up on me like that! You're going to give me a heart attack!"

He just laughed as he turned away to take out some plates and laid them on the table.

He opened the fridge and asked, "What do you prefer, orange juice or milk?"

"Orange juice, please, thanks," I replied as I placed the cooked eggs into another platter.

"You would make a very good live-in partner," Joss said appreciatively as he poured some maple syrup on his pancake.

He was busy with what he was doing so he did not see my face blushing a deep red. If he only knew what that statement was doing to me. But of course, his statement did not mean anything to him except as a way of letting me know that he appreciated my culinary skills.

After breakfast, Joss insisted on being the one to clear the table and wash the dishes.

"You have done your share," he said, "now let me do mine."

"There's really no need for you to do that," I said, "you're letting me camp here at your place for free. I should be doing everything around the house as payback."

"Nah," he said, shaking his head, "I'm not that kind of person."

"While you're doing that, I'm going to clean the bathroom," I said, already walking in the direction of the bathroom.

He was shaking his head but smiling, "If you insist."

I got a call from my agency just as I walked back to the living room. They wanted me to report to the office because they had a small project for me to do.

I was more than happy to do so.

Every earning I got from my agency would go into my bank account so that I could save up to rent a studio unit for myself. The sooner I managed that, the sooner I would be able to leave Joss and have some peace in my heart.

"Where are you off to, looking like you're going to meet someone special?" Joss asked after he saw me checking myself out in the full length mirror in the small hallway outside the bathroom.

"Oh, my agency called me to come in to their offices," I replied, "they have a small project for me to do."

"Do you have any idea what time you will finish?" he asked.

"To be honest, I don't know," I said, "why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just thinking of inviting you to lunch," he said, "I'm too lazy to cook anything today."

"If I finish my project before lunch, I'll come back and cook lunch for you," I offered.

"Don't spoil me," he said with a chuckle, "I might get addicted to you."

My heart started racing beyond the normal limits again.

As I was getting ready to step out, he suddenly offered, "Wait, let me give you a ride."

"No, no, no," I tried to decline his offer, "you don't have to."

"But I want to go out anyway," he said, already getting his car key from its designated holder, "I don't want to stay home today."

"Okay, if it's no trouble and if my agency's office will not be out of the way for you," I conceded to his offer.

As he slowly drove out of the parking lot, I asked if I could play some music in his car.

"Of course," he said, as we waited for the electronic gate to open.

"No!" he said sharply, as a song I chose from his playlist started to play.

"No," he said more calmly when I looked at him wide eyed, "I'm sorry, let's not play that song. I don't wanna listen to that song today."

"Sure," I said, moving on to the next song on his playlist.

A lot of questions started circling my brain, as to the reason why he reacted sharply to the song I was about to play earlier.

Did it remind him of someone whom he was trying to forget? Did that someone hurt him badly to the point that he did not want to be reminded of anything pertaining to that someone? Was he still so much in love with that other person and was finding it hard to forget him or her?

I wondered and I wondered and I wondered, all the way until he dropped me off at my destination.

"Thank you for the ride," I said before stepping out of his car.

"Anytime, Bas... I mean, Frank," he said, his eyes widening when he realized that he had called me by another name.