I looked at the time on my computer screen and noticed it was almost 6 PM. My workload had picked up quickly and often time just slipped away. Tonight, was an important night as I would cook for the first time. I had done all the grocery shopping last Saturday and felt comfortable cooking my Spaghetti Bolognese. The only concern I had was time, we had agreed dinner would be served at 8pm and given I am a punctual man I wanted to keep my commitment to my room mates.
I rushed home but not before picking up 2 bottles of red wine, I needed a drink and was sure my room mates would appreciate it.
I reached home by 7 pm, and was greeted by Miki and Jin. Both were hanging out in the living room watching TV.
The kitchen was mine an I started to prepare the Bolognese sauce and boil the spaghetti. It was a really easy dish to make, cheap and tasty.
More and more roommates arrived back home, with Dan being the last one to arrive at 8pm sharp.
Not long after I served dinner to my room mates.
It was quiet, no one spoke a word. I was concerned that my food did not hit the mark, maybe my European taste buds are slightly different after all?
I looked around the table and suddenly noticed it wasn't just quiet, there was an eerie atmosphere.
Jean suddenly spoke "I was going to say this after dinner but there are a few things we should talk about as roommates"
I saw Jin and Dan rolling their eyes, clearly something must have happened between them while I was at work.
Jean continued "We all live in a small apartment where we share common area, some of you behave like pigs". Her eyes enlarged and she started to look fierce "hair in the shower, dirty dishes in the kitchen, no emptying the trash...just a few examples of the disrespect some of you are showing"
Daisy looked bewildered she didn't have a idea that Jean was this upset.
I have to be honest, some of the points she raised I thought were valid.
Dan responded "Jean, do you propose to employ a maid?". This is a typical Dan response and I knew that Jean's reply wouldn't be a friendly one.
"No Dan, I do not propose we hire a maid, I propose you clean your own fucking stuff .....like a good man." That was the end of the conversation. Dan was clearly on the loosing end of the argument.
Daisy chimed in with a lighter comment, "Jean some good points there, let's finish this yummie Spaghetti first before we discuss further". All room mates agreed. That's what I liked about Daisy, always hitting the right tone. She wasn't the most educated but was by far the person with the highest Emotional Intelligence.
I poured some more glasses of wine and we finished the meal cordially.
Miki proposed to have a cleaning roster for common areas, and we drafted some rules that both Jean and Dan could agree to.
Later that night I found myself sitting alone on the dining table with Jin. I had my laptop open and finished off some work emails.
I noticed that Jin was quiet as I looked up over my laptop screen. He eyes stared outside the window, clearly something was on her mind.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"I love singing" she said.
I replied "Yes....and?"
"I am asked to sing in a larger venue with my first gig being this weekend" Jin whispered.
"Isn't that fantastic?" I said enthusiastically
"Stan, keep this between you and me but I have a huge issue. An issue that I had all my life. An issue I have not shared with many people. I have suffered and am still suffering from an extreme form of stage fright; my performance anxiety has impacted my self-esteem and self-confidence."
"What do you feel when it happens" I asked
"Racing pulse and rapid breathing, dry mouth and tight throat, trembling hands, knees, lips, and voice, sweaty and cold hands and sometimes nausea.....it has stopped me from performing in the past"
"I currently do a few gigs in a very small venue, I know the owner well and feel comfortable, the new venue will be a large restaurant where I will sing for at least 150 people"
I smiled and said "You have taken the first step to talk about it" I place my hand on her shoulder and continued "I have had a lot of public speaking training; I will share some tips with you this week. And trust me, millions of people suffer from this issue. You can overcome this!"
Her hand touched my hand, she looked at me and said "Thank you Stan you are not only handsome but also a great guy. We should hang out soon"
She wished me good night and walked to the girl's bedroom.
I continued with my work.
Around 10 minutes later Daisy joined me. I saw how she walked towards me in a tight black work out pants and white loose t shirt. I noticed instantly that she was not wearing a bra. She sat on the opposite chair of me and her feet "accidentally" touched mine. She looked at me while tossing her hair back to reveal her neck.
Daisy subtly licked her lower lip before asking "Stan, have you been to Boracay?"
