He Was a Friend

/21/ She meets her. /

Louise closed her running jacket as the lift opened at the ground floor. Her eyes darted to the big clock displayed in the hotel's lobby.

It is exactly 7AM, Wednesday. They reached the hotel around 1AM last night. They each checked-in to their rooms which happened to be on the same floor, which she found convenient, meaning, she can easily knock there in case of emergency. She woke up quite early to go for a quick 5km run in the hotel's gym, after all, she missed her regular jog yesterday due to all the 'commotion'.

Now that I think about it, Art totally messed up my schedule yesterday. Twice!

She was about to go to the gym area when she noticed a familiar face sitting in one of the lounge chairs in the lobby.

It was Eric's last ex-girlfiend, Martha.

For some reason, she felt a subtle hint of irritation on the sight of her.

Might be because I know she dumped Eric and immediately found another boyfriend in two weeks time, she snorted.

"Fancy seeing you here, Louise," Martha asked, with a knotted forehead.

She stopped on her tracks to greet her.

"Well, hello there, Martha," she answered back, trying to be civil.

Deep inside, she was trying to connect the dots of Eric having a business trip in Tokyo, and seeing Martha on the lobby of the hotel Eric is staying at.

"I'm also sent on this three-day convention," Martha announced, as if she read her mind.

Ah. I forgot they work in the same company.

"Right," she nodded, smiling.

Martha continued staring at her, as if trying to analyze something.

It was her turn to knot her forehead.

"Sooo... you finally got on with Eric, I assume?" she asked, with eyebrows arched as high as the clock she was looking at earlier.

The knots on her forehead got even deeper when Martha's last statement sunk in.

"Sorry?" she clarified.

Martha smirked.

"I said, I assume that you and Eric are finally a couple. After all, you were the reason why we broke up," she hissed as her eyebrows arched even more now, this time reaching the ceiling.

What?

She didn't quite catch that.

Finally a couple? And I'm the reason for their break-up? she thought, flabbergasted.

"I'm not exactly sure what you're on about, Martha. I'm pretty sure I heard that the reason for the break-up was, Eric was too cold for you so you found someone warmer," she hissed sarcastically.

"Did he say that?"

She crossed her arms.

"He didn't. You know how tight-lipped he is on these things, so I just assumed given the info I have," she snorted.

Martha's eyes glinted as she looked at her.

"Well, you're right. He's too cold. And you know why he's cold?" Martha asked, gnawing her teeth. "He's always so busy taking care of you. He's always so warm with you, that he got nothing left of that warmth, for me."

Her jaws dropped.

Is she serious?

She was about to retort when she suddenly felt a familiar shadow looming over her. A deep baritone voice confirmed her hunch.

"Martha."

It was Eric.

And he was wearing the most serious expression she has ever seen on his face.