The Periwinkle Affair

TPA 20: Loser Alert

UNEDITED*

IT WAS Alden's day off. He had so many things to do in the two days off he got. He needs to get all the documents he requested a while back and the test result of one important matter.

He had seen Maine back once or twice but not at work. He goes with their colleagues to visit her and Periwinkle and each time he goes with them, he felt more frustrated than he was. It's not because they are arguing still or him being creepy towards her or the usual nagging that he does, or his little threatening whispers to her but the fact that he can not get a chance to get close to her, let alone speak with her, because Gerald is always present.

He compares Gerald to the Walls of Jericho where it measured as 28 feet tall and almost 5 feet thick, just like the titan walls on Attack on Titans. And he doesn't leave Maine's side. Robert Jowarski's legendary guarding ability is nothing compared to this man and that irritates the hell out of him. Jealous? Yes, and he won't deny it.

Bernie and Allan will just glance at each other but would not say a word. Cisco and Leon will just shake their heads. They wanted to help but there's not much they can do. It is all up to Maine to recognize the sadness and wanting to apologize in Alden's eyes, if she could only give him a few seconds of her time to actually stare him in the eye, but no.

Every time it happens, he will just get up, say his goodbye to Big Mike. Big Mike will just give him an apologizing look, so as Luisa. He will leave unnoticed... so he thinks.

Not known to Alden, Gerald sees it, too and will get Maine's attention. She will have her shoulder down again. Gerald will just shake his head. He is running out of ideas on how he can leave Maine's side so Alden could have a little time to get her attention so they can talk.

THE following morning, he went back to the Emerald City Police Department to get additional information about the death of a certain Alvin Jimenez, as one of the clerks told him over the phone.

Once he got it, he left as quickly as he came. He was in a hurry to leave because he still had to go to Emerald Lab Corp. One more document and he will have a complete paper works to get his guilt out of the way, but that doesn't mean he is not remorseful with the way he treated Maine. He still has to talk to her. He still needs to apologize for acting like a bratty child.

One day, he just gathered all his guts to knock on Maine's house. It is now or never. He can go in and out of the building. Luisa gave him a VIP key card like the one Mike has,

"Hi." He said as she opened the door. He knew Molly won't be here today. He wanted to ask Maine if he could take her and Periwinkle at an amusement park.

"Hi. Big Mike is not here. You can try at Luisa's." She said coldly.

"I'm not here for Big Mike. I'm here to ask you if I can take you and Periwinkle out for a day." He asked right away. He doesn't want to beat around the bush. This is Maine he's talking to.

"Why?" Maine asked. She has the look of confusion and doubt, but mostly doubt.

"I don't know." He replied, looking her straight in the eye. "I have no reasons. I just wanted to spend time with her... and you." Maine was stumped. Wait, she's more confounded and bewildered than stumped.

"You. You want to spend time with Periwinkle... and me?" She asked, doubt is written all over her face and eyes. Alden wants to retreat back to his car but stood his ground instead, still staring at her lovingly in the eye. Maine took a step back. She was quiet for a while, blinked for a few moments before speaking again.