Perfect Proposal

21.

For the past few hours, I have been staring at the ceiling, painted white with a tint of grey. I had been feeling that the ceiling was staring me back.

It's getting late for the appointment taken by Ezlyn for me to meet Nick. Reluctantly I took a bath dragging myself all the way.

Combing my hair, I clad a black jeans and green T-shirt. If Stefanie was there, things would've been much easier. I heaved a sigh and made my way towards Ezlyn's cafe.

The post box in front of our gate had a file which had the details I was assigned to get from Nick.

Ezlyn had asked Nick for a meeting at Meraki. I fear facing him for the memory would be refreshed by his eyes on seeing my face. I was ready somehow.

"Hi..hi Nick." As I approached the table, I saw him sitting, tapping on the table in an anxious way, the way he would do such a thing only when he is about to do something he doesn't like.

"Hel..I mean Helen Jane, you here? But Ez said she was coming to meet me!?" He wore a black suit, lush black hair combed to perfection which didn't reek off him or at least the younger Nick I knew.

"Yeah, but I..I wanted.." I trailed off as I saw him smirking.

"You still have the audacity of speaking to me after all that!"

"Mm Nick I.."

"Shut the fuck, Hel, fuck, Helen Jane. I..I don't wanna meet you ever, ever in my life."

His lips started quivering in anger, his nostrils flaring for I knew he would blow up any second from now.

I was taken aback for a moment. I should be the one yelling at him. It's my right but why the fuck is he doing it!

"Alright, I am going...I am going, Nick."

"It's Nicholas James by the way."

"Alright, Nicholas James." I stood up and left in scurried steps. I hold onto the counter top where Ezlyn had placed a plant in a pot, the music was still drifting on the air but it couldn't ease the veil of tension between us.

I saw Ezlyn trying to manage him and make him speak. Things have been a haywire since the slap. I never wanted to dig in the memories that had flew away but there wasn't any way out here.

After sometime I saw Ezlyn walking towards me.

"Helen, he is telling that he doesn't know anyone named Theodore. I tried a lot."

"But, it isn't possible."

"Not possible because your boss told so? He just returned after a trip. I think we shouldn't push that much."

"Well, what should I do then?"

"I guess you can try to make a conversation with him. Meanwhile I will bring coffee."

"But Ez..."

"He agreed to talk to you. Go now."

Reluctantly I made my way towards his table. He was calm now. The veil of tension still clouds the air between us.

"Nick."

"Hel."

I heaved in a sigh. I remembered how he'd irritate me those days but we were friends before all the changes occurred to him.

"I..I.." I searched for words, which went in vain.

"Sorry, Helen. Sorry for all. I wanted to tell you this for long. But..the damn courage never comes in me." Clenching his fists, he said.

"Do you care to explain why you behaved the way I should be behaving at our first meeting after that incident?!"

"Huh, ahem, ahem, long story. In short, I am sorry, Hel, I really am!" Nick was trying hard. I could see all those bravery conjured up but his eyes had betrayed him to me. As I was  in need, I had to squish all those in my mind.

"Um, leave all that. Do you know Theodore?"

"I don't know."

"He is really stout, there is a beard which is really bushy and have an irritating character."

"I still don't know, Hel. You're telling me as if I am gonna draw an imaginary picture using bushy beard and fat! Lol!"

Here comes our good old Nick.

"Ugh, I am sorry. See this file. If you could tell me anything which would be beneficial for my job."

After checking the file, he had nervous glances, "um, Hel, what kinda benefit you are gonna get by knowing a drug lord?" He was bewildered.

"It's just company matter. I just have the role of fetching information." Irriatted, I casted my glance over the shoulder looking for Ezlyn who was nowhere to found.

"Um, the thing is we have relations, relations which can't be actually discussed in an open space."

"Your place. Your time. I'll come right now."

"Woah so much for this, huh? Otherwise you wouldn't even think of me but as you have no other option, you're doing this?" Crossing his arms across his chest, he smirked.

"Nick, it is a matter to be done and as my first work I don't wanna ruin it."

"Ok, what's in it for me?"

"A coffee and that is the only thing I can afford."

"A date?"

Shit. Here we go.

"Okay. I will come."

"There is this party I am attending tomorrow evening, you can come there if you want. I'll give you the details after our date," he grinned as he paused to glance at me, as if he was remembering something, an old memory perhaps.

"Fine. Can I go now?"

"Ok, Hel." He casted a glace on me, which had a ray of hope in mending the broken relationship, but once broken always broken.

I huffed in relief as I got out of the cafe. My attention shifted towards my phone which had five missed calls from Jace. I quickly called him.

"Hey, geez Helen, where were you? I tried so much to get you." He was enraged for god knows what.

"I was...I was in a meeting, Jace. What is it?" Scrunching my nose, I replied.

"It's.. It's your brother. Somebody had hit him. He is in hospital right now. Can you come?"

"What the fuck?!" I was taken aback for a second. My eyes bulged out, I was in agony while Ezlyn approached me.

"What happened Hel?"

"My brother.. Somebody... Somebody hit him..." I was in agony and I just wanted to see him so Ezlyn took me to hospital by her car.

As she revved the engine, I felt everything becoming blurry in my little world. I could feel the hardness in my chest as if somebody has put a stone above me.

"Drive fast, Ezlyn."