Healing Melody (Very Slow Updates)

11. Uncharted Territory

"Where are you going without me, Gigi? And on a Friday night?" Malcolm whines loudly across the line and I hold my cellphone away from my ear for fear of popping my ear drum.

I fiddle with the pen in my other hand, then start scrawling random alphabets on a sticky notepad, the sounds of pen scratching paper filling the quiet space of my office as I scour every nook and corner of my brain for an answer which won't give too much away.

"Hello?" Malcolm speaks in an exaggerated tone when I remain silent.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I offer him the only answer I can think of. "I'm just going out for dinner, Mal." I drop the pen and cup my forehead, hoping that just this once, he won't whip out his magnifying glass and sleuth around.

"So you're telling me you're going out for dinner alone? Without me?"

"I didn't say th–"

"So then what? Wait. Are you replacing me? Who's that son of the bitch?!" He rages over the phone like an angered goose.

I sag into my executive chair and groan into my phone. "No you twat! Jeez! It's just dinner with a friend okay? No one can replace your shit-sprouting mouth anyways!"

"I don't know if I should feel honored or offended..." He trails off, then resumes in a much calmer tone that could even be pegged as motherly. "Well then, I'm glad you're getting out there more. Have fun but be back before ten!"

"Okay, mom." I roll my eyes but secretly feel relieved Malcolm didn't blast me with a full-on interrogation, which gets me thinking...

"Mal." I draw out his name in a stern tone, switching roles with him.

"Yeah?" His voice may sound nonchalant and unperturbed, but I know better.

"Where are you going tonight?" The words are spoken in a very specific intonation meant to drag out answers from this womanizer I call my best friend.

His nervous chuckle skitters through my ear before he replies, "I have a date. That's it."

"Mhmm."

"And it's all working out quite well right? I was afraid you'd be lonely without me since I'm your favourite per–"

"Bye." I hang up on the self-praising prick who will always hog a space in my heart.

However, I don't want him to know that I have a date when I don't even know why I agreed to go on one.

I'm a complete nervous wreck, but I manage to stand from my chair without my legs giving out. Just then, my office door slams open and in comes my two confidantes.

"Alright let's get to work!" Jessica's bubbly voice fills the space as she sashays in with an entire chest of weaponry, carrying it like it weighs nothing.

I knit my brows together at that harrowing sight, my jaw colliding with the ground. "Jess, are you going to war with the Japanese?"

"Huh?" Jessica cocks her head to one side. "Oh this?" She refers to the luggage beside her. "They're the necessary tools of course!"

"Come on. We don't have much time to clean up all... this." Maisie motions at my body with her hand, starting from the top all the way to the bottom.

I peer down at my green blouse and—yep you guessed it—black pencil skirt.

"What? I think I look fine!" Denial burns bright in me.

This gets me withering looks from both women.

Two days ago after I agreed to a date with Galan and practically ran from there, I just had to tell Maisie and Jessica about it, or else I'd be as lost as a dandelion spore drifting afloat in the billowing wind towards uncharted territory.