◤𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕪◢ - It Started With Vomit!

Chapter 4 | A Workaholic's Comfort

. . .

The ride to Elton hotel became an increasingly suffocating one between the two men in the car. Riddled with minefields of quaint and precarious conversation, it roused anxiety in the heart of the lackey, and anger in the master's.

"I'm assuming it didn't go too well then?" Tails asks.

"No. No-- It actually went swimmingly! Matter of fact, she starts tomorrow," Shadow replies dryly from behind his laptop; his virile voice (yet again) bathing the car with his presence. His perfectly sculpted hands kept busy on his laptop yet his ingenious mind was in an unrelenting twist. He'd always found it calming and efficient to drown himself in work as detachment from reality's misfortune, but this time around, it wasn't giving its usual effects.

"F*CK!" He cursed through tightly clenched teeth. "It's not working."

"Of course it's not," Tails thought out loud. "How about you actually address the problem instead of trivializing it. Distracting yourself with work doesn't do anyone any good. Neither does it solve the problem at hand," He advised.

"What?!" Shadow lets out an intimidating scorn.

"Ooor not," he quickly shut his mouth with an invisible zipper, but even that gesture couldn't stop the lion at the back from staring him down through the rear-view mirror.

Although Tails knew it wasn't a glare of umbrage and more like a request for vindication, he was still a bit anxious to give a reply. Having worked with Shadow for the past 5 years now, (and being friends and all) Tails picked up the hedgehog wasn't really good with confrontation (Although, sometimes he may retreat to cerebrate on the matter seriously).

"Are you telling me to beg her to rethink my offer?"

"No. I'm asking you to act less boorish and more gentlemanly."

Shadow scorned harder this time.

"I'm not wrong!" Tails uphold!

"Oh, I'm sure you are. What's so discourteous about giving a woman an inflated pay, a promotion, and the opportunity to become an executive?"

"Everything!"

"You're making zero sense right now," he retired back to his pending work with a weary sigh.

"You're really not thinking about this from her perspective at all, Shadow." But the comment only made the well-defined hedgehog give more undivided attention to his work.

"Do you even know what people call you at the company?" Tails goaded him to which his typing hands took a hard pause.

" A formidable sadist."

"Tsk," he chuckles ominously. "Really? Let's see how they like their new pay cuts then--"

"This is exactly what I mean! You act out and become what they depict you as instead of doing the opposite!"

"Tails, I'm not exactly itching for public approval--."

"But that reputation of yours surely must've affected Amy's decision making this morning. I don't think you know, but after yesterday's fiasco, rumours are circulating that your abrupt appearances means someone will surely lose their job the day you show up. Falling prey to that, Amy must've felt so humiliated in front of everyone. Even her new juniors watched her bargain her job back! And if that wasn't bad enough, you forcefully summon her through me, making me lie like the coward I am!"

"I simply said to bring her to me by any means possible." The Hedgehog began to growl indignantly.

"What does that change, though? I still lied!" Tails pouted some more. "And unfortunately, it reiterated the rumours of a rich, callous sadist in her head even more which, by the way, would've had less of an impact if you hadn't earned such a rep all of a sudden! There are other ways to tell a woman you like her you know! She doesn't have to be your secretary!"

Shadow sat quietly.

"My point is, touching her weak spots like you did yesterday was really insensitive. You acted as if she should be grateful she got her lively hood back, not because of her own achievements and hard work, but because of you. Then you started interrogating her because of a decision that was ultimately her's  to make."

The light turns red and the car comes to a stark stops, then Tails impatiently flings his head to face Shadow seated callously at the back.

"And, seriously?! What was with the'stupid walls' part!? It was wholly unnecessary! If I were her, I'd build 'em higher 'cause that abuse of power complex you radiated would make anyone think you were even more of an *sshole!"

"You think so?"

"I know so!"

"What are you now-- Cupid or something?"

"You flatter me."

"Really? Because it was meant to have the opposite effect."

"What?"

"If you really were Cupid, you wouldn't been settled with somebody by now, not living out the life of a sad, hopeless romantic for the past 15 years. So don't lecture me about how to swoon a woman... you inexperienced virgin."

"Oh. Oh W-wow!" Tails cursed with a face full of mixed emotions. Yet from behind him, he could hear the muffled chuckles of Shadow (seeming satisfied with his reaction) and couldn't help but feel more relieved his friend was much feeling better.

But his humor, not so much. It's still as sick as ever.

A deep, melancholic (and of course, virile) sigh eventually broke even from behind the fox.

"She really has changed since I last saw her."

"Of course. That's only natural," Tails inferred.

"But, she's changed too much."

"..., what do you mean?"

"It wasn't my intention to shame her yesterday; especially not after being without her for so long. If those rumours really reflected in my behaviour yesterday, it was poor judgment on my part. But what I really meant to do was get closer to her. To share my world with her even if it lead to melancholic nothings in the end," he whispers as the car sinks into silence for the second time. 

"She's so bitter now... . I can't seem to find even a hint of the old her no matter how many times I search her eyes."

"Uhh, Well I guess everything really does happen for a reason. Maybe this is life's way of saying it's just not meant to be. Plenty fish in the ocean and all that jazz," Tail muses, but shadow gave no reaction for a while.

"More fish, huh?"

"Hm-hmm" Tails nodded.

"Maybe you're right Cupid."

"Now, I'm cupid!? I swear, you're a freaking twisted individual!" He whined.

"I'd have to be a fool demoting myself to a clown if I said you weren't right. It's time to put an end to this childish romance I've become. Besides, If the Rose I once knew really is gone, who the hell am I holding on to exactly?"

"..., don't make it sound so heartbreaking; I'll feel guilty!" Tails whined at the front seat.

"Okay, Cupid." The hedgehog chuckled through his pain.

"Still twisted," he reiterated. "And why are people honking so much--?!"

"The light's been green. For the past few minutes or so. You didn't know that?"

"AH! CRAP!" 

RIIINGG! RIIINGG! RIIINGG! Shadow's phone is heard buzzing from inside of his pocket.

"Hello?" He answered. "Oh, mother. Good Morning. To what do I owe this fine lady?" He flattered the caller. "This again?" He grumbled. "I've really got no time for this and quite frankly,  neither shouldn't you. Get some needed sleep mother, it must be late over there. I'll call you back soon at a well disposed hour--"

The car goes especially  quiet this time around.

"Mom..., what the F_CK?!"