been?”
“Okay.” I was paranoid that somehow he
already knew about Eros and was about to raise questions.
“Have you been feeling sick?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Will you be coming
home soon?”
“I’m driving there now, but there’s a lot of
traffic.” There was a brief pause. “I’m anxious to see you. I feel
like I’m neglecting you, and I’m worried.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m sure I’m fine.
It’s probably just a bug. But once your mom arrives, she’ll be able
to feel what’s wrong to me,” I said, watching Camilla return to the
house.
“I hope so,” he said. I heard cars honking on
the other end of the line. “Traffic’s moving, again. I’ll be there
soon.”
“Okay,” I sighed, wondering how long “soon”
would be. I couldn’t stand being out in the toasty sun any longer.
The dizzy spells from not having eaten were starting to annoy
me.
Biting into the crispiness of the ripened
apple, I made up my mind to step inside the house and go to my room
to freshen up.
The bed was already made, and the wilted
tuberose flowers had been replaced with new stems, their aroma
permeating the room. Because the stench of sweat was sharp on my
skin, I decided to take a speedy shower.
Someone knocked on the door as I was slipping
into my sandals. I froze, wondering if it could be Eros. I was
hesitant to open the door.
“Yes?” I said in a loud voice.
“I have fresh towels, Miss Isis.”
Relieved it was Paulina, yet uneasy at the
same time, I opened the door for her. She looked past me as she
walked into the room, nestling the towels against her bosom. From
the side of the doorway, Eros appeared with a wide grin.
I rolled my eyes.
“Knock, knock,” Eros said.
I crossed my arms and stared at him.
“I said, ‘knock, knock’. Come now, play
along.”
“Who’s there?”
“Aardvark,” he responded, and I stayed quiet.
“Keep going.”
“Aardvark, who?”
“Aardvark a million miles for a smile from
you.”
Feeling a smile coming on, I bit my lips and
turned away from his view. That was the cheesiest joke I had ever
heard.
“I’m a good joker, oui?” He chuckled. “By the
way, that was an apology.”
“Excuse me.” Paulina was asking to be let
through the door. She glanced at me from under her lashes as she
left.
“And you think that’s apology enough?” I
narrowed my eyes.
Eros raised his shoulders. “Oui.”
“You called me a prostitute.”
“No.” He arched his brow. “I called David a
pimp. That’s different.”
“I’m not doing this again. This—this
game of yours, it’s getting old.”
“What a shame. I thought we were just getting
started, being as you kissed me.” He reached for my face, and I
stepped away from him.
“No, I didn’t,” I said. “And keep your voice
down.”
“But you did kiss me. I’ve never let an
unattractive girl kiss me, you know? You should be flattered that
you’re the first.”
“Stop it. Just, stop it, okay? David is going
to be here any minute, and I don’t want him to find you standing by
my door. I don’t want you to come near me at all.”
“Because you’re falling in love with me?”
I breathed in a sharp breath. “I don’t even
like you.”
“Really?” He cocked a brow. “Then why didn’t
you pull away from that kiss?”
I turned my face and reached for the door.
“Go, Eros, please. Just leave me alone.”
“I know you mean that.” He looked at his
shoes. “I know you’ve meant it every time.”
“Then do it. David doesn’t deserve this.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve wished to
have Dahveed’s life? A caring mother that tends to him. A strict
father that’s made him a good man. Brothers that protect him.” Eros
looked to the ceiling and raised his arms over his head. “How much
longer do I carry on this punishment?” He cupped his hand on his
ear, then shrugged. “He never answers. He’s upset and ashamed of
me. I don’t blame him.”
I stared at
“Okay.” I was paranoid that somehow he
already knew about Eros and was about to raise questions.
“Have you been feeling sick?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Will you be coming
home soon?”
“I’m driving there now, but there’s a lot of
traffic.” There was a brief pause. “I’m anxious to see you. I feel
like I’m neglecting you, and I’m worried.”
“You don’t have to worry. I’m sure I’m fine.
It’s probably just a bug. But once your mom arrives, she’ll be able
to feel what’s wrong to me,” I said, watching Camilla return to the
house.
“I hope so,” he said. I heard cars honking on
the other end of the line. “Traffic’s moving, again. I’ll be there
soon.”
“Okay,” I sighed, wondering how long “soon”
would be. I couldn’t stand being out in the toasty sun any longer.
The dizzy spells from not having eaten were starting to annoy
me.
Biting into the crispiness of the ripened
apple, I made up my mind to step inside the house and go to my room
to freshen up.
The bed was already made, and the wilted
tuberose flowers had been replaced with new stems, their aroma
permeating the room. Because the stench of sweat was sharp on my
skin, I decided to take a speedy shower.
Someone knocked on the door as I was slipping
into my sandals. I froze, wondering if it could be Eros. I was
hesitant to open the door.
“Yes?” I said in a loud voice.
“I have fresh towels, Miss Isis.”
Relieved it was Paulina, yet uneasy at the
same time, I opened the door for her. She looked past me as she
walked into the room, nestling the towels against her bosom. From
the side of the doorway, Eros appeared with a wide grin.
I rolled my eyes.
“Knock, knock,” Eros said.
I crossed my arms and stared at him.
“I said, ‘knock, knock’. Come now, play
along.”
“Who’s there?”
“Aardvark,” he responded, and I stayed quiet.
“Keep going.”
“Aardvark, who?”
“Aardvark a million miles for a smile from
you.”
Feeling a smile coming on, I bit my lips and
turned away from his view. That was the cheesiest joke I had ever
heard.
“I’m a good joker, oui?” He chuckled. “By the
way, that was an apology.”
“Excuse me.” Paulina was asking to be let
through the door. She glanced at me from under her lashes as she
left.
“And you think that’s apology enough?” I
narrowed my eyes.
Eros raised his shoulders. “Oui.”
“You called me a prostitute.”
“No.” He arched his brow. “I called David a
pimp. That’s different.”
“I’m not doing this again. This—this
game of yours, it’s getting old.”
“What a shame. I thought we were just getting
started, being as you kissed me.” He reached for my face, and I
stepped away from him.
“No, I didn’t,” I said. “And keep your voice
down.”
“But you did kiss me. I’ve never let an
unattractive girl kiss me, you know? You should be flattered that
you’re the first.”
“Stop it. Just, stop it, okay? David is going
to be here any minute, and I don’t want him to find you standing by
my door. I don’t want you to come near me at all.”
“Because you’re falling in love with me?”
I breathed in a sharp breath. “I don’t even
like you.”
“Really?” He cocked a brow. “Then why didn’t
you pull away from that kiss?”
I turned my face and reached for the door.
“Go, Eros, please. Just leave me alone.”
“I know you mean that.” He looked at his
shoes. “I know you’ve meant it every time.”
“Then do it. David doesn’t deserve this.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve wished to
have Dahveed’s life? A caring mother that tends to him. A strict
father that’s made him a good man. Brothers that protect him.” Eros
looked to the ceiling and raised his arms over his head. “How much
longer do I carry on this punishment?” He cupped his hand on his
ear, then shrugged. “He never answers. He’s upset and ashamed of
me. I don’t blame him.”
I stared at
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