TWO TO TANGO
Kyros was tired of the stare battle between them as it seems Maria was not ready to make out words to say.
“My apologies, Maria.” he finally said.
“It’s fine,” she replied, feigning a smile that obviously looked fake.
She proceeded to walk away as though she knew not why Kyros was present, ignoring the Lavender bouquet in his hands.
As she turned away from him, Kyros held her hand, disrupting her from walking away from him.
Maria does not exactly know why she felt upset since they were not in a romantic relationship for her to feel hurt but then, she could not help it.
“Don’t leave me, Maria,” he spoke softly to her like a kid who wants ice cream.
“What do you want from me?” she asked calmly as well, not willing to let her emotion painted on her face. Despite her calm tone, his heart sank in its place as she seems not to realize his pure intentions.
“I don’t want much, Maria. I just want you to look at me a little softer. I promise it was not my intention to stand you up. I just needed to help Reid out with some business matters,” he explained even though he knew he owed her no explanation. She was more than she thought she was to him.
“You could have told me instead. I mean, I didn’t ask to see you first. You could have made sure it was a better time for you before putting a call through,”
It doesn’t seem reasonable. “Why would he call that he was coming over and at the same time he had made plans with Reid?” she thought.
“I sincerely apologise,” he declared and she nodded.
“This is for you. Please, do not reject it,” he stretched his hand forward to give the flower to her with a pleading look across his calm face.
She stared at the flower for a while before looking up at his face.
“This looks beautiful,” she smiled and he heaved a sigh of relief.
He looked a bit nervous still.
Even though his apology seem to be accepted. He felt a rush of emotions within him as this might be his best chance to let her know about his feelings for her. He sighed again.
“There’s something…” he was interrupted by her melodious voice.
“I need to get somewhere now. Thank you for the flowers,” she said with a smile.
“Yeah,” he replied, returning the smile.
He walked back to his car with a distressed look as she walked back to her office to drop off the bouquet, oblivious about his countenance.
She smelt the flower, taking in the fragrance with a smile on her tender lips before she dropped it in a vase.
She loved the beauty that was added to her office by the simple plant and that dropped a beautiful picture of how the paintings will look, hanging down on the wall of the restaurant.
The thought of the paintings drew her mind back to the chat she had with Genevieve. She was skeptical about the painting she was going to select as she doesn’t really see herself as a pro in doing that.
Her phone rang, bringing her back to her place.
“Are you still coming over?” Athina asked.
“We spoke just a few minutes back,”
“It felt like it was last season,”
“Pregnancy must have made it seem so,”
“Are you mocking me now? Is this what you want for me?” she sniffed dramatically like she was in tears. Maria shook her head, resting her head in her palm. She was absolutely not ready for her drama.
“You’re a paid actress. A drama queen. Ha! I will be there in the next three seconds,”
“Better be!” Athina scoffed before ending the call.
“What should I get you?” she asked her.
“Nothing. Just bring your ass over here!”
She smiled broadly at her sassiness before ending the call and thought if ever she was going to be like this some day as a result of pregnancy.
The thought of having a bulged belly with a living being sleeping and living rent-free in her body was a bit unbelievable to her. She sincerely didn’t think she was ready for that.
A few minutes later, she was walking inside her friend’s house. The living room was empty and their was no sound made throughout the house.
“Hello,” she called and there was no response to her call.
“Anybody home?” she walked to the cabana where they originally spend their time but there was no one. She as well walked to the room and still, there was no one.
She dialled Athina’s number severally but she didn’t pick up.
With a confused look, she walked back to the living room and there, she saw Reid standing by the door with a bouquet of roses in his hand.
She looked surprised and confused as she was not certain what was going on.
“Athina,” she called and then, her friend walked out with Colton. She was spraying petals of roses on the floor while Colton held a painting of her during George Pierre’s last birthday party. They both walked forward towards her still in the same action.
She was more surprised and confused when she looked over to analyse the portrait. It was one of when she was resting her elbows on the railings at the balcony with a glass of champagne raised to her lips as she sipped from it with her eyes set on a particular view at the time. It was an unaware image of her which was represented in a painting by God knows which artist.
It was Immaculate.
The painting looked beautiful and it would have caught her heart if she knew the rationale behind such extent.
“What was Reid up to?” she thought.
“What’s going on here?” she finally asked, directing her question to no one in particular as she looked bewilderedly among the three of them but she got no response from anyone.
Reid walked gently towards her, taking his steps calmly like he was being careful of a tender object lying on the ground, avoiding his feet from trampling over them.
He had a straight face that exhibited none of his present intentions.
He was standing before her now with his hands holding the flower tightly like he could shred the innocent plant.
With his hands stretched forward toward her, he spoke.
“I might not be worthy to have you but I choose to be selfish to try. Would you be my girlfriend, Maria?” his voice appeared to have lost its masculinity and was left with crumbs of his teenage tone.
He managed to appear courageous but deep down he was dying of suspense. He was expectant and awaits her next words. Words that seem like they were never going to slip out her fine lips.
“Come on, baby. Say yes,” Athina echoed while Colton backed up.
Maria looked perplexed still. Not certain what she was meant to say to him. She wasn’t expecting all this nor did she see anything of such coming.
She was friends with him and had no other feeling behind their relationship but the fact that he had all these in mind blew her away. She knew not how to react nor how to feel. She didn’t like him in that manner. She saw him as a friend and nothing more.
She looked down at the beautiful roses that were staring back at her almost in fact with a pleading look oozing out of them.
She opened and closed her mouth countless times but ended up with no words.
She liked Kyros and not him but she wasn’t ready to dismiss him brutally like that.
“Come on, Maria. We’re all waiting,” Colton said.
As if Reid had noticed what her response was, then did he paint on his face a sad look.
“I’m sorry, Reid,” Maria finally spoke. “I wish I could see you the same way you portray me in your heart,” she added.
“What?” Colton said, dropping the paint on the ground before walking away with a scoff. A little devastated beyond everyone.
Athina looked disappointed but she appeared to understand her friend more.
“Why?” Reid managed to ask, still mustering courage and settling aside his pride for now. “Why can’t you see me the same way?”
She wanted to say something to him. Just a thing, anything to him to at least respect the emotions that he had poured out before her but she could not say a word to him.
That angered him but he was still composed.
“Fine,” he said before turning to walk away.
His exiting footsteps sounded louder and heavier than when he was treading towards her earlier. It sounded like a warriors steps on a battlefield.
They stared at him soberly as he walked out and as he got outside, he dumped the roses angrily in the waste bin.
“Shit!” Athina muttered.
“I wish I could say yes. I wish I could feel the same way he felt towards me, Athina,”
“I know. I know, baby. It’s fine,” she retorted, dropping the vase in her hands and then pulling her into a tight hug even though she protruded stomach limited that.