Third person’s point of view.
*Claudia’s Penthouse**
Ding-dong
Claudia was having breakfast and was still in her pajamas when she heard the doorbell ring.
Her eyes instinctively located the large wall clock resting above her TV in the living room, then she released a breath of relief as she patted her chest softly as though she just had or escape a heart attack.
“Thank God, it’s not Rita” she whispered to herself.
Ding-dong the doorbell rang again.
She clenched her jaws, her grip on her fork tightened as she narrowed her eyes towards the direction of the door and cursed at whomever it was that’s standing behind the door.
Getting interrupted while eating, isn’t something she appreciates, and this person who wouldn’t stop ringing the doorbell has pissed her off.
Claudia sprang up to go get the door, she didn’t bother hiding the fact that she’s mad because her breakfast was interrupted. She grabbed the door’s handle and snatched it open, and was ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind.
But her words were instantly stuck in her mouth, her angry and offended expression drastically changed immediately she set eyes on the person who’s been ringing her bell; she wore the brightest smile she’s ever worn in her entire life.
“R-rita?” she called in a shocked voice, and tilted her head to take another glance at the wall clock.
“Hey, Claudia” Rita greeted, then pulled her in for a brief hug immediately.
“Hey” Claudia greeted back.
They planted a friendly kiss on each other’s cheeks, before Claudia turned her attention to Rita’s friend, who’s smiling pleasantly and patiently waiting for Claudia to recognize her presence.
“Oh, right, Claudia…” Rita threw an arm around her friend’s shoulder. “… this is my best friend Tiffany…” she paused and laughed when Tiffany winked at her. “… and Tiffany, this is my future sister-in-law, Claudia”
“Oh, you’re Tiffany” Claudia went in for a hug, but Tiffany settled for a handshake instead. “It’s nice to meet you, Rita has told me numerous things about you”
Tiffany’s eyes squinted as she looked closely at Claudia, which made Claudia a bit uncomfortable, and she began touching her face.
“Er… Do I have something on my face?” she chuckled lightly. “Because I was just having breakfast and… ”
“Nice to meet you too” Tiffany cut her off.
Claudia inhaled deeply and clapped her hands together.
“Come on in” she ushered them in. “I wasn’t expecting you guys would arrive so early”
“I told you it’s too early” Rita scolded Tiffany before walking in after Claudia. “We wanted to come later in the day, but apparently we must come this morning because Fany can’t skip their family dinner today”
They reached the living room, and Claudia asked them to make themselves comfortable.
“And don’t tell me you don’t know the main purpose of this so-called family dinner”
“I…”
“Do you know family dinner are mostly blind dates in disguise?” Rita asked, interrupting whatever Tiffany had to say.
“Of course, I know that”
“Then why are you attending it? Do you enjoy blind dates that much? And besides, when are you going to come out for them? When are you going to tell them you’re a lesbian?”
Silence fell on them immediately Rita asked those questions, and Tiffany stared at her (Rita) for a brief moment, then sighed and shook her head.
“I hate blind dates, but apparently, the person I love doesn’t love me back and love can’t be forced…so what am I supposed to do?”
“Who?” Rita asked.
“What?”
“Who is it that you love?” she asked more clearly.
Tiffany opened her mouth to speak, but quickly swallowed her words as she stared straight in Rita’s eyes. She coughed lightly and cleared her throat.
“You don’t know her” she said.
Rita’s eyes narrowed. “Is there someone you know that I don’t know?” she tilted her head as though she just realized something. “You don’t have any friends, I’m your only friend and…”
“Just forget about it, Rita, you don’t know her and she won’t love me back… I mean, she can never like me back because she doesn’t like girls”
Another silence fell on them as Rita squinted her eyes and glared at Tiffany, as though doing that would help her figure out the person Tiffany’s talking about.
Then Claudia, who’s been silently watching them, finally spoke up, and she said,
“She loves you”
Both Rita’s and Tiffany’s head snapped towards her immediately she said that. Tiffany was fascinated by how fast she could figure it out, and Rita, on the other hand, was wondering if Claudia’s mentally stable.
“She loves who?”
“Tiffany loves you, Rita” she explained clearly.
Rita’s eyes grew wide, not because she believed Claudia, but because she’s surprised at how far and wild her (Claudia’s) brain can get.
Then burst into a fit of laughter, holding her stomach and bouncing about on the sofa as she laughed.
“Why are you laughing as if I said something funny?” Claudia asked, glancing at Tiffany’s way for some help.
But Tiffany wasn’t looking her way, her eyes were on Rita, who’s still laughing so hard. Her heart twisted in pain as she watched Rita laugh.
“You’re hilarious, Claudia” Rita said when she’s sobered up a bit. “I mean, how did you come up with some as ridiculous as this?”
“It’s not ridiculous, she loves you and everyone can see it”
“No she doesn’t, and everyone can that too”
“But she…”
“Claudia” Rita cut in. “You got it all wrong, listen to me. Tiffany cannot love me because firstly, I’m her best friend and secondly, she knows I don’t do girls…I love boys and I love sucking dicks, not pussies”
“Dare I say you’re in denial?” Claudia asked, more like state, though.
“I’m not in any form of denial” Rita replied. “Now, let’s forget about this and focus on the reason we’re here”
Claudia glanced Tiffany’s way again, her eyes were still on Rita, and she looked sadder than before, but she’s trying hard not to get caught.
“Go freshen up, and I’ll call my brother to come pick us up, we’re spending his money today” Rita said excitedly, then reached for her phone and stared scrolling through.
Claudia released a sigh, before leaving Rita and Tiffany to themselves.
•••••••••••••
*Ferguson’s Penthouse – Ferguson’s Study**
Ferguson snapped his head up the moment his study’s door pushed open without a warning, and a few deep frown lines appeared on his forehead.
“Go back and knock!” he barked grumpily.
“I’m sorry, sir” Rob apologized quickly, then rushed out.
He knocked on the door a few times, and waited until Ferguson invited him in before he stepped in.
“What is it?” he growled.
Rob frowned, he couldn’t help but wonder what got his boss’s pants in a twist this morning.
“Are you going to speak? Or you want to keep standing there like a statue?”
“I’ll speak, sir” Rob replied quickly. “Alfred is on the phone”
“What does he want?”
“He is asking if he should inform Ms McCartney that she can start… ”
“Now” Ferguson cut him short.
“Sir?”
“Now” Ferguson replied.
He looked away from his laptop, and landed his eyes on a photo that’s sitting on his desk, with a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
Rob took a peek and muffled a laugh when he realized it’s Stella’s photo.
“He’s so whipped” he muttered very quietly so that Ferguson wouldn’t hear him.
“She should resume work next week” Ferguson said.
“Yes, sir”
Rob brought the phone back to his ear and began talking to Alfred on his way out. Then Ferguson’s personal phone started ringing immediately Rob stepped out, and he (Ferguson) answered it without checking the caller’s ID.
“Ferguson Alfonso speaking, how may I help you?”
“Hey, Gus” Rita’s voice popped up.
Ferguson frowned deeply when he heard his sister’s voice, he pulled the phone away from his ear and checked the caller’s ID to confirm if his weren’t failing him.
“What is it now? Why are you calling me?” he asked, silently hoping he’s not going to get another family dinner invitation.
“Uh…” she trailed off.
“Uh?” Ferguson shut his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Speak up, I don’t have time for hide and seek words”
A huff was heard from Rita’s end, and anyone who heard this would know right away that she’s rolling her eyes at wherever she was.
“My friend Tiffany, Claudia and I are going shopping, we’d like you to come with us…”
“I’m not available” he cut her off. inhaled deeply. “Speak up, I don’t have time for hide and seek words”
A huff was heard from Rita’s end, and anyone who heard this would know right away that she’s rolling her eyes at wherever she was.
“My friend Tiffany, Claudia and I are going shopping, we’d like you to come with us…”
“I’m not available” he cut her off.
“What do you mean you’re not available? We…”
“I’m in a critical meeting right now, and I can’t talk” he cut her off again.
“What? Critical meeting at just 08:00am? When offices aren’t even opened yet?”
“Yes” he replied firmly, then hung up on her.
He tossed his phone on the desk, reached for Stella’s photo and continued staring at it, he seemed completely lost and mesmerized.
“What do you mean you’re not available? We…”
“I’m in a critical meeting right now, and I can’t talk” he cut her off again.
“What? Critical meeting at just 08:00am? When offices aren’t even opened yet?”
“Yes” he replied firmly, then hung up on her.
He tossed his phone on the desk, reached for Stella’s photo and continued staring at it, he seemed completely lost and mesmerized.