Ashely
“I’m so excited to be twenty-six. ” Emily chuckled on the train while looking at her new shoes. A smile swept across my lips as I shot a glance at her. She was the first to wake up and knock on my bedroom door while Elena had gotten up in a suit, dressed for work.
I waved at Elena, hoping that Joe won’t show up at her workplace and make a mess.
I lifted my head to look at Emily who had her head buried in a book while wearing the necklace I got her.
“Why are you looking at me?” I heard Emily ask as she pulled the book onto her lap.
“You look so pretty, wearing what I got you. ” I patted her on the shoulder.
Emily let out a chuckle and I settled in my seat, opening the pages of the black and white newspaper that I had previously gotten from a stall. The first thing I sighted was the fact that the Prince of Midon might soon be getting married since the rumors of the King being almost dead had been flying around the town for half of the year.
Was that the man who danced with me at the ball, getting married?
I shook my head, still remembering that he could not have been the man I danced with. The second page talked mostly about the rising food prices and how it was affecting majorly everyone. I inhaled sharply, it had been a little bit hard to stock up the fridge sometimes with my favorite snack and soda.
So I settled mostly for water.
It was time to alight from the train and as I tried to sling my bag across my shoulders and fold the newspapers, I heard someone whisper behind me;
“Why are you lying? I touched you by accident. ”
I propped up a brow. The voice sounded so familiar and I whipped my head around to satisfy my curiosity when my eyes landed on the man who groped my buttocks when I was walking on the pedestrian walkway. My eyes darted towards him and the woman who was telling him that he slid his hands up her thigh when she was half asleep. I crossed my arm across my book, watching him deny him while occasionally pushing up his spectacles.
“Let’s go. “Emily told me, her hands holding her book.
I was about to turn on my heels when I heard him say,
“Stop lying. Why would I touch an unattractive woman like you?”
I gritted my teeth, balling my right hand into a fist and smashing it into his nose. He let out a cry, rising to his feet.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” he screamed. I tilted my head and observed his facial expression when he recollected who I was.
“Do you remember me?” I reached out for the collar of his shirt while he tried to yank off my grasp. I remembered the lewd thing he did to me, his disgusting response, and one of my hands connected with his left cheek, leaving him dazed.
“You are a perverted, crazy, and idiotic being who thinks he can get away with molesting women and denying it. ” I yelled back at him. Emily tried to pull me out of the train but I couldn’t leave without giving him a piece of my mind.
The last time, he was able to escape because there were no patrol officers around the street but now, he wouldn’t.
“Bitch! he yelled at me and I let out a laugh, displaying my teeth in the process. Eventually one of the officers entered the train, asking what the commotion was all about. When I and the other woman whom he groped explained it to the officer, he was dragged away like filth out of the train with women and men spitting at him.
I turned to look at Emily who had a look of admiration on her face. I patted her shoulder while smiling. I felt a blush creep up my cheeks as I walked out of the train, holding my head up high.
***
Emily and I entered the bakery almost at the same time to hear Leo, Alfred, Luke and Damien scream in unison, “Surprise!”
They held a small cupcake with a pink candle on it.
“You didn’t have to do this. ” Emily blushed, batting her lashes at all the men. I smiled behind her as she blew the candles.
“I just found out this morning. Happy birthday, cutie.” I heard Leo nudge a smiling Emily by the shoulder
Alfred reached to hug Emily and then he also greeted me by pulling me into an embrace. My eyes fell on Leo who removed his blue sweater and handed it over to Emily as a gift.
“Is it expensive?” I heard Emily say.
“No.” Leo grinned while reaching out to ruffle his hands through her hair. Emily playfully kicked him by the sides with her knuckles while he laughed. I mashed my lips, unable to meet his gaze as I sauntered towards the kitchen to get a breath of fresh air.
I sighted Nadia mixing a bowl of flour and butter and I was about to turn back when I heard her speak,
“You don’t have to act awkward around me,” she stated.
I whipped my head around, remembering our encounter in the storage room.
“I wasn’t. ” I moved closer to her.
“You were. I can see it all over your face.” Nadia continued as she resumed mixing.
“Why aren’t you greeting Emily with a happy birthday?” I asked while crossing my arms around my bosom.
“I don’t have any gifts to give to her. ” Nadia promptly answered.
A low chuckle escaped from my lips as I sat across her, observing her unfazed expression.
“You don’t have to give a gift before wishing her a happy birthday. ” I explained to her.
Nadia propped up a brow, removing her rectangular spectacles from her eyes.
“What’s the point of empty words?” she shrugged, “Action speaks louder than words, doesn’t it?”
My mind drifted back to the sweater that Leo gifted Nadia and I touched the sides of my face, inhaling deeply and telling myself that it was no big deal.
I have his umbrella tucked away in my wardrobe. Why should I be jealous that he gifted Emily his sweater?
“I agree to an extent but words do mean a lot. You appreciate gifts more than words on your birthday?” I asked.
Nadia glided a couple of fingers around her neck, “Yes, do I sound too materialistic to you?”
I raised a hand in rebuffed, “Oh no, I wouldn’t think of judging you. ”
“Hm. Alright.” Nadia answered. There was a huge mountain of silence between us as I tapped my hands away on the table, trying to clear out the nervousness I felt. I watched as Nadia resumed mixing without uttering another word.
Did I really misunderstand her actions back in the storage room?
I recollected the text message I received about Leo and I wondered who sent it. It had to be someone in the bakery.
“Where were you last night?” I asked Nadia. I watched as she lifted her head to look at me with a confused expression on her face.
“Are you interrogating me? Is your money missing or…..”
I stopped her from speaking by holding out a hand, “I wasn’t calling you a thief.”
“Well, I don’t know. You were implying it since that’s the only way you see me,” she answered.
I bit my bottom lip, “You were standing in a confusing position, Nadia. You would have done the exact same thing I did. ”
“I definitely wouldn’t have accused you of doing such,” Nadia answered. I swallowed a globe of saliva as I let out a deep sigh.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Nadia. ” I softly answered.
“Do you want to exchange shifts, Ashley? Is that you’re saying sorry?” Nadia asked me.
I rubbed an open palm along the sides of my face.
“I am apologizing because I am sorry for accusing you wrongly not because I would most definitely exchange shifts with you in the future. ” I tilted my head, avoiding her gaze.
Nadia nodded as she wore her spectacles as a smile danced around her lips.
“Thank you. ” I whispered, rising to my feet. I knew this was the end of our conversation. She made no attempt to lift her face and as I walked out of the kitchen, a scoff escaped from my lips.
I looked back, watching her mix with so much rigor. The fact that she was still unconcerned about celebrating Emily’s birthday was still weird to me.
Just because of a gift?
I shrugged, taking slow steps towards the counter. I heard Leo’s voice coming from the storage room and I began to tiptoe gently. It would be weird if we met or locked gazes.
The window was open and I lifted my face slightly. Emily was in there, smiling hard at Leo who was opening up a cardboard box, looking for paper bags
and straws.
Maybe she wanted to thank him for the sweater, again.
I was about to walk away when I heard Emily say,
“I like you. ”
And at that moment, I felt as if my heart had just stopped.