Speculations

SHAY

"This detective sounded sexy." Stella said, purring like a cat after I told her some chosen details about Detective Oliver's unexpected visit.

She came home late last night, blissfully satisfied, which only meant that she took a detour from her studio to her boyfriend's place, right beside hers. As usual.

Stella and I had coincidentally met when I moved here. I was looking for a simple apartel, one that could suffice my needs. I was just settling my transfer to the medical building here in Zone C4.

I didn't specifically choose this zone, but somehow, in some odd way, I was led to believe that it chose me.

I took some time to explore my new surroundings and was attracted to this painting studio in the ET that offered some painting lessons. It was Stella's.

I had just wanted to buy a painting at that time, yet up to this date, I still don't know why I had asked Stella if she knew any apartel that might be cozy and would be perfect for hanging a beautiful painting.

It was then ironic that she blurted out that I could stay with her. She had been looking for a roommate, and I perfectly fit the bill.

Well, that was before she and the tattoo artist in the studio beside her became a thing.

If I had met her now, I highly doubt that she and I would have shared the same apartel.

"He's not only sexy, but he's also very… handsome." I said, wanting to play along.

I rarely have any men in my life. I scarcely went on dates. And I have never slept with anyone, yet.

I firmly believed in chastity before marriage.

Stella had feigned a heart attack when she learned about this.

She said I led a boring life, and that I was missing out on the world, the reformed world.

If only she would come to the knowledge of my secrets. I believed she would never dare accuse me of having a dull life.

But, just like Detective Oliver, I can't share an ounce of what I know with Stella even if she was the most trusted ally I have right now.

"So, what's holding you back?" I took a sip from my cup of hot cocoa, biting into the toast right after.

Stella wanted to make it a tradition of ours to share breakfast since it was the only meal that we could eat together on a daily basis.

We randomly eat dinner together, but not very often.

Stella has a love life and is very… participative, as she would term it, in her relationship with Tristan.

So on most nights, I find myself eating ramen or whatever food I could find alone.

"He was the detective working on Marcus' case."

"And…?" she prompted. I sighed.

"And he is still looking for X. I just think that it would be weird to start anything with him."

"Why would it be weird?"

"First off, he lives in The Mesial, which would be like having a long-distance relationship. Next, he's rather obsessed with solving Marcus' cold case and catching X than being with me. Then, there's a probability that he's suspecting me of something. Finally, he is a great reminder of the life that I had chosen to leave behind."

"Wow." Stella clapped her hands in mock admiration.

"Very well detailed, and I'm really curious. What is he accusing you of, if you don't mind elaborating?"

"That I might be X, though that was just my theory."

"Um, hello? You… are X? How is that even a possibility?"

Stella wrinkled her nose, waving off some evil spirit that I can't see.

"Nope. You're over imagining things, Shay. You need to woman up, give the guy a bloody chance, or else you might die a freaking virgin."

"Well, that's another thing. He never said anything about asking me out on a date or even showed a slight interest in me."

"He doesn't have to. Boys, men, like to show rather than tell."

"You would know."

"I do know, babe." Stella licked her lips seductively. I threw a crumpled napkin and hit her on the forehead.

"Please save your sultry side for your lover."

"Oh, I always do." I can just imagine.

This was how our meal always ended, with Stella being horny.

It was my cue to do the eye roll and leave her to her fantasies.

--

RAFAEL

I can't believe I was doing this. Who knew that proposals took a lot of effort, and after all the valiant endeavor, there was a probability that the person being proposed to would say no.

To add, I had to lie to my dad, my sister, and my entire clan for that matter, and even to my friends.

If I was going to sell the story of marrying Shay Zephanie, I had to convince the entire living human race that we were a real thing.

The only two people who knew about the truth were Tori and my partner in crime, Ronald.

It has to work. Else, there was no way I could lure Marcus Zephanie to come out from hiding.

He had always been protective of Shay, so this plan would be the perfect trap to catch Marcus, who might be the key to hunting down X. Hence, hitting two birds with one stone.

This was all work-related, I reminded myself.

However, that did not help to calm my nerves.

A bouquet in hand, here I was, once again, waiting outside Shay Zephanie's apartel.

It was around this time that she had arrived yesterday. I was counting to catch her before she went inside, mustering up the courage to ask her out for dinner to talk about my proposal.

I was thinking of telling her the truth, well, a portion of the truth, about the marriage.

There was no way she would believe me if I told her I had somehow developed feelings and wanted to spend the eternities with her after seeing her yesterday.

It even sounded absurd inside my head. I can only imagine how it would be when spoken out loud.

I cringed just thinking about it.

She seemed to be taking a lot longer to come home. I looked at my watch.

It was 7:58.

I heard the elevator and braced myself.

I plastered a huge smile, waiting for her to come out.

I knew this wasn't anything serious, but my heart was pounding so hard against my chest that I thought I was going to explode.

When the elevator doors finally opened, revealing an unfamiliar woman instead of Shay Zephanie, my smile wavered.

The woman in question raised an eyebrow in my direction. She had fairly auburn hair and was looking at me suspiciously.

And then something might have clicked inside her head. Her eyes suddenly softened as she made her way towards me.

"You must be the sexy detective whom Shay was gushing about." I merely nodded at her compliment.

Shay Zephanie thought I was sexy?

"What are you doing out here? You should have rung the bell. Is she not inside?"

Right, I haven't thought of that.

Each apartel had a doorbell. Knocking would be futile since each apartel's doors were made of stainless steel, like the ones in the elevators.

"I… thought she was still at work."

The strange woman clucked her tongue. I watched her browse through her purse and fish out the key card, brandishing it to the scanner beside the apartel's door.

Watching her do all that, it finally occurred to me who she was.

"You're Stella."

"Pleasure to meet you." She smiled sweetly just as the door slid open, gesturing with her free hand for me to follow.

"Shay! You have a sexy visitor." She called out, winking at me as she walked past.

And there was Shay Zephanie, who was already in her pajamas, standing awkwardly outside the door of what I assume was their bedroom and whose mouth was hanging open in complete surprise to see me.

I can't blame her. I mean, who wouldn't be?

I was dressed formally in a suit, a bouquet in one hand. If I were in her shoes, I would be caught unprepared as well.

However, in her defense, she looked cute, with her hair gathered in a messy bun above her head.

"Hey." I said, once again forgetting about my practiced speech.