Twenty-one ~ Evelyn
It's lunchtime when we finally make it out of bed.
I swing my dangling legs as I sit at the breakfast bar watching Adrian cook.
He's wearing a grey t-shirt that hugs his muscles, making my mouth water more than the food. A pair a loose black shorts complete the comfy ensemble.
We decided on a light lunch since we're eating out later.
Ade's refusing to tell me where we're going, but has suggested I wear a dress.
I buzz with nervous energy in anticipation of tonight.
Adrian pours cream into the pan with bacon, mushrooms and onions. He then adds cheese to thicken the sauce and I stare in awe.
Yummy.
Hopping off of the black stool, I join Adrian.
"Have you grated cheese for on top?"
Ade looks at me blankly and I shake my head.
"Outrageous!" I laugh collecting the block of cheese and the grater.
I get to work making up for his shortcomings by grating a more than generous amount.
Adrian sets the two plates of carbonara down on the breakfast bar before taking a seat.
I jump onto the stool next to him and place the cheese between us.
Ade is staring at me with an escaping smirk.
"I'm going to have to get you a stool or something." He laughs.
The rich sound flows through me, spreading warmth.
"Hey! I'd leave but there's cheesy food." I prod him in mock annoyance.
The pasta smells amazing.
I hurriedly twirl some onto my fork and try it.
Mmmmm, so good!
But needs more cheese.
I grab a handful from the bowl and sprinkle it over the top.
"Do you cook a lot?" I ask between mouthfuls.
"Not as much as I probably should." He sips his water as he chooses his next words. "I have someone, Linda, who looks after the apartment and does a lot of the cooking. Do you like to cook?"
"No, my skills are very basic." It wasn't a priority, so I never had the time to learn. Maybe after graduation I'll give it a go.
"Perhaps we could take a class together sometime?"
"That would be nice." I smile back at his dimples. "Is there anything you need to do today?"
"Unfortunately I ought to check my emails and follow up on a few things. But it shouldn't take too long."
"Okay Mr Bossman." I tease.
After we've finished eating, I convince Ade to let me clear up whilst he gets on.
Adrian has a dishwasher, but I clean the dishes in the sink.
I find the simple task of washing up oddly therapeutic once I get going.
Drying the last item, I search through the large integrated kitchen, trying to find where things belong.
My kitchen is a storage cupboard compared to this.
A thousand cupboard doors later, everything is away. Sighing, I head to Ade's office.
I'm sure there's at least one book in there I could read.
I knock on one of the heavy wooden double doors.
"Come in!" Ade calls.
Pushing the door open, I step into a magnificent wonderland.
Towering bookshelves create a snaking path to the back of the office.
The space opens up to reveal two brown leather sofas and an armchair in front of the mahogany desk. The chairs are arranged in the style of a comfortable meeting space.
"You don't have to knock." Adrian looks up from his computer.
His blue eyes are framed by a pair of stylish glasses, amplifying his air of power and intelligence.
The bee comes buzzing back to life in my ribcage.
Mr Carter can be my boss anytime.
I feel a smile and a blush creep onto my face at the thought.
"Evie?" Adrian's eyebrows are raised as he pulls me back down to earth.
"Sorry, I didn't want to intrude." I stumble over the words, focusing on the wall of tinted windows beyond Adrian.
"You could never." His soft tone floats me back to him.
He walks over to join me, taking my hands in his. He guides me to the sofa.
I get lost in his ocean blues, drowning in the pure emotions.
"Eve, have you thought about the other night?" He cautiously watches my reaction.
Immediately, I know what he's referring to.
"I'll make a police report, you can do it online now." I appease his worry with an awkward smile and a shrug.
I'd prefer to just move on and pretend it didn't happen. But there's no reason I'd be a planned target, so he could go after others too.
I can't let other people get hurt simply because I don't want to relive running through the rain.
"Would you like a hand with it?"
"Thank you, but I'll be okay." I stroke my thumb over his scaphoid.
"No worries, I have a spare laptop if you would like to get it done? Then I'm only a stone's throw away if you need anything."
It will be good to get it over and done with.
We set up the laptop on the coffee table before Adrian returns to his work.
I pull it onto my lap as I relax back against the plump cushions.
The form is pretty straightforward but designed to extract the crucial details. I look back over my text chain with Ade to find more specific times.
Filling out the description feels generic, a male in dark clothing. Like that's unique.
Although his electric blue trainers flash repetitively through my mind, spiking my heart rate.
I try to dissociate from the event. I write these descriptions and detailed accounts all of the time in my paperwork for patients, this is no different.
Once I've thrown a brief summary into the designated box, I take a lap of the beautiful maze before settling back down to fill in the details.
Each word is draining.
I try to write objectively with only a short section on my emotional input during the event. But, the more I write the more I wonder what he was trying to do.
The possibilities churn in my stomach as my brain keeps pitching new contenders.
A secondary rush of adrenaline floods my system and I can do little to calm my raging pulse. But, I can stem my breathing for a moment.
Placing the laptop onto the coffee table, I head out of the room. Maintaining a slow pace until I'm hidden behind a bookcase.
Safely out of the doors, I dash upstairs to the rooftop garden.
I need fresh air.
The April chill hits immediately, slashing my bare legs.
I focus on the unpleasant sensation, it should be strong enough to ground me.
My breathing continues to elevate as I wander over to the glass barrier.
The wind whips my hair around violently.
Shivers drag through my body and I can no longer differentiate whether it's from the cold or anxiety.
Bracing against the glass, I hang my head between my arms to escape the buildings spinning around me.
Images flicker in front of my mind. A blurred mixture of the past and what may have been.
Darkness licks at the edges of my vision.
My stomach burns into my throat.
Come on Evelyn, we're either going to pass out or throw up if this continues.
Speculating isn't going to get us anywhere!
The logic has no impact on the vivid images dancing in front of my eyes.
I dry heave as I try to force air into my constricting lungs.
F*ck!
The darkness grows as my brains tumbles in my skull.
Heavy footsteps flood my ears.
Great! Welcome to the party auditory hallucinations.
My body shatters at my final attempt to retrieve oxygen.
I lose my footing.
Everything silences simultaneously.