8 Chapter#7 Surprises

"So you've been receiving gifts from a stranger for a week?" That sounds a bit crazy but at the same time I find it romantic. -said a pink hair with his hands under her chin holding her face.

–You find it all romantic Diana, if some crazy person came and told you "you are the love of my life, come with me" with a bouquet of roses and a teddy you would fall in front of her feet.

-Hey not so bald, don't go overboard, I'm romantic but not silly, grumpy lady.

"Come on, you and I know perfectly well that you adore all that kitsch."

–If it's fine as you say, by the way, how's the hottie you have for roommate eh? -She moves her eyebrows up and down mischievous.

-Well, he's going crazy these days because of work. By the way, what happens to you with Tom that you ask me about him 24/7?

"Nothing is wrong with me, go eat your hamburger that is going to get stiff." -She speaks quickly putting potatoes into her mouth.

Ingrid just watched, holding back the urge to laugh at the drastic change of subject that her pink companion had developed

The friends were on their lunch break at the university. They didn't bring any more classes for that day so they decided to have lunch there and then hand over a job to their respective teachers to return home. The reigning topic of conversation was Ingrid's secret admirer. It's been a week since she received her first gift. She had honestly taken it as a joke since she had never had a boyfriend or someone interested in the person of hers, well, that she knew. She was never very awake for that aspect and since she did not maintain many social relationships she was completely oblivious to the issue.

The positive part of it all was that she would finally have another weekend of peace away from the pop quizzes and grumpy teachers. She could rest and draw in peace. Although she still had to look for work. She had left her number in a couple of places but they never called. She was passing back and forth the still unopened gift that she had found that day in her locker. She analyzed it and waved it from time to time trying to guess that it was her. It consisted of a small box with a red ribbon with a bow on it. She decided to open it and found a note:

"If you want to meet me, come to the park next to the university on Tuesday at 3:00 pm"

Below this note were a pair of earrings. They were a bit stuffy and extravagant, they had many colors and pearls and beads. To say that it seemed more like a circus to him than a pair of earrings was a lot but hey, on a gift horse you don't look at his teeth ... I take an earring and take a closer look at it, it had the shape of a red rose adorned with many diamonds, clearly you could see that it was pure jewelry but it was quite beautiful. She put it in one of her ears and although she was overwhelmed by the great contrast with the ones she always wore, she did not dislike it at all. She decided that she would wear them some day, perhaps and pair them with some clothes or debut them on Tuesday. Yes, she wanted to meet the mysterious one who insisted on her person. Still lost in the world of her trying to figure out who the mysterious person was, she got up leaving the rest of her food in the trash can and walked out of the university after automatically saying goodbye to Diana.

She took a taxi and she gave directions to where she had stayed the previous days looking for work. Again he entered various places and they all gave him the same answer: "Please, leave us your contact number and if we are interested we will call" He knew perfectly well that this meant "do not come back, we do not need you" so he did not even fight with it and he was walking calmly. Again she started walking and put her headphones in her ears at a good volume, she began playing "Let Him Burn" by The Relentless. She was rhythmically moving her head from side to side making everyone stay with strange grimaces on their faces when they saw her from That way, she honestly didn't care, she cared little what others said about her, she had suffered enough from hearing all the garbage that came out of their mouths.

As she walked she was dedicated to looking around her making reference points, how she was still learning the streets of the city and she did not know her names, she associated the things that caught her attention with the places where she should go. So if she forgot the name of the street she could directly say the name of what was next to it, whether it was a park or another establishment. She stopped her feet when she saw a white sign with black lettering at a Starbucks. She approached said poster and saw the three words that quickly improved her mood a little "Worker wanted" She took the poster in her hands and entered the establishment.

–Good afternoon, excuse me. -I call in a shy voice looking for the person in charge of the bar- Hello? Is there someone?

-Hello. - a little girl came out agitated behind the counter - what do you need?

"Excuse me, I just saw the job ad and wanted to know if you were already busy."

-In fact it is still vacant, but we already have an interested one as well, but I can offer you a mock exam, if you are better qualified the position is yours.

-Thank you. she-she nods she excited by the possibility.

-Well, give me your contact number to schedule it and I'll give you the menu of the store so you can study it and come tomorrow to take the exam, okay?

-Yes, more than good. -She wrote down the number of the store quickly and took the papers with the specialties and ingredients- thanks again-she says goodbye with the papers in hand in the direction of the apartment.

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There were impressive things in this world, and so many surprises and epic moments that Ingrid hoped to see before she died, but, not even in her wildest dreams, not even in her wildest fantasies, was she expected to find Tom on all fours on the ground. of the apartment by cleaning the gaps in the floor tiles. That somehow left her unsettled making the keys in her hand touch the ground bringing with it the blushing and scared look of her partner on the floor.

"I swear, but I swear that I never thought I would see the day when I would see you on the floor cleaning your house, really not." she-she put her hand on her chest with a dramatic grimace wiping false tears.

-It's not what it seems ... -and she realized how stupid that excuse sounded, if she wants to, she was doing something that could be misinterpreted- ok, if it is what it seems.

–What is this great revelation due to my dear Tom, to which God I must pray to thank you for such an action, my friend.

–Yes, don't make fun of me anymore, you hurt my feelings, or that I was a pig.

-Anja, and I'm not grumpy.

"That's not rebuttable, well, I have a reason why I'm cleaning up so frantically."

- And that reason is?

–My girlfriend returns from a trip, she returns from New York.

- Wait, do you have a girlfriend? she -she spoke frowning her eyebrows in confusion- how is it possible that you didn't tell me that?

"Well, I don't like to talk about it, not because of anything bad but because it is a bit stressful."

–Well, let me help you a little, you alone will not be able to clean your sanctuary as you call it every so often. she-she rolls her sleeves up to her elbows and collects her hair in a ponytail starting to pick up some things from the floor sweeping the dust and shaking with a feather duster almost bald- and when is the lady coming?

"It should arrive in a few moments." -I look at her watch, worried about her.

He dropped everything he had in his hands in a jump and ran to the kitchen to prepare something for dinner - Are you crazy? Do you realize that it is already eight thirty at night and there is not even a piece of thawed meat ? In what world do you start fixing an apartment to receive someone and you don't even prepare food?

"I'm sorry, she told me yesterday but I completely forgot, I could tell from the reminder I had a few moments ago to pick up an order for her." -He speaks to agitated putting things away where he first found space and taking dirty clothes to the basket and then tripping on the carpet.

–I swear to you, if it's not because there isn't time left, I would put the cauldron on you right now. Go, she run to give you a bath and get ready, I'll end up here preparing something decent and picking up your messes and at least make sure you have your room fixed.

The boy sprints to her and leaves her a kiss on the cheek. –Oh I love you, you are a sun. -He kisses the other cheek again and stops dead-shit him, the fourth.

"Run to fix everything before I cook for you."

The minutes passed, leaving Ingrid to finish doing everything pending. The frying pan finished sealing some fillets with onions while she finished picking up her shoes in the hallway and threw the empty soda cans and bottles into the trash. She turned off the heat, washed her hands, and began to make a simple salad with light dressings and an occasional starter. She took out of the oven some tart bases that she had managed to make miraculously and she was already filling them with a little strawberry jam that she had in the refrigerator with some mint leaves from a plant that she managed to save. Finished his masterpieces he ran to the bathroom of his room to take a light shower, he did not want to receive his sister-in-law with a battered appearance, because yes, if Tom was already his brother she would obviously be his sister-in-law, so he did not want to receive her all sweaty and with the hairs who knows where. She came out in a black house jumpsuit but quite decent and pretty, she braided her hair, letting it fall down the front of her shoulder, reaching the lower part of her chest. He cleaned his nose and ears and changed the piercings so they didn't smell bad. She left with a smile on her face and upon reaching the living room she found another scene that he did not expect to see in her life either, one that he did not expect to see from anyone ...

Her mouth fell open when she saw Tom on the sofa with her "girlfriend" sitting on her legs devouring her mouth, literally, that was not a kiss, it was cannibalism. Without wanting to make a noise, she decided to withdraw from her but the world did not love her so much so the innocent puppy gave her away with happy barks. This triggered the couple to abruptly separate, letting her see a Tom redder than a tomato and an angry face with death wishes.

-Usoooooo, hi. she-she spoke shyly avoiding the murderous look directed at her person. She walked a bit until she reached the sofa where they were and she took a safe distance extending her hand in greeting- I'm Ingrid, Tom's friend.

"And who the hell asked who you are? What a friend? What is this Tomás, you put someone in your house and more to a woman having a girlfriend?"

Hearing her response to her greeting, he removed her hand from her and placed it on her chest, lowering her face. She did not feel shame or shame or anything like that, she just lowered her head to not pull the hair of the rude that she was not capable of behaving like someone decent.

-Honey, she's an old friend who started college recently, I was just helping her while ...

–I don't want to hear excuses from you. she interrupts, "and you," I point out to Ingrid, "don't belong here, so go!"

–You can't treat her like that, she hasn't done anything and she stays if I want. -He gets up angrily leaving her on the couch with a push.

Not wanting to be part of those discussions, he retired down the corridor still with his head down, avoiding the calls they made to him so as not to create more controversy. Upon reaching her room she collapsed on the bed and took her attempt to stuffed herself in her arms and tried to sleep.

–You didn't have to treat her like that Iliana, she hasn't done anything wrong against anyone, much less against you.

"Is she serious?" I mean, you put a woman in here, I don't know for how long, and you expect her to believe that nothing happens? Let's be honest, how do you want her to believe that they are just friends ah? You never introduced her to me so I have reason to doubt her.

-You are within your right but you should not treat her in such a degrading way, she helped me prepare your welcome and the food that you just put in your mouth a few minutes ago.

Hearing that statement he quickly grimaces in disgust. "Are you telling me I ate food from her?" This is embarrassing, we end this conversation here. -He speaks with his hand on her face-tomorrow we will solve all this and naturally she will leave here.

-I told you that...

-Than nothing! Are you deaf? I said tomorrow and tomorrow it will be so now we will go to the room, I will take a bath and tomorrow we will solve this.

She leaves with triumphant airs moving her hips sharply in the direction of the corresponding room without first giving a last threatening look.

"The hell what trouble have I gotten myself into?" I have to solve this yes or yes in a way that does not harm anyone ...

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The next day was no less troublesome at all. Everything would be the same or worse from the night before. When he got up and went to the kitchen to prepare the morning coffee with the scrambled eggs that he always liked to eat for his friend-brother, he received looks of displeasure and hatred for the person of him. She had that unpleasant feeling of being constantly watched and stalked, she knew that any woman would feel uncomfortable in such circumstances but that was beyond the limits.

-Good Morning. -She spoke cortez putting the breakfast on the bar- how did she sleep?

-Do you mind? She will please and throw that away, today we will have breakfast in a restaurant.

"It sounds promising." -the owner of the house leaves, ruffling her hair with a yawn- so we must get ready to go to breakfast, Ingrid put on something nice.

-Sorry? That sounds like a pack, I never invited her and it stays that way.

"We talked about this last night."

–You spoke, I didn't say anything. -She said looking at him challengingly.

-Does not matter. -He gets into the conversation- anyway I'm studying some things and I have to go out to find a job so enjoy the morning.

She leaves quickly leaving them alone again heading to her room to change her clothes. In the process he received a message from an unknown number. She was going out in private so she missed him a bit.

"You are more beautiful than all the stars in the world. I left you something in the mailbox of your building, I hope and you like it"

When she read such a thing, she was greatly frightened but something inside her told her that she was going to see the surprise that awaited her. She left her room and checked that no one was outside of her and opened the door we went down to the first floor without even taking the elevator. She opened the mailbox and saw a fairly large card. She took the gift and opened it revealing inside two figures holding hands looking at the stars, inside was the phrase of the message and parts of the chorus of Talking to the moon by Bruno Mars were reproduced. That made him smile because that was one of her favorite melodies, she wondered if it was pure chance or that person was so aware of her. She went upstairs again, still showing her smile without noticing that there was someone below them smiling in the same way, although a little more strange.

"Soon you will be mine, soon you will be in my hands."