Critic

"Did you see someone by the window?"

The question came from me to Haziel who followed my gaze but shook his head in response.

I scratched my nails on the wooden coffee table lightly, calming down the freckled pieces of uneasiness I felt.

"Is something the matter?" Haziel's eyes were fixed on me, the corner of his eyes drooped down hinting at his concern.

I took one final sip of coffee from my coffee after smiling softly and shaking my head no. "Nevermind. " I uttered, dropping the cup from my hands and onto the table.

"So, all I had to do is pick a few pieces to be auctioned off?" Haziel inquired.

"Actually I was thinking about getting someone else to get the work." I had come up with this idea I blurted out on the spot. Haziel's question sparked a light in my head and allowed me to drift back to the little girl I had met at the orphange.

His right eyebrow rose in surprise, and his lips formed a thin straight line.

"And who might that be? " Haziel scoffed.

I had a feeling that I might have hit a sore spot with him. I hadn't known him long but in my short time of relating I have never seen him act so... sensitive.

And since I had spotted that sensitive bone of his, the need to poke at it became evident.

"Someone skilled enough to know what they're looking at." I lied through my teeth.

"Is that so? And they know more than the artist himself."  His expressions became laid back as he spoke but his words betrayed him subtly.

I fought back the laugh in my throat, clearing it and simply nodding whilst taking in the pleasant aesthetic of the cafe.

Few minutes of silence passed by before Haziel to the initiative. " I have one condition to all of this." He raised his index finger, pointing it upwards.

" I'm listening." I replied nonchalant.

"I would like to meet this critic," he stated with a slight casual grin.

It was my turn now to get a ruler and file my lips into a straight line. I pondered about a way to get out of it but got nothing.

Hence, I agreed.

"I have no problem with that, as long as you prepared yourself."

Another scoff escaped Haziel as he nodded and I couldn't help the smile that developed, lifting my cheeks.

Haziel left soon after the talk was over, his gave me his number in order to discuss when to meet my little critic.

I stood in front of the cafe waiting with my purse in hand for Nick, my driver to come around.

Soon enough he pulled up and I got into the car, heading for Kiera's place to finalise the theme options and design for the charity event.

The car pulled into Keira's home, out in front was the Calvin, Kale's friend that I had met the last time I stayed over.

He stood on the porch with a cigarette in his hand, letting out a puff of smoke as his eyes met mine. His stature seemed much bigger than last time, his shoulders broader. Perhaps the perspective of how Kiera's house had an upward steep played a part.

As I got out of the car and walked up towards him, he squashed the cigarette on the paper cigarette packet and put the used one back inside.

"Hey," Calvin adjusted himself and murmured.

"Hi," I replied casually unable to shake a feeling. My intention was to pass by him but instead I halted, looking his way. "Have we met somewhere?"

His voice, and a certain feeling I got from him made me think I had seen him from somewhere. Whether it was a fleeting moment or an in depth one baffled me.

His response however,  was simple.

"Yeah, last time you stayed over at this place, I'm Calvin, Kale's friend."

I blinked twice.

I had unknowingly walked into a creating a misunderstanding. Just as I was about to clarify he beat me to it.

"It's cool, I have a forgetful face." He joked.

I let out a short awkward laugh.

"I actually meant before that."

Calvin looked at me for a good few seconds but concluded he didn't recognize me. I would have believed it too, that's if a brief flash of realization didn't bring in his eyes for an instance.

A small gush of winds caused by someone opening the door in front of us distracted me.

Kale with his hands in his pockets kissed Kiera before pulling away and bringing out his keys from the left pocket.

Too engrossed in her make out session it took a while before she noticed me.

Once she did, she offered a smile and motioned for me to come inside. I did as she gestured, before turning around and seeing Kale and Calvin walking away.

"Calvin is around Kale a lot these days?"

"Tell me about it." Kiera shrugged as we entered her living room to check out interior, and event planning brochures.

"Are you still fixed on the masquerade theme?" Keira asked.

In that moment a maid walked in and set a tea set in front of us, to which I refused a cup.

"I just feel it's a bit overdone. But if you're all in then it's fine." Keira conveyed.

"Maybe..." I replied, "I've gotten the artist I told you about to display his works up for budding. I also invited him."

Keira smiled in subtle understanding. "So that's why the Masquerade thing is a given. You just want a chance to fan girl."

I scoffed without providing a response. She knew all about the artist who's paintings I had fallen for but she had no idea that I actually knew the artist personally now and that although I was a successful fan girl I was one of many the artists got to see naked.

I wanted to bash my head on a while but chose the non violent option of just busuing myself with the event preparations.

The sun had long since set by the time I left Keira's and went back with much reluctance to my home.

I walked in to meet Jalen on the couch in the living room, the tv was muted and he was on the phone. He noticed my presence, no doubt, still, he continued on without any form of acknowledgement.

"Stop trying to get me to be down with whatever fetish you're into."

"Nah, you know I think that's disgusting and a bit too far."

Which side piece was he talking to now? I wondered as I passed by him wordless.

"Bro, you do you but keep it far away from me, I'll be there for the party burn not the one after."

I slowed down my pace unconsciously as I listened on. So, he wasn't talking to another girl?

"It's cool, plus you know I'm into the older ones," his tone was utterly arrogant. Not bothering with listening in to the rest of the conversation.

Up in my bedroom was silent, I recollected everything that I had been busy with for the day before a knock from the door distracted me.

"Who is it?" I inquired softly, removing my purse from my phone and checking my emails.

"Your fiancé?" his response was posed as a question, leaving me astonished.

Did I have a say in calling the engagement off?

Wasn't he sure that we were still stuck in this?

Why pose it as a question?

"Do you want something?" I asked pushing those questions into a dark area in my heart, a place where things the couldn't be helped were lodged.

"Yeah I need you to get me an extra invitation to your charity thing, There's someone who would like to attend," after a slight pause he continued, "A friend."

Another string of troubling questions threaten to take over my mind but I suppressed it diligently.

"Sure." I replied hoping to end the conversation, the annoyance I felt from the fight yesterday was still very much fresh in my mind.

"You're not going to ask who?" Halen continued, probing a question at me.

"I don't really care." Is what I held myself back from uttering instead I replaced it with, "should I ask?"

"Nah, it doesn't matter."

With retreating footsteps and silence I concluded that he had left.

I got into the bathroom right after, I prepared a bath and slipped in letting the warm bed of water envelope me.

The air was calm with a slight lavender accent, the urge to fall asleep quickly came over me. My eyelids became heavy as I laid still in the bathtub alone with my thoughts.

Slowly I submerged my neck up wards into the water with ease, holding my breath for a short while, in that moment my mind was blank and my heart still.

A memory flashed through my mind and my submerged head came out with a sudden splash. My hands wiped the water from my face and eyes. I opened my eyes once more with my brain now in a stir.

That's where I recognized Calvin from. The hospital.