Chapter 19

The first half of my shift flew by quickly but it had its downsides. I was walking the hallways with Marina while she'd tell me stories about her favorite no-English speaker tourists.

Foreigner tourists were her favorite guests because according to her they looked cute when they tried to understand what she was saying.

There was a moment when I almost threw up when I saw vomit on the carpet as we opened the door for room 309. A part of me wanted to know who was the disgusting person that did that so that I could attach a face to this mess while my brain was just screaming 'no'.

Even though it could be a disgusting and challenging job, it really kept me busy while I was listening to Marina singing her favorite songs of Five Seconds Of Summer.

I got a text from Perkyn to meet him downstairs for lunch. So, when we were done with Marina, we headed back downstairs for our lunch break.

"It could have been worse, honestly," Marina tried to reassure me but I wasn't in the mood.

"Worse than cleaning after drunk people?" I asked.

"I could tell you, last week there was an old man here…"

"I don't want to hear it," I interrupted her by putting my hand up. "I'd love to hear your embarrassing stories about the guests that were here over the years but for now all I want to do is eat. And I don't want to lose my appetite. Room 309 was enough for me."

Marina laughed at me and nodded.

"Fair enough," she said. "What did you bring for lunch?"

"I made sandwiches."

"Basic and fast, I like it," she said. "I remember in high school there was a month or two when I kept eating the same kind of sandwich everyday. Salami and majonese. Needless to say my body has had enough so much that I can't even look at majonese the same. It just makes me want to puke."

"Damn, that sandwich really traumatised you, didn't it?" I asked, copying her speaking style.

When she noticed that, she gave me a proud glance and taking her gloves off.

"You have no idea," she said. "Whenever I see someone eating a sandwich, I just want to slap it out of their hands."

I laughed, giving her all my respect and dignity. Sometimes we didn't realize how monotone our lives and days have become until they caused a major change in your personality.

"Mine doesn't have salami or majonese, I promise," I tried to soften her a little but she clicked her tongue in a sassy way.

"Maybe but don't let me see it," she grinned and I nodded.

I went to the bathroom to wash my hands and fix my hair. I was quite proud of myself that I didn't let myself down and it's already been half of the day.

When I saw Perkyn, he was on his phone, his hand gripping the phone tightly and glaring to the ground with heat in his eyes.

It was odd to see him this angry and it instantly made me have a grinding feeling. It must have been serious if he kept clenching his jaw and closing his eyes while listening.

"I know, you don't need to tell me twice." he said and leaned his head against the wall. "I'm working, where else would I be? Don't be ridiculous."

I felt bad for eavesdropping even though I particularly wasn't because he was standing in the hallway, so it was impossible not to hear him.

"Do I have to?" he asked, his voice muffled. "I don't want another lecture of her."

Perkyn started to walk around and when he noticed me a few feet away, he recoiled, and his angry expression faded away.

"Listen, Dad, I've got to go now," he said and turned his head away. "I'll call you when I'm done."

He ended the call with a slight headshake and a careworn sigh. I rubbed my arms in an awkward way as he made his way over to me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you or anything…" my voice trailed off and he shook his head.

"Don't apologize, Heddy, there is nothing to apologize for," he reassured me but my subconscious told me otherwise.

"I can catch up with Marina, we kind of bonded a little," I offered and pointed behind me. "It seems like it was an important call."

I didn't know if it really was, so I just kept guessing. Maybe his dad just liked to overreact things a bit or had a good reason to call Perkyn while he was at work.

"It's just…" he started it but didn't finish it. "I thought I might show you the kitchen."

"I made lunch to myself," I resisted and he narrowed his eyes.

"Don't tell me that you brought sandwiches." His eyes lit up with amusement as my mouth fell open.

"How did you know?" I asked.

He rested his fingers against his face as he chose his words carefully.

"This kind of job can test your stomach, so a sandwich seems to be the best option to eat… And you're probably lazy to wake up earlier to set up a proper meal for yourself." He said firmly and I couldn't even argue.

The irony was that I always wanted to please myself with delicious foods but I never had the will to wake up earlier in the morning or start cooking something more serious the day before. So, I either ended up buying lunch which increased my saved money really fast, or made myself sandwiches for the day.

They were simple and enough.

"But my sandwiches…"

"Marina would probably kill you anyway." He laughed and I scoffed.

"Yeah, I heard her traumatizing story with sandwiches." I mumbled.

He gave me a nod and then touched my wrist briefly. It was short and nothing serious but it definitely caught my attention.

"I'll make you something." He said and started walking toward the kitchen.

"You don't have to." I followed him with a determined look on my face.

"I don't take no for an answer when food is involved." He put his hand up and walked into the kitchen.

I was faced with many unfamiliar faces but as fast as they turned to us, they just turned back to what they were doing. I adjusted my shirt since it was hotter than I'd expected it to be.

"Hey, guys."

"Hi, Perkyn."

"New victim?" asked a boy who was doing the dishes.

"Stop calling her that." Perkyn and the others laughed.

"It's true though."

"Honesty is one of the required skills in this place."

"Caleb would be disappointed if we weren't keeping ourselves to our words."

"Sometimes less honesty is more, Corn." Perkyn answerd.

"Cornell doesn't know what less is, he always goes for the bigger things."

"I'll give her a week before she runs away screaming from you." said Cornell and the whole kitchen started laughing.

Even Perkyn let himself chuckle a little before grabbing an apron and throwing it in Cornell's face.

Cornell was a head taller than Perkyn and could be around his late twenties. His black hair was wet from his sweetness and probably from the water too that he splashed all over itt o fight his hotness when we entered the kitchen.

Cornell shook his head while the other employees were laughing at him and throw the apron on the sink next to him.

"Hardy har, why are you here again?" Cornell asked and pointed at him as he looked around. "What is the function of this guy again?"

"To break your horns down."

I bit into my lips to stop myself from joining the laughter that filled the kitchen around us.

"Please tell me you'll raise him right." Cornell turned to me with pleading eyes while leaning on his hands.

"I can't promise anything." I joked and he laughed.

"He is that hopeless, huh?"

"I'm here, too." Perkyn spread his arms but Cornell just shook his head at him.

"I wasn't talking to you," he pushed himself away from the counter and walked around to us. When he stopped in front of me, he grabbed my wrist casually and started to swing them. "I was talking to this beautiful girl whose name couldn't be heard because of your detestable voice."

I laughed while Perkyn buried his face in his hands.

"My name is Heddy."

"Heddy, what a unique but also fitting name for an angel like you." Cornell smiled and lifted my hand to kiss it.

"He isn't usually this nice, just so you know." Perkyn leaned closer to me.

"I am actually a really nice guy." Cornell let go of my hands while he frowned at Perkyn. "I have layers, you know."

"Ironic, how you still got them while all you've been doing was scrubbing every day."

Now it was Cornell's turn to throw a cloth into Perkyn's face in response.

"I hope your kindness doesn't have anything to do with this particular area." I drew circles around my chest and Cornell cleared his throat.

"I, uhm… I haven't even noticed… I was just…" when his eyes dropped, he quickly turned away and rubbed his jaw. "I wasn't looking, not that you don't look great because you do… With all respect. It's just not right to stare and uhm… Yeah…"

It was more than funny how awkward Cornell has suddenly become and the way his cheeks started to turn red just made him more of a comical relief.

"I didn't know you could baffle others that quickly, nice job, Heds." Perkyn gave me a side hug and I couldn't help but tense under his arm.

Not because he was affective and friendly enough to give me a side hug but because of what he had just called me.

I've never heard someone else calling me 'Heds'.

It felt weird and uncomfortable.

Perkyn noticed tension because he quickly withdrew his hand and gave me a questioning look.

"Everything is all right?"

"Yes," I lied and crossed my arms. "I'm just hungry."

"That's not very nice of you, Perks." Cornell lowered his tone. "Starving a beautiful young woman? Shall I call the cops or you'll turn yourself in wilingly?"

Perkyn made a face and led me to the other side of the kitchen.

"Sorry about that, Cornell doesn't change." he said as he gestured me to take a seat.

"He's fine, I don't think he needs to change."

Perkyn gave me a warning look while grabbing a plate.

"Oh, believe me when I say he does."

I bit back a smile and watched him prepare the ingredients for my lunch. I couldn't believe that a boy was about to make me lunch.

It's not something I've ever experienced before, not even in my previous relationship.

"What am I going to get?" I asked and leaned on my palm.

"None of your business." He smiled as he put a bag of tortillas in front of me.

"You like making decisions for others, don't you?" I asked while glancing up at him.

After he grabbed a bowl, he started to toss the chicken, buffalo sauce, and melted butter together.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He stared at the bowl in his hands.

I leaned back and slammed my hands against the metal table softly.

"When we were at Twa Corbies, you picked the cake for me." I interrupted his thoughts after a few seconds. "And now here we are. I'm sitting here and waiting for you to make the lunch that you voluntarily chose for me to eat."

His hand slowly stopped moving and his eyes landed on my face.

"What?" I asked when I noticed his face hardening.

He rested his hands on the table and dropped his head then started it to shake it slightly. I've seen this kind of body language and it didn't end well so I was kind of afraid what his reaction would be.

Why can't I keep my mouth shut for once?

"What's wrong?"

"I… I don't even know what to say." He answered, his voice quiet.

I arched my back and dropped my gaze to my hands and started to fidge with my fingers to keep myself busy.

However I could only distract myself for only ten or fifteen seconds which wasn't much.

"I…" I started it but he put his hand up.

"I didn't even notice…" Perkyn's eyes looked stormy while he was searching for mine.

I almost asked where he was getting at when he sighed.

"Shit, I'm… I don't know what to say, I'm so embarrassed." I watched him burry his face in his hands, his fingers slightly shaking.

"Perkyn…"

"I never wanted to make you feel like I was making choices for you." He stared into my eyes, sadness hiding in them. "I never intended to be controlling."

I let out a scoff and forced a smile on my lips.

"Perkyn, it's fine, I was just kidding."

Perkyn rubbed his hand across his face, his eyes examining me like I was some kind of prey.

"Each joke has its realistic side, right?" He asked and I froze in my place.

I didn't even realize that even though I was clearly joking at first just to tease him a little, but he had a point.

I wouldn't have been able to make a joke like that if I was completely fine with everything he has done.

"I'm sorry, Heddy, I was just trying to be friendly…" He mumbled and popped his knee. "Why do I always screw things up?"

"You didn't at all." I stood up and leaned over the table to get his attention. "Your personality is just like this, there is nothing wrong with that."

"I'm stepping over the line just to get rid of my anxiety around women, so please, do not tell me that nothing is wrong with me." He said avoiding my eyes. He must have been really ashamed if he didn't dare look at me.

I didn't even realize that he had gynophobia, he covered it so well with his talkative and open personality.

I wanted to ask what was the reason behind his anxiety around women but I didn't want to push him. I was sure he'd tell me once he was comfortable with me enough.

"You want me to tell you a secret?" I asked, lowering my throat. Perkyn pursued his lips then slowly he raised his head up.

He didn't say anything, only gave me a slight nod while a worried expression made to his face.

"I've never had someone making lunch for me." I admitted and he raised his eyebrows. "Not my mother or my ex-boyfriend. It was always so obvious to them that I'd jump to serve them."

"I don't want to offend you but if that's true, your boyfriend wasn't a real man." He straightened his posture. "Only just a wanna-be who had been spoiled his whole life."

I smiled carefully at his expression because he wasn't far from the truth.

"He was and he can rot in hell, I don't even care." I admitted in a relieved way.

"Completely understandable." He nodded.

"So, believe me when I tell you that I'm completely fine with you making lunch for me." I whispered the last part. "But only if I'll like it."

It seemed my tactics had an effect on him because his worry was replaced by a smug smile.

"Believe me when I tell you that you will."

"Awesome."

I didn't say anything for the next few minutes. I watched him finish the bowl and lay out the tortillas. Feeling the scent of the spicy chicken already made my mouth water and watching him fill the tortillas, putting lettuce and ranch on top of the chicken.

He quickly folded the two tortillas he has just made and put them on the plate, making me a beautiful dish.

"Voilá."

I watched the plate with hungry eyes as I pulled it closer to me.

"It looks perfect." I complimented him and he gave me an exhausted smile. "But you shouldn't have done that for me."

"Seeing your smile would be worth doing even the impossible." He said softly and I felt my heart drop.

When I looked up at him, his beautiful eyes made my knees go weak. He looked at me like my smile was really worth all the trouble and effort.

His words were still ringing in my ears as I dropped my gaze to the plate between us.

"You don't want to eat it?" he asked, getting worried. "It doesn't look good, does it?"

"No, Perkyn, it looks really good." I reassured him which was true. He knew how to do certain dishes because there wasn't a single drop of sauce on the plate. Everything was in its place and reminded me how hungry I've been.

"You don't like chicken?" He asked, his tone changing. "I know I'd screw it up, why didn't I ask?"

All I could do was laugh at his embarrassment. It seemed like it was an old habit of his, doubting and cussing at himself if something unexpected happened.

"If you'd let me speak." I laughed and he forced a smile on his face that rather looked painful than delighted.

"Sorry, I'm listening." He slammed his palms down on the table. "You are free to kick or hit me even slap if I speak too much. You know, when I panic, I intend, but no ton purpose, of course, gabbling and just…"

"Stop talking." I put my hand up and he dropped his head with a determined look on his face.

"Yes, ma'am."

I sighed and smiled at the difference between the two boys who were trying to get close to me.

One of them wanted to have me physically while the other has been fighting for my emotions.

They were different, embodying two different sides of the attraction someone can feel for the other yet somewhat similar to each other.

"I'll only eat this on one condition." I put my index finger up and he gave me a questioning gaze.

"Shall I promise that I'll never make anything for you?" He asked and I bit back a smile.

"Only if we split it up." I said and he sighed.

"But I made it for you, not me." He furrowed his eyebrows in a childish way.

"Have you eaten anything today?" I asked and when he opened his mouth, I interrupted him. "Aside from the bagels that you had bought this morning for us."

He closed his mouth and dropped his gaze.

"You've got to eat something, too." I nudged his arm softly. "You always put yourself first, I'm not that important."

He looked up and bit the corner of his mouth while debating whether he should accept my offer or not.

"That's not true." He answered, changing the subject.

I pushed the plate away even though my stomach was grumbling for the delicious food that he had put in front of me.

"Then I guess I'll stick to my sandwiches." I answered and looked away. "I even put peppers in it."

Perkyn rested his face on his palm and gave me an unimpressed look.

"How exciting, I hope you can handle pepper." He lowered his eyes.

"I think I can." I said stepping away from the table.

"Still, doesn't sound as exciting and toothsome as my buffalo chicken does."

"It does if you don't want to play by my rules." I glanced back over my shoulder.

Perkyn pushed his tongue to the inside of his cheek as he eyed me down and up.

"Okay, fine." He called after me and I stopped walking. When I turned back I saw him lifting his hands in surrender. "We split it up."

I grinned and hopped down in front him, the hole in my stomach growing bigger and bigger with each second.

"Good choice." I said and started it to eat.

Perkyn didn't start to eat right away. He waited for me to start it and waited for my genuine reaction.

It's been years since I've eaten chicken, so the familiar tastes expoding in my mouth made me hum in satisfaction.

"This is actually good." I said while chewing on my bite. "You learned it by yourself? Or were you born in the kitchen right away?"

He laughed and crossed his arms over the table while I was eating my tortilla.

"I've had an accident when I was nine or ten." He explained quietly. "My neck broke right away and a few of my ribs were bruised."

I stopped eating, he startled me that fast and sudden.

"Oh, my God." I said with a frightened expression.

"So, I spent a lot of time at home." He shrugged and started to play with my napkin. "Delilah spent almost all of her days with me whenever my dad couldn't be around. She had taught me how to live in the kitchen. I liked it that we did little competitions about who'd make a better dessert or soup and my dad would be the judge."

I watched him smile subconsciously at the memory that appeared in front of his eyes while his fingers were still working on the napkin between his veiny hands.

"That sounds fantastic." I gave him a bright smile which he returned without hesitation.

"It was." He nodded. "I wish we still could do things like this. It would be great to see how much I've forgotten."

"Well, I'm always here to be the judge for that." I said finishing my tortilla.

He put my napkin down in front of me which didn't look like a napkin anymore. There was only a folded swan in front of me.

"How horrible it was?" He asked, pulling the plate back to him and crossed his legs.

"To be honest…" My voice trailed off and I flipped the folded swan in my hands, not wanting to ruin it. "It was terrible."

"No, shit." He said and took a bite.

"Yes, so I feel really betrayed and disappointed now." I narrowed my eyes, still enjoying the after-taste of his food. "I'm so sad right now that you're going to have to make me another one tomorrow."

He smiled while chewing on his bite and clicked his tongue.

"We'll see. I'm not sure I can compete with your taste."

I smiled and watched him eat his food in less than five minutes. He must have been really hungry because he barely left himself any time to enjoy the taste of his cooking skills.

I felt embarrassed that I haven't noticed that before. He was as hungry as a wolf and he had still thought of me first. He wouldn't have even eaten if I didn't push his buttons and play with his nerves a little.

"Thank God you ate it." Cornell interrupted us from the other side of the kitchen. We looked at him while he was leaning on a food trail and shook his head briefly at us. "I thought I might need to intervene and eat it because you just kept talking. It was a painful sight to see, honestly."