III.I Fine Dining

[Word] denotes Words in Bold/Louder Emphasis/Loud Noises

*Word* denotes Onomatopoeia/Sound Effects

/Word/ denotes Words in Italic/Inner Voices/Thoughts/Soft Noises/Softer Emphasis

* before the word or sentence denotes an Author's Note at the end of the Chapter

Time moves forward...

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It's been a day since the events of the rooftop. Yesterday was spent just sleeping the afternoon away and to her surprise, life has been treating her well.

/Beyond the chapter that your editor needs to get before the 9th./

Beyond the chapter that her editor needs this coming Friday.

And thus here she was, staring blankly at the monitor. The blinking line at the start of the clearly empty word document taunting her as she tried to come up with story ideas.

"This shouldn't be this hard." Athena states as her fingers tapped on the desk. "I had the plot for this in my head weeks ago."

/Why aren't you writing anything then?/

"Aaahh!"

She screamed at her ceiling as the frustration started to getting into her. This wasn't working. She's getting antsy and her mind wasn't cooperating.

/I resent that statement. I do cooperate./

Only sometimes. And usually to her detriment.

/I appreciate your gratitude~/

The novelist sighed as she stood up from her desk and prepared to get dressed. Perhaps a change in scenery might give her some inspiration. Athena glanced at the clock and saw that the time was just past twelve noon. She put on a loose red hoodie and jeans and left her room for the elevator.

Where to go though.. was the question in her mind. Laze around the cafe lounge? Maybe later. Riverside Park? Nahh.. Too far.

Her train of thought paused as she found herself in front of the elevator. Going down huh. She pressed the button and put a hand up to her chin in thought, muttering to herself as she weighed her options.

"Hmm.. No that's too cliche. Maybe if-" 

*Ding*

A soft chime took her out of her musings as the elevator doors opened. Wordlessly, Athena boarded the elevator and went back to her own literary world, noting but ultimately ignoring the presence of other passengers that may be accompanying her.

"Where to Athena?" 

"Ground floor." She answered nonchalantly.

Wait.. that sounded familiar. The novelist turned to the source of her curiosity, her eyebrows raising in subtle surprise as she took in the appearance of the person standing in front of the elevator panel. Giving her a soft smile as he pushed buttons to their benefit, Eremes had once again crossed paths with her. How many times were they going to meet like this? This seems too much to be a coincidence.

/Hah, your paranoia is showing./

"You again?" She questioned, rather accusingly.

"Don't look at me, I just work here." The man replied in jest.

She can't exactly refute that statement. But still.. 

"Are you stalking me?" 

"Where did that come from?" Eremes asked as he turned to face her, his face in slight bewilderment.

"Well, ever since 'that' night, we've met at least once every single day." Though granted, she liked the company. 

"Athena relax." He replied with amusement in his tone. "It's been like what? Two days? I'm sure those are just coincidences. Besides, as I've said, I work here."

His reasoning was solid and she can't deny it. She shook her head briefly, trying to rid herself of her paranoia. She was being irrational again.

/They're always watching.../

"Sorry. You're right." She chuckled. "I don't think you're that much of a creep." 

"Seriously?" He retorted in an annoyed tone, though his smile betrays the fun the man is having with the exchange. "Since when am I a creep?"

"Ever since yesterday at the cafe lounge." 

"I'm sorry okay? I admit I was curious but I left when you told me to right?" He replied in slight embarrassment.

An awkward silence permeated the elevator walls as the novelist digested the flustered man's reply. Did he just- Wait.. Athena felt herself smiling.

She can use this.

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Eremes stood abashed as his conversation with Athena took a turn for the worse, with worse being him subjected to the woman's verbal teasing. He saw a devious smirk slowly adorn her face with each passing second. Why did it always end up like this?

"You... You just basically admitted that you were creeping on me." She accused with faux disbelief.

"I was [not] creeping on you." He retorted as he turned to face the elevator LED, noting that only now were they finally reaching the ground floor, unaware of the spectacle behind him. Why was the elevator so damn slow?

"And at that time when you carried me down..." Athena mirthfully started to slowly cover herself up with her arms, eyes closed as if being afraid as she continued with her verbal onslaught. "Were- Were you-"

*Ding*

A soft chime signaled their arrival on the ground floor. The metal doors folded as it made way for its unruly passengers. 

"Finally." Eremes sighed as he turned to face his companion, blood slowly rushing to his face as he saw her mimicking someone in a very compromising position.

"-copping a feel? Oh I feel so violated!" She exclaimed, completely enraptured in her own performance.

"Uhh.. Athena?" He asked as he tried to get her attention, with some onlookers now noticing her theatrics.

This was not good.

"And now, inside this firm, gray walls.. I fear that my-" 

["Athena."] He said forcefully as he shook her by the shoulder. "We're already on the ground floor." 

Eremes watched as befuddlement made itself apparent on her face, then realization as she dreadfully turned to see the crowd in front of the elevator. He stifled a laugh as he saw his faux tormenter slowly realize that her performance was in plain view for everyone that was about to board the elevator.

"I- I-" She stuttered, now red-faced and clearly flustered. He eld his laugh as he watched the embarrassed woman try to explain herself out of the situation, her rigid movements portraying her attempts at trying to make herself scarce.

Eremes mentally fistpumped at the karma currently in full display. But as much as it was entertaining...

"Uhh, sorry about that folks. She's just hungry." He explained away as he whisked her away from the inquisitive crowd towards the hotel entrance, all the while still hearing his charge muttering excuses to a now non-existent audience.

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"So, on a scale of one to ten, how embarrassing was it?"

["Don't. Test me."]

Eremes was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud at his now charge's predicament. How could he not? Even now she's still blushing from embarrassment. Praise karma for finally giving him a bone.

"Doesn't feel good to be on the receiving end now does it?" He teased, giddy at the thought of being on the offensive side for once.

"I can't really tell Eremes. Perhaps you should enlighten me." Even when flustered, she could still think on her feet. However..

/"A-are you.. coppi-"/

["S-Stop it! I-I can't!"] Her reactions were really making his day right now. ["I-I don't w-want to hear it!"] 

Sooo worth being almost humiliated back at the elevator. Why, if Athena succeeded back there, he might have to defend against lawsuits filed by the other tenants for her faux outburst! But still..

/"Oh I feel so violated!"/

["Aaaaaahhhhg! Staaahp!"] She screamed as she covered her ears while shaking her head in frustration. 

Soo worth it.

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