"Hi, Sam. It's me, bro. Yeah..." Alex was in his room on a call with someone. He was talking softly with the person so as to not let his mother hear it.
"Yeah... don't repeat the chocolates from the previous days and just go with some flowers and don't repeat them as well," Alex said on the phone, "Yeah, but do keep the note as it is."
"Well, I don't know much about the chocolates so you will have to think about it. As for the flowers, we are done with roses and tulips, right? So let's go with Orchids today." Alex said as he rubbed his forehead in stress, "Just leave them outside the door, like always... Yeah, same address. Try not to get seen. I want you to be quick and stealthy." Alex emphasized ton the subtleness of the mission.
"Thanks, Sam. Yeah, bye... Wait... Wait... Wait... Hello... You there? Yeah... Just wanted to say, bro, I don't know how long it will last, so I need you to keep as many varieties of chocolates and flowers as you possibly can... yeah... Thanks, buddy, I really appreciate it," Alex said, “And message me the bill later. I will wire you the money then,” saying this, Alex finally ended the call.
‘I guess I need to get a crash course from dad,’ Alex looked at the nearly empty wallet in his hand and sighed.
"Huff... I guess my paycheck is gonna blow up in this shit," Alex threw his wallet on the bed and made his way to freshen up, 'I wish I was some billionaire and shit. It wouldn't have hurt that much.'
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Mom... Mom, where are you?" Alex called out for Martha as he walked down the stairs.
"What is it, Alex?" Martha asked, coming out of the kitchen.
"Breakfast?" Alex asked.
"I will bring it right now, but why the hell are you all dressed up? Don't tell me you are going to the office?" Martha asked with a frown on her face, "And don't put too much weight on that leg of yours. It will only make it worse," Martha said and hurried over to Alex to give him support.
"Why not? My fever is down, and even the doctor said that my ligament will be fine in a day or two," Alex said as he hoped up the stairs to show Martha that he was alright.
"No need. Your fever might be down, but the ligament won't get better this quickly," Though Martha was a bit surprised seeing him jumping, she thought that Alex was just acting tough, "Rest for a couple of days more before going to the office," Martha strictly said. She was not ready to compromise with Alex's health.
"Mom, believe me, I am alright. And more than anything else, I am getting bored at home," Alex tried to make her understand.
"Alex..." Martha tried to say something but was interrupted by Alex's plea.
"Mom, please" Alex pleaded, “I get bored all alone. Dad is unusually enthusiastic about work, you leave for the hospital and Mrs Flores is not coming because of her grandson. I get scared, I am not that witty like Kevin,” Alex poured his heart out.
“Kevin? Who is that?” Martha asked confused.
“Kevin, mom, Kevin… You haven’t watched Home Alone?” Alex was appalled by his mother’s ignorance, “How can you not know Kevin? I am disappointed?” Alex said shaking his head.
"Okay fine… Fine you can go. I got your point, but if you feel..." Martha surrendered, but when she wanted to nag him more, she was interrupted once more.
"Yeah! Yeah! I know the drill. I will be back the moment I feel uncomfortable," Alex said and gave a salute to Martha.
"Don't act over smart with me". Martha chided.
"Sorry," Alex apologised, but his face was full of smiles.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Though Martha allowed him to step out for work, there was no bike for him today. Margaret, on the other hand, had already sent his motorbike back, so he could not use that as an excuse to speak to her.
But right now, as he walked inside Theation, he was not thinking about Margaret, but it was Susan who occupied his thoughts. Since the last time she came to check on him, he is yet to have a conversation with her. Alex felt that, for some reason unknown to him, Susan was avoiding encounters with him.
When Alex reached the reception, Susan was on the side talking to a colleague of hers. When the other lady saw Alex, she whispered something to Susan, looking at Alex.
Alex had no idea what the lady said to Susan, but Susan, instead of looking back, made her way forward, away from Alex.
"Susan!" Alex called out for her and made a run to catch up to her, "Susan, wait up!"
Not wanting to be the centre of attention, Susan stopped in her tracks, and with her finger over her lips, gestured for Alex to keep quiet.
"What?" In a hush-hush tone, Alex asked as he got near to her.
"Can you keep it down?" Susan asked, "And what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Alex asked as he moved closer to her and tried to entangle his fingers with her, "I just wanted to talk to you. You know, after that evening, we never..."
"Shusshh..." Susan placed her palm over her mouth, "Didn't I tell you not to talk about that evening ever?" Susan said in a hushed tone.
"Is there something wrong?" Just as Susan finished, a man asked them from behind.
Hearing the voice, Martha pulled away her hand in one go and turned around quickly as if caught cheating or something.
"Mr Rick? No, it's nothing. I was just helping him with some random stuff. He is just leaving," Susan said and looked at Alex, "Aren't you?"
"I..." Alex didn't like the way Susan was pushing him away. But when he thought that he might be missing something in all this, he reluctantly nodded.
Not wanting to create a scene in front of everyone else, he turned around to leave.
"Wait up," but the man didn't want it to end this easily.
"Yes," Alex asked as he turned around. The man was tall, with his hair comb backwards, but Alex could not take his eyes off of the large rabbit teeth sticking out.
"I am Rick, Rick Hickinbottom," The guy forwarded his hands for a shake. He wriggled his wrist a bit for everyone to watch his shiny, diamond studded watch.
"Pfftt... Dick... Hahaha… Hahaha…,” Alex burst into laughter hearing the man’s name, “I am sorry. I must have heard it wrong. Did you just say Dick Lickinbottom?" Alex laughed at the face of the man, and his words sent a flurry of snickers across the board by everyone who heard Alex.
"You…” Pointing at Alex, the breathed heavily, “It's in Rick Hickinbottom, smartass," the man said with a heavy, intimidating tone, "My Grandfather is the second-largest shareholder of this company, huhh..." The man said with an arrogant face.
Hearing the man, everyone stopped laughing. The man looked around at everyone else, "Why did you stop? Laugh... Laugh na... Fucking chumps..."
"Hey man, Calm down," Alex said as he moved closer to the man. He gently patted him over his heart as he continued, "I was just joking. You know, getting comfy with you." But the man threw away Alex's arm.
"Get your hands away from me, dirtbag. Why do I need to get comfy with you motherfucker?" The man was not pulling his punches, cursing with every sentence he spoke.
"Hey, man. Now you are stepping your bounds, don't go to my mother, alright? It's between us. If you didn't like what I said, I am sorry," Alex still tried to keep his calm, but his tone was slowly getting heavy.
"I will fucking fuck your mother... And what the fuck were you are doing with her?" the man asked, pointing at Susan, "Everyone knows that she belongs to me. She is my fucking bitch. I will fuck your mother if you..." the man threw every regard to any decency in his words.
"I said fucking shut your mouth," Alex had it enough. He grabbed hold of the man's arm, twisted it and pulled it behind his back. Then he pushed him into a ninety-degree angle.
"Aaa... aaa... aa... Leave me you son of a..."
"I..." Alex said and gave a smack at the back of the man's head.
"Said" This time, Alex kneed the man right into his ass.
"Fucking" This was followed by a kick to Rick’s stomach.
"Stop" Again, there was a kick to his stomach.
"Talking" Alex was getting vicious with every word he spoke. Alex speared his elbow into his back as he spoke.
"About" there was kick on Rick’s nose.
"My" another kick to the nose.
"Mother" and another kick to the nose.
The last three words got the man a kick each, on his nose. The sudden kicks on his nose left Dick Lickinbottom almost unconscious, unaware of his surroundings.
"Thudd!" After a series of kicks, the man was hardly able to stand on his legs. Alex let go of his hands, and with a kick to his ass, threw him to the ground and looked at him with disdain.
"She is your woman? Che... I fucking fuck..." Alex was so pissed off that he was about to tell everyone about that night.
"CHHAT!" the reception area reverberated with the slapping sound. Susan was standing in front of Alex with a fearful and anxious expression. She had just slapped Alex across his face in front of everyone to stop him from disclosing anything unwanted.
Alex was shocked, surprised, but more than that, somewhat clear-headed. He looked at Susan, then the man lying bloodied, groaning in pain and other onlookers.
* * * * *
(A/N: Words are nice but images are better: If you feel like seeing the characters and reading the comic to the story, support in this long shot by joining the p@treon: [email protected]/bababkchod)