26- Her code number
“I know, I am being a nuisance to you.” The hotel service had provided her with different office wears. She selected a pencil skirt and paired it with a cotton blouse.
It was a perfect size. Brushing her hair she braided them neatly. It was Monday and she was supposed to go to the office. The locksmith had promised to arrive this evening and she had literally borrowed everything from Hunter.
The toothbrush, hairbrush, her dress, sandals…
And she was feeling ashamed. Irresponsible.
“Come on Abigail. What should I do to make you feel better? Huh?”
“You are already trying a lot. So please don’t.”
“Stop thinking about it. I know you are dying to get rid of me but …”
“Stop it, Hunter. No, I am not dying to do any such thing. It’s just …” She sat on the dining chair facing him, “frustrating.”
“Now eat your breakfast. Drink your coffee.” He asked her softly and passed her the coffee cup. He had ordered donuts for her and a Mexican omelet for himself.
“Thanks.” She said after taking a few sips of coffee. The warming effect was helping her to keep her senses calm.
“You are a coffee addict.” He teased her, “By the way … IF YOU WANT…” He stopped for a while. She nodded her head encouraging him to speak further.
“If you want you can take an off. From your work.”
“Off? No way.” She started drinking it taking big chugs.
“Easy.” Instead of having his breakfast, he was watching her.
“My office starts with a coffee cup with my teammates. And I can’t be late.”
“You will again drink coffee?” He raised an eyebrow in surprise
“Yes. I would.” She smiled creasing her eyes in a line making her crow‘s feet obvious.
Hurriedly she got up and started rinsing the cup. “It will be taken care of, Abi.” But she had already washed it. Coming near him she ruffled his hair affectionately, “Bye, Hunter. See ya later.”
When she left he was still sitting there with a silly smile on his face.
Today was something definitely different. First, she thought that may be the reason was Hunte Levisay.
But no. There was something in the air.
Against all expectations, Chloe was there for the morning coffee session. Ilot only Abigail but all the participants were surprised to find her
She did not chat much non did she have coffee Abigail knew she never liked coffee But she was there and was even trying to talk to one or two girls,
After discussing the agendas they all started leaving the room but Chloe stayed
“Abigail. I need to talk” Instead of answering her Abigail just raised her eyes
“Oh come on, Abigail For a few minutes can we act maturely? And talk like adults?”
“What is it? What do you want to talk about?”
“Fate has brought us together on the same job place, so instead of showing people that we are enemies, we can leave it behind and …”
“One second. Why are you telling me this when you are the one acting childishly around .. well… everywhere.”
“Ok laccept my mistake. But I want to put an end to it. I am becoming tired. Professionally we won’t be able to grow if we would keep fighting each other.”
“I never fought you… FYI!”
“Kyle was never yours to start with and …”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear this crappy name in my office.” Abigail never used that tone with Chloe. Chloe became quiet for a minute.
“You want truce because of our work. Fine. I understand. Don’t expect anything lesser or more. Got that?”
Chloe stayed quiet, “Mom is not even ready to listen to me, Abi.”
She was making it sound like she was the victim.
Abigail shrugged her lips pursed in a thin line, she just nodded her head in agreement. Right now she did not want to talk to her.
All her life Chloe kept taking away her things and Abigail kept handing them over to her. Thinking that she was her baby sister and was supposed to be spoiled by her elder
But Kyle was not a thing. They had cheated behind her back. And they were not even guilty about i
“Listen!” Abigail stopped her, “You may find it childish but try your best not to call me by my name. Don’t use my name. I don’t want to call you or that boyfriend of yours by your names. And I expect you to do the same. Until and unless it’s unavoidable in the office.”
This was a new Abigail. Or maybe she was not Abigail.
This was someone else.
The Abigail, Chloe knew never in her life spoke for herself.
De Her code number
*Can you at least ask mom to listen to me? To talk to me? Chloe had unshed tears in her eyes. But Abigail had become immune to these tears a long time back when she had found both of them in
bed
In her bed!
‘I will try!”
“What do you mean by TRY damn it. She is my mom. Just remind her that.”
“Don’t use that tone in MY office, Chloe.” Abigail hissed between clenched teeth “I told you. I will deliver the message to mom. And no She Is my mom too.
Abigail had a finality in her tone. She immersed herself in the file opened in front of her a clear indication for Chloe that it was time to leave.
Abigail did not raise her head from the file but she was not able to read a single word due to the headache
Leaning her elbows on the desk she started massaging her temples until she heard a familiar voice, ‘Need help?”
She could hardly smile when she saw him, “I don’t know. This headache…”
“Come. Let me take you upstairs.” Abigail knew her apartment was locked and he was asking her o go to his portion.
“No thanks. It will subside in no time. I just need a cup of coffee.”
Hunter rolled his eyes on that. “Oh come on. Again?”
But Abigail did not react. She did feel this urge to hit her head on the pillow. But she preferred to stay late in the office.
Hunter was her new friend and she did not want to give him the impression that she was trying to take any kind of advantage.
“I will just stay a little more and go through this one.” She pointed towards the file, “If you want, go ahead.”
Nodding his head, Hunter made a pout and turned to leave but then came back to her desk. She did not know why his eyes were twinkling with mischief, “By the way. Your lock is successfully restored. Without any damage.”
“Really?” She stood up dumbfounded, “I mean… wow. But wasn’t the locksmith supposed to come b
y 7 in the evening?”
“Oh, I have already asked him not to bother. It’s me who recovered the password.”
“Really? Whose birth year worked?”
“Nope” He popped the P sound, “no one’s.”
“Then what I mean what code you punched?”
“Abigail.”
“Yes?”
“I guess you were right when you told me you have a memory of eighty years old.”
“Oh?”
He blinked his eyes and started heading towards the door.
“Hunter? What was my code?” Hunter turned around and looked straight in her eyes, “ The code is: One. Two, Three. Four.”
