"What are you doing here?"
"Craig as in Craig from the birthday?" Her mum asked, appalled.
"Uh...meet my mum," Eloïse casually introduced.
"Zaphrina Woods," Zaphrina gleefully extended her hand which the young boy kissed its back instead of shaking it. "Oh."
"It is an honor to finally meet you in person, Mrs. Woods," Zaphrina barely tilted her head with questioning brows. "I am Craig Donnelly, nothing but an ordinary devotee of yours."
"A fan? How incredible."
He singly nodded with gentleness then diverted a placid gaze to Jeremy. "What happened?"
Zaphrina and Eloïse's eyes fluctuated from one man to the other, bewildered.
Jeremy lowered his head remorsefully."I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Mrs. Woods. My cousin here messed up a good fraction of the show and I'm immensely ashamed," he shot Jeremy a deadly stare, "My pleas of being extra careful and alerted, considering how important this show is to you, unfortunately, was water on a duck's back."
"Your cousin," Zaphrina's brows rose in surprise as she stated.
"My apologies, Mrs. Woods, Craig," His desperate face couldn't go unnoticed beneath a dirty old baseball cap that accessorized a flaxen tee inside an undersized mink jumpsuit.
"Besides negligence, none of this was my intention."Jeremy exaggeratedly bowed causing a portion of his tucked in right foot pants to lay out of place."It's okay, Jeremy, just be sure to be more careful next time, have everything checked and make-"
"No, Mrs. Woods," Craig objected, "do not give him a next time even if the opportunity showed up. We're not sure of cautiousness."
"Oh, Craig," Zaphrina emphasized on his name, "it really was nothing. We all make mistakes. We are only human. The show is still ongoing as we speak so there isn't any need to take this trivial matter to the cardiac."
"If you say so, Mrs-"
"Oh dear, quit the formalities," she flapped a hand, "just call me Zaphrina or mum, whichever suits you," she beamed, held him by the arm and led him together with the three girls out of the electric power room. "You're such a chivalrous young man and oh, you're face looks quite familiar. Did you grow around here or school here maybe at some point in your life?"
Craig lashed out a faint smile. "Neither of them, Mrs-"
"Zaphrina."
"Right. Neither of them."
"What a pity. You know, I used to know a-"
Eloïse interceded with a feigned throat clear, "mum, Pete needs you."
"Nah, he has everything under -"
"Oh my gosh, how forgetful of me," Marila cut the early forty age woman off, "We met Mr. Woods on our way here and...and," she slightly nudged Bennie on the waist.
"Y-yeah...he uhh...he said you forgot to restock the fridge with maple syrup."
Marila narrowed her eyes at the level of lameness in her friend's excuse.Eloïse heard her mum's retort recede as she walked away with Craig. She still couldn't believe that he was there, walking abreast her after his sudden disappearance from Marila's party. Did she go wrong somewhere? She hadn't stopped asking herself. Perhaps Bethany was right: she must have bored him with her stutters to stupor.
He was still as handsome as she could remember, if not so, then more. They briefly sauntered to a quiet place even though such places were hard to find given the situation the vicinity was facing.
After finally sighting a manageable spot which was an attached shade at the back of the auditorium formally used as a concession stand, the duo proceeded their journey towards it in ear-splitting silence."I'm sorry," they both said once seated causing Eloïse to smile.
He returned the gesture, "Ladies first."
Eloïse fiddled with her fingers. "I'm sorry about what happened back there with my mum thinking to have met you before and all. Old age is beginning to take a drastic toll on her."
"It's fine. Such things happen." His intense gaze sculpted her facial features.
"What about you, uh, what is it you're apologizing for?"
"Everything," Eloïse questioningly looked into his midnight black pupils for the first time, "for the night I vanished without a word and for my cousin's negligence."
Eloïse who had immediately pulled out her gaze from his as if it stung said, "it's all good."
It was, truly, but she wanted to know only one thing. Why? Why he left.
"I got a call from my boss the minute you went forth with your friend to present myself in his office within a short span. That's why I didn't have time to bid you goodbye or goodnight."
"Is that so?" She returned to fiddling, "I thought..." She trailed on her words, not sure of what to say. "Well, you made me think...I..."
"You thought your company bored me to my wits? On the contrary, your company's the best I ever had in so many years, trust me on that," he absentmindedly settled his distant gaze on the wilting rusty brown leaves the autumn wind had to offer with his forearm resting on his knees.
Eloïse grabbed the opportunity to freely flush all possible combined shades of red while it lasted.
"And I'm not saying this for personal interest," he added.
That never crossed her mind even though she was well aware that he was a lot older than she was and could possibly be using his intelligence, charms, and years of experienced lady bait expertise to get her heart or body and break or abuse of it like she saw the highschool jocks do to half the girls.
Personally, she felt him different, age apart. So different that she wanted to know him more, see him more, and oddly, hold him more."I didn't expect to see you here," she diverted the topic for her sanity.
"I couldn't miss this peculiar show for anything in the world, plus, my cousin was going to be in charge of the electrical field. I feared something as such would happen. Don't get me wrong, he's good but not as good as uncle. The last thing I wanted was to let an imprudent acquaintance jeopardize my idol's show."
"That's kind of you. You must be a devoted fan," She paused waiting for him to say something which he didn't. "Small world isn't it?" She chuckled, "I would never have thought you were related to Rodriguez."
"Destiny has its ways like my grandma always says. Impossibilities become possible."
There was a wind whistle of silence after that.
"Will I see you, again?" She boldly asked after several interior debates. It was fashion week after all so there was a big probability that he will show up. If not tomorrow then someday before the week ended.
"No," he sadly retorted, "I'll be leaving New York in three days. For good."
Her heart fragmented. "What about your job, your family...your friends, will you give up on it all just like that?"
He lifted his eyes to the sky, took a deep breath of the autumn air then said, "I lost my job, and I have no family and friends here. So I got nothing to hold me back."
What about me? She wanted to say but thought of how stupid it will be for someone to stay back because of a bump and pass.
"What about Mr. Rodriguez, Jeremy?"He sighed, "they aren't really...family," his voice seemed distant.
Eloïse frowned, ached to know what more his sudden change in demeanor had hidden inside. When he said nothing further she stayed shut.
"If you...if you found a job within three days will it deprive you of leaving?"
He turned to her and she immediately shrunk from the little audacity she had. His eyes then journeyed to roam her again, she couldn't see it but could feel it. His gaze made her feel like she was barren from the fuchsia Shein dress she had on.
How does he do that? She thought."It depends," his voice came out as silky as satin. "On the kind of job, of course, and earnings too."
She didn't know how much he earned in his previous job and wasn't sure if her job offer would be enough to meet up to his expectations. Enough to keep him from leaving.
"I doubt what you did before and how much you earned but I'm sure my offer will be enough to make you st—" she pursed her lips before completely validating her obvious desperation. Her countenance had done more than sufficient. "Consider modeling."
He chuckled, "We're still on this, huh?" He rubbed his palms and funny enough, she began to picture the wonders that could come out of them. Marila would preach a sea if she ever burst through her thoughts.
"So tell me, what criteria would make me eligible for modeling?" He impishly smiled.Eloïse profusely hyperventilated inside, as a result, her palms had begun to perspire. She still didn't understand why and how Craig's words and presence thawed her to a pulp so much. As an expert auditioner, that wasn't supposed to be a big deal but now and then, she was unable to utter a word as her mind twisted into gibberish.
How was she going to say 'everything' without sounding awkward? Because yes, he did have all criteria.Eloïse's eyes wandered around his mid-body where his blackberry suit flawlessly hugged his arms, back, and chest. It was quite a sight. How much more will it look without them?
"Yes?" He questioned in eagerness.
"There you are," Bennie said, "your dad's trailing you. You have two minutes to be done with the 'restroom' before he storms in there." Bennie childishly waved at Craig with a sheepish grin before disappearing behind the walls.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," she instantly vacated the old piece of wood of an excuse of a chair. Hope to see you again, her mouth readied to say but, "It was nice seeing you again." shot out instead.
He mimicked her action and took a step closer to her. "Too bad we didn't come to the end of this conversation," a pinch of impassiveness in his tone simultaneously with a tiny gesture of nonchalantly pocketing his hands made Eloïse's belly flip as it reminded her of an anime character she had spent her whole teenage years fantasizing about.
As if realizing his scary yet alluring change of deed, he stiffly smiled and relaxed his countenance. "Would've loved to consider your offer if my mind wasn't made up."
Eloïse disappointedly twisted her lips but quickly converted it to a smile and said, "I wish you a safe journey, then." Pivoted on her heels and off she went with a heavy heart of never seeing him again.
She looked quaint in all her glory,Modest, absolute yet peppy.Twice in sight and all I'm gone,Will I ever see her again when all this is done?An instant I wish,To see thy imperfections nearest,An instant I wish,I could heed thy voice, dearest. Confess my name once and down the hill I shall tumble.Confess my name once and down my heart shall stumble. "Hmm. Still fantasizing, eh?" The voice startled the young boy inducing him to shut his biro in his journal to offer his entire attention to his friend. "She's not your league, Greene, even in the dream world," The chunky man consoled in his usual way with a light tap on the blonde-haired boy's shoulders. "Here, I got something to eat." He dropped an opaque plastic bag of laminated loaf on the tattered three-legged mite-eaten study table. The young boy stared at the loaf as if it had offended him in his previous life. "Don't stare at it that way," he plopped on a mouse deformed sofa with a heavy huff. "If anything, give it than
Marila posed into a straight face statue on Eloïse's bed, her legs yoga folded and said nothing. They'd all returned home after a partially good stroke not so good show: at least she's had the opportunity to see Craig again and talked to him longer than their first, contrarily, she'd missed the exhibit of her second haute couture after improperly digesting the prior. And not to forget, she'd missed encountering Leo, Mary Mcbourne, and the celebrities. What a drastic loss. Hopefully they showed up in the days to come. "You're getting annoying with this, Marila." Eloïse, while on the vanity mirror, unclipped her leaf filigree earrings and carefully placed it in her jewelry box. "He's not that...straightfaced." She made a face before releasing the last word. After deserting her father, who had driven them home and thought she had wasted so much time than necessary for a lady in the restroom, her friends had their eyes bulging out like a scroll and Marila won't stop asking her repeated
It was the last day of the fashion week, Eloïse, fortunately, got to meet Coco again and had an autograph. Unfortunately, she didn't get to see Lupita but at least other celebrities showed up though she wasn't much into them like Bennie and Marila were. In the course of the event, Eloïse had been neck-stretching into the crowd hoping to see Craig, hoping he'd not left, hoping something held him back but all hopes shattered at his absence. Sometimes, she'd been tempted to go to the electrical district but ended up biting back from it. Her opinion or query wasn't going to change a thing. Nonetheless, Eloïse's heart was like parceled granulated sugar since her mum informed her a day ago that Leonard called to have a dialogue about her haute couture, and tomorrow she'll be meeting him. Her head screamed with joy. Her dream of becoming a renowned fashion designer was a step away. The sad thing about the day was her friends left at dusk. They'd planned on visiting
Eloïse froze. She scanned for an ounce of prank on her friends faces but there was none. They could be mistaken. The only person she knew Marila to have a problem with his facial expressions was Craig and she knew him not to be in town since the previous day. "Who is it?" She quizzed with uncertainty, flickering her gaze from sterling grey to bluish-green eyes. "Hello, Ladies." She heard a familiar yet shocking nectareous melody that led to a charming demeanor in a body-clinging tee on a pair of three-quarter leg Bermuda cargo shorts. It was her first time to see him in casuals, he looked wonderfully dashing. In his grip was an opaque white biodegradable plastic bag. His lips twitched to a barely noticeable side smile. Eloïse's breathe stuck midway through her trachea with her eyes, widened like saucers. "Hi, Craig," her friends responded in unison. "I...uh...thought you left." "Thought I would. Unfortunately, circumstances didn't let me." Marila pretentiously cleared her throa
She filled her friends in after dinner as it was her unpaid job to do so. Out of prying ears, they chatted away but not without Eloïse assisting in assembling her friend's luggage which wasn't easy considering Marila's sea of outfits. It overflowed to the extent of Eloïse offering an extra suitcase for the remainder. They had barely four hours to their flight and the trio wanted to make it as memorable as they could. "When's our Cali cruise?" Marila asked. "You are the working class here, you tell us." Eloïse retorted. "Well, I suggest the first two weeks of summer." "Finn and I planned on hiking the Havasupai fall during the first week, so..." "The next two weeks then. Good?" Bennie zipped her suitcase. "Good." "Good for me too. Not like I have anything doing of my life anyway. Oh my, I envy you, Bennie. I heard the Havasupai falls are gorgeous." "Heard so too. Finn is the reason I'm visiting it. Said he's been there o
Eloïse entirely understood the puffiness of her eyes as she stared at her reflection on a roughly hand-cleaned portion of the vaporized mirror. She had spent close to an hour talking with Ace, another one fantasizing about the audition, and half of the next hour chopped by the tension of the meeting with Leonard LeBeau all of which left her with basically one and a half hours of sleep until her alarm went off.The meeting was scheduled at nine leaving her with barely fifty minutes. Her phone buzzed. Still situated in the comfortable corner of a pastel pink single sofa near her bed where she had flung it the previous night, Eloïse rounded up the application of gloss on her puckered lips before reaching the noisy gadget. "Hey, good morning, Bennie," she used the opportunity to widely spread open the curtains and windows. "How was the journey?" "Safe until now that I found fake ass roaches in my dresses," She calmly said. "With a cutely written supposedly thr
But for the noisy engine of the old truck, they had ridden in human silence for a while along a serene route almost void of human presence. The boy ought to have been skeptical, unfortunately, he wasn't since the beggar was kind enough to free him from the real danger. "What ya name, kid?" The young blond said nothing at first as his brain calculated, analyzed, and concluded. "Greene." "Greene," he repeated as if testing the temperature of the water before doing his business. "Why that?" Again, he asked. Greene finally sighted a tattered excuse of a convenient store after minutes of riding. Its once brilliant painted walls of what should have been a striking shade of bubble gum pink were now flaking cream white. The rust embellished Break and Take retro signboard which had seen better days than he had, bizarrely hung on a risky forty-eight-degree angle. He would have thought the place was abandoned if he hadn't seen an old lady walk out of it
"Good morning, Zaphrina ma belle," Leo, with his thick French-accented voice, greeted as he quickly sprang out of his leather chair to welcome the duo from the door. He kissed both Zaphrina's cheeks before turning to Eloïse, "and this must be the talented future queen of fashion," he kissed Eloïse too who had reddened by the sycophancy. "Eloïse," she said with a radiant smile, even though not asked. She had surprised herself there by not faltering with the whole festivity going on in her head, chest, and stomach. Eloïse was indeed star wrecked. "Oh, wonderful name. Come, come, have a seat." Leonard was a typical ancient French six feet quarter to fifty years old man with glimmering dark brown hair which was always in its signature length and gelled style. His face was impeccably smooth as a baby's skin and comprised of deep dark eyes, a hawk's nose, and small lips. In his costume demi-Saison, he sauntered to his chair like he was afraid to step on an ant which made him seem to be