Lucy"s bitter tears waited for a chance to pop, and when the phone call from Lillian ended with her wishing for Lucy"s well-being, it finally broke. She stood outside, on the pavement, as many watched as they crossed her. The temperature was typically colder, and the gathering clouds indicated a mild shower at any time. When the severity of the glances Lucy received increased, she realized herself. Wiping those wretched tears, she dusted her wrinkled dress, smoothened it to an extent, marched slowly away to meet with Frank...
Frank, who waited patiently for a while, behaved like a cat on a hot tin roof, distraught to his anxiety. When he eventually ran out of gas and distress loomed over, he waited no longer. Leaving at once from his seat, he rushed out of the car to find Lucy arriving slow to her unusual tempo.
"Lucy!" Frank yelped from the sight.
Lucy followed the voice and found Frank. She relaxed her stiff shoulders down and gave a subtle nod.
Frank could spot the difference along with the lines that revealed the possibility of wet tears. Somehow without her explaining, Frank could see through Lucy"s bearing and a.s.sume that it was no friend she met.
"Kids these days! They are so soon to fall in and out of love. I guess this one is loyal!" - Frank thought to himself.
He got into the car, wore the seat belt, checked the mirrors, and Lucy, and finally drove off from the spot.
**
Sore and shattered from admitting to her truth, Lillian Grey fell back to her seat, resting until the fog in her head clears, and her breathing pacifies. Her lengthy stay received the attention to the employees working there at the reception desk, and they seem to be in a pinch to know who this one was.
One of them signaled the other to go and inquire. Following the seniority order, a young female in her pencil skirt with white ruffled sleeves and bright dark red lips approached the lone and wretched Lillian Grey.
"Excuse me," she reached out to the mourning stranger.
Inquiring about her stay and visit of the place, the receptionist spoke, and Lillian responded nothing. Without a proper reason, she got asked to leave immediately. Lillian obeyed to retire. She looked at her watch to check the time from being unaware of how many hours pa.s.sed. It turns out, a quarter of an hour went by, yet it feels stretched out. She stepped out of the building.
How drastic the event turned out for her!
The last time she stood here: she had a girl in her life, someone who cared, a possible future with that person, and now, everything vanished. She is back to the start, feeling alone by herself.
Lillian picked up her mobile to send a short message, and then she left the place without ever looking out for Lucy.
****
The road still occupied with traffic and Lucy hasn"t spoken a word until now. She remained quiet, leaning back to her seat while watching the outside view.
Lucy"s stomach grumbles to the soundless air inside the wheels. The manager heard it clear to his sharp ears from the noiseless drive.
"Lucy?" Frank called after staring hard enough into the rearview mirror. His voice peeled through thick silence.
Lucy returned her glance to the mirror and saw Frank staring back at her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Lucy did not respond. She blinked at the question, wondering from her numbed senses of not knowing how she really feels at the moment. It wasn"t solely an afflicted state to express.
"I don"t know what I"m feeling right now, Frank," she said.
"Clearly starving! We still have some time left before the next spot. Let"s grab lunch, get ourselves back to feet, and go to work. Alright?"
"Hmm..."
The two returned to complete muteness.
"Lucy," Frank called again, this time his tone wasn"t that of prying, but more gentle to the ears.
"Hmm..." Lucy responded.
"Just so you know, it is okay to cry," he suggested.
These words punched Lucy in her throat, and she bites her lips in pain.
"I don"t want to," she sniffed and sent a stern signal to her tear ducts, warning them to stay put.
"That"s very brave, but I insist if you wish to let it out, then do it. There is nothing wrong with crying from a heartbreak."
Frank"s advice seems genuine. Even if it was his job, he did his best never to make it sound like a business. His careful attention to Lucy"s well-being helps the model to pick herself up from falling to despair. She would stand up and keep fighting. Remembering his efforts freed Lucy, and successfully distracted her from grieving.
"I want a double cheeseburger and fries for lunch," she spoke for the first time.
Lucy could hear Frank"s loud sigh.
"I want to it, Frank," she insisted.
"You can have the fries, but a double cheeseburger sounds sick to me."
"You know what else is sick, falling in love with someone, and getting your heart broken by them."
Frank grunted from not knowing how to respond.
"Lucy-"
"I"ll skip the fries, but I"m standing firm on a DCB!"
"DCB!"
Frank waited to let Lucy change her mind, but it never happened, and he agreed to get her a double cheeseburger and fries.
"Thanks," Lucy said.
"I"ve been there. Going through breakups, so you can have whatever you want. But make sure you keep training without slacking. A healthy body and mind can let you fly high with freedom."
"B- Boring! Wake me up when you got my DCB. I"ll nap until then."
"Alright, Madam," Frank exclaimed.
He returned to driving in the traffic without disturbing Lucy. He can confirm that she got hurt. However, his words helped her move on, and he vowed to stay by her side and watch her grow.
"Frank-" Lucy called this time.
"Yes."
"I know! I won"t slack or fall from no on, so you better watch me," she said.
"I will."
Frank glanced at the rear mirror to find Lucy finally dozed off from exhaustion. She probably held on to a lot of things in her mind. He let her rest easy.
***
Lillian sat up front, near the bartender, and already settled in hard liquor. She emptied the gla.s.s and signaled for another round.
The bartender, who was aware of her numerous visits, poured her the drink. He could recognize her from the one meeting where Diego was rude and cold to everyone until she appeared. It was a vivid memory, and ever since then, he could spot Lillian and Diego easily in the crowd.
Lillian emptied her gla.s.s again and signaled for one more.
The feeling of deja vu returns, and he was careful as he kept pouring her the drink. Lillian never spoke anything other than waving for more alcohol.
As he keenly watched her take steady sips, another voice reached to his ears.
"Who told you to start before I arrive?" Diego spoke and smacked softly at the back of her head, playfully.
The bartender could feel the scene unfold again in front of his eyes. Nonetheless, his job was to serve, and he did it best.
"Can I have the cla.s.sic gimlet?" he ordered his drink with a hard stare at the bartender.
"Yes, sir," the guy moved quickly.
"Diego?" Lillian guessed from the familiar voice.
"Who else would come to this place with you?" Diego played.
Lillian looked by her side and found Diego, sitting next to her, in his colorful casuals.
"You got dressed up for this!" she smirked.
"Do you want me to come in my suit and tie?"
"That"ll be nice too," Lillian chuckled low.
The bartender placed the gla.s.s of the cla.s.sic gimlet in front of Diego, and he returned a nod before raising it to his mouth.
The first sip of the citrus drink in this chilly night felt good. Unlike Lillian, he did not sip continuously but returned the gla.s.s to the counter, savoring it every time.
"So, what"s going on? You had a breakup?" Diego said to his informal, friendly while sneering tone.
Lillian did not react to him, but she kept tasting the alcohol.
To her surprise, the alcohol, despite its nature, always gave her a pleasant feeling. However, today, every sip of her drink was bitter to taste. It was not comforting her mood.
"Did you know that Giselle returned?" she said to look at Diego.
***