Page 116 of Through You
Now that I see her up close, I notice she looks very young. She has a pink twinset on and a skirt that hits at her knees. Her hair is wavy, and loose curls fall on each side of her face. She’s holding a bag in her hand.
She clears her throat. “Pardon me.” She sounds nervous. “Sir.”
She addresses me with respect, and I smile in an attempt to calm her down. I forget how much I intimidate everyone who works here.
Alex keeps flipping through papers and doesn’t look at her.
“What’s wrong?”
Her delicate hands have a tight grip on a bag she holds out.
“I went out on my lunch break, and I thought, well . . . I brought you lunch,” she says, licking her lips. “When I called Mr. Hidalgo’s secretary, he told me you hadn’t eaten, so I thought . . . I hope I’m not bothering you.”
I sit up straight. “What’s your name?”
“Chimmy. I mean, Chantal. It’s just that my friends call me . . .
It’s Chantal, sir.”
She’s adorable, and reminds me of Ares’s girlfriend.
“Nice to meet you, Chantal.”
Alex gives her an answer but continues to avoid her gaze.
“You can leave the lunch on the table, Chantal.”
I can see the disappointment on the girl’s face. “Yes, sir.”
I give my best friend a cold stare, and smile at Chantal when she places the bag on the table.
“Thank you very much, Chantal. Thanks for thinking of us.
It’s very kind of you,” I tell her genuinely.
The disappointment that marred her expression earlier fades away, and her small face lights up. “You’re welcome, sir. I hope you enjoy it.”
As soon as she leaves, I punch Alex on the shoulder.
“Ow!” he complains. “What was that for?”
“I thought the cold one in this duo was me.”
“What did I do now?”
“Why do you treat her like that?”
Oh, the irony. I’m interrogating Alex and asking why he’s cold with a girl. It’s likely I see myself in him, the version that had just come back home who treated Claudia so poorly. I still regret my behavior.
“How so?” Alex seems to be unaware.
“She brought us lunch when she didn’t have to. And you didn’t even look at her or thank her.”
“She’s seeing someone.”
“Huh?”
Alex sighs and slams the papers down on the table.
