“Good afternoon, Mr. Thomas,” Una greeted back.
Liezel grinned, looking from Una to Will. “Are you seriously still this formal with each other?”
Will flashed her a quick smile. “I’ll be back.”
“I have been meaning to ask you this…”
“What?” Una asked, looking indifferent.
“What do you think of Will?”
“Quite early to tell since I’ve only known him for a couple of months…but he’s good…so far.”
Liezel rolled her eyes. “Well, don’t you think he’s cute?”
Una stayed silent, not quite sure what to say to that.
“I know he looks a tad boring. Well, he’s not really the first guy I’d have in mind if we think of style and fashion. But if you get past his basic dress shirt, tie, and boring pants, he’s actually pretty attractive. Maddy from HR once told me how Will made her and some girls in the office almost wet their panties when he came in a neat tuxedo to the Christmas party last year.”
“He doesn’t look boring in his dress shirt, tie, and pants,” Una softly disagreed, now toying her salad with her fork.
Liezel suddenly shrieked. “Oh, you like him!” It was more like a statement than a question.
Una felt her discomfort on Liezel’s interest in her and Will slowly wrestling to the surface as she tried to push down the strange feeling that was building up inside since her housemate’s arrival.
“Why are you telling me that?”
Liezel playfully wiggled her eyebrows at her, teasing her. Una chose not to indulge her friend by keeping her mouth shut.
A few minutes later, Will came back to the living room wearing a more comfortable pair of gray sweatpants and plain white shirt. Liezel could tell she had somewhat made Una uneasy by pointing out Will’s appeal and good looks that she may have perhaps chosen not to notice, but Leizel well knew enough not to mention it. She knew what a blunt teasing could do to her friend.
“What is wrong with you people?” Liezel asked as soon as Will sat down on a chair by the couch.
He mock-glared at her and immediately started on his own box of takeout. “What do you mean?”
“Ms. Miller? Mr. Thomas? You guys should already have passed that level of formality and, perhaps, act more comfortable around each other,” Liezel explained.
Una put the salad on the table with a loud thud, grabbed the remote next to the pitcher, and started going through the channels again. Liezel noticed and just shook her head, ridding the glum on her friend’s face as just being her usual odd self.
But Will somehow picked up on this, and as he forced a smile, he casually told Liezel, “What’s wrong with being polite?”
“Polite?” Leizel’s mouth fell open, setting her container down. “I think you guys can really make a perfect team – TEAM AWKWARD. Jeez, can’t you just call each other by your first names?”
“I guess we can ...” Una trailed off, feeling uncomfortable. She placed the remote back on the table and watched the news channel on low volume.
“Then I’m begging both of you—do it. You guys sound so weird.” She glanced at Will. “Hey, have you invited her to our office party?”
“What office party?”
“Oh, Will, you haven’t?” Liezel asked in a mock surprise.
“No—because I didn’t think she would want to go.”
“Of course, she would. I helped organized that party. Well, you Ms. Miller,” she looked at Una with a slight grin on her face, “are going with Mr. Thomas.” She then turned to Will, a small laugh escaping her mouth.
Will blinked. “I’m sorry—what?”
“Take Una to the office party.”
He looked over at Una, waiting for some acknowledgement that it was, in fact, okay to invite her. When he didn’t notice anything from Una that may indicate some sort of refusal, he smiled, but he looked tense. “Sure.”
“I—alright,” Una let out, a bit apprehensive. It was obvious that she wasn’t really sure what she was committing herself to.
There had been many parties that Liezel had invited Una to, but the answer was always a no, and that was what she had anticipated. She had expected Una’s face to break into a frown and throw her a flat no. But hearing Una’s response, she had concluded that her assertiveness had actually, finally worked. And when things were finally unravelling by the second, she couldn’t be more pleased. “You may want to wear the blue skater dress I bought you on your birthday last year. You never—”
“Shhh…” Una suddenly interrupted her. “Is that Tyra?” She grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
“…Tyra Andrews, a 22-year-old college student, was last seen at a club at Farlington in Boston and has been missing since the weekend…” A solo picture of Tyra with an obvious party going in her background, all smiling and happy, popped on the screen as the news reporter droned.
“What the—” Liezel gasped. “That is Tyra.” She sighed loudly, annoyed. “My goodness, Una…your TV…it’s getting worse. Look at those irritating pixels.”
Watching the reporter provide a few more information about Tyra, Una’s mind shut Liezel off and was swirling with questions. Another missing person in her city? And this time, it had to be Tyra, the woman who, not so long ago, she kicked out for not following her rules.
“…having the time of her life and she had no idea what was in store for her that night,” she heard Liezel’s voice echo dimly in her ears. “Better prepare yourself, Una. Officers are going to start dropping by your house, asking you questions. You can’t tell them how you hated Tyra’s guts for breaking your rules.”
Una held the remote tightly in her fist.
Will sent both of them a confused look. “Tyra? Was she the girl who used to rent the room I’m occupying now?”
Liezel nodded at him. “The one and only…and she’s missing. For a week now, apparently. Where could that girl be? She’s always somewhere else, with someone else.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, popping a potato fritter into his mouth.
Liezel continued chewing on her salad as the news anchor moved on to another report. “Tyra was…probably, still is…living a promiscuous life and her promiscuity was the reason she got kicked out. Maybe she eloped with some rich guy who promised to give her everything and that she doesn’t have to work for the rest of her life.”
Will caught a glimpse of Una who remained silent in the corner of the couch. “Are you okay, Ms. Miller?”
“Ms. Miller?!” Leizel cried out. “When are you gonna stop with this weird name?” she asked, raising one of her eyebrows.
“I’m okay. It’s just that…”
He leaned forward slightly in his chair as Una went on to tell him about how she felt a sudden concern as to Tyra’s whereabouts. Liezel sat there, observing. No matter how odd her friends were around each other, she could tell just by looking at how focused Will was to catch everything Una was saying that it was nothing short of genuine.
“Well, everywhere around the world, people go missing day in day out.” Will sighed. “It just takes someone we know to disappear for us to realize how bad things could be.”
“I guess you are right. Tyra could be,” Una paused, breathed a sigh of relief before her eyebrows furrowed, and then touched the left corner of his mouth with her point finger. “You have some sour cream…”
Liezel watched as Will shifted slightly in his seat, almost unsure of how to react. He froze, made eye contact with Una, and abruptly leaned back; motionless for a moment. Will wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and cleared his throat, laughing softly in an attempt to recover. Inside, Liezel was laughing. Watching both her friends act so painfully awkward in front of her was both torture and entertainment.
“Thanks. I’m gonna get something from the kitchen,” Will murmured, standing up and making his way toward the kitchen.
Liezel grinned, shaking her head like she just discovered something amusing. “You really had to touch
him with your finger when you could have just told him.”
There was a brief moment of silence before Una glanced toward her. “You’re right. I could, couldn’t I?” She thought about it for a second. “That’s what I should have done.” She looked away and focused on Will’s takeout box next to her Pad Thai on the table.
Liezel smiled. As Una continued to finish her food, Leizel noticed the change in her friend’s demeanor. She looked more relaxed as she munched on her salad, and when she craned her neck twice in the direction of the kitchen, Liezel thought it wouldn’t be long until both of them would stop being polite with each other and start…
She giggled when she couldn’t stop the dirty thoughts of her friends from forming in her mind.
“What’s so funny about an out-of-control bull attacking its owner?” Una asked her, referring to the news on the TV.
Leizel shook her head. “Nothing.”
Will came back and Una briefly glanced at him and then quickly ran her fingers through her hair to smoothen the tangles that weren’t really there. Liezel laughed lightly at this.
“What?” Una turned to her.
She shrugged. “Nothing. I just remembered something funny.”
“What is it?” It was Will who asked this time.
“A dirty joke. Una wouldn’t want to hear it,”
“Yes, I won’t.”
Liezel pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind.
Chapter 11
Jack-o’-lantern
Will put on the black suit as he inspected himself in the mirror, pleased to have pulled off John Wick’s trademark look. He let out another heavy sigh. Normally, he slacked off and would have just worn a shirt with the character he had chosen printed on the front and get it over with; just like last year when he had worn a printed Lego Batman shirt and the year before when he came wearing a Luke Skywalker shirt. But this year, he thought he’d be more participative. After all, he would be with someone, his landlady no less. And the fact that he wasn’t just going to a Halloween party, but to his team’s victory party as well, he had made up his mind to put in some effort. And for some reason, he didn’t want to give Una the impression that he was such a party pooper by dressing up lame.
He walked to his door, opened it, and stepped out. Silence already enveloped the house again after Una had listened to Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love, on repeat, for three solid hours. It came to a point when he wanted to introduce his landlady if she could just play the entire greatest hits album and not just one song. But he changed his mind when he heard her singing in her room as he went down to the kitchen. Two hours after, and with Una singing along every now and then, the song had grown on him. He smiled when he realized she had that effect on him, and it only amazed him.
“Ms. Miller?” He lightly knocked on Una’s door. “Are you all set to go?”
“One second,” Una told him from the other side of the room.
He went downstairs to the living room. Walking around in his sleek Oxford shoes, he waited for Una. He pulled out a metal airsoft pistol as his sidearm, checking it as if it were real and making sure it was on safety.
“Let’s go?”
He turned around and looked at Una up and down, shocked at how different she looked from her usual vintage dress and cardigan ensemble. He crossed the room so he was standing right in front of her, eyes never leaving her as he took in her look. The image of Una’s naked body in the bathroom suddenly flashed in his mind. Immediately, he shut his eyes close and took a deep a breath.
“Are you okay, Mr. Thomas?”
When Glen’s STD scare was slowly losing its effect, he focused his mind to tear away from the image of Una’s body a little bit more. After a couple of seconds, he opened his eyes and took another deep breath.
“Yeah, I’m okay.” He smiled, finally in control of his thoughts again “You look rockin’, Ms. Miller.”
“Does that mean I’m pulling this outfit off?” A nervous Una asked with such sincerity in her question.
Will smiled and looked into her eyes. “If this had been a romantic movie, Ronan Keating would be singing in the background by now.”
“What?” Una blushed.
“What?” He stayed still, shocked for saying what he was thinking. “I’m just—kidding.”
“Liezel thought I’d be more comfortable in this than the skater dress. But why do I feel like I look stupid in this?” Una muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
“No, you don’t. Don’t worry. I got you, Ms. Miller.” Will led her out of the house and opened the door to his car for her. Once inside, they drove to the party in silence.
When they arrived, the office looked almost unrecognizable. And Una could back out, she was already walking into a room decked with colorful mini strobe lights, pumpkin lanterns with tea light candles inside, and other ghoulish decorations scattered everywhere creating a spooky atmosphere.
An evil laugh track was blending perfectly with the disco music, filling the air under a controlled volume to remind everyone that they were still in their workplace and they should still be in their best behavior.
It was Una’s first time to ever attend a Halloween party as crowded and as noisy as the one she was in at the moment. Everywhere she looked, people were in costumes and laughing, drinking, and talking like they hadn’t seen each other just a few hours ago.
“What on earth are you wearing?”
Una and Will stopped by the refreshments table as an oversized, blue cotton candy mascot blocked their way.
“Is that you, Glen?” Will asked the mascot.
Glen indeed came in a Smurf costume. From the blue top, white baggy pants with boot covers, blue mitts, and the white Smurf hat, he was unrecognizable. He removed the grouchy Smurf mask. “What the fuck? You brought a date?”
Una flinched.
Will noticed. “Watch your mouth, buddy. This is Ms. Una Miller.”
“Bonsior ma chère. It’s nice to finally meet you. Don’t worry, I shall watch out for my dirty mouth while you are here.” Glen grinned, eyes never leaving Una.
“And this blue cotton candy right here is Glen, Ms. Miller.”
“I’m not Will, so I will call you Una.” Glen shifted his attention and asked him, “And what are you supposed to be? An impeccably dressed limousine driver?”
Standing between the two of them and looking uncomfortable, Una remained silent as she looked down and fiddled with her hands.
“John Wick,” Will replied.
Glen eyed Una again, playfully narrowing his eyes. “And let me guess what you are, Una. Judging from your black leather boots, skinny jeans, t-shirt with a rock band print, I’m guessing you are…Lara Croft?”
Will smiled uneasily with a hint of unbridled annoyance. “She’s a rocker chick, music lover, easy-going girl, with an edge and a tough side.”
Una nodded slowly. “Somewhat, yeah.”
“You look foxy.” Glen gave her a wink before his face turned agitated and returned his glare to Will. “But what the actual heck, dude! I thought we had an agreement. We were supposed to party hard tonight, Smurfs style.”
“Una! You made it.” Liezel shrieked. They all turned to her direction as she made her way through the crowd dressed as a sexy navy. The costume was fairly tight, hugging her every curve in a seductive and very enthralling fashion.
“Dark blue zip dress, white colored belt,” Glen whispered, “navy hat, matching gloves, white knee-high boots. Damn, if I get lucky, I’m going home with a hot navy tonight.”
“Zip it, Glen!” Liezel greeted and beamed at Una. “You came!”
“Nice decorations, Liezel, although your committee could do a little more…be more creative.”
“Shush! You are so disgusting, Glen.”
“What? I didn’t mean you should have gone full grotesque like animal sacrifices and shit like that.” He turned to Una and gave a weird curtsy. “Apologies for my filthy mouth.” He then turned to Liezel again. “Just so
mething more entertaining than the spooky banner, jack-o’-lanterns, and those other kids’ stuff.”
Dismissing his comment, Liezel rolled her eyes and smiled at her best friend. “You’re late. I thought you changed your mind and decided not to come.”
“Well, here I am, although I think I’m actually right when I told you this costume is too much.”
“It’s Halloween, Una,” Leizel exclaimed, catching Una’s tone. “Have a bit of fun. You look scorching hot, though you could have worn some make up. A nice smoky eye and red dark lips would have been perfect.”
Leizel may probably be right about Una looking insanely hot because all Will could focus on was Una and how she was rocking her look. With or without make up. And while her top didn’t show any cleavage, the shirt was still fit enough, highlighting her feminine charms.
“Liezel,” a high-pitched voice coming from a woman wearing a long plaid skirt, black turtle neck, and combat boots made her way over to them.
“Maddy, I know that the November wind is such a cold bitch,” Glen said, “But what made you decide to wear your blanket as your costume?”
“I should be able to wear whatever I think is appropriate, just like you have every right to be a blue blob,” Maddy stated. She then smiled nervously as she eyed Will. “So good to see the famous John Wick gracing us tonight. Are you here take this blob down?” She pointed at Glen. “I have a pencil you can use.”
Glen rolled his eyes. “Haha! I get the pencil reference, Maddy. I’m not an idiot.”
Maddy waved him off. “Mr. Arthur Godfrey wants to speak to you,” she told Will.
“Dude! The freaking owner of the company wants to speak to you!” Glen looked more excited than him.
Will turned to Una. “He’s my boss’ dad. I’ll be right back,” he muttered as he walked away with Maddy by his side.
Una took a deep breath before looking through the crowd until she spotted the refreshment table. Before she could make a move, Liezel hooked her arm around hers. “Let’s go. I’ll show you around and introduce you to the rest of the important people in the company.”
Considerably Wicked: A Dark Romance Page 11
