Chapter 4.
His eyes flew open and he pushed himself away from the wall. His head pounded in full force.
Before coming here he knew from looking in the mirror in the hotel room how the light above his health must be delineating.
He had dark circles around his eyes, summoning all the energy he could muster to quickly rejected any sympathy or pity she might begin to have for him.
"I'm okay." He said.
"You look awful!" Way to state the obvious.
He looked at her warily. She sounded rather detached, not as sympathetic as he had expected her to be.
"Are you employed?"
"I'm on sick leave, in three months I have decided to go back to the oil company I first worked in." He said.
"Y-"
"Look I'll sign a lease for three months but I give you the payment for six, if I leave midsummer, you shouldn't have any trouble getting new tenants, college freshmen would be arriving by then and you would definitely find many females looking for a place to rent."
Observing him subtly she responded, "You are a very stubborn man, that's admirable. Do you want to see the apartment?"
"You'll rent it to me?!" He asked her, looking hopeful.
"Yes. But I'm pretty sure you would hate it."
"You're aggravating!" He whined, making her laugh for the first time since he came here.
"You wouldn't be the first man to say that. Which reminds me, we better hurry, I have a date today."
The apartment had a living room with a brick fireplace, and a bedroom that overlooked the entire city. It was on a hilly ground, so they were surrounded by beautiful flowers and grass.
The painting was mold, and while none of the furnishings were expensive, they were really chosen with care and were lovingly painted.
Everything was spotlessly clean.
"This isn't the whole wing of the house is it?" He asked, frowning.
"No." She replied to him. "When you frown like that you remind me of someone." She commented softly.
They were standing by the fireplace, in the warm glow of a little lamp set in the wall.
"Well, I've only been here for two days, so I'm pretty sure I've never met you before. If I have, I'd definitely remember. I never forget any beautiful woman I meet."
"Yeah sure." She answered absentmindedly.
Of course he couldn't recognize her, she wasn't the same girl he knew years ago. Even if he didn't remember her for anything, he would have remembered her for her singing if at all she was the same Diana he knew.
But this Diana, for some reason, seemed so similar to the Diana he knew, yet so different. The thoughts wandered around his mind in confusion.
The warm light cast a soft glow on her face, bouncing off her diamond blue eyes softly and making her skin look so soft and bronze. Her cheeks looked soft and round, like dumplings in a Chinese noodle kitchen, with her nose standing erect in between them.
Her lips, oh her lips. They were full and heart shaped, with the light reflecting off the gloss she had applied on them earlier on.
She was uniquely captivating. So mesmerizing that he zoned out just staring at her.
"That was a very comprehensive survey. Could you be any less subtle?" She asked him, slightly amused than annoyed.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare." He gave her an apologetic smile.
"Yeah. So the rent is six hundred a month, light and heat inclusive. And you can also forget about the idea of paying me double."
"Seriously? Are you sure you don't need the extra money I offered?" He raised a brow.
"Six hundred a month." She repeated firmly and proudly.
"Everything I mentioned-references, checks and the sorts-will be ready by noon tomorrow," he started. " I could drop them where you work, you could take a look at them and I could come back here by six to hear what you've decided."
"And what if I say no?" She asked out of the blue, taking casual steps around the apartment.
"If you say no, I promise I'll leave without making a fuss and I won't come back."
"Fine."
She outstretched a hand for him to take. He shook it, enjoying the smoothness of her palm and the strength of her grip.
"Where do you work?" He asked after he ended the handshake, so as not to be too weird.
"I work at the daycare center on Marco Polo East."
"I'll be there by noon."
She glanced at her watch and her face morphed into a fake dismay.
"I've got to make breakfast and leave for work all in forty five minutes."
Liam led the way out of the apartment and managed not to trip over the furry white cat, who had sprawled itself across the lintel and ran down the stairs.
"There's a downtown bus at the end of the street, it leaves in about three minutes, if you hurry you can catch it."
"I have my ride, but I'll still leave anyways."
"Ms. Diana Wilson."
"Liam Maxwell." He gave her a small smile.
Diana stood there, staring at his retreating figure with only one question in her mind.
Was she making the wrong decision?
Would she regret it?
....
The daycare center was painted light blue, its sign lettered in green, red and blue with a border of rose flowers.
Standing on the pavement just outside the daycare, Diana was in a serious argument with a rascal looking man.
Liam stopped by the corner and watched her. She was wearing a leather skirt and a black hoodie with her hair thrown in a rough bun.
She looked really beautiful.
Liam's gaze moved to the man she was arguing with. At first sight from his spiked black hair to his black jeans that were too tight for him and his black leather jackets, the first thing that came to his mind was the typical biker dude.
Observing further, he noticed there were no chains, no skull of crossbones on the back of the jacket and no motorbike. Liam heaved a sigh at the positive tendencies; although it did not dispel his dislike for him at all.
He moved a little closer to them, shamelessly eavesdropping on their conversation.
"... Saw you at the hotel two nights ago." He heard the young man saying. "How come you'll fuck any one twice but you won't let me?"
"Fred, I can choose who I go out with, and who I fuck. I have full rights over my body and my decisions." She sassed back. "Besides, I'm at work, at a daycare!" She pointed out. "We do not use words like that here!"
"Alright. Alright, I'll pick you up after work, how's that?"
"I'm sorry I can't, I'm not interested, I'd rather spend my time indoors."
Fred slammed his balled fist on the lamp post beside him in anger, causing it to shatter and fall to the ground in a million pieces.
"Bullshit!! Tell me who it is tonight. Who are you fucking?!" He demanded.
"It's none of your business. I told you the day we met that I don't want to settle down. I can't be committed, if you don't like that, I advice you let me off now. I am not going to change my mind or my decision for you."
"And I told you I am not into sharing."
"I'm not your property and you have no claim over me." She snorted. "You don't! I wouldn't even be with someone who's this aggressive, I'm not interested in you. I've never been and I will never be."
"You're shameless, you know that." Fred said unpleasantly.
"But you still want to date a shameless person?" She scoffed. "Seems you're the only shameless one here."
"You-"
Liam had heard enough, he was irritated by what he just witnessed, so he cut in, holding her by the arm. "Hey Diana, I brought you the papers you requested. "
Fred snapped his head at the intruder. "Let go of her arm."
Diana pulled her arm away and hissed at Liam with a noticeable lack of gratitude, "I can take care of myself!! You're making a scene, putting me in greater embarrassment than Fred. Let me have the papers,"
She collected the papers from Liam's fingers, scowling at the two men before saying, "Fred, don't you ever come here again." She sashayed her way inside.
"You stay outta my way, buddy." Fred warned Liam, as he sidestepped his way into the street.
If Diana has ever had a thing with Fred, she had a poor taste in men, Liam thought. She didn't appreciate being rescued either, a mechanism for not looking weak and vulnerable.
He had five hours to wait before he found out whether he was going to be living in that house or not. So he went back to the hotel.
Meanwhile, Diana sat in the miniofficer she was given and let out a frustrated sigh as she dropped the papers on her desk.
She just couldn't catch a break, could she?
And who did that stupid Liam think he was, trying to come to her rescue? What did he think? That she was some weak damsel in distress or something? She already had that situation taken care of, and he came in, feeling like some hero of some sort.
She angrily grabbed the papers he had handed to her. Time stopped around her as she read the name on the photocopy of the check.
Liamson Maxwell.
Like a tsunami, the memories flooded her vision immediately.
"I love you!"
"I hate you so much!"
"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"I regret ever knowing you!"
"I love you, Sabrina."
"What did you think? That a guy like me could ever be with someone like you?!"
"I love you, Liamson."
"You're a mistake!"
"I can't wait to build a future with you."
"I never want to see you again."
"I will never leave you. The day I leave you is the day I die."
"You disgust me!"
*******
At six, Liam was at the doorstep to his hopefully new house. There was a faint light shining in the hall, indicating that she was home.
Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he rang the doorbell.
"You don't recognize me do you?! She demanded as she flung the door open. "You don't have a clue who I am?!" Her tone was harsh and unfriendly, not the reception he wanted.
"Like I said, I just met you two days ago."
"Why didn't you tell me your name was Liamson?"
"You didn't ask for my full name, is it important?"
"My name is Sabrina! I am Sabrina, Sabrina Wilson is who I was before I changed my name."
"Shit!! You are really Shanna's daughter?!"
"Yes I am, and I hated you when I was thirteen, I hate you more now after what you did!!"