Mr Olsen was panting when he got to the living room. "What is it son?" Mrs Olsen questioned trying to check on her son. "I'm fine," Mr Olsen stopped her immediately. "Wait! What just happened? Am I hallucinating?" Mr Olsen wondered. "What happened? Did you take any hard drug that can trigger hallucination?" Old Mr Olsen asked with a worried expression. Mr Olsen was horrified hearing his father ask him such a question but he was quick to wear an indifferent look. "Am I thinking aloud?" Mr Olsen thought. "Of course you are son. Are you okay? What happened in there?" Mrs Olsen enquired.
"Nothing. I'm just overthinking or imagining weird things in my head," Mr Olsen said shaking off the idea that a dead body hugged him. "Be fine son. Just be fine," Mrs Olsen urged. "The earlier you spare me that son crap, the better for you and me," Mr Olsen went back to Gina's room though it was with trembling heartbeat but that was the only place he can escape to in the house. He can't afford to go to his previous room which held so many sad memories.
Mrs Olsen curled up in a chair. "That isn't my son, right? My son used to be handsome and caring. That ugly guy with cold attitude isn't my son," Mrs Olsen screamed. Old Mr Olsen tried to comfort his wife but it seems impossible. She was looking so dejected that one would take her for someone in her early stage of insanity.
With heartbeat in turmoil, Mr Olsen opened the blanket covering Gina. He saw a still Gina. He couldn't stop his tears as he tried to hold her hands. Mr Olsen looked nonplussed after holding Gina. He had read it somewhere that when someone dies, his or her body turns cold but Gina's hand felt warm. Does the first twenty-four hours after death still retain the normal body temperature? Or is he hallucinating?
******
Linda was about to flag down a can when her phone rang. She smiled unconsciously as soon as she saw the name her phone displayed. "Hi. How are you?" Henry questioned after Linda had picked the call. "I'm fine and you?" Linda replied. "I'm good too. Umm.... About yesternight, I'm very sorry. Can we just forget that happened?" Henry enquired. "I wish I can say yes but you took my first kiss," Linda responded. Henry felt empty. He took her first kiss but come to think of it, he gave her his first kiss too.
"Well, I'm speechless. I'm just very sorry. A dumbass like me took your precious first kiss. I'm such a jerk!" Henry apologised. "It's okay," Linda concurred, "Can we just be a couple?" this question stuck in Linda's throat. "We're good?" Henry asked. "Yeah. We are good," Linda replied. "It'll be very crucial if we don't let our colleagues at work know about it," Henry said, "Being the food for gossip isn't a good thing," he added. "Yeah. Yeah. We are still good friends," Linda said wiping the tear that wandered out of her eyes. "Bye. Till Monday," Henry ended the call. "We are not meant to be together," Linda tried to convince herself.
The stylist had finished attending to Sophia. "How about you do the grocery shopping? I will wait for you here," Katherine said. "We should do the shopping together," Sophia responded, "I can't afford to be bumped into the third time," she mumbled. "Sophy, trust me. No one will bump into you today. It's to save time," Katherine persuaded. "If I go and I ended up being bumped, I'll beat you to a pulp," Sophia glared. "Okie dokie. No problem," Katherine agreed, "But that doesn't mean you should walk with your eyes closed," she said. Sophia gave a sly grin. "Shouldn't you be at the grocery store already?" Katherine rolled her eyes.
Fifteen minutes after Sophia had left for the grocery, a man came into the salon. "Good morning here or is it afternoon already?" the man greeted. "Welcome sir. How may we help you?" an attendant attended to him. "I'm here to see your director Miss Wang," the man replied. "Any appointment?" the attendant inquired. "No. No. Just tell her he is here," the man replied. "With a confused expression, the attendant dialed the director's office. " He is here, ma'am," the attendant said. "Oh? Let him in," Miss Wang ordered and hung the call. "That asshols!" she breathed angrily.
The man was passing by when his eyes met Katherine's eyes in the mirror standing before the latter. "Katherine," Jake called. "Hey Jake, how are you? Thanks for the other day," Katherine smiled. "I'm good. Are you good too?" Jake replied. "Sure," Katherine nodded slightly. Jake bent and placed his mouth beside Katherine's left ear, "I gave you my card but you didn't call. Why?" he whispered. "I lost the card," Katherine lied whereas the card is actually somewhere at home.
"Okay. Here is another one. Always give me a call especially when Ren troubles you or his girlfriend does," Jake handed another card to Katherine. "Do you have any personal grudge against Ren? And you want to revenge through me?" Katherine asked. "Like I said sometimes when we met, you are smart but in this situation, you don't know the answer," Jake said. "Then, why are you so bothered about Ren troubling me?" Katherine inquired. "He is my rival. Love rival," Jake responded. "Love rival?" Katherine was stunned. "It isn't a bad thing when smarter person like me makes a smart person like you look dumb, right? I was just joking," Jake said. Katherine clenched her first and glared at Jake. "Bye. See you later," Jake left.
Jake knocked on Miss Wang's office's door. "You can spend the whole day knocking," Miss Wang replied said from inside. Hearing her words, Jake continued knocking non-stop. He was just switching his hands. Few minutes later while Jake was still knocking, Miss Wang opened the door abruptly thereby earning an unplanned and an unexpected knock on the forehead. "Hehehe," Jake mocked. Miss Wang glared at Jake. "It is not my fault I knocked your head. You told me to keep knocking," Jake said. Miss Wang punched him mercilessly. "Jessie, stop it already," Jake laughed. Jessie, Miss Wang, punched him once more. "Let's get down to business first," Jake said wearing a business-like expression.
Jessie Wang is the owner of J. Beauty Unisex Salon. She was a militant but left office after the last mission she carried out. She applied for an undercover agent but it wasn't approved. Since her wish was disapproved, Jessie left military completely and established her own business. She is Jake's best friend.
"I agree that you can be dumb and annoying but I never expected the response you gave YES Magazine," Jessie crossed her arms. "It's for the benefit of both of us. I don't like it when organisation indulge in favoritism. Why would they agree to give us a contract just because they want to curry favour from my parents?" Jake responded. "Okay. I understand you but don't make decisions without me next time," Jessie said. "Yes ma," Jake bowed. Jessie hissed, "Idiot! He doesn't know when not to be unserious," she mumbled. "Ma'am, did you ask me to do something?" Jake asked feigning innocence as if he didn't hear what she said. "Yes. I asked you to do a hundred frog jump," Jessie grinned mischievously. "Jessie," Jake called. "That's what assholes like you should get," Jessie made the 'fuck you' sign with her middle finger.
"I've something very important I need to discuss with you," Jessie said. "Oh? What is it?" Jake enquiries. "Let's meet tonight. I don't want my office turned upside down from your anger," Jessie said nonchalantly. "Are you saying I have anger issues?" Jake replied. "Why will I say a military runaway has anger issue?" Jessie responded not trying to giggle. "I'm not a military runaway. I went back," Jake defended himself. "Just accept you are a military runaway," Jessie said.
"I'm not," Jake said, "Oh? I need to get going. There is a smart dumbass I want to tease downstairs," he stood up. "That phrase is actually what qualifies you. Smart dumbass," Jessie said. "Nay. It qualifies her more," Jake responded. "Her?" Jessie was surprised. "Hn," Jake left her office.
Jessie was still in daze even after Jake left. Her? Jake is talking about a female, right? Her is feminine, right? So, Jake is not a gay as he claims. Haaaaaaaaaa, Jake! I will deal with him mercilessly. Who is the her?
By the time Sophia came back from the grocery store, Katherine was done with her hair. Sophia and Katherine left the salon. "Kat, what happened? Did someone annoy you?" Sophia questioned looking at the frowning Katherine beside her. "Yes and I'll surely get back at him," Katherine replied not even trying to hide her disdain. "Is it Ren again?" Sophia asked worried. "No. It's Jake," Katherine replied. "Don't worry, we will get back at him. Do you still have his card?" Sophia asked. "He gave me another one," Katherine showed her the card. "Good. We need to start planning," Sophia said, "It's been awhile we played bad girls us," she grinned from ear to ear.