Rebecca stretched herself on the bed as she opened her eyes. It was the morning after a very confusing dinner with Jeremy and his friends. She was not sure what to make about Ryder’s friendly behavior and Jeremy’s grumpy one. Sighing, she reached to the side and looked at her bedside clock. With a groan, she got out of her bed and headed for the bathroom for her morning routine.
Getting dressed in a white tank top and a pair of yoga pants, Rebecca forfeited on any makeup, opting for a lip balm instead of the lipstick that she loved. It was after all a Monday and she was sure that Jeremy had left the house, as he always did during the week days, and she was all alone in the house. Not that she made herself up for him, but it was always nice to look presentable in front of the boss.
Walking out of her room, Rebecca started humming as she walked to the kitchen. She frowned a bit when she noticed that the coffee machine was not on. Usually a sign that Jeremy had left the house was the coffee machine being switched on.
“But maybe he doesn’t need coffee today,” she spoke out loud, as walked to the kettle instead. She was not really a coffee person, loved her cup of tea. Moving to the fridge she collected ingredients for an omelet. Reaching for the little stereo, she pressed play, Katy Perry’s Roar filling in the kitchen.
“I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath,” Rebecca sang as she broke the eggs. “Tadadada.” She broke into a dance as she moved to the stove. Taking a carrot she took a bite of it, before she started chopping it. “You held me down, but I got up,’ she placed the knife down, reaching for the whisk to use as a microphone. “I see it all, I see it now. I got the eye of a tiger”’ she moved to the middle of the kitchen dancing. “And you gonna hear me roar!”
Dancing was something that she loved to do, and anytime she felt like it, she did it. She used to get in trouble with her mother when she used to dance with Max in her arms.
“Louder, louder than a lion cause I am a champion,” she sang on top of her lungs.
"And you are about to wake the dead!"
The voice had her turning around so fast she nearly lost her footing, “shoot!! What the heck?”
Her eyes growing bigger when she found Jeremy leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of him and his eyes laughing at her. “Mr Ma-Jeremy!” she exclaimed flustered. “I thought you had gone to work.”
“Decided to be a bit late today,” Jeremy said as he pushed himself away from the doorframe and walked fully into the kitchen.
“Oh,” Rebecca pushed back her loose curls, only to hit herself with the whisk that was still in her hand. Swallowing a groan, she placed the whisk down and rubbed the area she had hurt herself.
Jeremy pulled on of the stools and sat down, “may I also get some breakfast?”
Rebecca blinked at him before what he said sunk in. Springing to work, she quickly turned off the stereo. Only to turn it back on when Jeremy told her to but she had to reduce the volume.
“So, what would like in your eggs?” she asked as she turned away from him and walked to the fridge to get more eggs, trying her best not to sing along.
“Whatever you are having in yours,” he said as he got off his chair. “I’ll make the toast and coffee.”
“Uhm, and is it only for two people?” When she saw the frown on Jeremy’s face she continued, “for Shona as well?”
“She left already,” he stated, with his back to her.
Rebecca nodded and went to work.
Jeremy had to get away from the view that was in front of him. Reaching for the bread, he placed it in the toaster and turned around. He did not understand how he felt about this girl, a mixture of annoyance and awe. Annoyance for the fact that she seemed to be more interested in his friend than him and awed by the fact that he had made him break up with Alice himself!
Looking at her right now, he could not believe that she got him to do something that his personal assistant who was way older than her, had no way of telling him to do.
“So, what do you think about Ryder?” he asked, already regretting the question.
Rebecca shrugged. “He is ok, for the time I spent with him and you.”
“Only ok?” He leaned on the cabinet, crossing his arms over his chest.
Rebecca turned to him, “was I supposed to say something else?” Rebecca turned to him. “Did he say something about me?”
Jeremy shrugged, his muscles bulging under the black t-shirt he was wearing. “You seemed friendly last night.”
“As I said, he is ok. Nice guy to talk to.” Rebecca placed the omelet on one plate before turning and starting with the other. ‘Invited me to cook for him.’
“And you are going?” Jeremy headed for the refrigerator, collected the bread spreads and placed them on the table. “To the date that he invited you too?”
“I don’t see why not,” Rebecca shrugged. “I think I can only ask him about a few things about his report. I did get good marks on my thesis but I think I missed a few things. I wonder if he’ll help shade a light on things.”
Jeremy gritted his teeth as he tried to control the sudden anger that shook his body. Calming himself up, he looked at her over hooded eyes. “You don’t even know the guy very well.”
Rebecca turned her head and smiled over her shoulder, “but you do. And I am sure if he was a bad guy, you’d tell me about him.”
Jeremy nodded. She did have a point and he had no reason to refuse her from going, not if he did not want to sound like a first degree jerk. He studied her with hooded eyes, taking in her smile, the way the tank top molded over her bosom, the tight yoga.. Stop it!
“Cool then,” Rebecca replied as she placed the other omelet on the plate. “Besides, we have the whole week! He’ll probably come up with an excuse not to see me or something. Not,” Rebecca fumbled on, “that we are seeing each other. He’ll probably go out and change his mind about me cooking for him. Omelets are ready,” she smiled to stop herself from rumbling on. She wiped her hands on her hips, a blush creeping to her cheeks at the intense look Jeremy was giving her.
To hide the dark look on his face, he turned to the cabinet and collected the toast. Walking to the breakfast table, he sat himself before her.
Rebecca bit on her inner lip. The silence between them was nearing awkwardness, “so, you go to the office late most of the time?”
“Now why would you ask that?” Jeremy asked, as he took a sip from his coffee cup.
“No reason,” Rebecca shrugged. “Just trying to make a small conversation.”
“Really?” Jeremy corked an eyebrow on her, “or are you afraid that I’ll be disrupting your morning dance routine?”
Rebecca blushed, “about that! I don’t usually do that. Only when I had a good night sleep.”
Jeremy placed his fork down and leaned back on his chair, “and you had a good night?”
Rebecca nodded as she took a sip of her tea. “Yes, I did.”
“And may I know what constitutes a good night in your books?”
“Well,” Rebecca smiled. “Good food, great conversation. Basically good company.”
Jeremy nodded slowly, his eye intense as they studied her. “Does Ryder have anything to do with this?”
Rebecca gave a small nervous laugh, “could be. He was a perfect gentleman yesterday.” And he was. Helping her out with the dishes, holding out her chair for her and all the little things that he did making her feel part of the group.
“I see,” Jeremy said, his voice hard. He moved his chair back and stood up. “I have to go to work now.”
Rebecca frowned. She could sense the sudden mood change, but she did not understand why. “But you have not even touched your eggs yet.”
Jeremy looked down at the plate she was pointing at. Sure enough, his eggs were not touched, but he knew he had to get out of there, fast. He could not comprehend the reason why Rebecca enjoying Ryder’s company made him see red, but he just did. “Throw it way,” he said as he walked out.