I got home to a familiar purple pair of sparkly shoes sitting by the front door. Purple shoes….. that can only mean one thing! Practically throwing my bag down, I raced upstairs to find who I was expecting to be in my room. "Kate?!" She spun right around to face me, the biggest smile lighting up her face. "Ana!" Squealing we ran into each other's arms. "Oh, Ana! I missed you!" "It's great to see you! How have you been?" I gently pulled back to face her. "I'm well! How are you?" "Awe, Kate! I missed you!"
Bring out the facemasks!
I had just finished applying mine; Kate was always faster than me. She was currently sitting on my bed, looking all lovely with her green face. "So, you got a job as a bodyguard for the CEO of Grey Enterprises?" "That's correct!" I came to sit down in my desk chair opposite her. "Awe, look at you. You finally decided to let your talent shine through." I wouldn't exactly call my strength a talent. "Well, it will help cover my PhD tuition and living costs. Mr. Grey assured me that this wouldn't interrupt with my schooling." "I think you made the right choice." "Thanks. So long as Daddy and twinze don't find out…"
"So?" Kate grinned leaning in a bit. "So?" I repeated puzzled. "Is it true? Is he super hot?" "Oh, that! Yeah, he's gorgeous; one of the best-looking men I've ever seen." She let out a fangirl squeal. "Oh, Ana! You are so lucky!" "I guess….?" "How many women get to work for a Greek god?" "Uh, not many, I take it?"
"What's with you? Why are you all casual about this? Shouldn't you be swooning like twenty-four seven?" This made me laugh; I'd never thought about swooning over anyone before. "I don't think I'd be a good bodyguard if I was constantly fainting. No, it's not like that, Kate; he's my boss. It would be weird to have a crush on him, not to mention unethical considering the difference in power between us." Her grin grew in a knowing fashion; her eyes narrowed onto mine.
"So, you don't have a crush on him or you're not letting yourself have a crush on him?" "What does it matter? I can't like anyone…. you know what happens to the women in my family." "You have a lot of time left. Don't you think you should enjoy yourself and fall in love like normal people?" "I'm not normal, Kate," I flashed her a sort of sad leer. "Sure, you are! You're a woman who happens to have a very fine boss. And you're protecting him too! Oooooh, it's so cute!" "It's just a job," I shrugged. If I wasn't working for Mr. Grey, we'd have no reason to see each other…. The thought made my eyes unconsciously lower a bit.
"You can't shut out every man you meet, Ana." "Sure, I can. Been doing so since Sordid rejected me, which by the way, is good that he did. The last thing I need is more people getting attached to me." "And what if you don't die by the time you're forty? What if you live to be an old woman who's all alone because she never let herself love any man?" "Well, I think…" We were interrupted by my bedroom door opening. Alex popped his head inside.
"What were you saying?" I'm sure he didn't hear our pervious conversation. "Hi, Alex," Kate smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Kate. Daddy told me you were here. I just wanted to ask baby sis' how her first day of work was?" "It was good! Nothing big to report." "Excellent! Here, I'll be right back; you girls just relax," Alex left again, probably to get us all drinks. He'd come back and we'd hang out. While he was gone, Kate gazed back over to me; her expression a bit more sincere this time.
"You need to be a little kinder to yourself, Ana. None of this is your fault; you didn't do anything wrong." "I know, I know. It's just…" My eyes softened as I peered downwards. "Daddy never really got over Mom's death; same with Grandpa when Grandma Catherine died. I can't…. I can't…."
"I can't on good conscious let anyone fall in love with me, when I know that I'll be the first to go."