There is never silence in that small studio apartment which they shared.
Lynette has not been living there for long, but she has noticed that it was not just the size that made it so strikingly different from the vacation house which she shared with the Parasites, and it was not only the dark décor that made it less welcoming than the place she used to share with Claris.
The bustling noise from 8th Avenue beneath was constant, and the thin glass windows were very inefficient in filtering it. Since the floorplan was so small, there was no escape from the sound of car engines and honks from the passing westbound traffic. She would wager, in fact, that this noise was one of the reasons why her boyfriend's sleep was so irregular and restless.
Not that the man himself had any problem with it. In fact, Shelby has hinted once or twice that the sound of cars was a selling point of this place for him. He is not disturbed at all.
He does not like silent houses. It reminds him too much of his childhood home, placid and unchanging in the middle of the tobacco plantation. It reminds him of the suffocatingly sleepy indulgence of his parents', the meaninglessness of an unproductive life.
Besides, if the noise kept him awake, then he would have more time to work, and that leads them to the second point. If Shelby is home, then there would be typing noise coming from the small reading area that they kept clear for whatever job they had to bring back with them.
It is a bit bothersome for Lynette. Yes, she understands the drive and the spirit that her boyfriend had towards his work, and she is often bewildered to see it in full action before her, but she is his girlfriend too and she does not want to see him sick or die before his time.
The human body demands sleep, proper nutrition and leisure for good functioning, just as much as it needs exercise and proper stimulation. He has improved, of course, but he is still no good in allowing himself any of those things.
She sighed and rose from the bed, walking to the kitchen.
On her way, the pink-haired woman peered into Shelby's face, and it was not looking too good. She observed for a couple of seconds, watching his slow blinks, lingering like small naps were hidden inside of them, the bags that had formed under his eyes over the past few days and his slouched tired shoulders. In short, the usually proud businessman was looking like his arms might just give out and allow him to fall asleep soon if not for the bright light above him.
After a few minutes of preparations, the woman emerged from the cooking area and placed down a plate covered in different colours from reds to oranges and greens in front of him on the dining table, right next to the pile of papers he is reviewing.
"What is this for?" Shelby asked.
The short hand on the clock handing above their front door was close to touching twelve, marking the beginnings of a new day, when he saw Lynette pull herself up from the bed.
He assumed that she would just make herself a late-night snack before going back to sleep, as she was prone to do. It always wondered him how his girlfriend kept fit when she ate heartly and never exercised. She was certainly built differently.
Alas, he had no time to ponder these questions. Shelby, then, acknowledged her with a small smile that she reciprocated before dipping his head back down into the mountain of documents that he had yet to review.
These days, it is easy to lose track of time and feel like work was never-ending, as he struggled without Owen, loath as he is to admit it. Lynette was doing her very best to help him, and she is exceeding his expectations on that regard, but she has never worked secretarial duty before and still had some growing pains of her own. Therefore, he now had to do most things on his own, without help.
That is a mean thought for him to have, he knows. His girlfriend had kindly offered to leave her career at the advisory department to come and help him at the administrative office. She had a degree in Psychology, not Law or Business, and so had to be taught, but he did not have the patience too often.
Shelby did not regret his decision to place Lynette on that role at all, as she is decently competent and having her near was an enviable bonus, but he is tired and wishes, for once in his life, that there was not so much to get through in such a short amount of time, just so he can enjoy some "personal time".
Since he was so absorbed into his thoughts, he did not see Lynette looking over her shoulder to check on him, and would not notice her coming back if not for her petulant interruption.
"Well, I know you have been working since six this morning and, by the looks of it, was too stressed to eat dinner." His girlfriend said, moving her eyes pointedly to the now cold plate of food that he promised he would eat after getting through 'one more' pile of paperwork. "So, I brought you a snack."
Lynette did not love seeing him like that, devolving back into old habits and behaving like the Prestige Parasite that made him infamous. She took it upon herself to go into the fridge, finding some of his favourite fruits she had both picked up grocery shopping last week and sliced some of them up, assorting them all onto one large bowl for them to share.
The concoction was hardly pleasant to look at. Strawberries, kiwis, apples, cantaloupes, pulled apart orange pieces and more were strewn haphazardly on the glass container, and a bit of juice began to mix with the condensed milk she put on top for the sugar rush. She, however, would often enjoy the dessert for the rich flavour all the fruits had, and Shelby was much too practical of a person to refuse what could be considered a halfway-healthy meal just because it was not aesthetically pleasing.
He sighed, rubbing his hands over his face.
"Uh… I am sorry. I lost track of time. I didn't mean to make you concerned, and I'm also sorry for wasting food like that." The platinum blond said, before picking up a spoonful of the sliced fruits and taking them into his mouth.
"Don't worry about the food. I'm more concerned about your health than a ruined plate." She looks at him sternly.
The man frowned. "My health is fine."
"Oh, Shelly…" Lynette addressed him by that blasted nickname, which she only used to be lovingly derisive. "Sure, you are."
He glared. "Indeed I am! But… I'm still glad that you made this just for me. Thank you for taking good care of me."
Her eyes shone brightly at the acknowledgement. "I thought you might need something to boost your energy if you are intent in finishing off this pile of contracts. Just make sure you eat your fill and come to bed if you feel too tired."
"Of course, I will. I love you so much." He smiles softly. "But I do not intend to work much longer. This is the last one, I will finish it quickly and we can go back to bed before the clock strikes one."
Lynette smiled widely and kissed his cheek. "Good. I've been lonely without you."
"If you behave like that, we might not sleep when we get to bed." Shelby teased, smiling wolfishly.