Red Hot Omelets
William Terry Louis Andrew Carrick Jonathan Dredge Hams Reading Roger Southwark Alwick Plymouth Junior Regison III is a wealthy man visiting Waffle Island in the hopes of finding reliable business partners. Gill just can't be bothered.
Hamilton got some strange idea in his head that Gill was in love. Having been through the motions in his youth, he felt as though it were his duty to enlighten his son on the virtues of love, marriage, and the hereafter.
Gill just wanted to go to work. "Like I said, father, I have no idea what you're talking about!" As far as he was concerned, love and marriage could wait. A long time. How could he possibly think about such things when Waffle Town was in such a depressed state? Not even that—but who would he marry? There was no such girl on Waffle Island! Gill threw on an extra coat despite the scorching heat outside and marched out the door, his father's words following behind him. As they faded in the distance the sound of horse shoes clocking against dirt ground grew louder.
Gill reached for his aching temples, "You're back early, Hams."
Will shrugged from atop his horse with a rolling laugh, "You could tell it was Arthur?"
"No one else wears such strong cologne," sighed Gill, continuing on his walk to work while Arthur trotted behind him.
The blond arched an eyebrow and pulled his coat up for a whiff. "Do you really think it's strong?"
"I could smell it from a mile away," Gill lied. The true was, Will's cologne was light and fragrant; there was something about it that made girls go all gushy, Gill was sure of it. Not like it made any difference to him. Gill waved a hand to signal end of conversation as they neared the Town Hall. "You can't bring that thing inside," he spoke dryly and shut the door behind him.
Despite the snide remark Will patted Arthur on the neck and followed after his surly host.
"Good morning, Gill…" greeted Elli with slightly less pep than usual. Her brown eyes wandered over to his companion; he rolled his eyes as she suddenly lit up. "Good morning, Will!" He could hear the shuffling of books and chairs and she rushed to make a comfortable setting for their guest. Elli was usually nice to everyone, but much to Gill's annoyance, she'd be particularly sweet on Will. He'd like to believe it was because the man was wealthy, but he knew it all boiled down to charisma. Then as if remembering her coworker, Elli spun around with a nervous smile, "O—oh, Gill, would you like some coffee?"
"I would appreciate it," he shrugged off the coat and slid it over the back of his chair, flopping down without a care. His eyes narrowed as they landed on his guest, "You may leave any time you wish."
Will smiled, thanking Elli as she handed him a warm cup of coffee, "I came to see you work! I hope it isn't a problem after all…"
His usual calm and collected voice wavered at the thought of Will sitting there staring at him all day. He'd have to find some way to scare the guy off. Maybe force him to do manual labor? Finally he settled to just get to work and hope Will would get bored on his own. "It's no problem; just don't get in the way."
It should only take an hour or so. That's what he thought.
"…What are you staring at?" his blue eyes shifted nervously from pen to paper to Will, then back to pen. The blond spent the last three hours just sitting there with his chin in his palm, elbow resting on one leg, and a creepy smile plastering his face.
"You're so serious about your work. Don't you get tired of reading?" Will skillfully dodged the question with one of his own.
Gill pretended not to care, flipping to the next page though his eyes were trained elsewhere. "Isn't that obvious? Work is work."
"Yes, but…you're just so serious!"
"What's wrong with that?" he didn't mean to raise his voice, and almost ducked away to avoid Elli's curious stare. She got bored after a minute and went back to cleaning.
The next sentence came too fast.
"Your girlfriend must be sad."
With a jerk of his hand Gill nearly knocked his empty cup onto the floor. There is absolutely no reason to fluster, so why was he flustering? His silver hair slipped out of place as he hurried to gather some documents together, his face colored bright red from ear to ear. "H—how could I possibly have a girlfriend?" You've damn well snatched up every 'fair maiden' in town, you lecher!
Will's eyes widened in genuine shock. "But I thought…hmmm, I see. This is a predicament…"
Now this was getting annoying. Gill slammed a folder on the desk as he stood up. "Just what are you trying to say?" It's not like he couldn't get a date! He just didn't have the time for it!
The blond turns his empty cup in his hands with a vacant smile, giving him that 'this-is-getting-interesting' look. "Then…you have a type?"
What on earth! First father and now Mr. Perfect? Why is everyone getting on my case about love or marriage or girlfriends all of a sudden! Do I look desperate, or something? "I don't!" he said simply before disappearing to the back of the room. If he had to feel those eyes boring holes into him for another minute he'd go insane! After a moment he could hear the front door open and close, and for a moment his heart sank into his stomach. Maybe I went too far?
"E—excuse me…" a small voice sounded by the counter, actually startling him somewhat.
Gill rushed to the counter to see the small and fragile Candace, clutching her wool satchel—she almost looked like a child. No one would think she was in her twenties. Gill's eyes drifted momentarily to the corner to see Will was still there, and then he quickly looked away. It was uncomfortable, but at the same time he felt relieved. His focus centered on Candace; she was a delicate specimen, he couldn't be too curt with her or she'd scurry under a chair or something. "What can I do for you, Candace?"
"W—well…we…we made some gratin, and…" her fingers played with the flap of her satchel and her eyes sank to the floor. "Um, Luna…she wanted me…to give you some…so…"
"Luna?" Gill accepted the boxed lunch, a bit puzzled. "How uncharacteristically nice of her... In any case, tell her I said thank you."
Candace nodded her head before ducking outside. Will stood up from the corner to stretch out his knees or something. "You shouldn't talk about a lady like that." Gill froze mid-step, staring at him in mild surprise. He wasn't expecting the blond to say anything, but Will just stared at him with a blank expression. "She went through the trouble to deliver that for you."
That man always seemed to throw Gill off guard, always seem to push just the right buttons. Or wrong buttons. Gill flushed; he wasn't used to being lectured, he did the lecturing. "Do you really have nothing better to do? You've been provoking me all day, and all I want to do is work!" his breath almost caught in his throat the moment those words left his lips and he clamped shut.
"I see…I'm sorry. Then I'll go first."
Gill knew what he had to do. Just apologize. He just need to raise a hand and stop him, and apologize properly. His hand only twitched at his side. The door opened and shut. No one came around the rest of the afternoon. He could taste iron spreading over his tongue and he clenched down on dry lips.
"Gill? Shouldn't you be closing up?" Elli's worried expression sucked the life right out of him. He dismissed her, and she left, albeit reluctantly.
The hall felt so empty. The lights were turned off; only orange glows of sunset spilling through the window. "I don't want to go home…"
I don't want to go home.
I don't want to go home.
I don't want to go home.
I don't want to go home.
He felt like a child that ran away from home only to realize he couldn't make it on his own. He could only imagine the disappointed look on his dad's face, that he would treat a guest so badly. Or did Will say anything at all? Maybe he didn't mention anything to father? Gill shook his head morbidly. No, even if you don't say a word, your body language might give you away. Gill knew better than anyone else he was terrible with body language. Body language equaled open book.
With a heavy sigh, he turned the knob and stepped slowly into his home, surprised to meet an empty living room, but the smell of familiar cooking told him someone was home. He could tell right away; tomato omelet. "Father?" he called tentatively stepping toward the kitchen.
"Welcome home," the deep voice sent a chill up his spine. Gill sidled into the kitchen as though any sudden movement would incur an attack. He really didn't want to face this guy in his own forte. Will didn't turn from the stove, his left hand pressing down on a well-worn cookbook. "I hope you don't mind, I'm making dinner tonight."
The warm smell was stifling. Gill wanted to run to his room and pull the covers over his head. But who knew what the blond might do in the kitchen all by himself. "It's…no trouble," he said, trying to mask his nervousness with aloof disinterest and went to sit down. The truth? It did bother him. The man he had a fight with just hours earlier was in his kitchen making one of his favorite dishes. How messed up was that?
"I hope I didn't mess it up," said Will with a light-hearted laugh, placing a plate of steaming omelet down in front of his host. "I followed the instructions to the T."
Gill gulped, staring at the fluffy rolls of egg with suspicion, "…Thank you."
"So," Will drew the chair directly next to his and sat down. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Did you enjoy your lunch?"
Gill hesitated. He wished he knew where this conversation was going. "I…couldn't eat," he said truthfully, earning a strange stare from the other. Honestly, their close proximity was just unnerving and this only reminded him how hungry he was—but right now tomato omelet just didn't appeal.
"You didn't eat it?" Will sighed deeply, turning away from him and folding his hands over the table. "Luna made it from the heart, you know."
"If you're jealous, just say so," the words slipped out so fast they caught both of them by surprise. Gill stuttered to cover it up, "I mean I know you were with her yesterday." Her and every other girl on the island.
"You were watching?" his voice was low, a tone Gill hadn't heard before.
"N—no! I'm not a stalker," Gill took in a forkful of egg if only to have an excuse not to stick his foot in his mouth.
Will persisted, "Then, if I asked her on a date, you wouldn't mind?"
Suddenly it clicked. It all made sense—the reason why Will has been on his case since sunrise.
Will is in love with Luna.
Will is in love with Luna?
"Luna?" he asked as though to clarify they were indeed talking about the same girl, the girl who dressed up in ridiculous Lolita outfits and carried around a stuffed rabbit. A bang of pain assaulted his right wrist and the fork dropped to the plate. He gripped it subconsciously. "Are you kidding me? She's practically jailbait. Is that your type?"
A tap on the table sent a sharp pain through his chest. Will was facing the wall, his index finger tapping the table in a steady, heavy rhythm and the knot in Gill's chest pulled tighter. "What kind of man do you take me for?"
Why, why, why, why, why do I always say the wrong things? Gill mentally pulled his hair out, but remained silent as the blond stood up from his seat and calmly left the room.