A/N: Glad you all liked the last chapter and that you still remember that "one line." That scene where Josh and Maya are sitting quietly, minding their own businesses while in the company of each other was actually inspired by something that happened to me in real life last fall semester in college. Although the guy and I weren't as close as Josh and Maya are, it still made my heart flutter because I had MAJOR feelings for the guy back then. I also caught him stealing glances when we were sitting together at the table. And he also helped me study for my exam and walked me to class afterward and I was just bursting with emotions. Y'all I was SO READY to make a move, but it was a good thing I didn't because . . . I caught something gold and shiny on his left ring finger (*ouch*). Nothing like finding out the guy you like is UNAVAILABLE FOREVER.
Anyway, there was a review that I received, telling me that they haven't noticed any difference between Josh/Maya and Josh/Sophie so far. Not sure if you picked up on it, but I did leave a little hint a few chapters back. It's not THE major difference I was talking about, but it's ONE of the differences. Remember when Filomeno first turned down Josh's feature story proposal? Maya comforted him in the break room while Sophie didn't pay much attention to it when Josh called her when she was still in Los Angeles? Yep, first clue right there.
Second anyway, I won't keep you long. Enjoy this chapter, and yes, this might've been heavily inspired by The Flash.
Disclaimer: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York belongs to its rightful owner(s).This girlie's just using it for content purposes.
Chapter 14: Permanent Ink
No one was home by the time Josh arrived back from his weekend noontime errands. The apartment was eerily quiet when he walked into the room, the only sound he could hear was the closing of the front door after he kicked it shut with his foot, and the grumbling noises his stomach made. He headed to the kitchen and snatched an apple from the fruit basket.
Taking a big bite of the apple, Josh pulled out his phone from his pocket and sent Sophie a short text, asking her where she was. After, he stalked toward the refrigerator and grabbed a cold bottle of water before plopping down on the couch.
Josh's phone chimed with a new message from Sophie.
Sophie — I'm at the boutique. I know I promised I wouldn't work the weekends anymore, but ever since Valentina advertised my line, orders have been coming in nonstop. I can't leave Linda alone to work on those orders.
After sending a reply saying he understood how important her presence was at the boutique, Josh grabbed the remote control and switched on the television. He watched a cooking show for an hour before he found himself changing the channel. Settling for a noontime Spanish opera, Josh aimed to understand what the actors were saying. He figured it was time he put to test the three years of Spanish he did in high school. It was a failed attempt, however, since Josh didn't pay attention to Seńora García's class back then.
There was another change of channel.
Josh flicked through numerous channels until he felt himself growing tired of his repetitive activity. He stood up and resolved to take a shower, discerning a need to feel clean. Discarding the apple core, he ambled toward his bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Josh stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He trudged across the bedroom floor toward his own dresser, pulling open one of the drawers. As his hands fumbled for a fresh pair of boxers, Josh went to check the spot where he hid the velvet box that housed Sophie's engagement ring.
"No," Josh murmured, eyes wide when he didn't feel the familiar sensation of velvet under his fingers. "No no no no no no."
Gripping his towel so it wouldn't slide off his waist, Josh sprinted to the living room and dove for his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he was aiming for. Clicking on it, Josh placed the phone next to his ear and waited anxiously until the person answered the call.
It had already been three days since Zay flew to the Philippines, and there never was a day that Maya didn't receive an update from him. Whether it was a picture of the people he'd helped so far or the progress they're making to reestablish the wrecked towns of Tubod and Piagapo, Zay made sure Maya saw all of it.
Maya was looking at the newest picture Zay sent him when she heard the microwave beeped. She hopped off the kitchen stool to take out the bowl of mac 'n cheese she decided to have as her movie snack. The endless festive movies on the television had always been something she looked forward to every year. Her favorite, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, was up next on the schedule.
Plopping down on her couch, Maya shoved a spoonful of mac 'n cheese in her mouth, the same time the innumerable commercials ended and the movie started. She settled contentedly on her couch with her wool blanket draped over her crossed legs. Ten minutes into the movie, Maya's phone rang, diverting her attention from her television screen to her phone.
Maya picked up the call without so much as glancing at the caller ID. "Hello?" she greeted.
"Hey, I heard about Zay missing Christmas," Riley spoke, panting as she ran on the treadmill.
Maya heard crashing noises and a grunt of pain from Riley's end of the call. She ignored it, knowing that the couple was at the gym, and the noise was most likely Lucas dropping the barbells on the floor.
"Well, when duty calls . . ." Maya replied with a sigh. "Besides, he's doing something noble for the typhoon victims. I would only feel worse if Zay decided to spend Christmas with me rather than helping those who are in need."
"You know you're always invited to our party," Riley noted. She pressed a button on the treadmill console and the walking belt slowed to a stop. "In fact, you hold a lifelong invitation to any of our parties. You can literally walk in unannounced and no one would question why you're there."
"I don't want to sound important, but I already know that," Maya responded, her eyes glued to the television screen.
"Perks of being my best friend, huh?" Riley mocked.
"Oh, for sure." Maya laughed, scooping another spoonful of her mac 'n cheese.
"So, are you coming?"
"Yeah, I guess it wouldn't hurt to make an appearance," Maya teased.
Riley exhaled a breath of relief. "Good. When I heard Zay would be missing Christmas, I thought you'd sulk in your apartment, probably watching Home Alone 2 . . . you know, like what you're doing now," she retaliated.
"What? How did you know I was watching Home Alone 2? Are you here?" Maya asked, straightening in her seat and surveying her living room. She thought Riley might be hiding somewhere in her apartment, spying on her.
Riley chuckled. "No, Maya. I can hear your TV in the background. You're at that part where Uncle Frank just called out that one kid from drinking soda, right?"
Maya turned to her television screen to see that Uncle Frank had indeed grabbed the soda from the kid and had taken a sip of it. "Yeah," she drawled. "Wow, is my TV really that loud? I never realized."
Riley hummed in agreement before she said, "Hey, I have to go."
"Yeah, of course."
"But, it's settled though, right? You're spending Christmas with us?" Riley asked.
"Yes, I will. And you just made me miss five minutes of the movie, so I'm hanging up."
"Oh, shush. It's not like you haven't seen Home Alone 2 before," Riley commented with a laugh.
"No, I haven't," Maya played along. "I have absolutely no clue about what's going to happen. Will Kevin get lost in New York just like what the title is clearly implying?"
"Okay, that's my cue. Bye, Maya. I'll see you when I see you."
"Bye."
After the line went dead, Maya picked up her then cold mac 'n cheese and turned her attention to the television screen. The MacCallisters sped through the airport customs, maneuvering their way through the thick crowd of people, unaware that a certain little blond kid was being left behind. Maya scooped a spoonful of mac 'n cheese and shoved it in her mouth, but she gagged when the taste of the cold food invaded her taste buds.
When Maya reached the part where the hotel staff discovered that Kevin's credit card was "stolen," the time was a shy away from a quarter after four in the afternoon.
Maya got up to her feet and decided to finish the bottle of wine Zay left the last time he was at her apartment. As the television broadcasted its numerous commercials once again, Maya opened her refrigerator and took out the wine. She skipped the formality of using a glass since it was almost empty and chugged the liquid straight from the bottle. Wincing at the coldness lining her throat, she trotted back to the couch, just as her phone notified her of another incoming call.
Neglecting to check the caller ID for the second time, Maya answered. "Hey, what's—"
"No time for that—I lost the ring!"
Maya pulled the phone away from her ear to check the caller ID. Her eyes widened when she saw Josh's name. "What do you mean you lost the ring?" she queried incredulously.
"I don't know!" Josh responded, panicked. "It was just in my dresser, but now it's not! Oh, God. Maya, what if Sophie saw it? Our plans—the poem isn't even done yet!"
"All right, Josh, calm down," Maya said as she took deep breaths. "Where did you last see it?"
"I told you, it was just in my dresser."
"Have you looked around your apartment?"
"I—I haven't had the chance yet," Josh answered, his breath evening. "I called you as soon as I found out the ring's lost."
"I'm sure it's just somewhere in your apartment, Josh. Unless you carry it with you everywhere you go, then that ring could be anywhere," Maya stated. She exchanged the bottle of wine with the bowl of mac 'n cheese. "Listen, if you want, I can help you look for it."
"Yes," Josh answered with haste. "Yes, please."
"All right, text me your address and I'll be there."
After Josh ended the call and had given her his apartment's address, Maya turned off the television and got ready to leave.
Maya entered Josh's apartment as she shook her golden locks to rid it of the snowflakes that had fallen on her head. "Any luck?" she interrogated, unwinding the mustard scarf around her neck and hanging it on the coat rack by the front door.
Josh sighed. "I searched both in our bedroom and the bathroom before you got here, and I didn't find it," he replied while his eyes scanned the room. Then, in a whisper, he uttered, "Where the hell could that ring be?"
"Well, now that you've got an extra pair of eyes to help you, finding that ring shouldn't be difficult," Maya stated with an encouraging smile. "Shall we?"
Josh nodded, returning Maya's grin.
In a matter of minutes, Josh and Maya had flipped pillows and sofa cushions and had searched under the tables. Neither found the velvet box they were looking for. After, Maya resolved to ferret the kitchen, while Josh went for the bookcases lining the back wall of the room.
"How's it going over there?" Maya asked as she opened every drawers and cupboard in the kitchen. She even went as far as to check the oven and the microwave, in case Josh had a wild initiative to hide the velvet box in either of those kitchen appliances.
Josh heaved a deep sigh. "Still nothing," he replied, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know where that ring disappeared to. I haven't touched it for weeks, so it's impossible that I misplaced it."
"If you didn't touch it, then it wouldn't have disappeared from your dresser," Maya noted. She closed one of the drawers she left open with her hip and trudged back to the living room. The kitchen was clear of the missing engagement ring. "Are you sure you didn't bring it out? Maybe you decided to hide it somewhere else, but you just can't remember where that 'somewhere else' is?"
Josh paused. His expression concentrated as he forced his brain to remember if he did hide the velvet box someplace else. He recalled everything he'd done the past weeks, attempting to retrace the actions that could lead him to the location of the missing engagement ring.
While Josh was preoccupied in his own thoughts, Maya proceeded with her search. She went to one of the rectangular end tables in the living room and saw the numerous framed pictures on display. Although she knew she had an important task at hand, Maya couldn't help but pick up one of the framed pictures. It was of Josh celebrating his fifth birthday, the colorful banner behind the little five-year-old boy told her that. A party hat rested crookedly on his head as traces of melted chocolate ice cream trickled down the corner of his mouth. His grin was broad, making his cheeks puff up adorably.
Maya put down the picture and gazed at the one next to it. It was of Josh yet again, but this time he was with his parents. Josh was much older than he was in the previous picture she looked at. The trio looked joyous, arms around one another as they posed in front of their quaint house.
The next frames held pictures of Josh and Sophie. One was during the latter's college graduation. Sophie adorned a silver honor cord and a gold medal on her neck while Josh lovingly kissed her cheek. Maya moved on to the next frame and, this time, it was a picture of Josh during his own college graduation. His smile was wide as he held his diploma, his father standing next to him with an arm slung across his son's shoulders. He wore a proud grin of his own.
Noticing that only Josh's father was present in the picture, Maya examined the other frames and observed that Josh's mother wasn't included in them. The only frame she was in was the one of her with her whole family when Josh was a teenager.
A sudden cluttering noise provoked Maya out of her musings. She whirled to find Josh by the bookcases, rearranging the many decorations in their rightful order.
"Anything?" Josh questioned, briefly glancing at Maya over his shoulder.
Maya blinked and shook her head. "All clear," she answered.
"So, I've been thinking really hard about where that ring might be" —Josh paused as he hauled a heavy canvas storage box on the uppermost shelf of one of the bookcases— "and I think the reason why we can't find it is because it's not in this apartment."
"Where is it, then?" Maya queried, placing her hands on her hips.
Josh grabbed another lidded canvas storage box. Before he placed it back on the top shelf, he gazed at Maya and answered, "It's in the drawers of my desk in the office."
Maya's shoulders sagged, her hands sliding off her hips. "So, we've been rummaging through your stuff for a ring we were never gonna find?" she uttered.
"I guess the big project has really taken a toll on me," Josh reasoned, chuckling. "It's been stowed in those drawers for weeks now—way before you and I even met—and I just forgot that I never brought it home with me after I showed Andrew the ring."
"I did tell you that ring wouldn't misplace itself," Maya taunted as she made her way over to where Josh was. "You need a hand with those boxes?"
"Yes, please. My arms are getting tired," Josh answered with a breath of exhaustion. "These are mostly Sophie's stuff. This is where she stores her unfinished projects or the designs that never made it on her racks at the boutique."
Maya picked up a storage box and stood on her toes to put it back on the top shelf. She nevertheless came up short, and Josh reached over to push the rest of the box all the way in.
"Thanks," Maya stated as she flattened her feet back on the floor.
Josh grabbed the last storage box. As he reached up to stow it back to its place, his shirt rid up, uncovering a good amount of skin.
Maya didn't mean for her eyes to fall on Josh's exposed skin, but something kept her eyes dawdling longer than they should have. On his hip was a lightning bolt tattoo with a circle around it. Only half of the tattoo was showing, the waistband of his jeans obstructed the rest.
Fighting the urge to touch the design permanently inked on his skin, Maya cleared her throat and asked, "Big fan of The Flash?"
Josh polished off his hands as his eyes gazed at Maya with surprise. It was a statement he'd least expected to come from her mouth. "What?" he questioned.
Maya gestured at his tattoo. "Not that I was staring at you like a total creep, but your shirt rid up and it was . . . well, it was kinda hard to ignore," she reasoned, tucking her hands in her jeans' pockets.
"No, you're fine. It's all right," Josh stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. He hefted the side of his shirt and the half of his tattoo returned to view. "It's the only tattoo I have if you were wondering. And, yes. The Flash is one of my favorite superheroes, but that's not why I have this tattoo."
Maya ogled at the permanent ink on Josh's hip. She kept her hands tucked in her pockets to prevent herself from touching it. Although she and Josh considered one another as friends, there were still some boundaries she knew not to cross.
"Why get a lightning bolt, then?" Maya interrogated.
Josh let go of his shirt, covering the tattoo.
"Most people think that the lightning bolt signifies fear," Josh began. He sat down on the couch and Maya followed suit, claiming the seat adjacent to him. "But, for me, it doesn't—at least, not anymore. When I was younger, I used to be scared of thunderstorms. It used to not bother me, but when I saw my first streak of lightning, I felt terrified. I was a kid with a wild imagination, so I always had the thought that every time the sky lit up with lightning, it was out to strike me."
Josh paused for a moment as he reminisced about his childhood.
"And then somebody told me that the lightning bolt signifies power—your utmost potential," Josh continued. "Lightning bolts harness an immense amount of electrical energy, and it destroys anything it strikes. When a person is given too much power, it can be harmful to others or it can cause self-destruction. The person who told me this taught me to always know my worth, but never take it to the point where I could be detrimental to others or to myself. That's why there's a circle around the lightning bolt—"
"It symbolizes the control you hold over that power," Maya interpreted.
Josh nodded. "But it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to suppress it all the time," he supplied. "You just have to know when too much is too much."
Maya was silent for a while, allowing the significance of Josh's tattoo to sink in. Aside from their talk on the deck of Lucas and Riley's house last Thanksgiving, this was the second time she and Josh shared an intimate moment. Josh willingly opened up to Maya about something that was important to him, which made the latter feel bad that she hadn't told him anything yet. Perhaps when the timing was right, she'd be ready to reciprocate.
"Anyway, do you want something to drink? I should have offered you one earlier, but I was in panic mode and my brain was everywhere," Josh spoke as he stood from the couch.
"Water's fine, thank you," Maya replied.
With a smile, Josh walked toward the kitchen to fetch her a glass.
Just then, Maya's phone buzzed with a new message from Leigh.
Leigh Robinson — I'm in desperate need of your creative advice. Meet me at Complex Sounds?
Maya — Sure, I'll be there in ten.
Maya pocketed her phone and stood up from the couch. "Actually, I have to go," she announced as she hitched her bag on her shoulder. "One of my clients is in need of my assistance."
Josh nodded. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for helping me, by the way," he said, meeting Maya by the front door to open it for her. "And I'm sorry for making you look for something that wasn't even here."
"It's no big deal," Maya reassured, shrugging. "If I were in your situation, I would've acted the same way. Losing an engagement ring is no joke."
After saying their goodbyes to one another, Maya left Josh's apartment, unaware that she forgot a certain mustard scarf still hanging on the coat rack by the front door.
"Can I get you anything else?" the waiter asked as he served Maya a plate of filleted sole shallow fish on a bed of herbed forbidden rice accompanied by a honeyed mango red pepper relish and avocado purée.
Maya shook her head with a smile. "I'm good, thank you."
"Very well, then. Enjoy your meal."
The second the waiter left, Maya dug in. She made certain her first bite consisted of every component of the dish to ensure that she was getting the experience. Heaving a satisfied sigh, Maya savored her first spoonful as the varying tastes exploded into something delectable in her mouth.
"I told you it'd be good."
Maya's face lit up when she recognized the voice that spoke to her. She stood up from her seat to greet the owner of the restaurant, whom she easily became good friends with. "Joel," she uttered as she engulfed him in an embrace.
"I didn't expect you to be back here so early," Joel noted, taking the seat opposite Maya.
"I wanted to see a friend."
Joel grinned, gazing at Maya's dish, then at the opened sketchpad next to her. He couldn't see the full drawing due to the many colored pencils that were lined on top of it, but he nevertheless got the sketch's subject.
Maya saw Joel looking at her sketchpad. "I hope you don't mind that I brought my art materials with me," she stated, scooping the second bite of her dish. "The Central Spice is a very fancy restaurant, and I hope I'm not scratching its reputation or anything."
Joel waved her off. "You really are like my Annie," he commented with a laugh.
Maya smiled in response, having remembered the tale of the one that got away.
"So, what have you been up to since the last time I saw you?" Joel queried. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands together on his lap.
"I've been busy," Maya answered. "I'm currently the Creative Art Director for NYC Lends a Helping Hand Committee for this one benefit concert they're doing in February, and the job's been keeping me occupied. I'm still working with Josh as well. Even though we've been approaching things in baby steps, we're progressing."
"I hope he's not giving you a hard time," Joel responded.
"Oh, he's been good—a little demanding sometimes, but cooperative nonetheless," Maya ventured. "I was actually at his apartment earlier because he thought he lost Sophie's engagement ring."
"Oh, no. Did you find it?"
Maya waved her silverware in a so-so manner. "I didn't see it being physically found, but Josh remembered that he had it stowed in his drawer in his office. He went into panic mode because he forgot that he kept it there."
"Well, I'm glad he remembered where the ring was. Proposing to Sophie wouldn't make sense if he didn't have something shiny to slip on her finger," Joel commented with a jovial laugh.
Maya raised her glass of water as though she was giving a toast. "I can't disagree with that."
A comfortable silence befell the two. Maya finished what remained of her dish as Joel asked for permission to flick through her sketchpad. She gave him her approval, and Joel examined each one of Maya's sketches with captivated eyes.
"I appreciate constructive criticism, so just fire it at me whenever," Maya spoke after she swallowed the last spoonful of her dish.
Joel shook his head. "I only have good things for you, I'm afraid," he responded with a laugh. "You've got talent, Maya. I'm not an artist, but I can tell that you've got quite a spectacular singularity in regards to your quality of work."
Maya's cheeks reddened. She knew she'd never get used to hearing people complimenting her work. "Thank you, Joel. That really means a lot," she remarked with a gratifying smile.
Joel flipped to the last page, where he encountered the drawing he saw earlier. The sketch wasn't finished yet, but he could tell that something like that couldn't have emerged from Maya's creative imagination. It was something that was drawn based from a moment that transpired in real life.
"You know," Joel began, "when I first met you and Josh, I found it hard to ignore this certain air of effortlessness between the two of you."
Maya's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"It doesn't feel like what you two have is a professional relationship. The way the two of you communicate without having to say a word makes it seem like you've known one another for years," Joel explained.
"Well, we are friends now," Maya ventured. "Josh thought we're way past the professional relationship. We've been opening up to each other lately, and we now also share the same group of friends."
"So, the two of you see each other often? On top of working together for his marriage proposal?" Joel questioned, his smile still intact.
Maya nodded. "Yes. Fortunately, I haven't gotten sick of him. He's like that one friend you don't mind seeing every day."
Joel's smile broadened. He gazed at Maya for a while, seemingly attempting to find some undertone in her facial expression. What it was he was looking for, Joel didn't know. "Well, I should get going," he announced after. "It was nice to see you again, Maya."
"You, too," Maya responded. "Thanks for joining me even though you probably had better things to do."
"Nonsense." Joel stood up from his seat, tapping Maya's sketchpad. "When I was looking through your sketches earlier, I found many eye-catching pieces. I'd hang them all up on the walls of my house if you'd permit me to."
"Now I know you're just playing with me," Maya responded, laughing.
Joel's expression turned sincere. "But there is one particular piece that really captured my attention," he declared, jutting his chin at the sketchpad, which he left open on the page where Maya's latest unfinished sketch was on.
With that, Joel left.
A befuddled expression overtook Maya's features as she glanced at the sketch Joel was referring to. Her breath caught in her throat when she recognized what it was that she drew.
She found two people in her sketch: a man and a woman. Although she drew them faceless, Maya knew who they were because she was there when that moment transpired. The man's hunter green winter coat; the woman's navy blue beanie. The man's disheveled brown hair; the woman's long golden locks blowing in the frigid wind. The man's raised arm, a lightning bolt tattoo peeking out from underneath his shirt. The woman's head tilting upwards, like if she had eyes, she would be looking straight at him.
And penciled faintly underneath the subjects' feet were the words: Better, how?
Surprised by what she drew, Maya closed her sketchpad and stowed it in her bag. She caught the attention of a passing server and asked for her bill.
From the distance, Joel looked on, a knowing smile plastered on his wrinkled features.
Dun, dun, dun! Looks like Joel senses a little something-something if you know what I mean. Told you he'll come back - and this won't be his last appearance.
Also, did you pick up on the parallel? The MacCallisters leaving Kevin at the airport in a hurry, and Maya forgetting her scarf at Josh's apartment in a hurry?
And like always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!