[Nicole]
We got back from work later than usual, Clara and I. It was almost dark and we were both tired.
While Clara tiredly set the takeouts we got on our way home, I settled on one of the sofas, checking for new mails. I had just finished responding to the few unanswered mails I had left, and I felt a gurgle in my stomach which sounded as a reminder of how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten anything today aside from the breakfast Clara had ensured I ate.
There was still no message from him, not even an assignment or a question, I noted with a sigh. I wasn't sure if reaching out to him first was a good idea so I cleared the message I was composing to send to him.
Although I didn't get to see the new CEO today as he was rumoured to have travelled, I did hear a lot about him. Everyone spoke lengthy of how arrogant and handsome he was but I just was not interested in the gossip. I had more than enough to worry about, and I was entirely grateful for his absence which gave me all the time I needed to be by myself.
Clara had made use of every opportunity to check up on me, using excuses which varied from a missing email, to information on the company's stock market, all of which were completely irrelevant to her.
I sat at my desk all day, completing every unfinished work I had on my workflow, and answering calls at intervals to inform the callers of the CEO's absence.
"Here," Clara said, stretching a pack of drugs to me, and I immediately reacted with a frown.
She had made a stop at a pharmacy on our way back to get contraceptive pills for me even though I made it clear that I do not want them.
"You don't want to end up pregnant from this." She added firmly.
I took the drug from her, and headed for the bedroom. I could hear Clara's heavy footsteps as she charged after me.
"I want to see you take them." She said from behind me, and I rolled my eyes at her.
"Of course." I said sarcastically. I had no idea what each dose was as I had refused to go with her into the pharmacy however she tried to convince me otherwise.
How about we go back to eat so you can take the drugs." Clara said in a soft tone, and I complied immediately, much to Clara's surprise. I was that hungry.
We sat down to eat. While I whooped down on my plate of pasta, Clara picked on hers.
"Don't you like it?" I was forced to ask. For all I know Clara should be just as hungry as I was.
"I do, I suddenly lost my appetite." She complained, putting the plate of rice away. Something else worried her and I could tell, but not what it was.
"Well, you have to eat up first, then we can talk." I said in a tone that was right in the middle of being firm and polite. It was my turn to mummy Clara.
"Here," She said instead, stretching a closed palm towards me. She had peeled off the tablets from their sachets and handed them to me. I collected them from her,in an enclosed palm after which I opened my palm to look at the drugs. My face curled up in a frown once I saw the number of tablets.
"You don't intend to flush out my internal organs, do you? I asked, looking from the drugs to Clara and back to the drugs again.
"Just take them, they will prevent you from becoming pregnant." Clara said in a weak voice. Whatever it was that worried her must be serious. Whatever it was, I hoped no one would get hurt again.
I looked at the tablets in my half opened palm, all of which were seven in number, and silently hoped it worked without any side effects since I was no fan of contraceptives. All my years with Clark, I had relied completely on an ovulation calculator.
Speaking of the ovulation calculator, I had no idea what my actual chances of getting pregnant from the incident were, and I hadn't given it a thought all these while. So I brought out my phone, and sorted out the app with which I calculated my ovulation, and scrolled down to Friday.
My heart skipped a beat as HIGH CHANCES OF BECOMING PREGNANT stared back at me from the screen.
"What are you stalling for, take the…" Clara started to say but stopped as I threw every last drug in my mouth, and washed them down with water.
"Good job," Clara said with a little curve of her lips. It was the closest to smiling she could muster at this point. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" She added once she saw the shock on my face.
"They are bitter." I lied.
"What were you expecting, candies?" She teased me while I made a face.
"Your turn." I said after a few minutes had passed, and watched as Clara's face suddenly registered both shock and confusion.
"I don't need contraceptives." Clara declared with too much conviction that I suddenly had the urge to laugh.
"I was talking about your food." I explained, pointing at the plate which was at the corner of the room.
"Why are you so worked up?" I asked. It was hard to not be concerned at this point.
"I told you, I lost my appetite." Clara replied but I wasn't listening any more. I walked to the corner of the room where her plate of rice was kept, and picked it up, after which I handed it over to her.
From the look of things, we had a lot of things to worry about, a poor feeding habit should not be added to it.
"Eat up so you can tell me what in heaven's name is going on." My tone wasn't caught in between this time. It was firm, and rock solid.
I smiled within me as Clara began to eat, though in small bits.
************
"I think I have feelings for the new CEO." Clara blurted out without warning.
"You don't really mean that, do you?" I asked Clara who seemed to be deep in thoughts. We were both in the kitchen, doing the dishes, and Clara had just revealed the source of her worry after much pressure from me.
I felt relieved that it was nothing serious, nothing that will lead to harm, only hurt which will definitely heal with time.
"I'm crazy, right?" Clara asked, facing me. Her expression was totally impossible to read.
"No, you're not." I said, not sure how to tell her the bitter truth. She sensed my hesitation, and prodded me further with her eyes.
"It's crazy. You know how these things work, and I don't want to see you get hurt, ever." I said, hoping she would understand.
"I know too, but I keep getting drawn to him. I'll have to find a way to kill my feelings for him." Clara said after a long pause.
I wondered within me just how handsome Mr Leonard must be to be able to get Clara falling for him. But what did other colleagues say about him? I thought about the impossibility of the likes of Mr Litt to get involved with lower class ladies, and heaved a sigh, one that depicted sympathy in high volume.
"That's the way to go, Clara. Kill whatever feelings you have for him." I added on a sad note.