LATE FOR WORK

     Faith stayed with Charlotte until she slept off. Even after taking the Avomine, Charlotte stopped vomiting but was still restless. Faith had to go get Valium and gave her to take. 

       "Are you a medical doctor or what?" Charlotte had asked, taking the medicine from her. They had laughed. 

     When Charlotte finally slept off, Faith went and had her bath and got dressed for work. It was around 12:15 PM that she was done. She was grateful that she didn't have any appointments until 1:30 PM. When she was done, she went over to Ethan's room again, Charlotte was still asleep. Ethan was still in the living room, she started leaving without saying anything to him. 

       "Hey," he called. 

     She halted and turned to look at him. He rose from the couch. 

       "Are you in a hurry? We need to talk," he said. 

     Her heart skipped. She asked herself what it means for someone to say that they wanted to talk. It was always so serious. She didn't have the time. She read his expression, it was blank. 

       "I don't...have time to talk... I'm running late to work," she managed and gestured to the wall clock. 

        "You don't have five minutes?" 

       "I don't have a minute." 

     He looked disappointed as if he knew she was lying. She had up to an hour left before her appointment, but she didn't want scolding from him or enter into any argument that would get her mind wandering when she would be with a client. 

      "If that's all, then, I would leave now," she said and avoided his confident gaze. 

        "Thank you for taking care of Charlotte." 

       She waved it off. "It's nothing." She quickly reached for the door and went out. 

      When she was outside the living room, at the hallway, she leaned on the door and huffed. She suddenly felt hot and fanned her face with her hands. Her heart pounding. How could he always have that effect on her? It was just lust. Lust, lust, lust, nothing but lust. 

       She was not religious but she resolved that she would never fall into his temptation. She started towards the elevator. But was he tempting her? He is on his own, he got himself a girlfriend. She was the one lusting after him, not the other way round. Even as she thought of it and kept convincing herself that it was nothing, the memories of their kisses kept trying to instill in her that there was something more than lust. There was a passion, a fire. 

     She sighed, stepping out of the elevator into the foyer. Two teenage girls greeted her and she greeted back and stepped out into the open street. It was a cold, dank day. The air was stale and humid and traffic snarled. She looked around to find a taxi, then a blue convertible pulled up in front of her by the sidewalk. She looked away. 

       "Looking for a ride?" Nora asked. 

      "Go away," Faith drawled with a pout. 

       "You know I don't take no for an answer." 

        "Whatever." Faith started walking. Nora followed her. 

         "You know I will pester you until you get it!" Nora called from the car.

     Faith stopped abruptly and turned to look at her. "Can't you even say sorry?" 

       "I was going to do that properly in the car. Now, hop in." 

      Faith stared at her for a while. "I'm going in because I'm late," she said and circled round and entered inside. 

     Nora sighed. "How long I had to wait here. What kept you in so long? I hope its not hangover?" Nora asked looking at her. 

       "Shut up and drive," Faith said, looking forward. 

     Nora kicked the engine and zoomed away from the traffic behind.