The Watch

Dude, Pop The Question

The house wasn't as extravagant as I had imagined. Bianca's parents must have been wealthy. Just the regular wealthy. Like they could afford fancy trips and buy houses in foreign countries wealthy. Like lame...wealthy. It wasn't bad, but I couldn't see myself staying in a house so small. I felt claustrophobic and...weird.

Bianca, on the other hand, was more than excited to see the house. She bounced around the place, opening curtains and ripping the sheets off beds. She wasn't lying when she said she hadn't been here in a while. Everything was coated in at least five years of dust. Except for the furniture. It had been covered with plastic.

"I'll check to make sure the water is still running. I could wash all the sheets," Bianca declared.

"I'll start dusting," Tina offered. She had been sneezing nonstop since entering the house. I guess not everyone can handle dust. "Shayne, be a dear and start washing dishes."

I snorted. "She tells you to do that back home?"

"...Shut up," he growled. "You'll understand when you're married."

Ha! He's hilarious. I'm never going to get married. Imagine being tied down to one woman and multiple kids. I must have been out of my mind to think Nisha would have wanted a life with me. She is an example of how cruel women can get. And to think I moved on to another woman who could be just as much of a traitor as she was. Although...she was proving to be more promising.

"Edward, I'm getting the biggest room," I announced.

"As much as I'd love to fight you about it, my old bones wouldn't be able to keep you in a headlock." He chuckled.

"You're saying I'm better than you?"

"No, I'm just being the bigger person."

I sucked my teeth. I walked right into that joke. To be honest, Edward was larger than me. Much larger than I would have imagined, considering he was my dad's closest friend. Who happened to be 5'10 with just the right amount of muscle. Edward was 6'3 with the muscles of a bodybuilder. I wasn't scared of him. Just...cautious.

"Oh, before I forget..." I looked around the living room. "How's Shawn? I haven't heard about him since the last time you took him out for lunch."

"...He's fine. Working a lot, but fine." Edward sniffed.

"He doesn't know you left, does he?"

"Oh, he knows. He just doesn't care."

I dropped the subject and left. There was no reason to pry into his love life. Shawn was a good guy. I could tell he and Edward had been in love at some point. They were always smiling at each other and never once called each other names not meant for them. I guess that's what they wanted everyone to see anyway. Not all relationships are perfect.

"Why'd you walk off?" Edward called after me.

"Some things aren't meant to be known," I called back. "Not unless you want to tell me all about it!"

"Sorry, but I'm not your little girlfriend."

Edward: 5

Me: 0

I sighed and searched for the biggest room.

Shayne found me out on the terrace watching the sunset. We hadn't been here for more than five hours, but I was already comfortable enough to feel at home. Somehow we'd gotten Tina and Bianca to cook dinner. Not something I see women doing everyday. My chef's a guy, so you...you know.

"The men are renting a few places a couple of minutes away. If Payne finds them, there's no way he can make it to us in time," he said. "How do you like it here?"