Worst Cupid Ever

Going Down The Drain

"How was work?" Lisa asked before munching a mouthful of honeyed cereal she was eating straight from the box.

"Awful," Genevieve replied with a groan. She dumped her carry-on on a tall kitchen stool and walked over to the refrigerator.

Only eggs?! She shut the door and faced Lisa with hands on her hips. "What happened?"

Lisa only shrugged, pulled a chair, and sat.

"You aren't saying anything."

"Really?" Lisa lifted a pierced eyebrow. "I came in only thirty minutes ago. I should be angry but I live here for free, so... meh."

"Damn." Genevieve dragged a hand over her face and settled next to Lisa. "I totally forgot you were returning today. I've been such a scatterbrain."

"You don't say," Lisa said dryly as she offered Genevieve the box of cereal.

Genevieve took a handful. "Cut me some slack, biko. I just suffered through the most boring conference ever. They dried my bones, offed my spirit."

"Follow your passion. Your job sucks, and I think your boss hates you."

"Hey, the job pays the bill. As for my boss—yep, I'm sure he hates me; feeling is mutual though."

Raymond Dominic.

It was confounding, her crush on the man. It was dying a slow agonising death. Sure, her feelings weren't as intense as they first were but Genevieve grew impatient daily. She longed for the day she would look at him and feel absolutely nothing. Still, she should count her wins. She no longer fumbled over her words whenever she had the misfortune of being around him. But gosh, Raymond was cold as ice. It had been what? Three months since he took over and not once had she seen him smile. Sad, sad man.

"How about I order? Papa John's sounds nice. Their ofada rice is wack but their coconut rice kinda slaps. Delivery is blazing fast too." Genevieve sat up, excited at the prospect of escaping the ordeal of cooking. What time was it? She glanced at her phone screen. 6:04 PM. Enough time to—

"Nope, I hate their food." Lisa tossed the now empty box aside.

"Come on. I'm dying here. If you know what the past few days have been like..." Genevieve rested her elbows on her thighs and massaged her temples. She really needed to quit that job. After her accidental meeting with the boss at the mall, she had done her best to avoid him. Sometimes it worked, other times mission fail. The conference was one of those fails.

"Sorry Viv, but my answer is still no." Lisa pushed her thin long dreads over her shoulder and pulled at the drooping arm of her tank top.

"Suit yourself. I'm ordering in. If you don't want to eat, fine." Genevieve stood to leave.

"How about I call my dear aunt?"

"You wouldn't dare." Genevieve glowered at Lisa. Her cousin was a thorn. Even though Genevieve adored her to bits, the girl was a trident twirling devil on most days. What brought calling her mum into a conversation about food? That was like jumping from one to a thousand.

"I bet she'd want some news on her absentee-slash-runaway daughter." Lisa's smile turned impish as she pulled her phone from the pocket of her cutoffs.

"Give me that!" Genevieve attempted to snatch the device but Lisa smoothly slipped out of reach and sprinted to the corner of the kitchen. When she began typing, Genevieve wished she had the power of Thor—to fry the meddling spirit out of Lisa.

Sighing in defeat, Genevieve sat once more. She was too tired to cook. Why was Lisa doing this? Hunger gnawed at her belly. A headache was coming on. "Fine. We wouldn't order in. Happy now?"