The Right Choice

Chapter 35

Jessie finally got hold of her sorrows and had begun to move on. Though no longer sad, she was still keeping herself consumed by her work. Even today, she was early at work and was busy at her drawing sheet below, trying very hard to fit a home theatre in the basement area available. She had already made several options since this morning but none of them seemed to be doing the trick. She was about to keep the current one aside and start anew when she heard Penelope almost screaming in annoyance.

"Neal I can't, alright. If it were a few months earlier, then I would have agreed but it's not possible now."

"Why not?" Neal yelled after her as they both reached their section.

"Do you have to know the reason?" Penelope asked in irritation.

"Yes!" Neal shouted once more. "If you say ‘no’ then I have no one else to turn to. Please, it's just one evening."

"No!"

"I'll do your presentation views for the next month."

"No!"

"Next two months."

"Did you hit your head on something? Don't you understand that ‘no’ means no?"

"Tell that to my mother who insists that I get married and hand her a few grandchildren."

"Then do it. How hard can it be?"

"You know why Penelope."

Jessie looked at the arguing two in confusion. It didn't sound like it was work related. 'Of course it isn't. He's talking about his mother. How on earth can it be work related?' Then what were they arguing about? She realized that neither of them had even acknowledged her presence. They were that engrossed in their fight. Jessie cleared her throat and saw the two turn their attention to her. She was staring at them with her eyebrows raised. It was too early in the morning for Penelope to start arguing with someone; and it wasn't even Sam.

"What an amazing way to start the day?" Jessie mocked them.

Penelope kept her purse to the side, pulled her chair towards Jessie and said, "Jessie, will you please knock some sense into Neal?"

"Okay," Jessie stated. “Why am I doing that?"

"Because he's an idiot," Penelope said as she looked angrily at Neal.

"I am not an idiot, alright," Neal said as he took his seat.

"No, you’re just a stupid moron who's expecting too much from a friend."

Neal angrily replied, "It's not that big a deal."

"It is a big deal," Penelope spat.

"I can't believe that you're saying that after all that I done for you," Neal began his emotional black mailing. He was very good at it.

Penelope pointed a finger at him and threatened, "Don't start that, alright. I have thanked you a million times for it."

"But you're still saying no to this."

Jessie's head began to hurt as they went back and forth. Who'd have thought that people have this amount of energy in the morning? Especially to argue. As she tuned them out, it's not like they stopped. They were still at it as Jessie came back to reality. She glared at the two in irritation and realized that their tone of voice had increased instead of decreasing. ’That’s it!’ Jessie couldn’t take it anymore.