You're a Metaphor

Chapter 10: Three to Tango

Singapore is not located on a plate boundary and is therefore not prone to earthquakes. But that very moment, Nadine felt the floor shook intensely that she had to hold on to the table next to her for support, otherwise, she was sure she would have fainted right there and then. Actually, she might have fainted for a second or two, because by the time she gained consciousness or the ability to refocus back to reality she was utterly certain that she had gone delusional. She swore to herself that she will never skip breakfast, ever again.

Snap!

"Babe, come back to me." Someone pleaded. Nadine had to blink a couple more times to know for certain that she wasn't dreaming.

Michael.

"She needs air, let's give her some space, shall we?" Suggested by another, whom Nadine felt was tensed by the strain of their voice and the way they gripped her hand. Time slowed down as she panned her head from left to right.

"James?" She asked weakly.

"Thank God, Nadine, you scared me!" James surged forward, wrapping his arms around her so tight that she felt the wind knocked out of her lungs, only to be filled with the scent of woods after a thunderstorm — clean and elemental.

The mutual exchange of their eyes, screaming understanding and desire, were cut short by a loud obnoxiously fake cough. They both turned their heads toward the culprit and if their stare were knives, Michael would have been raced to the A&E, already bleeding to death.

"So, lunch?" Michael spoke with urgency, his question sounded more like a statement, completely oblivious of the tensed atmosphere he just dissipated.

"Sure, if it's, uh, alright with Nadine." James answered, eyes trained to Nadine's every move as if he were walking on eggshells, his words and actions were calculated.

"Lunch? With you both? Us three, going for lunch? Hah." Nadine finally let go of the questions scrambling around her brain. She ended it with a sigh and a faint laugh at how ridiculous and absurd her current predicament was.

"This is going to be interesting." Michael said to no one in particular.

"Huh?" Inquired Nadine.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Any uh, suggestions?" Michael was quick to change the topic.

"How about Japanese, like Sushi? Nadine loves Sushi!" James blurted out, pride resounding in the four corners of the room.

"Of course, how could I forget. This young woman right here could clean 20 plates in a single sitting." Michael said, overpowering James' statement, as if they were contending in a Trivia Quiz, level 'Who knows Nadine best!'.

"Actually, I'm so hungry right now I could eat up a whole cow. I'm thinking of medium rare filet mignon from Wooloomooloo...." Nadine interrupted, standing up and gaining her composure as she walk passed the two gentlemen, still rambling about the steakhouse as she stepped out of the room, her voice echoed and faded across the hallway.

...

Nadine was on her second glass of Pinot Noir, but her nerves were still getting the best of her. She was still trying to get herself out of the nightmare that was in front of her: the two men in her life that might cause her early death. Oh to be forever young, meant dying young right?

"Babe!" Michael snapped her out of her thoughts. They way he was calling her babe, even though she told him before not to was frustrating enough for her to finish up the liquid in her newly refilled glass. The quick swig of the alcohol, burned her throat.

"I'm sorry, I need to go to the ladies' room. Excuse me, gentlemen." She said, standing up swiftly that she felt blood rushed into her head.

The two men nodded their response and went back to their heated conversation that involved cameras and f.stops, whatever that meant, Nadine didn't really want to know. So she left them to their own and decided to stay in the cubicle for as long as they would think she was still alive.