Lasting Effects (Sequel To After Effects)

Chapter 02 ~ Lasting Torture

The fact that this was torture was the only thought running through my head, as I sat against the headboard of the motel room's bed...

My head was resting on my knees which were pulled to my chest, eyes trained on the back of the man sitting by the small table next to the wardrobe.

Well, if there was one thing I knew now about Riddian Remora, it was that he could ignore any circumstance; from a thundering storm outside to the giant in the room, the fact that he kissed me and left.

I was practically losing my mind by the minute. Every second he scribbled who knows what on a notepad he had found and ignored my presence like the coward he was, added to the strain I felt in keeping my mouth shut and not blurt out 'we need to talk!' to him. I groaned inwardly, rolling my head to the side so that I would no longer look at him. I was beginning to make the decision that I would much rather have Mr. Jones come get us now than to hope for the conversation to spark.

Maybe we just needed a little time to digest what happened though, and see how we really felt about it. I mean these boss and employee relationships could become really complicated... But I just thought that I had finally figured out how I felt about things. I had finally agreed with myself that I liked Riddian not only as a boss but as much more than that, and then he just kissed me, making me think for a moment that he actually liked me back, before he just confused me more and ran out on me?

I sighed again and laid back onto the bed, except this time, my head was towards the end of the bed and my feet against the head board. Now I was thinking that I would have to be the one to initiate the conversation if I ever wanted there to be one, and if I was going to do that, I needed to say something fast...

But then I groaned, because what would I say? How could I do this without embarrassing myself anymore than I had last night? I shouldn't even feel embarrassed because he was the one that kissed me... But then again he was also the one that had left!

Humming to myself I look over to where the source of my thoughts was. Maybe I could start with something else and then slowly lead into it.

"Did you know that I really like mayonnaise?"

Riddian's hand stopped above the paper he was jotting on, and then his head slowly turned in my direction. I grinned as soon as his eyes finally connected with mine and he rose both eyebrows as if to ask 'what on earth are you talking about?'. I was quiet for a few seconds until I gave a soft chuckle and sat up quickly, hugging onto the pillow and batting my eyelashes at him.

"Well," I began, watching him look at me with genuine interest in what stupidness I would make to say to him at the moment. He was in for a treat... "I have always remembered ever since I was little this one time when my dad tried this new recipe of my mom's cooking! It was some kind of salad which was the normal but always bland type, and ever since dad added a little mayonnaise to that mixture I literally started eating mayonnaise with everything! Chicken! Fries, cheese sandwiches, sausage, potato-" I immediately trailed off as soon as I looked back over to Riddian and saw the look in his eyes I recognised from all the times I asked myself 'what are you doing with your life' in my bathroom mirror. The frown on his face, however, resembled all the times I tried to choose between ketchup and mustard on my hot dogs...

I laughed again, nervously. "Well you know... Mayo isn't for... Everyone..." I eventually trailed off and felt my heart sink as he gave me one last blank look and then turned back in his seat to start writing again.

I screamed out loudly in my head, smashing the pillow into my face as I fell back onto the bed in defeat. Then I threw the pillow away cause motels are very unhygienic and I had already rolled in enough of its filth from last night, plus, who didn't like mayo? Or ketchup?