EIGHT

Maeve looked shocked at his sudden outburst - he did too. He couldn't remember when last he yelled at anyone. He had always been the one to be yelled at and not the other way. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he tried to speak but a gasp was all he could dissipate. 

Maeve stood up then but before she could get to the door,  he held her by the wrist. 

"I'm very sorry. Please, don't go." He pleaded, remorse evident on his face. 

Her face broke into a grin.  "I was going to the kitchen." 

"Oh!" He muttered. Embarrassment filled him and he let go of her hand. 

She smiled then and walked into his kitchen, opening and scanning his fridge. He followed her and stood by the door post, watching her.  

"A bottle of milk? Seriously?" She looked at him.

"I like milk." He muttered.

"Christ!" She slammed the fridge door. "That's all you have in your fridge?  Milk and juice?" 

She looked so surprised that Drake wondered if it was a crime to have those in his fridge. If she reacted this way, what then did she have in her fridge?

"You don't drink milk?" 

"Do I look like a cow to you?" She pushed him slightly from the door post.

"Cows don't drink milk." He followed her.

"Whatever." She shook her head and plopped on his sofa. 

"What about juice? It is chilled." He tried to convince her and she stared at him like he had asked for her kidney.

"Fine." She agreed after a while and he grinned. 

He returned with two tumblers and a pack of juice on a tray. He placed it on the table and poured the juice content into the glasses. He offered her one and she took a sip immediately. 

"Good, right?"

"Juice are always good." She rolled her eyes at him.

"But you don't like them." He muttered.

"Who said I didn't?" She shook her head at him and tapped his forehead a bit too hard. 

"That hurt." He winced and she laughed.

"You know what? Let me try that saying of yours. Let's watch a movie. Pick one." She said after a while and he smiled. He dropped his glass on the table as he walked to get a movie.

On getting there, he couldn't  decide what movie to watch. He held onto three, staring at them intently. It was true he had watched them all but he found each interesting and couldn't say which was better. 

"You don't believe in your 'interesting' movies?" She teased.

He picked one at last to prove her wrong and placed it into the dvd player. He moved to switch the light on since it was getting quite dark but she stopped him. He gaped at her, confused. 

"Is this an horror movie?"

He shook his head. How would she think it was?  He hadn't been able to sleep the last time he watched one and ever since then, he dreaded horror.

"Then leave the light off." She told him and he obliged, taking a seat on the next available chair. 

"You said it wasn't horror so why are you staying there? Come here." She patted the space beside her and he nodded. 

As the movie played,  Drake noticed her rolling her eyes and muttering words to herself but as the movie progressed, she stopped and sat up, her interest piqued.

Drake watched her wipe tears from the corner of her eyes when the movie finally ended and he smiled, happy that he had proved her wrong. 

"How was it?" He asked confidently. 

"Well. . ." She wiped her eyes. "It wasn't that good." 

Drake's jaw fell. "But you cried."

"I cried because it was so bad. I weep for anyone who will watch this movie." She downed her juice and Drake couldn't help but watch her. 

She glanced at him when she didn't hear him speak and when she saw the expression on his face, she laughed.

"I was only teasing you. It was really good. . .surprisingly."

Drake sighed then, happy she had liked it and hurt she had teased him again. It was like she derived joy from doing that to him.

"You're so fun to tease." She confirmed his suspicion and he frowned.  He didn't want her teasing him.

"Where were you earlier today?" She asked him after a while.

"Church."

"Oh!" She nodded.

Drake nodded too; this could be the best time to bring up what Ms Silver had said but he couldn't summon the courage to tell her.  The atmosphere was quite friendly and he didn't want to ruin it by saying something she wouldn't like to hear. 

"You should come with me to church next Sunday." He blurted out however, even when he didn't want to.  It was like something had possessed his mouth. 

"Why?" She looked puzzled. 

"Well. . . If you have nothing doing,  you can come with me. . .you like going out . . . So. . ." He stared at the empty glasses before him.

"I'll think about it." She simply said, before facing him and asking if there was any other movie to watch.

"Huh?"

"Any other good movie?"

"You still want to watch another?" He asked in surprise

"Why not? You don't want to?"

"Well. . ." He trailed off. How would he communicate to her that he had work the next day and his boss would skin him alive if he came late? He envied that she had all the time to laze around. 

What exactly was her intention for coming to Geodan? How was she surviving without doing anything to earn money? Did she have some secret boyfriend supplying her every need? All these questions filled his mind as he looked at her.  

He was curious about her but didn't want to bombard her with numerous questions.  He didn't want to scare her away or make her uncomfortable.  He valued their friendship - if it could be called one.

"You can go if you don't.  Just recommend a movie and I'll watch it in my house." Her voice brought him back to reality and he gawked at her, not liking the tone of her voice. He wished he could ditch work but he knew that was a death wish. 

He offered her the movies he had found difficult to choose from and waved her goodbye as she left his house.