3 THE DEAL (2)

It’s more like a staring contest between them until Cristan’s voice broke the silence first. He cleared his throat and asked. 

“So, who will go first? Me or you?” 

“Me…” 

Soon, she snatched the ballpoint and start writing on the papers. It only took around five minutes and the empty blank papers have filled with some lines which written neatly and tidy like those were typed automatically by a typewriter. Cristan blows a small whistle when he has a look at it. 

“What a wonderful handwriting, Miss Nova. Tell me, are you a teacher or something?” He chuckled but Arissa could hear a cynical tone inside his compliment. She would shoo a protest when he raised his hand in the mid-air. Stopped her to move further and stay still on the couch. Cristan reads every line and any details in the letter very thoroughly. He doesn’t want to miss anything for sure. But then, when his eyes hit the third and fourth clause, he looked at the woman who is sitting obediently in front of her. 

“What does it mean? The second occupant is allowed for having space nearby her favorite window in the third clause?”

Calmly, Arissa pointed out at a specific direction of her window but unfortunately, now, fully stacks by a pile of containers and five storeys shoe racks which belong to Cristan. 

“There…”

“I want a space for me there. Is that clear enough for you, Mr. Cristan Lewis..”

Cristan shrugged, cracked his head a bit and then, stood up to move some of his belongings. Not even take a minute, he had finished his first “assignment”. There is a space for Arissa now. Big enough for her if she willing to put her lazy chair next to the window and enjoy the view as much as she wishes. Then, he smiled at her. 

 “Mission accomplished…” 

What the….ARGGHHHHH!!!! 

OMG!!! Her eyes fluttered when the young man finished “his job” successfully. He just, literally, moved his racks aside and let everything just as same as before. Scattered. Messy. Untidy. 

She’s freaking upset now but, still, she holds herself. Even though, inside her head, she had smashed him repeatedly with no mercy. 

“Well..I also disagree with the fourth clause, Miss. What do you mean about no strangers allowed to enter our room? How if… that stranger is one of my family or my girlfriend? Or my best friend? This clause…. How do I say it? Ridiculous...”

Arissa sighed heavily. She thinks she has to pray now. Pray a lot so she would have an extra mile of patience. This young man is got her nerves for sure. He’s the first who could make her so disturbed till now. Slowly, Arissa smiled but behind her back, she already clenched her fist tightly. 

“I think we have another definition of a stranger. How if you relearn how to read from the elementary book? I believe, we might have a similar perception of “strangers”..” 

Arissa replied with a cynical tone in her voice. 

“Nope… nope…” He shook his head and smile amusedly. 

“My families are strangers for you. My girlfriends. My best buddies are strangers to you because you don’t know them before and you have no idea who they are. The same thing goes with you. Your family, let’s say… how if your mother or father visit you someday and you’re not at home? Will I open the door for them?” 

“Of course not… isn’t it?”

Ok, Arissa got his point. Hmm.. maybe he’s not as idiotic and dumbass as she thought before. 

Cristan crossed the clausal and add some lines under it. 

“Both occupants are allowed to bring anyone into the apartment as long as they already had permission from one another. With some notes, the stranger is not disturbing any kind of privilege and privacy of one of both occupants. The occupant who giving him/ her permission also in charge for his/ her behavior while they’re inside and the safety as well.” 

“Do you agree with this, Miss?”

Arissa nodded and replied. “Yes, fair enough for us..” 

Cristan stretched both of his arms and grinned wide. Showing his jolly happy side. 

“We have an agreement then. Good!” 

“By the way, I would like to add one more clause..” 

Cristan write some other lines on the paper and gave it directly to Arissa. 

“Please read this…” 

Arissa started reading it out loud. Her crisp voice sounds clear inside the room. 

“Fifth clause. There is no personal relationship between the occupants and both of us are not allowed to interfere in any kind of a private matter of one another. The relationship of both occupant related on a business partnership of living the same roof only..”

“I agreed…” Arissa responded in a flat tone. 

Well, she did some misperception about this guy. This man, even though he looks disheveled, but his mind stays clear and sharp in some areas. At least, he can think of some points that she hasn’t been thought of before. 

 “First clause. Both occupants agreed to split the rental fees fairly per month…”

 “Second clause. The rooms will be arranged according to the needs and agreement of both parties...”

“Third clause. The second occupant is allowed of having her own private space nearby the window..”

“Fourth clause. Both occupants are allowed to bring anyone into the apartment as long as they already had permission from one another. With some notes, the stranger is not disturbing any kind of privilege and privacy of one of both occupants. The occupant who giving him/ her permission also in charge for his/ her behavior while they’re inside and the safety as well.”

“Fifth clause. There is no personal relationship between the occupants and both of us are not allowed to interfere in any kind of a private matter of one another. The relationship of both occupants related on a business partnership of living the same roof only...”

Cristan and Arissa read the letter once again inwardly for twice or three times. Both of them still feel discomfort and they are still being suspicious of one another.  

Soon, both of them signed the letter. Cristan sign it first and followed by Arissa’s signature afterward. Then, they put the letter inside their bags. Daytime passed by and the sky has turned its color into shades of dark blue and purplish orange. The wind getting colder. The night will be fall soon. Arissa closed the windows properly while Cristan yawned and entered his room. 

The last two days have been tiring for them both. Moving in and packing in speed mode. Now, after all, things have settled up, it’s time for them both to get some rest. 

Arissa lying down on the couch with her puzzled expression. Yes, opposite of Cristan who has filled each spot in this place with his belongings and furniture, she has none for her room. No mattress, no wardrobe, no shelves. Like.. an empty shell. 

So, she can’t sleep on the floor for tonight, right? Moreover, tomorrow she would start working. She can’t be late on her very first day in her new company. 

“Well.. you can sleep on my couch for a while until you buy a new bed for your room later..” He said nonchalantly to her while he making himself a big mug of hot chocolate. But, then, his steps stopped before he reached the door’s handle. 

“Or…if you want…”

“We can share my bed tonight. It is a bit cold; you know. How if we sle…”

Cristan hasn’t finished his words when suddenly, three cushions flew out directly towards him. Shocked, he opened the door and slammed it harshly.

BLAMM!!!

The cushions crashed the door and landed poorly on the floor while Arissa burying her face in another cushion and screamed out loud desperately that night. 

O Lord, what did I do in the past so you punished me like this?

In this crumpled place…. with a jerk stranger and trapped in another miserable year of my life? 

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