Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"What?"

"I said, I have an important appointment I need to go to this morning, and you need to take me there", she repeated as she picked up her phone to check the time.

"Urghh... I'm late", she announced unenthusiastically, still standing.

"B... But, you're still in your pyjamas! You don't look like you have anywhere to go to in the next week! Plus, you just arrived yesterday. How is it possible that you know anywhere?", He questioned.

"Exactly. I don't know my way around this city, so I need you to take me to the place. I saw an opportunity for a gig online, and when I applied, they gave me an address for an interview. So I need to be there as soon as possible", she said with a loud yawn.

Anthony had never seen somebody say something and make a gesture that expresses the exact opposite of what she said like Vivian.

"Vivian, I'm going to be late for work! If you knew that you needed to go somewhere today, and that you needed me to take you there, why didn't you wake up earlier?"

"I'm a late bird. Besides, aren't you like the boss of your company or something? Can't you go to work when you like? Why go this early to work when you can casually walk in the office in the middle of day or better still, take the day off? You're the first CEO I know that is so punctual to work."

As much as Anthony wanted to take her statement as a compliment, Vivian made it sound like she was insulting him.

"Vivian, I'm sorry but I really need to go-"

"Five minutes! Give me five minutes, and I'll be ready to go", she said and took off on the stairs before Anthony could argue any further.

****

Anthony had a sister, so he knew damn well that women do not take five minutes to get ready. But he'd never heard of a women who took a full hour and thirty minutes to take a bath and put on some cloths.

The thought of quietly leaving the house crossed his mind before he heard footsteps of Vivian coming down the stairs.

She was wearing a black, oversized shirt, and a pair of baggy jeans, which made him wonder whys he talk all day to get downstairs.

"Why did you take so long?", He questioned her once he set his eyes on her.

"I'm sorry. I dozed off", she said with a shrug and walked past him.

It took Anthony a couple of seconds of understand what she said.

"Wait a minute... You're telling me that you went back upstairs and kept me waiting while she slept?!" He queried, trying very hard to keep his tone in check.

"Yup. Now that I'm ready, can we go? Don't delay us with unnecessary questions", she said and walked out of the house.

Anthony closed his eyes, and tried to take a quick breathing session to calm himself down. He had never felt this mad and perplexed at the same time. This was exactly why he didn't want a stranger living with him, but he was doing this for his sister. It was her birthday wish, and he had to endure this trauma until it was considered fulfilled.

He walked out of the house and saw her standing waiting for him.

He walked to the car he wanted to use for the day, and they soon got inside.

He turned on the ignition, and drove out of his compound. Soon, they were in the streets of the city.

They both agreed that Vivian would take a cab back home when she was done with the interview, so she had to stay at the passenger seat to know the way back.

The recent events were not exactly an eventful start of his day and he needed to calm his nerves down, so he had classical orchestra playing from the radio.

"What kind of song is this?", Vivian asked.

Anthony could hear the irritation in her voice as she asked the question, so he didn't bother to answer her.

When she wasn't getting any answer from her driver, she leaned forward and changed the radio station. She increased the volume to the highest, and Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez was booming from his speakers.

Anthony, not wanting to give in to his emotions, quietly changed the station back to the previous one, and turned down the volume.

Immediately he got his hands of the radio, she turned it back to the one she wanted and once again, and once again, turned up the volume.

Anthony took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Vivian?"

But she didn't answer because she was too busy yelling back the lyrics to the radio.

"Vivian?"

"Viv- Vivian!!", He yelled and punched the radio into silence.

She glared at him.

"Dude, what's the problem with you?"

"Can you please stop messing with the radio?"

"Not if you're going to keep listening to such depressing sound performed by old-ass people", she returned.

"It's not depressing, Vivian. On the contrary, it's refreshing. I need to relax myself before I get to work. Since I didn't have my morning cup of coffee, could you please let me have this radio to myself?", He said and turned it back on and the orchestra was playing.

"Nope. This song should be played at someone's burial", and with that, the popular Pop song was booming through the speakers again.

"This is for Rebecca. I'm doing this for my sister. This will be over in a couple of months", he reassured himself under his breath.

*****

"Boss, are you alright?", A staff questioned Anthony.

"Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?"

"You don't look too well. You look tired", he replied.

"I'm alright. Thanks for your concern, though. You can go home now. It's past closing time."

"You should also get some rest, sir. Good night sir", he said and left his office.

It was barely twenty-four hours since Vivian began staying at his place, and the toll was already evident on him.

He stood up and packed his files to go home. He got out of the building, and he was soon on his way back home.

He was famished and too tired to cook dinner saw he brought pizza before he got home.

He finally drive into his compound and got out of the car. He stood outside for a couple of seconds, shaking his head as he stared at the building. He could only hope that Vivian hadn't done something to get under his skin while he was away. All he wanted to do tonight was to get in, take a shower, eat some pizza and go to bed.

He walked to the door and opened it with his key.

He walked into the house and locked the door. He turned to go upstairs, but what he caught sight of got him so shocked, the box of pizza fell from his hand.