Chapter 14
Denny
Old loves, they die hard
Old lies, they die harder
― Nightwish, I Wish I Had an Angel
Eris’ interview was at 4 PM. For good measure, Denny started stressing about it before she was even out of bed.
Had it been up to her, all appointments and daily chores should be gotten over with first thing in the morning, so that the rest of the day wouldn’t be plagued by anticipatory anxiety.
Too bad the world didn’t revolve around her.
Her leg had been bouncing nonstop since they’d sat down for lunch.
“I’m the one who should be nervous,” Eris told her.
“Huh?”
“I’m the one who—”
“I’m not nervous.” Denny rolled her Brussels sprouts around the plate. She wasn’t hungry, but Eris had cooked for her and she’d rather make herself sick than leave a single grain of rice. “Not about the interview per se.”
“About what then?”
“Just… nervous.”
“I won’t bail on you just because I found a job.”
Denny’s heart felt a little less heavy. “I know.”
“You’re such a shite liar.”
She was glad there was a whole table between them, because, without it, she would’ve hugged Eris tightly enough to bruise her.
Denny’s worry, however, didn’t completely wane. There was no reassurance for all those things that couldn’t be predicted.
What if this job altered their consolidated balance? What if it wore Eris out so much that she wouldn’t have any energy left to put up with Denny?
Eris was aware, without the shadow of a doubt, that forcing herself into a customer-facing role would mentally drain her, but she was proud and stubborn and Denny was in no position to tell her what she should or shouldn’t do.
She had no choice but to worry quietly and wait.
If this interview turned out to be fruitless, she would take it as a sign to bring up the idea she’d been toying with.
“You’re thinking too loudly.”
“Eavesdropping on my overthinking again?”
“You’re literally broadcasting.”
Denny realised how deeply Eris had changed her when her first instinct wasn’t to apologise or explain, but to smile.
“I will support whatever you decide to do,” she said. “But you can’t ask me to pretend this isn’t a bad idea.”
“That’s something.” To her surprise, Eris smiled, too, if a bit wryly. “I have to take a stab at it. I can accept not paying you rent, but I will pay every penny of my share of the groceries and the utilities. That money you gave me for the quinceanera thing won’t last long.”
Denny stabbed a sprout and stuffed it in her mouth.
Eris did so much for the maintenance of the flat that it seemed unfair to have her pay for the utilities.
A cleaner would have cost hundreds for the same amount of work.
And, beyond that, Eris was a breathing computer: she absorbed information and details just by overhearing them and effortlessly dug them up when they were needed.
Since her arrival, Denny’s sticky notes consumption had dropped dramatically.
It was inconceivable to her that someone could think of doing something and then simply remember to do it hours or even days later, just like that.
After lunch, she took care of the kitchen so that Eris could go upstairs to get ready. On an average day the entire process, between clothes and makeup, didn’t require more than a few minutes. That day more than an hour passed before she came back.
She was barely recogniseable: light makeup, plain jeans, a black blouse Denny had never seen before, hair down to hide the undercut.
“How do I look?”
Denny couldn’t answer right away. The shock at the lack of the beautiful plaits and the silver ornaments tugged at her heart. It occurred to her that this must be the first time Eris was applying for a job that required a curated appearance.
I hate it, she wanted to say, because that wasn’t her Eris and it certainly wasn’t Eris’ Eris either, but she’d promised her full support and she was going to grant it no matter what.
“Like someone who’s very determined to make the right impression.”
Eris frowned. “Not sure that’s a compliment.”
Denny brushed a soothing kiss on her lips.
Eris chased the contact, arms draping around Denny’s neck to kiss her again, deeply, almost hungrily, the tip of her tongue breeching through Denny’s lips for a moment before a gentle nip made her wince and then grin into the kiss.
When finally parted, Denny rested her forehead upon Eris’, still breathless.
“You can’t change everything I love about you and expect me to compliment you.”
Eris swallowed. The tip of her nose skimmed over Denny’s as she inhaled slowly.
“I should go,” she muttered, albeit giving no sign or wanting to go anywhere.
“Go.” Denny kissed her forehead then reluctantly let her back away. She would’ve been happy to stay like that for the rest of her life. “Good luck.”
Watching Eris walk out of the door didn’t feel quite right, but she would have to deal with that.
If Eris got the job, she’d be proud of her.
If Eris didn’t get the job, she’d try not to feel too relieved.
* * *
After lunch, Denny made a quick trip to Richer Sounds to check if they had a decent phone on sale to replace the shop’s damaged mobile.
She didn’t have long before duty called, so she marched in armed with determination to stay on track. She usually walked out of places like this with anything but what she came to purchase.
Right through the doors, she brushed past a megascreen advertising the store’s VIP Club: ‘You’re now ready to enjoy this fantastic set of privileges…’
She halted, took two steps back, watched the clip again. She grinned.
Minutes later she was leaving the store with something that definitely wasn’t what she had come for. The phone could wait a little longer.
She made it back to the Garden just in time to drop everything upstairs and open.
The busy afternoon kept the buzzing of her mind to a minimum.
Between the spike of delivery requests and the regular flow of walk-ins, she had little to no respite, so much so she had to lock the door for a couple of minutes to rush to the loo.
This was one of the many instances when having an extra employee would have made a huge difference. All Denny was waiting for to go ahead with the proposal was a green light from her accountant.
Back from the loo, she had to deal with a very incensed couple who were banging on the door as if their life depended on it.
“About time! We’ve been knocking for donkey’s years!” one of them exclaimed when they were finally let in.
Old Denny would have apologised profusely and probably would have offered them a discount, but new and improved Denny was learning to stand up for herself.
“The sign did say ‘We’ll be right back’,” she affably pointed out. “Thank you for your patience.”
The sarcasm wasn’t lost on the taller of the two, who flashed her a contrite smile. “Forgive him. He hasn’t had his afternoon snack yet.” He took his rude partner’s hand. “Pick your plants, babe. We’re going to be late.”
After what felt like forever and thankfully wiping Denny’s entire stock of mini succulents, the two left, bickering about whether their balcony would be able or not to sustain so many additions. They reminded Denny a bit of herself and Eris: mismatched on the surface, well-adjusted underneath.
Her heartbeat picked up at the thought of Eris. It was just past 4, she must be undergoing the interview already.
To keep herself distracted, Denny opened her succulent supplier’s app. Leaning back against the counter, she started adding the items she’d run out of to the cart, a foot tapping to the song the radio was playing. She was so concentrated that she barely registered the chime of the door.
A nauseating waft of vanilla made the hairs on her arms stand up.
“Hello, darling.”
The phone slipped out of Denny’s hands.
She watched it crash on the floor, unable to even try to catch it.
The cracked screen shattered.
No.
A pair of white boots broke into her line of vision. Thin legs. A tight dress. White leather. Fleshy lips curved into a contrived simper.
Denny’s stomach turned.
Please, no…
An invisible claw clamped down on her pulse—a claw with perfectly manicured pink nails.
“Get out,” she managed to rasp out, but it only made the sharp brown eyes in front of her crinkle with amusement.
“Rudeness doesn’t become you, love.”
Don’t. Don’t call me that. You don’t know what love is.
There was no backing away from Blake stepping closer. Her sickening perfume awakened memories that shouldn’t still feel so vivid and raw—shouldn’t still hurt so much.
“I don’t want you anywhere near me,” said Denny, holding that poisonous gaze with every ounce of bravery she possessed.
She wasn’t the helpless girl Blake had left, broken and bleeding, to be with someone else—someone more malleable and more inclined to bend at a simple snap of her fingers.
Blake’s initial understanding attitude had tailed off as their relationship had progressed, growing cold and patronising.
It had consumed Denny from within a little more every day, undermining her confidence, draining all the joy out of her to the point that her family and closest friends had started begging her to seek support from a therapist.
“I missed you,” Blake purred, sultrily ghosting her fingers down Denny’s arm.
Denny slapped her hand away. “You’re the one who dumped me.”
“It was a mistake.” Blake tilted her head, the platinum waves of her bob barely moving. “There’s no one like you, Denny.”
“You must’ve done extensive research to come to this conclusion.”
Blake pinned a haughty stare on her. She lifted her hand to touch Denny again, only to be slapped away again.
Blake’s lips puckered mockingly into a soundless ‘Ouch!’. “My kitten has grown claws.” Her tongue swept at the inside of her cheek as her expression darkened. “Who’s the ugly brunette?”
“Who?”
Blake’s tongue clucked. “The buff beast with icy eyes.”
A tendril of fear crept up Denny’s spine.
No. Not her. Leave her out of this. Stay away from Eris.
“Sorry, I only know an ugly blonde,” she deadpanned from behind a wavering bold facade.