Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Billie turned to the door for the fourth time, thinking that it was Travis. He was late for their lunch date. She wondered if he was in an accident. Picking up her phone, she dialed his number. After five rings, still no one picked up. Nerves got the best of her as she waved for the waiter to get her check for the drink she ordered. Just as he approached her Travis came strolling in with an air of nonchalant. She smiled at the waiter “Nevermind, my friend is here.”
Turning to Travis, she analyzed his behavior with a careful eye. He was dressed sloppy, not his usual presentable self and he was chewing gum like a mad cow. Rolling the piece in his mouth he slumped down on his chair and began twiddling with her drink “What’s this?” he wrinkled his nose disgustedly.
“Shouldn’t I be asking YOU that?” she leaned back in her chair and pointed to his getup “Let me guess, you got dressed in the dark?”
“Oh, this…I just felt like being comfortable today. Does it bother you?” he asked with a double meaning.
Billie moved her eyes away at the other people in the restaurant giving Travis strange looks. She shook her head “No.”
Travis leaned in closer “You’re lying. You are obviously uncomfortable and the fact that every eyeball in this place is staring at me is driving you completely mad.”
Putting on a wry smile, she tilted her head to the left “Are you trying to read my mind?”
“I don’t need to try. I know.” He said flatly “Look, I’m no good for you…” he began and it instantly made her laugh.
“Is this what the show is all about?” she asked with raised brows “You think I like you?”
He frowned strangely “Well…yeah…you were nice to me last week and you gave me a kiss on the cheek and you asked me to lunch.”
“Wow…those are very good arguments.” She nodded with exaggeration “Maybe Anton and I are ready to get married since we went out to lunch once and I was especially nice to him since the beginning.” Sarcasm dripping from every word.
“So…you don’t like me?” he asked hesitantly.
Billie smiled with a short shake of the head “No.”
He let out a long sigh of relief “Thank God…I wasn’t sure how to approach you. I mean, since that one night after the bar, I sensed something different from you and I just thought…” she grinned wider and he eventually let it go “Nevermind. It’s embarrassing none of the less. Can we forget about this conversation?”
“What conversation?” she asked innocently.
Travis nodded understandingly “Billie, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. But ’m not sure if you would answer.”
She shrugged “As long as you are not proposing, I’d be happy to answer any question.”
“What happened?” he asked sincerely. Billie had a blank look on her face “That made you hate men so much?”
“You think I hate men?” she raised her brows in surprise. He confirmed it with a nod “I’m just a little skeptical but I surely don’t hate them. If I did, I would not be sitting with you right now.”
Travis chuckled “That’s true. But my gut is telling me that you were not always like this.”
She sipped her drink carefully “Like what?”
“Bitter, unhappy, unable to trust anyone with a penis.” He said straightforwardly.
“Funny, last time I checked, I was the one with the psychology major.” She teased but was still running around the question.
He smiled shyly “I actually dabbed a bit into psychology classes back in my college years.”
Billie crossed her arms on the table as she leaned into him “What do you do for a living?”
“What?” he was thrown off as he felt his face burning up.
“It’s a simple question.” She arched a brow up.
“I’m…I’m a writer. Novelist.” He concluded.
She smiled “You should change your major.” she finished her drink “I’d love to stay and chat but I’ve got a few errands to run.”
“Errands or just dodging my question?” he asked knowingly before she got up.
“Both.” She gave him a quick wink and was on her way. He turned to watch her leave with an aura of confidence. There was definitely something different about that girl, he said to himself. But his determination to get her to do the interview was still there. He needed the money bad and not to mention, he wanted to pay back Kyle.
***************
Anton was dressed in sweats as he jogged along the countryside to get some morning exercise when he noticed a couple not far from him arguing about something. He was not a nosy person but as he got closer, he noticed it was Anesa and a young handsome guy. He was pulling on her arm while she tried unsuccessfully to free herself from his grasp.
It was clear that she was uncomfortable and it was then that he decided to jump in. Getting to a closer jog, he approached them “Is something the matter?”
“It’s none of your business!” the guy snapped angrily.
“Is it?” Anton turned to Anesa “Is he bothering you?”
She began to answer when Chris suddenly lunged at Anton with his fists wrapped around his zip up sweatshirt collar “Look jackass! I said it’s none of your business!” he whipped his hand away leaving Anton’s left sleeve bare. His eyes widened at the black ferocious tiger tattoo on his arm. Anesa too stared in shock.
Anton quickly pulled the sleeve up and looked at the guy threateningly “Don’t touch me again.” He warned with a finger “The lady obviously doesn’t want you around, why don’t YOU leave her alone.” He said slowly and clearly.
Chris finally backed down as he turned to Anesa “I’ll call you later.” It was on the news over a year ago about men with tiger tattoos that were from a dispersed gang called The Tigers. They were vicious and stopped at nothing to get their ways. It was the biggest news in Hong Kong since the return of the country to China in 1997. He wasn’t about to get tangled with history. Glancing one last time at her, he finally disappeared away down the bumpy road.
Anesa swallowed the lump in her throat “Th…thanks…” she smiled weakly. Smiling, he raised an arm to her shoulder but she quickly ducked away “Don’t kill me!” she yelped.
He laughed “What?”
“You have a tattoo.” She whispered while pointing to his arm.
“And?” he raised his brows questioningly.
“Are you one of…” she found it hard to believe such a quiet and shy guy would be a former gang “The Tigers?” she whispered after looking around at their surroundings.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shrugged it away “But I’ve got to continue my jog. You might want to take a cab home before it gets dark.”
She nodded slowly “Oh.”
He began jogging away but eventually came back to her “Actually, it’s not very gentleman of me to make you find a cab on your own. Come on, I’ll call one for you.” She laughed nervously as he put his hand on her back and gave her a gentle push towards the walkway down the hill.
Anesa clutched her bag as if hanging on to dear life as they got in the cab together “Don’t you have some jogging to do?” she asked.
Anton smiled “Yes, but it’s getting late, I should get back to cooking dinner. Kyle will be home very soon.”
“Oh…” she replied trying to relax but it was hard.
When their stop came, she looked to be completely out of it. Eyes dazed and her arms still gripping onto her bag “Anesa.” Anton called when she didn’t answer, he tapped her gently and again she gasped, “It’s your stop.”
“Oh…thanks.” She got off and made sure the cab drove away. Spinning her heels she raced into the building and up to her apartment. Pushing the door open, she yelled for her roommate “Travis! TRAVIS!!!” running into his room and then checked the bathrooms but there was no sign of him “Travis!! Tra—” she froze when she saw him seated on the couch with a bowl of ice cream in his hand “Where were you?!” she demanded.
“I’ve been sitting here the whole time.” He frowned strangely “I told you to lay off the caffeine.”
She disregarded the smart remark as she slid onto the couch next to him “You will never guess what I just uncovered!” Anesa announced excitedly.
“A mummy tomb, Indiana Jones?” he asked with the same excitement in addition to the sarcastic tone.
She pouted, “Be serious!”
“Yes, Indie.” He nodded wide-eyed.
“Fine, be that way.” She nodded “I won’t tell you then.”
He laughed “Good. I don’t want to know whatever it is. The last time you told me a secret, I ended up hung up a flag pole with my undies showing to the whole country to see.”
Anesa turned her head strangely “That was a dream, Travis.”
He thought about it and then nodded “Oh…that’s right. But I still don’t want to know.” Getting up, he headed to the kitchen.
“But it’s huge!!” Anesa tempted “You will never guess this in a million years!”
“Good, cause I would have died a while back.” He rolled his eyes as he washed the bowl. But she refused to give up as she followed him from room to room “No!” he finalized when she got to his room door.
“But I saw one of—” she was cut off by his loud and obnoxious singing. It was his secret weapon he used on her when he wanted her to leave him alone. Plugging her ears, she continued to say it “I met a real life Tiger gangster!!” but he wasn’t able to hear a word since his own voice overpowered hers. Suddenly, he slammed the door shut as she was startled back “You suck!!”
“Eat dirt!” he cried back. Grumbling to herself, she returned to her room and slammed the door shut too. After a moment of silence, Travis’s door opened and so did Anesa’s.
“How was your lunch date? Did my plan work?” she asked casually as they walked to the living room together.
“Work? I didn’t even need a plan. She didn’t like me. I was all worried over nothing.” He sighed.
“So?” she asked.
“What?” he joined her on the couch as they both reached for the control. He let her have it as she switched the channel to a game show.
“What’s with the long sigh?” she glanced at him.
Travis shrugged “I don’t know…I guess my conscience got the better of me. I was thinking that maybe if she liked me, I can use that to get her to do the interview but then I thought it was wrong to use someone’s emotions to get them to do something. I just couldn’t do that.”
“Well, who told you to grow a conscience.” Anesa snickered “Remember, your promotion is on the line.”
“Yeah, but it’s wrong. You think I should use her feelings to get to her?” he asked, “She obviously has a good impression of me.”
“Thanks to me.” Anesa said smugly “I just think you should do what you have to do. Whether it’s right or wrong, that’s for you to decide.”
“Thanks Freud.” He said sarcastically.
“Who?” she raised her brows in confusion.
Rolling his eyes away “Nevermind. Go read a book once in a while, I hear it’s good for the brain.” Sighing again, he turned to the television but his mind was elsewhere.