Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
After the meeting ended, Dennis asked that everyone returned home. Erin instantly pulled at Mia’s arm when she saw her heading towards Brad “Mia, I have to talk to you.” Erin said in a hushed voice.
“Hey, where are you guys going?” Reina asked when she saw the two huddling together like a football team.
“No where.” Erin answered quickly.
Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder as well as Mia’s shoulder “Hello ladies, so what’s the plan for tonight? Can I join?” Andrew was teasing them.
Mia gave him a disgusted face as she used her delicate fingers to pry his hand off her shoulder “This is my favorite t-shirt if you don’t mind.” She wiped her shoulder as if it was dirty “It’s girl talk and you’re not invited, you know why?” Andrew smiled with his eyes rolling “Because you’re…” Mia gave his chest a poke of her finger “…not a girl.” She concluded.
Reina tilted her head at Mia “Be nice.”
“I am!” Mia retorted while giving Andrew an ugly face “Now if you don’t mind, we’re going to go have a GIRL’S night out.” She wrapped her arms around Erin and Reina as she pulled them outside.
When they were away from Andrew’s ears and eyes, Reina turned to the girls “Okay, now would you mind telling me what’s going on? And what’s with the blond joke?!” she pushed Mia on the shoulder “That was not even funny.”
Mia dropped her jaw “It was for her!” she passed on the pushing to Erin, who was knocked off balance.
“Hey…not here…” Erin clenched her teeth while warning the girls. “Come on.” Her eyes darted around like a mad woman as she looked around for Brad.
“Wooh, what’s with the mission impossible looks?” Reina asked when she noticed Erin was a bit paranoid “And who the heck are you looking for?”
Mia shook her head with a solemn expression “She’s not looking, she’s making sure that ‘he’ is not around.”
“Who?” Brad’s voice broke into their conversation as the girls stood there frozen, each of them only moving to glance each other with their eyes. After a while, when they still didn’t make a single movement, Brad frowned “Hello…I’m still here.” He waved at them.
Mia cleared her throat “Yeah, we heard you. We’re not talking about you.” She insisted and then turned to girls and gave them an exaggerated wink.
Reina narrowed her eyes and shook her head at Mia “Don’t do that, you look like you’ve got some kind of a tick.”
Erin was feeling lightheaded at the whole situation as she grabbed her head “This isn’t happening.” She muttered to herself.
Brad turned to Erin with genuine concern “Erin, are you okay? You look kinda pale.” He reached out to touch her shoulder and she moved back uncomfortably. “What’s wrong?” he asked with a strange expression.
Erin shook her head but didn’t respond, instead Mia replied for her “It’s that time of the month again.” She nodded with wide eyes while Erin’s head snapped up at Mia with her eyes red with fire.
“Oh…gosh…I should have guessed…” Brad put up his hands in defense.
“Yeah, well shame on you for not knowing…” Mia scolded in her motherly tone with her hands on her hips “She’s your best friend for God’s sake!” there was another hidden meaning behind that which of course, Brad did not figure out.
Erin sighed to herself “I’m tired guys….”
“I’ll take you home.” Brad offered.
Mia shook her head “No thanks, we’ll take her home, right Reina?”
Reina was confused at the whole situation but she had her own guesses “Yeah…whatever you say.” With that the girls walked together arm linked in arm.
They took about 10 steps before Erin asked “Is he still looking?” she asked randomly.
Reina pretended to look up in the sky and follow a bird as her head tilted back and glanced behind them “Yeah…he’s scratching his head.”
“Darn it!” Erin cursed.
“Just keep walking…” Mia suggested. When the girls reached Reina’s house and the doors were closed, Erin and Mia let out a sigh of relief as they sunk into the couch next to each other.
“Okay, now will someone tell me?” Reina asked curiously.
Mia sat upright and clasped her hands together “Well…” she began before Erin’s hand clapped over her mouth. She struggled to free herself “Stop that!”
Erin shook her head with a laugh “Can I tell her?” Mia smiled and nodded. Erin turned to Reina “You have to promise on your mother’s grave…that you will not repeat this.”
Reina nodded solemnly and made a sign of a cross “Done.”
“I have a tiny…eensy bitty crush on Brad.” Erin concluded.
Reina looked shocked for a bit and then she rolled her eyes ever so slowly “Is that all?!!!”
Mia frowned “Don’t tell me you knew the whole time! Because I didn’t.”
“That’s because you’re so self involved with your goofiness that you didn’t see it. I can totally see it.” Reina said with a grin. “It’s so obvious you want him.” She said to Erin before leaning back in her couch seat.
Erin raised an eyebrow “Really? This is coming from the girl that barely remembered what she had for dinner the night before. How could you pay attention to detail like that?”
“I don’t pay attention to useless stuff, but gosh I’ve noticed the love tension between the two of you for the longest time.” Reina waved her hand nonchalantly “I think he’s too much of a guy to notice the crush though.
Mia was more interested as she leaned on her knees with her chin propped up in her hands “Really? Tell me more then…I want to know. You know how secretive Erin gets.”
“There’s a reason for that, Mia.” Erin shook her head when the girl gave her an innocent look “Remember that one mission with the cute guy? All I said was, you think he’s cute and the next day at the meeting everyone was making fun of me because I had a ‘crush’ on the bad guy.”
Mia opened her mouth to defend herself but soon closed it when she knew it was her fault “Well, I bet you can’t name another one.” She retorted.
Reina laughed “But I can. Do you recall a little birdie that tattletale on her friend because she had a crush on the same guy? Making the guy run so fast as if he hadn’t peed for days.”
Mia laughed as she nodded “I remember, Jack…wasn’t it? He was adorable. Who knew he would freak out when I confessed my love for him.”
“You were acting as me over the phone!!” Reina cried.
“Oh…right, I forgot about that.” Mia said weakly.
Erin shook her head “Tsk, tsk, tsk…Mia, shame on you!” she scolded “But if you spill this bean…oooh, you’ll be sorry. I’ll knock you out and take you on a hot air balloon ride.”
Mia’s eyes widened with fear “Oh no…no, please don’t. I promise, I won’t say a single word, I won’t even look at Brad in the eye. Anything but heights!” she begged Erin practically pulling the sleeve off her shirt. Reina and Erin exchanged smiles as they knew her weak spot.
********************
The following morning, Erin received a call on her home phone while she was still in bed “Hello?”
“Miss Yeung, good morning.” Darren’s voice was even more annoying in the morning.
“Yeah…whatever.” Erin muffled a yawn.
He laughed into the receiver “Someone’s not a morning person.” He cleared his throat and got down to business “You have exactly 5 minutes to get ready and meet me downstairs in your apartment building.”
“Five? I can barely brush my hair in five minutes!” Erin cried, he was sure bossy.
Darren seemed to be pondering the thought “Okay, 10 and that’s my final offer. The limo will not wait for you, I will not wait for you.”
“Fine.” With that Erin hung up the phone and gave it a snarl before getting up as she rushed to freshen up. She was dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a white tee with cut off sleeves. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her makeup was light but fresh.
When she walked downstairs, she saw the limo parked in the visitor zone and the driver in his black uniform walked up to her.
“Miss Yeung?” he asked politely. Erin looked up at the guy and crunched her brows together when she saw it was Andrew in glasses and a goofy driver hat “It’s me.” He whispered with a grin.
She turned away from him and let out a sigh “I know…” she gritted her teeth and walked over to the limo where Andrew opened the door for her.
Erin got in and saw that Darren was staring at her then he turned to the new driver “I specifically asked you to open the left door.” He scolded Andrew.
“Sorry, Sir.” Andrew said respectfully before closing the door and taking the driver seat.
Darren shook his head “Stupid new drivers…” his mood changed when he turned to Erin and looked her up and down “Cute...next time wear something more professional.”
Erin glared her eye at him “It’s an Orphanage not the Miss Hong Kong Pageant.”
He threw his head back with a laugh “That’s a good one.” He took a sip of water in a ready glass cup seated next to him “Seriously though, I like my employees to dress more presentable. You look ready to go to the beach.”
“That’s what you get for 10 minutes.” Erin snapped with her arms crossed. She didn’t understand the guy, he was too hard to read when he was serious or just joking.
“So if I gave you 30, you would come out looking like a model?” he asked with interest.
“Mr. Chiu…” Erin began.
“Darren.” He corrected.
She let out a short sigh “Okay…Darren. I don’t understand why it is so important to dress so nice.”
“You will be speaking with families, in person. Is that a good enough reason?” he asked with raised eyebrow.
“I suppose.” Erin turned her head out the window to keep her frustration level down.
Darren continued to stare at her “Why do I get the impression that you don’t like me.”
Erin turned her eyes back at him “Gee, you’re quick.” She said with sarcasm.
“That will change Miss Yeung, I want us to get along if we will be working in a tight knit family.” Darren smiled with much confidence.