The first thing Bella felt when she woke up was something heavy on her chest. It was Lina's arm, lying across her like a log. Bella opened one eye. It was 5:00 in the morning. The room was still dark and quiet. She moved Lina's arm off her and put it back on Lina's side of the bed.
She tried to get up, but she couldn't. Something else was holding her down. She lifted the sheet and saw Lina's leg thrown over her waist. Bella shook her head. "You gotta be kidding me," she whispered to herself. She gently moved Lina's leg and finally got out of bed.
The floor was cold under her feet. She walked to the small bathroom and closed the door softly. It was so small that she could touch both walls if she stretched her arms out. She washed her face and brushed her teeth. The cold water helped wake her up.
When she came out, she saw that Lina had moved again. Now she was lying across the whole bed, taking up all the space. The sheets were all twisted around her. One of her arms was hanging off the side. Bella smiled. "You are such a bed hog," she said quietly.
Since it was still early and the bed owner was still sleeping, Bella decided not to get fully dressed yet. She put on her bra and her underwear. Then she went to the small kitchen area. She turned on the stove and started making breakfast. She cracked some eggs into a bowl and began to scramble them. The sound of the eggs sizzling in the pan was loud in the quiet room.
She was stirring the eggs when she heard a voice from the bed. "I could get used to this view," Lina said. Bella turned around. Lina was sitting up now, her hair messy from sleep. "A personal chef in her skivvies," Lina said with a sleepy smile.
"The service is shit and the chef's got a foul mouth," Bella shot back, cracking an egg with a little too much force. "It's called being comfy. So don't get used to it."
Lina laughed. She got out of bed and stretched. She walked past Bella on her way to the bathroom and gave her a little push with her hip. "Don't burn my eggs," she said.
She disappeared into the bathroom. The shower turned on. Twenty minutes later, she emerged, skin steaming, realizing too late she'd forgotten a towel. "Dammit," she muttered, dripping her way across the room, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the floor.
By then, Bella had pulled on a pair of tailored slacks and a silk camisole. She shook her head with a laugh from the kitchen. "Classy, Johnson. Real classy."
Lina dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of dark wash jeans and a simple, elegant emerald green blouse that made her eyes pop. It was armor of normalcy. While she'd been showering, Bella had dressed and had just finished cooking.
They sat down to eat. They didn't talk much. They were both still waking up. The only sounds were them eating and the noise of the city outside starting to come alive.
By 7:45, they were out the door, clicking the lock on 6B behind them. They clattered down the stairs together, their laughter echoing in the stairwell, discussing nothing and everything.
They stood on the sidewalk and tried to get a taxi's attention. Lina found one first. Bella watched as Lina talked to the driver. She was trying to get him to lower the price. After a minute, Lina smiled and got in the cab. She had won the argument.
Bella was still looking for a taxi. One stopped for her, but when she told him the price she wanted to pay, he shook his head and drove away. "Oh, come on!" Bella said to the disappearing car.
She saw that Lina's taxi was still there, waiting to join the traffic. Bella ran over to it. Lina was rolling down the window to say goodbye. Before she could, Bella reached in and gave Lina a quick slap on the butt. Lina jumped and then laughed. "I'll get you back for that!" she said.
"Love you!" Bella said as the taxi pulled away. She waved until the car was out of sight.
Finally, another taxi stopped for Bella. This time, the driver agreed to her price. She got in and gave him the address.
——
Lina's morning at work was the same as usual. The lab was clean and bright, humming with the quiet sound of machines and computers. As a perfumer, her nose was her most important tool, and the air was a complex tapestry of scents waiting to be understood.
She and the other scientists were in the final, intense stages of finishing "Oblivion," their biggest project. Lina was completely focused, her mind sharp. Her job was to analyze the countless subtle reactions within the fragrance, ensuring each note blended perfectly into the next. She meticulously checked the stability of the scent, making sure the top, heart, and base notes unfolded exactly as intended over time. Every test was critical; they were making sure everything was perfect before their creation was released to the world.
In a sleek office building, Daniel was at his desk. The room was large and impersonal. A massive window offered a view of the city.
He had just finished a meeting about the Oblivion project. Everyone wanted to know when it would be ready. Now, he was looking over papers for a stalled construction project, focused on the financial problems. He was so engrossed he didn't hear his phone ring the first time.
It rang again.
This time, the sound broke his focus. He picked up the phone and answered it.
"Hello," he answered, his voice a low gravel.
"Daniel. It's Riley." Her voice was like honey, sweet and warm, but with a quiet urgency hiding just beneath. "My flight just landed. Could you… could you come get me?"
Daniel had known Riley his whole life. Their families had been close friends even before he and Riley were born.
She was his grandmother's best friend's granddaughter. To Daniel, Riley was a truly innocent and kind person. She was not pretending to be nice. He trusted her completely and cared for her well-being.
Because of this, she was the only woman he felt comfortable with and allowed to be close to him. His whole family also loved and accepted her as one of their own.
"The airport?" he said, already closing the file in front of him.
"I... I haven't eaten," she said, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper. She sounded scared to even ask. "Perhaps we could get something?"
"Okay," was his only reply.
An hour later, his sleek car cut through the airport traffic. He saw her waiting, a vision of delicate beauty amidst the crowd. Her face was heart-shaped, with wide, gentle eyes that lit up with genuine surprise when she saw him behind the wheel.
"You came yourself," she said softly, sliding into the passenger seat. She had believed sending a driver was the most she could hope for. Him coming personally made her heart flutter; it had to mean she was important to him.
She was dressed with an expensive simplicity that whispered of private designers and clothes that weren't even available to the public yet. The fabric of her cream-colored dress was impossibly soft, cut with a precision that hugged her frame perfectly yet looked effortless.
Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, her posture perfect. "Thank you for coming to get me, Daniel," she said, her voice maintaining its soft, sweet tone. She allowed a shy glance his way before looking down at her hands, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I know you're very busy. It means a great deal."
Daniel kept his eyes on the road, his profile stern and unreadable. He gave a brief, single nod. "It's fine," he said, his voice cool and even. The air in the car remained quiet, filled only with the hum of the engine and the warmth of her hopeful silence.
"I read about a new place, L'Auberge," Riley said, her voice soft and hesitant. She kept her eyes lowered, as if afraid the suggestion might be too bold. "It sounded… appropriate for us."
Daniel gave a non-committal hum, his eyes scanning the streets as they headed back into the city's heart. And then he saw it. A familiar figure. Lina. He watched as she stepped out of a taxi and disappeared into a modest restaurant called The Oak Grill.
Without thinking, he changed lanes and parked nearby.
Riley's pleasant silence broke. "Daniel? This isn't L'Auberge," she said softly, her voice tinged with confusion and a hint of disappointment.
"Change of plans," he stated, his tone firm and leaving no room for discussion as he got out of the car.
Riley got out at the same time and quickly moved to his side. Tentatively, she hooked her arm through his as they walked toward the restaurant's entrance. It was a familiar, comfortable gesture between them, one she had done since they were young. Daniel accepted it without a second thought, his mind already elsewhere. He didn't feel uncomfortable or angry; her presence at his arm was simply a normal, unchanging part of his life.
She walked quietly beside him, her expensive heels clicking on the pavement. Her timid nature prevented her from questioning him further, afraid of upsetting him and breaking this small moment of closeness.
Inside, the restaurant was cozy and unpretentious, with warm lighting and the rich aroma of hearty food. The moment they entered, they attracted attention. Riley, with her beautiful, delicate features and an expensive, elegant outfit, looked like she had stepped out of a magazine. On her arm was a strikingly handsome man in an impeccably tailored suit. Together, they were a dazzling sight that didn't belong in the humble surroundings. Heads turned subtly as they walked to their table.
Riley didn't feel out of place. She was acutely aware of the eyes on them, and a faint, shy smile touched her lips. She sat delicately where Daniel indicated, perfectly composed under the gaze of the other diners, her arm still lightly linked with his for a moment before she let go.
Daniel's attention was immediately captured by a figure in the back. Lina sat alone, completely absorbed in the menu. She had taken off her lab coat, revealing the simple clothes she had worn from home. She looked entirely focused on the menu.
Riley followed his gaze, her eyes lingering in the direction he was staring. She saw a waiter pass by, and when the path was clear again, she only saw other diners. She didn't understand what exactly had captured his attention so completely.
Not wanting to pry or upset him, she simply stopped looking and turned her focus back to her menu, engrossed in the choices. She sat in quiet obedience, folding her hands in her lap and waiting, her beautiful face a mask of patient contentment.