Chapter 39: An Awkward Show
Ethan felt a little relieved—having a sensible, reliable employee is every boss's dream.
He had a faint regret: Mary had agreed so readily just now—had he asked for too little?
He thought for a moment, then considered negotiating with Mary again.
"I saved your life," Ethan said solemnly, his tone as grave as if he were making an important declaration.
"Yes," Mary replied crisply, leaning against the headboard; the pain in her abdomen made her breathe a little hard.
"So you owe me a life," Ethan continued, his expression unchanged.
"…Yes." Mary's expression turned subtle. Gratitude was only right, but for her savior to be this blunt—and repetitive; this was the second time—felt off.
For some reason, this guy didn't seem like a good person in the traditional sense.
"Then how do you plan to repay me?" Ethan asked, perfectly at ease, as though discussing an ordinary transaction.
Mary raised an eyebrow, thought for a moment, and answered tentatively, "…Work as a doctor at the clinic after graduation?"
"Besides being a doctor?"
Mary hesitated. "Clean the clinic?"
Ethan rubbed his chin, apparently giving it serious thought. Right now, aside from having her work at the clinic, there really wasn't anything urgent he needed.
"Fine, then work at the clinic." Ethan finally nodded. "Start there; I'll think if there's anything else."
Mary shrugged indifferently and lay back to rest.
After a quiet minute Ethan suddenly remembered something and amended, "Forget it, no cleaning for you."
Unused to this sudden generosity, Mary sat up and couldn't help asking, "Why?"
"I just realized—if you're cleaning, who's treating patients? Using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut?" Ethan said earnestly. "Focus on saving lives and generating revenue; we'll hire a janitor."
Mary's mouth fell open as she witnessed her boss's mercenary side for the first time. "All right."
"Oh, right—you can give massages. From now on, massage me every day…"
"Okay…"
"And dancing—I want to watch you dance."
"Sure…"
"The kind without clothes."
Mary said nothing. She sat fully upright, eyes narrowing, her gaze landing on Ethan's face like a scalpel—dangerous, half-smiling.
A chill ran down Ethan's spine; those narrowed eyes were more terrifying than the whispers of the Void.
He mentally slapped himself hard.
"Crap—I went too far!"
"What nonsense was I just spouting? I sounded like a sleazy villain taking advantage and gloating…"
"It must be the Shadow's fault!" Ethan decided that explanation made the most sense.
Yes, yesterday when he repeatedly cast the Resurrection spell, the Void's whispers must have used hidden shadow energy to corrupt him.
That power was so insidious it eroded his noble character and seized his moral high ground, making him voice such shameless demands.
Keeping his expression calm, he stood up as if nothing had happened and gestured for Mary to rest.
"Ahem, I have to go." He cleared his throat, trying to salvage his image. "Just now… it was noisy; maybe you misheard. Don't take it seriously."
Watching his shifting expression settle into forced righteousness, Mary gave him one more glance before lying down again.
"All right, rest well." Ethan waved. "School or clinic—both can wait till next week, no rush."
Before leaving, Ethan remembered something and discreetly cast a Healing spell on Mary.
A gentle emerald light of life energy quietly sank into her body, slowly easing her remaining pain.
Mary clearly felt that pure life force flowing through her. Moved, she looked up at Ethan, lips parting as if to speak.
Ethan noticed. "What is it?"
In the end Mary shook her head. "Nothing. We'll talk later."
With no need to go to the clinic today, Ethan wondered where to eat. Williamsburg Diner flashed through his mind and was immediately dismissed—time for something better; he'd go to Penny's restaurant.
Ethan pushed open the door of The Cheesecake Factory; Friday-night bustle and delicious aromas hit him at once. He spotted Penny in uniform clearing a table.
"Ethan!" Penny beamed, leading him to a booth. "BBQ bacon burger, extra fries?"
"Yes. Your memory's amazing—you remembered after only two visits." Sincere compliments are a woman's kryptonite; Penny instantly glowed and gave him a cute wink.
Ethan sat down, feeling the atmosphere here far superior to Williamsburg Diner—at least the health inspection rating was much higher.
The burger arrived quickly. Ethan bit into the juicy patty with satisfaction while Penny leaned on the table, body slightly forward, her face a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation.
"Hey, Ethan, you'll never guess what happened!"
"Seeing you so happy, it must be good news," Ethan replied.
"Tonight a band has a small gig at the Break Room Bar, and they asked me to be their lead singer…"
"Wow, that's awesome!" Ethan mumbled around a mouthful of food, genuinely pleased. "This could be your big break!"
"It's no big deal, just a one-night show, but they've invited lots of industry people and talent scouts, so… we'll see how it goes…"
"Great, Penny—knock 'em dead!" Ethan said warmly.
"Thanks!" Her smile dimmed a bit, showing helplessness. "I invited Leonard and Sheldon, but Leonard said they have a… uh… super-important, 'can't-miss lecture on cosmic microwave background radiation' that night?"
She tried to repeat the convoluted excuse. "Anyway, they can't come… so would you? Just for moral support?"
Looking into Penny's hopeful blue eyes, Ethan swallowed his food and rapidly weighed the situation.
Yet under her "I really need a friend there" gaze, he found it impossible to say no.
"Uh… of course," he said smoothly. "No problem, Penny. I'll be there—front row, loudest applause."
"Yes! You're the best, Ethan!!" Penny cheered and happily went to serve other customers.
Ethan finished the rest of his burger and fries and returned contentedly to his apartment.
In the living room Leonard was hunched over his laptop, browsing intently; Sheldon sat in his spot, wholly absorbed in a game on his computer.
"Hey, Ethan," Leonard said, looking up with a casual greeting.
Sheldon didn't even raise his head, just gave a perfunctory wave.
Ethan closed the door, puzzled. "Wait… if I remember correctly, don't you guys have some important lecture tonight?"
Leonard's face went instantly uncomfortable; he shot Sheldon a sidelong glance.
Sheldon finally looked up from his game and stated in his trademark flat tone, "No, Ethan. We simply conducted a straightforward cost-benefit analysis."
"Cost-benefit analysis?" Ethan didn't follow.
"Precisely." Sheldon explained with utmost seriousness, "The psychological endurance cost of listening to Penny sing far outweighs any potential social benefit we might gain from supporting neighborly friendship.
In short—her singing is intolerable."
Ethan thought that sounded harsh. "How bad can it be?"
"Imagine nails on a chalkboard while a cat in heat yowls directly into your ear canal."
"???!!!"
Leonard looked helpless. "It's not quite that dramatic, but it really is… challenging to listen to."
"..."
Ethan stood frozen, mouth half-open; even Leonard—Penny's self-proclaimed admirer—had given up the chance to support her. He finally realized how deep a pit he'd fallen into.
Tonight's show was shaping up to be brutal torture for the ears.
That evening, resigned to his fate, Ethan arrived at the "Break Room Bar."
The band was called "Frequency Mismatch." The moment he heard the first off-key note, Ethan grasped the name's meaning—it was indeed like static that disrupted and demolished every listener's concept of music.
Penny, the lead singer, brimmed with stage energy, tossing her blond hair, her smile infectious.
Yet the instant she opened her mouth that charm turned into an indiscriminate sonic assault. Her pitch was like a drunk person on a tightrope—up one second, down the next—impossible to predict.
Ethan sat front row, maintaining a rigid, encouraging smile.
When Penny hit an especially shrill note in the chorus, he felt his temples throb. Sneaking a glance around, he saw faces shift from anticipation to confusion, discomfort, and finally numbness. People started checking phones, pretending to take calls and slipping out.
By the third song the crowd had thinned considerably. Near the end, only three remained: the bartender stuck behind the bar, a man too drunk to notice, and—displaying remarkable stamina and self-sacrifice—Ethan.
When Penny finally finished her last "original" song and shouted, "Thank you, you're amazing!", Ethan gave the loudest, longest applause of the night, like a survivor greeting the dawn.
After the show, Penny's excitement hadn't fully faded, but her eyes held a trace of disappointment. "Hey, Ethan… thanks for being the only 'friend' who stayed to the end." She paused, voice dropping. "Even Leonard and Sheldon didn't show…"
Ethan swallowed his irritation at the two "traitors," keeping his tone sincere. "Hey, forget them. Your stage presence tonight was absolutely electric."
Penny laughed softly as she packed up, hesitated, then looked up. "So… I've got a couple of decent bottles of wine back at my place. Want to come over for a drink? Sort of… thanks for being here tonight."
"Of course," Ethan nodded. "My pleasure."
In Penny's slightly messy apartment, a few glasses of wine melted the earlier awkwardness, replaced by a tipsy intimacy.
They sat on the couch chatting about work, dreams, annoying roommates… alcohol closing the distance between them.
The lights dimmed; the air turned languid and charged.
Alcohol and emotion flushed Penny's cheeks; her blue eyes looked unusually bright, unusually soft.
Who leaned in first? Maybe just a gaze held too long, breaching the safe zone.
They drew closer until their lips brushed lightly.
The kiss started gentle, tentative, laced with the taste of wine. But the night's pent-up emotions—Penny's disappointment and gratitude—found an outlet and intensified.
Ethan's arm circled her waist, pulling her near. Penny's fingers slid into his hair, her body instinctively pressing closer.
Emotions spiraled—hands, breaths, bodies tangling together.
Until—"Ah! Wait!"
Penny suddenly pressed her palms against Ethan's chest, pushing him back.
Breath ragged, hair disheveled, her eyes flashed with sudden panic and embarrassment.
Ethan froze; all heat doused like ice water. He raised his hands and shifted back, confusion and concern written on his face.
Before he could speak, Penny blurted in mortification, "No! It's not you—God, absolutely not!"
She covered her face with a groan, peeking through her fingers, voice muffled and mortified.
"It's… me… my period just started…"
Dropping her hands, she could barely meet his eyes. "I'm so sorry! I totally forgot until just now… I'm sorry!"
Ethan stared, expression shifting from confusion to realization to barely suppressed awkward sympathy.
His body relaxed as he exhaled a long, silent breath.
"Oh. That explains it."
Penny's face burned; she grabbed a throw pillow and hid behind it. "So embarrassing! This is officially the most awkward moment of my life—like a hundred times worse than bombing on stage!"
"Well, that's… an unforeseen biological reality." Ethan stood, straightening his clothes. "I should… head back. You… get some rest."
Penny nodded, still mortified.
At the door Ethan glanced back at the pillow-shielded Penny and grinned. "It's okay, Penny. The show… was memorable. Tonight… was definitely 'unforgettable.'"
He winked and slipped out, closing the door behind him.
Alone, Penny flopped back onto the couch, pillow over her burning face, letting out a groan of dismay.
I'm never showing my face again.
[500 Power Stones → +1 Bonus Chapter]
[10 Reviews → +1 Bonus Chapter]
Enjoyed the chapter? A review helps a lot.
P1treon: Soulforger (20+advance chapters)