Misfit Angel
Normal is an illusion
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Land of the Roses
Chapter 32: The Offer
Chapter 32: The Offer
It was a peaceful afternoon in Loch Alstan. The weather had improved significantly over the course of the day; the morning chill had gone, the precipitation had ceased and evaporated and the sun was shining brightly in the clear sky. A gentle breeze had picked up over the day, kicking up a thin fog of fluttering pollen from the blooming trees. Despite the alluring weather, Andrea loitered in the lobby of the Reiland Institute. She had pulled up one of the chairs to the large glass window beside the main entrance and watched the world outside. Even with an evening that was shaping up to be a bad one that was filled with uncertainty and loneliness, she felt at peace as she observed the urban wildlife frolic on the extensive grass fields just outside of the door.
Nearly half an hour passed in silence as she gazed out that window, but that silence was eventually shattered by a familiar voice.
"Andrea? You're still here?" Patrick asked, approaching her from behind.
She turned to look up at him and offered a smile. "Yeah..."
"What's up? I figured you'd be gone by now, you seemed pretty anxious to leave."
She silently continued her watch. "Mmm."
"Oh! Do you need someone to walk you home? Must be pretty scary to be on your own after what happened to you and your friend."
He had a point. Despite viewing herself as an independent woman who could take care of herself in most situations, she was a little uneasy with walking the streets alone. But walking alone wasn't at the front of her mind. She hesitated for a moment before she shook her head and finally spoke up. "No, it's not that, it's... Ugh... Let's talk about this outside."
"Sure. Looks beautiful out there!"
She led him out through the main entrance and encouraged him to follow her down the pathway that led to the street. In silence, they crossed the trolley tracks that marked the unofficial border between the town's business district and the suburb district of Sable Shores; one by one, they passed by the post office, a brick and mortar liquor store, a Pokémon daycare and a lengthy row of housing.
As they started to pass in front of a grocery store, Patrick's curiosity got the better of him. "We've been walking for ten minutes, but you haven't said anything. You're acting real mysterious, what's up?"
She sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. "So. It really hurts me to say it, but... I have nowhere to go tonight."
"Nowhere to go?" he asked. Her silence set the gears in his head in motion and he figured out what she meant in short order. "Wait... Are you telling me that you still don't have a place to live out here?"
She quietly and shakily answered, "Yep..."
"Man! Are you serious?"
A nod.
"What did you do last night? You at least rented a room at a motel, right? I can't imagine you survived on the streets with the snap freeze last night."
She laughed nervously. "I did, the Stargazer. The room was okay, but... The truth is, I can't afford to live out here. Not on my own at least. This town is crazy expensive! All of the apartments are too much, even in the ghetto down on the south side, and renting that motel every night is going to bleed me dry. I did the math while I was sitting inside of the lab... I've got about four days left and then I'm broke. My next pay day is... is..."
"Andrea..." he started. He stopped in his tracks, grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. His eyes met hers; they glistened in the sunlight as they struggled to stay open. He could see the same sadness welling up in them that he saw earlier that morning. "Is this one of those things you didn't want to talk about?"
"I didn't want to talk about anything, but... Yeah. This is one of the worst ones." She looked down at the ground, then back up at him. "I should have talked, because... I might have to quit, and I'll have to decide that in the next couple of days. Unless a miracle happens, there's just no way I can stay here. I at least want to be able to afford my train ticket out of here..."
"Your parents can't help at all?"
She shook her head. "Not really, no. My dad is still paying off the mortgage on my childhood home, and he's struggling to make ends meet himself despite being a decorated police officer. Can thank my mother for that."
His eyebrow raised, but he felt a vibe of bitterness in her words, so he didn't pry. "And you've got no friends in town, unfortunately..."
"You're starting to see the problem here. It's all adding up... and it's just about ready to crush me..."
"Hummm, well. I've got an idea, but you probably won't like it."
Her posture stiffened. "I don't like when suggestions begin this way. What is it?"
"Would you be willing to stay at my place for awhile? You know, until you get on your feet."
Her heart skipped a beat. Did she hear him correctly? Was his offer genuine? "Are you serious?" she demanded. "Like, serious serious?"
"I am."
She cracked a smile and her heart rate went up. She worked up the courage to reach out and hug him, and then the specter of doubt overtook her yet again. A quiet voice in the back of her mind warned her once again about the rumors circulating around the office about him; as had happened so many times before in similar situations, the voice told her not to celebrate, but to be cautious, even angry at his suggestion.
"He's just a predator looking to get in your pants. He's not really interested in your wellbeing. Don't do it." the voice warned.
She let him go and studied his expression. What the voice told her didn't match what she saw in him, but the warning felt very compelling and even carried with it a sense of urgency that she couldn't quite explain. She could tell that it wasn't her conscience speaking, or the wise words of her friends and family, but... something else. Something dark. Something destructive.
She hesitated to speak further and had trouble getting her words out properly. She was ready to tell him no before she reminded herself of the alternative: she would have to quit her dream job and either move back to Aughrim with Webster, which would involve similar struggles of barely being able to pay for the basics, or move back in with her parents in Goldwheat Meadows and live with the fact that she lost her shot at a decent life. Both alternatives made her uneasy, but what struck the nerve the most was the prospect of losing what she had worked so hard for over the past four years.
After a series of failed attempts filled with broken words, she finally said, "I don't know, this feels like... I-I-I don't think I'm comfortable --"
"Andrea, please, I'm being serious here. Look, I know of the rumors about me that are circulating around the office. They're fucking frustrating, but they're just rumors and I don't care about them right now. I promise you, on the lives of everyone I love, I'm not trying to take advantage of you if that's what you're worried about. You need help, that's far more important than my reputation."
She looked off to the side in silence.
"From the sound of things, your life is finally starting to turn for the better, but all of that progress is in danger. The Reiland Institute and the work you'll be doing here is exactly what you need to get that confidence of yours back. I'd hate to see you just fade away and have your life fall apart again because you lost this marvelous opportunity to work here. I'm offering my help because you're a gentle soul in desperate need of some stability, and I genuinely want to help."
She shook her head. "I figure that you just want to help me... But when I left for university, my mother warned me about trusting people too soon, and with your reputation... I'm just uncomfortable with the idea, you know?"
"I understand. I hope I wasn't --"
"No, you're right. I do have nowhere to go. Maybe... I can stay overnight, at least? See if this even works out?"
"I'll do what I can to make sure this is as comfortable as can be for you."
She opened her arms wide and fell into him for another hug. "Thank you..."
- - - - -
Patrick's house was an unassuming story-and-a-half bungalow in the middle of the quiet neighborhood of Sable Shores. Grey and brown stone slabs made up the bulk of the construction, bounded by smooth, white pillars at every corner. A burgundy terracotta roof composed of intricately designed but weather-worn tiles sat atop the house. Large oak trees covered the house in shade for much of the day. Like much of the neighborhood, the entire property was walled in with a chest-high wall of golden sandy bricks.
She couldn't help but think it was cute. "It reminds me of... home. A lot of the houses in Goldwheat look like this. Mine didn't have the stone walls like that and was a little bigger, but... It's nice to see a place like this again. Aughrim's neighborhoods were a little too utilitarian for my liking."
"Does that make you feel any more comfortable?"
"It actually kinda does."
He nodded happily. "Good! Let's go inside, I'll show you around."
The inside of the house really sold the impression of a cozy home to her. The first thing she noticed upon stepping inside was the thick aroma of cinnamon that hung in the air. Floral patterned wallpaper was hidden under an assortment of handcrafted ornaments that were constructed of dried plant material, such as flowers, leaves, pine cones and twigs. Scattered amongst the windows of the living room were about a dozen bonsai trees, each tamed and delicately trimmed in their own unique way, and from where she stood, she could see more bonsais resting in the window of the neighboring dining room. There was a variety of entertainment at their finger tips, from books to board games to an extensive movie collection.
She was impressed by how much was packed into the living room, but was hesitant to say so out loud. "Just like Mama McKenna's place..." she recalled.
They moved onto the dining room. At the center of the table was more of Patrick's handiwork, a cornucopia of dried woven reeds, filled and surrounded by fresh fruit and an assortment of nuts. In a little alcove sat a cabinet, filled with intricately designed silverware and hand painted porcelain dishes. Feathers were arranged in patterns along the sides of the cabinet, feathers she could easily identify as belonging to two species: the Common Lanark Starly and the Northlands Taillow. On the side of the room opposite from the cabinet was a large glass terrarium that was decorated with plant material and a fallen log, and lit by a bright orange heat lamp.
Curious of what was kept inside, she was immediately drawn to the terrarium. After a quick search, she came up with nothing. "What do you have in here?"
"Burmy."
"Burmy, huh? I don't see --" she said, only to stop when a pair of yellow eyes emerged from a clump of leaves and twigs that hung from the log. "Oh! Fascinating! I've never actually seen a real one before."
"Yep, they're not from around here. He's one of my research projects that I picked up while I was visiting the Kingdom of Constantia a couple months ago. I wanted to see if the cooler climate affected his cloak in any way... but he didn't take well to the cold, unfortunately."
She tapped on the glass and smiled. "So now you've got him in a glass box and you're baking him with a lamp?"
"He loves it!"
"Hmm. Sounds like your experiment fell apart!"
"Yep!" He laughed.
As she looked around the room, she couldn't help but feel like it was too nice. "There's no way that Patrick lives alone in a house like this... He has to have a wife that he's not telling me about... Or, like, his sickly mother or something. This place is too clean for a single guy..."
She continued her exploration of the dining room some more; two doors sat on either side of the silverware cabinet and she cautiously opened the one closest to the living room. A staircase that disappeared into the darkness below awaited her.
"There's the basement. The bathroom and laundry room are down there. Utility stuff like the water heater and gas lines are down there, too. I don't suppose you want a tour of the basement, do you?"
"You don't have handcuffs on the walls down there, do you?" She instantly regretted her words. "Sorry. I shouldn't say shit like that. I-I... sorry."
He raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't respond. "And through here..." he said, resting his hand on the handle of the other door. With a twist of the handle, the door opened and revealed a staircase that climbed upward. "Up here is my bedroom. There's also another room up there, too, where I do all of my hobby work."
"Hobby work?" she asked, looking around the room. "Like, all of these decorations hanging on the walls? Do you make them yourself?"
He nodded.
"Oh! Neat!" she offered. "What a strange guy... Supposedly a metal head and a skirt chaser, but... bonsai trees? Handcrafts? How the hell am I supposed to make any assumptions about this guy?"
The next room was the kitchen, and it was fairly standard: a refrigerator, an electric stove, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a sink, all rounded off and complimented by a rich brown granite countertop. The refrigerator was understandably under stocked for someone who appeared to live by himself, but she was still worried about it; it barely looked as if there was enough to provide for a man, his Flareon and his Burmy, let alone a guest. The presence of three bottles of beer inside were worrying, too, but she believed she could be responsible about it and was capable of controlling herself around them.
"Welp. That's the tour, I guess."
"It's a nice place!" she said with cheer. "Thank you for having me over, I'll try not to be a burden."
"Don't worry about it, I'm just thinking of how nice it'll be to have someone around again. It's been awhile."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, one of our co-workers used to live here with me awhile back, before she got hired -- Uh! Long story, you probably don't want to hear it."
"Uhhh-hmmm... Maybe some day." she mumbled. It was a curious thought that brought a detail about the house to the front of her mind. "On a similar note, I can't help but notice that you don't have a spare room..."
"I kinda do upstairs, but it's filled with my craft-related junk."
She put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow at him. "...And how exactly is me staying over going to work? Because we are not sharing your bedroom. Don't take this personally, but I'd rather try my luck sleeping in a tree than in your bed, and I don't care how much you promise me that no funny business will happen."
He seemed genuinely hurt by her words, but he understood them and shrugged it off as he shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't even going to suggest that. Let's go back to the den." He led her back into the living room, then pointed out the angular sofa that stood in front of the TV. "It's not ideal, but it should at least be comfortable." He reached his fingers into a slit in the door frame that separated the living room and the dining room, then dragged a sliding door out of it.. "And for your privacy, a sliding door, it's even got a lock on it. I'll knock before I enter if it's closed."
She wandered over and sat on the sofa. He was right, it wasn't ideal; however, it would do for a makeshift bed. "I'm gonna miss my bed."
"Well, I'm hoping you'll be on your feet sooner rather than later, because I can tell you're uncomfortable with this whole situation."
She nodded, and agreed with the idea of her stay being a short one. "It'll take awhile for me to warm up to the idea... I'm hoping to be out before then."
"Hey, if push comes to shove and you're here for awhile, I'd be fine with it. I can clear out my craft room and we can set you up a proper bedroom."
"Mmm..."
He looked around cautiously, trying to think of what else to show her, but nothing came to mind. "Well. I guess that's everything... Let me know what kind of boundaries you want, too."
"Boundaries?"
"Yeah, like... how much do you want me to interact with you, if at all? Will we be doing dinner together in the dining room? That kinda stuff."
"Uhh... Whatever you feel comfortable with. I don't want things to be silent or impersonal between us, but... I don't know. This will take some adjusting. Just treat me like you would any other guest, and if that becomes a problem... we'll figure it out."
"Heh, well! I don't usually have guests, so I don't really know how to treat them, but... Yep! We will! Anyways, I'm gonna head up the road to Lucinda's Garden and Farm Market and pick up some stuff for dinner. You wanna tag along, or do you wanna stay here?"
"I'd like to stay here, if you don't mind. I need to get used to these surroundings."
He nodded. "Well then, got any requests for dinner?"
She smiled. "This farm market doesn't happen to do garlic pizza, does it?"
"'fraid not. We can do pizza tomorrow night, though!"
"I'd like that. But for tonight, pick up whatever you like. I'm not too picky."
"Right on. I'll be back in about an hour."
The house fell eerily silent as the door closed behind him; contrary to what she expected, she felt more uncomfortable now that she was alone in the house. She wanted to rush after him in an attempt to escape the distressing feelings, but she was cautious of giving him the wrong signals. Instead, she resolved to toughen up and push through the feelings.
She tried her best to make herself at home and flopped onto the couch. She turned on the TV and flipped through the channels for a few minutes. What she ended up with, she didn't care; she simply wanted some background noise to shatter the silence. She eventually came to a stop on a sports broadcast that was covering the Lord of the Links professional golf tournament, then reached for her phone.
She wanted to reach out to one of her friends about her situation in hopes that one of them might be able to comfort her. Webster entered her mind first; she felt bad that she didn't get to properly thank him for all that he'd done for her and wanted to fix that, but at the same time was simply too overwhelmed to gather the courage up to correspond with him. She knew that he'd be happy that she was off the street, but she also knew that he was likely to show a bit of jealousy as well. He always assured her that he knew he never had a reason to be, but it was still something he struggled with.
Her mind fell back on Kimberly. Kimberly had seen her through some tough spots already despite the two having only just recently met, and she felt comfortable around her, both physically and as a distant friend. Though she didn't know for certain, she felt that Kimberly would probably be the more approachable of the two with circumstances like these. There was an unspoken bond among women everywhere, either rich or poor, successful or hopeless, an understanding she knew she just couldn't count on with Webster. She typed up a message in hopes of striking up a conversation.
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:12 PM
'hi you around?'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:15 PM
'Hello, friend!'
The response was warm and friendly, and it got a smile out of her. "She sure does love calling me that, doesn't she?"
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:15 PM
'hi there! am I interrupting anything?'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:17 PM
'I'm out for dinner with a friend I met in town, but what can I do for you?'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:17 PM
'just wanted some idol chit chat'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:18 PM
'Idol? haha'
'Thank you for holding me in such high regard! : P'
'Thank you for holding me in such high regard! : P'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:18 PM
'dammit, idle* something youll want to learn about me is that i cant spell'
'anyways I wanted your opinion about something'
'anyways I wanted your opinion about something'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:21 PM
'Sure! Is something troubling you?'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:22 PM
'thats putting it lightly'
'uhh i dont have a place to live in this town yet (thats a long story) but my supervisor invited me to stay with him for a few days'
'does that sound fishy to you at all'
'uhh i dont have a place to live in this town yet (thats a long story) but my supervisor invited me to stay with him for a few days'
'does that sound fishy to you at all'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:23 PM
'Oh no! I hope your situation changes soon!"
'I would say that it's perhaps a little fishy, but I don't know your supervisor very well.'
'Are you worried that he might abuse his position and act inappropriately with you?'
'I would say that it's perhaps a little fishy, but I don't know your supervisor very well.'
'Are you worried that he might abuse his position and act inappropriately with you?'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:24 PM
'a little'
'im worried that hell start pressuring me for sex soon cause he doesnt seem to want anythin at all in return'
'i was stupid enough to let him wrap that finger around me now all he needs to do is squeeze'
'im worried that hell start pressuring me for sex soon cause he doesnt seem to want anythin at all in return'
'i was stupid enough to let him wrap that finger around me now all he needs to do is squeeze'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:25 PM
'What makes you worry that much, if I may ask?'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:25 PM
'itll probably sound dumb'
'ive been warned that hes got a reputation for being a perv and making the other girls at my job uncomfortable'
'maybe im buying too much into those rumors cause i havent see that side of him yet but im still worried'
'ive been warned that hes got a reputation for being a perv and making the other girls at my job uncomfortable'
'maybe im buying too much into those rumors cause i havent see that side of him yet but im still worried'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:26 PM
'Do you have no other alternatives? That sounds like such a risky situation!'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:27 PM
'got nothin'
'no friends no family no money'
'believe me i didnt want to do this but ill lose my job if i dont cuz i cant afford to live in this stupid town'
'no friends no family no money'
'believe me i didnt want to do this but ill lose my job if i dont cuz i cant afford to live in this stupid town'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:29 PM
'Oh! Would you like me to cover your rent for awhile? I wouldn't mind.'
She smiled. She wondered where this sudden outpouring of support had come from; her life would have been so much easier -- so much different -- if she had just received the same amount of support a mere six months ago. Like Patrick's offer, it gave her a boost of confidence that her life was going to be okay, but unlike his offer, there was a sense of warmth and happiness that accompanied it as well. Also unlike Patrick, she had a hard time justifying the idea of accepting her help. Money apparently grew on trees for Kimberly so it really was no concern for her, but something still felt wrong about it, especially since she had already taken advantage of her good nature at nearly every opportunity.
She made a joke to herself to smooth over the refusal she was about to make: "What, she looking to hook up with me, too?"
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:31 PM
'what like a benefactor or something? i appreciate the offer but i dont need one of those. ill have to pass'
'ive already told patrick im at least staying the night. maybe a couple days. dont wanna change my mind so quickly'
'and honestly ive taken advantage of your good will enough over the past couple of weeks and i dont want to walk all over you even if you want to help'
'feels like you have a hard time saying no when it comes to helping people'
'ive already told patrick im at least staying the night. maybe a couple days. dont wanna change my mind so quickly'
'and honestly ive taken advantage of your good will enough over the past couple of weeks and i dont want to walk all over you even if you want to help'
'feels like you have a hard time saying no when it comes to helping people'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:32 PM
'I was born and raised that way!'
'Are you absolutely sure? If you don't want my help, I understand. But I want you to understand as well, this would be no problem for me.'
'Are you absolutely sure? If you don't want my help, I understand. But I want you to understand as well, this would be no problem for me.'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:32 PM
'well the other big reason i want to try this out is that i want to know if i can trust him'
'him and i are going to be working together a lot while im here at the institute'
'i dont want a cloud hanging over me telling me to be worried about him all the time'
'if i get hurt doing this thats a valuable lesson that ill learn'
'at least it seems like he wants to do this right and is giving himself tons of boundaries and stuff'
'him and i are going to be working together a lot while im here at the institute'
'i dont want a cloud hanging over me telling me to be worried about him all the time'
'if i get hurt doing this thats a valuable lesson that ill learn'
'at least it seems like he wants to do this right and is giving himself tons of boundaries and stuff'
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:34 PM
'That's promising! But do keep your guard up.'
'Remember: You're a strong woman, Andrea. You don't owe him anything like that.'
'The second he makes an unwanted advance like that, I want you to walk out his door and never look back.'
'Remember: You're a strong woman, Andrea. You don't owe him anything like that.'
'The second he makes an unwanted advance like that, I want you to walk out his door and never look back.'
Fr: Andrea Dennison, 6:35 PM
'ill definately walk out but ill look back'
'remember i gotta work with this guy'
'thank you for the concern though! reminds me of how great a friend you really are!'
'hope well see each other soon cause i kinda miss you already lol'
'remember i gotta work with this guy'
'thank you for the concern though! reminds me of how great a friend you really are!'
'hope well see each other soon cause i kinda miss you already lol'
She awaited a response, but after a few minutes of not receiving one, she figured the conversation had either ended or she made Kimberly uncomfortable with such a confession. Whatever the case, she dropped her phone on the couch beside her and started to pay attention to the golf tournament that was on the TV. She realized the absurdity of it all.
"What the fuck am I doing with my life? I'm watching golf of all things?" she said as she shook her head. As she surfed the channels again, she thought about the situation and sighed. "I really do hope I'm buying into the rumors too much... I just hope Patrick doesn't turn this around on me and start expecting me to sleep with him... Awfully suspicious that he'll have me over for nothing in return, especially if he's willing to have me over for more than a couple days already... He seems like a nice guy, but... well, so did Larson, and I had trouble saying no to him... And he didn't even have any power over my future... My life is a fucking mess, hopefully that --" Her thoughts were interrupted as her phone buzzed again:
Fr: Kimberly Fairbrooke, 6:46 PM
'Aww, that's so sweet! I miss you, too! <3'
'You're a much better friend than this new person I'm stuck travelling with...'
'That's a long story though, and I can't get into it now... I've got something I have to take care of, so I'll speak to you later!'
'Looking forward to seeing you again soon! : )'
'You're a much better friend than this new person I'm stuck travelling with...'
'That's a long story though, and I can't get into it now... I've got something I have to take care of, so I'll speak to you later!'
'Looking forward to seeing you again soon! : )'
She smiled. "Hopefully, Kim. Hopefully."
- - - - -
Author's commentary: Don't mind the numerous spelling mistakes/improper words in the text conversation. In regards to Andrea at least, every single one of them is intended.