Created

Chapter Fourteen

"Okay, Adam!" Melissa said, smiling and holding her clipboard in front of her. "Tell me. What is the most romantic thing you could give Arta?"
"Um...," I thought, trying to remember the list of gifts she'd rattled off. What had she said was Arta's favorite? Jewelry? Chocolate? "Roses?" I guessed.
"Mmm," Melissa shrugged. "Romantic enough, I guess. But it's even better if you take her somewhere, too! Like, you know, to the beach or to a fancy restaurant or something when you give them to her." I groaned. The first thing I'd learned from Melissa was that women were complicated. They wanted you to be romantic and thoughtful and kind all while being strong and manly and tough. I wasn't strong, manly, OR tough, and it was turning out I was failing in the other categories, too.
"Isn't that a date? I thought we were studying gifts."
"Yeah, but you can't just randomly walk up to her and give her roses. It has to mean something. She has to look at those roses and remember the good times you had together!!" Melissa said energetically and I groaned again. "It's okay," she said, comfortingly. "You'll get better. You just have to know the basics and then we'll throw you out there!! You'll be fine." Cause that wasn't scary or anything...
"I'm home!" I heard Erik's voice and Melissa and I looked up. Erik was crossing the lab towards us, holding up a big bag of barbeque potato chips. "I brought snacks, too!!"
"Mmm, good!" Melissa called back. "I'm starving!"
"Well, you're in luck! I got a bunch of other stuff, too!" A plastic Wal-Mart back was held up, then tossed our way. Melissa reached and snached it out of the air.
"Oo," she cried. "You got Chips-Ahoy!"
"What's that?" I asked.
"Only the best store bought cookies EVER," Erik answered. "I like the chewy kind, but Melissa likes the crunchy, so I got both." Erik dropped down on the couch next to me and got comfortable. We had brought down the couch from his bedroom into the lab for me to sleep on. I couldn't leave the lab without being super-cautious. If Arta saw me, she would think I broke in. And I wasn't ready for Erik to introduce me yet. I feared I would freeze up when I saw her. I pushed those thoughts away and went looking for the cookies instead.
"Bleh, that's the chewy kind, Adam!" Melissa laughed as I pulled a blue box out of the plastic bag.. I opened it and picked a cookie out of two rows, inspecting it carefully.
"It looks fine," I said.
"Course it does," Erik grinned. "Chewy's the best." This declaration drove Erik and Melissa into a mock argument and they fought and laughed, but I didn't participate. I was thinking again about Arta. Ever sinse Erik had shown me her picture a few days ago, she was all I could think about. She was forever on my mind. I worried that when I first saw her, I'd act like an idiot. No amount of studying would change the fact that I was nervous just thinking about her. Arta was so beautiful, and Erik told me about her all the time. I was anxious to meet her, yet hesitant. Out of those two, mostly hesitant. Erik told me that was called being nervous and worrisome, but that he knew I could do it. He made me after all, he should know what I could and couldn't do. But shouldn't I know as well?
"Well, what do you think, Adam?" Melissa called me back from my thoughts.
"Huh? On what?"
"On the cookies! Oh, have you not tried it yet? Go on now, try it!" Melissa prompted.
"Yeah!" Erik added. "Tell Melissa how painfully wrong she is!" I eyed the cookie in my hand and lifted it to my mouth. I looked back between the two, both anxious to hear my vote. I smiled, teasing them, and as painstakingly slow as I could possibly go, I brought the cookie to my mouth.
"I'm going," I narrated slowly, teasing them. As much as I tried not to, I was starting to smile, despite my serious voice. "I'm starting to close my mouth! I'm starting to bite the cookie! I'm starting to che-" Then I stopped as I tasted it. I was speechless in awe. "Wow...," I whispered and the smile spread across my face happily. I quickly devoured the rest of the sweet. "Oh wow, that's the best thing I've ever tasted!!" That really shouldn't be saying much, as the only other things I'd had were barbeque potato chips (Erik's favorite), fried chicken, and frozen pizza. To be quite frank, Erik wasn't a healthy eater. The more sugar or fat, the better when it came to him. Melissa was always scolding him for that, telling him he'd die an early death. He'd only laugh and say he made it a priority to never die.
"See, I told you!!" Erik jumped ecstatically as I began eating more cookies. "I told you chewy were the best!"
"He hasn't even tried crunchy yet! Here, Adam, try these!" Melissa began to pass another box my way, but we all froze when we heard a voice.
"Erik! Hey, Erik, are you down here?" I didn't recognise the voice, but I loved it instantly. It was smooth and inviting and I suddenly felt chills. Who owned that voice?!
"Arta," Erik whispered when he heard it. That answered my question. Arta. How wonderful! Bliss filled my heart and for some reason, I struggled to breath a little. "Er, yeah, I'm down here! But, uh, don't come down yet!! I, uh, need to straighten up!" Arta laughed and I sighed. Her laughter sounded like bells.
"You don't need to straighten up for me, Erik! I've seen your room, remember?" Suddenly, while in heaven as I listened to the voice of my love, I felt someone tugging on my arm.
"Adam!" Melissa hissed, bringing me crashing down from cloud nine. "You have to hide before she can come down! Come on!" Oh yeah. Now I remember.
"I'm coming down now, Erik!" Arta again. Reluctantly, I let Melissa drag me to the closest hiding spot-behind the couch. She pushed me down to the ground as the sound of clicking high heels got closer and closer. Was she there? "Erik, you aren't straightening up at all! You're just... What ARE you doing?" There she was... Wow... I felt my breath leave my lungs and I didn't even care to bring more in. I was too in awe. Was this burning feeling in my chest my love or my lack of oxygen?
"I, uh... Well, see, Melissa and I were just, like, you know... I mean, we were just hanging out...,"
"Really? Wow, you really cleaned out the chewy cookies, didn't you? Only one row left?" Whoops. I thought I'd only had... I dunno, five or so. Cautiously, I peered over the back of the couch. Yes... She was there. I watched her flip back a strand of her long, shining hair. It really did go all the way to her waist. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen... I forced myself to take a breath before I passed out, then continued concentrating on Arta alone. Arta. Arta Clouse. She had such a beautiful name. It fit her well. Wow... She was so gorgeous. I was so in love with her!!
"Well, you know how I like the chewy ones the best...," Erik struggled for conversation. I understood. I think I'd struggle too. But maybe he was struggling because he was bad at lying...? He was hiding a whole person-or robot, however you decided to view me.
"Cool," she muttered nonchalantly, taking a cookie and nibbling off it. I watched her disapproving gaze fall on all the junk food on the couch. "Erik," she groaned. "You're going to clog your arteries with all this junk!"
"That's what I've been trying to tell him!" Melissa laughed. She was standing by where I was crouching behind the couch. Arta looked up, taking notice of her. She smiled briefly.
"Good job. That's what your here for. Keep him from killing himself."
"So, uh, do you, er, do you, like, need anything?" Erik stuttered. He fidgeted uncomfortably and began picking at his cuticles, a habit I found he used when he was anxious. Arta's beautiful black eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You're acting... funny... The both of you are. What's up?"
"Nothing!" Erik said too fast and Arta glanced back at him questioningly.
"Sure... Whatever," she replied slowly. "I just needed those blueprints, the ones about the-"
"In the cabinet to the left. Second drawer." Arta shook her head and laughed as she when to retrieve the blueprints.
"You're a nut sometimes, Erik," she chastised and was gone too soon. It was silent for a minute.
"Adam?" Erik called me quietly. "Are you there? You can come out now." Melissa had to come and grab to me get me to stand. I was so in shock I still felt like I couldn't move. "Uh, Adam, what's wrong?"
"She's... A goddess...," I breathed. Erik smiled.
"Yeah. Feel lucky. That's what you're getting! That is, if you can get her to love you back." I froze suddenly. I hadn't even considered that. Heck, I hadn't considered past our meeting. What if Arta never loved me?