When Timid Turned Into Tension.

“Oh God,” Amelia groaned at seeing her appearance the next morning. Getting out of her nest of blankets was a struggle enough, but removing her still damp dress was an entirely different story. With the bathroom steaming up from the shower that was running Amelia removed her bra and panties and stepped into the nearly scalding water, sighing in relief.

As the shower thawed her still cold body Amelia’s mind began to race, reliving the previous night. Shaking her head, she banished the thoughts, knowing that the more she thinks about this the more difficult the situation will be for her to straighten out. Resolving to make a coffee date with her closest girlfriend and co-worker, Victoria, Amelia felt some of the weight fall off of her shoulders.

30 minutes later Amelia was in her bath robe, with another steaming cup of tea and a freshly filled hot water bottle. Sitting at her dining room table with her laptop in front of her, she looked out onto her small balcony, admiring the sun filtering through the patches of clouds in the sky. Why couldn’t this have been the weather yesterday?! Amelia wondered to herself.

She began typing, knowing that her decision to go out the night before was putting a strain on her newest deadline for her article. When deciding upon the career path of journalism, Amelia didn’t have celebrity journalism anywhere on her radar. As life would have it, she had to sacrifice her dream of being a political journalist to settle for something that she felt was a lot less important. Pulling her out of her focus, Amelia startled at the sound of an email alert.

Hello dearest! Lucky for you I just canceled plans with my mother for a lunch date, so it looks like we get to gossip sooner rather than later. I’ll be round in a bit. :)
-V

Smiling to herself, Amelia finished the last of her thoughts on the article and shut the computer down, knowing that it wouldn’t take too long to edit and she would have the piece completed just in time for the deadline. Standing up, Amelia downed the last of her tea, unlocked her front door and shuffled her slippered feet into her bedroom to put herself together enough to venture out to the café down the street.

“Come on in,” Amelia called out, knowing the oddly characteristic knock of Victoria’s. Seconds later Victoria entered into the bedroom as Amelia was putting on her stockings.

“Really, Amelia, stockings?! Have you even looked out the window yet today?” Teased Victoria, already knowing how cautious Amelia was with how she dressed. Throwing a frustrated look towards her friend, Amelia laughed a second laughter, happy with how easy and uncomplicated it was for Victoria to joke with her.

“Are you ready?” Amelia asked, hoping that the sooner she could get on with the story the sooner she could return to her hot water bottle and dressing gown.

“Oh, I’m always ready, especially when it comes to the newest installment of the Tomelia saga.” Victoria replied excitedly, which was greeted by Amelia’s instant blush.

“Vee, you really have to stop saying that, especially out in public where someone can hear you. There is no ‘Tomelia.’ There is a Tom and there is an Amelia.”

“Come on, you’re really going to keep telling yourself that? Need I remind you of who Tom always goes to see as soon as he has time off? What about when he doesn’t even have time off and he still goes out of his way to do something nice for you?” Victoria persisted, referencing to how Tom would always send little gifts on important days to Amelia.

“Come off it, Victoria,” Amelia said with an exasperated tone. “ Tom hasn’t sent anything to me in months. And besides, after you hear about what happened last night your whole ‘Tomelia’ theory will crumble and you won’t have reason to meddle in mine and Tom’s relationship any further.”

“HA! You said it.”

“I know, I’m finally getting through your thick skull.”

“No, you simple-minded friend of mine. ‘Relationship’.”

“Seriously? Vee, I have a relationship with everyone. I have a relationship with my hot water bottle for God’s sake, that doesn’t mean I love it.” Amelia was starting to feel slightly frustrated, although that was forgotten upon seeing the look on the man’s face who heard what she had while he was opening the door for her into the café’.

“Double HA! You just said ‘lo-‘.”

“Jesus, would you shut up?! Do you want to hear want happened or what??” Amelia snapped back playfully.

“Ugh, you’re no fun. Fine, let me order for us and you find a place to sit. Then you can tell me.” Vee responded.

After getting settled with their drinks and pastries, Amelia launched into the story of the night before, not sparing any detail. As hurt as she was to recount the way that Tom blew her off, she was incredibly grateful for having Victoria to vent to. Somehow, maybe it was what made Vee such a great journalist, she always knew the perfect moment when to gasp or add small commentaries into the story as Amelia told it.

“Okay, so, if I’m understanding you correctly you’re saying that this Heather bitch went and stole your date for the night and now someone needs to go and bust a kneecap or two?” Victoria responded at the end of the explanation, happy that she could get Amelia to smile after seeing the struggle she went through with re-living the past nights events.

“Exactly,” Amelia responded with a small laugh, glad for the humour that was brought into her pity party. Taking a deep breath and sighing, Amelia continued, “but honestly Vee, What am I supposed to do?! I’ve known him for far too long to let something like this drive a wedge in between us, but I can’t just sit there and let the girl he is interested in just push me around.”

“Hold on, he might not even be interested in her. Sure, he seems to be, but we both know how nice Tom can be and how much he cares about everyone else feeling happy.” Victoria replied, hoping to try to bring some new perspective.

“Okay, you’re right about that. But it doesn’t explain the fact that he didn’t even care to check up on me besides sending one text. Now, thanks to my being distracted, I think I’m coming down with something. Remind me to never walk home in the rain again.”

“Amelia! I know how stubborn you are, but I never thought you’d ever be so daft! Why didn’t you call a taxi or take the tube?!” Victoria nearly shouted, drawing a fair bit of attention to herself.

“I don’t know. And don’t berate me for this. I’m obviously fine and it’s not like I’m going to make a habit of walking through central London in the pouring rain.” Amelia defended herself, while blushing at the outburst.

Cocking an eyebrow at her friend, Victoria continued, “Okay. Fine, well I admit I am at a loss. I can’t ever imagine him just ditching you like he did last night. I wonder what’s gotten into him, he’s always so keen on making you a priority in social gatherings. And before you go and deny that just remember that I see the two of you from the outside, and he is often either with or you looking after you at a distance.”

“No he doesn’t” Amelia said, blushing.

“Right, well you can believe me or you can take me as a liar.. But ask yourself why would I lie of exaggerate about this?”

“Is my nose puffy at all?” Amelia asked while dabbing a kleenex on it gently.

Throwing yet another exasperated look at her friend, Victoria realized that Amelia had reach her limit and was shutting the topic to a close. Sighing, she responded, “I’m afraid it does, just a little bit though.”

“Ugh, great.” Said Amelia, frustrated with herself yet again. “I guess we should head back, I’ve got to finish editing my article that’s due by 7:00.”

“I don’t understand how you can live with cutting your deadlines so short! I have an idea though, how about you go on and head back to your flat, I’ll stop by the market and pick up a few things for a nice dinner tonight, yeah?” Suggested Vee.

“Seriously, I owe you!” Responded Amelia while rounding up her belongings before tossing the remnants of their coffee into the trash.

**

As Victoria made her way back into Amelia’s flat she let out a grunt of surprise. “Tom! What are you doing here?!” She asked.

“Hey Victoria, I was just coming round to see how Amelia was doing. I’m guessing you’re doing the same?”

Thinking quickly before replying, she sent up a mental apology to Amelia, knowing that the confrontation that needed to happen between the two of them would be brushed aside if something wasn’t said. “Actually I am. She’s feeling a bit ill from the walk home last night…”

“Oh I know!” Responded Tom, “I was really disappointed we couldn’t spend more time together, but I’m here to make up for it now.”

Raising a brow, Victoria began to question and accuse Tom, “Really? That’s not what I’ve heard. How was your date?”

“It wasn’t a… Wait, she walked home last night?!“ Tom asked, clearly taken aback that Amelia would break out of her comfort zone like that.

“Oh? And tell me then, why else would you leave one of your dearest friends out in the rain just because someone else told you she had already gone home. You should know most of all she always communicates how she is feeling when it comes to illness, especially if it’s on a night you both planned on spending together.”

“But, she was sick last night?”

“No you witless wonder, she wasn’t sick, but she is certainly coming down with something now! She overheard you and your gal making plans to go do something else.”

“I was confused as to why I didn’t hear from Amelia herself how she wasn’t feeling well, I would have come back to the flat with her…”

“Yeah, well you didn’t bother to really figure it out, did you? I’m not trying to scold you Tom, I’m really not… But you really hurt her last night. And even if she wasn’t sick then she sure will be now, the poor girl walked home in the rain because of you.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tom sighed. “Right, well, I guess I should talk to her then.”

“You are correct.” Victoria responded shortly before motioning for Tom to follow her up the flight of stairs and into the flat.