Twenty Two
Astra shrieked as she came into contact with all the men.
“Calm down, miss,” the man said. It already felt like her heart had leapt to her throat, and she was shaking. Through her disoriented self, she could tell that the voice was different from the one that called her. This voice sounded old.
“What are you doing here?” Astra asked. This person was different from the person who called her, and the area was too quiet for people to just be roaming around. Astra could feel her fear building up again.
“I should be the one asking you that, miss,” the man asked, and Astra looked at the man very well. The place was dark, but she could see, with the aid of her phone torch, that he was dressed in some sort of uniform.
“I am the keeper of this warehouse. Is there anything you need? ” The man asked, and Astra became calm. Nevertheless, the small amount of hope that she harbored that the man was the one who called her disappeared.
“Someone called me. The person asked me to see him here. I guess it must have been a wrong address. “” “Astra said to the man. If the keeper knew anything about the man who called her, he could have said it then.
The man shook his head and said, “No one comes here any more. They are planning on demolishing the place and building something new. It must have been a wrong address. ”
To say Astra was disappointed was an understatement. She had driven so far just for this. Astra faked a smile at the man and said, “I will get going now. Thank you, sir. ”
The man was kind enough to show her the way out. As Astra drove back to her house, several thoughts filled her mind. She was sure that she hadn’t gotten the address wrong. The only reason why the man wouldn’t be there was if he tricked her. It was either that or he was in danger; maybe Thompson had caught him.
Astra felt it was the first option because she did not have enough information about the man. Why would he have information about the Nicholas and Thompson cases? He might just be anyone that had called her to trick her. The only issue with that hypothesis was why? Why would anyone try to trick her into thinking they had evidence? It did not seem like a reasonable thing to do unless they had an ulterior motive. Astra could not think of anyone off the top of her head that would do that. The only person she could think of was Thompson. But what would he gain if he did that? Astra could not think of anything.
Astra was still pondering as she got home. She was done taking a much needed bath by the time Stephanie called her. Astra was expecting her friend’s call sooner or later. Steph could not stay for long without hearing the details of her date with Jared.
“Hey babe,” Stephanie said, her voice perky and excited as usual.
“Hey, Astra,” she said.
“We have a lot to talk about,” Stephanie said. “What was the date? Was he icky or a gentleman? Did he ask the right questions? Did you guys kiss? ” Stephanie asked in succession.
“Calm down,” Astra said. She could feel her face heating up as a result of embarrassment.
Astra did not have enough time to think about her date with Jared, as immediately she got home, she rushed to meet the so-called informant. Now that she thought about it, the date was much better than she expected. Astra had crossed her fingers all the while going to the date, but it was successful. Jared had asked the right questions and he had given her the right answers. She got to learn a lot of things about him. It made Astra view him as more human, not just as the most persistent guy to ask her out. What she had never expected was the fact that he drew. She had been obsessed with guys that were into art at a point. Astra knew that there was a possibility that she would grow to like him, but the nagging feeling in her heart was still there. She still loved Nicholas, and it seemed like there would never be space for anyone else. Astra knew that she had to try her best, but it would not be easy.
“Well, it was nice,” Astra said to Stephanie. She could all but see her friend’s frown from the other side of the phone.
“I need details, Astra,” Stephanie shouted, and Astra shook her head.
We went for dinner; we ate; we talked; we came home. It was nice. What more do you want? ” Astra asked teasingly.
“That sounds good. So did you kiss? ” Stephanie asked, lowering her voice. Once again, Astra rolled her eyes. Her friend could be such a drama queen at times.
“No, we didn’t,” Astra said.
“Why the hell not?” Steph asked, and Astra sighed.
“Well, I didn’t want to,” Astra replied, as she thought about the circumstances that surrounded the end of their date. She was in a rush to meet the so-called informant, and she was sure that Jared had seen it too. Astra wondered if Jared would have tried to kiss her if the date had ended on a good note. She also wondered if she would have let him.
Astra figured Jared would have tried to kiss her. After all, they didn’t just meet, they became friends. Astra was not so sure she would have let him kiss her. The loyalty she felt for Nicholas was still very much there.
“Okay then, so was the date nice enough for you to consider a second date?” Steph asked. Astra hesitated less this time. She would go on another date with Jared, if not for anything else, but to know if the feelings she was developing for him would lead to something.
“Sure. It is just a date, “Astra said. Stephanie shrieked in reply. Astra had to remove the phone from her ear.
“Relax, Steph,” Astra said.
“Oh, I can’t relax, Astra, my best friend is moving on!” She shouted. Astra smiled. One thing that drew her to Stephanie was her infectious, bubbly personality. Steph was able to make Astra happy when she was at her lowest of lows.
“Thank you, Steph,” Astra said. Astra believed it since Steph said she was moving on. She was well on her way to moving on.
“So when are we having dinner?” Astra asked.
“I have spoken to Ray. “We will have dinner tomorrow evening if you are free,” Steph said.
Oh, that would be very nice. I am free. I am really tired though. I will see you tomorrow, “Astra said to her friend.
“Tomorrow it is, goodnight,” Steph said.
“Goodnight.”
After the call, Astra stretched and went to lie on her bed. It had been a long, long day.
~~~~~~~
Astra got to work a bit later than she used to. The stress of the previous day got to her, and so she woke up later than usual, yet she was not well rested.
Astra rushed on a pair of clothes and zoomed to the office, only to meet a full office. The first thing that she noticed was people staring at her, but it was not exactly new. When she entered, she saw that her cubicle looked like a giant flower. There were two bouquets of roses, one red and the other yellow. Just from looking at the flowers, she could tell that they belonged to two different people, and she could tell who those two people were.
Anger began to build towards the two annoying men in her life. Astra knew Jared was trying to be romantic when he sent flowers to her office, but she did not know what Nicholas was trying to prove. The last time she came to his house, he all but threw her out. She thought maybe he was trying to apologize. Astra did not give two fucks about his apology. She wanted to move on away from him and his toxic traits.
She picked up the yellow roses and marched to her desk. She knew it was Nicholas that sent them because that was her favorite flower when she was with Nicholas. As she picked up the note, she could see N. M clearly on it. She picked up the flowers, resisting the temptation of putting them to her nose to perceive before throwing them into the bin. All her coworkers were looking at her as she looked at the second bouquet. As she expected, it was from Jared. Astra rolled her eyes but kept them in water. Astra could hear the murmurs of her coworkers. She heard, “I don’t like yellow roses either,” clearly from behind her. Astra knew they were not talking to her, though, and she wished they could just mind their business.
Sitting on her chair, she picked up her phone to make a few warning calls.
“Hello, Nicholas,” she said. She could basically see all her coworkers’ raised ears. Astra stood up from her chair and went into the bathroom.
“Yes, Astra,” Nicholas replied. His voice still sounded groggy with sleep. Astra could tell that he was just waking up. She figured he drank the night before, as usual.
“What do you want?” Nicholas asked her. Astra immediately felt anger, the nerve of the bastard.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
“What am I looking for?” I want you to stop sending flowers to my office! We don’t have anything together anymore, Nicholas! Stop acting like we do! ” Astra shouted.
She could hear Nicholas’ sigh at the other end of the call.
“Is that what you really want?” He asked. For a moment, Astra faltered. She was not so sure that was what she wanted. A part of her wanted to go back to Nicholas, live with him again, and have a new family. Another part of her wanted to damn him to hell. At that moment, the second part of her story won.
“Yes, of course, that’s what I really want!” Astra shouted again. Her day was already shattered.
“That is not what you were saying when I was making you cum. You didn’t say this when you were rolling your nipples or fingering your cunt. Instead, you were screaming my name,” Nicholas said. Astra could feel herself getting wet; dirty talk was something that turned her on, and Nicholas knew that. He used her too many times. It took all of her self-control to not start begging him to make her cum.
“You disgusting pig! I don’t want anything to do with you, remember? Keep that in your thick skull and stop bothering me! ” She shouted and ended the call.
Astra was shaking as she placed her hands on the sink. The power that Nicholas had on her became so evident then. She needed to move on. She could not keep pining after a man that had hurt her and would continue to hurt her. It was not worth it.
Astra splashed water on her face and dabbed at it to enable herself to calm down. Relax, Astra, relax, she said to herself. Even in her disgust, she could still feel that she was wet and sticky down there.
It was her plan to go to Jared’s office and tell him not to drop flowers at her desk anymore, but she was not sure she could talk to Jared in her state. Astra went into one of the bathroom stalls and started to wash herself a bit. She was tempted to make herself cum as the memory of Nicholas’ words came back to her. Fortunately, she was able to resist temptation. She walked back to her cubicle with shaky legs and sank into her seat almost immediately. Astra rested her head on her desk then. She was tired. She badly needed to move on, and quickly too.