Goddesses Don't Get Sick (5 page)

ELEVEN.

THE NEXT MORNING
, Sharon sat in the room of her first lecture and yawned loudly as she waited for the class to begin. She wondered idly where Angela was—usually her friend beat her to the classes that began this early, if they didn’t go together. Yawning again, Sharon rested her forehead on the desk. Seconds later, the loud bang of books being dropped by her head startled her upright.

“Morning!” Angela chirped brightly, holding out a to-go cup of coffee for her friend. Grunting, Sharon accepted it and drank deeply. Blinking as the caffeine began to take effect, she turned her attention back to Angela.

She was humming to herself as she sorted through her books, a distracted smile on her face, eyes bright with…something. Sharon frowned slightly. The last time she’d seen Angela like this was when Tuyen was sending her all the gifts…

As the pieces fell into place, Sharon’s face split into a broad grin.

“You found him?” she asked. Angela looked up, distracted from her tasks. She met Sharon’s gaze, the smile still on her lips as she shook her head slightly.

“Later,” Angela mouthed, as the lecture began. Grumbling at being forced to both learn and be patient at such an ungodly hour, Sharon slumped back in her seat and waited for the lecture to end.

“So, what you’re telling me,” Sharon smirked at her friend across the café’s table. “Is that I was right.”

“Well…” Angela dropped her head, unable to stop the smile that had been playing across her face all morning. Sharon crowed and raised her hands in a victory stance.

“Told you so!” she danced in her seat, making Angela laugh. Settling back down, Sharon leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “So, what’s the sex like?”

Blinking in surprise, Angela frowned slightly and shook her head. “We’re not-” She began, before Sharon butted in.

“Not rushing into things? Not sharing? Haven’t had time to stock up on condoms?” She pressed, Angela shaking her head in response to each question.

“We’re not a couple, Shar. We’re just friends.”

Sharon sat back slowly in her seat and stared at Angela. “Bull,” she protested, to yet another shake of her friend’s head.

“Not bull,” Angela managed a wry grin. “His job keeps him out of town half the time, and he…” Angela paused for a moment, wondering if she should tell her friend what he called her.
Best not
, she decided,
not yet, anyway
. “He said he wants to try being friends first.” Shrugging, Angela sipped at her coffee, the smile returning to her lips as she thought of him.

“So…no sex?” Sharon continued to stare at her friend in disbelief. Angela laughed quietly.

“No sex,” she agreed. Sharon shook her head in wonder.

“If this is what the friend zone is like, I’d sure as hell be curious about the sex zone.”

Angela smiled and shrugged. She couldn’t help admitting she was just as curious as Sharon—maybe more so, considering—but she was also desperate to not screw things up this time.
It’s better
, she told herself,
to be friends with him than not have him in your life at all.

Sharon heaved a sigh of defeat.

“Fine then, your perfect gentleman dream boy is ‘just a friend.’ Can you at least tell me what he does to keep him so busy and out of town?”

What indeed
, Angela thought. She still didn’t quite understand this job of Tuyen’s that he took so seriously.
No point in rushing him
; she’d decided that much last night as she curled up in bed with her memories.
Let him explain when he’s ready
. For the time being, Angela just had to take his word that he was what he said; that he’s-

“A counsellor,” Angela told Sharon. “Apparently he works for some sort of…charity or something and they try to help people through tough times.”

“Boy, you sure pick the weird ones,” Sharon muttered, shaking her head despite a smile of her own that was creeping across her face. Angela opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again when she realized she had nothing in her—or Tuyen’s—defense.

For once, Angela had to agree with her friend.

She sure did pick the weird ones.

TWELVE.

ANGELA LOOKED AT THE PIECE OF PAPER
in her hands and made a small noise of frustration as she rearranged the bag weighing down her shoulder. Pulling free a pencil she’d tucked behind her ear, she tried to write on the scrap without slowing her pace. Unable to write legibly without stopping or putting down her bag, Angela sighed to herself and gave up on the task. Stuffing the scrap into her jacket pocket, she put the pencil between her teeth as she began to rummage through her bag, oblivious to the world around her.

“Need a hand?”

“Mmmf?” Angela looked up from her rummaging to see Tuyen in front of her, walking backwards so he could face her, his eyes matching the humour in his grin.

Angela blushed in surprise at being caught off-guard (
When did he walk up? Why didn’t I hear him?)
, before she dropped her head and removed the pencil from her mouth, shoving it into her bag and readjusting it back on her shoulder.

“Uh, hi,” she managed with a flustered grin, her free hand unconsciously moving up to tidy her hair. Turning around and adjusting his stride to match hers, Tuyen plucked the heavy bag from Angela’s shoulder and slung it over his own.

“Yikes,” he laughed. “What have you got in here? Half the library?”

Angela dimpled and dropped her head again, quietly praying that the heat she could feel on her cheeks wasn’t as flaming bright as it felt.

“Nah. I just changed a couple of subjects and had to get the new textbooks.” Angela trailed off as she wondered if she sounded as giddy as she felt. If she did, it didn’t seem to bother Tuyen, as he turned his attention to the bag and began looking through the books inside.

“Greek and Egyptian mythology?” he queried, reaching into the bag for a third book. “And…psychology? I thought your major was marketing.”

“It is, but I had some electives free that I hadn’t used up, and I thought it’d be a nice change from all the business classes,” Angela looked up at Tuyen with a small grin, secretly pleased at how much he remembered about her from their first discussion.

“Plus,” she continued. “It’d give me some ground to hold a discussion with you when you start talking about deities…or your job.”

Tuyen smiled softly as he replaced the books and slung Angela’s bag back over his shoulder. He quirked an eyebrow at her, his smile broadening into a grin.

“You’re researching grounds for arguing with me? It’s a losing battle Ange; there’s nothing you can say to prove to me you’re not a goddess.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Angela snorted derisively, despite the small glow of warmth she felt in her stomach. Smiling easily, Tuyen rested his free arm over her shoulder as the two continued to walk back to her place, failing to notice the blush that was intensifying on Angela’s face and spreading down to her neck.

“So, uh, how’s…work?” She ventured, after a silence. Tuyen chuckled softly and shook his head, eyes clouding slightly in thought.

“Things’ve been quiet at the moment. Everyone’s enjoying the summer, I guess. This is probably the closest thing I get to a holiday.” Tilting his head to look down at her, he reversed the question. “How about you? Not working and studying yourself down to the bone, I trust?”

Angela shrugged and looked down at the ground as she thought. Looking Tuyen in the eyes always seemed to make her concentration waver.

“I can’t complain, I suppose. Waitressing is hardly the best job in the world, but at least it pays the bills, and they’re flexible with my studies.”

Tuyen processed this quietly, a thoughtful expression on his face as they arrived at Angela’s front door. The two stood there silently for a moment, one lost in thought and the other agonizing over her next words.

“Hey,” Angela finally ventured. “Um, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to catch a movie or something…?” Looking at the guarded expression filtering onto Tuyen’s face, she rushed to finish. “Just as friends, or whatever…I just thought it’d be nice to catch up outside of a random meeting. You know, do something…normal.”

Blushing furiously, Angela focused on her shoes as she tried to form a coherent sentence. “I mean, I like the random meetings, I just never know when to expect you, and I don’t even have your number or anything…” Cringing at her own words, Angela gave up on her speech and nervously waited for a response, looking up to search her friend’s face for a reaction.

Tuyen stood there for a long moment, his head bowed and face closed as he thought, before he lifted his gaze to meet hers and allowed his expression to soften into a gentle smile.

“Sure, why not?” Tuyen’s smiled lost all hesitance when he saw the grin that took over Angela’s face, her eyes lighting up happily.

“Saturday?” She asked breathlessly, her obvious excitement softening the usually serious expression on her face and making her look like a child on Christmas morning. Nodding, Tuyen handed her back her bag and gently brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

“I’ll come by at six,” he promised, before bowing his head slightly with a grin. “See you then, Goddess.”

For once not arguing the title, Angela giggled to herself and waved goodbye before letting herself inside, barely able to contain the excitement that dominated her thoughts.

(
A date a date we have an unofficial date a movie together alone yes!
)

Tuyen watched the door close behind Angela, before he headed back to the street, walking the way he’d just come. Slowly, the easy smile on his face faded as he walked, replaced with a much more worried expression as his thoughts turned to less pleasing ones.

THIRTEEN.

ANGELA SURVEYED HERSELF IN THE MIRROR
with a frown, twisting to check her outfit from the back. Was a dress too much for a movie? Angela sighed softly and conceded to herself that it probably was.

A gust of wind that rattled the window confirmed her thoughts as she changed out of the sundress she’d been wearing and into a pair of jeans and a tank top. Looking again in the mirror, Angela nodded in satisfaction. It was casual, but she had to admit that she looked good.

Checking her bedside clock—5.45pm—Angela quickly ran a brush through her hair before she began to look through her meagre collection of makeup.

As she picked through the bag, Angela found herself trying to remember if Tuyen had ever seen her with makeup on, and whether he preferred her without it. Eventually settling for a clear lip gloss, Angela applied it and, after a moment of indecision, added the gloss to her purse. Moments later, there was a knock at the door.
Early. Of course he is.

Taking a breath to settle her nerves, Angela gathered her things and went to answer it, trying to tell herself not to take it too seriously.
After all, it’s not a date…

Tuyen knocked on the door and ran a hand nervously through his hair, ruffling it. Seconds later, he reached up again to smooth it down, before ruffling it again in agitation.

Laughing shakily at himself, Tuyen shook his head to settle his hair to its normal, half-kept state as he waited for Angela to answer the door.

Calm down,
he told himself.
It’s not a date, just a movie. Why’re you so nervous? She’s a friend
…
just a friend
…

He was still convincing himself when Angela opened the door, her smile lighting up her face and making his breath catch in his throat. Matching her smile, Tuyen waited for her to lock the door as he mentally pushed away his nerves.

After all, it’s just a movie…

“You didn’t have to pay” Angela protested.

“Why not?”

“I invited you. You should have at least let me pay.”

“It’s customary for the man to pay,” Tuyen looked at Angela as they handed their tickets to the usher, his forehead creased in a slight frown of confusion as he held the door open for her. She stared at him in disbelief, trying to judge his seriousness.

“In the fifties, maybe. Didn’t you get the memo about chivalry being dead?” Angela eventually chuckled as she moved past Tuyen and sought out a seat, missing the blank look on his face. Shaking his head, he pushed his confusion aside and sat down next to her, an awkward silence falling as they waited for the movie to start.

Whether by way of distracting himself, or genuine curiosity, Tuyen seemed fascinated with the design of the room, his eyes studying the layout, before they drifted back to his friend. Angela stared at him with a quizzical expression until Tuyen cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the movies.” He offered by way of explanation. Angela shook her head in vague amusement, before she reached into his lap and grabbed a handful of popcorn. Watching her eat with a fond smile, Tuyen was wondering what to say next when the room went dark and the projector started up, drawing the pair’s attention as the trailers began to play.

The distraction of the film dissipated the nerves both Angela and Tuyen were feeling, restoring the pair to the easy companionship they often felt together. Without even thinking about it, Angela shifted in her seat until she was leaning against Tuyen, her head resting on his shoulder as her hand stole into his lap for more popcorn. He turned his head and looked at her for a moment, seeming unsure of what to do. Eventually, he shifted until his arm was around her shoulders, and turned his attention back to the screen, valiantly ignoring the soft muttering of his fears in the back of his mind.

“So, what did you think?” Angela asked as they milled out of the theater with the rest of the crowd. Tuyen was wearing a confused expression on his face and hadn’t spoken since the credits rolled. Worried that she’d somehow offended or upset him by her choice of film, Angela was about to repeat her question when he finally he stirred from his thoughts.

“I didn’t get it.”

Angela blinked in surprise. “What was there to get? It was an action film. Superheroes. I thought guys loved anything with explosions.”

Tuyen shrugged and shook his head, his frown deepening as he voiced his thoughts.

“The movie was fine but…the wings on that one character…they wouldn’t work.”

“What?”

“The wings. How could anyone in their right mind think wings that small would carry him?!”

Angela stared at him again, wondering for the second time that evening if he was serious. “It’s…a movie, Tuyen. Fiction. The wings were digital effects.”

“I know that,” Tuyen protested. “But it’s just…it can’t work! It’s impossible.”

“Yeah, but the entire concept for a person to fly without some sort of mechanical device is impossible.”

“No,” Tuyen shook his head. “That part is possible; the wings were just too small.”

Angela laughed until she caught the serious expression on Tuyen’s face.

“You actually believe that?” She asked uncertainly. Tuyen nodded with complete conviction.

“It’s possible. You just need to get the ratio right.”

The pair stopped walking and stood outside the theater, the serious expression on Tuyen’s face matched by the confusion on Angela’s.

“Did you study physics or something?” she eventually asked. “Biology, maybe?”

Tuyen looked at her and tilted his head quizzically.

“Not really, why?”

“How do you know all this?”

Smiling wryly, Tuyen rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “I read a lot?” he ventured. Angela shook her head, before letting out a short laugh.

“And I thought I had trouble letting go of reality.” Looking back up at Tuyen, she smiled and punched him gently in the shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go get some food. You like pizza?”