MEDICINE

Gregory left her again and went to tend to Sia, who finished eating. He gave her yogurt for dessert and sat down to draw with her.

At 7:45 pm, he read her a bedtime story.

Xenia, knocked out cold by the medicine, woke up at 10 pm in surprise; she ran to Sia's room. The little girl slept, Xenia followed the light coming from the living room.

Xenia crept up on Gregory, who worked on his laptop; the room was silent. All one could hear was the man's fingers tapping on the keys.

"Don't even think about it," Gregory said. He guessed the action Xenia wanted to perform.

The woman froze with her hands, ready to tap Gregory's shoulders stuck in mid-air, "you're no fun."

"Feeling better?"

"Yes."

Gregory shut his laptop, "good, I think I'll get going."

"Wait, have you eaten?"

"Actually, no, I made Sia eat, but I forgot myself."

"I'll make you something."

"Go and rest, Xenia, another time," Gregory said as he shoved his files in his case.

Xenia pursued, "no, it will only take a few minutes. Don't tell me you're not hungry? Come on, Gregory, don't let me die in the shame of having ruined your evening."

Gregory stopped, "I like the idea, but I think I should leave."

"Please."

It was small, but it was enough. A please from Xenia was like a dog bone, one savored as if it was the last. Gregory sat and waited for a croc Monsieur and a small mache salad.

Xenia grinned, "don't worry, I didn't sneeze on in your plate, bonne appetite."

"Merci," Gregory said.

Xenia watched him eat as she drank her mint citron Saint Pellegrino; he seemed so different perhaps he wasn't as stuck up as she thought.

"Thank you for everything. I mean, you were brilliant with Sia. Do you like kids?"

"I have nothing against them; my sister has four kids," Gregory said between two bites.

"Wow, you have a sister with four children, brave woman."

"Yes, I have a twin sister with one set of twins and two boys. I wouldn't say she's brave." Gregory hesitated, "she has a husband, and a few other people help her."

Xenia imagined how Gregory's sister could be. A twin, was the woman as reserved as him? Xenia's eyes gleamed at the revelations.

"I see; I wouldn't make it without my mother's and sister's help. If they weren't there, I wouldn't be in Astoria anymore. Almost every woman who has a child there resigns. We don't have equal salaries, but we have to live up to it."

"But there are a lot more advantages here than in the United Kingdom," Gregory said.

Like most foreigners, he thought French people were pretty well off when it came to social rights.

"I know, but trust me, in Astoria, 35 hours only looks good on the paper."

Gregory knew what she meant; he worked round the clock. Yes, you left work on time, but you finished the remaining tasks late at night. And for that, there was no compensation.

"Does your sister work? Oh, sorry, I'm nosy. Must be the medicine," Xenia said.

"She used to be a lawyer, and I don't think the medicine is to blame for your indiscretion." The playful expression he harbored awakened Xenia's combat mode.

"Are you implying I'm a busybody ?"

"Are you?"

"I'm just trying to make some little conversation. It's nice to discover you are human after all," Xenia said, rolling her eyes.

"I can't believe you said it out loud," Gregory said, blinking at the remark.

"What? I'm honest, at least."

Oasis came rubbing herself between Gregory's legs.

Xenia glared at the cat, "Oasis, stop it."

"It's okay; I don't mind cats."

The man left Xenia perplexed, strict, and square at work; the Gregory she met now seemed like an avatar with new functions. At work, the word procedure came out of his mouth every 2 minutes. Out of office, the man almost appeared out of character.

"What's wrong?" Gregory asked, supporting Xenia's gaze, which she turned away.

"Nothing."

"Say it; it can't be anything. You always have something to say."

"It's you. You're different, "Xenia replied, clutching her hands under her chin.

"I doubt."

"Yeah, must be the medication," Xenia said bashfully before getting up.

"Must be; I better get going. I've got a lot of work, thank you for the Croc Monsieur."

"Don't you ever stop, I mean take a rest and just cut yourself from work?"

"Unfortunately, I can't," Gregory replied. He walked back to her living room, followed by Xenia.

"What do you do to chill?"

"Chill?" Gregory turned to face her, "I run and play tennis."

"I said chill Gregory," Xenia said, amplifying the pronunciation of CH in the word as she fell back on her sofa.

Gregory rubbed his thumb and index on his forehead as if he faced a tricky dilemma only to say, "Xenia, are you trying to stall me?"

"What? like I said it's just conversation."

"Okay, because I've got work, and it's late."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I chat a lot."

Gregory placed his hands on his hips, "yeah," he replied, underlining his statement with a nod.

"Okㅡkay, I got it, sorry for my indiscretions," Xenia said, eyes blinking at the blunt reply.

"So, you are vexed now?" Gregory asked.

"Well, who likes to being labeled as being a chatterbox?"

"Well, who likes to be considered as a prick? It's good to take your own medicine sometimes."

"Pardon, what is that supposed to mean?" Xenia said, getting up to face him.

A short silence followed, which was broken by Gregory, who gazed at his watch and said, "ㅡI'm sorry Xenia, it's almost midnight. Can you hold our verbal joust till like in 8 hours." His lips curved into a sardonic smile before regaining a more neutral expression.

"Okay, Gregory, goodnight."

"ㅡThank you for your consent to leave."

"Hey, I didn't ask you to come," Xenia said, following him I'm the small corridor leading to the door.

Gregory didn't seem to be listening; he just turned to say, "rest and take care, Xenia," leaving the woman in total dismay mouth in an ah gesture of stupefaction.

"Meow."

"Don't look at me like that. Do you agree with him?"

"Meow"

"You traitor, I saw you rubbing and flexing yourself upon him like he was the last man on earth. I thought I raised you better."

"Meow"

"Hmm, you horny cat."

The evening replayed in Xenia's mind. When did someone nurse her like this? No one apart from her mother had ever taken care of her when she was sick. Xenia shuddered as she recalled the number of times Gregory had held her wrist when she protested.

Why did he have to be involved in all these embarrassing situations?

XY XX

In his apartment, Gregory fell on the couch, wondering what had gotten into him.

"Exhausting, the woman is exhausting. Even sick, she manages to tire and irritate me, it's almost a talent. Good Lord," said Gregory swiping his lips with both of his palms as he sunk further into the couch.