DECENT PSYCHO

In the meantime, the heated conversation between the parents carried on, "a year Mark, a God damn year it took you to accept Sia's existence, and here you come all high, and mighty I'm her father I have rights too. Get out of my house."

"Xenia, next Saturday."

"Get out."

"This isn't going to end like this, Xenia, you hear me," Mark threatened as he passed the door.

Xenia paced in her living room to calm her nerves before starting to wash the dishes frantically. She had a dishwasher but preferred going manual when she felt like this. Xenia fumed as she rinsed the plates; the woman didn't even notice Gregory observing her from the kitchen's door frame.

"Xenia."

"Oh, Gregory sorryー I forgotーis Siaー."

"She's asleep."

Xenia sighed, "I didn't even give her a goodnight kiss. I'm the worst mother ever. Once again, I'm sorry, Gregory, for making you live these telenovela scenes," Xenia said as she took off her rubber gloves. "I always end up looking like an idiot, don't I? What were you saying earlier? Nothing stops a man who wants something. Who would want someone like me, nor a man, woman, or alien would want someone like me? You see, Paris is the city of love, but it's also the city of the leftovers. Anyway, sorry, Gregory, for my outburst."

Gregory didn't know what to say. He crossed his arms and unfolded them to scratch his forehead as he frowned before saying, "ㅡeh, it's getting late; I better get going."

Xenia looked at her wall clock; it was 8:45 PM.

"Yeah, better get going before your carriage turns into a pumpkin, and you lose your glass slipper."

"What?"

"Nevermind, I'll accompany you," Xenia returned before walking Gregory to the door.

"Thank you for the meal, Xenia."

"You're welcome; goodnight, Gregory."

Behind closed doors, shame came to drape itself on xenia's shoulders. That's how she ended up every time she made a fool of herself in front of the man.

Why did she always end up in ridiculous situations?

As Gregory logged into Artiss, he remembered she didn't mention a robot when she enumerated.

XY XX

"So, how was the weekend?" Wendon asked on Monday morning.

"Good."

"How can staying at home be good, Gregory? You should have come to Geneva with me and just sit on the terrace of Beau-Rivage and let the stock options sleep."

"No, I was fine, and stock options never sleep."

"Why did you quit the army if it's to live like a prisoner?" Wendon asked. Wendon worried about his friend, who dedicated his entire life to the company's glory in the last four years.

"I said my weekend was worthwhile," Gregory replied with a little hint of irritation. People continuously assumed various things about his way of living, which were not true. Xenia popped back in his mind; she, too, found his life was dull.

"How worthwhile? The army changed you; you are not the man I used to know."

"Yes, it helped me to learn to appreciate the simple things in life, Wendon, the simple things."

"You know Gregory; we're not getting younger; we're going down. It would be best if you lived it up, party. Meeting young and sexy women at the casino is a simple way of living," Wendon said and winked.

"I lived it up in my twenties; I'm fine with my life and age."

"I don't know how you can say that so casually aging is an atrocity which we should classify as a crime against humanity."

"Wendon, you can't imagine how I'm holding back the urge of punching the oxygen out of you for that infantile remark," Gregory said.

"Guys, where's your sense of humor? And you, Jaila?" Wendon asked, turning to look at the woman who was eyeing a girl at another table.

"I was in Istanbul."

"Istanbul?" said the two men in unison

"Gregory, watch the news. If there was a murder somewhere, we have the culprit. Seriously, Jaila, do you work for the MI6 or something?"

The woman just smiled.

Xenia and Sia rented and settled in Gregory's thoughts, he saw Xenia less often, but it was always fun to bump into her. The man wondered where she would show up next.

XX XY

"Niki, I swear, I always end up looking like a fool. He must think I'm a crazy woman."

"Xenia, since when do you care about what Gregory Carlton thinks about you? I thought you hated him."

"It's justㅡ."

"Just what? Are you attracted to him?"

If color could drain out of people, Xenia would have become translucent like a ghost.

"Eh, come again?"

"What, Xe? The man is sexy, smart and has almost all the women bopping heads and puckering up lips. There's nothing wrong with admitting a little attraction."

A weak imitation of a chuckle escaped Xenia, "you are ever so in the wrong, Niki. I'm not attracted to him. Gregory just happens the be the man I interact with the most. He isn't that bad of a person; he has helped me out a few times.ㅡ he lives next door. We keep bumping into each other. Sia seems to have become a fan of his and Oasis. Oh, my, Oasis, I almost forgot. My cat grinds on his legs."

Niki laughed, "Oh, Xeniaㅡ."

"I swear, Oasis is horny. Can you imagine I have a horny cat, bucket loads of problems? The man must think I have a screw loose," Xenia crossed her arms and shook her head.

"No, Xenia, I'm sure he has a neutral opinion about you, and since you told me about the medicine episode, I even think he might like you."

"Niki, hello, Gregory, like me? Are you insane?"

"Xenia, Gregory only went to the first after work. Eve told me that Cassie spends her time chasing the man down, inviting for drinks and dinners, and he declines."

"So what, the guy doesn't accept Cassie's invites, and that makes me his choice?"

"Xenia, trust me, he doesn't have a bad opinion about you. I'll bet my blonde locks he could even like you a lot."

XY XX

Gregory placed his hands on the rim of the sink, "Gregory, no, you know this type of species. You hate this kind of woman. It's the kind you've fled all your life. Xenia said it herself; she's got issues. She's always yelling and creating drama somewhere. The woman is a broken one, too much fixing there. You know how it ends in tears and frustration."

With this comment, his mother, who lost all her confidence because of his father, came to mind. Christine found consolation in living in the tropics, where she bounced from one gigolo to another. "Now tell me, why are you thinking of her?" Gregory said while he looked at his reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands in the man's toilet.

"Stay away from Xenia, you hear me, Gregory, men die with women like her in their hands. They have heart attacks. You are 38; you still look good," Gregory said, slicking his hair back and approaching the mirror to check his teeth and adjusting his tie. "You're still sexy; women find you attractive, don't intertwine yourself further with her. Don't try to be a hero repairman, don't; she's crazy. The man shook his head in disapproval and pointed at his reflection. Congratulations, see you're losing it, you're talking to yourself now; it's contagious."

Gregory walked out of the toilet, where he found a small group of people frozen as if they were playing red light green light while someone crawled between their legs.

"Xenia."

Gregory," Xenia said, looking up at the man who now stood towering over her.

"What on earth are you doing?"

"I lost my earring, my favorite Vivienne Westwood Orb; I have to find it. I had to wait six months to have it back in stock for purchase on the website. I can't go through that process again."

"Xenia, these people have to work; you can't keep them hostage."

"Ethan, I saw you. You move, and you're dead," Xenia said, cocking her eyebrow at one of the employee's prisoners.

Yep, she's a psycho but a sexy one, Gregory thought as he watched her on her hands on knees with her pulped bottom.

"Found it," Xenia said. She got up and straightened her clothes when her eyes met Gregory's. The people in the hall rushed to get back to work.

Once again, you've proven you were a psycho. What the heck, there's no point trying to look good in front of him, Xenia thought.

"Okay, see you," Gregory said with the most expressionless face he could pull. Xenia stressed him, his grave face was the best camouflage, but the woman took it as a disapproval sign.

"I'll be getting back to work," Xenia replied in an awkward stance.

Niki was right; why did Gregory's opinion about her affect her?

A part of Xenia acknowledged that she was used to people liking her in a way or another. Some dug her style; most people appreciated her sense of humor. In her life, there were only two people with whom she shared mutual disaffection, Sophia and Mark. Seeing disapproval in Gregory's eyes all the time stressed her.

But why?

Why couldn't she just shake off the man as she did with others?

Xenia, stop thinking of him; you're crazy. What the heck? You're a certified nut case. At least the man knows it.