A Taste of Danger

The Meaning of Life

Rose

“Ungh…what time is it?” I groan and slowly open my eyes, trying to adjust to the sunlight filtering in through my window.

It sounds like someone is searching through the cabinet in the kitchen, and there is music on low volume. That must have been what woke me up.

Suddenly, I hear Victor mutter under his breath, “Damn it!”

I stifle a laugh at victor cursing like a sea captain and sit up in bed. Is he cooking breakfast for us? I experimentally sniff the air, catching a whiff of something delicious. My stomach grumbles, and I immediately begin searching the floor for clothes.

Even though I’ve known Victor since the beginning of time, I want to look presentable and pretty…is that silly?

Probably.

Blushing at my own stupid thoughts, I head out of my room, following the scent of sizzling bacon like a bloodhound. I can already imagine the taste of fresh coffee on my tongue and the imagination makes my tongue salivate—so does the view of the gorgeous man standing by the stove.

“Good morning,” he says, fully engrossed in cooking. He turns around and his lips curl into a telltale smirk. “Tired?”

“Yeah, I’m not a morning person…” I yawn. “How can you be up so early?”

“It’s eleven am.” He deadpans.

“My question remains,” I smirk.

“Well…let’s see… I get up early because I’m a responsible grownup with a job, unlike somebody else if she keeps waking up at eleven am.”

I gasp in disbelief. “You wouldn’t fire me if I showed up late, right? I’m still getting used to waking up this early! Please, you can’t fire an old childhood friend!”

“Is that a challenge?” He winks at me.

“What?!” I exclaim. “No!”

“Then don’t show up late. Ever.”

“Fine…” I mutter and make my way over to the table, taking in the spread he’s prepared: pancakes, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, buttery toast, and a pot of steaming coffee.

My stomach grumbles. I’m starving and can’t wait to dig in.

“I figured since we both had a rough night last night, we deserve a nice meal in the morning,” Victor comments as he sets the pancake syrup in front of me.

I grab it in haste, and Victor arches an amused eyebrow at me. My cheeks flame in response, but I won’t apologize for being hungry in the morning. Its completely normal, and if Victor teases me, then f**k it—I might bite off his fingers!

“Indeed.” I take a bite of the eggs and let out a satisfied sigh. They’re perfectly fluffy and seasoned just right.

“This is amazing,” I say between bites. “Thank you so much for making breakfast.”

“Ah…ha…Stanley texted me and said he’d be home soon,” Victor says, taking a bite out of his toast.

Oh great, I can’t wait until he sees what we did to his apartment last night.

“What did he say?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

“He just said he had a great time with his date, and he’ll be back soon,” Victor replies, oblivious to my inner turmoil.

I take another bite of my pancakes, trying to push away the stress that’s creeping up on me.

“Don’t look so mortified, Rose. We fixed the problem. Victor says.

“Sure, as soon as he sees that squirrel painting, he’ll piss his pants with excitement.” I roll my eyes.

Victor chuckles, “I’m telling you, he’s going to love it.”

I can’t help but smile at Victor’s optimism. “I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am,” Victor says confidently.

We continue eating our breakfast in comfortable silence, both lost in our own thoughts until I hear the sound of Stanley’s keys in the lock. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for whatever reaction he might have to our little surprise.

For the love of all that is holy, please be a squirrel lover!

“Hey, guys!” Stanley says as he walks in, looking around. “Oh, great. You guys didn’t burn down the apartment in my absence.”

Victor nearly spits his coffee out while I try to remain stoic.

“Gosh, I’m so tired. I’ll go take a quick shower and then join you guys,” he says.

“We…um…great! Have fun,” I say, feeling guilty and embarrassed.

“Well, thanks,” Stanley says with a grin. “Food looks delicious.”

“He’ll know something is wrong in the bathroom as soon as he walks in,” I hiss at Victor.

Victor shakes his head, “Relax, Rose. We fixed everything, remember? There’s nothing to worry about.”

“We didn’t fix s**t! We put a painting of a damn squirrel with a top hat in there. Do you really think he’ll love it?” I whisper.

“I don’t know…eat your food. Maybe he won’t notice.” Victor whispers back irritably.

I take a deep breath and try to calm down, not feeling reassured at all.

“OH, MY f*****g GOD!!”

I nearly fall out of my chair as I hear Stanley screaming from the bathroom. I glare at Victor. “I told you that he would hate the squirrel—”

Stanley storms out with his eyes lit up. “You guys!”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Wha…what?”

“That painting…it’s…it’s…” he stammers as he is speechless.

I don’t blame him.

“Spit it out,” Victor barks mid-chewing.

“I LOVE IT!!!”

I almost choke on my eggs while Victor grins at me, far too pleased with himself.

Stanley’s eyes are glittery as he stares at us in awe.

What the f**k…is he crying?

“This is the nicest gift anyone has given to me. Thank you…I’m just…so moved at the message the squirrel represents.”

Victor nods. “Yeah, totally.”

I can’t believe it. Stanley loves the painting. I exchange a shocked glance with Victor, who just shrugs. I thought for sure he was going to hate it.

“Well, we’re glad you like it, man,” Victor says, still grinning from ear to ear.

“Yeah, really glad,” I add, still in shock. “But um…just out of curiosity. What do you think is the message in that painting?”

Stanley takes a deep breath, and a serious look crosses his face. “To me, it represents the idea of chasing your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. The squirrel is a small and insignificant species to some, yet it’s wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. As if to tell us…to tell us…”

Victor clears his throat. “To tell us that we are just squirrels stuck in the wheel that is life, but if we try hard enough, we can all change the way of living and be the squirrel in a tuxedo,” he finishes and looks at me.

I stifle my laughter. What the heck is wrong with these two?

Stanley nods enthusiastically. “Exactly! And Rose, thank you so much for supporting me in my dreams. I know I can be a bit unconventional, but you guys have always been there for me.”

Unconventional? Stanley is the most straight-shooter guy I’ve known.

I smile and nod anyway. “Of course, Stanley. We’re always here for you.”

We finish our breakfast with Stanley, and he can’t stop talking about the painting and its message. Victor and I exchange amused glances but keep our mouths shut.

Victor and I both volunteer to wash the dishes.

“Thanks, guys. I’d help clean up, but I got to get to work. Thanks again for the beautiful gift,” Stan says.

“No worries, man. Good luck at work,” Victor says with a wave.

I nod in agreement. “Yeah, and we’ll catch up with you later.”

After Stan leaves, I wash the dishes and then hand them to Victor to dry them. He turns to me with a grin. “Well, I guess we can consider this a successful problem-solving, huh?”

I laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. I still can’t believe we pulled it off.”

“I’m famous for getting away with murders,” Victor says mischievously.

I raise an eyebrow at Victor’s comment. “Uh, what do you mean by that?”

Victor chuckles. “I mean, I’m good at finding creative solutions to problems, just like we did with Stanley’s apartment.”

I let out a relieved breath. “Oh, okay. Just making sure we’re on the same page here.”

Victor nods. “Of course, Rose. Do I look like a murderer to you?” He raises his eyebrows.

I shake my head, still not sure what to make of Victor’s sense of humor. “Right. Well, we are almost done here. Have you figured out the schedule for me at the restaurant?”

Victor nods and puts the last dish away. “Yeah, I have it all sorted out. I’ll be training you for the first few days. After that, you’ll be working in the kitchen Monday to Friday.”

I nod, taking mental notes. “Okay, got it. What should I wear for the job?”

Victor thinks for a moment before replying. “Something professional, yet comfortable. Black dress pants or a skirt with a white blouse and closed-toe shoes.”

“Sounds good,” I say, feeling a little nervous but excited to start my new job. “Thanks again for the opportunity, Victor. I appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Victor replies.

We stand quietly for a moment, just looking at each other.

“Well, I have to go too. I need to check on something at the restaurant,” Victor says and looks at me intently. “Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”

I nod. “Yes, that’s fine. Do you need me to come with you?”

“No,” he simply states.

‘Oh, okay, well, I need to go shopping and buy new clothes. I got so angry at Steven that I left without most of my things,” I say bitterly.

“I see…I can arrange to get your stuff out of there if you want,” Victor offers.

“That’s really kind of you, Victor, but I think I need to handle this on my own. Besides, I don’t want to burden you with my personal problems,” I reply with a grateful smile.

Victor doesn’t reply at first, but then he nods. “I get it. Just know that I’m here for you if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Victor. I really appreciate it,” I say, feeling touched by his kindness.

Victor nods. “Alright then. Good luck with your shopping. I’ll see you tomorrow for your first day at the restaurant.”

I smile. “Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Victor.”