CHAPTER 17: OF LOVE & FLASH FLOODS

“Mumble mumble, mutter mutter,” complained Chance as he stalked out of the Observatory. “I’ll show them...don’t have faith in me, right...hrmpph...”

Eros ran out towards the entrance of the building, looking for his colleague. “Hey! Wait up, will you.”

Chance spun around in annoyance. “Whaddayawant?”

Eros quickly held up his hands in mock surrender. “Chill man. Why are you so moody? Is it that time of the month or what?”

“Har har, funny. Can you see me laughing my head off?” Chance rolled his eyes.

“Okay, okay, so it’s not that time of the month. Hmmm...oh NO! It can’t be, can it?” Eros slapped his forehead in exaggeration. “You’re in love with that Ellen person!”

Chance’s mouth dropped wide open at his colleague’s ‘revelation’. “Are you on drugs or some other illegal substance?”

Eros just shrugged and grinned mischievously. Chance waited for him to say something but Eros only looked around and started whistling a silly little tune. I’ll be damned if I have to answer him, Chance thought. So, he decided to if Eros could ignore him, he could ignore Eros too. Chance turned around and continued on his way out. Eros suddenly realised that Chance had decided to play the ‘i-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about’ game too and quickly chased after him again. “Hey!”

Chance ignored his colleague and carried on walking.

“Hey!” Eros yelled once more. “Where you off to in such a hurry?”

“If you still remember, I have a life to protect,” Chance yelled back.

Eros, having finally caught up, held his sides as he took in big gulps of air. “I’m going with you,” he panted.

Chance cocked his brow. “Why? Are you in love with this Ellen person?” Two can play at this game, he grinned to himself.

“What?! Are you mad?” Eros screamed. “She’s a mortal!”

“Exactly,” Chance smirked triumphantly. “Does that answer your earlier question?”

Eros opened his mouth a fraction but thought better of it and hastily shut it instead. “Mmm,” he mumbled as he nodded his head.

“Good,” Chance smiled a sickly sweet smile. “Now, can you let me get on with my work?”

Eros nodded again but before Chance could go, he quickly put his hand around his shoulders. “You know, two minds are always better than one at times like these,” Eros grinned at his colleague.

Meanwhile on earth...

“Can you hurry up? I really need to go now!” Ellen turned back and shrieked at Michael as she ran some few metres ahead of him.

Michael laughed and shook his head as he chased up to her. “Calm down. Anyone would think you’ve got a fire to put out,” he chuckled.

“But I do have a fire to put out!” Ellen screamed as she ran pass him again.

Michael watched in amusement as she disappeared through the hotel doors. He was about to follow her in when a thought popped into his mind. Turning around, he headed back out again and reached into his pocket for his mobile. Flipping it opened, he started to punch in Ellen’s number but thought the better of it. She’s probably not back in her room yet. I’ll give her another 3 minutes before I call her.

Ellen, in the meantime, had ran from the hotel entrance, through the lobby area, frantically pushed the buttons on the lift, ran down the hallway, hastily stuck her room key into the lock, burst into her room and crashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Not long after, the sound of flushing could be heard and the bathroom door creaked open slowly. Ellen emerged with a silly smile plastered on her face, looking totally relieved. It then dawned on her that someone was missing. She opened her room door, half expecting to see him standing outside but there was no one. She frowned. Where was he?

As if it had been timed to the very second, her telephone rang at that precise moment. Ellen reached over and picked it up. “Hello.”

“Ellen, it’s Michael.”

“Where are you? I thought you were right behind me?” Ellen asked.

“I just popped around the corner to get something. I’ll be up real soon,” Michael said and then added with a chuckle, “So, have you put out the fire yet?”

Ellen laughed. “Yes and caused a flash flood as well!”

Michael grinned at her silliness. “Replenishments coming right up. Won’t be long. Bye,” he chortled.

Ellen replaced the receiver and stretched herself out lazily on the bed. She gazed dreamily at the ceiling and imagined herself and Michael hand in hand skipping across a field of daisies. She giggled at the picture and shook her head. Ellen, Ellen. Hand in hand? Skipping? Field of daisies? Gosh, you’ve been watching too many of those Little House on the Prairie reruns.

Knock. Knock.

Ellen sat up with a startle. Oh, it must be Michael. She jumped off the bed and bounced towards the door and threw it wide open. “About time! I’m dying of thirst -

But the person standing at the doorway wasn’t Michael at all. Ellen looked at her in surprise.

“Natasha?”