A Strange State of Affairs Ch. 18

            Riyel shifted the documents in his arms and rang the buzzer.

            “Pona,” he said, “I have the papers you wanted.”  He released the button and waited.

            Pona’s voice crackled back in reply.  “Hey, Ri.  I’ll let you in; hold on a second.”

            The lock of the front gate to the flat sprang open, and Riyel strode in.

            Surprisingly, Vert stood at the door.  He ran a hand through his deep red hair, brown eyes a bit sleepy.  “Hey, Riyel.  I didn’t know you were coming over today.”

            Riyel laughed.  “I didn’t know you were going to be here, either.  I’ve got some, uh, papers for your future wife.  She’s such a slave driver.”

            “Oh, I know that,” Vert replied.  He rolled his eyes and grinned.

            “I heard that,” Pona’s voice boomed from inside the flat.

            The two men laughed in tandem, and Riyel crossed the threshold.

            Pona was standing behind the kitchen counter sifting through a giant pile of fruit.  She selected an apple and bit into it just as Riyel walked in.  “Hey, Ri.  Do you have everything?”

            “Yeah, I think it’s all in here.  One of the guys at the office wanted you to make copies of something for him, though.  I think he left a note with the papers.”

            Pona sighed and took another bite of fruit.  “Here.”  She held her arms out for the stack of papers, which Riyel gladly handed over.

            “So.”  Riyel stared at Pona, who was busily sifting through the files.  “I guess I’ll just be on my way now.”  He started for the door.

            “Hold on a minute,” Pona commanded.  “Will you have a seat in the living room?  Vert and I have to talk to you about somethi-”

            “Pona?!”  A shrill cry emanated from the living room.  As Riyel watched, a figure rose from the sofa and ran towards Pona.  “Pona, I need to borrow your phone.  I think my dad might have plans during the week of the tri-”  She suddenly noticed Riyel’s presence and turned to face him.  Recognition instantly dawned on her face.

            “Mr. Jenkins!!”  Her mouth curved upwards into an ecstatic smile.

            Riyel bowed.  “Ms. Coh.”  He straightened and smiled.  “Please, make it Riyel.”

            “Then please call me Sherry,” she replied with a friendly nod.

            Pona was busy sifting through the stack of papers.  “I’ll be right back,” she muttered to no one in particular, then disappeared to the copy room.

            “…so, are you going to Oaku with us?” Sherry asked.

            Riyel started.  “Oaku?  Huh?”

            “Oh,” Sherry gasped.  “Pona probably hasn’t told you yet, has she?  I think she has you on the Oaku trip guest list.  Fye’s on the list and so am I.”  Riyel saw her blush faintly and felt a little odd.  “I think Pona and Vert invited him this morning.  B-but please, won’t you sit?”  She led him to the living room.  “I’m sure Pona wants to talk to you about the trip.”

            They sat opposite one another and talked a bit more.  Sherry asked about his research, and Riyel replied that the students were out for spring.  They talked a bit more about the show two days past, with Sherry remarking about her abnormally bad sense of direction.

            Pona left the copy room and walked into the living room.  She stopped when she saw Riyel and Sherry talking on the sofa, Riyel with a strangely impish expression on his face and Sherry’s lips curved into a slightly flirtatious smile. 

            This…doesn’t look so good, Pona thought.  “Hey, Ri,” she stated loudly, taking a seat right next to him.  “Are you doing anything tomorrow?  Or, for that matter, all next week?”

            “Nope,” he responded, “I’m all good for Oaku.”

            Pona arched her brow.  “Huh.  Did Sherry tell you something?”

            He nodded and looked fondly at Sherry �" a little too fondly, in Pona’s opinion.

            Vert suddenly materialized out of nowhere, a happy grin on his face.  “Alright, Riyel!!” he exclaimed boisterously, “So I’m going to go ahead and book your reservation.  We’re leaving tomorrow at 6 A.M. in the morning, and we’re all meeting up here.  I think we’ve got a few guests to pick up, and some other people are taking a plane, but we should all be in Oaku by 11.”

            Riyel nodded.  “Sounds great.”  He stood.  “So, see you guys tomorrow.”

            “Um!!” Sherry exclaimed.  Everyone turned to look at her, and her face grew pink.  “Um, I’d hate to impose on anyone, but I need to go home and have a talk with my dad.  Can…can anyone drive me, please?” 

            “I’ll do it,” Riyel volunteered, “Where exactly are you lodging right now?”

            “I’m living at the Bama Villa,” Sherry replied, “It’s about 20 minutes away from here.”

            “Sure, I’ll drive you there,” Riyel agreed, “That is, if it’s okay with Vert and Pona.”

            Pona opened her mouth to protest, but Vert beat her to the chase.  “Go ahead, Ri,” Vert said, “Drive safely.”

            Riyel waved a hand at Pona and her fiancé.  Then, with Sherry in tow, he left the flat.

            Vert yawned, stretched, and turned to enter the kitchen.  As he did, he noticed the glare that Pona was shooting at him.  “Is something wrong, doll?” he asked her.

            Pona shook her head, feeling slightly irked.  “It’s fine.”

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            “So how long have you been in Puri?” Riyel asked as he maneuvered the car into a neighboring lane.

            “I don’t really know,” she replied, “Whenever my dad finishes his business down here, I guess.”  She looked over at Riyel.  “It shouldn’t be too soon.  My dad’s expanding his collection, and there are going to be a lot of shows in Puri pretty soon.”

            “Ah, yes.”  Riyel’s eyes darted over to the quiet woman next to him.  “Davin Coh, one of Kor’s biggest art patrons.”

            “Yeah, that’s him,” Sherry said, laughing at Riyel’s booming voice and puffed chest.

            “So I guess you like art shows, huh?” Riyel asked, “I mean, with your dad being such an art-crazy guy and all.”

            Sherry laughed again.  Riyel listened carefully, loving the sound.  “I guess so.  I’ve been going to see them ever since I was a little girl.”

            A song came on the radio that Riyel had absentmindedly turned on when he’d started the car.  Riyel instantaneously recognized the song �" it was by one of his favorite artists who hadn’t produced a new album in more than two years.

            “Nasha Khan?!” he exclaimed.

            Sherry, too, gawked at the radio.  “I thought she wasn’t writing songs anymore!!”

            “Me too!!  Her last one was �" wait a minute,” Riyel exclaimed, “You like Nasha Khan?”

            Sherry nodded.  “Why are you so surprised?”

            Riyel shrugged.  “Well, I hadn’t figured you’d be into the sort of music she plays.”

            “I like her style,” Sherry stated simply.  “I’m sick of hearing the same old things over and over.  I want to hear something new, and Nasha’s perfect for that.”

            Riyel looked at her with an unfathomable expression.  As he drove, they continued to banter playfully about musical merits as other aspects of their lives which they had in common.

            Sherry’s rented house in the villa was very spacious.  Riyel looked around as his car pulled up into the driveway.  The lights were off, and no one appeared to be home. 

“Do you live here alone?” he asked.

Sherry was busy removing her purse from underneath her car seat.  She brushed a piece of hair from her mouth.  “Oh, no.  My dad lives next door.  It’s just a temporary arrangement.  We’re going back to Alber in three days, but I’m pretty sure we’ll be back again.”  She smiled.  “At any rate, I’ll be back for the trip.”  She fell silent and hopped out of the truck, gripping her purse tight.

Riyel nodded and grinned.  “Well, sounds good.  I guess I’ll see you then.” 

Sherry’s face flushed and her grey eyes sought the ground.  “Yeah.  I guess.”  Her gaze darted shyly up to Riyel’s.  “Um…I’ll see you then.  H-have a safe drive back.”  She closed the door and waved as Riyel pulled away.

            As he returned to Pona and Vert’s flat, Riyel felt a spark of anticipation for the trip to Oaku.  He had begun to have doubts about bringing Fye and Sherry closer.  He felt that he himself would be a much better match for this beautiful, unique, charming young woman.