Side Effects

2 - Catching Up

As a black sheet covered the sky, the brightest lights to be seen came from the city-famous Miretti's Restaurant. A golden glow shone from the ceiling, giving the interior a warmer feel despite the bitter, cold exterior. The dull Thursday was illuminated by the evening as constant chatter filled the street with joyful noise.

A young, attractive cleaner with hair the colour of fire glared at a familiar face and smiled her signature smile - one which made people question what she was thinking, but all the same entranced in her playful approach.

"Rhine Montgomery, haven't seen you in a while," she spoke to her friend, "did you finally learn how to cook for yourself?"

Rhine, a middle-aged man who was unphased by her natural charm, gave a hearty laugh that made the room fill with more noise.
"Nah, I've just been busy is all. And besides, I'm celebratin'."
"Celebrating what?"

Rhine tapped the side of his outwardly crooked nose and whispered,
"Top secret buisness, Cherie, ya know how it is."

Cherie nodded.
"Can you tell me about it later? I need to finish up the corner table, a group of fifteen have left it in a right state." The two clocked the very table, littered with napkins and dirty dishes and glasses still filled with liquid.

"A'ight then. I'll wait in the back." Rhine strutted down the restaurant, poking out his large stomach (that's only saving grace was the fact that it stayed tucked in his shirt).

Unfortunately, his weight was not the only thing that he bore - he always wore tastelessly expensive suits. That day he was attempting a black shirt topped with a shiny blue suit jacket, that countered his dark orange pants. A pair of tight, designer leather shoes and an unnecessarily large amount of jewellery, just to show off. Shameless, Cherie often thought, the man is shameless.

Completely unaware of the strange looks he was getting, Rhine reached the door that connected the restaurant to Cherie's house.

Cherie's house had always been small, considering that it housed six people. Her boss, Mr Miretti, took her in as soon as she entered New Orbis four years previously. He was always a generous man, and offered his home to anyone who worked for him. Of course, many people had places of their own, but until his younger workers felt ready to own homes for themselves, they were always welcome to stay at Miretti's.

The living room of the house was cosy and homely. Scented candles spread the gorgeous aroma of gingerbread, and Rhine inhaled more than he usually did to savour the smell.

The snowy leather on the sofa sunk as he sat down and relaxed. The room was lit only by candles and a string of battery-powered lights around the door frame. Outside the window at the end of the room, the dark and bitter November allowed the room inside to feel warmer. By the unused fireplace was an empty cat bed, which confused Rhine whenever he visited, since Mr Miretti didn't seem to have any pets at all.

In fact, the only animals that existed in New Orbis were humans that could transform into one. But Mr Miretti had the useless ability of being able to go days without eating or drinking, if he ever chose to.

While he sat, wondering why the cat bed was still there, Cherie had entered the room, holding a glass Lemonade bottle close to her chest. Inside, however, was not Lemonade, but was actually a secret stash of home-made white wine.

On the black coffee table in the middle of the room, she placed the bottle with two clean glasses. Rhine poured himself the light golden liquid. "Is Mr Miretti in?"

Cherie took the bottle and repeated his action.
"It's his day off so he decided to go for a walk." She answered.
"At this time of night?"
"He does it every Thursday. God knows why."