It was two in the afternoon when Theodore Landon finally managed to complete his rounds and relax in his office. Sitting in his chair and seeing the four by four space he is currently in, made him think about the last time he had taken a vacation. May it be with his friends, his family or merely by himself. With him not being that much of a vacation person, he calculated in his mind how much his vacation days are probably worth by now. If he calculated it right, he’s got about a month to a month and half of it.
With a sigh, he voiced his thoughts aloud. “That much, huh?”
He looked at the neatly placed documents currently on his desk, thinking about all the patients he was able to meet and help. It’s been a few years now since he became an internist and yet the nostalgia he feels every time he’s able to treat a patient is still the same from the very first day. He thought about the last check-up he had with one of his regular patients and how that meeting turned into him being told that he should take a vacation once in a while.
Which is how he ended up thinking about how many days of vacation he had stored up.
“Mrs. Gertrude was probably right.” He muttered silently. “A vacation would be nice.”
A knock on his door brought him back from his silent musings. He straightened up on his seat and saw his assistant as soon as the door opened.
“Dr. Landon, a few gentlemen are here to see you.” Katherine said.
“An appointment?” He asked, his eyebrows scrunching together. Grabbing the clipboard on his right side, he took a brief look at it and saw that his schedule was pretty clear. “A walk-in one?”
“No, doc.” He heard her reply, lifting his eyes from the paper in front of him to meet the eyes of his assistant. “They said they’re here on a personal matter.”
Wondering who it could be, he said, “Alright, send them in.”
With a nod, her assistant turned to the people behind her before opening the door widely. When he saw who walked in, he let out a chuckle and rose from his seat to greet his guests.
“Never thought I’d see the both of you here today.” Theodore said with a grin, before pulling in each of them for a hug.
“Well, this wasn’t really part of my plan but this guy here was being insanely persistent.” Colin Porter, Theodore’s friend since high school, responded, his eyes briefly glaring at the guy beside him.
“You weren’t exactly doing anything when I visited you at your office.” Evan Traw, another one of Theodore’s friends, said jovially. “God, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been inside your clinic, man.”
Theodore let out another laugh before telling his friends to have a seat. It’s been too long since the three of them saw each other, mostly because of how busy they are with their individual lives. Not to mention all of their jobs are quite demanding of their time—Theodore’s mostly.
With him spending most of his time going back and forth to the hospital and to his clinic, there’s really no time for him to join his two friends whenever they decide to go out and have a drink or two. The luxury of time was never on his side nor will it ever be. Unlike Evan and Colin, he just can’t leave everything for another day. And because of that, he’s always the one who isn’t present during their sudden night outs.
“You know, you work far too much.” Colin told Theodore, his eyes scanning around the room, taking in the sight in front of him.
“Well I do have to make money somehow, don’t I?” Theodore replied as he leaned back on his chair.
“Time is money, as they all say.” Evan added, a smirk starting to grow on his lips.
Colin rolled his eyes. “I was just saying that a vacation wouldn’t be bad once in a while.”
“Funnily enough, that’s also what my patient told me this morning when I was having my rounds.” Theodore shared. “What she said actually stuck on my mind the entire time so I ended up calculating how much my vacation days are worth by now.”
Evan let out an amused snort. “With how much you work and how much you neglect to take a break, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve got almost two months’ worth of it.”
His friend mostly got it right of course. Being rubbed in his face what he already knew made him almost shy, especially since he knew that their words held no lie. He does work too much but it never really crossed his mind just how much. He enjoyed doing his job so much, it never really felt much like a job to him.
“You’re almost right. A month and a half at most.” Theodore replied.
“I’m actually jealous.” Colin said with a pout. Well, close to a pout actually. “I don’t have that much.”
Theodore felt like rolling his eyes at how much his friend is acting like a drama queen. Ever since high school, Colin has always been the one who acted as such between the three of them. Theodore thought Colin would have learned to grow out of it by now but it seems like the chances of that happening is almost zero to non-existent.
“That’s because you get to choose when you get to have your vacation.” He deadpanned, finally rolling his eyes when he saw that a grin slowly formed on Colin’s lips.
“True.” Colin crossed his arms as he leaned back on his seat. “I was just reveling in the feeling of teasing you. Ah, good times. “And they say I’m the kid.” Evan commented. “Obviously, people were blind.”
“No, you’re definitely the kid.” Theodore and Colin said simultaneously, laughing when they realized what happened and when they saw the glare that Evan threw their way.
“Anyway, that’s not the reason why we’re here today. Right, Colin?” Evan continued glaring at his friend, leaving Theodore to merely look at their exchange with amusement.
Colin cleared his throat, but the glint of amusement in his eyes never wavered. “Right. We’re actually here to invite you to a cruise.”
At this, Theodore raised an eyebrow at what he heard. “A cruise? Seriously?”
“Yeah. It’s a fourteen-night trip. Surely you can take at least three weeks off of work, don’t you?”
The challenge Theodore heard in Colin’s voice was something that didn’t escape his attention. He so desperately wanted to say no so he could not be bothered with a vacation but he also knew that if he declined right here and now, his friends would continue to pester him until he finally relents. Just even the thought of it is enough to make him shudder. Dealing with that would be extremely annoying, not to mention a complete waste of his time.
With a sigh, he said, “Fine. I was thinking about going on a vacation one of these days anyway. Might as well just have it now.”
Colin and Evan grinned triumphantly. “I knew you were always a reasonable man, Landon.” Evan told him.
“I just don’t want to deal with the both of you everyday.” Theodore replied.
“Oh we know.” Evan’s grin widened. “That’s why we said you’re a reasonable man.”
“How the both of you idiots ever became my friends, I will never know.” Theodore commented, gaining a laugh from the two men sitting in front of him.
Now that he’s finally agreed to the trip his friends offered him, he has no choice now but to tell his superior that he would be taking some time off. How he’s going to do that though, he has no idea. But first, he has to take care of things he has to do before he goes ahead and be officially onboard with his friends’ plans.
“We’ll be leaving in a week, by the way, so sort your s**t out before then.” Colin informed him.
Theodore let out a sigh. “Do I even have a choice?”
“No, not really.” Came yet another simultaneous action from his two companions.
— • — • —
Spending his night in a bar was new for Theodore. The last time he did this was long enough for him not to be able to recall when it was. And if he’s being honest with himself, it’s mainly because that night was mostly a blur. He drank all he could drink, danced with all the pretty women he found and partied with his friends like there was no tomorrow. It felt like one of the best moments of his life, like he was young again, with no responsibilities to think about. That feeling obviously didn’t last very long because he still ended up regretting it the following day.
Looking at the whisky Colin placed in front of him, he feels like he’s going to hurl any moment now. Just the sight of the drink is enough to make him spiral down memory lane and physically feel the after effects. Still, he accepted the drink and drank, albeit a bit slower than his friends.
“Come on, Theo, loosen up! This is your first night out with us since the dawn of the dinosaurs and this is how you act?” Evan screamed near his ear which was loud enough for him to hear Evan’s words over the music.
“I’m trying! It’s been a long time, you know.” Theodore responded, his thoughts constantly returning to his apartment, picturing out what he could be doing at this very hour.
He heard Colin laugh beside him. “Give the man a break. Let him go through this at his own pace.”
Hearing those words made Theodore want to praise his friend for being completely understanding, until he turned to look at Colin and saw the impish smirk that covered his lips. Of course Colin is mocking him. The first night out he managed to attend and his two friends instantly gang up on him. A typical behavior that he vowed never to forget again.
“Aren’t you busy trying to come up with ideas for your next project?” Theodore asked Colin.
Evan and Colin shared a look before releasing a sigh as if saying that only he could still think about work at a place and at a situation like this. Colin waved him off. “I could do it tomorrow. No problem.”
Theodore turned to look at Evan. “And I suppose you too?”
Evan gave him a wink. “You know it.”
“Of course you would.” Theodore muttered, lifting his glass to take a sip of his drink. “It’s a collaborative project for the both of you, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. The engineer,” Evan pointed at himself. “and the architect.” And then at Colin.
“Ah, no wonder.” With another sip, Theodore decided to merely hold his drink in his hand and not put it back on the table.
“It’s actually a great project. This couple were able to buy an empty lot near the beach so they decided to build a beach house on it.” The excitement in Colin’s eyes was plausible. “I wanted to give it a try.”
“Any plans yet?” Theodore inquired, silently congratulating himself for making his friends stay on the topic he chose.
Colin nodded his head. “I was thinking it would be a great idea to make it into a glass house. The couple wants to make it a bungalow style kind of house, so I thought a glass house would be a nice touch, you know?”
Theodore tried to picture it out in his mind and was actually impressed with the result. “It actually does look pretty good.”
“Ain’t it?” Colin stated proudly. “I was also thinking it would be nice to add a little hint of contemporary to make the exterior heaven to the eyes.”
“You should hear him talk about what he’s planning on for the interior. It’s actually really great.” Evan shared, taking a drink of his own whisky. When he saw it was empty, he grabbed Colin’s glass and downed it one go. “Gonna go get some more of these babies.”
And with that, he was out of their sight.
Shaking his head at Evan’s behavior, he gave Colin a grin and said, “What were you planning for the interior?”
“Oh, uh, I was thinking sand and turquoise accents for the family room to make it lively for the eyes. And then a white marble breakfast island in the kitchen with simple yet elegant light fixtures and high chairs that would match the color scheme. I’m thinking a seaside-inspired backsplash in the kitchen would be a nice touch. What do you think?”
Hearing everything Colin just said made Theodore think that it’s nice that his friends are enjoying their job as much as he is. Not only that, Evan and Colin are both great at what they do too. With them having a profession that requires structural and design, they tend to work together during projects.
“Yeah I think that could work. I always forget you have a double degree in architecture and interior design.” Theodore replied, earning a laugh from the man in question. “What about the living room and the other parts of the house? Any thoughts?”
“I’m not sure about it yet. I’ve got something planned but I’m not confident. I have to look into it a bit more.” replied Colin.
Not a moment longer, Evan came back bringing with him two bottles of whisky instead of just a glass. That guy loves his alcohol way too much. At some point, Theodore is pretty sure Evan’s going to come crawling to him asking for help because of some pain he feels in his liver.
“Not talking about work anymore?” Evan queried. “Thank God because I would have gone the other way if you were still talking about work.”
Theodore knows his friend is just talking bull. But still, he decided to humor him somehow. Lifting his glass up to his lips, he took another sip from his drink and said, “Then perhaps we should have just continued talking about business then.”
Colin let out a laugh as he leaned on his seat and placed his right arm on the backrest. “Should we start?” Colin asked.
“Fine. I’ll just put all of my attention in this bottle of whisky I got all for myself.” Evan kissed the bottle he had on his hand before taking a seat beside Colin. “Go ahead, I won’t be listening to shit.”
Theodore and Colin shared a laugh before Colin said, “I met a woman when I went to the store to buy something. Absolutely stunning.”
“Oh?” Theodore glanced at Evan, who was trying his hardest not to say something. He let out a chuckle before turning his attention back to an equally amused Colin. “I suppose you managed to get her number?”
Colin grinned. “Of course I did. Would I be me if I didn’t?”
“When are you meeting her then?” Theodore asked.
“Some time this weekend.” Colin replied.
At this, Evan finally turned his attention on us and said, “But I thought we’re hanging out this weekend. We’re supposed to be playing golf.”
Colin turned his head to look at the guy beside him and raised his eyebrow in an amused manner. “And I thought you wouldn’t be listening to s**t?”
“Well that clearly wasn’t s**t, was it?” Evan countered. By now, he’s already close to pouting. “You’re going to ditch your friend for a woman?”
“She was a very fine woman.” Colin stated with a far away look on his face, probably recalling the moment he met the woman he talked about.
Evan let out a sigh. “This woman better be worth the ditch, Porter.”
Colin smirked. “Oh she is. Speaking of fine women, remember that multi-billionaire woman? The one who was supposed to inherit her father’s company? Now she was fine.”
“There are loads of multi-billionaire women out there. Specify, peasant.” Evan said, earning a laugh from Theodore and a glare from Colin.
“Alright, Your Majesty.” Colin replied sarcastically. “I was referring to the one who was involved in a helicopter crash almost five years ago. That multi-billionaire woman.”
Ah, yes. That woman, Theodore thought. It was a tragedy, really. No one ever thought that certain incident would happen, but he was just as shocked as everyone else when one day, the death of the upcoming CEO of Ellis Holdings Inc. had spread all over the news like wildfire.
“Ah, that one. Arabella Ellis.” Theodore said. “Yeah she was certainly a fine one. It’s just a shame that she met her demise too early. That was a really unfortunate incident.”
Evan snapped his fingers, an action that is all too familiar to both Theodore and Colin. “You were referring to her! Yeah, I remember. The helicopter she was in. It crashed in the ocean, right?” Evan asked as he continued to drink from the bottle he’s holding.
“Yeah. They spent days to weeks trying to find her body but they found none.” Colin said.
“Exhausted all means.” Theodore stated. “As I recall, her brother still didn’t give up trying to find her even after they declared it’s impossible to recover her body by now.”
“Ah yes, I remember reading about that.” Evan stated. “It must have been hard for her family when she died.”
“I think I also read about how her mother plunged right into depression when she learned about her daughter’s death.” Colin said as he grabbed Evan’s unopened bottle and poured himself a drink. Evan noticed Colin’s action and glared at him before grabbing the bottle and putting it back on the table. Colin merely grinned. “That’s to be expected of course. What mother wouldn’t be sad about her daughter’s death?”
“True.” Theodore replied as he swirled the drink he had in his hand. He wasn’t particularly concerned about it spilling; he’s done this multiple times after all, so he already knows exactly how to do it without wasting even a single drop. “Heard her brother also had a rough time coping. They were extremely close, I think.”
“Imagine what her dad must be feeling. He just lost the child who was supposed to inherit his company.” Evan added.
“What about her brother? Surely he would be his father’s saving grace.” Colin stated as he took a drink from the glass in his hand.
Theodore downed the remaining drink in his glass and grabbed the bottle Colin opened, pouring himself another round of whisky right after. By now, Evan gave up trying to stop his friends from stealing his drink. He merely eyed their actions with a glare which neither Theodore nor Colin gave regards to.
“He is, actually. He’s the one running the company now.” Theodore told them.
“You seem awfully informed about the whole Ellis incident, Theo.” Evan wriggled his eyebrows at Theodore suggestively. “You dig her, don’t you?”
“Get your head out of your ass. Sure, she was hot but no, I don’t ‘dig her’.” Theodore replied.
Colin let out a laugh. “Sure you don’t.”
Rolling his eyes at his friends’ childish ways, Theodore said, “She was just brought to our hospital a few times when she got sick. You know, before her unexpected demise. That’s why I know a handful. And also, there’s this thing called news.”
“Alright, fine. Whatever you say man.” Evan laughed. “But it still remains a fact that you find her hot.”
“Almost all the male species found her hot.” Theodore corrected, neither denying nor confirming his friend’s claim.
“Now that is true.” Colin said, the grin on his face never disappearing. “What’s not to find hot about her anyways?”
“Well, basically nothing.” Evan chuckled as he grabbed the drink his friends stole from him and poured himself a glass. “The woman was close to perfect.”
“Which are the type of women that Theodore would want to date.” Colin added, his eyes now fixated on his friend.
Theodore rolled his eyes. “I’m not that choosy.”
Colin raised an eyebrow at him, the mirth dancing in his eyes still intact. “Really?”
Evan laughed before he raised his glass and said, “Cheers to Evan and I who are still continuing our search of a woman that would make a perfect girlfriend for you!”
“Hear, hear!” Colin’s grin widened.
They clank their glasses together after that (with Theodore doing it begrudgingly), laughing as they teased each other to no end. Theodore felt incredible. He hasn’t felt this much freedom since...well, he can’t even recall. And even though he already knows how this night is going to end, he’s still happy he agreed to come along.
Besides, what’s the harm in having a little break once in a while? Especially since it consists of him seeing his friends act like the idiots that they are.
“And here’s another cheers to Evan and I for making you agree to have a vacation and to come with us at the bar!” Colin exclaimed.
“Hear, hear!” came Evan’s enthusiastic response, much more lively than the last.
Theodore only managed to laugh at that. He just hopes that whatever it is that’s going to happen when they finally step foot in that cruise, it’s going to be something definitely unforgettable--which he already thinks is going to be the case.
After all, would it even be a fun trip if it didn’t turn out to be fun at all? Not to mention that his friends would never allow their much awaited trip with him be a complete bust. No--just from how they tried their absolute best to convince him earlier, Theodore could already tell that they would try and make it the most memorable vacation yet.
Aksara