After having his dinner, Joshua went to his lab downstairs without sparing another thought on Ivy. If she was hellbound on ignoring him, then he was hellbent on feeding Ivy her own medicine and he could see that it was working. Ivy was frustrated with the way things had suddenly changed between them. She was already missing him and now she had no idea what to do now.
Barely a few minutes had passed since they had made the bet and she was already losing her mind seeing Joshua's behavior towards her. She had no idea how she would survive one full day with this torture. She very badly wanted to go to him and take back the bet. But her stubborn and egoistic self stopped her from taking another step. Also, she did not want to end up losing the game and do as she was told. Who knew what the wolfish man had in mind and what he would make her do? So, she remained in her stance as she absent-mindedly watched the TV.
Time passed and Aria called her as per her schedule. Ivy was very happy to receive her call at that moment as she had something to keep her mind diverted for some time. They talked casually, asking each how they were and about their work. Though Ivy very badly wanted to tell Aria about her and Joshua, she wanted it to be a surprise. So, she decided to tell her when she returned. However, she still gave her a heads up.
"Aria I have a surprise for you."
"Is it?" Aria's voice raised an octave and her eyes glimmered in excitement. The voice operator who was listening to their conversation too raised his eyebrows on hearing Ivy's words. In the past few days, he had listened to all the phone calls the civilians in the base made as it was his job and the one that interested him the most was the lady doctor's phone call to her sister. Her sister was an intriguing character and every time she would end the call after flirting with him, though he never spoke a word to her.
"Yes, but I'll tell the day you return," Ivy said with a happy smile on her face.
"Ivy, this is not fair. What if I don't return? What if something happens to me here and I die?"
Ivy's smile faltered on hearing her sister's words. Her blood boiled and she burst out immediately. "Don't you dare say anything like that ever again. You are not allowed to leave me ever, not until we both see our grandkids and if possible even great-grandkids. So, don't talk nonsense. I forbid you from saying like this ever again."
Ivy's sudden outburst startled not only Aria and the telephone operator, but also Joshua who had come up to retrieve his laptop. However, he did not stay for long. He walked right in front of her on purpose so that she would notice him and then went back to his lab.
Ivy's heart skipped a beat when she saw him and she smiled a little. But the smile dropped when she noticed him not even glancing at her and her mood worsened. She felt more horrible than the days she would suffer during her monthly cycle.
"Calm down, Ivy. I was just joking." Aria coaxed her gently and peeked at the operator from the corner of her eyes. Though the man was not looking at her, she could guess what he was thinking. He might have been shocked too and she pitied him for his unusual job. Did people have any fewer problems in their own lives now that they were forcing themselves to listen to other people's problems? "Anyway, please tell me about the surprise. The curiosity is killing me."
Aria's plead lessened Ivy's annoyance a little. She took a deep breath before she continued speaking. "No way. I want to see your shocked face when you come home and don't worry, it is something that will make you very happy."
"Fine." Aria huffed. "Keep the secret to yourself. I am going to end the call now."
"Wait a second. I haven't spoken to the telephone operator at all. Tell the hot guy, I said him hi." Ivy's words made Joshua halt in his place. When he had come to retrieve his laptop a few minutes back, he had dropped his phone intentionally. Ivy calling another guy hot made him jealous and furious. He wanted to go to her and punish her by kissing the hell out of her. But like before, he did not say anything and walked in front of her, gaining her attention her again.
Seeing him come back, Ivy was spooked once again. She saw Joshua flare at her slightly and she lowered her head in guilt. She did not know when he had come up and how much he had heard. Seeing his jealous face, she was sure he had heard her calling another guy hot. She expected him to get back at her at least this time. But the man did not do anything to her and left the hall as silently as he had entered.
"Ivy, the guy is listening to you. You can speak to him yourself." Aria's words brought her out of her stupor. She shook her and usual spoke to the operator, keeping the flirting to minimal this time. The sisters then ended the call after bidding goodbye to each other.
Ivy stared blankly into space. She wondered why Joshua's ignoring and indifferent behavior was affecting her so much. She very badly wanted to speak to him. The silent treatment was killing her and she felt gloomy. Though the TV was switched on, she was not focused on it. Her mind was elsewhere.
An hour passed and Ivy was still in the same position. She was deep in thought as she stared at the television which was now focusing on a game of basketball. When Joshua came back after an hour, this was the scene he saw. Seeing her absent-minded, he could guess that he was the reason for it and his lips quirked up slightly. He knew she was getting as aggravated as he and her situation was no different than his. He could see a meter in his mind with their names on opposite ends with a needle in the middle. Now, the needle was slightly inclined towards Joshua's side, indicating his victory for now.
To bring her out of her thoughts, he pulled out his phone and started speaking loudly. He had already placed his phone on silent so he did not have to worry about getting a call during his act before her. The sudden noise alarmed Ivy and she looked in the direction where Joshua was standing. She stared at him hopefully, but the man turned back as soon as he felt her eyes on him.
"I have mailed the reports. If you have any queries, let's discuss tomorrow. I'll be going to sleep now. So, don't disturb me today." With that, he climbed the steps and went to his room. He did not forget to take one last glance at Ivy before going up.
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