Chapitre 14: A Last Minute Booking

When Natalie left her apartment the next morning, the unsightly face of the loan shark who had threatened her in the metro station just a few days before was the first thing she saw. He was standing by the entrance of her apartment building, clearly waiting for her. She descended the stairs and squared her shoulders when she reached him.

"It's good to see you here. I was going to pass by today."

He raised one messy eyebrow, "Good to see me? Well, that's a first."

When she retrieved an envelope from her pocket and handed it over to him, the man raised two messy eyebrows.

"What's this?" He asked.

She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"It's the money I borrowed plus interest."

"Your debt is not due yet."

Then why the heck are you here? She bit her tongue to avoid blurting out the words in his face.

"...Feel free to count the money; it's the full amount I borrowed with interest." She repeated.

"Hmph." He snatched the envelope from her hand then shoved it into his pocket without bothering to count it.

"Aren't you going to count it?" she insisted.

"Do I look like I care how much is in it? I know where you live; I will follow up with you if it's not the correct amount."

Of course. How stupid of me. She took a deep breath; her next step was to ensure she never associated herself with loan sharks ever again.

"That ends the give-and-receive between us. Have a good day."

She took a sidestep to pass him by, feeling lucky to spot a taxi approaching as soon as she needed to take one. She signaled to the driver and felt even more fortunate when he promptly stopped for her.

"Where's the rush? We were talking!" The loan shark shouted from behind her.

None of your business, scumbag. She opened the door to the taxi and stepped inside.

"Where to?" the elderly taxi driver asked in a bored tone as she closed the door.

"Joshua Tree."

The bored elderly man half-turned his body around to face Natalie and gave her a sidelong glance beneath his very thick eyeglasses.

"That's a two-hour drive, lady."

"Yes, yes. Don't worry. Just keep your meters running; I will pay you in full."

The driver shrugged, started the car, and then busied himself trying to choose something to listen to through the radio.

What if they don't reimburse this ride? Natalie suddenly worried that she might have received the wrong details.

This last-minute booking was arranged through Kevin and he had mentioned that she would be reimbursed for the cost of the ride. But just to double-check, she took out Kevin's old phone and called him.

"Nati?" He answered with a sleepy tone on the first ring.

"Kev, Hi!"

"What's up?" he inquired.

Holding the phone with her shoulder to her ear, she took out her portable mirror and lip balm from her bag, preparing to apply it.

"So, I just got inside the taxi and wanted you to recount the details we discussed yesterday."

Kevin yawned before launching into a lengthy explanation.

"The wedding planner is someone I've worked with before; she contacted me looking for a female artist recommendation since the initially booked singer canceled last minute. They'll cover your travel expenses and the organizer will take care of your hotel stay."

She was satisfied with both what Kevin said and how the lip balm left healthy-looking lips on her face.

"I'm sorry that you were not booked with me, Kev."

"Stop it already, just let me know how it goes, okay? In fact, message me the minute you settle into the room, hm? I am following you on GPS, don't forget that."

She kept nodding as she listened to his usual lecture like he was sitting next to her.

"I will call you as soon as I can, Kev. Thank you so much for this."

There was a short, unusual pause that made her frown.

"Hello?"

"…Just remember that I love you, Nati, okay?"

That's strange. It was not like Kevin to get sentimental like that with her at all.

"I love you too?" It came out as a question, "Is something bothering you?"

"No, no!" He replied too quickly for her liking, confirming that something was bothering him for sure. "I will be following up with you. Goodbye now!"

Natalie was about to insist on knowing what was bothering him when he hung up in her face.

How rude!

She was about to call him back and give him a piece of her mind when she got distracted by a podcast that the driver put on high volume. The topic was investments in the real estate industry, something Natalie would never have been interested in if it weren't for the host mentioning Alonso Valois as a leading businessman in this sector and one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.

She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry at this point.

The podcast continued discussing the stock market and started using terms that Natalie could not understand. Her eyes drifted up to the ceiling of the car, wondering if the universe was trying to convey something she was failing to grasp as well.

Did I go a little too far with the display of pride last night?

commentaire Commentaire 5

Voter

ENVOYER LE CADEAU

Load failed, please RETRY