Stuck in the middle
1006 Words
If not for the fact that Marilyn saw Coach Ruger actually call Leo to show up in a haste, she would have thought that she did something to upset him, because of the way he dropped her off.
'I thought I was the most important aspect of his life by now, you needed to see how much of a hurry he was in when he dropped me in front of my house' Marilyn complained to her sister soon after Leo dropped her. She was thrilled by him. There was something about Leo that tugged gently at her heart.
'Insist that he takes you to a more intimate place next time you lot are going out on a date' Agnes, Marilyn's younger sister said.
'Intimate place? What do you mean intimate place?' Marilyn asked, suspecting that Agnes was up to her usual mischief.
'You know what I mean, sis. Don't pretend as if you won't bed him pretty soon. I don't understand why we stall these things. Something that we know will still take place, yet we beat around the bush forever and ever' Agnes replied. Marilyn ignored her naughty sister. It was her usual practice all the time, to be naughty.
'So?' Agnes continued. 'Now you have a man, maybe I will try and fast track my showing up. I need to see this guy. The picture you sent me of him doesn't do much justice but I think he's worth meeting from your explanation of him' she added.
'I don't have a better picture than that. I took that one out of his chat profile. Like I said already we just met. Of course, you of all people should know better, I just got here. Twenty-four hours ago. The fact that I have a man looking my way already means that the universe supports my leaving you guys behind' Marilyn said. She sounded a bit salty when she spoke of the part about leaving her sister and the rest of her family behind. As if they had wronged her.
'Sis, don't even go down that road with me. You know I always had your back throughout your mishaps and troubled times here' Agnes replied. ' Don't transfer your aggression on me' she added.
'It's all good' Marilyn said. 'I'm over it all.' She added. 'Meanwhile, I have to try and get a job.' She told her Agnes.
'What? Why? You don't need a job, Marilyn. Have you finished the money dad gave you?' Agnes asked.
'I didn't accept the money' Marilyn replied. 'Besides, that's not the reason I want a job. It's boring here for me for now. I will use the job to connect with the locals and find my way around Lion easily. That's the sole purpose and nothing else. I can keep the job for about six months to a year. More if I like it, and it's a high-paying one' Marilyn explained.
'You said what? You didn't accept dad's money, why?' Agnes asked. 'Now it makes sense because I was shocked when you said you couldn't afford to pay for my flight ticket over to Lion. I didn't ask you about it because I thought you had made a huge expense. We all know how expensive it is to travel' Agnes argued. 'But hearing you didn't accept the money from dad, totally makes sense now'.
'Well, I was leaving his house for good, I didn't want him to have any connection with me or anything. So I declined' Marilyn replied. Agnes exhaled heavily.
'You just take care of yourself sis. I will tell him that you said I should take the money on your behalf and bring it to you when I'm paying a visit..' Agnes was saying when Marilyn started to interrupt her.
'Agnes don't try it. Don't try me. Agnes...' Marilyn was barking when Agnes hung up on her. Marilyn burrowed her eyes in anger. Her sister Agnes was so full of mischief, that it got frustrating sometimes.
'Try it and just get another sister for yourself, because I will disown you' Marilyn texted her sister and shoved her phone away.
Alone with her thoughts, Marilyn found herself wondering what Leo was up to. She did a couple of shopping online for more clothes, casual ones and ceremonial ones. The more she shopped, the more she scoffed at herself. She was complaining that her finances were suffering, yet, here she was, shopping for designer clothes. It was laughable. Her thoughts concerning Leo grew so intense, to the extent that anytime her phone beeped for a notification, she rushed to it, hoping that it was Leo.
'This is absurd' Marilyn said to herself after a while. If anyone had told her that she would be head over heels for the same guy that got on her nerves a lot the previous day, even up to that morning, she would have argued that it was not possible. But here she was, wishing that he would contact her for anything at all, no matter how irrelevant.
'Lion, Lion. This is how you have devoured me on my first twenty-four hours here' Marilyn said to herself, laughing at her helplessness.
Over at Leo's hotel, he was in his room, trying to get himself ready for his new endorsement deal. He got back to the hotel at about the same time his coach was stepping in from taking a walk to ease his mind against Leo being absent at a time he was needed the most. Coach Ruger ignored him for now. All he wanted was for Leo to show up, and he did, just at the nick of time.
'Lights, camera, action' and Leo was taking promotional photographs that would be up on a billboard later in the coming weeks.
'Wait a damn minute' Leo suddenly told his team. 'These billboards, they will be up here in Lion, right?' he asked.
'Yes?' his team responded. Coach Ruger was giving Leo a skeptical look, knowing fully where he was headed with his irrelevant questions.
- Writer
