Chapter 04 Contemplating
1517 Words
Raven
True to Richard's words, he asked his driver to take me home, which was Jane's apartment. Throughout the journey, thoughts of our agreement consumed my mind. A wise woman would have swiftly bowed out and walked away from the situation, even if it was a spontaneous decision. After all, we hadn't formalised anything, leaving open the possibility for me to decline and advise him to get a professional escort for the job. However, the allure of four hundred thousand dollars weighed heavily on my mind, coupled with the temptation to provoke jealousy in Derek.
The looming downside, though, was contemplating the aftermath.
Would Derek mock me?
The only solution to that was to leave town. I never wanted to stay in Kalroy anyway. The only reason I remained here was because of Jane. She needed my company, and I provided it.
While Jane valued my companionship, and I valued her friendship, the impending consequences of my arrangement with Richard made leaving the town an increasingly appealing prospect.
Jane has proven to be an amazing friend, consistently assisting me with my expenses and maintenance without a single complaint. It was high time I relieved her of this burden, and the opportunity to do so had finally presented itself.
While I entertain the idea of seeking employment from Mr Richard Bradford once this situation resolves, I harbour doubts that he would be willing to hire me because I know Caitlyn will not want me around him.
I hadn't reached a decision yet, but I found myself contemplating the possibilities.
We reached Jane's house, and I felt relieved that there were no other people around. My attire was far from flattering, clearly indicating that I had spent the night in a location that wasn't home. I was wearing Richard's T-shirt and oversized shorts, cinched around my waist with a shoelace. With my heels in hand, prepared to walk barefoot, I quickly got out of the car and hurried to the front door to let myself in. To my surprise, the driver departed, leading me to suspect that there was no urgency regarding the proposal.
Entering the house, I decided to freshen up, grab some breakfast, and then think about the proposal.
Since Jane wasn't home, I suspected she was still with her client.
It was sometimes challenging for me to view Thomas solely as Jane's client, considering the significant amount of time they spent together and his frequent requests for her services. We had been waiting for Thomas to get tired of calling her, but I doubted it would happen anytime soon.
The man seemed captivated, and it wasn't hard to understand why. Jane was stunning, and truthfully, she didn't even need the money.
While enjoying my breakfast, my phone rang, and it turned out to be Aunt Mildred. Although she wasn't my biological aunt, she was my only family, and I cared deeply for her. I answered the call promptly.
"Raven, how are you?" she inquired with a touch of animation in her voice. Aware that the chemotherapy was affecting her, I held onto the hope that it would prove effective and the cancer would soon enter remission.
"Aunty, how are you? How are you holding up?" I inquired. She sighed, followed by a soft chuckle and then a wheezing cough. My heart sank, realising she was putting on a facade of strength.
"I am hanging in there," She said, and I was glad that she was optimistic about her survival. One of the best ways to beat the disease is the desire to live and a positive mindset. She had both, so we had a chance.
"I do not mean to disturb you, but the rent is due. If you don't have it, I can understand," she said, and I had completely forgotten.
I moved her to an apartment closer to the hospital in Kentville to make medical care more accessible. It was only a bus ride from Kalroy, and I often visited her two weekends in a month. Jane paid for someone to care for her so I could come to the big city, pursue my dream, and get a career.
Jane had promised to give me the money, but I had not followed up on it and doubted I would be able to ask her unless she brought it up.
I didn't have to think twice. It was time to collect the cheque Richard offered. I felt shame wash over just thinking of it, but then I shrugged it off because it wasn't like the guy was holding me in high regard to begin with. He had no respect for me and would never believe that indeed it was otherwise. He believed I was an escort, so I would use that opportunity to get the rent out of him.
"Don't worry, aunty. I will get the money across to you soon," I assured her confidently.
"What sort of work are you doing that you'd be able to come up with the sum, darling?" she asked, always wanting to know the source of my money to be sure I wasn't into anything illegal. She would rather die than let me go into crime or anything disgraceful to care for her, and I respected her for her selflessness.
"Jane is the one helping out, but I might find a job soon," I said, keeping the wealthy-fake-fiancé part out of the conversation. After taking care of me my entire life, being the only family I had, even though we were not related by blood, it was time for me to care for her.
"Jane has been there for us. I didn't know if we could ever repay her kindness," she said, sounding a bit guilty, and I chuckled.
"Nonsense, she has so much; she doesn't even know what she would do with the money. I am sure it isn't too much for her," I said so her mind would be at ease, but just like my aunt, I too was worried that Jane would reach her breaking point with me and it would cause our friendship to end. Hopefully, it wouldn't get to that, and that was why taking this job, however unconventional it was, was important.
My aunt and I discussed other things, and then she hung up. I spent the better part of the morning thinking about how to tell Jane about Richard's proposal and whether or not she would like it.
Jane did not return until seven in the evening; by then, my emotions and nerves had gone three sixty. I was back to my calm self but not quite confident. Jane returned looking really tired, but it was obvious she had a good time with Thomas.
"You're home!" she asked me, shocked to find me home.
"Where will I be?" I asked her, chuckling, and she sat on the couch, taking off her heels and jewellery.
"With Richard, of course. He is now single, you know. Caitlyn Mascott broke up with him yesterday. That's why Thomas brought him to the bar to hang out," she said, and I realised who his girlfriend was. She was a big name in the film industry. A producer of some sort. The Mascotts had tons of money. It made me feel small and very insignificant in the grand scheme of things. They might not be as wealthy as the Bradfords, but they were in the same circle.
"I have been home since morning, and Mr Bradford's love life isn't any of my concern," I said, sitting directly in front of her. She paused and raised an eyebrow at me and then laughed.
"I supposed it is not. But it would have been nice for Derek and that Cindy b***h to see you with him a few times. This morning, I noticed their social media was packed with images of both of them. It was as if they had hidden their love for so long and wanted the world to know now. They make me sick," She said, pretending to be nauseous, which made me laugh. She was always on my side.
"How was your time with Thomas?" I asked her, needing to change the topic because even though I laughed, it still hurt that Derek would do this to me. I should have known he was too good to be true. He took everything from me and left me with nothing. It's not like I had much to give, but it was all I had. My heart, my love, my body, my soul, my virginity, everything: the bastard.
"Great. I had to insist on coming home. He wanted me to spend the night. I might triple my fees to discourage him," she said, and I laughed.
"We both know you won't do that. He is your favourite client," I said, and she laughed.
"Only client for now," She said, and I looked at her and raised my eyebrow.
"I didn't like the others, so I cancelled. I don't do old men," she said and winked at me. We got up to head to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
- Writer
