Lily woke up early that morning and decided to make breakfast for her mother and Daisy. It wasn’t everyday that she had time for her family. Usually she’d be ready for work at about 8 o’clock, except for the other day when she decided to purposely come late for work because of the moron.
After preparing a bowl of fried noodles on the dining table, Lily went to take out the trash. She descended the stairs of the building while humming a little tune between her lips. She felt as refreshed as ever that morning. That was because she rarely took a day off from work. Since four years ago, Lily had been working pretty hard to help her family survive.
Lily threw the plastic full of rubbish into a huge trash bin at the back of the building. A black cat sat beside the bin staring wide-eyed towards her as she walked pass it to return to the front door. As Lily was about to turn towards the front door of the five-storey building, she heard a voice calling her name from behind her. Lily quickly turned around and saw a black-suited man standing in front of the door step. He wore dark glasses and had such a serious face. Lily recognized this man. He was one of Alex’s security men the other day.
“Yes?” she asked cautiously.
“Miss Lily Stephans?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I came here with orders from my master, Alex Beddington. He would like to see you this evening, 5 o’clock at the Tango Café.”
Lily frowned. She was sure she had just heard the moron’s name being mentioned just now. She thought he had given up. It looks like she was totally wrong again this time.
“Your master, huh? Well tell him I’m not interested in seeing him. Goodbye.” Lily quickly turned to leave the man and enter the building, but her steps halted when she heard another voice call out behind her.
“Hey, you! I was asking you nicely!”
Lily turned around once again and came face to face with Alex. He was slowly approaching her from behind a tree by the roadside. He wore the stern face he had the other day when she came late to work. Lily glared at him with distaste.
“You?! How did you know I live here??” she asked him.
“Well, I asked around.”
Lily stared towards him unblinkingly. So it was him yesterday the neighbours were talking about.
“You were the one! The neighbours were talking about you yesterday.”
“Well of course that wasn’t me! I asked my men to ask for your address. Why would I come to a place like this and interrogate your fellow low-life friends about your whereabouts?”
Lily felt like slapping him again, but she tried hard to control herself this time. She didn’t want to create another scene in the neighbourhood. Lily crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
“Look where you’re standing, moron.” She muttered.
“Hey, I came here not to have another fight with you. I just want… I just want to talk to you about something.” Alex said. There was a slight hesitation in his voice, as if there was something else he could not mention. Though his face looked as blunt and expressionless as always, Lily knew this time he must be real serious to be standing in front of this shabby apartment of hers.
“Talk about what? Didn’t I make it clear the other day that I want to have nothing to do with you?” Lily replied. Alex slowly walked towards her by the doorstep. He tried to search for the most appropriate words to convey what he was trying to tell her. What he was about to do next, he rarely, or maybe even never, tells them to people like Lily.
“I… I want… to apologize – about the other day.”
This time, Lily’s eyes widen with absolute disbelief. She scanned his expression just to make sure he was not trying to pull her leg, but he seemed very serious. There was no hideous smile this time. And the air of authority, it wasn’t hanging around like it usually does around him. Alex ran his eyes away from her gaze, uncomfortable being stared at like that.
“Are you kidding me?? The great Alex Carl Beddington is apologizing to the low-life, Lily Stephans?? Please tell me you’re joking.” She remarked quite mockingly despite her amazement. Alex grumbled.
“I’m serious, woman.”
“Well why didn’t you just apologize the day you hit my bicycle? I wouldn’t have to end up in all this mess you’re throwing at me.”
“That… that wasn’t my fault!”
“Yeah right!” Lily rolled her eyes once again.
“Damn it, woman. Why is it so hard trying to talk things with you?
“Did I ever tell you how selfish and snobbish you are?” Lily replied spitefully. Alex was about to lose his temper but decided to kick the wheels of a black Bentley behind him instead. Lily guessed he must have come driven in that car because no one in the area could afford one vehicle like that.
“Look, I said I’m sorry, okay? Now will you just be nice and accept my offer this evening without any more rude remarks?” He said and let out a heavy sigh. Lily let the question hang in mid air for a moment. She did not want to trust this man. Whenever she looked into his face, she felt disgusted. Since the incident at his mansion, this man has never failed to ruin her day.
“I can’t. I’m going to a concert with my sister this evening.” She finally answered. Alex’s face changed slightly. He looked surprisingly disappointed. “Oh,” he said. There was a moment of silence after that, and Lily had decided to just return home, but before she could turn the door knob open, Alex called out her name.
“Lily, wait!”
She stopped dead in front of the rusty wooden door.
“I’ll go with you to the concert.”
For a moment, Lily felt as if a jolt of electricity entered her ears. She thought she heard wrong. But her ears weren’t that deaf to misunderstand what Alex had said just now. Lily turned around swiftly, nearly tripping as she did that. They both looked at each other for a moment. The security guy who had been forgotten from the scene had been standing beside the Bentley not far away from them both all this while. He looked at them one after the other, trying to predict what was going to happen next. He had secretly felt amused watching the two challenging each other’s nerves.
Alex gulped.
“Are you crazy?! Don’t even think about it!”
“I don’t care. I’m going whether you like it or not.”
“I’m going with my sister, you moron!”
“Well good then, I’ll just tag along. Where’s this concert anyway?”
Lily gritted her teeth, trying to swallow down all her anger. She felt like taking the trash she just threw away earlier and stuff them in his mouth. This moron would never listen to whatever she was saying! And he says that she’s the one who’s being difficult. Lily felt like vomiting.
“You don’t know what concert you’re going to and you’re even thinking of tagging along? This is a concert for low-life people like me. You, mister, will not be favouring the stuffy atmosphere of the place. So just forget about it okay?” she uttered sorely.
At that same moment, the main entrance of the apartment swung open and a long-haired girl appeared from behind the wooden door. “Lily, mother’s wondering whatever’s taking you so long to –“
It was Daisy. Daisy’s sentence stopped in mid-air as she saw her sister standing stiffly in front of the doorstep, looking in awe towards her, while nearby the roadside was a tall, good-looking young man looking towards her and her sister in puzzlement.
*
To Be Continued...
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