The Bargain Undercover

An Unfamiliar Female Voice

"Director Lane, hello," Eliana said in her usual tone, "I heard your flight is delayed."

"What's up?" Xander was always cautious when talking on the phone, choosing each word after careful consideration, in case she recorded anything that could prove their secret relationship, although she wouldn't.

"Nothing." A naughty smile pulled Eliana's lips. "I just wanted to ask, how badly did that wild cat scratch your car?"

A short pause.

Then, she heard his helpless sigh on the other end of the phone.

It made Eliana satisfied. Teasing him was so fun.

"Go get ready for tonight's performance," Xander ordered.

"Are you boarding soon?"

"No. It's delayed again until midnight."

"Midnight!" Eliana gasped, feeling a bit sorry this time. "Do you have anyone with you? Seeing you off or something?"

"No."

"Then you're trapped alone at the airport for a whole day."

To some extent, it was her to blame.

If it hadn't been for her, with his car to use, Xander might not have chosen to stay at the airport for a whole day.

"That's fine." Xander sounded dispassionate.

"I... Um..." Eliana scratched her head. "When will you check in?"

"Ten."

"So, you'll check in after our show."

Xander didn't answer, not sure what she meant.

Xander wasn't the only cautious one. Eliana was the same, trying to leave no trace of their secret deal. So, she didn't want to be so blunt on the phone as to tell him directly that she wanted to see him off at the airport.

It was her way to make it up to him, but she didn't want to turn up out of the blue uninvited in case he didn't appreciate being approached in that manner. She repeated, hoping Xander could get her this time, "After, right?"

Xander was silent for a while. In the end, he said, "Right. After."

Eliana beamed a smile. "I see!"

"Alright, go get ready." Xander gave his order.

"OK. See you then." Eliana hung up the phone, trotting back.

At 9:40 pm, when the show ended, she changed her clothes at her fastest speed, ran out of the theatre, and hailed a taxi.

"Hello sir, Millwich Airport, please," Eliana said to the driver as she checked the time on her phone.

If the traffic was light, she should be able to arrive at the airport in thirty minutes.

However, in this world, things always went against people's wishes.

The heavy traffic jam left her stuck on the highway. Seeing no sign of moving, she checked the time again and again, anxious. "Sir, can we try another route?"

The driver shook his head. "To get to the airport, you have no way to avoid this highway."

"Why are there so many cars this late?"

"Well, highways. You never know."

Eliana sank back against her seat, hopeless. "I guess it is what it is, then."

The driver asked, "What time is your flight?"

"Not me. I'm seeing somebody off."

"Boyfriend?"

"No, no." Eliana shook her head. "Just a colleague."

"Oh. Then don't worry. Colleagues are just colleagues. It doesn't hurt if you can't make it," the driver grinned at her through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," Eliana answered perfunctorily, looking out blankly at the hustle and bustle of the city.

When she finally jumped out of the taxi and rushed into the airport, it was already past 11 pm. She ran all the way to the check-in point, only to catch a fleeting glimpse of Xander's receding back.

***

It was windy on Thursday night.

"Our clumsy Eliana finally grows up!" Delbert raised his glass, his face beaming with a smile.

Eliana clinked her glass of juice with him, her smile sweet. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"Darling, aren't you proud that we have such an outstanding daughter?" Lora curled her hands around Delbert's forearm, using Eliana to fawn on him. "The youngest Second Soloist in her company! Can you believe that?"

"I always knew she could do it. She got good stuff from me." Delbert looked at Eliana proudly.

For the first time, Eliana saw no belittlement in his eyes.

It meant her chance came.

"Not only that, Daddy. I also get you a great opportunity to expand your connections," Eliana said as she held her father's arm like a sweet, docile daughter.

"What is it?" Delbert was finally willing to listen to her.

"To cooperate with our company." Eliana explained to him, "PhysioFit sponsors us, and we spread PhysioFit's name among dancers."

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Lora responded first with excitement in her eyes, putting her hands on Delbert's shoulders.

"That's not a bad idea. Who will talk to me?" Delbert was also interested.

Things went easier this time as expected. Eliana told him, "Our Artist Director."

"Arrange a dinner. We'll talk about it."

"I will."

Lora spoke, "Pick a Saturday. I don't work on weekends. We can talk longer."

Delbert frowned, turning to her. "Excuse me?"

Lora looked at him, confused. "What?"

Delbert sized Lora up. "I can't think of a reason for you to be in that conversation."

Lora defended herself. "Why not? I'm Eliana's mother."

"This is a business conversation, not your neighborhood gossip, ELIANA'S MOTHER," Delbert said with a disdainful tone.

"Oh yeah, now you are successful, you belittle me!" Lora was ignited, pointing her finger at Delbert. "To let you pursue your career, I raised Eliana alone, working part-time jobs to pay the bills! I did everything for your sake! How dare you just take it for granted!"

"Don't yell." Delbert pinched his nose bridge, impatient. "See? This is why I don't like talking to women. They're sensitive and emotional."

As he said this, he looked at Eliana and smirked, wanting her approval.

In a split second, Eliana's eyes went icy. But when she started to talk, her face was full of smiles again. "Daddy, too late for you to say that when you already talked to your wife and my mom a lot."

Delbert let out a jarring laugh. Then, he patted Eliana on the shoulder. "You're really your mom's daughter."

Eliana smiled sweetly, saying nothing further.

She had no intention of fighting with Delbert, making things harder for herself. She only wanted interests from him.

But Lora was the opposite, trying to prickle Delbert with all the accusations she could come up with. "Delbert, she's your daughter, too. But you never fulfilled your responsibility as her father! "

Delbert retorted coldly, "I didn't want her in the first place."

It felt like a heavy hand gripped Eliana's heart. This was something she already knew, but every time Delbert repeated this, it still broke her heart.

But what could she expect as the daughter of a cheated husband and his mistress? Her birth couldn't be blessed.

Lora snorted, looking at Eliana. "Eliana, you hear that? That's why you should work hard, be more successful than Jackie's kids, and prove to your father that the kid he didn't want is the best!"

Delbert was unsatisfied. "Hey! Don't bring Jackie into this!"

Lora spread her hands. "Oh! Now you speak up for your wife!"

This would become an endless fight. Eliana immediately cut in to stop them, "Guys, no matter if you wanted me or not, I'm already born. You have to be careful next time."

With that, she stood up. "Alright, I have to leave. Early training tomorrow. Daddy, are you also leaving?"

Delbert snorted and stood up. "Text me the time for the dinner."

"I will."

Delbert left first. Eliana grabbed her stuff but didn't leave until she finished helping her mother clean the dishes.

***

On Friday morning, while Eliana was waiting for the subway to work, she gave Xander a call to tell him the good news.

It was 8 am. The platform was jammed with people rushing to work. Eliana backed up a bit from the crowd, waiting for Xander to pick up her call.

Finally, the consecutive ringing tones stopped.

"Director..." Just as Eliana started talking in a gleeful voice, the other end spoke.

"Hello?" It was an unfamiliar female voice.

Confused, Eliana double-checked the number she dialed.

It was Xander's number.

"Hello?" that woman spoke again.

Eliana put her phone back to her ear. "Hello. May I speak to Director Lane?"

"Director Lane?" The woman sounded perplexed. After some rustling sounds, she seemed to realize something. "Oh! I'm sorry! Sure, I'll get Mr. Lane on the phone."

"Thank you." Eliana waited, her finger tapping on the back of her phone.

A few seconds later, Xander's voice sounded. "Hello."

"Director Lane, it's me. Eliana."

"What do you need?"

Just four words were enough for Eliana to sense his impatience.

So, she made it short and straightforward. "I talked to my uncle about the sponsorship. He'd like to arrange a dinner and talk to you."

"Good." Xander had no emotion in his tone. "Anything else?"

"No. I just wanted to tell you about this."

"Good." With that, he hung up.

In the next second, the subway arrived and stopped by the platform. The carriage in front of Eliana spit out a mass of people and swallowed in a new bunch.

Eliana followed the trend and squeezed herself into the carriage, not feeling comfortable. The worst thing was that her phone rang right in time when she could barely move.

She had a hard time fishing her phone out of her pocket. Looking at the screen, she was shocked.

It was Tyler Abney.