Dandelion

Chapter 15

                                                                      Meeting Arrangement

The delicious meal had come to an end, leaving me awkwardly walking around the apartment in an attempt to avoid Ren who had yet to leave no matter what excuse I was to bring up. 

I pretended to be sleepy and he suggested sleeping with me, I pretended to be tired and he suggested to take me to my bed and lay down with me. I pretended to have a headache and he was ready to go buy pills for me and lay me to bed. Yes, he definitely had every excuse I was to make lead to the bedroom with the two of us in it and that definitely didn't sound peaceful to my ears.

In the end, I had no other choice but to start being busy just to stay out of his sight. This was the first time I cleaned up willingly and washed the dishes with the utmost desire anyone could think of. I even started cleaning the cupboard and the kitchen counter which were clean, to begin with, and now I was standing with a vacuum in one of the rooms of this apartment which I had not entered till now.

The room was decorated as beautiful as anything around here and the furniture seemed of the best quality however if someone was to leave from here with an impression of something that should be the art on the wall. A beautiful mountain hill was painted, hidden by golden tries and silver mist. It looked breathtaking to look at it and I had been staring at it for the past five minutes that I had entered in here.

It looked like a vision out of a fairytale and the house on the mountain hill, painted in black ink, reminded me of the Villa. The silhouette of it looked so much like it that it made me feel like I was staring at it once more. However, maybe it was that Villa since it was Zein's property. Maybe she had asked someone to make an art of it, an art that didn't match with the real background of the property as there definitely were no golden trees around it.

After a bit more of staring, I finally managed to bring myself to tear my eyes off it and I went back to cleaning which was the purpose I was in the room, to begin with. I started by vacuuming the dark shaded carpet that covered a part of the wooden floor, going over it multiple times so It would be cleaned well. Even though I never saw any speck of dust around here, to begin with. The things I do to avoid human interaction really.

As I was doing so the carpet fliped at a corner and I tried to return it to its original state without having the need to touch it with my hands, but unfortunately, it didn't stand as straight as it was originally so -after I left an exhale of annoyance and turned off the vacuum briefly - I bent down and grabbed the corner of the carpet, suddenly feeling it heavier than it was supposed to be.

An expression of confusion took over me as I kept touching that corner, feeling as if there was something inside it. Some kind of squared shaped object which was not too thick but if you were to touch well it would be detectable. I kept pressing on it in wonder till my thumb suddenly felt like it sank a bit further and a sound of something moving was heard. I turned my head immediately in an attempt to find where was that noise coming from and I didn't need to look for too long as a part of the painted art wall split and created an opening.

I stared at it shocked for a moment at the realization that there existed a secret passage in this apartment. Only looking at the darkness that was coming from that opening made me feel curious and nervous simultaneously.  I gave a quick look behind me just to make sure that Ren was nowhere in sight then I turned on the vacuum again in order to keep making noise.

I stood up and approached the opening without match hesitation, light lighting up as soon as I approached close enough to it, enabling me to see what laid in the front.  There was a room full of clothes and mannequins. One from which I recognized immediately as it was a dress from a drama I had seen on Tv.

Apparently, this was her wall of fame. Clothes from important Galas and appearances she had made, articles and magazine covers with her face were framed and were decorating the walls. Awards were resting on some silver shelves at the sides of the room and even some scripts were placed on small pedestals as I could recognize some of the titles. They were the ones that made her the most famous. If I was Zein, this room would probably make me feel nostalgic but all it made me feel was slightly disappointed. I wasn't sure what was I expecting to see when that wall opened but sure it wasn't this. Watching too many movies have ruined me, it's evident.

I laughed at myself as I went back and pressed again the button then waited for it to close. That room was so unnecessary to be hidden if someone was to ask me. If there was to have been full of money it would have been more reasonable to have been a secret room. What a waste of its use.

I was about to grab the vacuum cleaner again, but the buzzing feeling in my pocket disturbed me, making me turned the vacuum off and attend to the phone. Someone seemed to be calling me and as I looked at the screen I froze for a moment recognizing the number as the one that kept texting this phone all those weird threatening messages.

Mr, stalker crazy fan or whatever was he was calling me out of nowhere and the fact couldn't help but make me look around the room as I  immediately grew uncomfortable. The seconds passed but the cal didn't end so I answered it and placed it near my ear, planning to not speak but just listen to him talk. 

"When are you gonna pay me my money? The date is due." He spoke as if I knew what money and which data was he talking about. Why would Zein give money to him, to begin with? Was he threatening her for money? In the texts, he had written that he wanted to kill her though?

"Em, they may be delayed for a few days," I replied informing him of the truth cause I had no idea what he had agreed with Zein and as such I could not give him any amount of money. 

Wait, when did he have an agreement with her, to begin with? Just yesterday he texted threatening me that next time there was not gonna be the next time. Zein, never mentioned any money offering while texting with him as far as I read so why is he speaking of money suddenly? He is contradicting himself.

"What? Why are you acting as if you don't have money? We made a deal sweetheart. You better pay me up or else I will start talking." I heard him laugh through the line, his words making me curious even more. Talking about what?A deal about what? The heck was she into? I had to find out.

"How about we meet up and I gave you the money up close. Remind me the amount again?" I tried to sound as natural as I could even though I didn't even know how someone was supposed to talk when involved in such conversations.

"100,000$, you can come by the cafe, I will be there."

"The cafe right, umm, the one with the red door?"

"What? There's is no red door. The Loire, by the river. Monday, be there." He replied making me feel relief that he didn't catch up on the fact that I am literally clueless. I had no chance to say anything else as he ended the call, leaving me behind in a new chaotic state as I had to find myself 100,000$  which will involve me to directly head to the banks or something cause I know no passwords of any of Zein's cards and with the pressure of being in a dilemma.

Do I go alone or do I tell someone about this?