Steel Heart and Velvet lies A fierce love

CHAPTER ONE I stand while waiting. My heart beats faster. I begin to question myself if my waiting will be worth the while. It’s 7:33 in the morning as I once again check whether the contractors in charge of hiring people for the project have arrived. I know I’m early, but I have been wanting to put up a good impression due to the fact that I was referred by my class rep, James Foster, who is also my best friend since my freshman year. I shift a little where I am standing to see if any car comes along the road. The atmosphere is rather tense, and although I try to think positively that I could be taken for this job, I am used to being rejected, and that also leaves me broke while I am trying to make ends meet. I am tense, quiet, and try as much as possible not to let passers-by get the wrong impression about me. Where is the contractor? All of a sudden, a black Lexus RX350 parks at the far end of the construction. Before I could gather my composure, it seems the site contractor is out of his car. “Good morning, sir,” I say to the site instructor, and as I scamper around him, I sense that he is kind of getting irritated. I am starting to think that I have blown up this appointment. When I finally reach the main construction site, he starts rummaging around his bag. Finally, he brings out a book, which I suppose contains all of the things he plans to do on the site that very day. “So, you are the new guy?” he snaps all of a sudden. “Yes, sir,” I retort quickly. “What’s your name?” he asks. His questions are so direct, but this is starting to feel more like an interrogation rather than what I expected. “Gabriel Harris, sir,” I reply. “Are you still in college, Gabriel?” he asks, and I am beginning to think that would be my first obstacle in getting the job. “Yes, sir,” I reply. “So, you have your schedule all planned out right?” “Yes, sir,” I reply once again. “My nephew James recommended you, and I promised to give you this job. Your pay is twelve dollars a day, and you are to report for work on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.” “Are you for real, sir?” I laugh. Not yet. It will be a mindfuck when I do. It happened too fast, and to think of it that I am in dire need of the money. “Are you going to take the job or not?” he retorts. “Yes, sir, why not,” I reply before he becomes uncertain. “Great!” he exclaims. “Um, sir, what would be my duty, and also when am I supposed to arrive and close for the day?” I ask quickly. “Your duty is to be carrying cement sacks from the store, and you are to resume for work by 4 p.m., as I believe by that time you are supposed to be done with lectures, and as for the closing time, you are to close from work by 7 p.m.” I smile finally and begin to contemplate how I would break the news to my girlfriend, Serena. I still have twenty-eight dollars in savings, and I contemplate what I can use it to buy for her. When all of a sudden, I realize that I am yet to ask the contractor for his name. “Sir,” I say. “What should I call you?” I ask. “Carlos Foster, Carl for short,” he replies. “Sir, I will take my leave now,” I say to him. “Okay. See you at 4 p.m.” I quickly exit the site as other previous workers begin to arrive for their day’s work. As I keep on moving, I remember that I am yet to buy something for my girlfriend, Serena, to use and celebrate my new job. I spot a nice pizza place where their specialty is Cold Stone pizza. I grab one and use twelve dollars out of my savings to pay for it since I can afford it, and I grab two fifty-cent Cokes for me and Serena to use and celebrate. I giggle as I come out of the restaurant. While walking on the walkway along the road, a young lady driving a Porsche car at a very high speed comes dashing toward me. I run quickly, and accidentally I fall; the goods I bought scatter, and the car comes to a halt about seven feet from where I am standing. I know I shouldn’t ask for compensation since the person who almost ran me over is driving a Porsche and is a person of status and wealth in the society. I begin walking to where my pizza and Cokes fell when all of a sudden somebody calls me. I turn back only to see a woman who is around her early twenties — very beautiful, a full figure-eight body with all her lush curves intact, with skin as smooth as silk. I quickly regain my composure. Although I am inexperienced with women, I also have a good sense of déjà vu and responsibility, and I summon the courage to talk to her. “What’s the matter, miss?” I ask while trying to maintain my composure. “And how may I help you?” I ask, feigning ignorance. “I just almost bumped into you, and if not for your quick response I would have ridden you over. I am sorry about that. So how should we talk about compensation?” Did I just hear her right? I just got myself a relatively well-paying job after weeks of job hunting, and a very beautiful, supposedly rich young lady wants to offer me compensation for making me lose my fifty-cent Cokes and a twelve-dollar pizza despite my shabby yet responsible appearance? “Um, I don’t think there would be any need for that,” I reply to her, even though I just rejected her offer despite knowing that I need that money. I almost feel like slapping myself. “I don’t think that would be right since I am the one at fault here,” she tells me. “It’s alright, miss. You don’t need to offer me compensation considering the fact that you just apologized to me.” Once again, I feel like slapping myself, considering the fact that I just rejected her offer. Who am I trying to please? It’s not like she would notice me. Besides, I got a girlfriend, so I should just receive the compensation she is offering. Just as I was about to retract my statement, she replied to me. “If you insist on not receiving compensation, I am in a hurry to go somewhere, so let’s exchange contact info and I will see when I can treat you to a dinner to express my gratitude.” Is this a date? Like, is she asking me on a date? Who am I deceiving? Serena is my girlfriend. I can’t just go about hanging around with pretty ladies, considering the fact that she put up with a broke guy like me for a whole year. I realize she is still waiting for me to respond to her. “I don’t think I can go to dinner with you just because you want to compensate me, but I don’t mind exchanging contact info with you,” I say to her. “Okay,” she says and hands me her phone to type my phone number while I offer her mine as she does the same. When she’s done, she gives me my phone back and begins heading back to her car. I realize I don’t know her name, and I hurry towards her and call her. “Hey,” I say to her as she turns to face me. “I don’t know your name.” “Clarisse,” she replies curtly, with an air of confidence that you only see in movies. “You wouldn’t ask for mine?” I say to her. “What’s your name?” she asks me. “Gabriel Harris,” I say to her. “Okay, Gabriel, I will keep in touch with you,” she says, leaving me dumbfounded, thinking about what ‘I will keep in touch with you’ probably means to me until I figure out she’s gone. That’s when I deem it fit to shout “bye” as her car zooms off. I keep moving until I get to Graceland City University student axis as I head to Serena’s house to break the news to her.