ACCIDENTAL LOVERS

4: NOT A GOOD BARGAIN

“If you are not going to say anything, would you please excuse me? I have a lot to do in quite a short time,” Terry said, looking at the duo in his office who seemed rather shocked than apologetic. He hoped they had not come to beg him. Another look at Shay gave him the impression that she was sorry, but Terry had concluded that it was the way that women act to get men to do their bidding.

Fred felt irritated as the atmosphere in Terry’s office became charged and the three of them knew that tension would clash over their silence. Fred looked at Shay, she could see that Fred was filled with so much anger. But Shay’s look conveyed the message that was telling Fred to play cool without Shay saying a word.

Fred, fueled by a mixture of frustration and protectiveness over Shay, confronted Terry with a raw intensity. "Why are you holding onto her phone? What game are you playing?" Fred's words, sharp and accusatory, reverberated in the confined space.

Terry, with a show of composure and eloquence, responded with a measured tone, "This is not a game. Have you asked Shay what happened? And who are you?" The lines etched on Terry's face hinted at the weight of experiences that had shaped him, experiences that Fred had yet to fathom.

My name is Fred, and I am Shay’s boyfriend. You have no right whatsoever to take or seize her phone over a meal you opt to pay for,” said Fred in total disgust, “For a man of your status, that’s bullying and intimidation,” Fred continued.

“Fred, I only helped your girlfriend, who decided to eat what she could not afford. I thought you came here to pay me my money and apologize for the discomfort she caused at the restaurant,” Terry fired back.

“We should tell you thank you for stealing her phone?’ Fred asked in anger.

“Are you calling me a thief? You came into my office without an appointment and dare call me a thief, you must be out of your senses,” Terry replied.

Shay, not knowing what to do or say, was just quiet as she was caught in the crossfire and felt the weight of the unresolved tension. Her phone, a symbolic anchor to her world, now became a focal point in a battle of wills between two men with conflicting intentions.

The argument escalated, words exchanged like artillery fire, each sentence deepening the divide. Shay, torn between the two forces, yearned for a resolution that seemed elusive in the tempest of emotions.

As the clash continued, Abigail, sensing the impending implosion, stepped forward. With a calm yet authoritative demeanor, she interjected, "Gentlemen, we are here for a solution, not to further complicate matters. Shay needs her phone back, and we need to understand the reasons behind this ordeal."

The room fell silent, the echo of Abigail's words lingering in the charged atmosphere. Terry, a mask of composure concealing the turmoil within, finally relented. "Fine, you can have the phone back. But understand, there are complexities you cannot comprehend."

Shay's phone, retrieved but tainted by the conflict it had borne witness to, was returned to her. The palpable tension remained, the unsaid words and unresolved issues lingering like a storm yet to pass.

“I am not releasing that device until I know how you intend to pay for the money I loaned to your girlfriend,” Terry said.

“Then we are not leaving here until we get her phone,” Fred replied.

“I think I have indulged you so much as I can now see you came here to waste my time. I am calling security,” Terry said.

The aftermath of the heated exchange left an uncomfortable silence hanging in Terry's office. Shay, seeing her phone on Terry’s table, felt sad. It was the symbolic artifact that had become a pawn in the ongoing power struggle between Terry and Fred.

Shay somehow finally found her voice, “You can not do that, sorry, I meant to say, please do not call security. I am sorry for what happened. Please, I need that phone.”

Terry, his composed demeanor barely concealing the frustration beneath the surface, turned his attention to Shay. "Did you bring my $500, Shay?" His voice, though measured, conveyed a sense of expectation.

Shay hesitated, her eyes flickering between Terry and Fred. "No, I didn't. I wasn't aware I needed to bring money, I did not think you were serious about it" she admitted, a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

Fred, still grappling with the shock of realizing the cost of Shay's seemingly extravagant meal, interjected with incredulity. "You ate a meal worth $500?" His eyes widened in disbelief.

Shay, acutely aware of the escalating tensions, attempted to explain. "It wasn't intentional. I didn't know the cost until it was too late."

Terry, his patience seemingly worn thin, cut through the exchange with a stern declaration. "If you're not here with my money, then there's no reason for you to be in my office." The air thickened with a palpable sense of dismissal.

Fred, who was now grasping what actually happened, was torn between his concern for Shay and the complexities of the situation and tried to reason with Terry. "Look, we're just trying to understand what's going on. Can't we discuss this without being kicked out?"

“No, you were not here to reason. You called me a thief for trying to help out,” said Terry.

“I am sorry,” replied Shay.

Terry, unmoved, reiterated his stance. "If you're not here to settle your debts, then I have no business with you. Leave."

“Please, Mr. Terry, I need that phone for a lot of things, my life practically revolves around it,” Shay pleaded.

“Stop begging him, Shay, can't you see that he is a wicked man who has made up his mind to oppress you with his wealth? He is having his fun, and you are making a mockery of us by begging him,” said Fred.

Terry could not believe what was coming out of Fred’s mouth. He regretted ever helping Shay because, according to him, what he did was to help Shay and save her from the embarrassment she would have experienced if he had not paid for the meal.

“Can you leave my office now before I get the security to throw you away? You ungrateful things,” said Terry as he ordered them out.

“Shay, what happened to you? Why can’t you speak up for yourself? This man was oppressing you,” said Fred as they left Terry's office.

“I don’t know, Fred. Maybe I was ashamed of how you spoke to him, maybe I was still embarrassed at what happened at the restaurant. I really cannot tell,” said Shay.

“What do you mean that you were ashamed of me? What did I do? I was only trying to help,” replied Fred.

"Fred, can you please take me home? I need to be with my mother and brother as they would be looking for me now," Shay said, pleading with Fred to take her home.

"Okay, if you say so, but know that I am going to get that phone from him one way or another," Fred said.

"Please don't do anything stupid. I can take care of myself, you have done more harm than good regarding this issue," Shay said.