A FAMILY AFFAIR

CHAPTER 3: WE MEET AGAIN

AVARYL’S POV

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Hello Sir, welcome to Aiden’s coffee shop. What would you like to have?”

This has been my routine for the last three to five years, since my daughter was weaned.

Aiden, the kind stranger who had found me on the streets and rushed me to the hospital that night, was gracious enough to take me in.

He gave me a job at the coffee shop, and although I wasn’t getting paid, my daughter and I lived with Aiden, and he took full care of us.

We had to manage a very small house, with barely enough food, since all Aiden had was the coffee shop.

I took a deep breath every morning, taking responsibility for the shop after months of searching for a job, both before and after my daughter was born.

“Hello Sir, welcome to Aiden’s coffee shop, what would you like to have?” I recited to the nice-looking young man, who was seated beside the window and staring outside the whole time.

He was clearly distracted, so much that he didn’t pick a word of my rehearsed pleasantry.

“Sir?”

“Sir?” I called, repeatedly, trying to get his attention.

He finally turned in my direction, appearing a little stunned.

“Is everything okay? Can I help you, sir?” I queried,

He was quiet for a while and gave quite an intense gazer into my eyes. He then took a deep breath.

“Actually, you can help me,” he responded, emphasizing the word ‘can’.

“I’m new here, and will be here for a few days,” he said,

I rolled my eyes.

‘Well, obviously.’

“I think I would need company to navigate my stay here and my meetings with different partners in different locations,” he complained.

“Company?” I questioned,

“Like a tour guide,” he replied, “someone to show me around town,”

“I’m sorry Sir, I cannot help you. I work here,” I immediately declined,

“Can I take your order for coffee sir?”

“Two hundred thousand dollars,” he said, “just for a few days.

I paused and already began to have second thoughts, having my heart fixed on the price and how it could help ease Aiden’s pain.

My back was turned towards the stranger, and he couldn’t notice the mixed feelings etched on my face.

“Five hundred,” he said,

“Five hundred thousand for seven days,” his offer went up.

*******

Despite Aiden’s hesitation, I took the stranger’s proposal and got ready to be a tour guide for Mr. Allen B. Woods.

We arrived at our first stop, after our very quiet drive, since I didn’t want to over indulge. I was only here for the pay and all I had in mind was my daughter’s upkeep and tuition.

“You’re such a terrible tour guide,” Allen said, as he alighted at the restaurant where he was meeting his first partner.

‘And yet you are here safe and in one piece,’ I thought.

I wore a slight smile, sitting in the vehicle,

“What are you doing?” He asked through the window,

“Waiting for your meeting to be over,” I said,

“Oh, Jeez,” he exclaimed, turning around and pulling open the car door,

“Consider yourself a part of the meeting,” he said.

I wasn’t about to risk my pay, so I quietly alighted and followed behind Allen.

We were seated in the restaurant for about thirty minutes and his partner had not shown up. I was beginning to doubt if at all there were any partners, or if I had just been lured on a date with another overbearing rich man.

Although Allen was always simply dressed, it wasn’t difficult to smell the billions oozing out of him. He also had quite an expensive vehicle and his choice of a restaurant said it all.

“I really can’t tell what’s keeping him,” Allen expressed some worry, which I wasn’t at all buying. As far as I was concerned, it was all staged.

‘Well, hold your thoughts, Ava,’

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Woods. I had an emergency and had to show up a few minutes behind schedule,” Allen’s partner walked in, leaving my jaw on the floor.

“That’s okay,” Allen sweetly replied, as they both shook hands, and his partner took a seat opposite us.

“This is Ava, Avaryl Joe,” Allen introduced,

“And Ava this is my partner for the next week, or probably more, Mr. Alvin Brown,”

Alvin extended a handshake I was too frozen to receive. I felt my intestines tying into knots, as I processed the trauma and pain, all of it from years ago.

I would never have believed that I would exist in the same space with the man that broke me and left me to the hands of death.

“Ava?” Allen’s call yanked me back into consciousness.

I gave off a light smile off the side of my lips and extended my hand to receive Alvin’s handshake.

“Let’s get right into it,” Allen said, seeing that our handshake lasted for a while, and we were locked in each other’s eyes.

Allen and Alvin took their seats and began their discussion and, all through, I sat down wondering if at all this was a good idea.

‘Aiden was right. I should have stayed at the coffee shop,’

A lot of times, I thought about excusing myself but couldn’t muscle up the courage to interrupt their discussion.

“I’ll just take a quick bathroom break,” Allen said, getting up from his seat. I sat through what should have been my cue to exit.

I watched Allen walk away, leaving Alvin and I seated away from each other after five years.

‘Ignore his presence,’ I weighed more options, other than the strong urge to run out of the restaurant. I tried to remind myself that it was about money, and I was with Allen and didn’t care.

“So, we meet again,” Alvin blurted.