New Roads
871 Words
Nicholas was taken aback by her offer. She was a stunning woman, and he could tell she was wealthy and belonged to a higher social class. It had been a while since his last date, as his dating life mostly consisted of one-night stands that he could barely remember. His last relationship lasted just one year.
"Sure, miss. That's truly kind. And what's your name?" Nicholas asked.
"I am Luci," she replied with a smile, reaching into her purse and handing him a card.
"Call me. Does 8pm work for you?" Luci asked.
"Yes," Nicholas replied, noticing the bus arriving.
"That's my ride," Nicholas said, pointing at the bus.
"See you later," Luci said as she got into her car and drove away.
Nicholas let out a sigh of relief as he boarded the bus and found a seat. He took out the card she had given him, which he had placed in his pocket. The card was black, and he held it to read the contents. In red ink, it said, "Lucifer Asherah Morningstar" along with a telephone number.
"This is quite an unusual name for such a gorgeous woman. Maybe she gave me a fake card," he thought to himself.
"Why would someone as beautiful and wealthy as her ask me out on a date? Perhaps she felt remorseful about almost running me over. Nevertheless, it was a sweet gesture on her part."
As a struggling writer and a nobody, Nicholas wasn't dressed to match her high social status. He was unsure whether he should accept her invitation for dinner. He was curious about the beautiful stranger with striking green eyes and an even more intriguing name, who had nearly ended his life. He got off the bus, entered the train station, and took the train to work.
He arrived at the magazine company's office and headed to his cubicle to prepare for his presentation.
"You're late," one of his coworkers said as he approached his cubicle.
"Come on, Andrew. I had an issue on my way here that caused the delay," Nicholas explained.
"Hurry up then. The board is ready to hear your presentation in the conference room. They're waiting for you," Andrew replied, clearly frustrated. Nicholas quickly retrieved his notes and laptop from his suitcase and rushed to the conference room. He greeted the board members and proceeded to set up his laptop and presentation slides. However, as soon as he turned on his laptop, it crashed and shut down. Nicholas went into panic mode; this was the worst timing, especially considering that his laptop was brand new. The board members began whispering to each other, and Andrew couldn't hide his embarrassment.
"I apologize. I'm experiencing some technical difficulties," Nicholas said, attempting to turn on his laptop to no avail.
"Well, we have other meetings to attend. It would have been better if you had been better prepared for this presentation, Mr. Palmieri, considering its importance," one of the board members remarked, as they all got up and left the room.
Nicholas returned to his cubicle feeling devastated and disappointed. He felt like a failure. He had hoped that by now he would have achieved some recognition or success as a writer. One of his professors in Italy had encouraged him, saying he had the potential to become a prominent writer if he moved to America. He hadn't realized just how difficult and competitive it would be.
"I'm sorry, Nicholas, but clean out your cubicle. You're fired," Stacy, the editor-in-chief, said as she approached his workspace.
He hung his head in frustration and disappointment, and began packing up his belongings. He left the office and headed home, feeling defeated. On his way, he stopped at a liquor store to buy some alcohol. Finally arriving home, he turned on the TV, sat on his couch, and started drinking. Eventually, he fell asleep while watching TV and woke up a few hours later. He had missed calls from his friends Takeshi, Mark, and Miranda. He planned to return their calls later; he wasn't in the mood to entertain or talk to anyone. He went to the kitchen to find something to eat and noticed the card the beautiful woman had given him earlier that day, lying on the counter next to his keys. He had forgotten that he had agreed to have dinner with her tonight. Now that he was unemployed, he needed a distraction from the disappointment that had become his life. Perhaps the beautiful stranger could offer some pleasurable distractions. He picked up his phone and dialed the number on the card. After several rings, she finally answered.
"Hello, is this Luci? It's Nicholas. We met earlier today," he said.
"Oh, how could I forget? I almost ran you over with my car," she replied.
Nicholas laughed. "Well, thank God you didn't."
Luci giggled. "Are you still up for dinner tonight?"
"Definitely," Nicholas replied.
"Great! I'll have my chauffeur pick you up at 7:30 p.m. We'll be dining at my place. I hope you enjoy seafood. You can expect a call or text from him soon," Luci said.
"Sounds fun," Nicholas responded.
The call ended, leaving Nicholas with a glimmer of excitement in his otherwise disappointing day.
- Writer
