Paid To Love

Episode 6

Paid To Love : EPISODE 6

Victoria’s POV

It’s ringing again, the tenth time in twenty minutes. Annoyed, I pulled it out of my pocket to see the name Henry Davies flashing on the screen. Was he some kind of crazy stalker? I’d never met anyone who would call someone every two minutes if they didn’t answer right away. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of me answering it, I decided to just turn off my phone. Then it wouldn’t be as distracting.

“Henry again?” Zoey called from the back room.

“Doesn’t he know I’m at work?” I said almost yelling. I’d sent him my work schedule at the coffee shop for the week. So if he’d got it, why was he trying to call me during the middle of my shift? I couldn’t just answer my phone at work.

Well, I actually could, but I wouldn’t tell him that.

“Aren’t you kind of excited?” Zoey said as she returned with an armful of coffee bean bags. “He’s so handsome.”

“He’s cute, but his personality needs some work,” I responded, thinking back to the comment about my breasts. Didn’t he have any common courtesy? Didn’t he know how mortifying that was? I looked down at my shirt, making sure nothing was popping out or straining. How was it my fault that my boobs were too big for my body? Or that retailers I could afford didn’t make “small torso, big boob” size? And he didn’t need to mention it right off the bat.

My cheeks were starting to warm up from just the memory and I shook my head furiously.

Zoey watched me curiously. “You know, about the boob thing, I’m sure he was just trying to give you some advice—”

“Ugh, just don’t talk about it,” I cut her off, covering my ears. “Ah, I’m so embarrassed.”

She laughed, shoving the beans under one of the counters. “You’ll get over it. Plus, I want him to come back and bring that other guy with him.

“James?”

“Yeah, James.”

I eyed her warily and began to grind some decaf coffee beans. “Why?”

“He’s so cute and so nice,” she gushed immediately. “The whole time you guys were talking he was over here keeping me company. He’s funny too.”

I didn’t know much about James, but he seemed like an okay guy. Still, I didn’t like the thought of him flirting with Zoey. If he was a friend of Henry, then he could be just as strange as Henry. “Try not to get too involved with him.”

Nodding, she let out a soft sigh. “I’m no competition for any rich girls, anyway.”

When it came to money, probably not, but if it came to looks, I’d say Zoey had the upper hand. She was a grade A beauty. Even if she didn’t realize it herself. But that was part of her charm.

“At least I’m not crushing on your brother anymore,” she pointed out.

I paused, the grinder coming to a stop.

“It’d be kind of weird to crush on the dead.” She laughed, but soon realised it wasn’t really a laughing matter. “I Shouldn’t have..”

Clearing my throat, I continued grinding the beans. “it’s ok.”

“What happened to him anyway?”

“ I honestly still have no clue ?” I replied worryingly, . it's been 6 months since it happened and i still had not gotten the slightest idea about what happened. The police so far have been useless and no investigator was willing apart from Inspector Sidwell of course. It’s been tearing me apart, the thought of being so helpless, i knew everyone was covering up something huge and i wasn’t going to let it slide that easily especially since Gerald was the only family I had left.

Zoey looks at me with a worried expression. “Don’t think about it for now, at least with Henry’s offer you can find out what really happened. ”

I couldn’t help but smile at her spirit.

The case was a tough one. Even now, I wasn’t entirely sure what to believe. The only thing the police gave me from their so called investigation was that my brother had been drinking frequently. But that didn’t sound like him, they also said he was just walking home drunk when he got shot accidentally. Like that one in particular really annoyed me. They keep using the word accidentally when they have no proof.

According to the CCTV at the bar, he was actually drinking that night.

Worrying my lip, I ran a hand through my hair. It hurt my head to even think about.

The shop phone started ringing and I jumped a bit, causing Zoey to snicker. Shooting her a dirty look, I walked over to it and picked it up. “ Khaffee's Coffees, How may I help you?”

“Why aren’t you answering your cell phone?”

It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t a customer calling. It was Henry.

I hung up the phone.

Three seconds later it started ringing again. Zoey gave me a questioning look. I debated not answering it, but I was too scared it might actually be a customer to ignore it. “Coffee, Victoria speaking, how may I help you?”

“Did you hang up on me?”

Ugh. “Yes,” I said.

There was a second of silence. “Don’t hang up.”

“You have two minutes,” I warned him.

“Why aren’t you answering your cell phone?”

“I’m at work.”

“So?”

Should’ve figured he wouldn’t see anything wrong with that. He was probably used to people answering his phone calls on the first ring. “It’s pretty busy here so I can’t talk long—”

“It’s not busy,” he cut me off, speaking nonchalantly. “I know the profit of the company and I know it’s not nearly as high as other coffee shops around seeing as how there is a Donuts Delights down the street. Poor planning on the owner’s side.”

“Wow, thanks for that very interesting bit of info.” 4l

“You’re very welcome,” he responded. He actually sounded a little pleased, so I guessed he missed my sarcasm.

I leaned against the doorframe. “Are you going to tell me why you’re calling?”

There was a brief moment of silence again. “I have plans for us tonight.”

“Plans?”

“Yes. We’ll be going on our first date.”

“Date?” I repeated.

“I’ll meet you at your place so I can see your dresses and decide if you will need one or not.”

“Dresses?”

“Are you purposely trying to imitate a parrot?”

I scowled a bit. “No. Why do we have to go on a date?”

“That’s what couples do.”

“But...” I cupped my elbow, staring at the floor tiles. It’d been a long time since I’d last been on a date. Or had a boyfriend period. After Gerald died, I’d had to pick up a second job and I never really had any free time to meet anyone or date anyone.

Henry chuckled on the other side of the line. “Don’t overthink it. Just play your part. It’s your job.”

That’s right. It was my job. Why was I getting so nervous? All I had to do was act. I did a bit of drama in high school. It shouldn’t be a problem. “Okay.”

“Meet at your place by five?”

I got out of work at three, which left me some time to get ready .

“That’s fine.”

“See you then.”

“Oh, wait, you should know that my apartment—” I heard a click. “Hello?”

Nothing.

Scoffing, I hung up the phone. What a d**k.

“Who was it?” Zoey asked when I came back out onto the floor.

“One guess.”

“Ooh, what did he want?”

I shrugged, feeling a little awkward. “To go on a date.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? How exciting!”

“Whatttt.” I wasn’t sure exciting was the correct word. Nerve-wracking was more applicable.

“Hey, it’ll be a free dinner at the very least, right?”

Huh. It would be a free dinner. Not too bad. I grinned. Hello four-course meal.

After we closed up the shop, I said goodbye to Zoey and hopped into my beat up scooter. My apartment was only a few minutes away and I made it there in record time. I jumped out of my scooter, pushed it a bit to the side and made my way up the stairs to my apartment, keeping an eye on my surroundings. Last thing I wanted was to get mugged of all twenty-five dollars in my wallet.

Downtown was a weird place. One moment you were in a clean-cut, beautiful bustling area and the next you were basically on skid row. I used to live in the better parts of the City near the community college, but after Gerald died, I’d had to find a cheaper apartment. I didn’t mind too much though. There were scarier places. And I didn’t have many neighbours.

Unless you counted the homeless people that sometimes squatted in the apartment below me. But they were generally pleasant whenever I came across them.

The building I lived in was decrepit; I’d give it that. The paint was nearly non-existent, the stairs sounded like they’d give in at any second, there were probably more weeds than grass on the lawn and the windows had bars over them.

Some may look at it and think uninhabitable. I look at it and think affordable.

I smirked at the memory of me bartering with the landlord. He’d originally wanted four hundred dollars a month, but I’d made him settle at three hundred with the promise that I’d shovel the driveway myself when it snowed.

The inside was a bit better than the outside— but that was all thanks to me. There were two apartments in the building. I lived in the upstairs one and the downstairs one was currently unoccupied. When I’d moved in I’d scrubbed down the hallway and the stairs until the wooden floors were almost shining. I didn’t touch the downstairs apartment, but I’d given my apartment the same treatment I’d given the hall. I mopped, swept, vacuumed, and bleached everything in sight. It still looked a little run down, but it was liveable and sanitary.

I kicked my shoes off by the door and immediately went into the bathroom to shower. The bathroom was a little smaller than I liked, but since I was the only one living here, it wasn’t too bad. The hot water and plumbing worked and that was all that mattered.

After showering, I went into my bedroom to dry my hair and plan out an outfit. I knew nothing I owned could compete with what Henry wore, but I had to try and find something. I dug through my closet clad in only my underwear, looking for any of my dresses, checking all the still-packed boxes. Then I searched my dresser. Upon finding nothing, I felt dread run through me. None of my dresses were here. I must have left them behind while I was moving.

I groaned, putting my hands on my head. I’d left back my finest dresses while moving and now i wish i took more time to pack. But then i thought there wasn’t really a lot of room in this place. But I didn’t think I really have any chances to wear them, but they were still cute!

I went back to my closet. There had to be something nice I could wear. Most of my clothing was old and crummy.

My cell phone started ringing and I walked over to my bed where I’d tossed it. The caller I.D read Henry Davies. “Hello?” I answered.

“Did you give me a false address to deceive me?”

“Uh, no. Why?”

“I don’t think I’m in the right place.”

Walking over to the one window in my bedroom that looked over the street, I peeked out of it, seeing a sporty black BMW idling in front of my apartment. Yeah, that was definitely him. “I’ll come outside,” I told him and hung up, quickly pulling on a pair of jeans and throwing on the first shirt I came across.

The stairs groaned as I descended them in my socks, feeling my heartbeat start to increase. I hadn’t got to warn Henry of just how crappy my apartment was. No wonder he thought he was in the wrong place.

A squatter was entering the first-floor apartment. I gave her a quick wave.

Once outside, I hurried over to the BMW, tapping on the tinted window. It rolled down and Henry appeared, looking apprehensive. “This is a prank, right?”

“What is?”

“You live here?”