82 Money Well Spent
1330 Words
Blinking slowly, Joanna went back to eating her cake. She tucked in a loose hair so as not to get in the way of her food.
“You can go,” Joanna said, her face contoured in indifference. Noah might be imagining things, but a flash of disappointment flashed before her eyes.
Dismissing his hunch, Noah smiled at her, “Okay, then,” he pressed the lighted part of the cigarette on the ash tray. Joanna placed down the fork on her plate. She looked up and smiled at him.
“Shall we head home?” she asked, unsure of what to say next.
Noah stood first. He walked and halted all within a matter of seconds. Then, he reached his hand to hers.
Looking back and forth between his face and hand, Joanna appeared to be deliberating on what to do.
Noah couldn’t help but chuckle. So, he didn’t wait for her, and instead, he grabbed hold of her hand. Joanna squeezed his hand back, her smile widening. Throughout their walk toward Noah’s car, Joanna had a smile on her face, the blush spreading over face.
The car ride was peaceful, and when he finally dropped Joanna in front of her apartment, Noah rolled down his window and kissed her in the cheek.
Waving her hands as Noah maneuvered back in the highway, Joanna waved her hand good bye.
The resto-bar Brice asked them to meet was surprisingly not far away from Joanna’s home. He snatched the parking ticket and headed inside. Brice’s lively voice greeted him when he rounded a table near the bar’s door.
“Man, it’s good to see you,” Brice said as he tapped Noah’s shoulder.
When he’s settled on his seat, Noah removed his coat and had it hanged behind him.
Brice reached him out a cigarette stick. Noah murmured his thanks.
“How’s the business?” Noah asked as he lighted his cigarette stick.
Cocking his head to the side, Brice blew smoke out of his mouth, “It’s doing so well.” He thanked the water placing the meal he ordered for him and Noah.
The glint in Brice’s eyes held true to his words.
“Seems like you have good news?” he asked with an element of surprise.
Chuckling, Brice grinned, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe when I tell you everything that happened.”
“Looks like I made the right choice to invest in your company,” Noah said as he tapped the lighted end of the cigarette on the ash tray served by the waiter. Then, he helped himself to the Nacho Fries platter placed before him.
While chewing, Brice drank some wine instead.
Once he placed the glass down, he leveled his stare at Noah, “I’m thankful for that, man,” the sincerity of his words made Noah proud.
Nodding, Noah blew smoke, “You’ve helped me alot in establishing my Stream Ranch. We had nothing, and you were among the few people that stayed by my side since the beginning.”
“Don’t make me blush!” Brice smacked Noah’s back as he grinned. “We aren’t even in the good part.”
“Spill away,” said Noah as he leaned on his seat.
“I now have the dividend of your investment, and I’m giving it back to you, you damned risk taker!”
Noah cackled out loud.
The furrow on Brice’s eyebrows made Noah cackle some more.
“What’s so funny, Noah? Are you finally admitting that you’re getting crazier?” his friend asked, the humor lingering in his face.
Noah had to brush away the tears that pooled at the end of his eyes, “No. It’s just that the way you told me about the dividend was so funny. I couldn’t help myself!”
Brice smirked, “You thought I wouldn’t be able to give back, hey?”
“That’s what I thought,” Noah winked, “of course, you always proved me wrong.”
“You can email me your bank account, or I can have the check sent at your home,” Brice said while leaned back on his chair, his smile wide and pure.
Noah was indeed surprised when Brice was giving him the dividend of the investment, and to think that it was earlier than he had expected him to do so. It got him wondering what had happened for the few months they haven’t gotten in touch with each other. Has he found some solid investor besides himself?
Snatching another piece of fries on the table, Noah looked up and found Brice’s eyes, “Did you get any help?”
Brice blew the smoke over Noah’s face.
Noah, in turn, used his hand to fan it away, “That’s what I was about to tell you.”
He pressed the tip of the cigarette on the ashtray. His old friend wasn’t much of a fan of such vices. Noah never thought there would come a night that he would see the funny and quirky Brice smoking as if it was his daily habit. There must have been things that triggered him into doing so. Regardless, Noah didn’t like minding other people’s business. He would keep the observation to himself.
Brice sat upright, his chin on top of his palm, “The company had been doing well for the first year. But I find its growth to be kind of…” he trailed off, seemingly finding appropriate words to describe it.
Noah looked at the ceiling, “Slow?” he whispered to which Brice caught.
When their eyes met, Brice nodded, “Yes. And I couldn’t retrieve the capital I used in mending the said business.”
He looked aimlessly on the glass of wine in his hand. He swirled it, the liquid following the motion. “I was anxious, you know?” he brought back his stare on Noah, “I didn’t know whether I would file for bankruptcy later on.”
Noah nodded, “I understand what you’re trying to say.” When he was still staring with Stream Ranch, Noah had the urge to have save every penny he gets. He wanted to save as much penny as he can, so that when he failed in the business, he still would have money in his account to start a new one.
“Then, I started hunting for a good company that would support my own business,” he stated, “and your Italian friend here—”
“Who?” Noah was in shock in the mention of an Italian friend.
Brice rolled his eyes, “Whoever it is that’s here?”
Noah was silent in a long while.
Then, his face lit up. How could he have forgotten about Fitch being the best consultant there is? With all the fooling around the two of them had done for the past days, the fact that Fitch had a successful career life back in Italy blew out of his mind.
“You mean to say that Fitch helped you?”
Brice nodded, “Yes! And he’s the best,” his friend took a swig from the bottle of beer they ordered, “It’s what the generation Z says nowadays…” Brice thought for a minute. “What was it again?”
“The what?” Noah didn’t know what he was trying to say.
Brice elbowed him, “The part where the kids say when they spend their money good stuff?”
“You’re too old for this millennial stuff,” Noah teased. He lighted his cigarette while Brice threw a curse on him.
“Bloody hell, man,” Brice held his chin, “what was that phrase?”
“I bet you wouldn’t sleep at night because of that one phrase—”
Brice hushed him, and Noah blew smoke his way again.
“You have got to stop doing that,” his friend warned. “It’s at the end of my tongue.”
“How about you scroll down on that phone of yours? You might find something useful that could help you in remembering.”
“Right,” Brice said as he rummaged in his pocket.
He brought out his phone, and was scrolling like a mad man.
Noah was happy that Brice was able to succeed in his business. It was a surprise that Fitch helped him with all the Cora thing that’s been going around.
Mumbling beside him, Brice was concentrated in finding that one phrase he was talking about.
“I swear to god Noah, if I can’t find it I wont be able to sleep—” he let out a blood curling scream that made Noah jump from his seat.
“Jesus, Brice! What is it now?” Noah peered on his phone screen.
Brice’s grin was apparent on his face, “Money well spent,” he said.
Noah furrowed his eyebrows, his hands folded on his chest, “Huh?”
“It’s Money well spent!”
- Writer
