Chapter 3: A Request
1179 Words
After Ashley Garcia finished speaking, the neighborhood entrance fell into a momentary silence.
The next instant, Nolan Quinn could distinctly feel the envious and jealous gazes of the bystanders almost piercing through him...
Especially the breakfast joint's owner, who couldn't believe that a man, who had just attempted to use a counterfeit $10 bill and clearly lacked basic economic knowledge, was being approached by such a beautiful woman.
The world really isn't fair!
Nolan was also taken aback. He had never encountered a beautiful woman, driving a luxury car no less, initiating a conversation with him.
"Um, Miss Garcia, hello, my name is Nolan Quinn. May I ask what you need?"
Following her lead, Nolan introduced himself before inquiring.
"I..."
Just as Ashley was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of the bystanders still paying attention to them and stopped mid-sentence, suggesting, "This isn't quite the right place. How about we find a quieter spot to talk?"
After saying this, her gaze hinted towards a nearby Starbucks, suggesting they head there for a chat.
However, Nolan instinctively suggested, "How about we go to my place? It's just me there, very quiet."
He had noticed Ashley's glance but wanted to save money.
Going to Starbucks seemed like a waste to him, with a couple of drinks costing dozens of dollars.
Even though Nolan, who had been saving up for a wedding, now knew about his newfound wealth, old habits die hard, and he couldn't shake off his penny-pinching ways just yet.
Ashley was startled for a moment, then, biting her lip and showing a moment of hesitation, she finally agreed after a struggle, "Okay, that would be lovely. Please lead the way!"
After her response, Ashley felt her heartbeat quicken.
It was her first time going to another man's home, which frightened her somewhat.
Given her awareness of her own charm, if Nolan were to harbor any ill intentions, it wasn't entirely impossible.
But she didn't want to, and couldn't afford to miss this only chance to seek help...
Nolan smiled, "No worries, then follow me."
With that, Nolan turned and led Ashley into the residential complex.
The bystanders who saw Nolan effortlessly taking a beautiful woman home were going crazy with envy, "That guy got picked up by a beauty early in the morning."
"Is that guy kept by her?"
"I'd be willing to be kept by such a beautiful woman, too!"
Thinking about Ashley's graceful figure, the crowd was filled with sour envy.
Why couldn't such good fortune happen to them?
Unaware of the chatter behind him, Nolan and Ashley entered the elevator, where the confined space left them in silence.
Nolan, catching a whiff of Ashley's fragrance and glimpsing the exquisite collarbone and the hint of more beneath her neckline, felt his heartbeat accelerate...
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
Upon arriving home, he opened the door.
"Sorry, my place is a bit of a mess," Nolan said somewhat sheepishly upon seeing the untidy room.
"It's fine," Ashley said with a light laugh, looking around Nolan's room in surprise.
How could Nolan live in such a modest room?
This was far too humble; she remembered even the servants at her family's house lived in much better conditions...
Could she have been mistaken?
Was Nolan really just a poor guy?
Wait!
Ashley's gaze suddenly fixed on the shoe cabinet, and she showed an incredulous expression, her delicate face filled with surprise...
Scattered on the shoe cabinet were several one-dollar coins, one even covered by a sock...
She couldn't believe her eyes.
These were one-dollar coins!
One should know, a one-dollar coin is considered a top-tier rare currency, with each coin's edge crafted from the highest purity gold, capable of buying a luxury villa in Philadelphia.
Each coin had a unique serial number and was embedded with a chip by the World Bank Alliance, making their production extremely difficult.
Given their economic value, each coin was exceedingly rare, with unknown if there were even a hundred of them worldwide.
And now...
Several one-dollar coins were carelessly scattered in Nolan's home, even covered by a sock???
Ashley Garcia was no novice like the breakfast joint's owner.
With her keen eye, she immediately recognized that the coins were genuine. That was why she was so shockingly rendered speechless for a moment.
"Miss Garcia, please have a seat... uh, Miss Garcia?"
At this point, Nolan Quinn was hastily tidying up the sofa and, after making some space, he noticed Ashley staring blankly at the shoe cabinet, promptly calling out to her.
Only then did Ashley snap back to reality, her breathing slightly hurried and her cheeks flushed with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
"Mr. Quinn, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed.
She was indeed taken aback by Nolan's wealth.
"Sorry to scare you. I'm used to living messily since it's just me here."
Nolan thought his untidiness had frightened her and quickly threw away the sock, gathering the scattered coins somewhat carelessly as he sheepishly tried to explain.
"These coins... uh, I initially thought about getting a piggy bank for them, but then I ended up bringing so many home that I forgot about it, and now they're just lying around... I didn't mean to make a bad impression."
In Nolan's neighborhood, unlocking a shopping cart required a one-dollar coin, and since he never carried coins with him, he ended up exchanging them at the supermarket and inadvertently accumulated a pile at home.
He offered this explanation as a sort of excuse for his disorganization.
But to Ashley, after hearing this explanation, her eyes widened in shock, looking at him as if she had seen a ghost. Was this man's statement too unbelievable?
The notion of having too many coins to bother organizing them was inconceivable to her.
She suddenly felt dizzy, overwhelmed by the sheer absurdity of the wealth implied.
She had seen wealthy individuals before, but never anyone who treated money with such nonchalance.
Even her own wealthy grandfather would secure one-dollar coins in a safe.
Yet, Nolan Quinn seemed content to merely consider using a piggy bank for them, and even then, he forgot about it altogether.
"Who is this man, a hidden billionaire?" she thought to herself.
"No, it's okay, Mr. Quinn. I don't mind!"
Ashley finally managed to say with an awkward laugh.
She suddenly realized that Nolan's modest living conditions, which she found peculiar, were actually quite normal for someone of his unfathomable wealth.
To him, a simple lifestyle might indeed be a choice, a reflection of a higher state of being that ordinary people couldn't comprehend...
Unaware of how his casual demeanor had elevated him in Ashley's eyes to a sage-like figure of wealth, Nolan cleared his throat and suggested they sit down.
"Miss Garcia, can you now tell me what it is you wanted to discuss with me?"
Regaining her composure, Ashley took a deep breath, looked Nolan in the eye, and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Quinn, I was hoping to have the opportunity to collaborate with you!"
- Writer
