Some time later, Eros and V-fifty-six were in the car, flying. Despite all the hassle and losing money, Eros was humming a celebratory note. Finding a diamond in the rough must have put him on cloud nine.
Yet, his uneasiness about the girl lingered. Time alone would reveal if she was a saint or a devil.
Eros glanced at the rearview mirror, where she looked stunning in his coat; the blue color suited her more than him. He would ask his butler to order dresses in that shade.
The girl, silent since entering the car, spoke. "Stop peeping at me!" Her voice was cold, tinged with rage.
Eros shifted his focus to the sky and pressed the gas pedal. His preference hadn't changed, despite technology advancing by leaps and bounds. Something was evoking nostalgia for the old days. In a cheerful tone, Eros responded, "How could I ignore a beautiful lady sitting next to me? Your charm has captivated me."
The man who seldom praised was flirting—unbelievable! Today should mark Eros the Great turning over a new leaf.
Veronica grimaced at her hand. "Lady, huh! I didn't realise slaves got the title of being called a lady. You handcuffed me and took my freedom, and now you dare call me your lady." She yelled.
V-fifty-six knew such men and their deceptive charm. Men only flirt when their minds are on one thing: sex.
Eros sighed, eyeing the metal handcuff which was restraining her. He had no choice; otherwise, the girl might throw herself into the fire. After the reanimation spell, she was skinny like a dry leaf being torn from a tree. Eros assumed this was a side effect of the spell— lose body weight or experience amnesia. Fortunately, it was nothing fatal
"Do you remember anything happened between us?" His eyes darkened, recalling the dreadful memories.
"How many times do I have to say I don't remember anything?" she said irritably, tugging at her handcuff. "But I do remember you undressing me."
"I didn't. I know my boundaries, V-fifty-six."
Veronica rolled her eyes in disbelief.
At this moment, Eros was branded as an old, lustful man. The label stung; he couldn't convince her otherwise, though.
"All men are the same," she muttered.
The weather changed abruptly as grey clouds gathered, obscuring the sun and heralding thunder and lightning.
Travelling by a car in such conditions was far from ideal. The gusty wind rocked the car. Glancing at the map, Eros spotted a beacon of hope. They were far from the Rainstar checkpoint, and his connection was useless; he couldn't call for help.
"We need to pull over," he yelled as raindrops fell onto the car. "I saw a gas station on the map, about 2 kilometres away.
"Okay," Veronica muttered, remarkably calm.
The chaotic wind howled in their ears.
"Ahhh!" Veronica screamed as thunder cracked.
"Shield of Glob!" A dome appeared, acting as a giant umbrella, shielding them from the torrential rain.
The car descended and finally touched wet sand.
—————
Somewhere in the middle of the desert, where a couple grimaced as they watched weather change through a window.
The wife yawned, tired of her husband absentmindedly staring at the clouds.
"Honey, stop staring at those clouds and do some work," she said irritably. Both in their fifties, Mrs. Yang had a chubby face, short hair and small eyes while Mr. Yang was bald with a dusky complexion.
"Dear, I saw a glimpse of a bright future ahead. The next two customers can bring luck," he said enthusiastically.
She smacked his bald head for saying nonsense. Soon after, the door creaked open, revealing a man in a three-piece suit.
"Excuse me, can we stay here until the rain stops?" he asked, holding the door for a lady. Water dripped from their hair; the girl seemed slightly famished, while the man's golden eyes hinted at hostility.
Seeing the customers, Mrs Yang hurried over. "Are you two a couple?" she asked eagerly.
Before Veronica could deny it, Eros answered, "Yes, we are! Our electric car ran out of power two kilometres from here, so we walked for shelter." His voice betrayed a hint of pain in telling the fabricated story.
It was true that Eros' car had stopped not due to technical issues but because Veronica exploded like an active volcano and ventured into the car. The rest of you guys could imagine what would have happened if a girl went mad. Sadly, the car stopped working.
"Oh, you poor couple! Come inside our humble shop," Mrs Yang exclaimed sympathetically.
They entered the store and were bewildered by its interior. It resembled a general store and was designed to attract children and families. Candies adorned the front shelf, alongside meat jerky and hanging clothes—it was a proper gas station.
"So cool; I have never seen something like that." Veronica's voice revealed excitement.
The wife answered. "My husband wanted something that reminded him of his grandfather's gas station. So we build it like that. "
"No androids?"
Someone yelled from behind. "Robots are taking our jobs. Find another shop if you want Androids. This generation only relies on machines rather than themselves. '' Mr. Yang clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Novuche-era shops didn't have shopkeepers or employees; instead, robots snatched their work. Employees who always smiled and gossiped were gone in this era.
"Sorry, sir. My wife came from a metropolitan city, so she didn't know the reality. I apologised on her behalf."
Did he say his wife? He should have said 'girlfriend', 'fiancée', or even 'slave'. Something was cooking in Eros' mind, or the evil lord is turning shameless….
Mr Yang smiled at the man's humbleness. "You are a good husband. "
" I am trying too!" He held his hand on her shoulder.
Veronica gritted her teeth in rage, but she displayed her calm expression in front of the couple.
"Can you tell me where the bathroom is? " V-fiftysix asked it.
Mrs Yang guided Veronica to the bathroom.
As both ladies were gone, Mr Kim, half-Korean and half-British, thumbed up.
"Your wife is so beautiful, especially her long silver hair." He exclaimed. "She is too skinny, in my opinion. Man, you need to feed her a lot. Women with plump bodies are more tender than bones."
Eros didn't say anything.
Considering what the bald man advised him, he would ask Butler to make a diet chart for her. He liked chubby girls.
Mr. Yang's voice turned serious. "5 thale for using the bathroom.
5 thale!! It was daylight robbery, as using the bathroom costs only 1 thale. 1 thale is equivalent to 5 litres of gasoline.
Eros was contemplating whether he should pay or not, but killing a man for five thale didn't seem right to him. So he paid with menacing eyes.