"Serahtti!" a familiar voice echoed through the front door of my room.
I stood up and made an expression showing a, "What? What do you want?" as I arched both my arms over my hips.
"Girl! I have a proposal for you! You won't even say a 'no' to this!" she announces happily and grabs a bite of her expired bread.
I just raised an eyebrow— out of curiosity and out of frustrations remembering what happened the last time she gave me a 'side hustle'. I continued packing up my things.
Her name is Alouette Llorente. A friend— rather a 'partner-of-crime' of mine.
"You in?" she uttered beside me and placed a 'business card' on the table. It has a glittery yet elegant type of card.
I looked at her and made a hand gesture of asking, "What trouble will it be this time?" She immediately puckered her lips up and wrapped her arms around mine. "Girl, I'm so sorry about last time. Do I have to kneel first before I can get your forgiveness? Please? Can you help me? I promise this will be the last time that I will going to ask you a favor." She stated, a a begging tone of desperation.
I frowned, weighing the things if I could still let her intervene in my scheduling for my side hustles— if I could still trust her 'favor'. Unlike her, she is the daughter of a well-known tycoon while I was just a girl from an orphanage... who had just gotten out of 'freedom' from physical labor after turning out to be a minor ages ago. I met her through my side hustle. I wondered why she was here pestering me. She was a runaway daughter who just wanted to experience 'freedom to choose their life'. We were totally in complete opposite sides of a coin.
I sighed. I asked with a gesture of "Now, tell me, what was this trouble all about?" Mouthing the words without a sound yet emphasizing the word 'trouble' so that it will embed in her that I will not going to tolerate another shot of trouble.
For pete's sake! I just want a normal day. To earn some money and to support my goals of achieving certifications and doing business.
Money talks?
She just grinned and I swear, I cannot trust this type of smitten in my whole life.
But, there is no going back now.
With a loud bang of the cubicle's door, I snapped out of my dreary dreams. I am now in the comfort room, thinking if I should step out of the room either to tell an excuse to my not-so-troublesome-friend to get out of this mess or to just go with the flow and take the money I needed to register for class so I could earn a certification.
Relax, Serahtti! You just need to pretend to be a damsel-in-distress daughter of the power-giant business owner of the Llorente group of companies! You gotta be bold enough just to frighten away the potential 'husband' of your oh-so-loving-friend!
I bit my lips, they were becoming dry just like the Sahara Desert due to nervousness and sudden panic. I was not informed well that her proposal of 'side hustle' will be immediate and will be tonight too! I need a mountain of well-spring just relieve this parchedness.
I gulped before looking at my wristwatch. I still have 10 minutes to run away, but...
Money talks, again!
Oh god! I shook my head, composed myself, and took a deep breath.
Nevermind! I badly needed the money for myself. I imagined myself being happy with the things I love doing.
I looked at the mirror, painted a smile with my rosy red lips, gaslighting myself to be happy since I am wearing branded and luxurious clothes from my friend.
I finally stepped out and the clicking of the tips of my stilettos reverberated on the floor. Attire oneself with a facade of lavishness, it reflected the persona of nothing but an "atm-must-be-swiped-up-to-drought" whims of hers. Living a life of opulence, glittering in the elite society she's in... a total shopping-spree will going to happen once she steps into the whole franchise, 'deplete' is the only term to be used afterwards.
You got this, Serahtti! You just need to make the man back down with your lifestyle!
No feelings, no affection.
No engagement, no wedding.
Just a blatant rejection goal.
As I come closer, there was a silhouette of a man who's stature makes you think twice. He sat alone in a quiet yet sophisticated manner inside a café. I caught the sight of piles of papers inside his translucient attaché case. His demeanor speaks intrinsic quality of a distinguished man— and that is the personality I needed to prey on.
I trembled a bit with his superb aura from behind but I maintain my posture and act confidently focusing with my mission.... is to make him fall back and regret meeting me.
Target locked.
He noticed my presence, and I swiftly took the chance to sit down 'elegantly' in front of him and to make him feel 'there is no room in here for unchivalrous acts.'
I act in disbelief from that moment on. Is there such a thing as a sculpted man coming from life? He brought back to life the sculptures from the Louvre museum. There is no comparison of how amused I was, and it somehow slipped through me.
I found him looking at me; I stammered inside. His striking jet-black eyes are piercing through my core. I gulped and looked away for a moment.
There was a gap of silence.
Fortunately, he broke the silence brought up the topic after he asked the waiter for the menu, "Whatever suits your taste,
I can pay for it, Missy." He calmly stated— as if, he was telling me that I am a typical sucker of grandeur.
What a daring treaty to enunciate. No introductions? No introduction.
I was straight up taken aback. Did he just mock my fake lifestyle and bait my 'perception' in life?
Should I celebrate now that he heeded my intentions or feel kind of insulted due to his remarks? I mean, yes, I was playing the role of a spoiled brat... But his words spoke something that tingles my inner core to boiling point.
Instead of letting my expressions get scrunched, I made my first move.
I lifted my hand to make small strokes with the glimpse of being a spoiled brat. The least thing I could care about at this moment was whether he grasped what I meant to say or whether he became uninterested in me.
Yes. I used sign language to answer him and to introduce myself as well.
And yes, I am a mute person.
I wanted to know how my very considerate friend would feel upon learning of the total chaos I have brought to her name.