Chapter 10

After visiting the hospital last night, the swelling and pain in her knee had reduced considerably. A little pain could still be felt whenever she stood or sat, which was totally expected. It could not heal completely in a day. And the doctor had told her to return for a check-up.

That was the first order of the day. A trip to the hospital. Miranda had only been to a hospital three times in her lifetime and one of those visits was yesterday after dinner. Now, she walked into the hospital for the fourth time in her life, the unfamiliar smell of disinfectant and bleach wafted into her nose, making her itch.

The white walls made her a little uncomfortable but soon after she was free to leave. The doctor had examined her and prescribed some other drugs. She was told to return if the pain or swelling intensified. Miranda walked out of the hospital joyful and hopeful. Things were really looking up.

Outside, seated in a black slick sedan was Walter Finn waiting for her to conclude her appointment with the doctor. She shuffled to the car, pulled on the handle, and entered.

"How was the appointment?" he asked once she settled in.

"It was fine. I've been cleared but he said to return if the pain or swelling worsens."

"That's good news. Can we go now?"

"Yes, please," she said and buckled her seatbelt. Walter eased the car out of the hospital's parking lot and onto the city's busy roads. As the car sped past shops, apartment complexes, boutiques, and cafes, Miranda thought ahead to what her day would be like.

It was going to be hectic, to say the least.

They would be heading to different areas in the city. Their goal? recovering all of her essential documents. it was a daunting task. She didn't have any sort of identification so her only option was to visit the appropriate offices, explain that she had lost all her identification in a fire, and ask what the appropriate steps to recover the documents would be.

There would be some payments to make. and that was where Mr. Devin, and by extension, Walter Finn came into the picture. She had no money. None at all. But Mr. Devin had promised to assist her with any funds she needed in the recovery.

When she woke up this morning, she convinced herself that the last night's occurrence was a lucid dream her brain had cooked up to soften the reality and make it easier for her to process. Therefore, she had been staring languidly at the world through her room's window when the receptionist's desk told her that Walter Finn had arrived for her.

She had gazed at the phone disbelievingly for a few seconds before dashing to the bathroom and washing with a speed that would make Usain Bolt jealous. She arrived at the hotel's lobby with an apologetic smile and slightly damp hair to meet the composed Walter waiting patiently.

It was not a dream. She was going to get the documents back, she was going to get a job at one of the biggest companies in the country and she was going to get her life back.

Understandably, Miranda had been smiling since she left the hotel, despite the tinge in her knee. She knew she looked stupid but she couldn't help it. The corners of her mouth remained upturned.

And they remained that way as Walter pulled into what looked like a showroom building. He parked the car and turned off the engine.

"Let's go in," he said as he opened his door.

"Okay," she replied, opening her door as well. She had no idea what his business here was but if he wanted her to accompany him then that was what she would do.

They strolled into the three-storey building and Miranda was immediately blinded by the array of devices, glittering and glinting in the artificial light. All sorts of phones from all sorts of manufacturers were on display, the large television screens playing promotional videos of the phones displayed beneath them.

Miranda spun around, mouth open, taking in everything in the large room. She had never bought a smartphone for herself, much less been around so many of them. Her only experience with phones had been in college when a rich student had given her a phone that she no longer had a use for.

That had allowed her to send emails and submit assignments online but the old phone had finally given up once she had graduated. She lacked a valid means to communicate after that but it was not too drastic of a loss.

She never stored her family's contacts on the phone and she did not have any friends to talk to. That, however, was not the case for the rest of the people in the showroom. They glanced at each of the phones, comparing them to the ones next to them, discussing their pros and cons.

Walter himself had stopped in front of one of the displays and was waiting for her to catch up. She blushed, feeling a little embarrassed. He was probably thinking she was a kind of country bumpkin, who had never used phones.

Miranda hobbled over and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Walter waved the apology away. "It's completely fine." He gestured to the phones on the display case between them. "What do you think about these models?"

Miranda leaned forward to examine the glossy smartphones. "They all look so shiny and expensive. I think they should be able to do what they promise to." She returned her gaze to Walter. "Do you need to replace your device?"

He shook his head. "No, I was instructed by the CEO to get one for you. Which would you like?"

Miranda gasped and her eyes widened. "CEO? Mr. Devin? He asked you to get one of these for me?"

"Yes. You'll be working in the company soon. It'll be a hassle if you did not have a proper smartphone and other accessories. So please, pick one for yourself, or better yet, we can have the salesperson pick out one for you. What do you say?"

What could she say except, "Thank you. I…uhm…," she fiddled with her thumbs, feeling overwhelmed. "Thank you very much."

Walter smiled kindly. "You're very welcome. Let's pick out one of these, okay?"

Miranda nodded and after half an hour of shopping, traversing the entire three storeys, she walked out of the building with a brand new smartphone, tablet, and laptop. All of which, she had been assured, were courtesy of Matthew Devin.

She entered the car with a bittersweet feeling. Her life was changing for the better. She knew. And it was something to be happy about.

As she looked down at the numerous devices in her, however, a bitter feeling crept up in her heart. She had hoped there would be a day that she didn't have to rely on another person in such a manner. But that day did not seem to be coming anytime soon.

Her clothing, the roof over her head, her food, the job she would soon begin, and even money she needed for miscellaneous things; everything came from Mr. Devin. How could she call herself an adult? She was not self-sufficient; she was not independent.

She had not earned any of this herself. It had all been given to her. The thought threatened to drag her to the depths of despair but she shook it off.

One day, she would pay him back, despite what he said. She would find a way to pay him back for everything. It would be difficult but she would pay him back.

"…anda."

What?

"Miranda," Walter said and tapped her on the shoulder. "Miranda," he called again. "Is anything the matter?"

Miranda snapped her head around to look at the assistant. "I'm sorry. What was that?"

"You've been staring at the window for a while now. Did you forget something in the building?"

"Oh, no. I didn't. I was just deep in thought. Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive." Walter pushed a button on the dashboard and the car's engine rumbled in response. "We'll be heading to the Office of National Identity Management. Please your seatbelt."

Miranda pulled the seatbelt across her chest and buckled it. Now, the day was truly beginning.

***

For what it's worth, the day went exactly as Miranda had predicted. Thinly-veiled insults from civil servants, paperwork, long queues, paperwork, transfer from office to office, and even more paperwork.

And they were not done.

Some of the institutions needed time to process the new documents and so, she had to wait until the end of the week before she could receive her full documents. She was certain that she would have to fill more paperwork whenever she arrived.

But no matter. She could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Miranda picked up the new phone she was given earlier in the day, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began browsing through its various features. It would take some time before she was used to everything. No troubles, though. She had the basic features down.

Like calling, texting, browsing the internet, and social media. And speaking of calling…

Miranda opened her contacts list and stared at the only contacts she had saved.

Walter Finn and… Matthew Devin. Yup, Matthew Devin. One of the richest and most powerful men in the world and she had his contact.

It had shocked her beyond measure when Walter had sent her the contact of the billionaire. She had simply assumed it was a mistake but no, he had taken it one step further and given her the scented, embossed personal card of Matthew Devin.

His personal and corporate email, fax, personal and corporate number, and more. The stylish card had it all. It was a treasure trove of information.

Miranda briefly wondered how much it would go for on the internet before a more dangerous thought entered her mind. Should she call him? Matthew Devin.

As she flipped the card in her hands over and over again, she felt that she could finally relate to Eve's dilemma in the Garden of Eden. This was forbidden fruit and she wanted it. She wanted to hear him call her name. She had never heard his voice over the phone. Was it very different from hearing him talk in person?

Was his voice deeper or lighter? She wanted to know.

Miranda glimpsed at the wall clock in the room. 7:14 pm. It wasn't late. This was around the time they were having dinner last night. What if he was having dinner with someone else now? What if it was a woman?

After all, Matthew Devin was one of the most influential persons in the world. The fact that he was wickedly handsome only added to his appeal and charm.

There was no doubt that he had a lot of women swarming to and around him. The thought deflated her excitement at receiving his contact. She had thought she was special but she definitely wasn't.

So what now? She didn't want to interrupt him if he was with someone but she still felt the need to express her thanks for what she had received today.

Sighing, Miranda picked up the phone and stared at the contact. Shakily, she tapped the call icon and placed the phone on her ear.

Deep breaths, deep breaths, she reminded herself as the phone rang. A soft click sounded before Matthew Devin's voice came through.

"Hello," he said, his voice low and controlled.

Miranda's breath caught despite all her attempts and she paused, frozen. Matthew Devin's voice in her ear. She had underestimated the intimacy. It was like he was beside her, whispering into her ear.

"Hello. Who is this?"

She squeaked, pulled the phone away, and ended the call. Panting, she placed a palm over her chest and struggled to quiet her loud heart. She closed her eyes and plopped on the soft bed. Why was she so nervous?

He was a billionaire, yes, but he was also a person. She just had to speak to him as she normally would and thank him for his gifts. That's all. It was simple and easy.

Tell that to her pounding heart.

Miranda exhaled and sat up, determined. She would speak to him this time around. She called once more and waited for the phone to be picked.

"Who is this?"

Matthew Devin's voice no longer sounded controlled. Instead, it carried a tinge of annoyance. She swallowed, nervous but pushed on.

"Hello, Mr. Devin. It's Miranda. Miranda Dunne."

Silence. Then… "Miranda? Good evening."

"Good evening. I'm sorry for calling at this time."

"It's fine. It's good to hear from you."

He probably didn't mean that. Nonetheless, it made her happy. "Thank you, sir."

She bit her lip, feeling unsure. "Uhm…I called to say thank you. Mr. Finn took me to the places where I could file for replacements."

Miranda could hear the sound of a car unlocking as he replied. "That's good. What is the status?"

"It's going well. I've been able to retrieve some of the documents but I have to return for the others by the end of the week."

"That means that you should be ready to work by next week."

"Yes," she nodded, though he could not see her. "I will. And I also wanted to say thanks for the devices. The smartphone, the laptop, and the tablet. Thank you so much. I am really grateful."

"It's fine. It's…fine. I'm glad you're happy."

Miranda smiled. "Thank you, sir. I hope you do not mind that Mr. Finn gave me your number."

"It's fine," he repeated. "I don't mind you calling me."

She smiled even wider. Once again, she doubted he really meant that. Nevertheless, she had no plans of calling again. This short call alone had set her cheeks ablaze. "That is good to hear. I do not want to take up any more of your time. Good night, sir."

"Wait, Miranda."

Miranda paused. "Sir?"

"Have…have you had dinner tonight?" Matthew asked, uncertainty slipping through his voice.

"No, I did not. Is there any issue?"

"No, no problem. I was just thinking… Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Miranda inhaled sharply, her heart pounding. Dinner? With him? Again?

"Yes, I…I would love to."