"Did she overpay?" I looked at the waiter in surprise.
She was taken aback by my good looks, instinctively took a couple of steps back, nodded, and said, "Yeah, she dropped too much cash. Could you come with me, please?"
I nodded, stayed silent, and motioned for her to lead the way.
The waiter took me to the front desk, where we picked up our bill. The total for the meal we ordered was $500, but Mia paid $1000.
The front desk had to refund me $500.
So not only did I score a meal, but I also made a cool $500 profit.
Honestly, Mia's vibe towards me was solid, and she kept it real with me. Every time she hit me up, it was all about getting steamy between us.
The saying went when a woman was down to get sex with you, she was showing how she loved you.
Wasn't that Mia's deal?
She did it, she was really into me.
But now her fiance's messing around, am I just gonna stand by?
That ain't sitting right, not how a man rolls.
After some heavy thinking, I decided to ring up Mia.
But before I could, it was Fiona hitting me up first.
After a quick pause, I decided to answer the call.
"Hello? Ms. Larson, what's good?"
"I need your help, you still at the mall?"
"I am, what's going down?"
"Can you come over to Gate 1? I need to talk to you in person."
"Sure thing, I'll be there."
I hung up and made my way to Gate 1.
Tonight's situation also involved Fiona, and after Mia bounced, I hadn't really checked in on Fiona's deal.
Maybe she was feeling awkward jetting, 'cause let's face it, being labeled a side piece ain't ever smooth sailing.
As I arrived at the entrance, Fiona was standing anxiously next to a car at Gate 1.
"What's up? What's going on?" I inquired.
"Can you roll with me to Mia's office? Matthew just called me to come over, but he didn't give any details, and I heard him getting hit." She paused, then cautiously added, "I have a gut feeling that he's in hot water right now, so I need your backup. Can you tag along and pretend to be my boyfriend?"
Me? Play the role of her boyfriend?
Wasn't I supposed to be helping out Mia? If I go along with this, I'd be assisting Matthew and Fiona.
Should I ignore the one who cares for me and help someone who's hurt her?
"No way! Count me out."
"Don't shut me down so fast, I'm begging you! Please? Do I need to get on my knees to beg?"
As Fiona started to kneel down, I swiftly stopped her. "Stop! I'll go, okay?"
I decided to go along as Fiona's pretend boyfriend, keeping my ties with Mia under wraps.
"Get in the car! I'll drive us there!"
Fiona immediately opened the passenger door and waited for me to hop in.
It was the first time I saw her so attentive towards me, but her concern stemmed from the worry about her man getting hurt.
The more I pondered on it, the more I felt a mix of irony and frustration.
With a face like mine, am I really playing second fiddle to an elderly guy?
I object!
Fiona was cruising down the road, cutting the usual half-hour drive in half.
Luckily, it was nighttime, so the streets were deserted, or else I'd have been anxious about any possible accidents en route.
The car pulled up in front of a building, dark except for a few streetlights, with no signs of life around.
Suddenly, the sound of a whip cracking broke the silence.
Following the sound, I saw a large open space behind the building.
Fiona and I exchanged a glance and silently made our way over.
It was probably Matthew getting whipped over there.
I was low-key looking forward to it. Damn, he even intimidated me into being a male model before. Now, he's finally getting what he deserves, taking a beating.
I definitely wanted a front-row seat to witness it and savor the satisfaction.
But as I took a few steps forward, a bright flashlight hit my eyes.
"Who's there?"
Instinctively, I raised my hand to shield my eyes, squinted to see, and saw a man asking, so I quickly replied, "Relax, man, I'm with you guys."
"Who the hell are you with? Speak up! Or I'll blast you right here!"
As he spoke, the sound of a bullet being loaded echoed nearby.
Fiona was so scared she grabbed my sleeve, shaking uncontrollably.
I reassured her with a pat on her arm, signaling her to calm down.
"I'm telling the truth, your boss called us here. If you don't believe me, go ask yourself."
The man's tone softened, "What are your names?"
"David and Fiona."
"Stay put, come any closer, and I'll take you down."
"Got it, won't move a muscle."
Seeing my firm stance, the man turned and walked off.
Fiona clutched my arm, shaking it, "What now? There's a gun over there, are we in trouble?"
"Now you're worried about danger? What were you doing earlier?"
"I was just too worried about him. What do we do? Should we bail? Can we get out clean?"
Her using "him," she must mean Matthew.
I shot her a look, "Just? What about now? Not worried anymore??"
"I am, but I'd rather be alive to worry about him."
"Don't stress, Mia should be here too. She's tight with my sister-in-law, she won't let anything happen to me."
"But what if she comes for me?"
"I got your back, trust me." I soothed her nerves with a pat on her shoulder.
Before long, the man from earlier returned, this time with a woman trailing behind him.
I recognized her silhouette, and as she approached, Mia came into focus.
"Why are you here?" Mia queried.
"Just here for the watch, let us through."
"I knew you brought this chick along." Mia's tone was frosty as she glanced at Fiona.
Terrified, Fiona darted behind me, clutching my clothes and nearly tripping me.
Mia's glare grew more intense, her eyes burning with a fury that could cut through steel.