Seeing Red

Larles Checlerc

"I just met Charles Leclerc and I don't think I'm ever washing my hand again!" I announced walking into the apartment.

I heard three laughs instead of one, Julia and Gabriel were here too! I completely forgot about "family" game night.

Harriet and I used to have game nights every weekend, until I moved out for college and life got in the way. She managed to keep the tradition alive by playing with them, now that I was here she beamed that it was just like the good old days.

"What are we playing tonight?" I joined them.

"No you tell us how you met Charles!"

"You're not going to believe this, the kid I've been babysitting, is Charles' daughter! He's back in town for her." I squealed.

"Who are you babysitting again?" Gabriel asked.

"Pascale, the hair salon owner, her granddaughter Mia."

"Wait didn't Harriet get you the job?" Julia asked.

"Yeah! She did! Crazy she didn't-"

"I knew all along!" She chimed in.

"Did it not occur to you ONCE to have told me?"

"I thought it's an insignificant detail."

"Insignificant my ass! I panicked so bad in front of him!" I cried.

"Oops! So dinner first or Monopoly?" She tried changing the subject.

I gave in and decided to sit down for dinner, we ate, laughed and talked about all sorts of things and then cleaned up. It was finally time to start playing Monopoly, my favourite board game. As usual, I was made the banker and we started playing, it was going to be one long night the way it was going.

"Give me your cards losers!" I smirked checking my balance.

"There is no need to be so harsh Tara." Gabriel sighed handing his card.

"Let her win at something-"

"You're just bitter you didn't win!" I laughed.

I was packing the game up when my phone rang, it was an unknown number. Here's the thing about me, I hate phone calls.

Seeing an unknown number all the more gave me the excuse to not answer it, we waved goodbye Julia and Gabriel and just sat in the living room.

I wasn't sure just yet, if I wanted to tell Harriet about my little arrangement with Charles. My phone rang again, this time it was Pascale. I quickly answered to know why she was calling.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yes, well Mia is okay. She is fast asleep but there's someone who's now in great discomfort."

"What happened? Should I come over right now? Give me 5 minutes let me just-"

"No no! There's no need." She laughed, "I was talking about Charles, I gave him your number, he wanted to talk to you."

"Oh."

"He said that he even called you but you didn't answer the phone."

"I'm so sorry! I was having dinner with my sister, I'll call him right away."

"Good! Well, you and Arthur were a more ideal pair but this works just fine! Good night!" She ended the call.

I called up that unknown number with a tinge of guilt, Pascale had been so nice to me! Lying to her just didn't sit right with me, and now talking to him on the phone without freezing was going to be difficult.