FORTUNE: A FREENBECKY STORY

Chapter 9 🚕

"Dummy!" Nam repeats. "So when are you seeing her again?"
"Tonight! I think she's angry at me and that's why I can't sleep. I have to clarify things with her" Freen says, oblivious to Nam's exhausted expression.
"Ok, you do that" Nam concludes

They continue eating. "Anyway, tell me exactly how you met?" Nam says with a knowing look.

-

Becky was on her lunch break and she had gone to grab a cheese and ham sandwich from the university cantine. Just as she's about to pay for it she receives a call. It's Irin.

[ON THE PHONE]
🎸Becky!
🐶Hey Irin
🎸How's your first day going? I'm sure you're geeking out.
🐶I love it here Irin, the labs are state of the art and the faculty are so open minded.
🎸That's great! Where have you been? I didn't see you all weekend. You left with 'the regular' right?
🐶Irin, that regular. You'll never guess who she is.
🎸Of course I know who she is
🐶What! Why the heck didn't you tell me?
🎸More importantly, WHERE DID YOU GO?

Becky paused. She wasn't sure she wanted to rehash the weekend, bringing back to the surface those raw feelings of heartbreak.

🐶We spent the weekend together.
🎸THE WHOLE WEEKEND?
🐶Well, most of it, why?
🎸Well... She owns Diversity. I see her about once a year now but when Diversity first opened up she was here every week partying and always left with a different girl.

Becky suddenly felt a rush of embarrassment at the thought that she was just a fling to Freen and that everybody who knew who Freen was knew that too.

🐶Oh really?
🎸Yeah she's a real player.
🐶Oh.
🎸Maybe I should have said something. But you just got into town and I thought you needed a little fun.

Becky put her face in her palms. She paused and let out a heavy sigh.

🎸Becky?
🐶Yeah I'm here ... You're going to think I'm so dumb.
🎸Why what happened?
🐶The thing is, I think it was more than a little fun for me. I've never been intimate with anyone before. It was my first time.
🎸Oh my god. Are you ok?

Becky's face was flushed with blood. She was visibly embarrassed. She suddenly felt like everyone was staring at her. She got up and began to walk back to the physics building.

🐶Thanks for telling me Irin. Honestly, I thought I was in love and that we had a deep connection but it all makes sense now. The way she kicked me out of her house, the way she never sent me a text or explained herself and her engagement announcement. I guess I was just a notch on her belt.
🎸KICKED YOU OUT? SHE'S ENGAGED? What an asshole.
🐶No, I think I was just presumptuous 😂 I actually thought I was in love.
🎸Are you okay though?
🐶I'm fine. Better now.
🎸I'm working tonight I'll come to see you after.
🐶 ok, I have something else to do this evening but lets meet up after at North Hann Spring Gardens. Around 9:30? We can go home together.
🎸Ok, see you this evening, I love you, bye.
🐶 Ok I love you, bye.

Becky dropped the phone and immediately looked at her watch. She was going to be late to her 1-2-1 session. She dashed off to the department head's office, arriving just in time.

"Hi Come in!" They (Pronoun) said greeting Becky with a firm handshake. Becky entered the office with a smile.

Their chat lasted just an hour but when it was time to leave Becky felt like they had built a budding friendship. "I'll see you on Wednesday for the fundraiser." Becky said as she waved them off.

Her first day on campus was everything she'd hoped it would be but she still had a pit in her stomach in anticipation of seeing Freen later that evening. With a deep breath in to get her her courage she whistled for a taxi and headed into the city.

The taxi arrived at a shopping complex that housed the garden area Becky and Freen had planned to meet in. Becky had not been here in years. She spun around to investigate the area. It reminded her of her Da. They would come here every weekend when she was little to do some "window shopping" - which was what her Da called shopping when you don't take a single item home with you.

Nothing could replace the warmth she felt when she thought about her Da. She carried that mood with her as she weaved through the market like a local till she arrived at a fortune-teller just outside the gardens area.

Becky's family had always taught her about ancestral connections so she was not a stranger to the concept of fortunes. She had been taught to never ignore a fortune so when the fortune-teller called out to her she immediately obliged.

Becky had received a fortune reading 2 times in her life already. Once when she was very young and another time at a local fair in London. Both times she had come away with incredible insight and wisdom for her life.

The woman pointed at her blazer pocket. "Who is that?" she said. Becky reached into her pocket and pulled out the blue perfume she had picked up in her mother's closet the previous day, now shinning even brighter than before. Becky was fascinated by its glow.

"You have a Genie in your pocket" she said.