Need You

CHAPTER O7

"Hey." I heard when I opened my eyes. Amanda was sitting next to me in her pajamas. "Are you okay?"

I briefly shut my eyes.

"You were wincing and panting."

"Yeah, I am." I said as I sat up. I was in their living area. What's the time?

"Almost eleven." She said. "Do you want me to get you water?"

"No. Thank you. Is Ethel back?"

"Not yet. I'm sure she will soon."

"Okay."

There was a period of awkward silence where I could just feel her eyes on me. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Where did you live before you came here, claiming that this was your house?" I wasn't expecting that question.

"Um..." I didn't have a lie for this one, yet. "Um..." I wished I had accepted her offer to get me water. "Um... well I was in Europe." I remembered what Richard mentioned and decided to run with it.

"Europe. Where?"

"London."

"Okay." She said but I felt she didn't believe that. "I don't mean to be inquisitive but were you there alone?"

"Yeah, I was."

"How long were you there?" She asked another question I wasn't prepared for. "I don't remember exactly." I was so uncomfortable.

"It must've been for probably two years because I've been here for two years." She suggested.

"Yeah it was." I chuckled. "Wow, it seems like it was less."

She nodded. "It must have been a fun stay. I have to go to bed."

"Do you want me to let you into Ethel's?"

"Yes please."

She got up and went into a room, returning with a bunch of keys. There was a door to the left of the main door which led to Ethel's.

"Thank you." I said as I entered.

"Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight."

I switched the TV on without thinking of how Ethel would feel about it. I mean it was just the TV. I had been woken up from a nightmare by the same person who interrogated me like I was a criminal.

I was but she didn't know that. She clearly didn't trust me.

The door opened and Ethel walked in. "You aren't asleep?"

"I just woke up actually. Amanda let me in."

"Okay." She said. "I hope you've eaten."

"Yeah." I hadn't but I was fine.

Sitting on the couch which had its back facing the kitchen she asked, "How was the job hunt?"

"Good. I was able to get two job interviews, both due next week."

"That's great."

"Yeah. So hopefully two weeks from today, I'd either be working as an accountant or a financial analyst." I told her and she grinned at me.

"I hope you get either too." She paused. "You said it's due next week?"

"Yeah."

"Then we have to get you ready." She said quickly. "Appearance wise." She added. She and her niece were quite alike.

"Oh no. You don't have to do that. I'm sure I can still get the job even if I do my interview in a pair of jeans."

"You could but if you get the job, you can't keep going to work in jeans."

"Okay, but your niece already offered to help with that." I said happily. She chuckled.

"That's good." Ethel stood and made her way into her room.

In the morning, Ethel spoke to me about the meeting she had with the investors yesterday.

"Overall it was okay. I think I was able to convince most of them but the newest investor insisted that we take the loan."

That was a risky idea. "So it's still under deliberation. I do hope we don't have to take the loan." She added.

If any major losses were made, it would affect all the investors.

At my station washing dishes, the chef asked me to go and clean some tables. It wasn't my designated duty but I had to do it. I realized the dining area wasn't as busy as I put empty and half empty plates and glasses into the rectangular collector I was using.

I could have the leftovers for my break. I was hungry. Stealthily, I pushed all the leftovers onto one plate and started eating.

I took the first bite and I froze when I heard, "What are you doing?"

I put the plate down as the person who spoke came into view. It was Leo. "Were you eating the leftovers!?" He exclaimed.

It was embarrassing. "I wasn't." I tried to sound bold. I dumped the food into the bin and he said mockingly, "And there goes your lunch."

"There goes whose lunch?" Nikki came in.

I could only imagine how embarrassed I'd be if Leo were to bring it up. "Harry's." He answered with a smug look. "He just threw it into the bin."

"Why? Was something wrong with it?" She asked.

"They were leftovers so you can guess."

"Leftovers?" Nikki asked, confused.

"Yeah."

I wasn't going to let him embarrass me that easily. "The fact that you saw me putting the leftovers in one plate doesn't mean I was going to eat it."

"But you were eating it." He stated, the smug look still on his face. "And you dumped it into the bin when you saw me."

"Was I supposed to not dump it? Did you want me to reserve it for you?" I quipped. "I was doing my job."

His smug look turned into a surprised one. He opened his mouth to speak but Nikki said, "Leo, a customer just walked in."

"Time for you to go and do your job so that I can do mine." I said boldly, turning to the sink.

I didn't see him leaving but when Nikki asked, "Have you eaten?" he wasn't there. That was good.

"Um, no."

"Okay. Are you done with the dishes?"

"Yeah." I said as I put the last plate in the dishwasher.

"That's good. I'm having brunch with Amanda and Gina and they insisted that you join us." She said with a smile, but I wasn't so sure about having brunch with them.

Hearing that Amanda insisted made me uneasy, probably because I felt she didn't trust me.

"Can I do that?"

"Yes." She replied. "The restaurant isn't so busy right now and you're done with your work so you can. Let's go."

I didn't have a reason not to go so I followed her. We weren't in the main dining area but something like an exclusive section. It was no different from the main dining area asides the fact that it was secluded.

"Gina," Amanda spoke and I was starting to get anxious. "I remember you saying you know Derrick."

Why was she talking about Derrick? I swallowed the spaghetti in my mouth as she asked Gina, "Have you heard from him? Harry said he lost his contact."

Gina nodded, swallowing her food before saying, "He said he'd lost your contact too."

"You met him?! Where?" My voice for the second question was softer.

"About two days ago." She said as she tapped her phone screen. "I'm trying to call him but he's not answering."

"Where did you meet him?" I repeated my question.

"I don't remember the exact place, but it was outside a store."