ELIZA

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR: ARRANGEMENT

"Chubster is a very talented artist," Barb praised her boyfriend, and the man laughed out loud.

"You're exaggerating," he waved his hand, "my employees are artists. I have a tattoo studio," he explained to me.

"And three discos," Barb added as if it was supposed to impress me.

I nodded. I could have guessed it all. His appearance didn't look like a white-collar worker... But hey, I shouldn't judge him like that, after all, Cosmo didn't look like a typical entrepreneur either, more like a kidnapper...

"So what, will you help me?" I turned to Barb with hope.

"Actually, it might be interesting, I've never talked to a criminal before."

I was about to say something harsh to her, but luckily I bit my tongue in time. Instead, I took out a piece of paper that I had written earlier and told Barb to read Cosmo what was inside it. I gave her the address of the detention center where he was being held and his description so that she would know who she was talking to.

I returned to the apartment alone, to a ton of obligations. Unfortunately, I couldn't focus on them, I had many doubts about the plan to liberate Cosmo. Will Barb make it? When will she go to him and will her boyfriend allow it? Will Cosmo want to see her at all? And will he do what I ask of him? Cosmo wasn't the type to follow orders obediently...

During the next days I had many things to do and the last exam. I was really fed up with everything, projects and catching up.

Two days before the trial, an excited Barb contacted me.

"I was at..."

"Shhh," I silenced her before she could say something more. "I'll come to you."

As I thought nothing had come of it, I was really glad she called me.

I wasn't in her apartment a long time, I even had the impression that a lot had changed - she hung new curtains, rearranged the living room and bought a new sofa. I recalled a fond memories about how we tried on dresses in the bedroom for the wedding to which Cosmo and I were going.

"How does he look like? Is he all right?" I asked when we sat down on the chairs.

Barb was staring at me.

"He's handsome," she laughed, covering her mouth with her hands. "Very much. Are you sure he kidnapped you? I don't think I'd mind."

"It's complicated," I replied with a shrug. "How is he?"

"At first he was reluctant to talk at all, but when I said that my friend was curious if he was okay, he guessed that I was taking about you. He asked if my friend was very mad."

I just felt that maybe I shouldn't involve Barb in this. I didn't expect them to talk outside of the script I wrote.

"So I told him no, not to worry," she waved her hand. From her perspective, she probably said something good, but I didn't mean it. She was just supposed to give him a message, nothing else.

I put a good face for a bad game.

"Did you say what was on the note?"

"Of course. According to what you wrote, I told him that you went voluntarily, even though at first you argued a bit about leaving."

I nodded. I couldn't give more information because I didn't know if Cosmo was being watched, but this one sentence should be enough for him to know what line of his defense I would go.

Two days passed far too quickly. Before I knew it, I was already sitting in the courtroom. Fortunately, they didn't let reporters inside, however, the case was so publicized by the media that reporters were waiting at the entrance to the building and besieged me as soon as I got out of the car.

I slipped through without a word thanks to my sister and Leon. They covered me as best they could, saying "no comment" to every question asked by the journalist.

As I continued to maintain that I wasn't a victim and that Cosmo had done nothing to me, I was there only as a witness.

The prosecutor was sitting alone and Cosmo's attorney was sitting opposite him. The accused was brought in by the police moments later in handcuffs.

It was the first time I had seen him since our parting at the airport, the first time since the dramatic goodbye and separation by the police. Suddenly all the emotions came back. My heart started beating fast.

Then our eyes met.