The Betting Game

Chapter 8 - Charlotte Bound

Two weeks later, Angelica was Charlotte bound. It was bittersweet because she was excited about the professional opportunity, but sad she was moving away from her family and Claudia.

As her plane descended about two hours later, she looked out of the window at the vast patches of greenery. It seemed to have stretched for miles.

As she exited the terminal, a man in a black suit held a sign with her name on it.

"Hi. I'm Angelica," she said walking up to him.

"Hi. My name is Bill. This way, please."

He opened the back door for her to get in. Then, he put her luggage in the trunk.

While driving, Angelica was even more amazed at the city from the ground. There were multitudes of trees and lots of greenery. It was beautiful. She saw lots of brick buildings, churches and Waffle Houses. She knew she was in the South.

"Here we are, ma'am," said the driver.

He stopped in front of an eight-story building on North Church Street in Charlotte's Uptown Fourth Ward. Angelica saw a brown-skinned woman with a briefcase standing on the brick stairs near the entrance. Bill opened the door and helped her out.

"Hi. Miss Angelica Zambrano?" said the woman with a slight island accent.

"Yes."

"Hi. My name is Cherry Green. I'll be your assistant."

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well. Please follow me."

Cherry led them inside the building and into the elevator. Bill followed behind with Angelica's bags.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from? I hear an accent," Angelica asked Cherry.

"I'm from Jamaica."

"Really? That's surprising."

"Why is that?"

"Most Jamaicans I know live in Miami," said Angelica.

"Well, there are some in North Carolina, too."

Angelica laughed. It wasn't what she said, but how she said it. However, Cherry looked at her wondering what was so funny.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. I apologize if I offended you," said Angelica.

"You didn't offend me. No worries."

Cherry was an attractive 28-year-old that stood five-six, was skinny with a bubble butt and wore braces. She also wore small, squared glasses, had tiny twists and was soft-spoken.

"Wow! This is really nice," said Angelica walking into her new place.

Bill set her bags down in the living room while Cherry opened the curtains. Angelica thanked Bill and tipped him two hundred dollars before he left.

"As you can see, your boxes have arrived. They came in early this morning and are all accounted for. Your car is parked in the garage in your assigned parking space, number 603," said Cherry handing her the keys to her vehicle.

As Cherry talked, Angelica stood there blown away, admiring the beautiful view. The unit was modern and contemporary with coffered ceilings, marble floors, built-in wooden bookshelves, a marble fireplace, huge panoramic windows and beautiful furniture.

"Let me show you around."

Cherry gave her a tour of the fully furnished three-bedroom, three-bath, two-story, end unit with an interior and private, street-side entrance. The kitchen was sleek with black cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, white marble countertops and a dining bar. The family room had beautiful bay windows; there were lots of windows for natural sunlight, the media room had a wet bar and there was surround sound on the main floor. The upstairs was carpeted and had an oversized master suite with a private balcony and two additional large bedrooms.