Run Away With Me

Chapter 8: Galela, West-Gavela.

Fake smiling has some consequences, for examples: the breakage of your face muscles and the need to punch the thing that has you fake smiling.

This whole situation makes me want to grab something and hit the woman upside the head with it.

It's not even the nauseating smell of her cologne, or how she is pressing herself against Nao – even with his protests – and not even the shrill laugh that she releases every four seconds.

But the fact that this woman is Corin. Nothing else, just herself is the problem.

Corin is one of the most beautiful women I have ever met, short dark hair, curve-less body and charisma, but... she's the worst human being that I had the displeasure of meeting.

Yet she's one of the most influential people in Reim, with her plantation and all. So I have no choice but to endure her.

"Kill me now..." Jamaica mutters from behind his scarf, glaring at the woman walking in front of us. I have no clue how Nao manages to keep it together and not yank his eardrums out, but Jamaica and I seem to be falling short on that ability.

Corin leads us down the dark pathway that leads to her underground plantation. The place is dark and humid, suffocating even. Through the dark I see four bodies on the ground, sifting through the dirt, light from the lamps reflecting off their sweat.

Corin continues without batting an eyelash, rambling away to Nao about some pedicure she just got.

"So, tell me again," she says, stepping into an air-conditioned space that seems to be her office, "what is it that you need?" She lets Nao go and takes a seat behind her desk, we follow suit, sitting on the plastic chairs strewn around the place.

"It's about the-" I'm interrupted by her shushing. She turns to Nao with an interested look. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't she have a husband and two lovely daughters? What's her problem with chasing after young folks then?

First time I met her she found a way to get me into her bed. Long story short, her room was left with vomit everywhere.

"We need three Vafeya seeds," Nao says.

"Oh, my main product, is it?" She leans back in her chair, her eye racking up his body. Of course she'll try to make him pay with something other than money. "What to do, what to do? They're my main product you know, not cheap." The suggestive glance she gives Nao falls on blind eyes and I smirk.

"Name the price," I interject. Of course, Nao is paying, since he's robbing a bank and all. She gives me a cold look and I turn away, looking out the window. The lit up air-conditioned space we are sitting in is a stark contrast to the warm and dark outside.

"Loopie, it's been awhile." The fakest smile known to man appears on her face, I try to beat her with my own.

"Indeed." My face hurts. "How's it been going lately, still flourishing?"

"But of course." Lies, lies and more lies. A month ago her partner's place burned to a crisp, so now she's holding herself by the neck, on the point of bankruptcy and arrest. I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately, since she has whole Galela by the collar.

She opens her mouth, about to say something, but her phone rings. She excuses herself and exits the office.

"I've been meaning to ask." I turn to Nao. "How are you going to pay?" Is he a rich billionaire after all or...?

"I got it." I huff at his answer.

Corin comes back inside, tapping on her smart phone. She pushes the door close with her butt and takes a seat again. "What were we talking about?"