CHAPTER 33. Rest Day
1885 Words
“I know a place, where you can surely forget all the stress and frustrations you feel,” Axel announced and playfully winked at his friend.
“I don’t think I would be glad of you.” Gabriel retorted.
“You will. Just relax.” his friend replied, giving him a wicked smirk as he started the engine.
While Axel is driving, Gabriel takes off his coat and throws it in the back passenger seat. He sits up straight and starts thinking about what his next step could be.
“You think there’s another piece of that pearl somewhere?” He suddenly mumbled out of nowhere, watching the streetlights from the outside.
“I don’t know. Maybe if you dive into the deepest bottom of the ocean, you’ll find one,” Axel responded while manipulating the steering wheel.
“Why are you so interested in that pearl anyway, huh? I can’t believe you almost lost millions with that tiny thing. I might understand you if you are uncle Leo, but no. Even himself won't spend that much for a collection, for sure.” he unbelievably added.
“It is for Crystal.”
“Wow! Crystal again. No offense Gab, but it made me think she hypnotized or cast a spell on you while you stayed on the island with her. You’re not even sure if you’ll be seeing her again, right?” Axel honestly told Gabriel.
“I’ll find her. I have this feeling that we are going to see each other again,” He guaranteed.
“But-”
“Don’t fight it, because I know we will, one day.” He insists. Axel just shrugged his shoulders and stopped arguing with him.
They continue their journey quietly until they have arrived at the place that Axel told his friend.
“Mi Paraiso? What’s with this place, bro? Is this how you relieve your stress?” Gabriel teased his friend, looking up to the establishment just beside where they parked.
“Why not? It’s effective, you know. But it is my first time here, I just heard about this place from one of my colleagues.” Axel told him and started unbuckling his seatbelt, opening the door on his side, then Gabriel followed.
Axel’s eyes sparkled the moment they entered the club, and seeing the beautiful ladies around made him grinned in excitement.
“You look like an i***t. Are you that hungry for a woman, huh?” Gabriel commented.
“Come on, don’t be grumpy. How could you not feel pleased with the view?” Axel walks towards the bar counter and orders whiskey for both of them.
Suddenly the place became even darker after turning off some lights in the hall and everyone focused their attention on the stage when the music started. But the customers got furious when the person who came out from behind the wine-colored heavy curtains was not the person they had expected.
“Margaux! Where’s Lotus?” The one cried but the lady who’s currently dancing on the stage seemed not offended and continued her moves, trying her best to attract everyone.
“We want Lotus! Get her on stage!” the one added.
“Who’s Lotus?” Gabriel got confused and asked the bartender.
“Madam Margaux’s new angel. She’s the most captivating angel here in the club, and even though she’s wearing a mask. The customers get wild whenever she’s on stage.” the man answered.
“Interesting,” Axel remarked, nodding his head.
“Since she came, our regular customers have doubled. That's why madam favored her more than her other angels.”
“I’d like to meet this angel Lotus,” Axel added dreamily again while Gabriel only gulped the liquor from his glass.
“What about you, bro?” He inquired Gabriel.
“I will never be interested in a lady who’s working in this kind of place.” He bitterly said as he asked for another shot.
“Yeah right, because you are more interested in a lady living on the island who almost turned you into a beggar and is now missing.” But Gabriel again just ignored him and turned to the bartender.
“Keep it coming,” he ordered.
*****
It's been weeks since Crystal starts her work at Mi Paraiso as Jason's asset and they still have no hint of Margaux's vault aside from the name of the mafia boss she is negotiating with, Sebastian Jones. However, they didn't know the man's features as he was very cautious since he knew extremely that the law and his other opponents that yearned for his death were after him.
Tonight, Crystal is planning to visit Pearl and Roxanne at their house, which she always does whenever she has a break from work. But before proceeding to see them she is going to a supermarket first to buy something for dinner with her new family and thought that hiding her face with a mask while dancing on stage is a significant advantage to keep her self-esteem while wandering around the city. And she is no more naïve about her new surroundings, as little by little she learned things around unlike before.
Wearing a plain cream dress that ends up below her knees and flip-flops, she felt like a normal human strolling around the busy streets of Creekwood. In a time like this, she relishes the life she has now and skips the sadness in remembering about Caro island and her family. The sudden disappearance of her parents, the death of her sweet grandfather, and the unpleasant behavior of her relatives towards her, also including the pain caused by the first man that attracted her.
"Good evening, gorgeous." Crystal startled and abruptly held on to her chest as she felt her heartbeat skip when suddenly someone whispered in her ear while she was gazing through the glass stand of pastries outside a cafe.
"You scared me to death!" Crystal irritatingly cried as she hit Jason on the shoulder with her hand, but instead of intentionally hurting the man, she's the one who got hurt in her palm as she felt a sting reverberated on it and shook it to release the pain while the man laughed at her.
"You should see your face, Crystal," Jason remarked while still laughing at the lady who only rolled her eyes unbelievably at him and walked away.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Jason cried as he kept on tailing Crystal behind.
"Crystal," he called when the lady ignored him and continued walking, but since Crystal did not provide attention to him, Jason abruptly grasped her hand and gripped it.
"Let go of me!" Crystal annoyingly said, wagging her hand to get off him, but the man didn’t let her get away.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Jason apologized.
“Are you going to your friend’s house tonight?” He inquired, still holding her hand in his.
“I don’t understand. Why do you keep disturbing me even on my rest days?” Crystal annoyingly asked as she already felt uncomfortable with the man’s presence.
“Correction, rest nights,” He playfully retorted, which sounded corny to the lady who only just walked away, pulling hard her hand from his grip but still unsuccessful.
“Aw! you're hurting me!” Crystal complained, and that’s when Jason let her go.
“I’m sorry, Crystal I didn’t mean to, I just want to be with you.” The man shyly let out.
“What?” Crystal asked, confused by what he meant.
“I am wondering if I can ask you for a date tonight?”
“Date?” she repeated, and Jason only nodded his head.
“No,” Crystal shortly replies and walks away.
“What? But why?” he keeps on following her.
“Because I don’t want to! That’s it!” she answered, continuing her pace.
“Wait, Crystal. Can we just talk for a while? Please?” he asked, grabbing her hand again.
“What talk? Jason, you’re only wasting my time,” she protested, as she only has an entire night to enjoy, yet the man keeps on bothering her.
The man didn't insist again. However, he still keeps on following the lady wherever she goes. Crystal entered a supermarket and grabbed a basket from the stack and continued her pace inside the grocery. While Jason is enjoying the view of the lady from behind.
Crystal grabs some vegetables and fruits, also some meat, except for seafood. She also picked some of her essential needs, but she suddenly grinned widely and thrilled when her eyes darted an adorable plush doll.
“That’s cute.” Jason finally speaks.
“I’m not asking for your opinion.” Crystal retorted.
“I’m not asking for your permission.” he rebutted with a grin, but the lady only rolled her eyes at him and took the doll. When Jason notices she is struggling with the full basket already, he quickly grabs it from her hand.
“Let me,” he said. Crystal did not argue and just let him until they reached the counter.
“Let me drive you.” Jason offered. They are walking towards the exit already.
“No, I’ll just call a taxi.” Crystal refused.
“Crystal, why are you ignoring me?” Jason is feeling pissed already because of her cold behavior towards him.
“I am not ignoring you, I just want to keep our limitations, you as my boss and me as your employee.” Crystal explained, without looking at him.
“What boss and employee are you talking about?”
“You hired me as your asset, right?”
“Yes, but don’t call me your boss, because it is the government that’s paying you.”
“But you are the one who paid Margaux a hundred thousand dollars to take me out that night.”
“What do you want me to do? To let you end up with other men? You can’t even save yourself! Besides, I did that because you are my responsibility and I swore to protect you, remember?” Jason sighed.
“I can’t believe that instead of being grateful, you are scolding me now.” Jason spat, feeling annoyed with the lady’s words towards him.
“I’m sorry,” Crystal mumbled, looking down. Regretting her own words.
“Prove to me you are really sorry,” Jason said and continued to walk, taking the path to where he parked his car.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Crystal hurriedly asked when Jason put the bags with groceries inside his car.
“Taking your sorry,” he said with a wink, pulling the lady and gently pushed her inside his car.
- Writer
