Chapter 124
I was just keeping it real here- time was money. Instead of banking on Cecilia and Hogan, I’d rather hit up Timothy,
But the truth could sting, and boy, did it sting. No sooner had I dropped the bomb than Cecilia’s smile froze like a deer in headlights, and Hogan, standing next to her, let out a mocking snort.
Here we are, hair on fire, and Ms. March is still playing moonlight and roses. Talk about being in the mood.”
Gotta hand it to the finance major – he was prominent in using the fancy talk.
I wasn’t looking to start a beef, so I kept it cool and said. “My personal affairs don’t need to be your concern. Mr. Zade
I was about to bounce when Hogan’s icy voice caught up with me. “Xaviera, what’s with the
attitude?
I paused, looked up at Hogan, and heard him say. “We went to bat for you, and you can’t even cough up a thank you? Who are you giving the cold shoulder to?”
So my annoyance was that obvious, huh?
I glanced at Hogan and then at Cecilia, who was looking down, tugging at Hogan’s sleeve with a hurt puppy look, saying, “It’s okay, Hogan. I never did any of this expecting thanks from Xaviera. Don’t get heated on my account.”
At her words, the anger in Hogan’s face seemed to dial down a notch, but the look he shot me
was still venomous.
“Seriously,” he muttered, “some people just don’t know chalk from cheese.”
With that, Hogan and Cecilia left, and I didn’t exhale until their silhouettes had vanished from my sight. I opened my palm and took a deep breath.
At the car, Timothy gave me a puzzled look and asked, “Xaviera, you feeling alright? You look kinda pale.”
I forced a smile and said. “Maybe I’m just hungry.”
In the private room at Aurora Eats, I pushed the dishes towards Timothy and said, “I’m treating today, so don’t be shy, eat up.”
Xaviera, you really know how to look after someone,” supporting his chin. Timothy said to me. joy palpable in his pretty eyes.
With FreeMan’s deal on my mind, I didn’t beat around the bush. “Actually, I invited you to be here because there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Shoot.”
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Chapter 124
Seeing Timothy’s eager response, I
laid it out, “You say you’re a die–hard fan of FreeMan, Do you know he’s got a habit of visiting old towns every year for inspiration?”
Timothy crammed a piece of crunchy yam into his mouth and said nonchalantly. “Yeah, the guy’s a real free spirit. Finishes a plece and then he’s off wandering for days. Why you suddenly interested?”
“Do you know his travel preferences?” I pressed on for details, “Like, does he prefer driving or public transport, hotels or B&Bs? The more details, the better.
At those words, Timothy placed down his utensils mid–air, giving me a curious look, “But I heard FreeMan flat–out declined to work with you, Xaviera. Still not taking no for an answer?”
I thought about where I stood, and stayed quiet. To give up or to keep going–it was not really
up to me.
Seeing I remained silent, Timothy sighed and tried to be the voice of reason, “Xaviera, take my advice. FreeMan’s a stubborn guy. If he’s said no, he won’t change his mind. You might as well drop it.
I just stared at Timothy, not responding. And what flashed through my mind was Cecilia’s
question.
