Chapter 69: Is That Your Friend?

Chapter 69: Is That Your Friend?

Andy gave Nathan the awkward eye. One minute his boss seemed to be decisive and cruel, and the next, he was like an immature and innocent schoolboy suffering from his first case of puppy love. Oh, boy - thought Andy, Don’t tell me this is the first time he has dated someone!

After a moment’s consideration, he said, “Girls usually like gifts that are prepared with the heart.”

“Prepared with the heart?” Nathan murmured with his brows furrowed.

“Put some genuine thought into the gift,” Andy clarified. “It doesn’t have to be expensive,”

Things like hand-woven scarves, love letters, homemade chocolates, well-chosen dolls, or sentimental cards often go over better than pricier items.” Andy paused and smiled at the thought of his boss working with knitting needles or baking chocolates.

Nathan groaned. “So, you mean gifts that are old-fashioned...” he massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers and said, “That sounds hard.”

****

In a room in the Merah Club - Today was Crystal’s birthday, and Serenity had asked her cousin to help her reserve one of the larger rooms to hold a party.

As soon as Crystal entered the club, she received a text from Serenity telling her where to go. Crystal walked through the club, and when she got to the specified room, she found the door slightly ajar, and she looked inside before entering.

There was a stage in the center of the room, and all of her classmates stood on it. They were arranged in three circles. There was a small circle of people in the middle, a medium-sized circle of people surrounding them, and an even larger circle of people outside. In the center of the smallest circle, Downey danced. The strobe lights ran across his body like delicate fingers, and sweat dripped and glistened on his face as the funky young man swayed to the deafening heavy metal music. The girls couldn’t keep their eyes off him, and they screamed when he gyrated his hips like Elvis Presley.

Crystal rolled her eyes at Downey as she entered the room, and when Downey saw her, he winked at her. Serenity was the next person to see Crystal. She had a tray of drinks in her hands, and she rushed over.

“Crystal!” she exclaimed. “You’re late. We’ve all had three drinks already! You need to catch up!”

Crystal took one drink and nodded her head in Downey’s direction. “What’s he doing here?” she asked.

Serenity giggled and said, “I know, right? Downey’s a bitch, but he agreed to warm up the party. He may be a slut, but you have to admit that he does know how to get a party started!”

“You call this a party?” Crystal laughed.

“Wait until you see what I’ve got prepared!”

Crystal downed her drink, rolled up her sleeves, and rushed onto the stage.

Downey was throwing kisses at the girls, but he stopped when he saw Crystal on the stage. He tried to hug her, but Crystal gave him a dirty look and pushed him away. Then she turned to the D.J. and said, “Change the song. Give me something I can dance to!”

The D.J. offered Crystal a mock salute, and almost immediately, Metallica’s Enter Sandman was replaced by Lady Gaga’s Poker Face. Crystal shouted, “Come on, everybody! Let’s party!”

The bass-heavy beat hit the room hard, and several people - Crystal and Serenity being among them - began to sing along with

American pop singer. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, but Crystal overheard someone say, “What the fcuk! Who picked this earworm?” Rather than ruining Crystal’s good mood, it only made her laugh, and she began to sing louder.

Outside the room, Eric Bush was passing by. He was wearing a black suit and a pair of sunglasses. His ears caught the music playing in Crystal’s and Serenity’s room, and he frowned. The door was still ajar, and he looked inside. He saw Crystal and Serenity, and he recognized them from his store, but he also felt like he recognized them from somewhere else.

When Erik didn’t move along right away, one of his assistants said, “Master Bush, our room is one over.”

Eric didn’t answer. After a moment’s hesitation, he took a half step into the room. Crystal was dancing at the front of the stage, but she was too lost in the music to notice him. After a few minutes, Johnny, the club’s boss, appeared behind him. He touched Erik’s shoulder and whispered into his ear: “They are having a birthday party. Are you interested in attending it?”

“Not at all,” Erik replied. “They are just a bunch of witless kids.” He turned to leave, but Crystal happened to toss her head and raise her chin high at that exact moment. The light shone on her face, highlighting her good features and diminishing her bad features. Her cheeks were flush, and her lips were half-open. Eric motioned to his assistant with an open hand, and his cell phone was placed into it. Erik scowled and threw his cell phone on the ground.” Not that,” he hissed. “Give me my business card. Then pick up my phone. And it had better not be broken!”

Erik’s assistant gave him his business card, and he handed it to Johnny. He pointed to Crystal and said, “Give this to that girl.”

Johnny took the card and said, “No problem.” After that, he waved to Downey.

Downey was in full swing, but he left the group once he received his boss’s order and came to the door. “What’s up?” he asked. “Today’s my friend’s birthday. I asked the manager for the night off in advance. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“Never mind that. What you do on your days off is of no concern to me.” Johnny took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Is that your friend?” he asked as he pointed to Crystal.

Downey turned to where Johnny had pointed and said, “She’s a friend of a friend.

Her name is Crystal.”

Johnny: “Fine. Good. Go and give Crystal this card.”

Downey took the card and was about to return to the stage, but Johnny seized it tightly and wouldn’t let it go. He said, “If you can convince her to call this number, you’ll get a bonus this month.”