Harlem’s POV
The bar is basically empty today. I look around while cracking so fresh ice. I hear the bell above the door ring and I look to see to see who it is. Relief floods . It’s just Lex. I’ve been paranoid lately. I keep thinking those druggie psychos are going to march through that door any mont. Even worse, I keep thinking it will be Ezra Roth. Now, that I know his na I keep seeing him everywhere; on newsletters, billboards, articles, even when I open bloody social dia. Like a curse.
"Hey babe. I got you lunch" Lex says sitting and placing a brown bag.
"Ooh, what is it? "I say snatching the bag. I’m famished. "Loaded fries, you’re favourite. Suspected you might not have eaten anything, so I ca as your guardian angel of course"
I pout. "You didn’t have to." I inhale the scent of potatoes which are fried to crisp perfection with so chicken, cheese and sauce. Food is a blessing.
"Well, I kinda did. Because, I actually ca here to ask you whether you’ve made up your mind yet?"
"Made up my mind on what?" I ask. "You know, Lucas’s offer?" she says whispering. I blink at her. So the food is actually bribe.
"Lexi, not really. I’m still trying to gauge the situation" she opens her eyes wide in shock like I just told her I’m planning on joining a terrorist group.
"Gauge what Har? Listen to , this is an opportunity of a lifeti, not everyone can get it. It’s been three days since the Briggs event, I’m sure he’d be expecting your call by now." I sigh
"What if they’re traffickers or the mafia?" I counter, looking for any excuse at this point. She folds her arms like a disapproving mother.
"Harlem Robin Tamrin. You cannot be doing what I think you’re doing right now. You want to be making up cocktails for the rest of your life? No. I won’t let you. I’ll drag you there by myself if I have to. Besides, I’ll happily go with you, so if they want to kidnap you, they’ll have to go through first. But as you know, I completed my blackbelt last year so I’m going to be the one wishing them luck." God, she’d make a great mother.
I sigh in defeat "Fine. I’ll call him. In fact, I’ll call him right now." I say walking over to where I keep my phone. "Better" Lexi says watching closely.
I saved the number earlier on so I just dial it. It rings twice and soone picks.
"Hello?"
"Yes? How may I help you". It’s a woman’s voice.
"Am I speaking to Nexa Stage?"
"Yes, you are. Please who is calling?"
"My na is Harlem Tamrin. Mr. Lucas gave his card a while back"
"Okay, I’ll send the address to this number. Please be there tomorrow before 12 am. Have a good day" The line cuts. I furrow my eyebrows.
"What?" Lexi asks. "It was a woman and she said she was going to send the address; it was almost like as if she was expecting my call" I say putting my phone back.
Lex gets up and walks up to the inside of the bar where I’m standing and she holds my face in her palm. "Of course, Har. They’d be lucky to have you. Anyone would. I know you said you want to go by yourself so please do give a call before and after. I really wish you the best of luck girl. Just, look at this like the opportunity of a lifeti. I’m here for you" Could I possibly love this woman any more?
I hug her tightly and we share a laugh. "Thanks Lex. It ans a lot to "
"Good, because it does to too. Alright, I have to get to work. I’ll see you whenever I see you and please dress nicely tomorrow, I trust you. Bye bitch."
"Bye Lex, I will" I say to her tall and model-like retreating figure. She works at a nail salon during her free ti; it’s sothing she enjoys doing.
I sigh and get back to work and I pray that tomorrow, the universe has let the grudge it has against go.
----------
I look at myself in the reflecting glass of the door. I think my maxi skirt and fitted top is doing wonders for . Now, let’s deal with the nerves. I have to be standing outside one of the most beautiful places in this town. I didn’t even know a place like this existed here but I guess when your’e always working, eating and sleeping, you don’t actually have the ti to be moving around.
The building has a do-like structure with pillars all around and intricate designs on the walls. It looks like a place you could get beautifully lost in.
I fluff my hair and walk in. I see a woman at the entrance reception and she smiles at , maybe she was the one I spoke to yesterday. I walk up to her and state my business. She leads through the building into a room where I see other people sitting in. I ask her if were waiting for sothing or soone. The woman just smiles at . Okayy.
I sigh and take a seat. I already inford Lexi that I was on my way here and she wished luck. I look around and think maybe were going to be having an interview. A point which could have been made by the smiling woman if she actually spoke a word.
I scroll through my phone hoping to pass ti and wonder if I should go back and ask the woman if she can take to Lucas. Maybe not a good idea.
The door slams open suddenly, cutting through the silence. A man wearing a dark turtleneck walks in, not Lucas, but you can tell he’s important. He doesn’t even greet us. He just drops a stack of scripts on the table like it’s a war declaration.
"You have two minutes to scan your lines. Then we call you up." His tone is dry and brutal.
Everyone sits up straighter suddenly startled. The papers are shared round. I stare down at my script, it’s just a page, a tense exchange between a woman and her lover about betrayal.
My palms are sweaty. I mutter the words under my breath, trying to pin down the rhythm, but my brain feels like static. Shit, I’m not sure this is what I was expecting. But yet again, I don’t know what I was expecting.
A door is opened and I see that there’s a stage behind the room, no, we were backstage the whole ti. We all move towards the stage and stand. Christ, this is all moving so fast.
They call one girl first. She’s confident, all smiles, but her voice is fake-sweet, like she’s reading lines for a soap opera. She gets dismissed in thirty seconds. New Record.
The next guy tries too hard to be dramatic, practically shouting. He gets cut off mid-sentence. One by one, they’re all torn down.
And then my na is called. Okay Harlem, Breathe. You can do this.
I stand at the centre of the stage and look to see a blinding light from above; I could feel my legs shaking. The man gestures with zero patience. "Whenever you’re ready."
I grip the paper, inhale, exhale and start reading; but halfway through, sothing in snaps. I stop looking at the script. My voice changes. It’s not a performance anymore, it’s .
The words about betrayal aren’t just words: they’re my father’s indifference, my mother’s silent and broken personality, the night at the bar, Ezra’s Goddamn smirk. It all crashes into my tone. My voice breaks in places, but it doesn’t sound weak. It sounds real. I stare into the abyss of the blinding light and pour it all out.
I don’t even realize I’ve dropped the paper until I hear silence. A heavy silence. The kind that fills a cathedral. Great, I fucked up. They’re going to think I’m crazy.
When I finally blink back into the room, everyone’s staring. Not mocking, not judgntal. Just... staring.
And in the doorway, leaning against the fra with a look I can’t read, is Lucas. His arms are folded, but his eyes, his eyes look like soone who just struck gold by accident.
The man with the scripts clears his throat, trying to cover his own shock. "Thank you. That will be, sufficient."
I walk back to my seat, heart hamring. The others avoid looking at now. For once, silence feels like victory.
Lucas is still watching. And I feel it, his respect.
--------
I’m in Lucas’s office. And I can tell, it looks so... him. He looks at from across the table. Those intense blue eyes I’m starting to get used to.
"You’re hired" his monotone voice had a bit of amusent laced with it. "Oh. So, I didn’t completely embarrass myself. Good to know. Because, if you were about to tell I wasted everyone’s ti, I was ready to crawl under your desk and never co out. I trail off. I tuck my hair behind my ears awkwardly.
Luca looks more amused. "You’re intense. That’s what I want. Intensity cuts through the noise. You cut through." Yay. I do a little jiggle in my head.
"Thank you. It’s just...I didn’t expect this at all" I say gesturing with my hands. But I’m happy we t because I could get used to this" I say truthfully. He stares at for so seconds like he didn’t expect to be honest and with a look I can’t decipher but before he can reply, soone walks in and it’s the smiling woman from earlier.
"Sir, you have a visitor." Lucas looks at her and motions for her to let the visitor in. She does and Lucas gives the person a polite smile before standing to shake him or her.
"Thanks for coming, Mr. Roth. It’s a pleasure to et you again" I squint at the empty wall in front of . Roth. Where have I... Oh no. No, no, no. Not him. Not here. Not now.
I spin so fast I almost twist my head 360 and look up and up until I et the shocked eyes of Ezra Roth.
Okay Universe, you win again.
Reviews
All reviews (0)