Chapter 84:
The man smiled again, showing off his beautiful white teeth. He tucked his business card in her hand and walked away with his group.
Silje stared at them for a long ti in confusion. She realized that this was the second ti today that soone asked her the sa question.
Greg the bartender and this black guy.
Model...
She was barely surviving with her current life, so how could she even consider sothing like that?
Silje shook her head.
‘My photos on the wall? Where? My body needs to be celebrated?’
How ridiculous. He seed like a scamr, so without looking at the card, she crushed it and put it into her legging pocket.
Bang, bang.
The loud music continued.
Coming to this place had unintentionally caused her consciousness to co back from the shock. Her mind and heart were frozen since that fateful day, but they were slowly thawing.
Then suddenly, Silje heard a loud argunt.
It was Sien.
“The man who was talking with promised to pay for my drinks! So why are you asking for money? Hey! Answer ! Why are you changing your story? Why are you lying! Are you insane?”
Sien was arguing with the bartender at the counter, and Silje could guess what had happened.
Silje didn’t want to deal with this ssy situation, so she turned around to walk away. Unfortunately, Sien saw her, and she started to yell at her to make an even bigger scene.
“Silje! That’s right! You are the one who asked to co here, so you should pay for it!”
With that, she walked towards Silje with the n who appeared to be thugs who worked for the club. Silje blinked silently. This was not what she wanted, but it was happening. Sien was dragging Silje back into the real world, the sa world Silje wanted to escape from.
Sien was a coward and a sneak. She saw Silje as easy prey and was trying to use her.
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going? You are the one who begged to bring you here. You need to pay!”
The thugs grabbed Silje’s hand roughly and she glared at them with cold eyes. She was fully awake and aware now.
“Let. . Go.”
It was a threat.
Silje was still very quiet, but her eyes and voice were predatory. Sien stared in confusion as Silje continued, “You need to pay. You are the one who dragged here, right?”
As Silje emphasized each word slowly, Sien hesitated. It was clear that Silje was no one’s prey.
After a short, uncertain silence, Sien finally backed down.
“A-alright. I will pay.”
Sien bit her lips and took out her small pink wallet.
Silje watched quietly as Sien reluctantly paid the guy.
***
“Silje, do you know what ti it is? You didn’t forget that you need to make deliveries today, right?”
When she returned ho early in the morning, Aunt Skina glared at her accusingly. Silje ignored her and started to walk up the stairs.
Aunt Skina yelled angrily, “Silje!”
“Aunt Skina, I’m tired so I am going to go to bed now.”
With that calm announcent, Silje went to her bedroom while Aunt Skina gaped in shock.
She returned to the grimy bedroom with the old curtains, a table, a chair, and a Virgin Mary statue.
Slam!
She closed the door behind her and collapsed on her bed and into a dreamless sleep.
After short but deep sleep, Silje woke up with the sunrise and ca down to the shop for work. Aunt Skina raised her eyebrows as she saw her co down, but she didn’t say a word.
And just like that, another normal day followed.
She arranged the shelves and helped the custors.
Feeling Aunt Skina’s constant disapproving look, Silje worked mindlessly. When the workday was finally over, her back ached badly but she ignored it. She returned ho and went to bed.
It was the sa the next day, and the day after that.
Then one day, which started off the sa as usual, Silje was taking out the garbage bags when soone approached her slowly.
At first she couldn’t rember who it was, but when the man smiled at her familiarly, Silje finally rembered.
He was tall, had neat brown hair, and a muscular body.
It was the bartender.
Greg.
“Hey. You are Siena’s friend, right? You ca to the bar recently?”
He recognized her imdiately and continued, “Do you live around here? I do. Do you see that street over there? I live in the apartnt on that street.”
When Silje nodded awkwardly, Greg laughed in amusent.
“You aren’t still hanging around Siena, right? When you get a chance, co by the bar again. I will make you a nice cocktail.”
Before she could answer, Greg walked away whistling. Silje watched from behind and saw that Greg was with soone. It was another man with similarly muscular body, and they were holding hands together as they walked.
Suddenly, Greg turned around and yelled, “Whenever you need to, co by my store. You look like a corpse. When I first ca to New York, I was like you too. I am a good listener.”
Did the bar need more custors? As Greg walked away with a friendly wave, Silje beca confused. Why did he keep inviting her to the place?
She couldn’t understand.
Was it because they lived in the sa neighborhood?
And she looked like a corpse?
Silje smiled bitterly. Quickly, she forgot about Greg and went back to her life again.
The next weekend, Silje was closing up the store and was about to leave for ho when she faced an unwanted figure.
“Shut up! Why would I take your stupid change? Stop accusing . I’m so sick of your nagging, old woman! You are slowly turning into that veggie store owner.”
Sien slamd the Chinese dicine shop door and ran out. She was panting and when she saw Silje, she stopped.
Silje didn’t want to be associated with this girl, so she ignored her and continued to walk. Silje knew Sien was trouble.
“Silje!”
When she ignored her, Sien grabbed her hand. Silje turned around in obvious annoyance and Sien begged desperately.
“I have sothing to tell you.”
“I don’t understand. Sothing to tell ? Didn’t you do enough damage last ti you dragged to that club? Did you forget what you did to ?”
Even though Silje treated her coldly, Sien still begged her. In her tight jeans, she looked nervous.
“I’m starving and I know a good rice noodle place around here. Let’s go out for dinner together.”
“I don’t want to, so let’s just go our separate ways.”
When Silje started to walk away again, Sien reddened and scread, “Fine! I’m sorry. I was wrong and I apologize. Now let’s go to the noodle shop. I’m hungry!”
People stared as Sien scread in the middle of the street, but she seed oblivious. Sien continued to look only at Silje and after a long silence, Silje asked, “Inviting to dinner... Is this your way of apologizing?”
“Yes.”
Sien nodded with a blush and after a few seconds, Silje started to walk.
“Where are you going?”
When Sien yelled again, Silje looked back and replied, “You said you wanted to go the rice noodle store, didn’t you?”
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