Chapter 28

Kimberly stumbled in bed and slept like a log. The Athletic built woman following her about exasperated and triggered a numb sense of fear in her. The meeting with her parents gnawed at her. She was hopeful and fearful altogether. She didn't know what to make of them. They'd been overly kind to her and she'd been sure they were okay but stepping back into her apartment in New York with all the hustles and bustles around made her uncertain. She felt suddenly that they might not be as safe as they'd been when she'd seen them.
Kim woke up to the ringing of her phone. She was reluctant to get up from her bed but the caller wouldn't relent and so she climbed off the bed, padded reluctantly and took the call. She'd kept the phone on the couch adjacent to her bed and she hated that it was farther than her hand could reach without much ado.
"Hello, it's only seven in the morning and I am wondering why you could be so unrelenting".
"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to bother you, miss. How are you? You moved out of your apartment in South Florida and I was wondering where you could be. Still in the states?"
The man spoke rapidly and for a while, she didn't recognize the voice to be that of hector. She was almost pissed that he'd called her so early in the morning to make lame enquires about where she resided.
" You do not know the appropriate time to call people to talk about trivial matters like this do you? And who in the bloody hell are you? _ wait, Hector?"
She was suddenly embarrassed. She hadn't meant to be mean.
"Yeah, it's Hector".
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I moved out from South Florida. I'm in New York. I got a job here" she said. Her left hand moved to her temple and she began to push the hairs that had fallen on her face back to their position in the ponytail behind her neck.
" Oh, I see. Take care of yourself. Just wanted to know where you are", he said and hung up . Kim was walking towards the kitchen when she recalled that she hadn't given Hector her cell phone number. Perhaps, he'd gotten it from his friend, Lennox Mccurdy.
Kimberly knew she was famous. The blogs talked about her. Daily, all the movies she once participated in came to limelight. Her followers on twitter and Instagram had tripled and she got more business calls than she could handle alone. She started to look for a personal assistant.. she posted it on her social media handles and of all the applications, a blonde caught her attention. She invited the girl over and they talked for a long time. Longer than necessary for a job interview.
" I particularly like you, Hailey Spears", Kim said for the umpteenth time and Hailey gave her the same smile that had been plastered on her face since she walked In. Hailey would get the job she concluded. Hailey was to report at her home office everyday and schedule her appointments everyday except on weekends.
" I should be on my way back, Miss. Foster", Hailey said at last.
They'd walked out of the apartment, stood on the balcony and watched in the far distance kids playing and driving bicycles and tossing balls at each other. Mothers yelled at kids who seemed to be uninterested about the state of their clothes as they plopped down over and over again on the ground.
"Indeed, you should be, Hailey. It's been nice talking with you. Please start work tomorrow", Kim said and Hailey nodded before walking away. Kim stared after her. A young woman, twenty one or twenty two years old. An undergrad at a graduate school with perfect rosebud lips, long brunette hair and the perfect body shape.
She returned her eyes to watch the kids again, running helter skelter and giggling. A mom watched amusedly while talking with another mom. They were watching the kids play while they discussed whatever their business was. The idea of having children suddenly became too appealing there and then to Kim. She loved the sight of kids, she thought as she made her way back.
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Tessy was on the road for almost an hour, hitchhiking her way to New York. A car pulled In front of her and she got in.
"Good day, mister. Thanks for stopping. New York's my destination" , she said.
"Of course. I'm heading to New York too. Just about how long did you stand alone there?", He asked her absently, his eyes focused on the road ahead of them. Tessy took him in, a thick set man with a thin lips and a receding hairline and fat cheeks. He looked to be in his mid forties and had already lost all youthful appeal a man could ever possess. Perhaps, he had always been unappealing.
"For almost an hour" Tessy replied.
He nodded grimly.
"You're young woman and you're beautiful. It's extremely precarious to stand alone on high ways hitchhiking", he said, still facing the road. Tessy wondered if he'd say the same thing if he didn't think she was beautiful. Would it be less dangerous if she wasn't beautiful? She thought to ask but quickly made her mind againts it.
" I don't usually hitchhike. Stopped doing it after high school but I wanted to do it again. I'm Tessy. Tessy Timberlake. Tess, If you like", she offered before turning to look out the window. Busying herself with what she would talk about with kim. She would talk about Joe Hamilton. The lies he's told her and his relationship with a Korean actress, Kim Seo Hun. She wasn't expecting the man to reply her or look her way when he spoke.
"I'm Japheth Oliver. Olly, if you like".
She turned and looked at him. His hands gripping the Steering tightly and his eyes focused still on the road ahead.
"It's good to meet you, Olly", Tessy said before turning to the window again. She loved to watch the trees go by while she immersed herself in a jumble of thoughts.
"You seem to be worried, if you don't mind, you could say your worries to me. A word could heal the heart's pains, you know", Olly said invitingly. Tessy almost choked on her words. He hadn't been looking at her. He'd hardly spared her a glance ever since she stepped in yet, he spoke of hearts and pains.
"Why do you think I'm troubled, Olly?"
She asked looking skeptically at him. He shrugged his big shoulders before replying.
"The look on your face, it says a lot",
He replied. She stared at him for long. Had he been stealing glances at her when she looked away ?
"I'll be fine, Olly. Thanks for your concern. And, I'm heading to go see a girlfriend in New York. She recently settled into the town"
"Oh, I'm a new yorker myself. It's good to have you", Olly said and Tessy felt for the first time since she stepped in a warmness. His fingers were bare and she wondered if she should ask him about his marital status or if she would be acting too forward. She didn't say anything else all the way to New York.
Kimberly waited up for Tessy. As they made their way to the subway, Tessy began to talk about Olly.
"I hitchhiked my way to New york. It's like a distraction to me. Sitting so close to an unknown person and making little useful or not each useful conversations. It's way better than coming through a subway where I never get lucky to sit with a jovial person. Olly gave me a drive he was cool", shs said.
"Olly? Is that someone you know?"
"Well, he said I could call him Olly. Cool gentleman. He didn't pester me. How didn't look at me with the leer that most men would if they found themselves alone in the company of a pretty woman!"
" Oh, I see".
They made the rest of the journey to Kim's house noiselessly. Tessy was so impressed with the apartment Kim had got herself in a good neighbourhood. She stood in the large parlour and gawked. Kim was amused and embarrassed.
" Stop playing the fool, Tess. What would you like?", She asked between giggles.
" Well, I'd like a house like this in New York!"
" I thought you didn't want to move here. Talk about LA?"
" I don't remember saying any of that. Men! You got yourself a nice place. It's beautiful, really. Two bedrooms!"
They laughed only briefly before Kim went to the kitchen to get them drinks.
They had dinner and Tessy told Kim in plain words,
" I don't want Joe Hamilton anymore. He's a lying cheat", she said.
It's was on the tip of Kim's tongue to point out that it'd been evident all along that Joe cared little about her but she took one look at Tessy's somber expression and decided she might be hurt even more.
"That's sad, Tess", she said instead.
"He's been in a relationship with a Korean actress Kim Seo Hun and he still had the balls to act up like we were a thing in the first place" .
Again,.Kim resisted the urge to probe, to ask how she found out, the little details.
"That's not good, Tess. I only wished you'd seen the signs earlier"
" I totally unsuspecting. I guess it's like that when people are in love. They ignore all the red signs until they get hurt".
They sat silent for minutes. Kim, playing with the hair that spilled down her shoulders.
" I should go to bed now, Tess. Please do take care of yourself and do not let the thoughts of Joe Hamilton bother you".
"Sure. I'll be in LA in a few days. The audition".
"Oh. Okay. Goodnight, then".
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