New Beginning

Chapter-3

When the manager got pastries packed, even Daisy and Jess were done with their food and were about to leave the restaurant. Debbie observed. Daisy was talking about meeting Lou right now.

She is going to meet Lou? What should I do now? Should I warn Lou?

Debbie decided to go against warning Lou. She instead made sure to follow Daisy and Jess. She didn't want to arrive there before them.

She followed them, maintaining the distance. When they entered Lou's building without any check, thanks to Daisy's frequent visits until few days ago, Debbie too did, somehow distracting the security. She took the private lift to Lou's floor, stood few steps away from Lou's Penthouse door. She waited for 15 minutes, and saw Daisy and Jess walking out, completely in blank state. Debbie noticed Daisy holding a piece of paper. Cheque!

"I can't believe she gave money after knowing everything about us", Jess said in surprise.

"Fucking 30 grands", Daisy said, "I fucking didn't know she would do this for me"

Debbie heard them say these words, while entering the lift.

Lou gave them money? 30 grands! That's too much. Why did she give?

"Do you need something, Miss Ocean? Oh, let me rephrase, are you here to check whether I am cheating on anyone else? Or whether my sister is cheating? She doesn't live here"

Debbie heard Lou's voice and turned to see her. Lou was wearing black leather pants and black velvet vest coat with blue loose tie and a bomber jacket. Maroon boots were a different story.

"Do you always dress like this?", Debbie asked, not acknowledging the earlier question.

"Depends. If Ann takes this tie while cheating on her boyfriend, then I won't be dressing this way. I will be wearing other tie"

"Look, I didn't mean to speak that way. I just joked"

"I don't think anyone gave you the rights to joke on someone whom you hardly know"

"I know"

"You know Ann?", Lou asked, not really understanding.

"No. I meant I know I shouldn't joke on someone the way I did"

"Well, you did though", Lou said, leaning on the threshold.

"Yeah. That was my bad"

"It was"

"So... Shall we forget and move on? Continue with Tammy's wedding plan?"

"Can't believe! Ocean, do you fucking believe by moving on, I will forgive you? Or that you are not bound to apologise for your crass remark on my sister?"

Debbie sighed. She knew she was supposed to apologise but she did have a bit of ego and stubbornness that prevented her from doing that.

"Lou, it was a joke"

"Which you are supposed to apologise for"

"But jokes are not meant..."

"Bye Ocean. It won't work", Lou said and turned to walk inside.

"No, wait", Debbie rushed and caught Lou's jacket from behind. "Look, if apologising is the only way, then okay, I am sorry for what I said"

"Firstly, stop ruining my jacket. Leave me. And secondly, you don't mean a word. You aren't really sorry"

"I mean it"

"You don't. Now, let me go"

"No"

"Well then, I don't have any choice", saying so, Lou just slid her body out of the jacket and walked inside while Debbie stumbled backward due to lack of force in holding the jacket. She quickly stabilised herself though and didn't fall.