Catherine stared at her cousin's eyes. "How about me? Do you think your clients will like me?" she asked her cousin while laughing.
Grace eyes widen. "Of course! But your job in the hotel is so much better and much decent. So stick with your job."
"Okay, as you say so. Am just kidding, hehehe." Catherine search for more channel to watch in the remote control.
Grace observed her cousin's pretty face intently.
Then suddenly she got a bright idea!
"Cousin, can you show me your most sexy and alluring smile, be seductive, pleasee!"
Catherine obeyed her cousin's request and she posed up a storm.
Grace was able to capture seven alluring photos of Catherine. Then she picked three of the most captivating photos of her.
Catherine glanced at her cousin's face. "W-what are you going to do with my photos?"
"I have an idea. Let see if I can bring back Mr.X in the table. Can I send your photo to him, cousin, please?"
Catherine frowned. "Huh?"
"Am asking your permission to send your photo to Mr. X, I just want to see if he will reply," said Grace.
"Okay go ahead, but am pretty sure he won't reply."
"Okay. Thanks for your permission cousin," said Grace.
She began texting...
"Hello Mr. X. It's been a long time I have not heard from you. We have a new girl, you might be interested..." Then she attached the 3 seductive photos of Catherine along with her message.
After done sending the files, Grace set aside her mobile device in the bedside table. She was not really expecting that he will reply, she just did it for fun.
When her cell phone beep to inform her of an incoming message, she immediately snatched her mobile device from the bedside table. Her eyes grow bigger as seconds pass by upon discovering who sent her the message.
It's Mr. X! Holy guacamole!
He replied!
Grace can't contain her excitement, she hugged Catherine while shrieking with delight. She read the message!
'Hi, Grace...am very interested in the photo of the girl you sent me. What is her name?'
She typed...'Catherine' and clicked send.
'Newbie?'
'Yes...sort of.'
'Is she available right now?'
'I'm sorry but she kinda changes her mind a second ago after I just send her to you her photo. She seemed to got cold feet all of a sudden. But if she will have a change of heart you will be the first guy I will contact to obtain her first service.'
'That is good Grace. Am looking forward to meeting her anytime.'
'Thanks, Mr. X.'
'Wait...can you please send me an audio recording of her voice. I want to hear her voice even for a few seconds...'
Grace smiled and replied. 'In a minute Mr.X.'
Then she urged her cousin to say hello to Mr. X.
Catherine obliged just for fun. 'Hello Mr. X. How are you? Nice meeting you!'
Grace gives her a thumbs up sign. She sends the audio recording to Mr.X.
She receives a prompt reply from him.
'Gorgeous! I love her silky and sweet voice. If she changes her mind one day message me. And take note, I want to be her first client! You will get a big bonus from me if you can do that Grace.'
Grace smile was broad, feeling like she hit the jackpot!
'Thank you for your reply, Mr. X.'
His only reply was that of 3 smiling emoji.
Grace stared at her mobile device for a long time.
"Oh my God! Mr. X. finally replied to me after a long long time! Ten months of silence and suddenly he replied to my text just because he likes your photo! I just can't believe it!" said Grace screaming.
Catherine grinned broadly amused by the way her cousin reacted to that of Mr. X. messages.
...
Then her grinned halted remembering her impending marriage to John.
"Cousin, I'm going to marry soon!" she said in a serious voice.
"Yeah, Congrats!" Grace said thinking her cousin was just kidding aside.
"I'm going to request you to be my witness on my wedding that will happen soon," said Catherine in a serious manner.
Grace has to gulp back her own saliva upon seeing the total seriousness in her cousin's face.
"OMG! You're serious? H-how come? Who is the lucky guy you are going to marry? Is that Jerome guy your ardent suitor?' she asked.
Catherine shook her head vigorously. "No. I'm marrying the guy I meet in the village. That guy I told you the owner of the ancestral house that my sister and I was about to rob, do you still remember it, do you?"
"Yes, I do. So, you still have communication with him until now? Why you didn't tell me? I mean how come I didn't know that you guys are still seeing each other?" asked Grace frowning.
"He followed and tracked me down here in the city. He wants to marry me, I will marry him"
"Wait a second---do you love that guy?"
"Yes, I love him," replied Catherine.
Grace stared at her cousin's face. "But cousin, you're still young. Why would you marry too early?"
Catherine stared back at the commercials that were playing on the television, she doesn't want to start questioning or began doubting her own decision.
"Do you really want to marry at such a young age, cousin? Think about that for a hundred times. Maybe you just rushed to a decision too early for your own good."
She didn't answer. She hasn't thought about it, what she really wants. She just wants to make John happy so she agreed to marry him.
"Did Auntie Thelma know already that you're going to marry that guy who r-apes you?"
"I haven't told her yet. I will tell her one of these days."
"You should tell her as early as possible. By the way, did Auntie already know the history between you and your husband to be? I wonder how will she feel about your marriage to your rapist?" asked Grace in a foreboding voice.
Catherine hasn't thought about it. Until now what happened to her and Caroline on that unfortunate night was still a secret to her mother.
"Cousin, I want to meet this guy! I got to see him first before I'm willing to be your witness at your wedding. Tell him to set a meeting between the three of us. I want to see the kind of man you are going to marry. I want to know if you are safe with him," Grace demanded.
She sighed. "Okay, I will tell him. But I want to tell you something first. He always wears a face mask because he got into an accident seven years ago. Please don't ask him to take out his mask because you want to see his face clearly. He might get offended. I warned you beforehand, cousin."
Grace frowned. "Interesting---you are going to marry a masked guy who raped you---?" She put emphasis on the two qualities he found odd in the guy that her cousin was about to marry.
Catherine sighed. "Please don't say that..."
"Okay fine. I won't ask him to take off his mask. I just want to see him with my own two eyes, if he was deserving of you or not. That is for me to decide."
Catherine stood up. "Cousin, I have to go now, it's already 10:00, midnight is just around the corner." She headed for the door.
"Good night. Don't forget to tell Auntie that you are going to marry soon, okay?" Grace shook her head many times thinking her cousin was a bit stupid to marry such a young age.
"Yes, I will." Catherine exited the room.
...
Somewhere in the other city...a thousand miles away...
MR.X. stared at Catherine's beautiful photo in his cell phone.
He was holding a glass of vodka in his left hand while holding his mobile device on the other hand.
His face was devoid of emotion.
Yet he can't take his eyes away from the woman's face.
Thirty minutes later he finished drinking the bottle of vodka and he was drunk enough to numb his feelings and looking forward to sleep.
He turns off the light in his room and put his mobile device in the bedside table.
Darkness covered the entire room. As his eyelids began dropping, it's the face of the woman Catherine that kept flashing in his mind.
...