Chapter 14
"Stop smiling, Pershey," Leighden scolded as they walked away.
"You don't know what happened, Leigh. If you only knew, you might faint with excitement," she justified.
"You just thought I didn't know, I knew everything that happened, Pers," she insisted.
She stopped, "You know?" Leighden nodded. "You weren't there before, how did you know?" she asked.
"I just forgot to say that I know who you got your iPhone from," she forced a smile then continued walking.
Pershey followed as she looked around. "Who?"
Leighden just smiled, she didn't answer and continued walking. They stopped opposite to the two beggars lying on the road.
Leighden handed over the food she had wrapped. Wide smiles and gratitude were returned by the two beggars.
After she handed it over, she looked at Pershey and then she replied, "Neil is the manager of El Lavish Restaurant," she continued walking followed by Pershey.
"Y-yeah. How did you know?"
"We've been eating at that restaurant for a long time, I knew that before."
She heard no response from Pershey. She walked quietly while the smile on her lips could not be erased.
"Did you do anything crazy when you met him?" Pershey nodded, her wide smile still there. "So, tell me, why is there still a smile on your face?"
She stopped then stared at Leighden. It took ten seconds before she replied, "Long story. I'm not in the mood to tell a story."
Leighden didn't answer right away either, instead, she laughed.
"Are you crazy?"
Still laughing, she replied, "If you think he's going to fall for you, no, you're wrong, that's not going to happen."
Pershey was silent. The wide smile disappeared from her face. Quietly walking and still not addressing what Leighden said.
"P-pershey?"
Her attention was focused on the road. She ignored Leighden's call to her.
"S-sorry, P-pers. D-did I offend y-you?" She just shook her head then stopped at the flower shop. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you by that way," she clarified. She still had no response heard from Pershey.
Pershey inhaled the scent of every flower she touched. She took three roses then went inside to pay.
"Hey, talk to me. Don't be mad, please? Talk to me," Leighden pleaded.
Pershey first handed over the payment and then left the flower shop, then she replied, "Maybe it's not bad to dream, is it?"
"I'm sorry. I'm just saying what's true. I didn't say-"
"I know he won't like me. Yes, I'm rich. I can buy whatever I want. I can give whatever I want and he wants. I'm just happy, we talked somehow. I know it's not easy for him to notice me. No. I'm not beautiful-"
"N-n-n-no! You're beautiful, okay?"
She shook her head then smiled bitterly. "You who said, 'Looks always win and love seeks for good looks'. You also said 'I'm a weird woman. I look like an old woman who's always holding books'. Now," she took a deep breath then looked at her. "How can he fall inlove with me?"
Leighden took a while before she answered. "I-it takes time."
They passed by an area where a couple was talking. They stopped not far away. Pershey just watched the couple while Leighden couldn't figure out what was going through her mind.
Later, she noticed the couple arguing. She also noticed that the woman was sulking. She saw the woman walk away from her boyfriend.
"Are you planning something bad?" She just looked then winked.
She approached the man who was still sitting. His face was sad.
She stood opposite the man then handed over the roses she had bought. The man looked at her and tried to ask another question.
"Give it to your girlfriend," she smiled then left.
She walked away together with Leighden.
"Why did you give the roses to him?"
She looked up as she walked. "What do you think?" she asked.
"I don't know," she replied.
"They're a cute couple," she said. "I think, they have an argument," she added. "So, I thought I'd just give the roses to the guy," she looked up to which Leighden's smile responded. "They're cute, right?"
"How can they be cute? They're fighting," she insisted.
"I gave the roses for him to use with his girlfriend. It's a good way to give three roses to a woman as a symbol of sincerity, love," she clarified. Leighden just nodded.
They stopped opposite the fashion shop, next to it was the Mega Shine Salon.
"Are you going to buy?" Pershey asked. Leighden returned a wide smile. "Go on, buy now," she ordered but Leighden nodded. "I thought you were a buyer?" She nodded.
"Do you think what I think?" Leighden asked. "This is the right time to fix yourself. Buy your new clothes, costly bags, straightening your hair and buy make-up for yourself. So, let's go?"
"Go on, I'll wait for you here."
"C'mon, Pershey! How can Neil like you?"
She did not answer, instead, she walked away. Leighden followed her as she was forced to enter inside the shop.
"C'mon, Pershey. Let's g-"
"Aren't you tired of forcing me?" She stopped, then she stared, then, she walked away.
"S-sorry, Pershey. Everything I'm saying is just for you," she explained. She was still silent. "I just want you to be happy. Everything I've said, and I'm telling you lately, it's for you too, for your happiness," she added.
"Sometimes it hurts to listen too," she replied. She walks first. "I know, Leighden, but, sometimes, it hurts the feeling that I keep hearing you say those things. The more I just feel like I'm missing so much. The more I feel like I'm different from everyone else, of women," she doesn't look at her as she explains. "You want me to be happy, I want to too," then she looked up and smiled bitterly.
"S-sorry, P-pershey. S-sorry for what I told you."
"Am I really not beautiful?" Leighden smiled at her then pulled the hair behind her ear.
"You're gorgeous," she replied to Pershey's wide smile.
"Spoiler," Pershey whispered laughingly while still shaking.
"I'm not spoiling you, Pershey. What I said is true," she justified. "You're beautiful, you're beautiful and you're unique," she added. "You're beautiful inside and out."
They walked straight until they reached De La Resto, the restaurant Pershey had gone to meet Iries and Fricks.
"Nice place, Pershey. I hope we just used your motor to our advantage."
"You have your own vehicle, Leighden, why don't you use it?"
"It's boring to drive."
She let out a strange laughed. "Let's go inside."
They waited inside as Pershey was accustomed to. She called the waiter and handed her the menu.
Before she could open the menu, Leighden laid her hand on top of it.
"What madness are you going to do again, Leighden?"
"I just want to remind you what I have told you before."
Her head frowned. "With all the things you've told me, I don't know what you're referring to," she replied.
She didn't answer first and took the menu Pershey was holding. "Eat as much as you can but don't waste food," she reminds before she returns the menu to her.
"Okay," she replied quickly then chose food from the menu. She returned the menu to the waitress. "Is that okay?"
"I don't know yet," she replied. "But, wait a minute, why are we here? Let's eat at El Lavish earlier, then, shall we eat here? What's in your stomach?"
"Look behind you," she commanded Leighden obeyed. She saw a woman and a man entering the restaurant and approaching their place. They're Iries and Fricks. Iries was wearing a Lavander short skirt dyed with a fitted white cotton spandex shirt with a mini zodiac sign in the middle. The lavander mini bag slung over her shoulder. She is wearing 3 inch black square heels. Her hair was loose with curls and the lower part is highlighted. She also wears anti-radiation glass that glows when exposed to light.
Fricks, wearing a plane white shirt and pants. He was wearing a hat and a sunglass. They both approached them. The astonishment on Pershey's face could not be erased as she stared at Iries approaching her.
"Good day, Pershey," she greeted then pulled her hair out of her left ear.
"What took you so long?" She asked.
Iries first removed the glasses before she replied, "You just arrived too. I know we didn't take long, in fact, we arrived at the right time," she smiled then withdrew her smile as she looked at Leighden. "Leighden, you're here," she said.
She nodded while answering, "Yes, as you can see." She looked at Fricks. "Fricks Swift," she smiled. "Why we're here?" She asked before she looked back at Iries.
"Actually, you're not belong. I only want to talk to Pershey, you're not included."
Pershey frowned as she looked at Iries and Leighden.
'Are they mad at each other?' she asked in his mind.
"I took her with me, Iries, is it bad?"
Iries first turned her gaze to Pershey then replied, "She shouldn't know what we're going to talk about," she turned her gaze back to Leighden then forced a smile.
"And you shouldn't even include Fricks. He shouldn't even know what we're going to talk about, right?"
"Alright, let's talk about our plan," was his only response to Pershey.