"What the fuck Toni! Are you fucking crazy!? Watch where you're driving fool!" Leonardo angrily said towards his assistant before bending to pick up his laptop that had fallen off his lap.
"Dammit!" He swore loudly when he saw his laptop had broken into two halves.
"Are you okay sir..." Toni asked with concern. I'm so sorry sir but that crazy lady just jumped in front of the car.
"Another crazy lady!?... Just how much more of them would cost me misfortune in under twenty-four hours!" Leonardo said stiffly. He angrily opened the door and got out of his car. "Find out who she is!" Leonardo commanded
Toni memorized Amani's plate number and immediately went back into the car. He picked his tablet that way lying on the passenger seat and started typing furiously on it. He came out after a few seconds and brought the tablet to show his boss what he found out.
"Pinnacle News!?... She's the reporter that took advantage of my dad?" He asked as he angrily read through what Toni found out. He looked up from what he was reading and directed his gaze towards Amani
"Call the cops!... No call Nick. Tell him it's urgent and hand the phone to me." He said as he watched the hateful reporter totter in her tight skirt and high heels to the other side of the road.
"This is absurd!... How could she run in such a tight skirt and shoes without falling flat on her face?" He asked himself in wonderment and secretly wished she would just fall and twist both her ankles so she wouldn't be able to disturb his dad for an interview till the whole Lisa and rape story blow away.
Toni called his attention then, and he went back inside his car.
"It's your cousin, sir!" Toni said. Leonardo collected the phone Toni extended to him and started talking about Amani to Nicholas, his cousin.
~••~
Amani, whose face was buried in the fur of her newfound love didn't realize the amount of trouble she has brought upon herself until she turned around to see that she was parked haphazardly and her car was blocking the two-way major road
"Oh shit!" She swore! Her eyes widened in horror when she saw quite some cars were already blaring their horns, waiting impatiently for her to move her car out of their way.
'Why didn't you fucking park properly Amani! What were you thinking!?' She wondered at her irrational behavior. Congratulations! You have managed to cause a commotion. Let's just hope you don't bring trouble upon yourself, today of all days!' A voice said in her head.
With fluffy ball held safely in her arms, she hurriedly moved to cross the road back to where her car was being a hindrance to other people's movements.
Leonardo's upper lid curled in disdain. Even though he didn't want to, he couldn't help but stare at the reporter. The second woman that caused him mystery for the second time in under twenty-four hours. That is why he would make sure she regrets and pay for her reckless action today. He promised, looking with regret at his broken laptop that was placed next to him
He sighed in resignation when his gaze wandered back to her again. She's beautiful. He noted that fact to himself against his will.
'How would you be able to make her pay for her actions if you found her beautiful?' He chastises himself. He didn't want to think of her that way so he forced his eyes and mind away from her, picked up his phone, and started checking through the emails he had not yet attended to.
Amani was all apologies to the people she has delayed when she finally arrived back to where her car was parked
"Oh my!... I'm so sorry!... Please, I'm sorry! I just had to save the dog..." She raised the little fluffy ball in her hand for them to see but it seemed they didn't care, or they were too impatient to get to their destinations. It's Monday morning after all.
She knew she was in trouble and her heart almost sank to the sole of her feet when a stone-faced police officer approached her.
"Is this your car ma'am?"
"Yes officer, but I didn't mean for all these to happen..." She indicated with her hand towards the traffic that was building up around them. She wanted to explain, so the policeman would know the reason why she had to hurriedly park her car. Not that she was being deliberately irrational without much thought towards others, but the man held up his hand for her to hold her explanations.
"Please park your vehicle properly first..." He said firmly and Amani entered into her car without further ado. She placed fluffy ball on the passenger seat before moving the car forward to find a more suitable place to park.
The police officer took over then and expertly directed the traffic on both lanes, allowing the free flow of traffic once again.
"Drive straight to the hospital. I think I hurt my neck" Leonardo said to his driver when he saw the traffic was being cleared. He has been massaging the back of his neck to relieve the pain he got when he was thrown hard against the front passenger seat, but the pain was only getting worse, not better.
While the police officer was busy making sure that the traffic flowed freely. Amani dialed the DeVille's mansion and requested to speak with Leonardo's father personally since he was the one that requested the interview.
'What if he canceled and said he's no longer interested?' Amani couldn't help but think with fear in her heart. Percy's hateful face came to mind then and she immediately shut her eyes tightly, leaning back on the car seat.
'I don't want to fuck this up. Please God don't make me fuck this up...' She continually thought to herself until Matteo DeVille's voice sounded in her ear
"Hello..."
"Miss Amani?" Matteo DeVille called, his voice brought Amani back from her trance.
"Uhmm, yes! Hello sir..." She cleared her throat that has become clogged with emotions. "I'm so sorry sir!... Regarding our appointment, Uhm... An emergency just came up and... I might not be able to make it today...."
"Okay... Perhaps we could reschedule for tomorrow then?... I'm retired, I don't have that many activities and engagements lined up for me these days, so don't worry about it. You're not disrupting anything." The old man who had sensed her uneasiness assured and laughed
Amani was taken aback when she heard the tone and manner with which the old man put her mind at ease. She thought he would be offended, the thought that he might even take the interview away from Pinnacle news and give it to another media house crossed her mind and made her emotional.
"I'm glad, thank you so much, sir," She said with relief
"Oh, it's alright!... I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yes, definitely sir!"
Fluffy ball moved to her lap when she was talking on the phone, nudging her palm open with his nose before he started to lick her fingers.
"Are you hungry?... I'm sorry I don't have anything to feed you with here other than water." Amani said softly, opened the water bottle she carried with her, and poured some water inside the cover for him.
"Thirsty, aren't we?..." She asked and watched as the dog quickly lapped up the water she poured for him till he had his fill, after which he curled up on the passenger seat to sleep.
"Tired too, I see... For how long have you been out there all by yourself? She asked softly again looking towards the dog who was now sleeping peacefully. "It couldn't be that much longer since your fur is still clean... Your mommy would be so worried by now. How did you manage to separate yourself from her I wonder."
Amani talked to the dog. When she saw he has fallen asleep, she picked up her phone and was about to call Becca when the policeman rapped on her car window with his knuckles
"Please step out of your vehicle ma'am, with your license and registration please" has said when Amani wind down the window
Amani's heart thudded as she opened her door. She reached inside her glove compartment and brought out her car documents, before checking inside her purse for her driver's license, handing them over to the officer
"Pinnacle News... hmmm." The police officer said while looking through her document "I'm gonna have to take you in ma'am." He announced to her when he was done going through her documents.