Red ink
Ep 13: Two sides of a coin
•
•
He looked at the scene before him, the grass was wet and damp, rain drizzling, washing the blood of his victims away with its spontaneity. He didn't have much to do, he was done for the evening and he had who he came for. Boss would want him to finish it clean but he made a special request tonight, that he should leave the scene as it was, unattended and allow whoever was passing by perceive the odour of the decay...multiple dead persons. That would be one odour to reckon with. It would be a trigger point for the man who hid in the shadows.
So with that in mind, and the rain against his plan of blazing them up in fire, he tucked his rifle back in his back pocket. He had opted to go for framing it to look like a shootout. Of course, it looked amateurish but that was also the intention.
He turned back through the meandering woods that led to where his car was packed. The cooing sound of an owl in the tree which would had been perturbing to a child, was unfondingly beautiful to serenade him.
When he sat in his car, he picked up his phone and looked at the time, it said 9:28. Shit! He was late. He turned on the ignition, listened briefly to the rumbling sounds of his engine, put it on reverse and drove off to the road form which he came—keeping in mind that there was someone present in the booth of the vehicle.
•
•
*Lorin's point of view*
She looked at herself in the mirror of the washroom, she still looked beautiful and her makeup was intact. But she still had the urge tp redo it.
She released her hand from where it was rested–the edge of the sink, and opened her purse. Picking out her lipstick, she applied it gently on her lips, smacking them together. She picked up her eyeliner and lined her eyelids. She had been here for some minutes, away from all the merry and silent bubbling in the main hall. She felt she needed this alone time now before going back in.
She heard the door to the washroom open and she saw a tall slim young woman, who she wasn't sure of walk in and smiled at her through the mirror. She smiled back, it was awkward. Luckily for her, she opened a toilet door and went in.
Lorin exhaled heavily and tucked her lipstick and eye liner back in her purse. After adoring herself one more time in the mirror, she picked up her purse and began walking to the door.
"Are you his girlfriend?" A female voice asked.
She stopped in her track. She knew she was the only one in there...and the other girl...
She turned, the young pretty woman standing few inches from her. She looked at the toilet door and wondered how she came out without her hearing it click.
She stared down the woman, she was clothed in a design clothing made of stones and by a famous designer, Fetver. If this woman would wear clothes worth millions, she sure was a very high classed lady and that was already a disadvantage on her path.
•
•
Dillion looked at his watch, 9:51, Fred wasn't back yet. What was taking him so long. And he later realised he wasn't with his phone.
He looked at the seats, the hall was a bit less full than it was before. Some people had left while others seemed to be in for the whole gala.
He looked around him, he was standing alone. Lorin said she was going to the washroom and had been gone for some minutes now.
He raised his wine glass to his lips and sipped from it.
The microphone shrieking sound came on, turning everyone's attention to the podium. It was Mr Ford. He was grinning. "I hope we all are having a great time? Seeing as we have had the main course meal, we wilk hurry with our proceedings. I can see the tired looks on some people's faces. he waited a bit. "I mentioned earlier that there will be an announcement tonight, one that we had planned to make towards the close of the ball but choose to do it now. I am happy to announce to you that we, the new Deeper Height team have a major investor and a major shareholder in our midst, who is in himself a silent wealthy man from Springs. You may have seen him through the evening but nothing like a formal announcement." He turned to his left hand side where Hugo was seated. "Mr Hugo.." He called.
Hugo stood up and faced the crowd, adjusting his button on his suit.
"Like I said, you all have seen him through the evening, but nothing like a formal Introduction. I give you all Mr Hugo Roderick, the new CEO and major shareholder of Deeper Height!" Mr Ford began clapping, the crowd joining in one by one.
Dillion lowered his head to look at his drink. He sniggered, his eyes growing darker by the minute as the applause increased. What an act. What a great act.
He was the only one not clapping.
He raised up his head and looked at Hugo, their eyes clocking like larva erupting with volcanoes.
"Boss."
•
•
*Lorin's point of view*
Lorin wanted to turn away but she suddenly remembered what Dillion had told her, that she should not be intimidated by the glows and glamour of the upper class. She should always speak her mind. She was a confident lady.
Thinking that, she slightly raised up her chin to appear more poised. She looked at the woman who seemed to be at a young age, between twenty-four to twenty-eight. At least, they had age range in common. "I do not understand."
The girl smirked. "Don't be so uptight..." She stared her down. "What is your name? I am sure you do have one."
Lorin was not dumb. She was very good at assessing people and she knew for certain that this girl here did not mean well for her. "What is your interest in my name, miss...? What is your name?"
The girl walked up to her, eyes leveled as they were both the same height.
Lorin didn't move an inch.
"I am Diana of the Springdam family. One of the greatest family from Springs." She raised her nose up so high she could easily be mistaken for pinocchio.
Lorin looked at her, almost laughing out but holding it in, amused by her little comedic moment playing in her head. What a cinderella-step-sister type of nose she had. "Well, Diana," She extended her hand. "pleased to meet you."
Diana looked at the hand without taking it. "What is your name?"
Lorin retrieved her hand and changed the position of her purse. She exhaled. "Diana, I am Lorin by name. Pleased to meet you... now if you do not—"
"Lorin, you've got some nerves!" She screamed.
Lorin was taken aback for a second. She was sure she didn't know this girl and was certain they had never cross paths before. "Excuse me?"
"Excuse you!" She yelled again, walking even closer to Lorin, making her take steps back. "I asked if you are his girlfriend and you sly bitch is refusing to answer me. Who do you think you are? I can smell your type from miles away and even though you dressed up to look classy tonight, a leopard can't change its spot!"
Lorin was so surprised at the outburst that she didn't know she was retreating, which made her offender had the upper hand.
"What? Are you surprised I know you didn't purchase this dress yourself?" Diana laughed. "You could never!"
Lorin was now at the end of the bathroom door which led to the main hall. She fumbled for the handle, but it seemed not to be where it was supposed to be. Or was she just imagining.
She stood her ground, knowing fully well that she had to defend herself. "Look Diana, we must have had a misunderstanding. I don't know you."
Diana smirked. "Of course you don't know me. Where could you meet a beauty like me if not in your fantasized dreams." She walked closer to Lorin. "I asked if you were his girlfriend. Now, answer me. Are you his girlfriend? Dillion?"
Lorin was conflicted. She didn't know what to say. She knew she wasn't his girlfriend but when he was asked that question by the reporters, he didn't directly answer it. He neither confirmed nor deny it. In this situation, what was the best thing to do?
After going through her thought process in seconds, she stood up straight and leveled her eyes on Diana. "I am..." She smirked. "his...cha-pe-rone." She grinned at her. "I don't know who you are Diana, neither have I met you before. But you are here picking on a low class bitch like me. What does that make you?" She felt good when she saw her emotion shifted. "It makes you come down to my level. For the person you are fighting doesn't even know what you are fighting for. In our world, we call it yapping ."
Diana's eyes narrowed. "Yapping?" She whispered, anger beginning to emblazon on her face.
Lorin walked closer to her, giving her the daring stare. "Yapping without cause..." She rested her hand on Diana's gown and dusted it. "...like an empty...barrel."
Diana sneered at her, her brows furrowing. "You've got some nerves!"
Lorin smiled, a sincere one. "Thank you. Because I don't know how I would have survived without them." She retreated. "Now Diana, I do want to really stay for a chitchat but I am afraid HE is waiting for me, probably wondering why I am taking so long." She waved at her, "Ciao!"
Without turning back to face face her, she clicked the door button which slid open, and right there by the door, she saw Fred waiting for her.