CHAPTER 7: GROCERY SET UP
It was a hectic day for George. He was home already, he played with his dog a little before going to the kitchen, got an apple. He munched into the apple and went to his room , dropped his car key beside the bedstand lamp and slumped on the bed. Without hesitation , he went into the bathroom to have his bath. The cold water from the shower hit his body, relaxing his muscles.
He dressed up to go for grocery shopping. He does his shopping himself or plead with his mom to help him out but after the family dinner, he has not called home. He picked up his car key and left. He listened to 'shopping spree' by Chris brown and sang along.
He got into the grocery shop, picked up the shopping cart. He picked more fruits, flour for baking and other necessary items he needed. When he got to the section where he can get pasta , he met a young man about his age trying to get pasta . His hand could not reach the top where pasta is. The man is not so tall. George watched the man for few minutes as he struggled to get the pasta.
George dropped his shopping cart and walked up to him to help him out . The man slipped and landed on George's body. George held the man to support him. George helped him to stand well, got the pasta for him and for himself, dropped it in his shopping cart and left.
"Thank you" the man shouted after him. George simply gave a nod and left. He got to the front end to pay.
"Is that not our GG"
"Awwww, he's so cute"
"Simply dressed and hot"
These were the words from people as he paid up and left. He got into his car and sighed. So much for grocery shopping, he thought. He drove home, He arranged the groceries into the fridge.
He took out the pasta , placed the pot with water on the cooking gas for it to boil. He broke the pasta into the boiling water, stirring it. Within few minutes, he drained out the water into the colander set in the sink .
He brought out the pasta sauce he got from the grocery shop and poured the pasta into it, he stirred it giving him a satisfying look and taste, he put off his cooking gas and cleaned the gas. He dished out his food and walked to the dinning.
He pressed his phone as he ate. A call came in, it was from his PA.
"Sir, there's a problem" she said nervously.
"What have you done this time" he asked, taking a fork of pasta into his mouth.
"Sir…Sir, please check the internet for the trending news" she said.
He hung up and dropped his fork. He scrolled through his phone , his eyes almost bulged out of his eye socket.
The picture of him holding the man at the grocery shop was posted with the headline: IS GEORGE ODLENE, THE NEW YORK BILLIONAIRE A GAY? He scrolled up to see people's comments. He saw a lot of comment regarding the picture. He pushed the food away from him .
Another call came in and it was his father. Not again, he thought.
"Hey Dad"
"What the heck happened" his dad asked immediately without responding to his greeting.
" I don't know, I just met him at the grocery shop and his hand could not the reach the pasta, he slipped and fell on me" he explained with tiredness laced in his voice.
"Dad, you know that's not true"
"So how do you intend to clear the air?" His father asked immediately.
"I don't know,dad. I can't even think straight because I feel it's a set up"
"A set up?"
"Yes . We were the only ones there. Who could have taken pictures of us".
"If you think it's a set up, we need to look for that man to clear the air"Mr. ODLENE suggested. George sighed
"Okay Dad, how do I find this man" he asked.
"We will find a way but …" His mother cut in from the other end.
"We have to act quick. Take down the pictures first"She said.
"Even if I take down the picture, the tag is on me already"He said.
" Mom, staying indoors is my hobby now" he facepalmed himself. His mother laughed from the other end.
"Now? It has always been your hobby for the past two years" His mother said.
"Mom, it doesn't matter now" he said tiredly.
" But you know, I don't see anything wrong with the gay tag, I mean we will get to know if you will get a lady finally"
"Dad, are you there. Mom is becoming frustrating" he said.
"Yeah, I'm here and what she said is true . Anyway, Take down the picture and short video, let's think of what next to do"His dad said.
"Okay, dad" His father hung up. George picked up his phone immediately and called his PA.
" Sir" she said.
" Uhmmm…whatever your name is. Do your best to take down the video"
"Okay Sir" she said. He sat down of the dinning chairs. He could remember the man's face clearly, it was void of any bad intention. Who could have done this, he thought. His ringing phone jolted him out of his thoughts.
"It has been done, Sir" she said.
"Okay" He simply said and hung up.He could remember no one was there with them. Is this really a set up or mere coincidence, he thought. He picked up his phone and scrolled through and truly, the video has been taken down. He tried eating his pasta, it was cold already. The dog stared at him, looking like it's about to cry. George dropped the pasta for him and left the kitchen.
"I feel so hot, I need to shower again" he went up to his room to have his bath. Hectic day mixed with grocery set up.