I park my Toyota inside the garage and sigh as the car's engine dies down. My hands remain gripping the steering wheel as I rest my forehead against it. It's been a rather unpleasant day and I'm just happy to be home.
What I need is a long, hot shower to relax my mind and try to figure out a way forward. I've got a bad feeling about my future with T&M.
What future?
There's no use moping around in this uncomfortable vehicle when I could be in my satin nightgown while Kimi does my hair and I drink my red wine. Scratch the wine, we could have a comedy movie marathon while stuffing up on popcorn and brownies and I could rush to the convenient store a few blocks away for some slushies.
Slushies? Popcorn? You have a company to save; no time to play with.
I grab my handbag and laptop bag and open the door. The room goes dark except for the light coming from under the door.
Kimi is sitting on the couch facing the TV, her eyes and attention on the cellphone in her hands. She doesn't seem to notice me as I pass by the sitting room and walk up the stairs to my bedroom. I feel very happy I cooked a lot of food last night and will just need to warm it up. I'm in no mood to be standing in front of a stove or arguing with Kimi over which take out place we should give our money to tonight.
After opening the white door that leads to my favourite place in the house, my mood immediately improves. I discard my laptop bag on bed and with my handbag safely in my hands, I walk towards its safe place.
It was a gift from Kimi for my 32nd birthday last year. I treasure it more than anything else in this closet. It's followed by the graduation gown and cap I wore to my graduation some years ago. She saved up a lot of money to buy this bag for me and it's one of the few expensive things I own. I look down at my black Prada suit and black Celine heels. I chuckle as I look up and meet my reflection in the full body length mirror. Everything I'm wearing, from the pendant around my neck to my shoes, are the most expensive articles of clothing I own. Kimi thought it was a good idea and that I would make a great first impression.
"None of that matters now." I sigh and say to myself as I reach up to put my bag in the top shelve.
I sit at the foot of my bed and take off my heels. My earrings, pendant and watch follow. Everything goes on the bed as I grab a clean towel and make my way into the bathroom for my long-awaited shower.
A few minutes after turning the water on, I hear a faint knock. I turn the water off and the knock becomes louder.
"Olivia? Olivia is that you?" More knocking. "Olivia?"
The door to my room opens and I hear Kimi shuffle into the room, tripping on something in the dark before I hear the light switch on.
"Damnit!"
She's the one that said we should switch off the lights for the good of the next electricity bill. I chuckle to myself.
"Kimi!" I shout, "Yeah, it's me."
"Gosh! Why didn't you say anything when you came in? I thought there was a ghost or someone broke in."
"We're like the least favourable choice in the neighborhood when it comes to robberies; my best bet would've been on ghost."
"Well, I hope ghosts can take 5-minute showers because I'm starving."
Kimi and I always eat together. Unless I'm going to stay at work until really late, we always make sure we have dinner together. As a child, she wouldn't let me go anywhere without her. I remember working shifts at restaurants with her sitting on a blanket, behind the counter, playing with her toys or at a table in the far back doing her homework.
I smile at the memories as I turn the silver tap and warm water comes raining down my face.
***
"How did it go?" Kimi rushes to my side, her eyes wide with hope.
I wrap my worn out lilac jersey around my grey pajama top as I walk down the stairs in my fuzzy slippers.
"Can I at least bring our food first. I thought you were starving."
"I'll do it. There are only a few times when I get to be useful when it comes to dinner; let me have my moment." She grins as I roll my eyes and head to the couch she was sitting on earlier.
My thoughts immediately go back to today's meeting as I lay back on the brow three seater.
I haven't seen Nico De Leon in eleven years. The last time we set eyes on each other, I was drenched in sweat while hiding inside a rubbish bag in a mall's parking lot. That was about three years after we'd last seen each other. I momentarily pulled down the black plastic bag to search my surroundings after minutes of silence and miraculously, he was standing right there.
His breath hitched as our eyes met and he opened his mouth to speak. My eyes said something in that moment; whether they begged him not to make a sound or told him they were happy to find a familiar face, I do not know. He closed his mouth, ran his hands through his hair as he had always done whenever I landed us in a tight spot and sighed heavily. He had taken a step towards me, just one. Before he could take another, we both heard the commotion approaching and just as he turned his head in its direction, I pulled the bag over mine again.
That was one of the few times I prayed. I asked that Nico suddenly be hit with a very specific kind of amnesia, one that would wipe away the memory of my betrayal three years prior to that moment and only keep the beautiful moments we'd shared since we met as eleven year olds.
After a few breaths, I heard the loud footsteps that had been running in our direction come to a halt. In that rather suffocating and stinking bag, I heard Nico tell the security that he'd seen a girl in a black hoodie running towards the exit on the other side of where they stood. For precautions, I waited a while even after I'd heard them leave. When I pulled the plastic bag down again, Nico was nowhere in sight.
I remember that a part of me wanted to search for him, but the better part knew I had to make a run for it. I had spotted four guys running after me, so I knew I would be in serious trouble if I were caught.
All I'd done was shoplift a pink, princess dress and white flats for a six-year-old. A few weeks later I did find out the jewelry store near the mall had been robbed and they saw two of the suspects run into the mall. They must've thought I was one of them.
Kimi approaches the black coffee table shaped like half a cauldron. She chose this herself at an auction a couple of years ago. Kimi is a genius with numbers but my, does she have terrible taste in furniture. Not only does it look hideous but it does not go with the rest of the room. She bends down and puts the two plates of hot spaghetti and meatballs. It's been her favourite since she was a child.
"We're going with your plan." I say, not bothering to look up at her.
"What? You nearly bit my head off when I suggested we bring out the good old con tricks. I thought-"
"Have you ever walked into a meeting that was the last hope for your nearly bankrupt, excuse of a business and found your ex there?" I cut in.
"What?" Kimi blinks slowly.
"He works there. No, he doesn't just work there, he's the vice president."
"Who? You're not making any sense."
"Nico! Nico De Leon or Nick Garrido as he goes by these days. Where did Garrido even come from?" I mumble the last part to myself.
"I don't get it. I told you about Nick Garrido last night."
'Exactly! Nick Garrido not Nico De Leon but you know what? They're the same person." I throw my hands in the air in defeat.
"Who is Nico De Leon and what does he have to do with..." The words fade in her mouth as realization hits her and she gasps. "Nico? Nico De Leon? From Bertha's? Your first love and everything?"
Kimi was too young when everything happened at Bertha's so she doesn't really remember Nico. She has vague memories; a piggyback ride here, ice cream there but nothing more. She barely even remembers her own mother.
"But how?"
"That's the answer I'm looking for."
How did Nico De Leon, who used to con people and pickpocket strangers in the streets end up in such a high position at one of the biggest companies in the country?
"I found out a little about them. Mr. Hewitt is the chairman, Rachel Hewitt is the president and Nico is the vice president. All of them are disgustingly successful in all of their business ventures and every business wants to work with them. They're like the corporate holy trinity."
"I told you all this last night. You weren't paying attention. You just wanted to focus on the two people you were supposed to meet. If you'd paid attention when I asked you if Nick wasn't the most handsome man you'd ever seen in those business magazines, you wouldn't have been so taken aback."
"Why are you blaming me?" I turn to her in shock.
"Because you're my guardian and sole provider. If you mess up and your business ends up bankrupt, I'm going to end up on the streets with you."
"We're not going to end up on the streets." I roll my eyes.
"Didn't you say you did something really bad to Nico and he hates you?"
"I don't...He wouldn't...He wouldn't hold a grudge for that long now, would he?" I lean in closer to Kimi and narrow my eyes in thought.
She doesn't reply, just scoffs before straightening up.
"So what's the plan now? You're going to put your streetsmarts to good use and make sure we don't lose the roof over our heads?" She grins and puts her hands on her hips.
I grab the beige cusion behind my back and throw it at her. She catches it with both hands, her grin growing bigger before she tosses it on the chair adjacent the couch.
"I'll take that as a no...For now." She looks down at the floor and nods her head.
"Kimi, for goodness sake focus on college and stop speaking nonsense."
She jerks her head up to look at me and for a second her eyes widen. She quickly turns around and I watch as she makes her way to the kitchen, wondering if she's right and we're going to end up on the streets. Who knows how long it will take before all our clients realize the grass is greener on the other side and we're left with nothing?
I sigh as I look down at the plates again and notice the absence of forks in them.
***
I click on another article about Nico, the 5th one since I dropped trying to find his social media accounts about thirteen minutes ago. Throughout the years, I've never found anything about him. Maybe because I was searching up the wrong name. I only looked for Facebook and LinkedIn accounts; I didn't realize I would end up on FORTUNE articles as well.
He's done incredibly well for himself. I am beyond shocked; I can't believe this is the same guy I grew up with. He was so pessimistic, never thinking he'd amount to anything after he ended up abandoned at Bertha's. I was always the dreamer who thought she could take on the world. I can't even take on my bills now.
He's a well-known philanthropist and business man. As I'm reading about his businessman of the year awards and travels to undeveloped countries across the world, I'm wondering once more how I never knew any of this.
If he's this famous and I still didn't even know about him, he must have had no idea about me. Unless of course he knew much earlier on that he would be replacing Mr. Taylor at the meeting. He would have looked me up then. He didn't even bat an eye or look as flustered as I felt when he saw me. He was so confident and unmoved, as if he didn't even recognize me.
It's not possible that he actually didn't, is it?
Could I be wrong and that actually is a whole different person? Could Nick Garrido actually not be Nico De Leon?
Wait so that would make them what? Identical twins? Dopplegangers? My worst nightmare as a 2 for 1 sale?
But if that was in fact Nico, my Nico, why did he act like he'd never seen me before? I haven't changed that much. No one would forget their first love, right?
I sigh and try to clear my mind of all these thoughts. I've done enough thinking about Nico- Nick, for the day. If he really wants to act like he doesn't know me, that's not the worst idea. I'd prefer it if my past didn't come back asking to be acknowledged.
When I check the time at the bottom of my laptop screen, I realise I've been scrolling through publications on him for a little over an hour. I sigh heavily, trying not to start pulling at my hair from frustration. I was so shocked and flustered to see him; it's been so long, and I didn't expect to meet him there, today. Still, a small part of me was elated to see him. We grew up together, he's one of those people I thought I'd know forever.
I exit the page of the article I was reading, published by a small business blog for Seattle's most successful and up and coming.
How come I never made it here?
I shake my head in an attempt to rid my mind of the thought and to try and keep my eyes open for five more minutes. I need to check my emails before retiring for the night.
I click on the email icon as I do every night, expecting to find the usual spam along with clients requesting meetings reschedules. At the top of the list is an email address I do not recognize at first but I find myself gasping before my mind can fully grasp what is happening.
From: NickGarrido@gmail.com
Dear Ms Watson
Your presentation was very impressive and after discussions with the board, we are interested in another meeting before drafting a contract with you. You will be receiving the official email informing you of this from the CEO's secretary tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
Sincerely
Nick Garrido
That's it. Nothing else.
But this should be his personal email. It is his personal email.
As if I didn't initially check properly, I grab onto the screen of my laptop and bring it closer to my face for further inspection. It is his personal email. I remember because they gave me their business cards and this wasn't the email on his.
Before I can debate this, my legs are already carrying me off the chair and heading towards my closet. I open it and grab the strap of my bag, bringing it to my chest and unzipping it. I take out the small cards out of the inside pocket before quickly returning the bag to its place.
The email on this card is different.
I look up at the screen, my entire body tingling to the tips of my slender fingers. In this moment, I convince myself, no, I know that I'm excited over the positive response regarding our meeting.
A small box pops up at the bottom right of my laptop screen. Another email- same email address. My fingers appear to be shaking as I click on the notification, but a second glance informs me it's only in my head.
From: NickGarrido@gmail.com
It was lovely seeing you again, Livie.