After departing the office complex; an awkward Andrew and Beatrice returned to their shift in McRonards, the female's gaze towards Andrew brazenly switched from an interested one to an evasive one. Something that the ghost obviously noticed.
'If I tell you, you're going to hate me' It spelt nothing good for Andrew. In fact, he thought maybe the theories he had in his mind were mild compared to the reality, soon the shift would end at midnight, and departure time would arrive like the swiftness of water in a downhill river.
Half an hour from the end of the shift, Andrew received a call he couldn't reject. He excused himself to go to the back of the restaurant; the curious Sophia chased after him, giving Beatrice's shoulders some respite.
"Good evening uncle. It is not usual for you to call".
On the other side of the line was Christian Mayers, the current chairman of Archonte and also his own side business, a small hedge fund. 'Can this be a coincidence?'
He thought it was too much of a coincidence for his uncle to CALL during this junction with Beatrice when he always only sent messages. Nevertheless she
"Just wanted to check up on you. There have been plenty of incidents going on lately. I received a call from Gloria as well after so long. I didn't think the two of you would meet each other like this. She had to attend that gym together with Maya of all gyms'.
"She's not bad, though".
"You don't know her well enough yet and hopefully never will, Andrew; by then you will be bankrupt, indebted and owing taxes. I didn't know that woman had any other habits aside from blowing money away, hmph, yoga..."
It was more than clear those two were not on good terms with one another.
"Do you have anything to tell me?" The man asked from the other side of the line, there was the voice of a lady speaking in the background which Andrew identified as his aunt.
The boy limited himself to giving a small briefing of how the school had been, now with more clarity, about the incident regarding Sophia and Sasha in which he had to attend the Manhunt Buffet sooner or later. The last time he spoke with his uncle on the phone was a few months ago. It didn't happen often.
"U-Uncle, one question..."
"Judging by your stutter, you want to ask about McRonards?".
"That's exactly what I want to ask".
"So she told you after all. That woman is as good to keep secrets as she is to save money. You're a clever boy, Andrew. The answer you hold in your mind should be spot-on. Don't doubt it".
"Did you do it to control me?" The boy asked with apprehension.
"Control? No... I did it to give you freedom, Andrew. But this is a topic for later. I'll be going by soon depending on my schedule, we can then talk about Gloria and also Leon Jones".
Without further comments, the call ended there and then, leaving a puzzled heir.
'I wanted to ask him about Beatrice...'
**
**
"My back has been hurting for a while now, ugh! what is going on?!" Beatrice popped up from the toilet after having changed herself, moving her extremities and stretching herself, hoping the pain would subside.
The pain wouldn't alleviate. Sophia was quite comfortable up there. A single not-so-funny gaze from Andrew made Sophia reluctantly come down from her 'sofa', but even then, the damage was done.
"I wonder why..."
He stated offhandedly, remaining in the same awkward position. Everyone had already left, leaving the two of them almost at midnight, after finishing the cleaning up. It was time to depart.
Andrew pulled down the shutters and placed the key inside the lock. He turned around to the empty foggy streets to see Beatrice biting her lips and glaring at him. Even though she looked a little upset. Neither Andrew nor Sophia could deny this woman was sexy.
"W-Wanna come to my place?"
"..."
Astonishment was what remained, followed by a mild confusion, only to be replaced by the urge to deadpan.
'Go to your place at midnight?! what are we going to do?!' He thought there was also her little brother in there, even 'something' was bound to happen. It could never happen!
As for Sophia, she was just astonished at this woman's shamelessness to invite an underage boy to her place at midnight... while dressed like that.
"You said you're being homeschooled, so there should be no issue, right? Just come... I can explain everything to you, we could watch a movie-".
"It is almost 1:00 am!"
"So?"
"Beatrice..."
"I want to explain everything to you... no secrets, do you want to come or not? this is your last chance to enter my bedroom".
"E-Eh?"
Andrew thought he heard wrong and it was then that Beatrice giggled a little before taking his wrist, she started walking away, leading him to the train station.
"Forget it... I will explain everything Andrew, promise. And whatever your answer is, I shall accept it as well"
"... do you work for my uncle?" He couldn't help but ask that right away, it was the same question he intended to ask his uncle before he hung up right in his face.
"I don't!" There seemed to be an unexpected rush for Beatrice to deny this fact, almost as if she was offended. To Andrew, however, her answers were confusing... not helping his doubts to clear in the slightest.
"Eh? I don't get it..." He uttered loudly what was in his mind.
'Me neither unless she's lying again? I thought she was sent by your uncle to look after you or keep an eye on you' Sophia also had enough understanding to know what was going on.
"You know who I am..."
Without a definite answer on the horizon, Andrew went for he next question, so focused in fact that he ignored all of the obvious ghosts on the road.
There was a brief silence from Beatrice, he could only see her slender back and well, her jean-clad round bottom. But her expression was a mystery.
"I know... Andrew Mayers from the Mayers Family, heir of Archonte left behind by Max Mayers".
Immensurable disappointment fell on his heart at that moment. He stopped and released himself from Beatrice's grasp, coming to a stop with a hollow expression in the dangerous midnight streets of Downtown.
"Let's talk in my place, alright? this place is not safe" Beatrice tried to take his wrist again, but he evaded her, this time she made an aggrieved expression with shaking hands.
'She knows... so the way she's always behaved with me, it was all fake... everything was fake'.
'Andrew, don't feel bad...' Sophia wanted to try and console him but it wasn't the right moment.
"What do you even see me as?" He asked afterwards, so downcast that his eyes weren't fixed on Beatrice's, they were fixed on the filthy cement tile floor.
Beatrice walked forward and pulled him into a hug with all due suddenness.
"You're a very sweet, hardworking and handsome boy, Andrew... clever, proactive... down to earth. That is what I see. You will be big in the future just like your father and mother were".
"...that's all?" He felt flattered, but it wasn't the answer he was after.
"Y-You're also my best friend" Beatrice added with a stutter, evading his gaze for reasons he didn't know. With ultimate reluctance, he departed her plentiful cleavage while ignoring Sophia's rather 'innocent' remark that was more like a jab to his feelings.
'You got friend-zoned... but it doesn't count since she's an adult and you're a boy, don't feel bad!'
The ghost wasn't helping at all.
"The time we have spent together hasn't been a lie, Andrew... I have enjoyed all of it!"
"You lied to me all this time. What makes you think I will believe you now?"
His voice was cold this time, the same way she had become a different person in his mind, Beatrice was currently meeting the Andrew that everybody else knew back on the campus. Cold, difficult to approach and downright hostile. An attitude that could be easily confused with haughtiness and hubris.
Little did he know. Not only Beatrice had experienced dealing with this sort of individual. She had a lot more experience dealing with HIM during this facette.
Instead of feeling apprehension she doubled down and took his wrist forcefully.
"You're misunderstanding horribly... I'm not like those girls that chase after you for money, Andrew. I'm not from a rich family, but I'm pretty well off. I don't need your money, not even a single cent. That said, I won't allow you to underestimate my feelings for you... what you represent to me".
The woman approached within breath's distance, he could smell the slight scent of cigarette coming from her mouth, oddly mixed with her perfume, "I... don't... want... your... money. Understand that".
She hoped it wasn't going to be necessary to spell it and having said her words, she walked forward again, pulling him to the now nearby station. However, with each step and together with a now silent Andrew. Beatrice felt something.
She looked at every corner, every light post and there was nothing except vagrant tents here and there.
'Why do I feel this? someone's locking us?'.
She wasn't wrong. Not only her, even Sophia and Andrew failed to notice in the distance. Behind a light post, concealed in the shadows.
A beauty with pale cracked skin, a high school uniform and the most wicked of smiles watching them from the distance like a lurking terror.
It was 'Sasha'.
