Chapter - 9

Isabella's pov;

On my way to Mr Martinez's house to retrieve my phone, I told my mother that I had left it in Sophia's place when she inquired about the phone's whereabouts.

I rang the doorbell and waited for him to open it.

The door had been opened. It's Mr Martinez.

"Good morning, Mr Martinez."

He motioned for me to enter the home with his hand and then left. His bed hair, on the other hand, was very attractive. I believe he only awoke a few minutes ago.

"Um..."

He interrupted me before I finished what I was going to say, saying, "Wait here. I'll go fetch your phone."

He went upstairs after saying that.

I took a look around. The curtains were drawn, giving the impression that the house was haunted.

Mr Martinez came down the stairs holding the phone and saying, "You said you'd be there at eight."

I took it and replied, "Yeah, I just realised I have stuff to do. So see you later. Bye!"

"Wait."

"Huh? What is it?"

"May I accompany you?"

"What? Do you want to accompany me? Where?"

"I don't have anything planned for today."

"Okay. Let's go. But don't forget to bring your wallet. I'm not going to pay for you."

"Okay," he answered with a smirk.

"What exactly are you waiting for? Go change your clothing and come back."

"What's the deal with this one?"

"What's wrong? It looks so expensive. Do you want people to stare at you? Wear something cheap so that you won't be an outcast."

"I don't have clothes as you described."

"Okay, we'll buy clothes on the way. Come on."

People passing by on the streets gazed at us. What exactly are they looking at? When I turned to look at Mr. Martinez. He was dressed in a mask.

"Can you tell me why you're wearing the mask?"

"I never left the house without wearing my mask."

"You are going to, today," I said as I stepped closer to him and pulled the mask from his face.

He continued going while covering his face with his hands.

"If you keep doing that, your hands will start hurting."

We arrived at the bus terminal and took a seat on the stand.

"What brings us here?"

"Of course, to ride the bus." Said when verifying the arrival time of the bus at the terminal.

"Let's take a cab."

"I don't have money for the cab. It costs a lot."

The bus pulled up. I got on the bus, sat down, and booked a seat for him while yelling, "Quick! Please come here."

He made his way through the crowd to me and sat near me.

"Will this be the case?"

"Hahaha. Yeah, And for today, let's go to the bazaar and get you some clothing first, then we'll go to a cafe because I need to see a buddy there for a work, then we'll have lunch in my favourite spot and walk down the street for a while, and finally, we'll go to a party that my friend, Sophia, has invited me to. Sophia and I are both students at the same school. So be cautious when you're around her. Ah! Thinking about it, we should make you a fake identity. No. We can't do that since she saw you in the lecture. What are our next steps? Do you have any suggestions?"

"It's all right. I'll head to my house after looking around. You are welcome to attend the party."

"Aw! Mr Martinez, thank you so much for your assistance here."

"What if someone notices me?"

"Don't worry, no one here knows you except... me."

"Are you trying to offend me?"

"Haha. No. I'm not. I mean... Because you always wear a mask, it's difficult for people to recognise you without it, right?"

"Yes."

"See? That's what I was referring to. Now sit back and relax."

We arrived at the bazaar and found up at a clothing store. I grabbed a shirt among the crowd and asked him, "Do you like it?"

He appeared unsettled.

"What happened?" I said as I walked closer to him. "You're not looking good."

He shook his head and remained still. I believe it is due to the crowd.

"Stand there and wait for me. Mr Martinez, I'll buy you some clothes."

He left the shop.

After a long bargain with the shop owner, I took a set of garments and exited the crowd.

Mr Martinez appeared to be a lost prince. I approached him and handed him the garments, adding, "You can go into these clothes. I know it's not expensive like the clothes you wear but I hope you like it."

I waited for Mr Martinez as he changed his clothing.

My phone began to ring. Sophia's name was displayed.

Why is Sophia calling at this time? I picked up the phone.

"8 p.m. DI club."

"What?"

"The party. Don't forget to show up. If you decide to leave me, I'll inform my brother that we're still friends."

"Why are you speaking so quickly?"

"Don't forget to show up. That's all."

"Is there anyone nearby? Is it your brother beside you?"

"If you don't come, I'll do what I said."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"So, without fail, arrive. I'll be in the parking lot waiting for you."

"All well, but why a parking lot?"

She hung up before answering my inquiry. What's the deal with this girl? Why is she behaving so strangely?

"Shall we go?" Mr Martinez asked me. When did he come?

"Huh? Yeah."

We arrived at the cafe.

"Do you wish to obtain something? This shop sells excellent lattes. Do you want me to order it for you?"

"I don't drink Latte."

"Oh, then what do you like?" I was checking the menu card when I inquired.

"I don't require anything."

"Are you mad or something?"

"What?"

"You've been looking down since I arrived at your house. Is there a problem? You are welcome to contact me. I swear I won't tell anyone."

"There's nothing wrong." "Does Latte taste so wonderful in this cafe?" he asked, taking the menu card from me.

"Yes, it tastes extremely delicious. Do you want me to order it for you?"

He nodded as he perused the menu.

I walked over to the barista and requested two Lattes before returning to my seat.

"Do you want anything other than Latte, Mr Martinez, like garlic bread or biscuits?"

He shook his head.

"Okay."

The Latte I had requested arrived.

I waited for him to sip first, then inquired, "Do you like it, Mr Martinez?"

He offered a small nod and continued to drink his Latte.

I received a phone call while drinking my coffee.

"I have to take this call."

I stepped away from the situation and exited the cafe.

I asked my pal on the phone, "Why haven't you arrived yet? Where are you?"

"About that, I got stuck in my job. I'm sorry. I can't make it today."

"I'm already waiting in the cafe."

"It's fine. I've already spoken with the cafe owner, so go ahead and speak with her."

"Will she offer me the position?"

"She looked very convinced when I spoke with her, therefore I believe she will offer you the position."

"All right, thank you for your assistance."

I hung up with him and went inside the cafe.

Mr Martinez had not yet finished his Latte.

I approached him and stated, "My mentioned friend abandoned me, therefore I'm on my own to speak with the owner. Can you stay here and wait?"

He nodded and continued to sip his Latte.

I went to the owner's office, knocked on the door, and opened it. The proprietor was a lady in her thirties.

"Come in," she said, taking off her spectacles and placing them on the table.

I welcomed the proprietor and took a seat.

"I'm Isabella Garcia, a senior at GJ High School. I'm excited about this opportunity. If you give me the job, I'll give it my all."

"How will you work here while going to school?"

"I get off at 4 so I can come here after school and work here."

"How about working on weekends?"

"I'm comfortable with weekends as well."

"You may accept the position. Beginning on Monday."

"Thank you for the employment offer, ma'am."

"My name is Beck."

"Thank you, Beck."

I exited the room with a big smile on my face.

"I've gotten the job!!!" Let's get started."

I took the Latte that I had forgotten to drink, and we both left the cafe.

"I can't believe I was hired. My heart feels so light after getting this job," I sighed, continuing. "Do you realise how difficult it is to acquire a job in that cafe? That cafe is one of the most popular on this street. Rich individuals do come by once and then."

"I've never gone."

"Ah! What's the point of your sarcasm? I've heard that wealthy folks frequent the location. Perhaps your species does not. Anyway, the reason it's difficult to acquire a job there is that everyone who works there is related to one another. Because it is a family business, they will not hire outsiders. But... because my friend is a member of their family and refuses to work with them, I got the job through him. Hahaha. Furthermore, the salary is competitive. They are providing $300 every month. Isn't it fantastic?"

He nodded and continued walking with me, listening to what I was saying.

"I'm starving." "Let's go eat."

We arrived at the food stalls.

"What do you like to eat, Mr Martinez?"

He was glancing around at the food stalls as if it were his first time seeing them.

"What do you like to eat?" I inquired, tapping on his shoulder. While pointing to the menu on the food stall.

He was staring over the menu for quite some time. Why is he taking so long to place his order? That wasn't a difficult task. Should I assist him?

"Um... Mr Martinez, do you want my assistance in placing your order?"

"It's all right. I'll take care of it."

"Okay. Whatever you desire."

He eventually ordered a cheeseburger and a California burrito with beef, cheese, and potato fries in the burrito, as well as sour cream and guacamole. He's placing his order like a rookie.

I laughed and resumed eating my chicken cheese sandwich.

When I saw him finish his meal, I inquired, "What do you want now?"

"I'm stuffed."

"Really?? Did those burgers fill you up?"

He nodded as he wiped his hands with tissue paper.

"You have to eat a lot to hang out with me because I eat a much."

While I was talking to him, Mr Martinez took his wallet and said, "Use this," while I was paying. His wallet was stuffed full of cash, which made me feel desperate.

"Hey, I was just kidding at the time. You are not required to pay. I have cash for both of us. I can cover the cost of the food."

He reinserted his wallet into his pocket, kept wiping his hands, and requested more tissues.

When the shopkeeper attempted to hand out tissues, I told him, "We don't need tissues anymore."

"What are you doing?"

"We don't need tissues anymore, right?" I asked Mr Martinez. I said quietly in his ear, "Consider the expense of Kleenex. He's selling it for a lot more than the food. Also, your hands are clean. I don't believe you require it."

"My hands are clean, yeah." Mr Martinez addressed the shopkeeper.

We were on our way to the store after paying.

"Mr Martinez, where do you like to go? This street has a lot of businesses where you may buy stuff. There are..."

I received a phone call. It's Sophia calling. What is she after this time?

"I… I have to take this call."

I turned away from him and responded to her.

"Emergency!" She screamed.

"What happened?"

"Come to my house."

"What exactly happened? Why do you sound terrified?"

The conversation was over.

I dashed up to Mr Martinez and said, "Something important arrived. I had to leave. A-Are you able to get to your house on your own?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Thank you very much, Mr Martinez. And I apologise for leaving."

I got a cab and went to Sophia's place.

The entrance door was ajar. Why is the door open in this manner? I entered the house, shouting Sophia's name, which echoed back to me as if the place was vacant.