5. A favour

Cold water began to run down Jamie’s spine as he heard the ring of his cellphone. Turning the shower head off, he headed out to fetch the device by the basin. It was Tom. 

“Did you find anything?” Jamie spoke before he pressed the phone to his ear. 

“Nothing,” Tom replied, “Like you said, she’s clean.” 

A sense of contentment spread through him upon hearing his words. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was right like always or because he secretly hoped Emma was not a threat to them, but nonetheless, he was happy with what he was hearing. His way was clear, and he didn’t have to worry about her for a while. 

“Hello? Are you still there?”

“Yes.” He said, “If you’re satisfied, we can move on to more important tasks.”

“I’m bummed that I was wrong, but yeah, she is clean. Spending any more time on her would be a waste. I mean, all she does is go to the bar for work and meet up with a couple of friends. That’s as normal as it gets.” 

“Friends, you say?” Jamie asked, growing curious.

“Yeah, one dude seemed to be some sort of lawyer, and the other one… well she was a girl who occasionally called her, and their conversations were harmless so I didn’t bother digging up more info.”

“Why would she need a lawyer?” 

“For the same reason we might need one.” 

Jamie released an unimpressed sigh, “I hardly see a reason for a bartender to hire a lawyer.”  

“Maybe she’s in trouble.” 

Jamie felt uneasy hearing his words. He didn’t understand why he felt so bothered by the possibility of her being in trouble. Sure, she was his mate, but he made it clear to himself that he didn’t want to get caught up in this mess. He didn’t want to act on his feelings for as long as his task was unfinished, but he wasn’t succeeding. It’s been a week since he last saw her, and she was all she thought about. 

He hated that he met her that night, and how his focus was elsewhere since then. He had to get a grip on himself!

“That’s none of our business anyway.” Jamie said, declaring it to himself more than anyone. “Anyway, stick to the plan I mentioned earlier. I’ll meet you at the hotel at 8.”

“Right. I’ll see you there.” 

As Jamie cut the call, he headed back into the shower to clear his head. But for some reason, he couldn’t get her out of his thoughts.

****

“Emma!!” A female voice roared into the phone. “Girl, I’ve been trying to reach you for days! Where were you?” 

Emma giggled at Elena's dramatic words as she unlocked the door to her house. Dropping her purse and a take out on the floor, she headed into her bedroom. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t take your calls. I’ve been so busy for the past couple of days.”

“I haven’t spoken to you in a week. You never told me how it went with Nathan.” Elena said. 

“Oh, well..” Emma’s morose mood returned upon the mention of him. Although she walked away from him with hope still lingering in her chest, the past week had made her realize that she wasn't up against a small task. What he had asked of her was indeed very difficult to achieve, and the fact that there was a time restraint made matters for her. 

“What?” Her friend probed. 

“Well, he was helpful.” She said, “But it’s so messy that I doubt he will be able to do anything further.” 

“I’m sure you can figure it out. Right?” 

“I guess I can.” She sighed, “He wants me to get my hands on some original papers that have my father’s signatures so that… you know… we can expose my uncle. But all the papers or official documents are in my parent’s retirement home, which is situated in a far away place and I don’t have the means to get there yet.” 

“Is it about the money?” She asked, “Because you can always borrow it from me.” 

“It is not just that.” I said, “It is also not very safe for me to go there. And for all I know, my uncle must have already destroyed those papers.” 

“Well, you won’t know until you go find out for yourself.” 

“Yes, which is why I need to get there as soon as possible.” She sighed.

‘

“Why don’t you move in with me, Em? You know you can save so much rent money that way.” 

Emma couldn’t help but appreciate her friend’s offer. She lived alone in her apartment and had asked Emma to move in with her several times in the past. But seeing how she had already taken so much from her, Emma couldn’t bring herself to take her up on the offer. 

“I don’t mind my current situation,” She said instead, “Plus, I’m sure you appreciate your privacy.” 

“I prefer your company more!” 

“That’s flattering, but you’ve already done so much for me. I don’t want to-” 

“Yeah, I know. The same excuse all the time!” Elena grumbled. 

Smiling to herself, Emma tried to steer the conversation away. “Anyway, how’s everything going with you?” 

“Everything’s fine.” She said, “Listen, I have a favor to ask of you.”

Turns out, Elena had taken ill that afternoon and was hoping Emma could cover her shift at Hotel Plaza where she worked. The latter was more than willing to help her friend out, as this was the least she could do for everything Elena had done for her when she was at her lowest. 

As always, Emma lost track of time as she fell into an effortless conversation with Elena. By the time she cut the call, she walked into the living area to find her food gone cold, but seeing as how she loved pizza in any shape and form, she ate to her heart’s content. After about an hour, she donned her formals and headed out for the night, completely oblivious to what she had in store for her.