6: Paying Debt

Fenella’s POV

I was lost in thought, staring blankly at the tissue box on the table. My hand supported my chin as I waited for Jessy to come with our coffee.

"Hey, gorgeous. Here's your coffee." Jessy handed me an iced Americano on the table.

"Thank you, Jess," I said with a small smile.

"Thank goodness the fitting was postponed. I told you so. Baumer is such a perfectionist; she'll probably get in trouble herself soon," Jessy chuckled.

"Yes, luckily I wasn't late for the fitting. Plus, she still accepted me as her model, even though my dark under-eye circles were visible and I was unfocused earlier," I mentioned.

"Ah, nonsense! She praised you so much. She really likes you. You're her ideal type of model. Even if you were to switch liking her—"

I glared at Jessy. We had agreed that my sexual orientation preferences couldn't be forced to change, even if it would help my career as a model. Understanding this, Jessy cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

"So, spill it! You owe me a story." Jessy, sitting across from me, immediately sipped his iced lemon tea.

"Well, here it goes." I took a sip of my drink.

"What? Come on, be honest with me. What really happened? I thought you went on a dinner date with Tom last night. How did Tom turn into Laird?" Jessy pressed on.

I recalled how I arrived at Baumer's studio after 7 a.m. in a less-than-presentable state for the fitting session. Upon arrival, Jessy came and informed me that the fitting had been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Unfortunately, my misfortune didn't end there, as I had left my phone in Laird's apartment.

I realized my phone was missing, but I had no idea it was left in his apartment. Jessy had called my number, only to find Laird was the one who picked it up.

Now, even though I felt that the events of the previous night were a huge mistake, I couldn't avoid Laird, as he was currently on his way to meet us to return my phone.

Initially, I mumbled in hesitation. I didn't know where to start, but Jessy's gaze remained fixed on me. I took a deep breath, preparing to recount the events from last night as best as I could remember.

"Last night, Tom didn't respond to my messages at all, so I went to his office. It turns out he was having sex with his secretary. We broke up, and then I went to the club," I explained with a lazy shrug.

"He cheated?! How dare he! I told you he was a big mistake." Jessy shook his head.

"I actually don't care much about Tom hurting me; it's just that I feel like my dignity is being trampled on." I swirled the ice in my coffee with a straw, voicing my frustrations.

"I can imagine, honey. Anyone who betrays us is obviously underestimating us. It's a good thing you broke up with Tom. He's not worthy of you."

"So, what's the deal with Laird? Where did he come from? Is he an angel descending from heaven to save you?" This time, he raised both his hands as if something were about to fall into his embrace.

"No, not quite."

I then recounted everything I remembered about last night to Jessy. Sometimes he laughed, sometimes he took a deep breath, and the rest of the time he nodded along.

"Wow."

After I finished telling the story up to that morning's events, Jessy could only utter one word. Then he turned his head from side to side, running his fingers through his temples.

"I mean, our relationship may have just been one big mistake. Nothing more. You know, like two old acquaintances meeting at a club and feeling the need to seize the opportunity for a bit of one-night pleasure."

"But, from your story just now, and as you said earlier that you were childhood friends in Boston, I feel like he sees you as more than just a casual fling," Jessy shrugged.

"We don't know about that. Back then, he outright rejected me. Then we also never communicated again." I stirred my iced coffee and watched the ice cubes swirl in the glass.

"I should have sought revenge on him. But with what happened last night, I feel like everything doesn't matter anymore. Years of effort to humiliate him have now failed, with me easily jumping to him like a cheap whore."

I sighed heavily. Jessy looked at me with a furrowed brow. I began to lay my head on my hands on the table. Suddenly, Jessy's phone rang again, and I immediately sat up straight upon hearing it. Jessy answered the phone, and after giving directions for a moment, he pointed to the cafe's door.

"Laird is here," he said. I turned my back and saw him entering.

"Hey," Laird greeted with his charming, crooked smile.

"Hello," Jessy rose from his seat and quickly moved to shake Laird's hand.

"Sorry, I'm late," he said, his eyes glancing at me.

"It's okay, but I can't stay longer to chat with you guys. I have other matters to attend to. Okay? Have fun!" Jessy waved and left the two of us.

It seemed Jessy understood and didn't want to disturb us. Laird walked towards me with a faint smile and an intense gaze. He then sat in the chair in front of me, taking Jessy's place. He chuckled softly and greeted me with his deep voice.

"Hey, Fenella. Are you still wearing the same clothes as last night?"

"Yes, sorry, I was in a rush for my work this morning," I said with a clearing of my throat.

"Yes, I can see that." Laird nodded as he handed me my phone.

"Thank you, Laird," I said as I took it.

"No problem. At least now I'm sure you left, not because you wanted to avoid me," he grinned.

"Oh, no, of course not," I said, shaking my head.

Ugh, damn it! I've made a big mistake, and now I don't know how to fix all of this. I should have avoided it, rearranged my plans, and scheduled the right time to meet again, but here I am, meeting him again so soon.

I wasn't ready!

"Great. I thought you weren't satisfied with me." Laird smiled crookedly, his eyes gleaming, as if I caught a glimpse of desire there.

"Oh, no. Last night was amazing, and..." My voice trailed off, and I realized once again that I was feeding his ego.

"Really?"

He chuckled, and my cheeks flushed instantly. I could only silently curse myself. I had told myself multiple times that this was a big mistake, but my actions couldn't align with my intentions.

"Come on, let's go to lunch. I know a delicious Japanese restaurant," he said.

"But, I feel like I need a shower," I wrinkled my nose.

"Hm, in that case, let me take you to your apartment first," he said, smiling meaningfully.