The Counter-Pitch
Lucy looked at Nana again and wore a satisfied smile this time.
She opened her phone to read over the contract and find where she could compromise. It took her forever to review and with all the legal jargon she couldn't comprehend, it took longer to research the words every time.
Her head was aching from all the fatigue but she kept going with a clear goal in mind.
She was so excited at the solution she brewed in her mind that she didn't notice it was already morning. A nurse came by to check on Nana's vitals and breakfast was delivered to the room. I helped Nana take her meal. She is eating more and more every day. I feel my heart full just looking at her recovering.
Nana insisted Lucy eat as well but she made an excuse on how she should leave early for a treatment appointment. She didn't let go until the young woman promised she would eat something on the way, though.
Lucy bid her goodbye for the day. She is excited to pitch the plan she came up with.
Barely stepping out of the hospital steps, she took out her phone and started looking for Owen's number. She scrolled briefly, making short glances on the path, keeping her clumsiness in check.
She found the target on her fingers and pressed CALL immediately.
*ring, ring* She felt a tinge of nervousness on the second ring but didn't have time to indulge because the person on the other end picked up the call already.
"Lucy." An uninterested voice came out of the phone's speaker but she was used to that tone. What hit her was Owen's choice of words in answering her call.
Not hello, but "Lucy"? It's inconsequential but she was caught off guard by this minute anomaly that she buffered for a second before finally collecting enough sense to speak.
"Owen." She tried to match her client's response by starting the conversion with his name, too.
"I have a proposal for you. Can we meet today?" Her excitement seeping through the mouthpiece.
There was a pause on the man's end and Lucy could only assume that he was checking his schedule if an appointment was possible. She hurriedly spoke again to reassure her benefactor that she was fine to set the meeting at his convenient time.
"It doesn't have to be today. Let me know when you are available."
"Today is fine. See you at the hospital, same time." *Beeeeeep.*
Lucy looked at her phone speechless, baffled by how the conversation just ended like that. She pressed a button to light up the screen and it said that the call had ended. Duration: 10 seconds.
She let out an awkward giggle followed by a playful smirk. If it was before, she would be fuming by now. But today, she just laughed it off as something weird and ludicrous. Owen is not the same blockhead stud she thought she knew.
Not a blockhead — not an exactly positive review of her future benefactor's qualities, but it's clearly an improvement.
She went on her way to the clinic. She is in high spirits today. It felt like ages since she last smiled while walking the streets.
Her day was normal except she's tending to fewer patients than usual. Uncle Fred made sure to give her appointments in moderation, with ample breaks in between. She was grateful for the gesture and felt warm again reminded that there are people who care about her.
Lucy made sure to clock out on time so she won't be late for the proposal meeting with Owen. She made a mental note of it being a proposal meeting but the setting can't be any more informal, there's no fancy presentation, meeting room, or a proper guarantee she can offer for the deal. This is all full trust and hopefulness.
Lucy arrived at Nana's hospital room and the same broad back greeted her as she went inside. This time Owen turned back immediately and greeted her with a nod.
She peeked at a sleeping Nana and sighed in relief. Can we talk outside?
She doesn't want Nana to hear this. It saves her the need for excuses. She will deal with Nana's questions later but not now, she needs to make sure she gets the right treatment first.
They walked for a few minutes outside the hospital, Lucy guiding them to a nearby cafe. They sat and Owen offered coffee. She's the one who invited him for a talk but he was the one to offer a drink. Lucy refused but took note of the gentlemanly gesture, something to remind her not to be so harsh in judging an arrogant behavior of his in the future.
She spoke first. "I thought about your offer and I would like to take you up on it."
"Hmm." Owen merely nodded at the statement, making an approving sound with his throat. He assumed that it was normal to accept the offer. It's practical. Unknown to Lucy, Owen already checked up with the hospital about Grandma's condition. He was told that she needed an operation and already informed them about covering the cost if Lucy decided to push through.
"And I have a proposal on how I can pay you back." Lucy continued her pitch, which garnered a slight wince from Owen. He thought the conversation ended and did not expect the next conversation to take another turn, but he listened attentively, still.
Lucy continued acting courtly as much as she could. "You are already offering me a lot as your exclusive therapist. I've made a few adjustments to the proposal to cover for monthly installments until I pay you back in full. The whole amount can't cover for the whole cost but it's a start. I hope you can give me enough time to pay you back."
Owen felt the slight wince turn into a wrinkle between his eyebrows. He lifted his hands and pinched the base of his nose to cover his distress and let out an obviously irritated remark Lucy was not prepared for.
"What about the interest?"