18 Jaquinto's Furniture Shop

''What took you so long?" Jeybi complained. He fetched Lanie in her apartment. They are going to Jaquinto's new furniture shop here in Manila.

"Why do I have to come with you again to this furniture shop?" Because you might know who the clients of Ondreaz Jaquinto are. Lanie thought.

"That is my friend's family business. Their first branch is here in Manila. And I heard that their clients are big-time." She said while her eyes were on her phone. She texted Jake that they are on their way there.

"Big-time? So, is their furniture famous? That's the name of this furniture shop by the way?"

"Jaquinto's Furniture Shop,'' She answered. His brows furrowed.

"Uhm, that doesn't ring a bell to me. Is that new? Never heard of that." He said. Lanie just shrugged at him. Yeah. A new furniture shop with big-time clients. Isn't it suspicious? How come these big-time clients knew this infamous furniture shop?

"We're here!" Jeybi announced. In front of the shop was scattered confetti and ribbons, she thought the ribbon-cutting was done.

"Let's go," Lanie said when Jeybi parked his car. When we entered the shop, there was food in the corner and some balloons and other decorations attached.

"Oh my gosh..." She heard Jeybi murmuring. And of course, there were few people inside except us, the Jaquintos, and those three people. As she expected. These people are their big-time clients.

"Lanie!" Jake called. She smiled and waved at him. "Congratulations on your opening!" He hugged her and ruffled her hair.

"Oh, this is Jeybi, a friend of mine. Jeybi, this is Jake, son of the owner of this shop."

"Hi! Nice to meet you, Jake! And congrats!" Jeybi said but his eyes were on those three people. "Uhm, I guess, those people are your family's clients?" Jeybi asked Jake.

"Ah, yes! Come on, I'll introduce you to them. My parents know you're coming." Jake said. They walk near his parents and their clients who were having fun talking to each other while having wine.

"Mom, Dad, Lanie's here with her friend." Mrs. and Mr. Jaquinto faced them with a smile together with those people. Ah! She was already feeling suffocated.

"Nice to see you again, Lanie! It's been years! You look great and grew up beautiful." Mrs. Jaquinto said. Lanie smiled at her before kissing her cheeks. While Mr. Jaquinto just nodded and smiled at her as his greeting.

"Mr. Jeybi!" She heard someone greet Jeybi. She bit her bottom lip before turning to see that person.

"Good day, Mr. Wang, Mrs. Wang, and to you too, Mrs. Hossler." Jeybi greeted them.

"Why are you doing here? Are you here to interview us? Get some scoops?" Mr. Wang jokes. Jeybi slightly laughed at him.

"No, I'm with her. She's my friend. She invited me here, well, I kinda need to look for some furniture for my condo." Jeybi said to them and smirked at Lanie.

"That's great! Jaquinto's types of furniture are all amazing and high quality! You would not regret buying them." Mrs. Hossler said.

"Oh really? Are they your supplier for your new hotel in your beach resort?" Jeybi asked, obviously he was just faking being curious about the furniture yet Lanie knew he was just fishing for some news.

"Yes! That's why you should buy your condo's furniture from them." Jeybi nodded. He glanced at her before talking more to the business tycoons. Jake and Lanie remained near the table while the others were busy checking and talking about furniture.

"Have you eaten?" Jake asked. She nodded. He instructed her to sit on the sofa, in one of their furniture here.

"I didn't know that your father's clients are that famous." He handed her bottled water.

"Yeah, you know what? Those people visited our furniture shop in the province." Shocked at what he said, Lanie glanced their way. They were still busy talking with each other.

"Really? How come?"

"They want to buy my father's furniture. And my father said that those people are his friends." He said. Friends, huh?

"Hmm, I see," She responded. She looked at some furniture inside. All of them are made of high-quality wood and foam and fabrics. Jake let her explore their shop as he went to his parents to join them.

She touched one of the wood tables that was made using Mahogany. She traced her fingers on the side of the table. She slightly tilted her head when she felt something rough in it. Curiously, she looked at it and saw numbers engraved on the wood.

"Pretty isn't it?" She almost jumped when someone spoke beside her. Mrs. Hossler.

"I already bought this table," she said.

"It's pretty. You have great taste in choosing furniture." She praised her.

"That one," She pointed to the wooden chair at the corner, "Mr. Wang bought that too." She looked at the chair and walked closer. Mrs. Hossler followed her. Secretly, she also looked at the rough part of the wooden chair.

"It's also pretty," she commented as she touched that rough part. Numbers were also engraved on it. Different numbers.

"What are these numbers?" she innocently asked. Mars. Hosslers smiled at her, but her eyes were quite unsettled. "Oh, I think that was the number of the furniture. Like a barcode." She answered.

Only Lanie and Jeybi remained as their visitors. Jeybi became quiet beside her and she was dying to know why. Jeybi was not this quiet.

"One of our clients did not come today." Mrs. Jaquinto said sadly.

"Right, I wonder why? Hmm, maybe he's busy. I heard that he has a new project." Mr. Jaquinto.

"Who is it?" Jake asked.

"Mr. Lancaster." The three of them looked at Mr. Jaquinto.

'What? Tyler is also their client?!!' Lanie felt her hand about to shake so she held and slightly pinched it.

Jake glanced at her. Based on his reaction, he did not also know that Tyler is one of their clients.

"Speak now," She said to Jeybi when they entered his car. It's already 7 pm and they decided to leave.

"That was the reason why you wanted me to come with you." It's not a question but a statement. He already figured it out.

"The people you were asking me, those people were inside that shop, buying furniture from a new furniture shop." He continued.

He calmed himself before asking, "What are you planning, Lanie?"