10 Strange man

Two days have passed and Marguerite is finally in a good enough mood to get out of the house and treat herself to some steak and fries.

She randomly decides to jog to the restaurant for no other reason than the fact that she's about to eat greasy food. Even though she knows it won't make any difference, she tells herself that it's better than having to jog after.

The young girl finally arrives and enters the place before silently finding herself a seat by the window.

She takes out her phone and browses her news feed while waiting for the waiter to arrive.

Suddenly, a young blond man walks by and stops in his track at the sight of her. He turns over and faces her window while he continues to stand there and block the way for the irritated pedestrians.

<It's that girl with the angelic voice from last time!>

Marguerite doesn't notice him while he stares unblinkingly at her for a good half-minute until her instincts finally flare up and she looks up the window and sees the creepy stare of a strange man aimlessly standing near her.

She gets the coldest of chills and decides to glare at him hoping he gets the hint.

Unfortunately, it only serves to make the creepy guy excited as he hurriedly enters the resto and makes a b-line for her two-seat table.

After sitting down, not even the least bit shy, he takes out a business card and flashes a perfect swindler-grin full of white, straight teeth.

Marguerite is taken aback as she didn't expect any of this and stays frozen on the spot looking like a fool.

The reason she doesn't recognize her childhood friend's cousin is that she has only seen him on a few occasions when she was too young to remember. Her friend's family is rather complicated as there were a lot of conflicts over inheritance after their great-grandmother's death.

Two days ago, Marguerite had gotten tired rather quickly and went to bed too early to meet the man. Sara's cousin wanted to wake her up and ask for her contact information before he leaves but was cruelly kicked out of the house instead.

Instantly after flashing his business grin, he introduces himself to the shocked-silly girl in front of him.

"My apologies for my impoliteness miss Marguerite. My name is Gautier Bjørnson. I am Sara's cousin, currently working for 19 entertainment in Los Angeles. I have to have noticed your oh so charming voice and countenance! You are simply one in a million! I hereby sincerely invite you to join my department in the company. If you follow me back to Los Angeles, I promise you fame, money, power, anything you wish for! All you have to do is sing. How does that sound? It's a pretty good deal right? You only have to go through a tiny audition and the rest is history."

He is talking so fast and all at once that she barely catches on with his words when he finishes.

Marguerite is still a bit shaken by the brazen man currently forcing his card into her hands. She never expected to meet such a situation so suddenly after just getting out of the house once. But she isn't stupid. She doesn't buy into this suspicious guy's charms. Money and fame? Does he take her for a braindead pre-teen? Even a child wouldn't believe it.

"I'm sorry mister but I think you've got the wrong person."

"No no you are the one. When I heard your voice at Sara's house, I have to admit that I was so enchanted I almost proposed! Hahahahaha..."

He laughs heartily and Marguerite looks on as if she was dealing with a crazy hobo trying to sell her drugs on the streets. She is a bit surprised that Sara's cousin that hasn't been back for 12 years is suddenly in Norway, but more importantly, that Sara's cousin is a creepy swindler or even human trafficker. Of course, she doesn't think that, just that he might be hitting rock-bottom and having to resort to scam.

"I'm sorry but I'm not interested in joining this field of work right now. I'm attending a good university and will graduate in a year. I already have a secured position in a good company and the pay is good. You should try somewhere else. But I'll send my regards to Sara on your behalf."

The man's laughter suddenly halts and his face gets more and more downcast as Marguerite goes on. With disappointment written all over his face, he leaves the card on the table and persists a bit more.

"Please consider it a bit more. I promise you that with such talent and looks you will achieve great things in the entertainment industry. You will get more than what any job could ever offer. Your place is definitely on stage! It's your calling I tell you! Take my card and call me whenever you change your mind ok? I will leave in 3 days to Beijing so I won't be reachable afterwards."

The way he talks so fast without listening to her gives her a headache and she starts to get irritated.

He looks at his watch.

"I have to go now, hope to hear from you."

He then stands up and walks out hastily leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

Marguerite couldn't reject the card and didn't get the chance to put in a word as she is left there mouth agape, again, like a fool.

She takes the card in her hands and reads the name and number. She traces the soft silk laid upon the expensive-looking business-card and ponders over the strange man's words. <Could it have been real?>

She is quickly woken up by the waiter's sudden voice and puts the issue in the back of her mind as she orders her steak.