Always Late

Evelyn's face lit up at Henry's compliment. She chuckled and said, "Your mouth is as sweet as honey! With a charm like that, I bet many girls will be drawn to you." 

No matter how old a woman is, she always appreciates praise for her beauty, and Evelyn was no exception. Henry simply grinned sheepishly in response, not quite sure how to react to Evelyn's playful comment. He had learned over time that sometimes it was best just to smile and nod. 

Just then, Lucy's voice called out, "Henry, hurry up and sit down. Breakfast is almost ready." Henry nodded in appreciation and took a seat at the dining table. As he settled in, Ashley, his classmate who sat next to him, leaned over and asked, "Where are you heading today?" 

Since they had been living under the same roof, their friendship had grown stronger, allowing them to converse openly. Had they been just ordinary classmates, she might not have felt comfortable asking such a question. But their shared living situation had fostered a close bond. 

Henry responded to Ashley's question, "George's father wants to gift his brother a car for his upcoming birthday. But since he's busy, he asked George to buy a good car, so George requested Daniel and me to join him to help pick one out." 

Upon hearing this, Ashley nodded, showing she understood the situation. Evelyn chimed in from the other side of the table, "It's nice to have money. Wealthy people can do whatever they want. For us ordinary folks, spending $100 to $200 on a birthday gift is a big deal. If my boyfriend were as rich as your friend's family, I'd wake up with a smile every day." 

Ashley nodded in agreement with Evelyn's comment, as she too came from a modest background and understood the sentiment. Henry offered a somewhat awkward smile at their comments since George was his friend. Meanwhile, Eva remained quiet, which was typical for her. Eva was introverted and spoke only when necessary, often preferring to observe rather than engage in conversation. 

As the group conversed, Lucy arrived with the freshly prepared breakfast and placed it on the dining table. Henry quickly finished his meal and glanced at the clock, noticing it was already 8:58. With just 12 minutes remaining before he needed to leave for his meeting, he hastily stood up from his chair. After thanking Lucy once more, he left the house in a rush. 

As soon as Henry stepped outside the house, he hailed a taxi and quickly climbed inside. The driver asked him, "Sir, where would you like to go?" Henry responded, "Take me to 12A Willow Lane, please." "Okay, sir," the driver said as he started the car and set off. 

12A Willow Lane 

Meanwhile, two men were standing in front of Zech Clothing Store at 12A Willow Lane. One of them was short and stout, with pale skin and an impatient expression as he checked his watch repeatedly. The other man was taller, around 5'8", with a muscular build and dark skin. The shorter man, visibly annoyed, turned to the taller one and said, "Daniel, it's already 9:20 AM, and Henry still isn't here. I don't understand how he can be this lazy. He's always late, no matter the occasion or the time we agree upon." 

These two men were Georgie and Daniel, waiting for Henry to arrive. Daniel tried to reassure Georgie, saying, "Don't worry, Georgie. He'll be here soon. I just spoke with him on the phone, and he said he's on his way and will be here shortly." 

As they were speaking, a taxi pulled up in front of them, and Henry stepped out. After Henry paid the taxi fare, he walked up to his friends with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for keeping you both waiting," he said. 

Georgie huffed in response, and Daniel added, "Henry, you're always late. You're already 10 minutes behind our agreed-upon time." 

Henry apologized again and tried to explain with a helpless expression, "I set five alarms at different times between 7:30 and 8:30, but only the last one woke me up. I think the earlier ones didn't go off!" 

Hearing his excuse, both Georgie and Daniel's veins practically popped in frustration. Both Georgie and Daniel exchanged skeptical glances. Georgie snorted angrily, "Just admit that you're lazy and turned off all the alarms. Why bother making such a lame excuse?" Daniel nodded in agreement, echoing Georgie's sentiment. Henry scratched his head in embarrassment, unable to defend himself as Georgie's bluntness and Daniel's nodding left him at a loss for words. 

Henry raised his hands in a playful gesture of surrender and said, "Alright, alright, I get it. How many times do I have to apologize? We're here to get a job done, and we're already running late. Let's just get moving and head to the shop." 

His friends responded with cold humphs, still annoyed at his tardiness, and started walking further down the street. Henry followed behind them. 

After a short walk, they arrived at a large store called Tera Cars, which displayed a wide variety of vehicles ranging from ordinary to luxurious models. This part of Willow Lane, known as the shopping center of the entire Maplewood district, was bustling with activity. 

Willow Lane was expansive and divided into several sections, with sections 12A and 13B devoted to car dealerships. Here, shoppers could find almost any type of car they wanted, giving the trio a wealth of options to choose from. 

The trio walked into the shop, and as they did, a saleswoman , who was in her mid-30s ,in a black suit over a white shirt and a knee-length skirt approached them with a warm smile. She greeted them respectfully, her demeanor professional and inviting. 

Her shirt was partially unbuttoned at the top, giving her outfit a stylish yet professional appearance. The woman's facial features were striking, and her light makeup accentuated her beauty. 

The saleswoman had plenty of experience dealing with potential customers. When the trio walked into the shop, she took one look at their outfits and could immediately tell who the main customer was going to be. 

Except for the fat young man dressed in designer clothes, the other two were wearing pretty ordinary outfits. So, she quickly figured out that the "fatty" would be the one she needed to focus on. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apologies for the delayed update. Another one may be coming today, albeit late, as I'm still in the process of writing it. If you enjoy it, please consider supporting this book by voting, commenting, and leaving reviews. Thank you!