4

Playfully teasing me, he said, "Don't forget it."

I responded by saying, "Okay...but you'll have to wait until next week to find out if I'm able to live up to your expectations."

Aron roared with laughter in response to my witty remark. "It seems reasonable to me! Let's go grab lunch."

We picked his favorite restaurant and drove across town to get there. It was a humble restaurant that could be found on the outskirts of the downtown area of Toronto. In contrast to its unassuming exterior, the restaurant served food that was surprisingly excellent in flavor. In addition to that, the costs weren't exactly out of this world. Consequently, it goes without saying that whenever I went to visit my parents, that restaurant quickly became one of my top choices for a meal out. Today, on the other hand, was not like other days because Aron chose the location himself. Despite my best efforts to maintain an optimistic outlook, I couldn't help but wonder if he had picked the restaurant for no other reason than the fact that it made him think of me. It's possible that he wanted to stir up some old memories of when we were introduced the first time. Despite this, I've made up my mind to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that the decision he made was solely based on how convenient it was for him. After all, it was only a short distance away from his place of employment, making it an excellent location for him to stop at during his lunch break.

I was surprised to see such a large number of people already seated inside the restaurant when we first arrived there. There were some friends catching up with one another over coffee and dessert, and there were also some couples who were enjoying a romantic meal together at the restaurant. The most notable thing that I noticed, however, was that I recognized a woman who was seated in a booth that was close to the back wall. She was wearing jeans and a sweater that did not fit tightly on her. As she engaged in animated conversation with her male companion, her shoulder-length blonde hair fell over her shoulders. I was able to identify both of them right away as fellow employees because I had previously seen them walking around the office. It was clear from the way they were interacting with one another that they were enjoying the time they were spending together.

The moment I laid eyes on the young lady, however, she stopped dead in the middle of her stride. Her lips were just slightly parted as she fixed her attention squarely on mine. She appeared perplexed at first as she looked at me for a fraction of a second, but then her expression changed to one of complete shock. After that, she got up from her seat without wasting any time and dashed over to the counter. After what seemed like only a few seconds, she reappeared next to my boyfriend, this time with tears streaming out of her eyes. As soon as he became aware of her presence, a serious frown formed on his face. When he saw her reach out and grab hold of my hand, the frown on his face became even more pronounced.

He inquired in a soft tone, "What took place?"

She wiped her eyes and continued, "It's been a rough couple of days," she said. "Then, on the way home from work yesterday evening, my car suddenly stopped working. Then, earlier today, I realized that I had misplaced my wallet at my place of employment. In addition to that, I've just realized that I've lost the keys to my apartment as well."

When I heard those words, my stomach dropped. It meant that she was still unable to leave her house and had no way of paying her rent or getting transportation. Worse yet, I had a sneaking suspicion that she didn't have enough money saved up to cover the cost of repairing her vehicle if something were to go wrong with it. Given the circumstances, I had serious doubts about whether or not she would be able to find the money to pay for the repair any time in the near future. Neither would it shock me if she ended up being fired as a direct consequence of her actions. In light of the fact that she only worked as a waitress on the side, I was under the impression that she would not be in a position to amass the required amount of money in the near future. In addition to everything else, I had the fear that her landlord would evict her shortly thereafter if she did not pay the past-due rent that she owed to him.

She wailed inconsolably, "I don't know what to do," as she sobbed. "All I want to do right now is get into bed and cry," she said.

"Are you sure that's what you want to do right now?" Aron inquired with some trepidation.

She reacted angrily by shaking her head. "No! I need help. I beg you, please don't make me."

When I had finished speaking, I stood up and approached them from behind. At first glance, they appeared to be strangers; however, after giving them a closer look, I was able to tell that they were, in fact, acquainted with one another. More than that, based on what they said to each other, it appeared highly likely that they were dating each other. They had no reason to be concerned about the possibility of running into someone they knew as a result of this information. Despite this, I did not change my cautious attitude. After all, it was not completely out of the question for them to choose to work against me rather than assist me in my time of need. When the girl turned around to face me, however, she quickly reassured me and put my mind at ease.

She instructed me to "Please Calm Down" as a means of reassuring me. "I solemnly swear that we will take good care of you."

The guy who was with her at the time looked very serious and nodded his head in agreement. "We will see to it that nothing unfavorable occurs to you."

I let out a sigh of relief and began to relax. After that, I came forward and introduced myself to everyone. "Hi. I apologize for breaching your privacy in this manner. But my girlfriend is in desperate need of your assistance. Would you be able to assist us in any way?"

As I continued to speak, they both looked at me in an inquisitive manner. After that, however, they glanced back at one another and gave each other a brief glance. At that point, the man simply shrugged his shoulders. "Without a doubt. What exactly is the matter with your close friend?"

I shared with him the news that "her car broke down last night on Highway 401." "Because of this, she is unable to return home in any way. In addition to that, she has no more money. Therefore, she does not have a place to stay for the night."

The young lady let out a long sigh of exasperation. "Why does it seem like everything in life has to be so difficult? Why is it that nothing ever seems to go as planned for me anymore?"

"Yeah, why is it that nothing can ever be simple?" Aron interjected with a mocking tone. "Or perhaps you should turn the question back on yourself," I suggested.

They exchanged furious looks with one another for a fraction of a second before breaking apart and laughing bitterly. It would appear that they had known each other for a considerable amount of time already and that they frequently enjoyed teasing one another. They also appeared to have a sense of humor that was comparable to one another, which made it simpler for them to comprehend one another. In addition to that, their banter contributed to the reduction of some of the tension that existed between us. In fact, it was so good that I was able to smile and fully relax as a result of how comfortable I felt.

"In any case, I quickly interjected, "Can the two of you drive my car to my residence so that we can unload my belongings?" After that, we can all get together again the following morning to discuss and work through any remaining issues."

Her response was hesitant but ultimately "I guess we can try."

"Great!" I exclaimed with a lot of enthusiasm. "Let's get going then."

When I finally got around to reaching into my purse, I pulled out both my cell phone and my house key. I gave the latter item to the girl while maintaining possession of my keys within my pocket. After she finished unlocking my front door, I proceeded to do the same thing myself. After entering the house, we immediately headed to the second floor. As soon as we crossed the threshold, I dashed off to my bedroom and emptied the contents of my purse onto the carpet there. Next I started looking for what I needed among the many items that were strewn across the floor. I had to search for a few moments before I found my cell phone amidst all of the clutter. After that, I quickly grabbed it and called for assistance by dialing 911. A police car and an ambulance arrived at my residence not long after I called for help. Two emergency medical technicians rushed inside and assumed control of the situation as soon as they arrived. During this time, four officers entered the building with their weapons drawn. The girl's reaction to their presence was one of complete and utter panic. Despite this, they were successful in maintaining control of her while they questioned her. They escorted her outside not long after that while they searched the premises for whatever they were looking for. After waiting one more day, they went back to the scene of the crime and found nothing suspicious. As a result, they came to the conclusion that the break-in had been committed by thieves with the intention of stealing valuables from within the building. Since none of the stolen property was ever found, there wasn't much that could be done about the situation. Unfortunately.

After that, the police took the girl into custody for stealing my car and failing to appear in court, both of which are criminal offenses. Once she appeared in court to respond to the charges, thankfully, she was eventually released from custody. But even after that, she was not permitted to leave her hometown until the conclusion of the legal proceedings involving her case. After that, she would visit her relatives until the situation became more stable. She was exonerated of any wrongdoing and given permission to resume living on her own after some time had passed. The news that she would remain in her previous position as a waitress brought relief to everyone. Not only that, but she also resumed her relationship with the person she worked with. When I found out that she had, at long last, gotten her life back on track, it goes without saying that I let out a huge sigh of relief. Since then, I have not received another communication from her. Instead, I decided to concentrate solely on the connection I have with Aron. And despite the fact that we hadn't shared an apartment in almost three months, our sexual life continued to be intense and passionate. Most importantly, he continued to adore me with every bit of fervor that he had in the past. Which filled me with more joy than words could ever adequately express.