Strangers In Romance

Chapter 4: Life on the other Side

After getting the materials without the intervention of anyone with an intercom, I happily went back to the street. Eloise hadn't replied to my messages though.

Is she all right?

I chewed on my lips, a bad habit of mine. What if she got into an accident?

No, that was not the case. Still. . .

"Excuse me, Miss? Do you have the time?"

I checked my watch.

"No, no." The insistent-looking guy who asked touched my arm briefly. He had one of those convincing faces that would offer you something, may it be insurance, or perhaps a house.

"I—" Tell him. Tell him, Via. You're uncomfortable right now. Still, I smiled. "I just. . . W-what do you want?"

"I don't mean for you to give me the literal time, Ma'am." The guy winked at me. "I meant, give me your time."

"I'm not into casual hook-ups." I actually need a connection. Not that he needed to know that.

He chuckled at me. "Don't worry. I'm here on the job." He showed me a poster. "Do you know this woman?"

"Olana Holt?"

"Yes, exactly!" He gave me a massive smile. "She's fitted for Mayor, don't you think?"

"I—"

He pointed to Olana's face. "Her father is the real Mayor, not Calista. Calista Benning just replaced him last year. But due to Mayor Holt's sickness, he can't perform his duties anymore."

"He—"

"But," the man butted in. "His daughter, Olana, can. Olana's educated in London. She has all these degrees. She's also older than Miss Benning."

"S-sorry, but I have to go."

"Why?" He stepped in front of me, blocking my way. "Are you not interested in the future of our country? No, let me rephrase that. Are you not interested in the future of Willow?"

My hand gripped the paper bag I bought. "I just—"

"So vote for Olana for mayor."

"I won't."

"What do you mean you won't?"

I stared him dead in the eyes. "I'm voting for Calista."

"But—"

"Enough already."

The sudden shift in me made him uncomfortable. He stepped back as I stood straighter and flipped my hair back. It was few and far in between, but sometimes, I got into moods like that.

Especially when it came to this.

"M-Mind telling me why?" he asked. "Why are you voting for Calista Benning?"

I looked around the street but didn't see a poster of Calista. See, that was the difference between them. She didn't dirty the streets with silly things like posters.

Another difference?

I stared back at the man who was waiting for my answer. I sighed at him. How was I supposed to tell him in the simplest sentence?

"Because Calista Benning?" I shrugged. "I'm going to fuck her tonight."

Calista was my darling Eloise.

Calista didn't know that I knew about her yet, but the moment she sent me her picture on the chat, the one in the rain while she was overlooking a store glass, I instantly understood.