Nathan blinked, seemingly startled for a moment, before letting out a slight chuckle. “Is it that obvious?” He lifted his hand to adjust his glasses, which were lopsided on the bridge of his nose. “I just needed to finish some work. It’s been a while, after all.”
“What do you mean it’s been a while?” I asked, eager to listen.
I felt like for the past week — and before that, even — I was the one benefitting the most from this situation. It wasn’t supposed to be that way.
Part of the reason we started this in the first place was so I could be his listening ear. I was used to taking care of customers in my part-time jobs over the years, so I subconsciously thought of it as my job.
Nathan hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
That was an unexpected response. “Yes?” I said unsurely. I wasn’t sure what the connection was.
“That day, I recently got out of the hospital.”
I could feel my eyes widen in surprise. “The hospital?” I repeated. “Whatever for? Were you sick?”
“It was stress and overwork,” he explained. “I was anemic, and I was getting weaker and weaker. My doctor and my therapist both insisted that I take a break from work and go out in the sun once in a while. I wasn’t living a healthy lifestyle, so I guess karma came to bite me in the back.”
“Ah… so you’re a workaholic,” I said.
He nodded. “I couldn’t help it. It was the only thing I knew how to do. I also spent most of my time indoors. I barely had any free time, and I often worked late nights to make sure that every detail was perfect.”
I couldn’t help but feel a little amused amidst the worry. “And you’re also a perfectionist,” I remarked.
He was probably so good at his job, which was why he held a high position in his company. He seemed to be a perfectionist too, just like me.
At least that meant he took his work seriously and worked hard to get where he was.
He seemed sheepish at that. “Yeah. That’s what the others usually say.”
“So you were taking a break from work the first time we met?” I asked. “No wonder you fell down at that time. Were you even eating well and keeping yourself hydrated?”
He laughed. “Now you sound like my doctor.”
I snorted. “I think anyone would say the same thing.” I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. “Work is important, but so is your health. What’s the point of all your efforts if you end up sick? We’re not getting any younger, so we need to take care of ourselves more.”
I was in my late twenties. In just a few years, I would turn thirty. I hadn’t even graduated yet, and my future remained uncertain.
I wasn’t going to do this for the rest of my life, that was for sure. But as long as I had the money to support my family for now, that was better than a lifetime of regrets.
He looked at me for a moment, and I could see a faint smile curling his lips. “You too,” he said softly. “Don’t work too hard.”
“Touché.”
We had a nice time that night. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so comfortable with a man. I didn’t feel starstruck and enchanted like I did with Tom, nor did I feel guilty, scared, and insecure like I did with Ben.
It was like making friends for the first time.
‘Maybe I’ve been thinking backwards all along,’ I realized to myself.
Because who was to say that we couldn’t be friends even after all this?
Sure, it was a transactional relationship, but it wasn’t anything immoral. It was like a friendship of convenience where both parties benefited from the situation. It worked because I was desperate and because Nathan had enough disposable income to convince me to go along.
I had always been quite the overthinker. I wanted to be certain of all the consequences and prepare myself for them. I would often expect the worst so that I wouldn’t get disappointed in the end. That was how I lived my life for years.
‘There’s no harm, Julia,’ I convinced myself. ‘There’s no need to be so worried.’
‘Everything will be fine.’
***
Two days later, I received a text message from Nathan.
‘Are you free today?’ he asked.
‘For you, of course. What do you need?’ I replied.
To be honest, I was really reluctant to get out of bed. It had been a long time since I had a good rest, and I wanted to take advantage of being free of my duties for a while.
But I didn’t want to break our agreement just to have my lazy day today.
‘Can you come over to my home today? I’d like some company,’ he messaged in response. ‘I’ll send you the address so you can tell your family and friends where you’ll be, just in case.’
I stared at the screen of my phone for what seemed like an eternity as my mind tried to process his words.
First of all, he was inviting me to his house. To hang out, maybe.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried. Sure, I signed the contract saying I would be there for him, but…
Well, the second thing was the last part of his message.
It was really considerate of him to tell me to let my family and friends know where I was. I never told him a word about my past, especially my experiences with my ex-boyfriends, but he somehow managed to pick up on how wary I was of strangers and suspicious invitations.
He could have chosen not to add that part, but he did. And it eased my anxiety considerably.
So here I was, standing in front of the Lexington Condo, the most expensive condominium building in the city. I could only stare at the majestic structure in front of me, wondering how I had ever been lucky enough to be so close to this sight.
I didn’t take architecture in college, but I had always been interested in building designs and blueprints. Portrait studies, art anatomy, color theory, and experimenting with different art styles were my passions, of course, but there was just something about buildings like this that fascinated me. Not only because of their beauty, but also because of the painstaking effort it must have taken to build something so majestic from the ground up.
The modern structure rose high into the sky, with sleek glass windows reflecting the sunlight. It was painted with a mix of metal accents on the smooth, polished surface, exuding an air of sophistication.
Everyone knew about Lexington Condominium. It was said that only people from wealthy and influential families could afford to live here.
Which meant that Nathan did indeed hold an important position in his company. Important enough that he could afford to live in a place like this.
It was still hard for me to imagine someone as gentle and humble as Nathan being such an important figure. For a moment, I wondered what he was like in a corporate setting, if he treated his team harshly or kindly. If he was actually a slave worker or some kind of considerate manager.
Wait, what was I thinking? I should just go in already.
Nathan was waiting for me.