Elina Wainwright - Circle

«Yes, he said so», – I replied.

«Any luck finding anything on the Internet?» – Richard asked.

«Only with shipping from New York,» – I clarified.

«Yeah, not much. Give me a minute», – Richard typed.

I groaned into my pillow in annoyance.

I wanted to please Armie, to make him see that I wasn’t stupid and to stop treating me like I was worthless. Maybe this assignment of his would help me rise in his eyes. He’s almost my boss, after all. Maybe he will somehow praise me to his creative friends and some of them will agree to do business with me in the future.

I got a message on my phone.

«Richard Wesley added Henry Wesley to the chat room».

Oh, oops.

«There’s a store downtown. It’s called „Three Quarters“. There’s this set there. One hundred percent», – came a message from Henry.

Where did he get his knowledge of music from?

«I couldn’t find information about them on the Internet», – I typed.

«They don’t have a website. It’s an old but trusted store», – Henry answered me.

«Great! Thank you!» – I thanked him and started packing. The sooner I bought this set, the better for everyone.

An hour later, I was shaking on the subway to get to downtown LA. Fifteen minutes later, I was in that store.

«Hello!» I said to the consultant. «Can you tell me, do you have this set?» I showed him the picture on the phone.

«Yes, follow me,» he led me to the back of the store, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. «Here it was!»

There was a black drum kit in front of me, just like in the picture. Armie would be pleased.

«Great,» I smiled. «And how much is it?»

«Five hundred dollars,» the salesman answered.

What?

«Excuse me?» I tried to contain my surprise.

«Five hundred dollars,» he said again.

And that’s where my problems began. The drum kit cost twice as much as originally planned.

I decided to call Armie and let him know, but, of course, he didn’t pick up, as he always did. So I texted him, telling him the price. Ten minutes later I got a message on my phone.

«You have $250. No more».

I know how much money I have, asshole. What can I do? Throw a couple of drums off the kit to make it cheaper?

If I could have roared right in the store, I would have done so. Instead, I smiled sweetly at the innocent salesman and walked out of the store. What should I do?

I couldn’t add to it with my own money. I just don’t have that kind of money. In fact, I wasn’t supposed to.

Out of desperation, I decided to go to the studio. Armie wasn’t there, so at least I could talk to the guys and unload emotionally.

***

«What are you going to do?» Diana asked.

We were sitting on the benches outside the studio.

«I can’t imagine,» I rubbed my face with my hands.

«He didn’t offer to add money?»

«No.»

«What an asshole,» she encouraged me.

«Yeah.»

«Didn’t you try to get a discount from them?» Dan asked.

«Fifty percent?» Black Friday was in November,» I reminded him.

«Sucks,» the guy scratched the back of his head.

«Where’s Chris?» I queried. As far as I knew, her dealings were going well and she was hanging out at the studio almost every day.

Diana leaned toward me and whispered:

«She and Richard broke up. It’s not easy for her right now.»

«Ah,» I exhaled.

«What’s the future pop youth up to?» Henry sat down on the bench across from us. I’d learned the difference between two brothers now.

«Henry?» I couldn’t hide my surprise. «Do you work here, too?»

«Nah, I work over there,» he pointed his finger at the building next door.

I turned around and read the sign on the building. «Private Clinic». It was the smaller building next door. I could see why he was here.

«Are you a doctor?» I was interested.

«I am. Almost. Assistant surgeon,» he nodded proudly.

I’ve heard how people in this specialty are full of a god complex. It suits him.

«Why so sad, Beauty?» He scratched his chin.

I decided to ignore the nickname he’d given me.

«Well, thanks for the tip,» I thanked him. «That store did inDid have the drums I was looking for, but they were twice the price I needed.»

«And how much?»

«I have two hundred and fifty dollars. And they cost five hundred,» I informed him.

«Are you free right now?» Henry asked me.

Diana and I looked over at each other.

«Um, yeah…»

«That’s great. I just finished my shift. I’ll go to the store with you,» he slapped himself on the knees and stood up.

«How does that help the case?» I wondered.

«The owner of the store is an old friend of mine. We’ll get you a discount,» he said as he headed in the direction of his clinic.

«Oh, thank you!» I shouted after him.

«You owe me,» he shouted back and crossed the street.

***

«I didn’t realise Armie was such an asshole,» Henry said between bursts of laughter.

«Why does everyone laugh when I tell stories about him?» I stomped my foot on the pavement.

«Sorry,» Henry laughed again. «You’re just a very funny narrator.»

«So fun,» I rolled my eyes.

«Okay, okay,» he walked around the front of me and started walking backwards. «Didn’t you think he liked you?»

«Who? Armie?» I even shrieked, «Let him grow up to me first.»

Henry laughed again:

«All the greatest love stories start with hate,» he spread his hands in the air, as if drawing this phrase in the sky.

«Screw you!» I shoved him in the shoulder.

He just laughed.

Okay, he’s not such a jerk. He seemed like a nice guy.

«Come on in,» Henry opened the door to the store for me. «You tell the consultant to pack everything up, and I’ll go to Phillip for the discount.»

«Okay, boss,» I made the soldier’s gesture with the palm of my hand from my forehead and headed for the consultant.

Five minutes later, I was already at the checkout counter, making a delivery request to the studio. Armie would turn green with surprise. I’m sure he didn’t think I could do it.

«So, are you satisfied?» Henry asked, with a hint of pride in his mini feat.

«More than. Coffee’s on me. Sorry, that’s all I can offer,» I shrugged.

«What about that young, beautiful body?» he joked.

«I’m glad you think so highly of yourself,» I retorted.

He grinned back.

«And you’re sharp…,» he said softly. «I like it.»

«Everyone likes me. It’s my fate,» I gave a pained look.

«I don’t doubt it.»

«You’re a flatterer!» I patted him on the shoulder.

«Ouch!» He pretended to be hurt. «Right in the heart!»

«How can I hit something that isn’t there?»

We walked out of the store.

«Two zero. Keeping up the pace,» he remarked. «You’re the best at this?» Henry asked.

«Yeah.»

We talked about many things along the way: Henry talked about his funny days as a surgical assistant and inadequate patients, about his former life and studies in Phoenix, about his pet raccoon. Yes, you heard right. The guy kept a raccoon. I told him about my life in Canada and my pathetic attempts to become a singer. We had a nice chat, and you know what, he wasn’t as bad as I first thought.

«Are you on your way to the end of the line, too?» I asked him on the bus when I noticed the bus was empty.

«Yeah,» he nodded.

His nonchalant «yeah» made me a little irritated.

«Do you and Richard live together? I know he lives in the neighbourhood,» I explained.

«We live in the next house. Across the street,» the guy answered.

«Across the street again?» I grinned.