Trusting The Stranger

Hello?"

“Hey Aimee, how's your first day at work"

“ Joe? You remembered"

“Of course... Leaving the country doesn't cause dementia "

“Your silly jokes again" Aimee laughed.

“ Well, they are silly yet you laugh at them...what are best friends for anyway? I couldn't forget for the world"

“My first day is still in the process cause I'm still yet to enter the bank"

“But you can just wait till tomorrow besides your work starts tommorow right? Don't be in a haste." He teased

“ Yeah, tomorrow but I just want to see how the place is and probably get my stuffs arranged in my office"

“True. That's wise...okay then, have fun. I gotta go. I have another call, it's business. I'll call you on facetime tonight so we'll talk more"

“ Okay, bye Joe. This wouldn't have been possible without you... I'll still repay you"

Joe laughed over the phone as Aimee smiled.

“ Bye Aimee" He said and cut the call.

Aimee was so excited as she got into the building. It was really big, neat, comfortable and well conditioned. Though, she noticed that there were very few people in the bank and they were all quiet. Something felt odd but she brushed the feeling aside. What could possibly go wrong on her first day of work? Besides her excitement to see her office made her overlook any other thing.

She put her small GPS phone which Joe had called her on in her pocket as she approached the elevator, then brought her iphone to check her email and other notifications.

As she entered the elevator, she noticed that the two men inside with her looked suspicious as well because they looked like security personnel but were not on the bank security uniform. She paid less attention though as she was on her phone.

********

“ Aimee my dear"

“Ma, I'm with him now"

“Who? You mean Joe? Where's he?"

“He's outside"

“Why did you leave him outside and we've been talking for long. Tell him to come in, I have to appreciate him"

“Joe?" Aimee called out to Joe who had been standing outside the ward patiently. He came in with a bright smile flashing his dimples.

“ Is he the one?" Mrs Martha whispered to Aimee as she chuckled and nodded as an affirmative.

“ Good day, Mrs Martha"

“ Joe...Aimee has told me much about you"

“ Oh really? Guess you guys have gossiped alot about me that I don't even need to do an introduction" he said sarcastically as Aimee and her grandmother laughed.

“ Thanks a lot Joe...I really appreciate. Now my Aimee can go back to college" As Mrs Martha said this, Joe cleared his throat to call Aimee's attention and Mrs Martha understood.

“ Aimee, I guess our visitor needs to talk to you...in private I guess. I'll be okay here. Just go spend some free happy time"

“ Ma, are you sure you don't need me here?"

“ C'mon Aimee, let's go. Besides, the old woman needs some rest in order to recover quickly" Joe said as he extended his hands towards Aimee who was still looking at her grandma for approval. Mrs Martha slowly nodded as Aimee turned to Joe and took his hands.

“So where are we going tonight, Aimee?"

“Anywhere that would be quick so I'd return home early to sleep early" Aimee answered as she stood up from the chair she was on and kissed her grandma good bye and left the ward with Joe.

They kept on talking as they walked down the hallway to the garage where Joe's car was,

“ So, how was work today at the office?" Aimee asked as Joe laughed really hard leaving her confused.

“Did I say something wrong?"

“No, not at all...well, not really" he paused for a while and then asked,

“You think I'm a doctor or I work here?"

“Well, yes...you are always in the hospital whenever I come to visit my grandma at night, so...?" Aimee answered as her face depicted confusion which made Joe laugh again but not as loud as before.

“ I'm really sorry for not introducing myself last night...I don't work in an office, neither am I a doctor or even a staff in this hospital" he paused again for a while to see Aimee's reaction. This time around, her face screamed stalker.

“And I am not a stalker as well" he finally added. On hearing his words, Aimee stopped walking with him,

“ So keep talking please cause I'm beginning to loose my trust in you"

Joe smiled as Aimee stopped.

“ What's funny Joe? Why are you smiling? Speak please"

“ Calm down Aimee, I know we just met last night and everything was so fast. I was not stalking you at all... Well if you want to know...I own a company where medical equipments are produced, the hospital was in debt to me, so they invited me over for negotiations."

“Okay" Aimee said still having doubts,then she asked again,

“ So how did you know about my grandma? Probably you would just cook up another lie in your head"

“Aimee, c'mon...I'm not lying believe me. Why should I be stalking you. I didn't even know you. I coincidentally met you. The hospital told me about pending bills during the negotiations and they mentioned Mrs Martha's case to me and told me her ward number to confirm myself. So when I left the meeting, I saw you leaving the ward with the number given to me as Mrs Martha. My intentions were to confront you on your grandmother's delayed bills... That was when I saw you crying. It was out of compassion I decided to pay your granny's bills...you were looking so young and helpless. "

“Uhmm... I'm sorry...now I..feel really... embarrassed...I'm really sorry for calling you a...stalker...it was very rude... of me" she stammered looking at Joe who still saw doubts in her eyes.

“ You still don't believe me? I should still prove to you???"

“Uhmmm...yes. Just to be clear"

“ And if it is true, you are going back to college...no buts"

“ That's rude...you were eavesdropping today right??My conversation with grandma." “ And you expect me to believe you are not a stalker?"

“Aimee, this conversation is going nowhere. Just get in the car let's go to my company for full proof so you'd go to college and then everyone would be happy. Besides it's getting late,you need to head home early for work." Joe said opening his car for Aimee to get in but she was still reluctant.

“ Stubborn" he murmured to himself.

“ C'mon Aimee, I dropped you off yesterday...okay, fine... here's proof" he said bringing out some documents from his car and handing it over to Aimee.

“ Damn!! Work in your trust issues" he said after giving her the documents.

“Well it's nice and admirable...if you still have more doubts, you could visit my company, the address is there and besides it's very popular." Joe smirked as he watched Aimee giving a cursory gaze through the documents. She finally gave up as she saw he was really saying the truth and was speechless. Joe saw she was speechless and took the documents from her hands,

“Apology accepted...so are we good to go??" Joe said as he opened the door again to keep his documents.

“ I'm so so..."

Joe didn't allow Aimee to finish her statement as he took her bag again to the front seat and gestured for her to follow suit and opened the door for her.

“Thank you once more" she said as she sat down comfortably.

“ Ya and you are going back to college" Joe replied as he closed the door and headed for the driver's seat.