CHAPTER 7

The four finally pulled into town with Joshua constantly looking over at Julia via the rear view mirror. Nobody had said a word to the other ever since they took off and they were just but glad to pull over outside the grocery shop to do their business

"Call me once you are done." he said to the two who nodded their way out of the car. Helen gave a sigh of relief once they took off glad to finally be alone with Joshua

"Who is she?" she asked after a moment of silence

"Who..?"

"The girl...the blind girl. You two looked cozy earlier." Joshua smirked as he wheeled the car to a turn

"Julia.Her name is Julia and she is the most annoying person i have ever met." he said making Helen laugh

"But why though? She looks like an innocent blind girl."

"I sometimes wonder is she truly blind, and trust me there is nothing innocent about that prick!"

******

"So what are we buying?"

"Anything...and everything." said Julia taking out a gleamy credit card

"Is that....?"

"Yes girl its Raymond's. I keep it now shall we?"

The two went from shelf to shelf picking from the most important to junk, something they would never do with their own money. Amanda pushed the overloaded trolley attracting a whole lot of attention within the store

"People are staring Julia."

"So what?" she said laughing, "Is there anything you want?"

"Julia the trolley is now overloaded. Are you sure Raymond wouldn't mind all this?"

"You worry too much come lets go pay." she said leading the way as if she knew where she was going. The shop was unusually full and the counter lines were a bit longer than the usual. They joined a better line their overloaded trolley earning them a whole lot of attention

"What is going on between you and Joshua?" Julia blinked from within her black shades

"He is annoying."

"Why are you always fighting i mean i have never seen you talk properly to him."

"Its a long story."

"And the line is long. Tell me." Julia took a moment before responding, gathering her words carefully

"Well it happened the first time i met Ray. All of you had gone out to buy lunch and i remained in the shop looking out for customers. Raymond and Joshua walked in arguing about what i could not hear so i got up to attend to them. They wanted to purchase some clothes so whenever they asked about the price of something i had to ask a couple of questions back so that i know what they are talking about but then Joshua got irritated and snapped.

"Since when do boutiques employ blind people now i have to take an hour to buy a couple of clothes!" he had said

"That must have hurt."

"Not really. I have heard worst things Mandy...Since then him and i have never really gotten along and it was a bombshell for him to find out that Ray and i are together. I don't like Joshua at all he is just so mean. He still hasn't apologized for what he said to me

"He hasn't? But why?"

"He has too much pride are we not there yet?" Amanda looked ahead to see the cashier already waiting for them. She helped Julia go on to wait for her a distance ahead while she paid for the groceries.

*******

Upon parking outside a lively club Helen smiled slyly and looked over at her prince charming

"Are we going clubbing?" she asked smiling broadly

"Not really but lets grab a few drinks shall we?" they then walked out of the car into the noisy building where anything and everything was going down. Helen looked around to see a number of strippers entertaining the gentlemen while others were chatting and drinking and at the other end others playing pool. They navigated their way past the people while doing so a half naked girl carrying a tray of drinks on one hand held Joshua with the other and whispered something Helen did not hear before walking away. Acting like she wasn't bothered they eventually reached their destination where they ordered a few tequila shots and sat before the bartender gulping one after the other

"I never knew you could drink like that, i am impressed."

"Trust me you have seen nothing." she said taking his hand and leading him to the dance floor where they got physical in dance hence attracting a whole lot of attention. For a moment everybody else stopped to watch and a few moments later continued their own dancing flooding the dance floor and that was when Helen realized she was now alone. She looked around searching for Joshua but could not find him. She dragged herself back to the bar where she flushed in many more tecquila shots trying by all means to make sure she doesn't get drunk in the process.

*******

Timothy exchanged a few words with a short suspicious looking man before opening the door to a non windowed room which was dark as night. He slowly closed the door and took a few steps forward before stepping on what he concluded was a can bottle

"We can talk while you are standing wherever you are." a voice said startling him, "If you move without my knowledge, you will step on more."

"Well i uhm...we rather, we have been searching for you for ages now. My boss has a proposal for you, you must be the master of the guns. My name is..."

"I don't want to hear it." he stopped him, "I remain anonymous to you and you to me. I would like to trust that you are not with the police because if you are, even behind bars i will find you, i will kill you and everything connected to you."

"I uhm...i am not with the police." Tim stuttered swallowing hard, " I have a proposal for you rather. My boss is on a mission and he needs a team. If you agree, you will be paid handsomely..."

******

Joshua emerged few minutes later to find a now heavily drunk Helen harassing the bartender. He helped her to her wobbly feet and supported her out of the bar into the car where he carried her in fastened the seat belt and drove off to get Julia and Amanda. As soon as he pulled over Helen was already snoring away he then helped pack the groceries into the boot and the four drove off

"Do you like roses?" Amanda finally asked that which had been bothering her ever since she stepped into Joshua's car. Joshua looked at the red rose hanging by the his window screen then back at the road before responding

"Not really. They just remind me of someone."

"Someone special?" she asked with a mischievous smile but his deadly stare wiped it off in a jiffy

"She liked roses. Red roses..." he then said after a moment. The rest of the journey was spent in silence, Helen's snores making all the noise.