Chapter 30 A Snitch
Colin nodded, poured a glass of whiskey for Nina and placed it in front of her.
Herring picked a girl, as well, and the rest were asked to leave.
"Treat Mr. Li and Mr. Huo well. Got it?" The manager cautioned the girls, and walked out, closing the door behind him. Herring took out a stack of cash and gave it to the girls.
The two girls divided up the money excitedly, and placed them aside. They had to tend to the men. Nina wrapped her arm around Colin's shoulder and held her whiskey glass upto Colin's lips, "Mr. Li, please." "Go away." Colin refused, swatting away her gesture. Nina cowered away, confused. What's his problem? She thought to herself.
"Hey bro, how about getting a room? You can get your needs met in private." Herring winked.
Colin waved his hand, "Not now." He continued nursing his whiskey glass as Nina sat beside him with a confused expression on her face.
A few minutes later, Colin's personal phone rang. He thought that it was Sophia, but
His stomach sunk and his heart began to beat faster when he saw the Caller ID. It was his mother.
It was almost 11pm, and usually his mother was preparing to retire to bed at that time. So it came as a shock when he saw that she was calling him.
He paused the music and motioned for everyone to be silent. Then, he slid the answer key.
"Hi mother. What are you doing up so late? Is everything okay?" "My son, are you still at work?"
"No, I'm out with Herring."
"Doing what?"
"Drinking."
"Is anyone else there?"
"...No!" Colin hesitated. Colin thought that his mother sounded as she usually does.
Without a goodbye, the call hung up. Colin stared at his phone, baffled. Just as he was about to place his phone back in his pocket, his mother called back, this time as a video call.
A shiver run up his spine, as his fears came true. He had no other choice but to answer the call. Colin knew all too well that she wasn't going to stop calling. He slid the answer key, and his mother's face appeared.
She was wearing her reading glasses, therefore Colin knew that she was looking for something. The expression on her face confirmed it. "Let me see where you are Colin."
"Mother, why do... " Before Colin could finish speaking, Wendy interjected.
"I said show me where you are!" Her rage spilled through the video connection. "Mother, I'll call you later." "Show me
Now! Even if you hung up, I will keep on calling until I see where you are."
Colin had no choice but to show her. He flipped the screen, and moved his hand, covering 180 degrees.
When he flipped the screen back, his mother had hung up the video call. Seconds later, she called back; this time a phone call.
"What's wrong with you Colin? What are you doing in the presence of half naked women and you are married? Is this how I raised you?" Wendy was angry and embarrassed. She couldn't believe that this is how her son was acting.
He was bringing shame to her and the family. If ever the neighbors were to find out about his "extra-curriculum" activities, they would be the talk of the town.
Her reputation as a respectable and well-cultured member of the society would be ruined.
Colin lit up a cigarette. He needed something to calm himself down. He was tired of being on the "perfect-son" pedestal.
"Mother, don't pretend that you didn't know what I was doing. Sophia told you, didn't she?" "Does it matter that
She told me?" Colin sighed heavily as he puffed out a cloud of smoke. Sophia had gone too far by involving his mother.
Meanwhile, Herring simply sat there, gloating at what was happening in front of him.
He motioned to the girls to leave. They left without hesitation, with the money in their hands.
Herring sat there and fiddled with his glass as he listened to the conversation.
It was mostly Colin giving one-word answers, with long spaces of silence in between. Herring knew that Wendy was biting his ear off about the whole situation. Ten minutes later, Colin hung up the phone. "Let's get out of here." Colin spoke, more words than he had in the last ten minutes.
They walked out of the bar and headed to the cars. Herring asked the chauffeur to drop Colin off Sophia's place.
"Thanks Herring, sorry about cutting our night short. After an earful from the mother, my mood was ruined."
Colin chuckled in embarrassment, although Herring knew too well that Colin wasn't in the mood from the beginning.
"No worries. Family comes first." And he got into his car and left.
Colin entered the car and twenty minutes later, he was at Sophia's place. He got out of the car and reached into his pocket for the keys to the front door.
He fiddled with opening the front door, as his hand kept on slipping. He blamed it on the anger that was simmering below the surface. Sophia lived in a big house so it took him a while to locate her. Plus she had a habit of sleeping in different rooms in the house.
That woman has a lot of weird habits, Colin thought, as his anger spilled into murmuring by himself.
On the fourth floor, a room at the far corner light was on. He figured that Sophia would have been inside there.
He walked up to the door, went to open it, but the door wouldn't budge.
He knocked on the door. "Sophia... Sophia... Open this door. Sophia... "After a few minutes of silence, Colin began impatiently knocking on the door. Louder this time.
"Sophia... I swear, if you are ignoring me... Sophia!" Colin nearly broke the door down Meanwhile, inside the room, Sophia was wide awake. She wasn't sure what to do.
After calling Colin's mother and telling her what had occurred that evening, Some of it anyway, She lay in bed wondering when Colin was going to do. When she heard him walking up the stairs to her room, She sat up in bed and waited. Sophia knew he was angry, But she didn't feel like opening the door.
She stood up and peeped through the peephole
She could see that his impatience had turned into anger.
Had she waited too long?
Sophia, I know you are in there. Open the door!" His voice was louder this time. Why was he so loud!
She struggled on whether to let him in or not.
She had no idea what he would do to her.
She reached for the bedroom key and turned to open the door. Colin stormed in, a bright flash of anger across his face.
"Mr. Li, why have you come?" Sophia left the door open, just in case she had to kick him out.
Colin didn't answer her, But looked around the bedroom.
Spacious and brightly colored, Sophia had a great sense of style.
Even though the room was simply furnished, with only a bed, a closet, a table and two chairs, The small additions, flowers, decorations, paintings and the candles, made the room feel very warm and inviting. Sophia watched Colin surveyor the bedroom.
Sophia was confused as to why he was looking at the room with such intensity.
Then he turned his gaze on her. He began to walk towards her.
Sophia's heart started to race as she wasn't sure what he was going to do. His hands grabbed at her waist, as he drew their bodies closer to each other.
This surprised Sophia. "So you stuck to your threat and called mother, didn't you?" Colin said it more than a statement than a question.
She shrugged and said, "So?"
Colin sneered, "Sophia, I'm surprised that you would rat me out!"
Colin was surprised at her boldness. 'What an interesting girl!' thought Colin.
"You are surprised? Well me too." That statement was true. Sophia did not know why she would call her mother either. It was just a spur of the moment thing. "Apologize!" demanded Colin. After saying those words, Colin took a few steps forward to close in on her.
Sophia, on the other hand, was amused at his childish temper tantrum.
"Mr. Li, for a wealthy employer, you sure know how to bully your employee. What a pathetic little man you are."
Surprisingly, Colin was not at all incensed by her words. Instead, he walked straight into her room, threw his coat onto the coach and lay down on her bed. ☐☐