To Color Your Life

The man was clearly pleased with himself and did not feel any remorse for his cheeky behavior. What the heck was he doing here? Is he a stalker or something?

Emily threw this absurd thought away from her head. No, she was a pretty girl, but not in the format that such guys would pursue. She dressed modestly, although her shape allowed her to wear anything. But several years of previous relationship left their mark on her style.

She also did not harbor pink illusions that there are mystical accidents dictated by fate itself.

Yes, there must be some logic in this coincidence! Firstly, this gas station is the only one in the district. Secondly, her frustrated cafe fiancé most likely drank his coffee and even ate a cake while she was getting dressed up. So there was nothing special about this meeting.

Emily took a breath. She really wanted to answer something sharp, but the guy was clearly on the ball. Next to such one needs to be on the alert and watch out one's mouth. Just like next to her grandmother.

"Since you've changed your mind, I suggest to discuss where we will spend our honeymoon. Do you love tropical islands?" he obviously emerged too much in this play. One-man theater, damn it!

Emily grunted, got back behind the wheel, and immediately re-lined up to a nearby gas pump, where there was just a space. The best way to get rid of the annoying fly is to ignore it.

Moreover, the girl had neither the time nor the desire to continue this pointless monologue. A new job was waiting for her, where she should be in... oh, shoot! She has less than an hour before the meeting!

Thoughts of the stranger flew out of her head. She refueled the car and was about to start when her old Ford decided to remember that he was retired for a long time and the long routes are hard for such a clunker.

The car growled with displeasure and refused to move. On the third attempt, it finally started up. Emily turned towards the exit from the gas station and settled behind a chic black Maybach, from which a very loud music was coming.

"God, didn't he become deaf there because of such volume? Such a show-off," she smirked. People love to demonstrate their bad habits to others!

The girl's Ford grunted again, intending to stall at the wrong moment. "Baby, hold on! There is little left, we can handle it!" She gently pushed the gas pedal, but something went wrong.

The car pushed forward, and before Emily had time to release the brake, her hood closed the distance with the Maybach to zero.

Bang!

What the...

The girl forgot how to breathe. The math center began to work in her head, frantically calculating how much this accident would cost her.

It could have cost her monthly salary to repair the backlight of such a car, leaving the girl without money for rent and for food!

The man got out of the car and examined the damage. He didn't look upset. And why, if the car was definitely insured, and he was not the culprit of the damage.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it. It's just my car," the girl said rather quickly, blushing with shame. So, in an instant, her stalker turned from a potential villain into one to whom she owes money. What a day!

"Hmm," he commented indifferently and took out his phone from his pocket, "Now we also have to wait for the police."

"No-no, no need to wait for the police! I'll pay for everything!" Emily grabbed his arm. "You must be a very busy person. Yes, and I'm late for work. Let's solve the issue without the police. I will pay for everything, I promise!" Not only does she now owe money, if she is late for a meeting with the manager of the Pharaoh, then it will be possible to forget about work altogether!

"Well, I don't know," the man uttered and looked away, "I already know how you keep your promises."

For a second, Emily wished she had hit the car harder. So much so that the driver crashed his head into the windshield. Maybe then he will be more serious?

"You know what? I am guilty, but your joke dragged on and is no longer funny," she pulled a notebook out of her purse, tore out a sheet, and began to scratch her personal information with a pen, "If you do not trust me, here is my info. As soon as you find out the amount of repairs, send a check to my mail, I will pay for everything."

She had said it so many times already as if she was trying to convince herself that the amount of repairs would not be worth a couple of months of hunger. Well, okay! As a last resort, she has her grandmother who makes pies.

"Okay, okay," the man grabbed the sheet and put it in his jacket pocket, "You are trying to persuade me as if I am resisting or something. You seem to be running late? I dare not hold you up. Have a nice day, miss." He waved his hand, got into the car, and with a roar of the engine left the gas station.

Huh, yeah. The day was truly "nice"!

Emily hurried after. There was half an hour before the appointed time, and fortunately for the girl, her Ford no longer threw out any surprises and worked properly. As if he felt ashamed of what he had done.

The meeting with the manager went smoothly too. Emily was amazed at the interior decoration of the publishing house and would like to get a better look at everything, but the woman simply took the girl's documents and sent her back. There was no choice, and Emily hoped that tomorrow she would be able to explore the place where many dream to work, but few people get such a chance.

But what surprised her even more was the receipt of five hundred dollars on the account on behalf of the publisher. She has not started work yet, but has already received an advance! Magic!

"Ahaha, don't be too happy honey!" Kelly laughed when she saw the radiant face of her friend when Emily came to visit her, "This is money for travel expenses. The work hours are irregular and often have to stay overnight, so many call a taxi so as not to drive after a busy day."

"How does it feel to stay overnight? You didn't tell me anything about it. What to do there at night?" Emily drank some wine. She and Kelly were sitting on a friend's balcony and enjoying the view of the setting sun, celebrating her new job.

"Darling, as I told you, there are many departments in the Pharaoh. And ours, hmm, how to explain, is a little specific. So night work is in the order of things there."

"And how specific is it?" Emily mentally banged herself on the head. She didn't even ask what job she was hired for! One name of the Publishing House "Pharaoh" was enough to forget other things.

"W-well," Kelly suddenly showed a burning interest in her manicure.

"Well?" continued to push Emily. The friend became suspiciously silent. It wasn't Kelly's style at all.

"Oh, tomorrow you will see! Do not be afraid, nothing illegal will be required of you! Normal work is editing texts, articles. Compliance with the schedule of publications of the journal, assistance in layout, selection of photos for articles. Everything is standard."

"Well, if it's standard...," a worm of doubt gnawed something in Emily's brain, but she had already agreed to accept it. And she still had no alternatives. Such a well-known and serious publishing house would not demand anything strange from its employees, right?

"By the way, what about your personal life? What's new?" Kelly hastened to change the subject.

Emily didn't like to discuss the details of her not-so-successful love life, "Nothing new. Since Peter decided that his and my personal life are different things, this topic is not interesting to me."

"Forget about it. This baldie decided to hit it all hard and drag after some young skirt."

"Kelly, he's not bald and she's forty." As it turned out a year ago, Professor Miller's interest was not limited to scientific work. But also colleagues from other departments.

"Oh," Kelly gagged. There was an awkward pause. And somehow, Emily's personal life suddenly began to look even more miserable.

She thought for a moment, drank some wine, and added in a calm tone, "I was proposed to get married today."

"Wow! And you don't tell me anything!" Kelly's eyes lit up with excitement, "Come on, I'm waiting for the details!"

Emily smiled. After her friend's reaction, meeting that stranger no longer seemed so unpleasant. "Nothing special. An ordinary impudent guy on a cool car who thinks that his smile will win anyone."

Kelly edged closer, anticipating something interesting. "What about you?"

"Well, now I am thinking, maybe I should say yes to him?"