Chapter 275: Chapter 275:? Annie’s Boobs. (The Monkey)
[Edward POV]
Annie and I had left the picnic in the middle of Dylan's performance. My guard had discreetly notified me about the gas leak and stealthily escorted us away from the crowd. As it turned out, it was the right move, considering the riot that soon erupted.
"You predicted this," Annie murmured with awe as we walked to my car. She turned to me with confusion, "Why did you still let the dean tell them if you know this is going to happen?"
I turned to Annie and smirked, "I didn't let him. He went AWOL. Now, he's paying the price."
Annie's eyes widened, and she asked, "Are you going to save him?"
"No need. Frankie is there. She'll know what to do," I replied casually. "Let's get out of here. I'll drive you home," I offered.
Annie wanted to come along, but suddenly she remembered something. "Wait! T-There's no need for that. I can go home by myself. You don't have to–"
"If this is about your apartment located above the 'Dildopolis' store, then you don't have to worry," I interjected with a chuckle before I slowly grabbed her hand.
Annie muttered with self-depreciation, "So, you already know?"
"Why? Do you think I'll look down on you or something? On the contrary, I thought you're really brave to risk living in that neighborhood to continue your education. I admire you for doing that."
Annie blushed and said, "You really know how to make a girl fall in love."
"Yet, I cannot make you fall in love with me," I quipped, which made Annie widen her eyes for a bit before she let out a short yelp as I pulled her hand to walk to the car.
In that short moment, I saw it clearly. The way she was looking at me, it was a gaze of limerence - an infatuated, idealized adoration that had little to do with who I truly was. She had constructed a preconceived impression of me in her mind, elevating me to a pedestal of her own making.
I realized then that we could never truly connect, well, not on the first date. I couldn't help but acknowledge the power I held over her - I was certain I could manipulate her, get her to do anything I wanted. But, if I did, then I'll just be the same as the other star who slept around with their groupies.
As that realization dawned on me, I felt a deep sense of unease. Would I really stoop to taking advantage of this naive girl, whose most fervent wish was simply to hold hands with a boyfriend at Disneyland? To turn her into a momentary diversion, a one-night stand?
"Edward?" She called, snapping me out from my thoughts. "Oh sorry, I was thinking about this college." I said before I asked, "Annie, do you have any specific complaints about this place? Part of which you think can be better?"
Her eyes lit up, "You want to hear my thoughts about it?"
"Sure. If I need to ask someone, then who'll be better to ask then the students that go here."
I drove the black Nissan Xterra SUV to Annie's neighborhood. Annie became a bit nervous as we were heading to her house. "You shouldn't park here long. Go home immediately after dropping me off." She advised with a slight panic.
I patted her hand to calm her down and said, "Don't worry. There's literally a convoy following me from behind. Check the side mirror." Annie was confused, and then she saw 2 SUVs protecting my car.
The once-vibrant commercial district had fallen on hard times. Vacant storefronts dotted the landscape, their dusty neon signs flickering feebly in the gathering dusk.
Unkempt lots were littered with the detritus of foreclosure - broken glass, rusted shopping carts, abandoned furniture. In the distance, a small fire burned in a metal drum as homeless individuals sought shelter from the late fall chill.
Amid the decay, a single neon sign stood out - the bright glow of "Dildopolis" drawing the eye. Adult toys were hung by the store glass, like they were butcher's meat.
I asked Annie with disbelief as I stopped the car in front of the store, "You, really live here?"
Annie lowered her head and said, "Um, this place seems a little bit better in the morning. Also...Um...the rent is very cheap."
"By the way, mind if I see your place?" I asked her politely. She blushed and said, "Um, it's only the first date. I don't think it's appropriate."
"Ah, this isn't part of the date. The date ended when the gas leak happened." I said. Annie jolted in surprise, "What?! It is over?!"
I nodded and said, "Yes. So, can I get up there or not?"
Annie hesitated for a bit before she said, "Okay then. Just...for 5 minutes, okay?!"
"Okay! Don't worry. I'm a gentleman." I smiled charmingly, which made her cute stern face crumble.
The studio apartment was even smaller than I had anticipated - barely 150 square feet. Annie had done her best to make the limited space feel cozy, but the cramped quarters were immediately apparent. Her bathroom was also really cramped as it could barely fit a toilet and a shower there.
"So, do you have to sit on the toilet to take a shower?" I asked with disbelief.
Annie blushed in embarrassment and hurried to close the toilet door, "Why are you looking at a girl's bathroom the minute you enter?"
I chuckled and said, "Cause I could see your entire house in less than a minute. You know what, Annie..." She unawarely stood close to me as she closed the toilet door, and I leaned in closer to her.
She hesitated a bit before she closed her eyes and pursed her lips, expecting a kiss. But, I grabbed her shoulders and said, "I have a preposition for you."
"What?" She asked in confusion as she opened her eyes again. Suddenly, a gunshot fired over in the distance. Annie was startled and she abruptly hugged me. I asked, "Does that usually happen?"
Annie begrudgingly replied, "Yeah..." She realized that she was hugging me, blushed, and then released her embrace. "What preposition?" She asked while fixing her hair.
"This might bruise your ego a bit, but listen to me first." I said. "I have property here, so why don't you move there..."
"Sorry, I know you mean well, but I'm not looking for handouts!" Annie said seriously.
I chuckled and said, "I'm not finished. I need a building manager to manage the property."
Troy supported Britta, "I think we should go too. I need to ask him why did he think Annie is hot."
Pierce joined in, "And I want to ask him about mountain climbing."
Abed was a little concerned and said, "I don't think we're supposed to do that."
"Shut up Abed." Jeff scolded. "I want to hear why he hates me."
Britta snorted derisively and said, "Shouldn't that be clear by now? You kept wanting to get his money."
"Hey! I tried to sell him a very precious comic book! It's not my fault he didn't see its value!" Jeff retorted while pointing his finger at Britta. Britta tried to bite it, which shocked Jeff. "Have you gone insane Britta?" he asked worriedly.
Abed muttered as he watched the group walk away, "This is not good. We're supposed to end this on a good note so that he can become a recurring character."
...
At the airport. Frankie looked at Edward in disbelief after they met each other in front of his private jet. "So, you guys, went on a date." Frankie rubbed her sore forehead as she recounted.
"Yep." Edward replied casually.
"It went well, and you even went back to her place." She continued.
"Yeah." Edward nodded.
"Then, explain it to me. How did it turn into a job interview?" Frankie asked in disbelief.
Edward smirked and said, "I'll tell you on the plane. Ah, by the way, you're coming to Wisconsin to meet your future in-laws right?"
"No, I'll be getting back to my place for Thanksgiving. I won't be joining you." Frankie replied honestly. Edward said, "Oww, that's too bad. I wanted to see you and dad fumbling around grandma and grandpa when they enthusiastically supported your relationship."
Frankie smiled softly and said, "You think they will?"
"Of course." Edward replied with an expression that said, 'Wasn't that obvious?'.
Back to Edward's new building.
After everyone arrived at Annie's new apartment, Britta went to sit on Edward's couch immediately as she felt light headed– cause she inhaled a lot of gas. Annie gleefully decorated the apartment with her stuff, which prompted Jeff to ask, "Annie, did you just move in here?"
Annie excitedly replied, "Was it so obvious? This used to be Edward's place to stay. You can still smell his scent here."
Shirley looked at Annie with disbelief, "That's disturbing."
Annie immediately took a few gifts from the table and handed them to Shirley, "That reminds me. Here. Ed..Hehe, I call him Ed now. He asked me to give it to you. It's for your sons."
With a sweet voice, Shirley exclaimed, "That's nice!"
Pierce looked at the gifts and got a little jealous, "What about me? Did he have anything for me?"
Jeff smirked and teased, "Pierce, I don't think he even knows you." Everyone else all agreed with Pierce.
Britta exclaimed sadly, "What's the point of getting a gift? Annie, explain how you got the apartment? That's supposed to be the true question here."
Pierce interjected, "Wasn't it obvious? Annie is his mistress."
"What?!" Troy exclaimed in bewilderment. Annie was also surprised, and she reacted bashfully, "Pierce, I'm not his mistress. I work with him."
"And how did you get the job?" Jeff asked, intrigued. Annie hesitated a bit before she said, "Convenience I guess? He needs someone to handle the building for him and search for new tenants."
Abed looked around the house before his attention went to a normal looking rack near the wall. He noticed the small notch for the hidden compartment on the rack, but he didn't press it yet.
He asked Annie, "Hey, what's the criteria for renting a place here?"
"He'll email me about the details later on." Annie replied innocently before she turned to Jeff, "Edward also told me to pass on something to you."
"Oh yeah?" Jeff replied sarcastically. "He wants me to be his mistress too? Sorry but, I'm way more expensive than this apartment– I'm sorry, you have 3 rooms here?"
Annie nodded, "Yes. Also, he said that he auctioned off your comic book for you in the LA comic book fans community. That Amazing Spiderman issue no 3, first appearance of Doc Ock is quite valuable. Someone offered you 8 thousand dollars for it. Do you want to sell it–"
"SELL!" Jeff interjected quickly. "I'm selling it!"
Annie replied innocently, acting as if she was Edward's secretary. "You can send the book to the staff member going back to LA tonight. They are still here at the apartment, so you can just send it to them."
"What about the money?" Jeff asked urgently. Annie replied, "The money is also with them. Edward will pay for it first as he knows you are in urgent need of money."
Jeff felt a bit guilty and muttered, "I judged him wrongly. He's a great guy."
Britta snapped, "WHAT ABOUT ME?! How is he going to deal with the monkey?!"
While the others were afraid of Britta, Annie smiled softly and said, "Britta. You had just gotten the monkey. Wait a few days. He told you that you won't be insane at the moment, right?"
Jeff then whispered to Annie. Annie widened her eyes and said, "YOU GOT BITTEN AGAIN?!"