Knowing Kendra was a woman not to be trifled with, Darnell decided to sell his physical stamina and go shopping with her, all the while vowing to himself that he would do fewer favors in the future and certainly not pay for anyone else again.
After finishing their coffee, Kendra led Darnell to the underground parking lot, stopping in front of a bright yellow Ferrari. She pulled out the keys and unlocked it.
Darnell quickly slid into the passenger seat.
Kendra raised an eyebrow, asking, “Aren’t you supposed to be the one driving? You’re a man, after all.”
Darnell buckled his seatbelt. “This car is too fancy. I wouldn’t know how to handle it.” His main concern was scratching it-he couldn’t afford that.
Kendra stopped arguing, took her place in the driver’s seat, and started the engine.
Darnell couldn’t help but ask, “Is this car yours?”
Kendra pressed the gas pedal and turned the wheel. “It’s a friend’s.”
Darnell clicked his tongue in admiration. “You’ve got a good friend to lend you a car worth millions.”
Kendra beamed with pride. “Of course! My friends are all loyal. They wouldn’t just lend me a car. They’d give their lives if I needed it.”
“And they all have good character, unlike you with your carefree demeanor.”
Darnell gave her a thumbs up. “Impressive, very impressive. You have a bunch of good friends.”
Then he reached out and felt the seat, pulling out a medical report. “Pregnancy test?” He looked at her in surprise. “Is this yours?”
Kendra’s face flushed with embarrassment. “No!”
Darnell then pulled out a pack of condoms. “Oh, is this yours?”
Kendra’s expression darkened. “No!”
Darnell continued, pulling out a magazine. “Playboy? Is this yours?”
Kendra was nearly at her breaking point, muttering curses on her friends under her breath while snapping at Darnell, “Hands to yourself and eyes on the road!”
Darnell quickly placed his hands on his knees, eyes ahead, but his restless fingers fidgeted, pulling out a small piece of fabric.
Darnell glanced down and exclaimed, “Whoa, a thong! Is this yours?”
The atmosphere froze, growing tense as Kendra shot him a murderous glare.
Darnell looked again, realizing it was indeed the lacy underwear he had pulled from Kendra’s handbag.
Wasn’t it hers?
For the rest of the drive, Darnell was forced to wear sunglasses, resting his hands behind his head to prevent any further incidents, while Kendra vowed to find a chance to take her anger out on the car’s owner for embarrassing her today. Whenever she caught a glimpse of Darnell’s mischievous smile, her frustration bubbled over.
As Kendra reached for the music, she turned it on, only to quickly switch it off again upon hearing the punk rock style, worried that the explicit lyrics would only make things more awkward.
It was too quiet, and the tension was palpable. She turned the steering wheel and asked Darnell, “Aren’t you supposed to be good at charming people? Tell me a joke.”
Darnell mumbled, “What do you mean by charming? I just have high emotional intelligence. If you want a joke, what kind do you like?”
Kendra glanced at the road, slowing down. “I don’t care. Just tell me a joke.”
Darnell took a deep breath and became animated. “Alright, I’ll tell you one that’s relevant to life and hot topics.”
“Recently, the entertainment industry has been hit with a string of cheating scandals. A husband asks his wife, ‘Honey, if I cheated on you, what would you do?'”
“The wife chuckles and replies, ‘You know, I have a thing for documentaries about eunuchs.'”
Darnell told the story vividly, and Kendra’s interest was piqued as she listened more intently.
“The husband asks, ‘What do you mean? Eunuchs and marriage seem worlds apart!'”
“The wife responds, ‘If you ever cheat on me, I’ll make sure you end up like a eunuch.'”
Kendra froze for a moment before slamming on the brakes without a care for her lady-like demeanor, immediately punching Darnell in the arm.
“I told you to tell a joke, not whatever nonsense that was…”
Darnell yelped, and in the chaos, he grabbed her hand, feeling its delicate softness, stirring something within him.
Half an hour later, Darnell emerged from Kendra’s yellow Ferrari, his body aching. Kendra’s grip was far stronger than Casey’s or anyone else’s.
When she hit, it felt like every punch was loaded with pain, and he shot her a glare. “We’re not even that close. How can you hit so hard?”
Kendra put on her sunglasses and scoffed, “Because you deserve it.”
She wore a light blue denim skirt and jacket, underneath a cartoon-patterned T-shirt, covered by a red hoodie.
Her ears were adorned with silver earrings, and her natural beauty shone without a hint of makeup.
Anyone who saw her would think she was a looker.
Darnell hadn’t expected this woman to be so captivating.
It left him momentarily at a loss for words.
“Stop staring.”
Kendra interrupted his wandering gaze. “Look again, and I’ll poke your eyes out.”
Darnell snapped back to reality, glancing around, realizing they were on Whiteville’s jewelry street, lined with eighteen high-end jewelry stores.
In the past six months, gold prices had soared, and jewelry stores had flourished, with Whiteville now boasting eighteen shops, all in just ten months.
But Darnell felt a bit frustrated, unsure why he was here. He hated seeing things he couldn’t have, so he turned to the proud woman beside him. “Aren’t we supposed to be shopping? Why are we at a jewelry store? Are you planning to rob it? I’m telling you, I’m not getting involved in anything illegal.”
“I haven’t even gotten married yet.”
Kendra shot him a look. “Relax, I’m not planning to rob the place. You can’t just rob a jewelry store whenever you like.”
“I brought you along to shop for gold. I have a relative turning sixty, and he loves gold, so I need your help to pick something out.”
Darnell nodded. “Oh, I see. Who doesn’t like gold? If you gave me a hundred pounds, I’d carry it all back.”
“Less talk, and help me choose a piece.”
Kendra was as straightforward as ever. “If you do well, not only will we clear up our grievances, but I might even take you out for a nice meal.”
Darnell raised a hand. “Something over five thousand.”
Kendra scoffed. “Dream on.”
As Kendra looked at him disdainfully, Darnell’s eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a black van slowly passing by two meters away.
The windows were tinted, and the figure inside was hard to make out, but Darnell could smell the hint of gunpowder in the air.
A gun!