A Night of Desire

Jean Jarvis called the man at the time they had agreed upon the day before. After arranging a place to meet, she prepared to leave.

But Chloe Grant, who had just woken up and come downstairs, stopped her. "Mom, are you going out? Take me with you."

Lately, not only did she have no acting roles, but she was also being ostracized by her classmates at school. She couldn’t be bothered to go, so she just holed up at home all day, feeling like she was about to grow moldy.

Now that she saw her mother heading out, she wanted to tag along and get out of the house.

Jean Jarvis’s eyes flickered. She smiled and said, "I have to run an errand, but I’ll be back in a little while. If you’re bored, you can just... watch some TV."

"Mom, haven’t you been nagging me for days to stop staying home all the time and to get out more? Now that I finally feel like going out, you’re telling me to stay home and watch TV?"

Chloe Grant was clearly displeased. She walked down the rest of the stairs and leaned against the back of the sofa as she spoke.

As she changed her shoes, Jean Jarvis considered this for a moment. "How about this," she said, "wait for me to get back from my errand, and then I’ll take you out for a nice meal."

"Why make it so complicated? I’ll just go with you. When you’re done with your errand, we can go shopping right after."

But Jean Jarvis, having finished putting on her shoes, headed straight for the door. "It’s no trouble. I’ll be back in a bit."

With that, she was already out the door.

Chloe Grant frowned, thinking her mother was acting a little strange.

After a moment’s thought, she quickly changed her shoes and followed her out the door.

...

In a secluded corner of an inconspicuous drink shop, Jean Jarvis sat across from the man.

Jean Jarvis cut to the chase, pulling a card from her purse. She placed it on the table and slid it over to the man. "There’s fifty thousand on this card. Take it. But let me make one thing clear: this is the last time I’m giving you money. Once it’s gone, don’t come looking for me again."

The man took the bank card. After listening to her, he gave her a sidelong glance, tapped the card against his palm, and smirked. "Jean, what kind of talk is that? I did you a huge favor. What’s wrong with asking for a little spending money? That’s not asking too much, is it?

"Besides, if you want to settle this once and for all, isn’t fifty thousand a little on the low side? I’m no beggar!"

Jean Jarvis was clearly getting angry. "Adam Warren, don’t push it. You call this ’a little spending money’? Twenty-some years ago, I gave you every last cent you demanded. We were supposed to be done with each other."

"Jean, what happened twenty years ago has nothing to do with today, does it? We settled things back then, sure. But I’m not asking you for money now because of what happened twenty years ago.

"If you hadn’t come to me for help again, would I be asking you for more money? So, you see, let’s keep things separate. This money is payment for this new favor." Adam Warren was still smirking, completely unfazed.

"I made it perfectly clear yesterday! I only said I might need your help, but in the end, you didn’t even do anything!" Jean Jarvis was becoming exasperated.

"And I also made it clear yesterday that it’s your fault the job didn’t happen, not mine. But even if I didn’t do anything, you still have to pay, right? Otherwise... what if I get real desperate for cash and decide to go find Cedric Grant? Or maybe that woman from back then, Skylar Hayes? What if I... accidentally let something slip...?"

Adam Warren didn’t finish his sentence, but his words were dripping with menace.

Jean Jarvis gritted her teeth in anger but didn’t dare say anything harsher. Though she hadn’t seen Adam Warren in over a decade, she knew what kind of man he was. He would do anything for money.