Chapter 19 Favour paid in full.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "Go shower. I’ll order us food."
She pulled back and wiped her eye with the back of her hand in the way people do when they’re pretending they didn’t just tear up. She picked up her things and went to the bathroom without another word.
Xavier picked up the intercom by the bed.
"Room service please. Breakfast for two."
He listened. "Whatever your best option is".
And...." he paused. "Can you arrange a change of clothes for two guests.
Approximate sizing." He gave the details."I’ll cover whatever it costs."
He hung up and sat back down.
Fifty thousand dollars, he thought again.
Femi has been holding that over her for eight months. He looked at the window. I wonder how he’ll feel when it disappears overnight.
The food arrived twenty minutes later, finally a proper breakfast, nothing apologetic about it. Amira came out of the bathroom in the hotel robe looking considerably more herself, glasses back on, hair pulled back loosely.
A knock at the door shortly after brought a selection of clean clothes from the hotel’s guest wardrobe service. Xavier opened the door, checked the options and nodded.
"I’ll take both sets," he said.
He settled the bill at the door.
[ REBATE SYSTEM ]
Transaction Detected: $160 — Hotel Guest Wardrobe Service
Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x
Total Return: $320
[ Net Balance: $93,680.00 → $94,000.00 ]
He closed the door and set Amira’s outfit on the bed without comment.
She looked at the clothes. Then at him.
"You ordered us a change of clothes," she said flatly.
"The ones from last night weren’t going to work in daylight," Xavier said, already heading to change."...And for the intense exercise session we had yesterday there are much needed".
Amira let out a naughty smile, picked up the outfit, looked it over once and headed to the bathroom without further argument..
Xavier changed quickly. Dark trousers, clean shirt. Checked himself in the mirror briefly.He then sat at the small table by the window and pulled up his system while he waited.
[ REBATE SYSTEM ]
Current Tier: Silver Cashback
Base Multiplier: 2x
Daily Cap: $500,000
Cooldown: None
[ Net Balance: $94,000.00 ]
[ EXP: 6,450/50,000 — Next Tier: Gold Refund ]
Long way to Tier 3, he noted. But with a $500,000 cap and no cooldown the next upgrade would probably be worth it.
Amira came out of the bathroom changed and considerably more herself.
"Better," Xavier said.
"Don’t comment on my appearance," she said, sitting down.
"I said better. That’s a fact, not a comment beside you look good."
She gave him a side look and sat down as the food arrived.
They changed and sat down to eat.
Xavier met her gaze across the table.
"So..." A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Does this mean you’re my girlfriend?"
Amira paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. Then she set it down and looked at him with the expression of someone who had been caught off guard and was refusing to show it."I’m having mixed feelings about you," she said. "So stop teasing me."
"I only asked a question."
"You asked that question. There’s a difference." She picked up her fork again. "Eat your breakfast, Xavier."
He let out a quiet laugh and did as he was told.
After breakfast, he booked her a cab and walked her down to the lobby.
At the entrance, she adjusted the strap of her bag and looked at him.
"What about Femi?" she asked.
"It’s handled."
"You keep saying that."
"Because it is."
She studied him for a second before giving a small nod. She wasn’t completely convinced, but she’d decided to trust him anyway.
A cab pulled up.
She climbed in, then lowered the window.
"Xavier."
"Amira."
"I’m still having mixed feelings."
"I know."Xavier responded sharply.
She smiled despite herself, and the cab pulled away.
Xavier watched it disappear before slipping his hands into his pockets.
Mixed feelings, huh?
He could work with that.
Turning back toward the hotel, he headed inside to check out.
It was going to be a busy day.
Time to get to work.
Xavier checked out of The Meridian Grand at 10:15 AM.
The lobby was busier than it had been at 2AM guests with luggage, a business meeting happening near the far seating area, the general daytime energy of a hotel doing what hotels do.
He settled the final bill at the desk.
[ REBATE SYSTEM ]
Transaction Detected: $480 — Hotel Checkout
Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x
Total Return: $960
[ Net Balance: $94,000.00 → $94,480.00 ]
He walked out in the morning.
First order of business, he thought, standing on the pavement outside. Femi.
He pulled out his phone and opened his banking app. $50,000. He looked at the number for a moment in his previous life. That figure would have taken years. Now it was a Tuesday morning decision.
He transferred it to Amira’s account directly with a single note attached.
Debt cleared. Don’t mention it again.
[ REBATE SYSTEM ]
Transaction Detected: $50,000 — Transfer
Base Multiplier (Tier 2): 2x
Total Return: $100,000
[ Net Balance: $44,480.00 → $144,480.00 ]
[ SIDE QUEST COMPLETE ]
First Large Scale Ally Support
Reward: +1,000 EXP
[ EXP: 7,450/50,000 ]
Xavier looked at the balance.
$144,480.
He’d just spent $50,000 and ended up $50,000 richer than he’d been that morning.
Tier 2 was a completely different beast.
Bzzt! Bzzzztt!
His phone buzzed almost immediately.
Amira: XAVIER!!!
Amira: what did you just do
Amira: this is fifty thousand dollars
Xavier: I’m aware of the number.
Amira: you can’t just...I never thought..
Xavier: It’s done Amira. The debt is cleared. Whatever Femi thinks he has over you doesn’t exist anymore.
Amira: I don’t know what to say
Xavier: Then don’t say anything. Just make sure that project wins.
Amira: ...okay
Amira: Xavier
Xavier: yeah
Amira: Thank you. Actually, thank you.
Xavier: mixed feelings?
Amira: 😒 goodbye Xavier
Xavier pocketed his phone and ordered a premium Uber.
Now Femi, he thought. The money handles the debt. But a man like that doesn’t let go of leverage quietly just because the number disappears. He looked up at the morning sky. He’ll need a different kind of reminder.
I’ll get to that.
The Uber pulled up. Xavier got in and leaned back against the seat.
$144,480, he thought. No cooldown.
The $500,000 cap is still barely touched. He pulled up the favorability gauge and looked at Amira’s number.
Amira favorability gauge just jumped from 45% to a whopping 55%. Women do like money.
The $50,000 transfer had landed.
55% is intermediate range, he noted. Getting there.
The car moved through the mid morning city traffic. Xavier looked out the window at the streets passing.
Full day ahead, he thought. Cap to cycle.
Femi situation to resolve. And at some point I need to think properly about Sarah Torres and how the favorability gauge changes the approach.
One thing at a time.