One Man Band System

As Eric finished his coffee and stood up to leave, he heard a voice behind him. "Oh, Eric?" He turned around to see Katie, dressed in office attire, standing there with a coffee cup in her hand. She immediately took a seat at his table, prompting Eric to sit back down.

"Hey, Katie, what brings you to this part of town?" Eric asked.

"I just wrapped up a meeting with a client nearby on behalf of Mr. Richard... what about you? What are you doing here?" Katie asked.

"I had some business right across the street a moment ago," Eric said, gesturing toward the window with his thumb.

Katie glanced over at the Trinity Entertainment building and complex across from the cafe. A look of understanding washed over her face, and she turned back to Eric. Eric went ahead and ordered another drink—something other than coffee—just to keep her company.

"Oh, by the way... have you heard the news yet?" Katie asked after taking a sip.

"Heard what?" Eric asked, confused.

"Melissa vanished from the hospital yesterday. I just got word from Detective Norman," Katie said.

Eric was a bit stunned to hear this. The last time he had been to the hospital, Melissa was still in a coma with her arms and legs in casts. He had only heard from Katie recently that she had finally regained consciousness.

"Seriously? She shouldn’t even be discharged yet, right? Can she even walk on those legs?" Eric asked, bewildered.

"Who knows... but the fact remains, she’s gone. She left a phone number on her bed and a note saying she’s willing to cooperate with the police if necessary," Katie answered casually, taking another sip from her cup.

"Huh, I see," Eric muttered, deep in thought.

"Oh, right... Mr. Bryan also mentioned that she submitted her resignation to HR the day before she disappeared," Katie added.

"Well... just let her go. As long as she’s still willing to cooperate, that’s a good thing. Her life is her life; where she wants to go is none of our business," Eric said easily, leaning back with a smile.

"True... I just wanted to give you a heads-up, just in case she tries to cause trouble for you again... or for Chloe," Katie warned.

"I’ll be careful... though I don’t think she’ll be bothering Chloe anytime soon," Eric replied casually.

"Good. She’s crafty, and even if she might not be inherently evil, you still need to watch your back," Katie countered.

"I know, Katie," Eric replied. "Oh, right, since you’re here, could you take a look at this? See if there’s anything off with this contract. Personally, I didn’t see any red flags, so I went ahead and signed it," Eric said, handing the contract over to her.

"Let me see... next time, ask me before you sign anything," Katie chided gently, taking the papers.

Katie began reading through the contract, adjusting her glasses as her eyes darted back and forth across the pages, absorbing every detail. Eric waited patiently as she turned the sheets one by one. Once she finished, Katie closed the folder and handed it back to Eric.

"There are no issues. None of the clauses are one-sided; it’s completely fair to both parties," Katie said with a smile.

"Oh... thank goodness. Guess I didn’t mess up and can actually judge these things on my own now," Eric said, relieved.

"Yep... you can handle it yourself now. Your big sister here doesn’t have to worry about you anymore," Katie replied, placing her hand over Eric’s on the table.

"Hehe... thanks, Katie. You’re the best," Eric said happily.

"But seriously, you did great... your song is going to be the soundtrack for their upcoming unreleased movie... that’s huge. I’m impressed," Katie praised.

"Well... it was mostly a stroke of luck, honestly, but thank you," Eric replied.

"There are no coincidences in this world... only willpower and hard work... so, how are things going between you and those six girls you hang out with?" Katie asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Same old, same old... right now they’re all grounded by their moms... except for Chloe and Laura," Eric said casually.

Eric went on to explain what had happened, sharing the story of how they had crossed paths with Morgan out in the mountains while they were camping in the RV. Katie just smiled as she listened, her eyes fixed on Eric the entire time.

"So that’s how it went. Because they didn’t speak up, they got grounded... well... serves them right, they were being reckless," Katie said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah... pretty much... oh... look at the time. Looks like I gotta run. Want a ride back to the office, Katie?" Eric asked.

"No... I drove here myself. Mr. Richard’s driver took the day off for some personal business," Katie answered casually, taking another sip.

"Oh... I see. I’ll head out first then, I have to go pick them up," Eric said.

"Okay... drive safely. If there are any updates on that case from before, I’ll let you know," Katie replied.

"Got it... thanks, Katie. See you later," Eric replied.

"Alright, see you around," Katie replied.

Eric placed some cash on the table and walked out, leaving Katie sitting back comfortably, elegantly crossing one leg over the other. Her eyes followed him as he got into his car by the curb. Once Eric drove off, a sharp smile crossed her face.

"Look at you, all grown up... I wonder which one gave you that hickey on your chest? Chloe or Laura? Hehehe... they really are amusing," Katie thought to herself, taking another sip of her drink.

***

A few moments later, right outside the school gates, the six girls walked out together. As soon as they stepped through, the faces of Emma, Priya, Heidi, and Monica dropped instantly. Miranda, Layla, Vicky, and Anna were already standing right there ahead of them, chatting casually, making it crystal clear that they were waiting for their four daughters. Meanwhile, Chloe and Laura glanced around, searching for Eric, and felt a wave of relief that he hadn’t arrived yet.

"Sigh... back to prison," Emma muttered, her energy completely drained.

"Yeah... our luck is absolutely terrible," Priya added, completely defeated.

"Next time, please remind me to ask for permission," Heidi told her friends, slumped over.

"But what if they don’t let us go? It’s a lose-lose situation. I can’t wait until I turn 18 so I can finally have some freedom," Monica shot back, equally drained.

"Come on, guys... don’t think about it too much. Just six days left," Chloe chimed in, offering a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, exactly. Just hang in there, six days will fly by in no time," Laura added with a smile, trying to lift her friends’ spirits.

Emma, Priya, Monica, and Heidi instantly snapped their heads around to glare at Chloe and Laura, who looked completely relaxed and happy. The expressions on the four girls’ faces darkened in a split second.

"Must be nice for you two. You better watch it... don’t go having fun without us, and don’t you dare make a move ahead of the group," Emma said, visibly irritated.

"You heard her. I shouldn’t have to repeat myself," Priya added, thoroughly annoyed.

"Bottom line, stay home. Don’t go anywhere. I have an instinct for these things, and I’ll know if you guys are out having a good time," Heidi threatened.

"Uh... guys, we’re being called over," Monica interrupted, tapping her three friends one after the other.

Emma, Priya, and Heidi immediately followed Monica’s gaze. Sure enough, Miranda, Layla, Vicky, and Anna were already looking right at them, waving for them to come over. Knowing that running away would only make things worse, the four of them dragged their feet over to their moms, leaving Chloe and Laura behind.

Chloe and Laura waved goodbye to their four friends.

"Don’t worry, I have absolutely no plans to go anywhere with Eric, and I’ll be staying home the whole time, hehehe," Chloe and Laura thought to themselves at the exact same moment, completely unaware of their identical schemes.

Not long after the moms’ cars drove away with their daughters, Eric’s car pulled up. Chloe’s and Laura’s faces lit up instantly. The moment Eric stopped in front of the gate and clicked the door locks open, Chloe hopped straight into the passenger seat while Laura opened the back door and climbed in. As soon as the doors closed,

"Hey, babe," Chloe said, leaning in to give Eric a kiss on the lips.

"Hey, honey," Laura added, taking her turn to kiss Eric on the lips.

"Sorry I’m late," Eric replied. "Do you want to grab a bite to eat first, or just head straight home?" he asked casually.

"Just go home," they both blurted out at the exact same time.

Because they spoke in unison and said the exact same thing, Chloe and Laura turned to look at each other. But this time, they didn’t start bickering like they usually did. Instead, it looked like they were plotting something and reaching a silent agreement.

"Oh... okay... straight home it is. Let’s get moving," Eric said easily, completely missing the vibe.

"Yeah... I’m still a little dizzy and weak," Chloe said with a smile, glancing over at Eric.

"True... I just want to go straight to bed," Laura added with a smile, casting her own glance at Eric.

Eric turned the car around and drove through the main gates to head back to his place. The entire way home, Chloe and Laura kept their eyes glued to him, keeping the conversation going and even leaning in close to him every now and then while he was trying to drive