Christian drove his car on the highway apprehensively, with his hands stiffly grabbing the steering wheel. He was going up against some unknown destiny. Contrary to Sean's advice to leave Kimber alone, he decided to find her. He didn't know what was expecting him. But he hoped that she would at least accept his peace offering, a bouquet of white Calla lilies. He didn't think himself that she would be really impressed by his emergence, but to helplessly sit at home without doing anything, that didn't seem like the correct solution either. Christian pressed a button to open the roof and the top of the car folded itself. The air was stuffy, heavy and he wiped his forehead with his arm. Maybe it would be more advisable to send a white pigeon, he thought with not just a little irony.

He remembered their last encounter when she found Abby's photo and realised that he cheated on her the whole time. He will need to get all his magnetism into action to undo what he had done to her. And it probably wouldn't even be enough. He had hurt her, and he had damaged her trust may times, and he knew from past experience how unforgiving and determined Kimber could be.

Christian blinked. He tried to concentrate on the traffic, but he didn't find it all that easy at the moment. He felt his hands becoming more and more sweaty, the lump in his throat bigger and bigger the closer he got to destination. He took a glace at the street map that he had sat on the passenger seat next to himself beforehand. It couldn't be very far now. He broke sharply and turned off the highway.

While he drove further on the country road, he was wondering whether Sean had bought his little lie. He called him that morning and claimed he had an upset stomach and that was why he couldn't show up for work. Sean wasn't dumb. He had probably figured it all out a long time ago, but Christian couldn't care less. Actually he couldn't care about anything at all at the moment. His only real concern was Kimber, and although he didn't know what was waiting for him at the destination, he felt some pleasant anticipation.

Christian slowed down and started to read street names. It must've been somewhere around here. He pressed the button on the roof again and waited till the top went back to its original starting position before stepping out.

He looked around curiously. Not a neighbourhood one would go out alone at night in, it crossed his mind. Didn't Alicia claim she was an actress? Why did she live in such a poor neighbourhood then? Christian felt a bit out of place with his expensive Gucci suit. He wanted to make a good impression on Kimber, but in these surroundings his outfit seemed rather snobbish and posh.

It crossed his mind that he might have chosen the wrong Alicia Garner and the real one would've had her apartment in a completely different area. He wiped his face once again sighing. The heat was really unbearable today. He glanced at the flowers in his hand. If they didn't get any water soon, they would die of thirst and go to waste.

Christian put his sunglasses off and undid both top buttons of his shirt before he stepped into the old dilapidated building where Alicia's flat was supposed to be. But before he could go up the steps, an older woman addressed him.

"Hey you!" She consider looked him over disparagingly, "where are you going?"

Christian cleared his throat, "I would like to see Alicia Garner," he said in a friendly manner.

The old lady nodded, "second floor," she said curtly.

"Thank you," Christian forced a smile. He attacked the stairs once more when the old woman called him back.

"Tell that bitch she still owes me two month rent!"

Christian swallowed, "are you the owner?"

The old woman nodded, "and I'll tell you something right away. If she doesn't come over with it in twenty-four hours I'll throw her and her friend plain sailing out!" She said threateningly.

Christian got his wallet out, "how much?" He let out with his lips pressed together.

"Six hundred."

Christian wrote her a check for the requested amount sighing.

"There still are real gentlemen," the old woman pulled her face into a smile, "have a good day," she nodded towards him and disappeared into her flat.

Christian frowned groaning. This was harder than his worse nightmare he ever had. He couldn't believe that Kimber and Alicia really lived here. He took the steps slowly till he stood before a door with a sign on it that showed the name of the tenant, "A. Garner".

Christian gathered all his courage before knocking on the door, a bit diffidently at first, then more harder. When he heard some sounds from the other side of the door, his mouth became drier and drier, while his hands got clammier and clammier. He remembered how he stood before Kimber's door to ask for her forgiveness once in the past with a bouquet of Calla lilies. Would it all turn out well this time as well like it had back then? Christian pressed the flowers to his chest and tried to breathe normally.

Kimber sat on the old sofa in the living room with her legs crossed and watched some television channel. It was the pastime she had for at least four-eight hours a day, since she still couldn't get a job. Overall, she found her current life simply bleak. There were days she longed to have her old life back. And automatically she thought of Christian then as well. Alicia held she will continue loving Christian in spite of everything, and deep inside she knew that her friend was right. But even if Christian also still loved her as well, in view of that she still despised and hated what he had done and what he earned his living with. How could she live with him when she hated everything that was important to him, the components of his life? Kimber considered her options. She knew she could only stay with Alicia temporarily. And she was afraid to think about the future. Alicia could hardly get by before she moved in, and it was only a matter of time before she was thrown out of the apartment for not being able to pay the rent.

Kimber was lost in such thoughts and didn't hear the soft knock on the door at first. She only stood up when the tapping became louder. She reached for the remote control and switched the television off before going to the door.