Sorry for the wait! I was out of town. Enjoy a shortie! :)
Chapter 6: Text Messages
It took Christine a moment to realize what the string of ten numbers was. It was the only thing in the email Erik Lenoir had sent her.
Without the parentheses and hyphens, she didn't immediately register that it was a phone number. His phone number.
So there she sat on a Sunday afternoon, literally on her mattress but figuratively in the middle of a pool of anxiety, wondering if this was his way of telling her to call him. Or text him? Or perhaps this was just information that he wanted her to have.
Ugh, he was so…not communicative. And, maybe Raoul was right - he was a little weird.
Christine decided on sending back a quick email response:
Good afternoon!
Is this the best way to contact you, or only for emergencies? Let me know! Thanks!
All the best,
Christine Daaé
Barely a moment passed before she received back:
This is the best way to contact me. I hate email.
Well, that they had in common.
So Christine plugged his phone number into her phone and saved it under his name. Which was…crazy. She had Erik Lenoir in her phone contact list. And he'd given the number to her.
She typed out a message to him: Just confirming - is this Mr. Lenoir?
Immediately: Yes. C.D?
Christine: Yes. Christine.
Erik: Good. Let me know if you've selected an insurance plan and if you have any questions. My assistant, Jules Bernard, may also be able to help. Would you like his number as well?
Christine hesitated before sending her next text, but there was a bitter part of her that wanted him to be aware of what had transpired last night: That's all right - thanks! I have it.
Erik: He gave it to you?
Christine: Yes. At the meeting last night.
There was a pause, and she watched his little chat bubble appear and disappear several times before: I didn't organize a meeting.
Christine felt a vicious sort of glee typing: Nadir Khan did.
Erik: Did he? For what?
Christine: He asked if I would resign. He said he chose someone already.
Erik: And Jules was there?
Christine: Yes but he didn't agree with Nadir.
Erik: I see.
A couple of seconds and then he added:
Send me your plan by the end of the day. Assuming you have not resigned.
Christine: I have not.
Erik: Good. I need to make a few calls. Let me know what you choose. -E.L
Christine had chosen a plan - it was fairly expensive but it covered everything, and she could always tell him that she'd be willing to take something cheaper. Christine set her phone to the side and turned back to the livestream of GearsGaming. Somehow, she'd found herself an active member on Twitch - on his livestream, specifically.
He was doing a charity event - raising money for a disability awareness event in New York City - they lived in the same city, which wasn't shocking. It was a huge place, with millions of people. It was still neat to learn. She'd also learned his real name through this stream: Reza. She'd not yet learned his last name, and didn't think it a high priority to do so. He was GearsGaming to her. And that was cool.
And, as it turned out, he was disabled. From the waist down.
She donated twenty dollars.
"Hey, LittleLotte86! Thanks, friend! Much appreciated!" he yelled at the camera as he continued mining pixelated diamonds in the slime-infested pixelated cave.
She grinned at the shout-out. Tomorrow, she would need to start working, but she could enjoy her last few hours of no responsibility.
And, yes, she was enjoying them. The prospect of starting something new welcomed her around the corner.
The ocean was calm for once.