�Can I get a copy of the footage?� I ask. Whatever friend on campus he has cannot be as good as Jhaelyn. And Jhaelyn should look into the footage at least, provided it doesn�t interfere too much with his business. Or at least offer me some advice.
�I�ve honestly got a friend who�s really on this. You can have the footage if you want, but I really don�t think you�ll find more than my friend will.� Of course he sounds sure. And in spite of how out of control I feel, I don�t think he means me harm. His hand is too awkward, and he hasn�t even attempted to let it fall and brush against something accidently.
�Besides, you know him.� He adds.
�Do you get some trip from coming off as mysterious as possible.� I snap, turning to meet his eyes. He looks so confused I can�t help but feeling guilty. Here�s someone who likely saved my life, who is helping me out with a problem I didn�t even know I had and he�s getting the brunt of my lousy week. �I�m sorry.�
�It�s okay. I mean, you were going to give it Jhaelyn right.�
�You know Jhaelyn�wait, everyone knows him. Nevermind.� This guy must have paid a pretty penny to get Jhaelyn to look into something exclusively. Hell, I was preparing to part with a few hundred, and he�s almost a friend of mine. This guy isn�t even very well off if the waiter�s jacket is any indicator. Now I feel even worse. �I�ll get your money back.� I offer.
For what it�s worth my mom hasn�t cut off my accounts so I can afford it. That�s how I�m paying tuition. Rent and food comes from the club. But he shakes his head and if possible, looks even more confused. �What money?�
�The money you paid Jhaelyn to look into the footage of me.� I explain as clearly as possible. �I�ll get it back for you.�
�I handed him the footage and he said he�s look into it. He didn�t say a price so that means he didn�t charge me for the information.�
�Oh.� Who is this guy? What kind of person can get Jhaelyn to look into something without a price attached?
He must be an exceptionally dangerous man to have Jhaelyn at his beck and call. Thinking back, the gang didn't give him a whole lot of trouble. And now he has an interest in me. At least it's a positive one. Better to quit while I�m ahead, I decide. I realize that I�ll be late for work if I keep talking here anyway. So I give him a smile I know is probably shaky but I hope respectful. �Could you give me a ride back to my apartment please, or at least to the ground, whatever is more convenient for you. I�m running really late for work.�
�Where do you live?�
�Egress Estates.� Cause there�s a sucker born every minute. At least that�s what Jhaelyn told me when I asked what kind of bird it was. Jhaelyn has a strange sense of humor. I forget what the place was called before he bought the building though. Now there�s an actual wood plaque over the door with the name carved in it and painted gold.
I�m about to give Stormspell the street when he blurts out, excited, �That�s my building!�
Great. He lives in my building. The only good part of this is that he shifts his weight and I can make out a namebadge sewed onto his jacket. Maxis Spllstom, I pick out between the folds. So it�s Maxis. Good enough. And he lives with me. Could be worse. He can�t stick around the place that much as I�ve never seen him in the building. Besides, with Jhaelyn on retainer he could find out my shoe-size if he really wanted to, so it doesn�t really matter where he lives. And he has saved my life. Which means I owe him. I�ll deal with that later. Right now, the stalker, the pissed off gang and the fact I start classes tommorow is keeping me stressed enough.