Chapter 6 Part 1 What's so hard about it? -6

We were back in London the next day—Luke still didn't tell me about his business, or about New York, he didn't say anything.I knew I should have asked him straight up.I knew I should say, as if casually, "Luke, what the hell is that New York thing I've heard about?" and wait to see his answer.But... I just can't bring myself to do it. I mean, on the one hand, he's made it very clear that he doesn't want to talk about his business.If I mentioned anything about New York, he'd probably think I was asking about him behind his back.Alicia, on the other hand, could be wrong—or even make it up herself. (Trust me, she can really pull it off. I was still working as a financial reporter and she had me go to a press conference once and she put me in the wrong room. I bet she put me in the wrong room on purpose .) So it's best not to say anything until I'm absolutely sure of the truth.

At least, that's what I tell myself.But I guess, if I'm being honest, I'm afraid that Luke is going to turn around and look at me like that and say, "Rebecca, we had a great time together, but... " So I ended up saying nothing, just keeping a smile on my face—even though I was getting more and more uneasy and a little sad inside.We got back to the door of the house where I was staying, and I wanted to turn around and yell at him, "You're going to work in New York? Is there such a thing?" But I held back and just kissed him and said briskly, "You'll be free on Saturday, won't you?"

Luke's schedule is to fly to Munich tomorrow to meet and talk with many people in the financial world.That was of course a matter of great importance, and I can quite understand it.But Saturday was Tom and Lucy's wedding day at home—and, more importantly, he had to be there in person. "I'll be there," he said, "I promise I'll be." He shook my arm lightly and I got out of the car, saying he had to hurry.He drove away. Glumly, I opened the door of our unit, and within moments Suzy came running out of her own room, dragging a bulging garbage bag. "Hi!" she called, "you're back."

"Yes!" I replied, trying to keep my voice cheerful. "I'm back!" Suzie disappeared out the door, and I heard her dragging the black trash bag down the stairs to the door of the house—and then bouncing back into our house. "Tell me, how are you playing?" She gasped slightly, closing the door behind her. "Good game," I said, walking into my bedroom, "good... good game." "Not bad?" Suzie asked, narrowing her eyes, as she followed me into my room. "Just not bad?" "It was... pretty good." "Pretty good? Bex, what's the matter? You didn't have a good time, did you?"

I didn't plan to tell Suzy anything, because anyway, I didn't know the truth of the matter yet.Besides, I read an article in some magazine recently, saying that the couple should try to solve the matter by themselves, and don't ask others for help.But when I saw the warm and friendly expression on her face, I couldn't hold back the words in my heart.I blurted out, "Luke's off to work in New York." "Really?" said Suzie, who didn't quite catch me. "It's amazing! My God, I love New York. I was there three years ago, and it—" "Susie, he's going to work in New York—but he hasn't told me about it yet."

"Oh," said Suzie, looking as if taken aback, "Oh, yes." "I don't want to ask him about it because he hasn't told me yet, thinking I don't know about it, but I'm thinking, why didn't he tell me? Does he want to... walk away?" My voice "Will I end up getting a postcard from the Empire State Building saying, 'Hi, I live in New York now, love you Luke'?" "No!" Suzy snapped in. "Of course not! He wouldn't do that." "Won't he?" "No, definitely not." Suzie folded her arms on her chest and looked down for a moment—she looked up at me again, "Are you sure he hasn't mentioned this to you? Maybe Mentioned to you when you were half asleep, or when your mind wandered?"

She looked at me eagerly, and I tried to think about it for a while, wondering if there was such a thing as she said.Maybe he said it to me while driving and I was too distracted to listen to him.Or last night, at the bar, when I was staring at the dainty clutch of the girl at the next table...but I shook my head anyway. "No, I'm sure if he mentioned anything about New York, I'd remember it." I fell back on the bed in a mess, "He didn't tell me, he just wanted to dump me." "No, he won't!" Suzy retorted. "To be honest, Bex, men never like to chatter, they are all like that." She walked over, carefully avoiding the scattered CDs on the floor, walked to my bed, and sat cross-legged next to me . "My brother didn't mention it when he was arrested for taking drugs. We only found out from the newspapers! My father bought an island once, and my mother didn't tell me about it."

"real?" "Of course! And then he forgot about it himself. And then he remembered it when he suddenly received an invitation to go to the island and roll a pig in a barrel." "What did you invite him to do?" "Oh, that's an old ceremony," Suzie said vaguely. "My dad has to roll the first pig in a bucket, because he bought the island." Her eyes sparkled. "As a matter of fact, he always gets someone else to do it for him. I don't think you'd want to roll a pig for my dad this year? You'll have to wear a weird hat and learn to say a Gaelic poetry in Chinese, but that's easy..."

"Susie—" "That's all," Suzie said hastily, "I'm sorry." She leaned back on my pillow, chewing her fingernails thoughtfully.Then she looked up suddenly, "Wait a minute. Who told you about New York? You said Luke didn't tell you?" "Alicia," I said grimly, "she knows the whole story." "Alicia?" Suzie asked, looking at me. "That long-legged bitch, Alicia? Oh, my God. She's probably talking nonsense. Honestly, Bex, I'm surprised you listen to her!" She spoke in a decisive tone, which made me feel a glimmer of hope again.Of course.It must be that way.Didn't I have the same doubts at the time? Didn't I tell you what Alicia is?

There's just one thing - a very small doubt - I'm not sure that Suzie is 100 per cent impartial in this matter.There was a bit of resentment between Susie and Alicia, who had both joined Bradden at the same time—but Susie was fired after three weeks, while Alicia went on and on.It's not that Suzie really wants to be a public relations lady, but she is always unwilling. "I don't know," I said, full of doubts, "would Alicia really do that?" "Of course she will!" said Suzy. "She's just trying to mess with your mood. Now, Bex, who do you trust more between Alicia and Luke?"

"Luke," I said after a short pause, "Of course I believe in Luke." "That's good!" "You're right," I said, feeling better. "You're right! I should trust Luke, shouldn't I? I shouldn't be listening to gossip." "Exactly." Suzie reached out and handed me a stack of letters. "Look, I forgot. These are your letters. There are also some phone messages." "Oh, thank you!" I took the big stack of letters, and hope was rekindled in my heart.Because it's hard to tell what's going to happen while you're away, right? Maybe it's a letter from a friend you haven't seen in a while, or an offer letter for a great job, or letting you know I've won A free vacation! Of course, nothing like that.Turning over and over, it's all bills.I looked through it sullenly, and threw it on the ground without even bothering to take it apart for a closer look. Come to think of it, this is always the case.Every time I go out for a few days, I always think that there will be a big stack of exciting letters waiting for me when I get home. I really think that I can start a website company called holidaypost.com, pay some money, Let them write you some delightful letters, some surprises when you go out and come home, and buy you a good mood. I opened the phone to leave a message.It was written for me by Suzy seriously: Your mother - what did you wear to Tom and Lucy's wedding? Your mother—don't wear fuchsia, it will clash with the color of her hat. Your mother—Luke should know to wear a morning coat, right? Your mother—Luke is sure to come, huh? David Barrow - please call back. your mother— wait david barlow who is this "Hey, Suzie!" I yelled, "Did David Barrow say who he is?" "No," Suzie replied, and she came from the living room and said, "he just said to you to call back." "Oh, okay," I looked at the phone message again, "how did he sound when he called?" Suzy frowned and thought about it. "Hey, this one. Very polite. Very... peaceful." I dialed the number on the message, feeling very curious.David Barrow, sounds familiar.Probably a film producer or something! "I'm David Barrow," the call went through, and the answering voice came from the other side—Susie was right, and his tone was very polite. "Hi!" I said. "I'm Rebecca Bloomwood. Have you ever called me?" "Ah, yes, Miss Bloomwood. I'm the Special Accounts Manager for La Rosa Clothing." "Oh." I stretched my face, feeling very puzzled. La Rosa clothing store? What the hell— Oh, right.That fashion supply shop in Hampstead.But I've only been to the store once, and it was a long time ago, so what's the matter with him calling? "Let me start by saying that it's a great honor to have a well-known TV program consultant like you as our guest of honor." "Oh—thank you," I said, with a smile on my face, "you're very kind." really not bad.I know why he called.They want to give me some clothes for free, huh? Or maybe...yep! They want me to design a new line of outfits for them! Oh my gosh.I'm going to be a fashion designer.They will call this series of clothing "Becky? Bloomwood clothing collection."The style is simple, stylish, durable, and maybe paired with an evening dress or two... "This is just a courtesy phone call..." David Barrow said, he interrupted my thoughts, "I want to ask you, you must be satisfied with our service, and would like to ask if you still need What can we do for you?" "Well, thank you!" I replied. "I'm very satisfied, thank you. I mean, I'm not a regular customer of your store, but—" "One other small thing I want to mention, by the way, is the outstanding payment on your La Rosa shopping card," David Barrow continued, as if he hadn't heard what I just said, "I want to What I am telling you is that if we do not receive your payment within seven days, we will take the necessary action." I stared blankly at the receiver, feeling the smile on my face slowly disappear.This is not at all the courtesy call he was talking about.He didn't ask me to design clothes for them, he called to collect the debt! I feel a little aggrieved.Can people just call your house and ask for money without a second thought? Just because I didn't send a check in time after I got the bill...   "It's been three months since your first bill was paid," said David Barrow. "I have to inform you that our shop policy is that after three months past due bills are to be forwarded—" "Okay," I interrupted coldly, "my... financial advisor is working on my various bills, and I'll talk to them." "I'm glad you're handling things that way. Of course, we look forward to seeing you again soon!" "Well, yes," I replied stiffly, "maybe." I put down the phone, and Susie walked to the door, dragging another black garbage bag, "Susie, what are you doing?" I looked at her and asked. "I'm tidying up!" she said. "It feels so good. Cleaning! You've got to try it too. Got it?—Who's that David Barrow?" "It's about the ghost bills I haven't paid," I said. "Wow! Calling my house!" "Oh, that reminds me. Wait a minute..." She turned and ran to her own room, and came back a moment later with a large stack of letters in her hand. "I found these under my bed, I was cleaning the house just now, and I found those on my dresser... I think you must have left it in my room and forgotten." She made a face , "Maybe it's all bills." "Oh, thanks." I said and took the bills and threw them on the bed. "Maybe..." Susie said hesitantly, "Maybe you have to pick some bills and pay them first? You see, just pay one or two first." "But I've already paid it!" I said in amazement. "I paid all these bills in June. Don't you remember?" "Oh, yes!" said Suzy, "yes, of course I remember." She bit her lip and said, "But, Bex..." "what?" "Well...that was in the past, right? Probably since then you've bought things on credit again." "After June?" I laughed softly. "That was literally five minutes ago! Honestly, Suzy, you don't have to worry about me. I mean... just look at this one." I reached for a random bill. "I mean, what's the last thing I've bought at M&S? Nothing!" "Oh, so," said Suzie, relieved, "the amount owed on this bill...is zero, right?" "Sure," I said, tearing open the envelope. "Nil. Or maybe ten quid, maybe for a pair of ordinary outer knickers or something—" I took the bill out of the envelope and looked at it, and for a moment I was speechless. "How much?" Suzie asked nervously. "Yes... there must be a mistake," I said, trying to slip the bill back into the envelope, "this must be a mistake, I'll write to them and ask..." "Let me see." Suzy snatched the bill from me, her eyes widening. "365 pounds? Becks—" "There must be a mistake," I said--but not in the same confident tone as before.Suddenly, I remembered those leather pants I bought at the Marble Arch sale, and the dressing gown.During that time, I ate sushi at M&S ​​every day. Suzy stared at me for a long time, with a worried look on her face. "Bex—do you think the other bills are all owed that much?" I silently picked up the bill from Selfridges and slowly tore open the envelope.That's when I remembered that chrome juicer that I loved when I saw it...but I never used it once.And that fur-trimmed outfit.Where is it now? "how many?" "Yes... well," I replied, hastily slipping the bill back into the envelope, but Suzie had already seen that it was over £400. I turned away, trying to remain calm.But inside I was still nervous and a little angry.It's all messed up.The point is, I paid those owed.I paid off my debt.I mean -- if the old debts are paid off and the new debts are massive, is it going to be saved? Is there going to be an end? So we're really on the verge of dying. "Bex, don't worry," said Suzy, "you'll be fine! I won't be cashing your check this month." "No!" I said hastily, "Don't be stupid. You've been good enough to me. I don't want to owe you anything, I'd rather owe M&S." I turned around and saw the anxious look on her face, "Su Xi, don't worry! I can definitely delay these reminders." I waved the letter in my hand. "In the meantime, I'll try to get a little more credit. In fact, I've written to the bank asking them to ease my credit limit - I can easily ask them to give me a little more credit." .I'm calling them now!" "What, fight now?" "Yes, fight now." I picked up the phone, produced an old bank statement, and briskly dialed the number for Endwich Bank. "Look, there's nothing wrong with it," I reassured Suzy, "just make a phone call and it'll be all right." "Your call is being forwarded to the Endwich Bank Call Processing Center." There was a preset answering voice on the other end of the phone, "Please call 0800 later..." "What's wrong?" Suzy asked. "Going to some central system," I said, as the background music of "Four Seasons" came into the microphone. "It's going to be fast and efficient. That's cool, right? Everything is done on the phone." "Welcome to Endwich Bank!" A new female voice sounded on the phone, "Please enter your account number." What's my bank account number? Damn it! How come I don't know anything? Oh, right.The account number is printed on the statement of account. "Thank you," I entered according to the account number on the statement, and the answering voice rang again. "Please enter your personal password." what? PIN? I don't know what PIN I have.Honestly, they never told me— Actually... there might be something like that. Oh my god.What number? What is 73? Or what is 37? "Please enter your PIN," the voice on the phone repeated. "But I don't know what the hell my PIN is!" I said. "Come on, Suzy. If it was your turn, what number would you pick for your PIN?" "Oh," Suzie replied, "um... I'll pick... um... 1234?" "Please enter your personal password." The voice on the phone repeated, with a tone of reluctance. God, this is so cornered. "Try the digital lock number on my bike," Suzie said. "It's 435." "Susie—I want my numbers, not yours." "You might have chosen the same set of numbers. Who knows!" "please enter--" "Okay!" I roared and pressed the 435 number key. "Sorry," said the voice, "the number you entered was wrong." "I know it won't work!" "It's possible." Susie said unwillingly. "It should be four digits," I said, and some past memories suddenly flashed in my mind. "I should have called to check in.. I was in the kitchen.. yes. yes! yes! I had just bought a new pair of shoes and looked at the price tag.. what numbers did I use at the time coming!" "How much are those shoes?" Suzie asked excitedly. "Yes... £120 reduced to... £84.99!" "Enter 8499!" I excitedly typed in 8499 - to my relief the voice on the phone said, "Thank you, you are now in the Endwich Banking system. Endwich - Customer First. Debt Control, press 1. Mortgage For loan balance, please press 2. For overdraft and bank service charges, please press 3. For inquiries..." "That's right! Passed," I sighed deeply, like James Bond cracked some code to save the whole world. "Debt control? Overdraft and banking fees?" "Overdraft and bank service charges," Suzie said, with an air of sophistication and confidence. "Okay," I pressed 3, and a singing voice answered the phone a few moments later. "Hello! Welcome to Endwich Bank Call Center System. This is Donna, Miss Bloomwood. What service do you need from me?" "Oh, hello!" I said, slightly startled, "are you real?" "Of course!" Donna laughed and said, "I'm a real person, what do you need my help for?" "Well... yes. I'm calling to ask for my overdraft to be relaxed. A few hundred pounds, if possible. Or, more, if you agree..." "I see," Donna said cheerfully, "Do you have any special reason? Or is it just a general consumption need?" Her tone of question was relaxed and friendly, and I felt reassured. "Well, the thing is, I've had to pay a little more for my career lately, and I have a few bills to pay, and the situation... is kind of overwhelming me." "Well—" Donna said sympathetically. "I mean, I'm not in any trouble. It's just temporary." "It's temporary." She repeated after me, and I heard her typing on the computer keyboard. "I think I let these bill payments pile up. I thought it was all paid and I could relax for a while." "Well." "So you understand my situation?" I said, smiling reassuringly at Suzie, who gave me a thumbs up.God, it's that easy, just a quick phone call, as advertised, no nerve-wracking letters, no nerve-wracking questions to answer... "I totally understand your situation," Donna said. "It happens to us all, doesn't it?" "So - I can get a little more overdraft?" I said cheerfully. "Oh, I'm not authorized to approve overdrafts over £50," said Donna. "You'll have to apply to the Overdraft Credit Officer at the branch where you have a bank account. He should be... I'll check... Fulham Street... a John ? Gavin's people." I stared at the microphone with a sad face. "But I have written to him!" "Well, that's all right, isn't it? So what else do you need me to do for you now?" "No more," I said, "I think it's all right, thank you." I put down the microphone in frustration. "Stupid banks, stupid call center systems." "So did they agree to loosen your overdraft limit?" Suzie asked. "I don't know. It all depends on that guy named John Gavin." I looked up and saw Suzie's anxious expression. "But I bet he'll agree," I added hastily. "He'll have to check my file first. Everything will be fine!" "I think if you just hold back and stop spending any more money in the near future, everything will be fine, huh?" she said hopefully. "I mean, you make a lot of money from TV, don't you?" “Yes,” I said after a moment of hesitation, but I didn’t want to tell her that after rent, taxis, meals out and photogenic outfits, there wasn’t much left. "You're still writing a book..." "The book I wrote?" For a few seconds I stared blankly at her.Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat and I remembered.Of course! That book I wrote about how to help yourself! I thought I'd do something by writing it. Well, thank goodness, the answer is at hand.All I have to do is get the book out and get paid a lot of money—pay off those debts, and everything else will be fine.Haha I don't need any stupid overdrafts anymore.I'm starting to write right now, and I'm going to start writing this evening! The truth is, I've been figuring out how to write this book.I have so many important subjects on my mind that I would love to put them all in the book, such as poverty and wealth, comparing religion...maybe some philosophy...I mean, I know the publisher just wants me to write a book Simple self-help book, but I can definitely stretch the narrative side a bit, can't I? In fact, if the book sells well, I can give some lectures.OMG, it was amazing.I could be a lifestyle advocate, travel the world, and people would flock to meet me and ask me all kinds of questions— "What's the matter?" Susie said, she appeared at my door in a bath towel, and I jumped up as if I had done something bad and was found out.I have been sitting in front of the computer, in a daze for a long time, but I didn't even turn on the computer. "I'm brainstorming," I said, reaching quickly behind the computer and flipping a switch. "You know, I'm brainstorming, sorting out thoughts... making them come out clearly." "Ah," Suzie said, looking at me in a little awe, "this is amazing, is it hard?" "It's not too difficult," I said, and after thinking about it, "it's actually quite easy." The computer hummed, background colors appeared on the screen, and we both stared at the screen like we were possessed. "Ah!" Suzy yelled again, "You did it?" "Um... yes," I said.That's not bad.I mean, I did turn on the computer. "My God, you're so smart, Becks," Suzie said, taking a careful breath, "when will you be done?" "Oh, I think it'll be over soon," I replied lightly, "if I get down to it, you see." "Okay, I'll leave you alone," Suzie said, "I came to ask you to borrow a dress for going out tonight." "Okay," I said with interest, "where are you going tonight?" "A party at Vinicia's," Suzie said. "Do you want to go too? Oh, let's go together! Many people are going!" For a brief moment I hesitated.I've met Venetia a few times and know that she often holds parties at her parents' Kensington house where old and new friends gather. "No," I said at last, "I don't think I'll go. I've got a lot to do." "Oh, okay." Suzy's face was slightly disappointed, "but I want to borrow a dress from you, okay?" "Of course." I thought for a moment, "How about my new Tocca dress, paired with your red shoes, and my English Eccentrics cape?" "Great!" Suzie said, walking over to my closet. "Thanks, Bex. So... how about I borrow another pair of shorts?" she added casually, "and some more underwear and makeup?" I turned around in my chair and looked at her. "Susie - you cleaned your room and there was nothing left?" "Of course I do!" she said, sounding defensive, "You see, I still have some of my own." Her eyes met mine, "But maybe I cleaned it up a little too much. " "Do you have any underwear left for yourself?" "It's... It's gone. But you see, I think it's still good. It's positive to face life-it doesn't matter! It's Feng Shui. You might as well try it."