The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 145 First Love

Chapter 145: Chapter 145 First Love

There was only Emily Lopez on the bed, her limbs sprawled out, the blanket kicked to the side, her nightgown already rolled up to her waist, her underwear clearly exposed. Such a sleeping posture was truly indecent.

However, seeing Emily Lopez dressed like this, Gina Lopez first breathed a sigh of relief. What she feared most was coming over and finding Emily Lopez naked with James Brown lying next to her—that would have ruined everything.

At that moment, there was a noise from the bathroom, and Gina Lopez quickly withdrew, waiting at the bathroom door. Soon, she saw James Brown coming out.

Gina Lopez grabbed James Brown’s arm and dragged him into the living room, then fixed her gaze firmly on him.

"Mr. Brown, you don’t need to look at me like that. I didn’t do anything, and Sandra already knows about our relationship. Last night I mistook her for you and slept with her as we usually do; she saw right through it."

Gina Lopez knew her sister was okay and first breathed a sigh of relief, but her expression immediately changed, and she said, "You admitted it?"

"What use is denying? You can say we never crossed that final line, but if a couple reaches the point of sharing a bed and still behaves so properly, even a fool wouldn’t believe it."

Gina Lopez frowned, hugged her arms, and paced twice in the living room before stopping in front of James Brown again, asking, "What did Sandra say?"

"She said she won’t expose you. She said you two should be on the same side, and that it was your concealment that made her want to expose you."

Gina Lopez nodded and said, "Alright, today I will have a good talk with her. I really appreciate your help during this time. Wait here a moment."

After speaking, Gina Lopez took her purse, pulled out a stack of money, and handed it to James Brown, saying, "This is your compensation."

"There’s no need, I still have over three thousand left from the money you gave me before to take Sandra out; I haven’t spent it all yet."

"Keep it. You’ve been a great help to me and wasted so much of your time; it’s what you deserve. If you don’t take it, I won’t feel right." Gina Lopez insisted and grabbed James Brown’s hand, stuffing the money into it.

This time, James Brown did not refuse. He had been thinking about clearing up things with Gina Lopez too. Accepting her money meant they wouldn’t have any obligations toward each other moving forward.

"I’ll be going then and will contact you when I have time." James Brown pocketed the money and waved at Gina Lopez.

Gina Lopez quickly said, "Wait, you’re not working at JYPP Region anymore, so why don’t you come work for me as my driver? How about that?"

James Brown grinned and said, "Thanks, Ms. Lopez, now I won’t be unemployed."

"You left JYPP Region because of me and Sister Sunny; how could I not offer you a job? Let’s settle on that. I’ll call you after I sort things out at the new company in the next couple of days."

James Brown nodded and then stylishly left Gina Lopez’s home.

At that moment, he felt truly relieved. Pretending to be Gina Lopez’s boyfriend had been quite suffocating.

Once he returned home, he saw a bag on his coffee table. Opening it, he found ten packs of cigarettes, all special edition Little Panda, surely left by Lucy Campbell. Although he hadn’t given Lucy Campbell a key, for her bodyguards, opening his door was a breeze.

Lucy Campbell clearly meant well, but her entering his apartment without his permission still annoyed James Brown a bit.

However, there had been a shortage of these good cigarettes lately, and smoking any other kind made him uncomfortable. With these cigarettes available, James Brown was not about to refuse.

He tossed the cigarettes he’d bought casually on the street aside, opened a pack, and enjoyed one, thinking about what he should do today. But suddenly, he felt like he had nothing to do—no job for the time being and his business with Gina Lopez settled, he was just an idle man.

Just then his phone rang—it was David Johnson, an old classmate. James Brown immediately answered, "Old buddy, what’s up?"

David Johnson laughed, "Didn’t I tell you last time that Michael Terry was planning another get-together? It’s tonight, hope you can make it?"

James Brown promptly responded, "No problem, I’m just unemployed and staying at home."

"What? You’re unemployed, what happened?" David Johnson exclaimed.

James Brown chuckled and said, "Nothing much, just wasn’t happy working at that company, so I quit."

"No way, weren’t you very close with your beautiful boss?"

"The boss changed jobs, and as her personal driver, I was affected too. It’s impossible for me to stay at the same company."

"That’s really a tragedy, but it’s not a big deal. We can just find another job, which is a good opportunity since we’re meeting today. Although we might not find a great job, an average one shouldn’t be a problem."

"Thanks for that, but I’m planning to take a break for now and will think about it later."

"That’s fine, but there’s something I have to let you know in advance, Melody Yoody will be there today, so... brace yourself."

James Brown’s mouth twitched as he said, "There’s nothing to prepare for, we’re all old classmates."

"Good. We’re meeting at D Estate, everyone will start arriving around four, so if you’re free, you can head over early."

James agreed happily, but after hanging up the phone, he sat motionless for a long time until the cigarette burned down to his fingers. Only then did he jerk awake and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.

Shaking his head, James took a deep breath and muttered to himself, "Let the past be the past, I can’t think about that anymore."

He spent the day at home, and during that time, he received another call from Emily Lopez, telling him that she and her sister had worked things out. She had helped Gina keep the secret, but she also complained about James leaving early in the morning and not spending time with her.

James soothed Emily with a few words, and after that, she dropped the subject.

At four, James prepared to attend the reunion with his classmates, but when he tried to change, he realized most of his clothes were at Gina’s place, and he only had a few old clothes left at home.

However, James didn’t mind. He went out to a small nearby clothing store and spent fourteen dollars and change on a long-sleeve T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and then he took a taxi straight to D Estate.

D Estate was located in the suburbs of YODC City. It wasn’t a grand hotel but rather a distinctive eco-friendly restaurant. All the vegetables and fruits served there were grown on the estate, making it a splendid spot for those who care about wellness.

When James arrived, several classmates were already gathered at the entrance. They greeted each other, and James joined in, chatting casually.

This reunion wasn’t as crowded as the last one; by almost six, only about a dozen people had arrived, including several James hadn’t seen last time.

"James, I really have to thank you. When I went back, my wife and I watched the DVDs, and it was really gratifying," John Stephens started talking about his wedding and expressed his gratitude towards James.

A few who didn’t know joined in eagerly, and John explained how James had managed to invite the famous TV hosts Alice Brown and Laura to his wedding. This left everyone looking at James in a new light.

James responded with a chuckle, "I can’t do that anymore, I’ve resigned, and I don’t have the boss’ support now." By saying so, James avoided his classmates asking for more favors, preventing a situation where he would have to keep pursuing Alice and Laura, which could make it hard to refuse their potential requests.

The group immediately began asking questions, expressing their sympathy for James, and David Johnson seized the chance to encourage everyone to help James find a job. While everyone promised to try, there weren’t many who actually had the capacity to help.

"Talking to us won’t be of much help, but someone who can be of help just arrived." John pointed to a sleek car that had stopped at the entrance.

"Mayor Johnson has arrived." The classmates went to greet him, but James remained where he was, watching the car park. His heart raced, betraying him; it had already been seven years since the last encounter.

As the car door opened, a black high-heel shoe emerged, followed by light grey trousers, and then a woman in a small suit stepped out.

Her black hair was done up in a bun, revealing a delicate, unpowdered face that still captivated all men. Her bright eyes gleamed with intelligence, and she seemed even more astute and refined than before. A gentle smile graced her face as she greeted everyone, making her appear approachable and instantly closing the distance between them.

While Gina had an aloof and unapproachable air, Melody seemed more adaptable and smoother with her interactions, a sharp contrast to her fiery younger self. Now a seasoned politician, she had indeed changed a lot.

Melody’s eyes met James’s through the crowd, and she quickly looked away, but James could clearly sense the excitement and joy in her eyes.

"James Brown, what’s the matter, don’t recognize your old classmate?" After some pleasantries, everyone gathered around Melody as they made their way into the estate, naturally bringing her face-to-face with James. Melody gently punched James’s chest with a small fist clenched, a charming smile on her lips.

James had imagined many scenarios for this reunion, but he hadn’t expected Melody to greet him like this, easing his tension instantly. He grinned and said, "How could I not recognize you? You used to give me a hard time, you little spicy pepper."

Their eyes met, sharing a moment of understanding that only they could comprehend.