Chapter 85: Girlfriend

Jude drove up Columbus Avenue after lunch, heading toward a bike shop near 72nd Street to replace Sophie Reed’s damaged bicycle.

As they approached the corner, his phone rang.

Jude checked the caller ID and sighed. It was Martha Li, the former landlady from the walk-up apartment building he had lived in before taking over his funds. She had always looked out for him when he was starting out, and because he hadn’t changed his primary number, she still assumed he was working courier jobs and made it her priority to set him up.

"Jude, where are you right now?" Martha asked the second he answered. "My friend’s niece is in town! She saw your photo and wants to meet you right away. Send me your location."

Jude rubbed his brow. "Aunt Martha, I’m running errands. Let’s skip it."

"Skip what?" Martha scolded. "She’s flying to Chicago for a conference tonight and wants to say hello before heading to the airport. I told her you were between jobs and had zero savings, and she didn’t care at all. You don’t find people like that every day in New York. Where are you?"

Knowing that pushing back would drag out the call, Jude gave in. "Phoenix Cycles on Columbus."

"Good. She’s 5 minutes away."

Jude hung up and looked over at Sophie in the passenger seat.

"Sophie, I might need a quick favor in a few minutes," Jude said.

"Of course, Mr. Lawson," Sophie said. "What is it?"

"My old landlady just set up an unscheduled blind date who will be here shortly," Jude explained. "If it gets complicated, I might need you to step in as my girlfriend."

Sophie paused, color rising to her face.

"Is that going to be an issue?" Jude asked. "I can handle it another way if it is."

"No, that’s fine," Sophie said quickly, keeping her hands on her lap. "You’ve helped me out all morning. It’s no problem."

Jude parked the car down the block, and they walked into Phoenix Cycles.

The shop manager greeted them as they walked in. "Afternoon. Looking for a commuter setup?"

"Something reliable for campus," Jude said.

Sophie looked along the display rack, stopping in front of a rose-gold aluminum city bike with leather grips.

"Like that one?" Jude asked.

Sophie nodded. "It’s well put together."

"We’ll take that one," Jude told the manager. "What’s the price?"

"7-speed Shimano internal hub, lightweight alloy frame... retails at $600," the manager said.

Sophie stepped back. "$600? That’s too much, Mr. Lawson. Let’s look at something else."

Vanessa had handed over $500 earlier, and spending more than that on a bicycle wasn’t what Sophie had in mind. She leaned in toward Jude. "I can find a used one online for $100."

"Used brakes in city traffic aren’t worth the risk," Jude said, then turned back to the manager. "$600 is high for this spec. Give me the real number."

The manager looked at him, then glanced out the window at the street. "Come on, sir. It’s a clean build."

"Fair pricing is fair pricing," Jude said evenly. "What’s your bottom line?"

"I can do $550. Let’s say $500 flat," the manager offered.

"Three hundred," Jude countered.

The manager hesitated, shaking his head.

After a minute of back-and-forth, they settled on $400 flat.

Sophie reached for her bag to pull out the cash from that morning, but Jude had already set 4 $100 bills on the counter.

"Keep your cash, Sophie," Jude said with a faint smile. "Think of it as covering the favor for later."

Sophie wheeled the bike outside to check the seat height and gears down the sidewalk, while Jude waited near the storefront curb.

A minute later, a white Audi Q3 pulled up to the meter...

A woman in her early 30s checked a photo on her phone, then looked through the window at Jude standing near the bike rack.

She got out, smoothed her blazer, and walked over.

She was around 5 feet tall, heavily made-up, and walked with complete confidence.

"Hey there. You must be Jude Lawson," she said, stopping a couple of steps away.

"I think you have the wrong person," Jude said.

She laughed, holding up her phone with his photo on the screen. "Don’t be modest. I have the picture right here."

Jude kept his tone polite. "My mistake. I’m Jude. And you are?"

"Pearl Zhu," she said. "Did Aunt Martha tell you about me?"

"A little," Jude said, using the standard excuse he usually gave. "Did she mention my situation? I don’t own property, I don’t have a car, and my accounts are minimal. I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for."

Pearl smiled, waving a hand.

"Don’t worry about that," Pearl said. "I don’t care about the money. I can handle the expenses myself."

Jude looked at her. "Handle the expenses?"

"Yes," Pearl said, gesturing toward her Audi. "I’m an assistant manager at a logistics company making $20,000 a month. I have a condo in Queens and this car. Taking care of household costs isn’t an issue. My only requirement is someone who looks good, and you fit that."

Jude watched her, keeping his expression neutral.

"Looks don’t cover household responsibilities, Miss Zhu," Jude said dryly. "Someone without an income is just a liability in a household."

"I don’t mind," Pearl said firmly. "I’m career-focused. After we get married, I handle the work and the income. Your role would be at home... handling the cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids."

Jude raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like complete dependence."

Pearl crossed her arms. "Roles change. I prefer having someone at home while I focus on management."

"Why not look for someone in your own field?" Jude asked.

"Men with money always start looking elsewhere," Pearl said, her tone sharp. "I don’t want someone with their own agenda. I want someone who relies entirely on what I bring home. As long as you’re dependable, I’ll give you an allowance every week. If you cross a line, the allowance stops."

Jude looked at her, dropping the polite tone.

"So you’re looking for someone you can micromanage with a $20,000 salary," Jude said flatly.

"Call it what you want," Pearl replied. "For someone looking for stability, a condo in Queens and an Audi is a solid setup. We can head back to my place tonight and sort out the details."

"I’ll pass," Jude said. "I handle my own finances."

Pearl’s eyes narrowed. "Turning down an offer like this? Don’t tell me you’re hung up on superficial standards. A practical, confident woman is worth far more than someone just looking for a handout."

"Confidence requires self-awareness, Miss Zhu," Jude replied evenly. "Not everyone looking for a partner wants to be managed, and plenty of people prefer someone who respects them."

Pearl’s face flushed. "Excuse me? Aunt Martha said you couldn’t keep a date because people walked away from your bank account. You should be glad someone with a real career is offering you a setup."

Jude sighed, glancing down the sidewalk as Sophie pedaled back toward the shop. I don’t need the condo in Queens. My girlfriend is already here."