Lost in the darkness, Redman wasn’t sure how long had passed. Time became an abstract concept until eventually the rumbling all around him stopped and the roar of the engine went silent. 

He waited, senseless, for almost a minute before the boot of the vehicle opened. In that long moment, all he could feel was the rope bound tightly around his wrists and ankles. Hands grabbed Redman and hauled him out of the vehicle, tossing him harshly to the ground. He hit the dirt hard, the air viciously sucked from his lungs.

Now in the light of the Mornington Peninsula bubble, Redman saw Jesse standing above him. The young man grinned and ripped the duct tape from his captive’s mouth.

Giving Redman a swift kick in the ribs, Jesse said, “Remember, don’t say a thing, or else our window tinting experts will come for you. They’ll show you just how efficient they can be when it comes to handling glass.”

“I got it,” Redman said, wishing he could rub his upper lip, now flaring with pain. “I won’t say a thing about how I was taken by a commercial window tinting business from Melbourne that believed I was here to do some tinting for Gideon. Don’t worry, I’ll keep my lips shut.”

“Great,” said Jesse, walking back to his car. “Then our business here is done. Good riddance.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you in hell, buddy.”

Jesse got back into the vehicle and started the engine up, then drove off, leaving Redman in front of the mansion he was supposed to meet Gideon at earlier that day. Redman wasn’t really sure what they expected him to do now, given he was a little tied up.

It wasn’t long, however, before the automatic gates of the mansion began to retract, and a man in a red robe approached. From his angle on the ground, Redman could just see the man’s face tattoos.

Lorenzo had come for him.

I am feeling really anxious, lost and confused. I hate that I’ve been put in a position where I have to decide whether my happiness is worth delaying for someone else’s. It makes me feel sick to think about the fact that the person who is supposed to love me the most, only wants to make decisions that suit himself. He’s made these decisions with zero regard for my happiness and I either have to be okay with the decision or make my own decision that will hurt us both. I am so sad about it and as I sit with my sadness, I don’t know what I’m going to do.

I don’t want to do what I’m leaning towards doing. But both my options don’t feel right. My partner has just gone ahead and chosen a commercial window tinting company servicing Melbourne offices without me. I’m talking about my business partner – if that’s not obvious. He’s made this massive decision without me and I’m considering leaving the business as a result. I don’t think it’s fair of him to just choose his favourite commercial window tinting company without consulting me in any way. In fact, it’s quite insulting that he doesn’t even care about how his decisions impact me. I want to work with a business partner who treats me like an equal in our partnership. If we’re not equals, then what are we?

I wish he had chosen the office tinting company in the Melbourne area that I had recommended. My proposition was perfect for both of us. It was the middle ground. It had elements that I appreciated in commercial office tinting in addition to the elements that he so desperately needed. But alas, my proposition fell on deaf ears and my partner went ahead and made business-altering decisions without me and now I have to make decisions that are best for myself.