The Dialogue

"I am listening to you Romeo. Since you got here, you haven't said anything worthy of my attention. I just hope I am not wasting my time with you? Because I was doing something significant before you showed up," Rhoda raised the concern.

What Rhoda was concerned about was Romeo's lack of confidence. She didn't know him to be this shaky to the extent where he could barely speak fluently to save his life.

"Of course not. 

I assure you, you're not gonna regret having this conversation with me, and I am not even kidding," Romeo created the assurance. He paused afterward. 

Rhoda signaled him to speak further, but he missed the sign. Romeo made it seem like that both placed a bet on the last person to hold his breath for too long.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing? You've been quiet for some time now. I should have known that you were just wasting my time. What exactly do you want me to do for you? And I do hope it's something I can handle?" Rhoda asked for clarification. 

Romeo's attitude was starting to piss her off already. She regretted ever agreeing to speak with Romeo. 

Being the first time that Romeo would be needing her help, she felt the pressure and was scared to turn him down.

Over the years, Rhoda has been craving for that moment where she gets to make peace with Romeo.

They were once best friends until an unfortunate incident created a rift between them. 

Rhoda sees this as the perfect opportunity to make peace with Romeo and re-create the friendship from the good old days again.

"That's my point exactly. Please assure me that you would help me. This means a lot to me right now, more than anything in the world." Romeo pleaded for assurance. He just wanted to be assured if he was making the right decision, or he was just wasting his time. 

"Romeo, can you please stop messing with my head already? Please don't put me in a difficult situation and speak up immediately. You're freaking me out already," Rhoda frowned. She was getting bored with the conversation and wanted to end it immediately.

Romeo hasn't requested for the favor and Rhoda was already feeling uncomfortable. She can't predict what's going to happen when he eventually decides to speak. 

"Fine! I am going to tell you everything you need to hear. I can see that you are getting tired of me already. Anyway, It's about Dexter Cooper, the Billionaire son that got arrested for assaulting nurse Elizabeth who happens to be Officer Lucas' girlfriend," Romeo spilled. He ensured that he went straight to the point without hitting the nail on the head because he knew for sure that Rhoda might interrupt him. 

"Holy shit, you can't be serious, Romeo. What the heck are you doing right now? Did you even think about it for a second before making the stupid move?"Rhoda interrupted Romeo with a scream just as Romeo had thought. 

"Rhoda," Romeo called out. With a move too fast, he covered Rhoda's mouth to stop her scream from attracting everyone. 

He wouldn't want a third-party involvement that would ruin everything for him.

"Get your filthy hands off me. 

Don't you dare make the mistake of shutting me out next time. I would never tolerate that next time. Are we clear now?" Rhoda warned Romeo hissed over his attitude. She was already showing moves that she won't be able to help him out. 

"I am sorry if I stepped on your toes. It wasn't intentional. I was only trying to stop you from screaming. Please - help me out on this one. Although, I know it might seem difficult for you," Romeo admitted. Nonetheless, he was ready to take the risk. 

Romeo might not like Dexter, but at the same time, he wants Dexter to taste freedom. He has a feeling that the situation might change Dexter for good and make him a better person to society. 

"What am I going to do about it now? Damn! This shit slaps harder than life itself. I don't even know what to say anymore. Like seriously, my vocal cords have suddenly failed. You know this case is bigger than me, right? I bet you can't handle it, that's why you came to me. To think that you've got a higher rank than me. What makes you think I can sort this out?" Rhoda questioned Romeo. She was complicating life for Romeo. 

It wasn't something Romeo had expected. He knew that Romeo might be a hard nut to crack, but not to the extent of interrogating him like a hardened criminal. Rhoda was proving to be much more difficult than Lucas. 

"Can you please let me speak first? I am not done talking. The least you can do is pay attention. Then you are free to do whatever you want," 

Romeo begged for more time to be heard.

The attitude from Rhoda was enough reason for him to quit already. Still, he doesn't want to disappoint Dexter after assuring him. 

Rhoda sighed. "Fine. You can go ahead. Please make it snappy. Officer Lucas must not know about this conversation I'm having with you right now. I don't want to remind you what's going to happen when he does," 

At the mention of Lucas' name, Romeo freaked out and tried to maintain his composure. He glanced sideways to avoid being caught unawares by Lucas. 

The warning from Rhoda sounded more than a threat to Romeo. 

 "That's why I want to be quick with this. I don't want us talking about it for too long," Romeo said. He might be with Rhoda, but his mind was at Lucas' office. He has a negative feeling that Lucas might be watching them from his office. 

Do you have Dexter's phone?" Romeo finally hit the nail on the head after beating around the bush for so long. 

"And why would you ask me such a question? Hold on a sec! Is this the reason you called me here? I should have known that this was a wrong idea from the onset," Rhoda fumed. He asked Romeo to leave but he refused. He stood there as though his life depended on it.