"Yes, I am a very traditional person at heart. I hope to marry and have children with the woman I love and spend the rest of my life with her." Raj nodded, then laughed self-consciously. "Does that sound boring? Not cool?"
"No," Paige said emphatically. "I think that's the coolest thing. It shows you have courage, commitment, and a sense of responsibility. You're much stronger than those guys who only know how to pick up girls and pursue momentary pleasure but are too afraid to commit or take responsibility for their actions."
"Thank you." Raj smiled warmly.
The two found another restaurant, and after dinner, Raj drove Paige back to her home.
As the car approached her neighborhood, Raj felt something was wrong.
He saw dilapidated tents set up on the sidewalk, graffiti covering the walls on both sides of the street, and the asphalt road in such disrepair that large potholes made the ride extremely bumpy. What made him even more uneasy was the sight of people in twos and threes loitering on street corners, like hyenas hunting, constantly scanning the street and eyeing everyone who came and went.
Raj had little experience with places like this, but he could tell immediately that this was not a safe neighborhood.
The fact that Paige lived here deeply worried him.
"Paige, you can't keep living here. It's too dangerous," he said to her with genuine concern.
A vulnerable young woman like her would be at serious risk in such an environment. Even a grown man like himself felt apprehensive entering a place where crime and danger were so obviously prevalent.
"It's okay. I've lived in many places before that were much more chaotic than this," Paige said with a dismissive wave of her hand and a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I know how to take care of myself."
"How can I not worry when you're living in a place like this?" Raj said, his concern evident.
This was clearly a slum—the kind that frequently appeared in news reports and crime dramas. Gangsters ran rampant, violence was commonplace. It was practically lawless territory, a breeding ground for crime. Just staying here briefly felt dangerous, let alone living here long-term.
If he hadn't known about it, that would be one thing. But now that he did, how could he possibly feel comfortable with her staying here?
"Look, I'll help you find a different place to live," Raj said after thinking for a moment. "If you can't even guarantee your safety, how can you focus on building your career?"
"Raj, I know you're trying to help, but it's really not necessary," Paige said, waving her hands repeatedly.
"Is it because of money? If so, you don't need to worry about that." Seeing the distress on her face, Raj quickly added, "I can help subsidize the rent. Later, after you start earning more money, you can pay me back."
Although his salary hadn't increased—it was still five thousand dollars a month—his expenses had decreased dramatically. He no longer spent money on video games, comics, collectible figurines, or hired servants, and he'd stopped going to expensive barbershops for haircuts. As a result, the five thousand dollars was more than enough, leaving him with a surplus of about two thousand dollars each month.
"No, Raj, I can't spend your money," Paige said, refusing firmly when she heard his offer.
"I'm not giving it to you—it would be a loan. You'd just pay me back when you have the money," Raj explained with a gentle laugh.
"That's still not right. I can't accept such a big favor from you," Paige said, still shaking her head resolutely.
Seeing how stubborn she was and how she refused to listen to reason, Raj felt a flash of frustration.
But upon reflection, he found himself respecting her even more.
In this world, there were countless people who were greedy and willing to take whatever they could get, but very few who insisted on earning what they received.
"All right, then. Since you don't want to accept my help as a favor, how about I hire you as my housekeeper? You could clean my apartment once a week—one hundred dollars each time. How does that sound?" Raj suggested, trying a different approach.
"One hundred dollars just for cleaning?" Paige asked in surprise.
"That's actually a very reasonable price. My previous housekeeper charged two hundred dollars per visit," Raj explained. "She recently asked for a raise, so I decided not to use her services anymore. If you're interested, you could take over her job."
"Well... thank you, Raj. I know you're doing this to help me," Paige said gratefully, her eyes glistening slightly.
After driving Paige back to her building, Raj could see that her living situation was even worse than he'd imagined.
She lived in a dilapidated old apartment building on a run-down street. The side facing the street didn't even have glass in some of the windows. The walls were covered with all kinds of graffiti that, rather than possessing any artistic beauty, gave off a distinctly menacing and creepy feeling.
"I'm sorry, my apartment is really small, so I won't invite you upstairs," Paige said to Raj after getting out of the car, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"You're welcome—don't worry about it," Raj said, waving his hand dismissively. "It's so late, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go up anyway."
Seeing how considerate he was, Paige nodded gratefully.
"Go on up. I'll wait down here," Raj instructed. "When you get inside, wave to me from your window so I can see you're safe. Then I'll feel better about leaving."
Hearing this, Paige felt a wave of warmth wash over her.
She had met so many people in her life, but no one had ever been as thoughtful and considerate as Raj.
She waved to him, then turned and headed into the building.
Once upstairs, she turned on the light, walked to the window, and looked down at the street below.
She could see Raj leaning out of his car window, looking up at the building. The sight filled her with warmth, and she smiled and waved to him.
Seeing that she had arrived home safely, Raj breathed a sigh of relief. He waved back to her, started his car, and slowly drove away.
Paige stood at the window, watching until Raj's car disappeared around the corner in the distance before finally returning inside her apartment.
On his way home, Raj called Lalita and asked her if she wanted to come out for a drink and conversation.
Lalita had been hoping all day that Raj would call her, so when she received his invitation, she immediately agreed and got in her car to meet him.
They arranged to meet at the Utopia Bar in Hollywood. He and Howard had come here many times before to try to meet women, though they had never succeeded even once.
Raj entered the bar and sat down at the counter, ordering a glass of red wine. He sipped it slowly while waiting for Lalita to arrive.
"Raj? Why are you here?" he heard a surprised voice say after just a few sips.
Raj turned around to see Howard standing there.
"Hey, you're here too?" he said with a laugh.
"Of course I'm here! As a falcon, I can never stop hunting!" Howard declared proudly, puffing out his chest.
"So how many have you successfully hunted?" Raj asked with genuine curiosity.
Howard's proud expression immediately deflated. "Can't you be a little kinder?"
If he had actually succeeded with any women, would he still be coming here alone?
"All right, that's fair. My fault," Raj said with an apologetic smile.
"So what are you doing here? Why don't you have that beautiful assistant with you?" Howard asked, his curiosity piqued.
"She's just my assistant, not my girlfriend," Raj clarified with a laugh.
"So you're single like me right now?" Howard's face lit up with happiness at this news. "Perfect! Then you can be my wingman tonight, and we'll hunt together!"
Just then, the bar door opened and Lalita walked in.
"Hi! Over here!" Raj called out, waving and smiling at her.
When Lalita spotted him, she immediately walked over with a radiant smile, leaned in, and gave Raj a passionate French kiss.
Howard stood frozen beside them, his mouth hanging open in shock.
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