Axell grinned.
âSheâs a beauty, alright!â
Debraâs eyes Lit up.
âAh, that explains it! But tell me, in a guyâs mind, what matters more: a womanâs looks or her family background?
Say, youâre dating a stunner like Miss Green.
But then a powerful woman confesses sheâs had her eye on you.
Whoâs it going to be?â
Axell was taken aback.
His heart was racing.
Not one to miss a beat, he knew Debra was talking about herself.
He also knew she had a thing for him.
Debra was now pushing Axell to choose between her and Jessie.
But Axell couldnât lie about it.
After pondering, he said honestly, âDebra, youâre great, but I see us as friends.
I think weâll make awesome friends.
â
Surprisingly, Debra didnât get upset.
She smiled, overthinking it, Axell! I just need your help with the project.
â
Axell breathed a sigh of relief at her response.
With her hands behind her back, Debra asked, âIâve got an exam tomorrow.
Could you help me study tonight? Dinnerâs on me!â
After some thought, Axell figured it wasnât a date, so why not?
He agreed.
They headed to a fancy French joint later.
But as they arrived, Axell spotted the hospital director Joshua Barnes and his wife, along with a bunch of folks who seemed to be the his family and friends.
Debra looped her arm through Axellâs, charmingly saying, âDad, look whoâs here! Axell, your favorite disciple! Heâs gracing us with his presence tonight, so be nice!â
Joshua shot them a knowing glance at her words.
His wife Alissa stood up with a grin.
âYouâre the talk of the town, Axell.
Todayâs all about Debraâs birthday bash.
Grab a seat and dig in!â
Axell caught on to the situation.
But he played dumb.
âSeriously? I had no clue.
My bad for showing up empty-handed.
â
Alissa reassured him with a smile, âNo worries.
Your presence alone is a gift for Debra!â
For the sake of his career, Axell took a seat.
The Barnes family banter revolved around Debraâs future hubby.
Meanwhile, Debra didnât object and even help serve food for Axell.
Axell felt flattered.
After dinner, he offered Debra a ride home.
In the car, he reiterated, âDebra, Iâve got a girlfriend.
Iâm sorry.
â
He stole a glance at her, and then added after a pause, âIâm really sorry about this.
â