Here I am again having dinner with Mr. Drew. But this time itâs a business dinner, yes a pure business dinner.
âI guess no wine for you today, Miss Scarlet.â Mr. Drew teases me pulling the wine bottle away from my side.
âUmm... Iâm sorry for that night... I created trouble for you and umm... said some rude things to you.â I smile nervously at him.
âOh no, thatâs fine.â He smiles.
âAnd also about what you said that day..â
âNo please take some time, I donât want you to answer immediately.â
âHuh?â
âYouâre going to reject me arenât you? Not today please.â He sighs.
âLook Mr. Drew--â
âCall me Marcus.â
âWell Marcus, whatâs the difference between today or later when the answer is going to be the same?â
âThe answer could change Miss scarlet, you never know.â He winks at me.
âMy answer will be the same, now and forever.â I replied with a sigh.
He suddenly clenches his fist to his chest and makes a pained expression. âAre you okay?â I ask panicking.
âOuch, that hurts.â He pats his heart and winks at me. I canât help but laugh at his action. âI guess we can at least be friends?â He extends his hand forward.
âWhy not? I like to have friends with good sense of humor.â I wink at him and we shake hands.
âWhy thank you, Miss Scarlet.â He grins.
âCall me Teresa, it doesnât sound fair when only I call you by your name and plus weâre friends now. â I smile at him.
âBut I remember when I called you by your name, you kind of threatened me, âItâs Miss Scarlet for you!ââ He enacts my exact words.
âPlease Marcus, I said Iâm sorry for being rude. Spare me the torture now.â
âJust kidding, Teresa.â
âOh so having fun are you?â Suddenly I hear someone shout behind me. I know who! I bit my lips and slowly turn my head back to see Ryouma throwing ice-cold glares at me.
âWhat are you doing here?â I ask him holding my head.
âOh am I disturbing your lovey dovey talk?â He smiles but that just sends chills to my spine. Lovey dovey what? Heâs gone crazy!
âRyouma, better not create a scene here.â I stand up from my chair and shake my head.
âYouâre coming with me.â He pulls me by my arm but Iâm stopped by Marcus who pulls me back holding my other arm, âSheâs with me, Carlton.â Both start glaring at each other and I start to pity myself! What am I? A rope? That theyâre playing tug of war with? Both wonât let of my arm at all!
âGuys! Do I seem like a rope to you?â I finally speak and they both look at me with a puzzled expression on their handsome face.
I lift my arms to their attention and shrug.
Marcus immediately lets go and apologizes but my dear ex-husband pulls me along with him. âRyouma!â I jerk my arm off his grip. âIf you donât want to create a scene here, youâre coming with me.â He glares at me.
âIâm sorry but I gotta go.â I yell to Marcus as Iâm being dragged out.
âWhatâs your problem?â I shout at Ryouma as soon as weâre out of the hotel.
âYou donât know?â He shoots his eyebrows up.
âWe were just-â
âAfter knowing what he feels about you, you were still happily chatting with him over your dinner!â He shouts pushing me inside the car.
âI--â He shuts the door at my face.
âAnd youâre asking me whatâs my problem?â He takes his seat and shuts his door with a bang. I flinch.
âIâve rejected him.â I shout out aloud closing my ears and then glare at him.
His eyes softens. âYouâve--â
âYes! Now stop being jealous. And how did you find me there? Are you stalking me again?â I narrow my eyes at him.
âI thought you said you love me stalking you.â
âMy god Ryouma! I was drunk!â
âPeople speak truth when theyâre drunk.â
âIâm a rare case! I canât believe you actually stalked me?!â I face forward and pout crossing my arms.
âI didnât, I just happened to be there.â
âYou think I believe that?â
âThatâs the truth!â
âLook it was only a business dinner okay? I donât come and create a scene when youâre having dinner with your client?â
âWhy were you having business dinner with him?â
âBecause duh dad isnât here. If only dad was here I wouldnât have to be dragged out by you like this!â I sigh.
âYour dad will be here by tomorrow so just stay away from him!â
âWhat?â I blink at his words. âRyouma, you couldnât have---â Iâm stopped between my sentence as the car halts. I look out and weâre already home. âYou need to stop doing this.â I sigh.
âWhat?â
âInterfering in everything. Iâm not your thing Ryouma. You canât do this every time.â
âWhatever get out!â
âListen to when people are talking to you!â I yell.
âGet.out!â
âForget it! Iâm just banging my head on a wall.â I roll my eyes and get out of the car. I run straight to my room without turning back.
âArgh! What do I do with this guy?â I shout banging the door behind me.
âOh My! You scared me!â Rina shouts jumping out of the bed. âWhat happened?â
âDonât even ask!â I throw the file on the floor. âOh damn! I didnât even get his signature on this! Damn this Ryouma! Can he not create a storm in my life just for a single day? I never interfered with his damn work! Why does he have to interfere with mine?â I whine punching my pillow.
âIf only dad was here!â I shout. I hope Ryouma doesnât have anything to do with dadâs sudden business trip. He couldnât possibly have... I hope not! I pull my hair in frustration.
âYou look horrible!â Rina comments making a weird face.
âMy life is horribly messed up right now!â I sigh. âEnough drama! I just want to sleep for today.â I roll on my bed and hug Mr. Hulala (bunny the soft toy) and slowly drift into a deep sleep.
I donât know if it was my good sleep or the morning itself but I feel a lot better now. I smile sipping my morning coffee. Iâm yanked back into the real world by my phone, I sigh and answer the call.
âYes?â
âTeresa, itâs me Marcus.â
âOh Marcus, Iâm sorry for the last night..â
âNothing for you to be sorry about. By the way I called you for the file.â
âYeah, itâs with me. Iâm really sorry about that, I know itâs just wasting your time.â
âAs I said, thereâs nothing for you to be sorry about, we can discuss the work at lunch and the time you enjoy wasting is not wasting is it?â I hear him smile.
âOf course.â I laugh. âSo see you then.â I end the call and smile. Why is Ryouma so stuck up on this guy? Heâs good in fact. I sigh.
I glance at watch. Oh God! Itâs already time for lunch. Of course Teresa, only you wake up at noon. I roll my eyes at myself and run to the washroom. My phone rings again. Oh my god! Am I late? I donât want to make him wait for my work, already wasted enough of his time. I answer without looking. âYes, Iâm just on my way.â I answer hurriedly.
âTeresa, itâs me, Rihito.â
âOh Rihito? Yes?â
âCan you hurry up over here? Actually Ryouma.....â
âWhat about him? Whatâs wrong?â I panic.
âJust hurry up here. Iâll text you the address.â He cuts the call.
What the hell happened? I run out of the house and drive off to the address. Oh god! Let him be okay.
As soon as I reached the hotel room, I look around panicking but thereâs no one. âRyouma!â I shout but no one responds âRihito?â, I check my phone again if I misread the address but Iâm not mistaken this is the correct address. Suddenly I feel someone hug me from behind. âYouâre here.â He whispers into my ear. I turn back immediately to find Ryouma, safe in front of me. âOh thank god!â I drop on to the ground as my legs give up on me. âHey!â He cups my face as tears pools my eyes. âI thought.... are you stupid?â I yell at him.
âIâm sorry, please donât cry.â He kisses my tears away.
âI...youâre...â
âI shouldnât have listened to Rihito, Iâm sorry Teresa please.â He pulls me into a hug. I cry hugging him back.
My phone rings. Oh I totally forgot about my meeting. I look at the screen but itâs from Rina. Hmm?
âYes Rina?â I answer.
âWhere are you right now?â
âIâm.. Iâm with Ryouma... whatâs wrong?â
âIs there a TV around you?â
Her voice tells me I'm not going to like this. âumm... Yes.â
âTurn on the news.â
âOkay, hang on a second.â I reply and gesture at Ryouma to turn on the news.
âBut thatâs where dad....â I trail off as the news sweeps the ground off my feet.
As soon as I reached home, Rina pulled me into a tight hug. âItâll be alright.â she whispers in my ear, rubbing my back. I hug her and cry out. âGot any news?â She asks Ryouma who is pacing around the room shouting at his phone. He shakes his head. I curl up on the couch and continue crying burring my face into the cushion.
I didnât even realize I cried myself to sleep, after few fours I wake up to find Ryouma sleeping beside me hugging me tightly. I smile. I hurriedly run downstairs to find Rina, to ask her if we got any news on dad? Rina smiles sadly at me and I drop on the stairs and hug my knees. Suddenly the door bell rings and we run out to the door.
âDad!â My voice quiver as I find my dad right in front of me. I cry vigorously hugging my dad. My dadâs home safe and sound. âOh my poor girl.â Dad hugs me back. âIâm okay.â He whispers kissing my hair. â I was so sacred.â I break down. âHush! Iâm absolutely fine. Dad is sorry to have you worried.â He pats my back trying to calm me down.
âThank god, uncle.â Rina hugs us both. âOh my, let me enter first.â Dad laughs trying to lift up the atmosphere. âMy heart almost stopped when I saw on the news that there was a bomb blast at the hotel you stayed in. Why didnât you call us? Youâre phone was unreachable too.â After few minutes, I calm down and I shout at him. âIâm so sorry. I was to return by noon but my flight got delayed. I only got the news of the bomb blast after I landed here, I called you but you didnât pick up and just then I got a call from Marcus and he drove me here immediately.â
I finally notice Marcus in the room, now that dad mentioned him. âIâm so glad youâre here.â I hug my dad. âIâm too.â He kisses my forehead.
âTeresa?â I hear Ryouma shout from upstairs. When he finally see me downstairs with my dad he sighs with relief.
âWhat the hell is he doing here?â I hear dad roar with anger.
âDad! heâs here because he was worried. Please donât be angry.â I plea.
Dad storms through the room and punches him on the face.
âDad!â I shout.
âWell I wouldnât have to go there on the first place. He was the one who sent me there.â Dad shouts looking at me.
âBut it was a business trip.â I frown.
âHe manipulated my trip. He was the one pulling strings all along.â Dad yells.
âYouâre dad will be here by tomorrow.â Iâm reminded of these words. So, he was involved!
âUncle En, I-â
âShut up! Get out of my house. Now!â Dad shouts and suddenly starts to breathe heavily.
âDad! Calm down, please.â I try to calm him down as I worry about his health. âRyouma get out!â I turn to Ryouma and shout.
âBut Teresa..â
âI said get the hell out of here and I strictly told you not not to interfere. Not to use any of you methods that would make me reconsider.â I yell at him.
âEven in the morning you pulled a prank on me, You never learn do you? you already made me go through a lot for the day. I donât want to hear anything from you just get out and do not show me your face ever again.â I drag him out of the house and shut the door.
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2 more chapters!! Finally coming to an end!! :D :D