𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝

CHAPTER 16

"COUSIN"

Arriving at Kate's office, I took a moment to straighten my thoughts, hoping she would like my written work. I knocked lightly on the door but there was no respond from Kate. I knocked again, and this time I heard a muffled "What is it?" from inside. I decided to open the door and entered the office.

"Good Morning, Kate. I'm here to pass the art-" I halted when I saw the person sitting behind the desk is not Kate, but a teenage boy. Our eyes meet, I looked at him with confusion and curiosity reflected in his blue eyes.

"Oh, Hi... is Ms. Wick here?" I asked the boy nicely, "Oh, she went to get some coffee, she'll be back in a minute" He replied kindly with a warm smile. "Is that so? Can you-" I began to ask, but my words were interrupted as the door swung open, revealing Kate's arrival.

"Oh (Y/N)," Kate exclaimed warmly, her eyes lighting up as she laid her eyes on me. "How have you been?" She asked and went to give me a slight hug. "I've been doing great," I replied and hug her back. "And oh, I'm here to pass the article, I already finished writing it." I added as we let go from our hug.

"Really? That's fantastic!" Kate exclaimed, clearly pleased to hear about the finished article. "Come, let's discuss it." She said and gestured towards the chairs in her office. She then went over to her desk and gestured for the boy to stand up and move from her chair before putting her coffee on the table.

"By the way, this is John Paul," Kate introduced with a warm smile. "He's my younger cousin."

John Paul approached me with a friendly smile, extending his hand for a handshake, which I happily accepted. "Hello, I'm John Paul, John Paul Johnson," he introduced himself with a genial tone as our hands met.

"It's nice to meet you, John Paul. I'm (Y/N)," I replied, introducing myself. "Well, it's also nice to meet a pretty lady like you," John Paul teased with a grin, earning a chuckle from me. "Well, thank you for that compliment," I replied, returning the banter.

"Okay... Now, John, can you step outside for a minute?" Kate interjected suddenly, putting our attention to her. "(Y/N) and I need to discuss something about the article."

"Eh? Is that all? Why can't I stay?" John asked, looking a bit puzzled by the request. "I know you in and out, J.P... you like to interrupt other people's conversations," Kate responded.

John laughed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright! I'll give you two some privacy," he said, winking at me mischievously before heading out. I laughed while Kate just sigh and gestured me to sit down. "I hope I didn't gave you a hard time for making you write this article," Kate said, sounding slightly concerned.

"No, ofcourse not. It was also my choice to write it..." I reassured her, wanting to alleviate any worries she might have had. I handed her the article and we began to discuss about it.

Mid-conversation, the door suddenly swung open, revealing John Paul peeking in. "What do you want?" Kate asked, sounding a bit annoyed by the interruption.

"Um... ehehe... money..." John said sheepishly, like a child asking for pocket money. "Didn't I give you money yesterday? Like $100?" Kate inquired, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"I spent it... on food... and to some stuff..." John Paul replied, earning an exasperated look from Kate.

Kate sigh, grabbing her wallet from her bag and threw it directly at John Paul. "Now get out," she instructed with a mix of irritation and fondness in her tone.

"Thanks, Mom!" John Paul chimed before swiftly closing the door behind him. Confusion marked my face as I turned back to Kate. "Mom?" I queried, seeking an explanation.

"Yeah... he grew up in my care and sees me as a mother figure. I just let him call me that," Kate explained with a warm smile, providing insight into their unique relationship.

"He also calls me in different names or nicknames sometimes... it actually just depends on his mood," Kate added with a chuckle, shedding more light on their playful dynamics.

"He also has such pretty Cerulean blue eyes, by the way," I complimented, genuinely impressed by John Paul's striking feature.

"Yeah, I wish I had one of those..." Kate shrugged, making a playful hissing sound with her mouth. "But I didn't get the genes."

We shared a laugh over her humorous remark, lightening the mood before delving back into our discussion about the article. The playful banter and light-hearted moments made the conversation more enjoyable.

After the discussion, Kate and I said our goodbyes, and I headed back to mine and Jed's office. As I entered the room, I was surprised to see Jed wasn't alone. He was with John Paul. They glanced in my direction, both wearing smiles. And as I looked at them, someting suddenly struck me... Cerulean eyes, short brown hair, thick eyebrows...

"You two look like twins," I remarked with a grin as I strolled toward them, noticing the uncanny resemblance, which earned a little chuckle from both Jed and John Paul.

"Ohh~ did you hear that, brother Jed? You should say thank you to Ms. Pretty," John Paul teased, grinning mischievously and earning a confused look from Jed. "And why would I do that?" Jed asked, puzzled.

"Because it's a great honor to be called as handsome as me," John Paul retorted with a playful smirk, eliciting laughter from me and a look of mock disgust from Jed.

"And also, in addition... I'm younger, unlike you, old man," John Paul teased further, provoking more laughter from me. Jed, in response, stood up and playfully draped his arm around John Paul's neck, messing up his hair with a grin. John Paul feigned a dramatic protest, laughing while trying to dodge Jed's playful gesture.

"Okay, okay... enough, you two..." I managed to say between chuckles, trying to calm down from the laughter. Jed released John Paul, and John quickly attempted to fix his hair. Jed fetched a chair and placed it behind me.

"Here, sit down," he offered kindly, gesturing for me to take a seat. "Thank you, Jed" Grateful for the chair, I gladly sat down, still smiling at the playful exchange between Jed and John Paul. "Your welcome, Sweets," Jed replied with a warm smile before returning to his seat.

"Sweets? Is there something going between you two? Are you perhaps a couple?" John Paul suddenly inquired, catching me off guard. My cheeks instantly flushed red at the unexpected question, feeling a bit flustered by the assumption.

John Paul then turned to Jed and playfully punch him on the shoulder, "Why didn't you tell me that you already have a girlfriend?!" He yelled at Jed, earning an annoyed glare from Jed.

"Ah, n-no, we're not," I stammered, trying to hide my embarrassment with a nervous chuckle. "Jed and I are just good friends and colleagues."

"Yeah, just good friends, nothing romantic." Jed chimed in with a grin.

John Paul raised an eyebrow playfully, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Sure, sure, just friends," he teased, earning a playful swat on the arm from Jed. "Stop teasing, John," Jed chided with a laugh, shooting me an apologetic glance for his John's antics.

"Anyway, I should get going," John Paul said, breaking the conversation with a smile. "See youuu." He added, flashing a quick wave before heading out of the office with a casual stride.

As John Paul exited, the office atmosphere returned to its usual rhythm, and Jed and I resumed our tasks, focusing on the work ahead.

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Some scenes doesn't really add up to story but I really wanna write it. Huhuhu sorry🤧.

Thank you for reading! God bless you all.❤