The Playboy's Crush By Deborah A. Olaleye

EIGHTEEN

It remained only three days before she would have to meet Shane's family; Lara felt tense. She had never been the type to fret about anyone's opinion of her; not that she had ever had the time to care, but she felt the need to impress Shane's family when she met with them.

More to her discomfort, Liam seemed relentless in pursuing his romantic interests in her, optimistically hoping she would come around to acknowledging his feelings.

Shouldn't she just tell him that he was risking losing his job by keeping up with his attempts to woo her?

Andrea, by the way- Lara heaved a dramatic sigh and shook her head as she stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby at the close of the day- loathed her guts with each passing day. Their relationship had drastically soured, from BFF to EF.

Lara had deliberately stayed behind after the close of the day so that virtually everyone at work would have left before she made to leave.

She had successfully accumulated more enemies than friends at work since the start of the new month.

Thankfully, Shane had gone for a brief meeting with one of his old acquaintances, and she was still mentally preparing herself for the occasion by the weekend.

Despite how persistently he had assured her over the week that she would be fine and would love her parents when she met them—they would do as well—she couldn't keep out the anxiety that had accompanied her since he had told her about the upcoming visit.

She was nervous. What if his mother probed too much about her background and disliked her upon finding out she wasn't from an affluent and influential family like they were?

She knew the rich, most especially their women, were always haughty and contemptuous of ladies with humble upbringings like her.

Her shoulders sagged as another sigh escaped her.

Perhaps she was worrying too much. Perhaps she should trust Shane and refrain from fretting. She might actually warm up to his mother, as he had assured her.

Nonetheless, doubts encircled her mind.

She had a fair share of experience with rich women during her part-time jobs to cement her thoughts on their disposition toward ladies of her financial status. However, Shane had assured her.

She swallowed drily and nodded, muttering through her breath. "It will be fine, Lara. You worry too much."

"Why are you talking to yourself?"

Someone asked out of the blue as she reached the entrance, and she shrieked at first in fright before finally registering the owner of the voice as she looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for you," he answered. "You've been avoiding me, Lara."

Lara pursed her lips into a frown. "No, I haven't. What makes you think so?"

"You stopped coming to the cafeteria. You are keeping us all at arm's length."

"Not everyone. Just a selected few," Lara notified
"Same thing, Lara."

"I see no reason why you had to be waiting for me, Liam. I already told you I had no interest in you that way. We can be friends, and that's all I can be with you. Wait a minute, for how long have you been waiting up for me?" She looked at her wristwatch. "It's been almost an hour since work hours have been up."

"I monitored your exit time. I purposely stayed behind, working in my office, to catch up with you. Besides, you still owe me a date?"

"Pardon?" Lara arched an eyebrow.

"I wanted to treat you to a meal," Liam reminded her. Lara looked ready to oppose that, so he quickly added, "You promised, Lara."

Lara paused with her mouth lightly agape, the words she had wanted to say choked at the back of her throat. She smacked her lips together, her lips parting wordlessly, before she finally said, "I wasn't prepared to go out after work today. I have plans."