ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪ’ᴍ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴏғғ ᴀʟʟ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ
ᴛʜᴀɴ ɴᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ʜɪs ᴍɪɴᴅ
ᴀᴛ ᴀɴʏ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇ
..
I drop the file on Chase's desk.
"I'm off for the day." I say as I make my way out.
"Wait." He stops me, standing up.
"Yes Mr. Black?" I don't want to talk to him, my voice is making that clear.
"I'm sorry." He says, which is surprising since he never apologises, never. And here he is, apologizing for the second time in a day.
"If that is all, I'd like to leave. I'm getting late." I look at my watch. I wasn't late, Rome was picking me up from my apartment after an hour.
"I..I didn't mean anything I said yesterday. I'm sorry, it was out of line and unacceptable. Forgive me, Celeste." He looks like he struggled to say those words, judging from the tight grip he has on that desk.
"Yeah, it wasn't acceptable. But the damage is done. Can I leave now? Wouldn't want you to have the wrong impression of me wanting you." I say. That little crush I had on him was dead now. I had no feelings toward him.
"I'm sorry Celeste. Please, how do I make it up to you?" He's saying the words, sorry & please. Wow.
"Nothing." I leave his office, 2 seconds later I hear something smashing. Before yesterday, I would've checked, but now I won't.
Bestie 🫂💞🍔
I'm here.
Me
give me a sec.
I go down to see he's standing by his car. Am I making a stupid decision to hang out with him? Yes but, seeing all the stupid decisions I've made earlier in my life, this doesn't sound that stupid.
"Hi Rome."
"Hi pretty girl." He gives me a friendly hug before ruffling my hair. "Let's go." He says before opening the door for me.
"Where are we going?"
"There's a place, it's not that famous but they have the best burgers." He tells me while driving.
"Oh."
"How was your day?"
"It was good, and oh thank you for the flowers."
"It's nothing."
"How did you find out where I work?" I ask the question I've been dying to ask.
"Sources." He says, not giving much explanation.
"So what do you do?"
"Nothing big."
"Still?"
"I play." He's giving vague answers so I drop the topic, maybe he's a gamer.
He taps my knee, I realise we're not moving anymore. I look at the place, he was right. It's not crowded but there are people there. Reese's Point. I read the name.
"Come on. I know you'll love it." He says, opening the door for me.
"Thank you."
As we sit, a middle aged lady comes smiling at Rome. "How're you my child?" She asks, patting his head lovingly.
"I'm good Reese. How's business going?" He asks, giving her the charming smile.
"It's good, so..the regular?" She asks.
"Yup."
"And for the pretty lady?" She looks at me.
"Whatever he's having."
"I'll be right back." She says while smiling.
We both fell into a conversation soon after she left, I told him about my day and Chase apologizing since I told him half of the story yesterday. He told me about the girl he likes but she kept ignoring him. We clicked a few pictures, to show Luke.
"I had a great time pretty girl." He says, handing me the bag of food we got for Luke.
"Me too. Thank you for taking me there Rome." I smile at him.
"It was my pleasure Cel. Do you know the man over there?" He asks looking behind me. I turn to see Chase standing there.
"Uh yeah, he's my boss. I'll leave now, I think he needs some file or something." I say, smiling at him one last time and leave. I wave at him as he drives away.
"Do you need something Mr. Black?" I ask, approaching him.
"How do you know him?" He asks.
"He's my friend, how do you know him?" I narrow my eyes.
"Everyone knows him." He rolls his eyes. Fine.
"So?"
"I want to talk."
"I don't. You can leave."
"Please Celeste, just hear me out." He pleads, what is wrong with him? He's not like this.
"Fine. Speak."
"Not here, can we go upstairs?" He asks. I purse my lips, thinking about it.
"Please?" He pressed.
"Fine." I move towards the stairs with him following behind me. I'll make him use the stairs. I'm petty like that.
Luke looks at me from the sofa, he's watching some old football match on TV. He did a double take spotting Chase.
"Oh hi. I wanted to apologise for the last time you were here. I was just trying to embarrass her, she's free to date, I'm not her boyfriend. You can ask her out." He suggests. This bitch. He's not getting the burgers anymore.
I kick off my shoes, glaring at Luke and storm off to my room. Chase closes the door behind him. I keep the bag of food on the nightstand.
"Talk."
"I'm engaged."
"Yeah, you told me that very clearly."
"But I'm not."
"Seriously? You're here to talk rubbish?"
He kicked off his shoes and sat on my bed like it was his own.
"Hello?"
"I was angry and I took it out on you." He sighs, tugging at his hair, a curly strand falling on his forehead.
"Okay?"
"Stop it." He says, I don't know what he wants me to stop doing. He holds my hand and pulls me beside him.
"You're engaged."
"Not really. I'm sorry Celeste, for saying those horrible things to you. My father, he..he." I hate his father for creating so many problems.
"First that girl in the office then my father, I was angry and then you showed up and you cared and I did the opposite of thanking you." He's still holding my hand, I don't know how or why. He's not pushing me away like I'll burn him. His hands are too warm to be normal.
"Have you eaten something?"
"I had a coffee."
"In the morning!" I say.
"That's not important. My father, he decided to arrange my marriage to have a partnership with another company without asking me. He told me yesterday about it, before you came there. I don't want it. And I..you..I-" He stutters in the end. Ladies and gentlemen, Chase Black is stuttering.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah no, I don't fucking know." He threw himself back on the bed.
"Will you leave my hand now?" I ask.
"No." He pulls me back. What in the fook is going inside his fooking head.
"Do you think anyone will know if I killed my father?" He asks, looking at the ceiling.
"Yeah, you need to be careful. I knew a guy back in high school, he was in some underground shit. Want some tips?"
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." I look him dead in the eye. We lay in silence for five minutes, I counted.
"Celeste?"
"Yes?"
"Will you marry me?"
"I'm a stripper." I blurt out.
He frowned. "Do I not pay you enough?" He asks incredulously.
"What? I thought we were joking?"
"I'm serious." He rolls his eyes.
"I'm mad at you. Ask again in your next life."
"Okay." He nods.
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Okay Chase, get out now."
"I'm tired." He says while stretching his arms, keeping his hand on my head.
"Are you drunk?" He doesn't smell like alcohol but he's extremely touchy, which is so unusual of him.
"I didn't drink that much." He says, making me roll my eyes.
"So who's she?" I ask, not able to help myself.
"Dunno." He shrugs. I plop up on my elbow. "You kidding me?" He takes his phone out, taps a little.
"Beth Wallace." He says.
"Is she famous?"
"I don't know Celly!" Oooooooo. He called me Celly. Drunk. He is drunk. I quickly get my laptop and lie down back.
"What are you doing?" He asks.
"Looking up your fiancee."
"Stop calling her my fiancee, I was angry that time." He scowls. Totally unimpressed.
"Guess her hair color." I say, typing her name on the search bar.
"Blonde." He says as if it's the most obvious answer.
"She's pretty."
"A duck's lips are better than hers." He says, leaning into the screen.
"She's your fiancee."
"Say that one more time, I'll fire you."
"Fine. Umm She's 21, old man."
"I'm not old." He narrows his eyes at me.
"You'll turn 30 in a few months." I scoff.
"That's not old." He defended.
"Fine young man." I roll my eyes, scrolling further. "She's a model." I tell him.
"Sure she is." He huffs.
"How much is 168 cm in feet?" I ask.
"5'5."
"Oh, she's not that tall but you'll make a cute pair." I tell him. I look at him when he doesn't reply, but he's giving me the stink eye.
"Let's google you." I say, typing his name. "No." He says while snatching the laptop.
"Hey, give that back." I try taking it back but he turns.
"Get lost Celeste."
"Rude man." I take it back once he closed it. His hand is too warm, this time I check his forehead.
"You have a fever."
"I'm fine." He dismisses. I open one of the burgers and the fries. "Eat this. I'll be back." I say as I give Luke his part of the meal.
"What are you doing in there?" He smirks.
"Work."
"Liar."
"Shut up." I close the door to my room again. He hasn't touched his food.
"Chase, c'mon."
"I'll leave now."
"You were tired a few minutes ago." I sigh.
"Not anymore." He sits up.
"Should I call your mom?" I ask.
"Fine." He says. I swear I heard him say cruel woman under his breath. After he finished I gave him 2 Aspirins.
"I should leave now."
"You can rest if you'd like to." I say.
"Cool." He removes his suit jacket and lies back down. Strange.