Mia's pov:
I return back home from school in the evening and enter inside my apartment but my home doesn't feel like home anymore. It keeps reminding me of Jacob's apartment and memories we shared there. My phone rings in my bag, I take it out and it's Jacob.. think of the devil. I pick it up and instead of saying hello he directly says if I could come have breakfast tomorrow morning with him at the hotel because it's Sunday.
"Do I have to come there? Can't we go to some simple local place?" I tell him trying not to sound irritated but I am.
"I want to have the best and special meal with you which I can easily arrange here at my hotel so please agree to come. I rushed to your school to see you, can't you do this simple thing for me?" Couple start to seem alike is definitely true because he has picked up my habit of emotionally blackmailing others.
"Fine, I'll be there with a huge sign of your name so people can find out about us."
"Great! I am busy now so bye." Before I could say anything he just cuts off call. What the... who does that? And he didn't even respond to my poor attempt of joking come threatening.
Next morning I reach there on time but as usual I don't see him at the place we decided to meet. I go to the lobby waiting area and sit on one of the sofas and look through my phone just to pass some time until he comes. I am looking through some baby videos on Instagram when I hear a lady calling out my name, "Mia Anderson." I look up from my phone to see a middle aged lady calling out to me. She looks poised and sophisticated in her attire but why does she look a bit familiar.
"Umm... Can I help you?" I ask her uncertainly and stand up.
"We had briefly met on the DM company's classical music event. You were there with Jacob Miller, my nephew." Oh she is Jacob's aunt.
"You're Jacob's aunt..I am sorry for not recognising you sooner."
"I know you both met because of my father in law but I want you to know something that both Jacob and his grandfather have kept hidden from you. They haven't told you about Kyle." She tells me angrily and is about to add up more when Jacob interrupts our conversation.
"What possibly do you have to say to my guest?" He directly asks her rudely just like the last time and doesn't greet her. I am taken aback my his rudeness towards her.
"Your aunt cannot even chat with your girlfriend?" She asks him and I look away not really sure as to why do they behave this way with each other.
"No, you have no right to talk to her so please leave." My eyes widen in shock with the way he's talking to his aunt. I hit him lightly with my elbow on his stomach but he doesn't budge and still looks at his aunt angrily.
But his aunt isn't as shock as I am... she turns to me and says, "You're dating the wrong person." With that she leaves. I turn to Jacob for an explanation but he doesn't say anything and drags me to his restaurant for breakfast.
We take the elevator to go to his restaurant.. he doesn't say a word to me. I want to scold him but I do the exact opposite. I hold is hand softly and he looks at me now with a hint of guilt on his face. "It's complicated with my family. Sorry you had to see all that." He whispers to me.
"I am starving, what are we having for breakfast?" I immediately change the topic and he smiles thanking me silently for not asking anything further.
He takes me to the window table of the restaurant and has already prepared all the dishes for us. Scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, pancakes and many more dishes. We start eating and enjoying ourselves forgetting the previous encounter with his aunt. He seems relaxed as well, "I don't see my sign board, how are you planning on to telling everybody about us?" He is teasing me and my poor joking attempts.
I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughs when we are interrupted by a middle aged man.
Jacob is the first one to talk, "Mr.Ben, anything urgent?"
Mr. Ben masks his surprised reaction to a serious one. "Sorry for interrupting your breakfast but there are some important documents which needs your signature urgently." Oh god! Can't you let my man eat peacefully... did i just call him my man, stupid me! I face palm myself and both of them look at me weirdly and Jacob shakes his head a little in amusement.
"Mia, you continue eating, I'll be back in sometime."
"I can leave if you're busy. I am anyways done eating."
He rolls his eyes, "You have hardly eaten anything. Give me ten minutes I'll be back." I don't reply back but nod helplessly. Mr.Ben smiles at me one last time and leaves with Jacob.
I am chatting with Annie about the list of things I want to but today when twenty minutes later he's back and sits opposite to me. "All work done?" I ask him hoping that he has a day off and to himself because its Sunday I mean everyone needs a day off.
"For a few hours yeah." For a few hours that he spared for me. I sigh and don't say anything further but suddenly remember something his aunt was telling me.
"Jacob... who's Kyle?" A dark expression crosses on his face and he now becomes alert.
"Why do you ask? Did my aunt mention something?"
I don't know what to say... what if I make this worst between them. "Ummm..." I can't answer him back.
He doesn't ask me further, "Kyle is my cousin." He stops right there and looks away.
We get up from the table after some awkward silence and take the elevator downstairs. "If you ever cross your path with Kyle please ignore him at all costs. He's not someone you want to know or talk to." Why should I be so careful about meeting his cousin?
We reach at the lobby and all the staff members are alerted suddenly seeing Jacob and I feel a little weird walking besides him but his eyes are only on me and waiting for my answer to his order. "I don't even know how he looks so don't worry about it." I assure him instead of asking more questions and I genuinely don't wanna entangle myself into his life knowing this ends soon.
We exit the hotel and he calls out a taxi for me. "Sorry, I can't drop you home today. The work is too much today."
"It's okay, I am going to Annie's store anyways.. I need some stuff." He strokes my hair like he strokes a puppy and I look at him in amusement. "Am I a puppy to you?" I ask him jokingly.
"Yes too cute and too amazing like a puppy." He tells me pinching my cheeks and I blush like a red tomatoe.
The taxi comes and he kisses me on the cheek and we say goodbye to each other. Not a bad start to my sunday at all, I smile to myself and touch my cheeks he pinched me and kissed me. He acts like a baby sometimes but a cute one.
Jacob's pov:
I smile and see her taxi leave my hotel, when a car stops in front of the hotel. My mother, Jennifer gets out of the car and smiles at me.
"Why is my son standing here and laughing to himself? Were they some of your clients?" She comes and hugs me.
"No, that was Mia the girl grandfather has asked me to date." Her face suddenly falls hearing that.
We get inside the hotel together and go to the coffee shop to talk. "An impromptu visit? All okay?" I ask her.
"Jacob, this is worrying me. I mean she isn't even from our background. Honestly Amy is alot more better match for you. Her father's company and our company can make this business a lot bigger. I know what they did was wrong but her mother has talked to me and assured me that this time..." I cut her off mid way.
"I am not trusting her ever and I am well aware of mine and Mia's situation so I am not even thinking of taking this any further than our contract. Thankyou for your concern but I am not even sure for now if I am joining the company so forget about taking it further with my marriage." She sighs but keeps quiet after this. I know she has raised me and wants what's best for me but I have so much to figure out before thinking about all that.
"How are things at main office? How is it going on without grandpa?" I ask her and try not to sound suspicious.
"Our stocks has been great like never before. Its a bit out of the blue but it's going really good." Why does this sound off to me! Is grandfather right about manipulation at the main office?
She gets me out of my thoughts, "Anyway, I was only in the neighbourhood so thought to meet you. I have to go attend this event, one of my friends has organized so I will leave you to your work."
I walk her out of the hotel but before leaving she turns to me, "Don't fall too hard that girl, she doesn't fit in our family." I nod but have nothing to say, I watch her leave and get myself deep into the work again.
Mia's pov:
I am browsing through some fancy pair of shoes... I really need to get new ones but I have been delaying it out of laziness. From the corner of my eye I see these really beautiful red pencil heels. I ask one of the staff member to get my size.
While I wait for my shoe size to come I look around the store and I see Amy Macadams browsing through some clothes. Why is she going through my best friend's store when she can afford the best of the brands. She hasn't seen me yet and I would love it if she doesn't but a minute later she does and walks towards me like she's walking on a ramp walk. She had long hair the last time we met but now she has cut her hair into a bob cut and is wearing a black crop top and really short denim shorts. Is that what Jacob's type is?
"You're lasting more than Jay's other flavors of the month. Your deal is of six months isn't it?" How does she know about our deal? I don't answer her back because I have nothing to say.
"You know why he doesn't date anyone for more than six months? Because he knows it's ultimately me at the end. Our engagement is predetermined. He might show you that he likes you but it's best for him to marry me atleast for the sake of his company and you might know by now how important his work is to him. I am advising you to not fall too hard for him or it would really hurt you."
I scoff at her advice, "Nobody can predict as to what will happen to two people who are happily dating each other. We'll take care of our relationship how we like, I don't need your advice on anything."
With that I turn away to the person who's now standing with the red heels of my size in her hands. I take it from her and try them on. They look beautiful but really uncomfortable to carry.
"These are a bit uncomfortable, can you suggest me something more casual and comfortable." I ask the saleswoman and she gives me a pair of slightly heeled red sandals instead. Which fit me perfectly and are alot more comfortable. Amy is still staring at me and my actions but I ignore her completely but she continues being bitchy to me.
"Jay is just like these heels for you. They both doesn't suit you and are uncomfortable in your life."
That hurts me a little, I pause for a second but immediately reply her back. "Jacob is a lot more comfortable in my life than you'd think. But it's not like you'd know anything about our lives. It's the same with the shoes, you need to try them on to see if they fit you. I tried mine and both Jacob and these shoes fit me perfectly. If they'd fit you perfectly, they would have been yours by now." She glares at me but I turn with a satisfying grin on my face and go to the cash counter to pay for my sandals.
Even though I gave her a good answer, I feel really angry towards Jacob for having such an impulsive and bitchy ex girlfriend. I am also jealous because she's so beautiful and confident. Her advice even though I pretended to not let it affect me but it does affect me a lot. My phone rings and I take it out from my sling bag and see Jacob calling me. I am really angry at him right now so I decide to not pick it up.
"Are you still shopping? Did you reach home? Text me I am waiting." He sends me a text message but I do not respond. I pay for my sandals and take the bus back home.
After sometime Annie comes home during lunch time and gets some subway sandwiches for us, "She was at my store? I don't think she's my regular customer or I would have recognised her when I saw her photos online. But I love how you answered her back, my bestfriend has become confident and amazing." I get a call yet again from Jacob but I just keep my phone on silent and on the bedside table.
"Still not answering him?" Annie asks me.
"He needs to be punished, it's like Aiden torturing him on every chance he gets. How would that be? Why should I take his ex girlfriend's warmth, they have unfinished business so they should finish it instead of hurting me again and again."
"I thought you told Amy you fit perfectly."
"I was only trying to cover my emotions and not let her affect me but it does affect me a lot."
I hear the vibration of my phone again and angrily pick it up this time, "WHAT?" I shout at him and Annie widens her eyes in shock to see me shouting at somebody.
"Why haven't you been picking up my calls or replying to my texts? I was almost driving to your house if you wouldn't have picked up this call." I feel good that he's concerned about me but I let my anger takeover me again.
"I had a lot of things to think about so I didn't pick up."
"Why are you mad at me? Is it because I didn't drop you home this morning? I am..." I cut him off midway, "Yes I am mad at you for that."
With that I hang up on him and Annie is still staring at me in shock. "Mi, I have never seen you like this. You must really love this guy and care about him so much that it has changed you this way."
"I am really upset this time Annie."
"Atleast tell him the reason for you to be this upset." I stare at my phone hoping for him to call me one more time and console me or ask me again nicely but the phone doesn't ring.
I wonder if I am too an ordinary girlfriend like all those other girlfriends he had and he's really going to marry Amy ultimately, how she said. This thought itself tears me into pieces. No matter what anyone says, I am already deeply in love with Jacob to be able to get affected by every possible thought of him with somebody else.
My phone rings and hurriedly pick it up without seeing the caller id but when I hear the voice of Kevin my face immdey falls. "Ma'am, I am performing at a nearby mall today for the promotion of my new show. You won't believe but they are letting me sing, something I always wanted to do. Will you come and see me perform."
My mood lifts up a little and I decide to come out of this foul mood and tell him I'll go there and support him.
Annie sighs, "I sometimes feel, Kevin is your bestfriend and not me. You Always leave me for him."
"It's not like that, why don't you join me as well."
"I can't leave my store darling. Anyways you go freshen up from this mess and please talk to Jacob he needs to know what happened." I don't say anything, she hugs me and leaves.
I change into jeans and black plain top casual for mall and leave for Kevin's performance. I reach there and see a stage setup in the middle of the mall. Kevin comes and waves at me and I give him thumbs up wishing him good luck and he starts playing the guitar and starts singing. The group of people start to gather hearing his amazing voice and suddenly the crowd is clapping and cheering while he's singing amazing songs. Some romantic ones of ed sheeran and some of the colplay. After an hour or so he's done and I clap as loudly as I can for him.
"Thankyou everybody please watch my new show coming this winter on the laptops near you."
Kevin is surrounded by the crowd and I patiently wait for him to come when a person comes and stands in front of me... the mall's weird manager who asked for my number the last time.
"Remember me? The weird guy named Kyle who asked for your number." He chuckles and I too smile a little. Wait... Kyle? The name seems familiar.
He continues, "This event was organized by me... Did you like it?"
My face expression changes to a thankful one now, "Oh my god! You did this for Kevin? Thankyou so much."
"Oh, Kevin is your friend! I am glad I could be of some help to him." Kevin to joins us and is thankful to Kyle like I am.
"The mall would love to collaborate with you again Kevin. It was a successful event for us as well. There were quiet a lot of ladies who gathered here." Kevin blushes and I chuckle hearing that. Kyle suddenly excuses himself and leaves us to greet a middle aged man. The middle aged man and Kyle looks in my direction and the middle aged man smirks... weird.
Kevin waves his hand in front of me to get me out ot my thoughts and asks me if I liked his performance, "I am proud of you Kev, how about you perform these songs for the orphanage next week if you have time." He nods and we walk out of the mall together but for some reason that man smirking at me is giving me a weird vibe. Kevin has work so he leaves and I go back home trying not to think about that man or Jacob or Amy or anything but my head is blasted with all those thoughts and is giving me a headache.
I reach back home in the evening and see Jacob waiting near my apartment. I ignore him and hurriedly walk past him to my apartment and close the door on his face.
"Mia, come on atleast tell me what I did to make you so mad... open the door please." He's asking me gently instead of being mad at my childish behavior and that melts my heart right away.
I open the door and let him in and he immediately drags me to the bed and makes me sit and he sits on the floor and looks up at me with his puppy dog face. "What's wrong?" He asks me with concern.
I look down at my knotted hands and don't know what to even say to him now, all day I was mad at him but now I cannot even speak a single word out.
"How will I know what's wrong if you don't tell me? Until this morning we were smiling and happily spending time then what happened in a few hours that you stopped picking up my calls?" He wants answers Mia, give him his answers.
"How many women have you dated? And do you only date them for a month or six months like you are with me?" He looks confused and irritated after hearing me.
"Are you acting jealous or testing me?" He asks with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Testing you."
"Will you just freaking pick up my calls and ask me instead of imagining this nonsense in your head." He almost shouts at me and I get up from my bed to not look at him in the eye because I am embarrassed too of my behavior this whole day.
"Don't date anybody behind my back please."
"I don't have time to see you... how will I go on and date anybody else?" He asks me sounding really offended.
He turns me to himself and holds me from my waist.
"Don't worry... its only you and nobody else." I feel better hearing that and Amy's stupid words start to disappear from my head.
"You never pick up my calls... I am always the first one to call you.... you didn't talk to me the whole day because of my past?" He isn't angry anymore but still upset.
"I am just busy with school work that's why I don't get to pick up your calls. Except for today... I never did it on purpose." I mutter to him awkwardly and he leaves me and takes a step back from me.
His phone suddenly rings and he sighs and whispers, "I am much busier than you are." He leaves my apartment while talking on his phone... he doesn't hug me or kiss me or even wave at me. I feel really upset because he left just like that. I go to the window and see him almost leaving when he turns around and waves at me cutely as if he knew I'd be watching. I don't wave back at first but seeing him cutely doing that, I smile and wave back at him.
Next morning I wake up feeling a little better because he assured me he wouldn't date anybody behind my back. I feel relived and happy when I hear my phone ring, its Annie.
"Go online and check the news related to Jacob right now. He is so dead." I get confused hearing her theeat. I hurriedly go online and see something heartbreaking,
"Ainsoft chairman's daughter Amy Macadams and DM chairman's gradson Jacob Miller make it official with their engagement announcement."