Long–haired boyfriend
Long–haired boyfriend
"Thank you." She said politely but didn't move to enter inside the restaurant. She looked at the place and tried to relax. Breathe in, breathe out. She coached herself and tightened her hold on her designer's handbag before taking a step and another and another until she was inside.
She was directed to a table which had been reserved for them and frowned unpleasantly when she realised her date hadn't arrived.
She looked at the time and her frown deepened. They were supposed to meet by 12pm but it was already 7 minutes past 12. he had deliberately driven slowly, hoping she would arrive late and whoever her date was would have a bad impression of her because as far as she was concerned, she wasn't going to do anything to make her date think she was interested in any of this. But even after everything, he still hadn't arrived?
If he didn't get there in the next 5 minutes, she was going to leave. She concluded. She would tell her mother she had been there even before it was 12pm and he didn't arrive after she waited for over 10 minutes. Nice excuse!
"God please, let him not come here." She prayed silently as her eyes looked around her. It was the kind of classic restaurant that was only visited by those who didn't mind spending thousands on just a plate of food and ten thousand on a bottle of wine.
A wrinkle formed in her forehead when she saw a familiar figure not sitting too far away from her, looking at her intensely.
Kelvin Hank. Why does she have to meet him everywhere? Before she looked away, he flashed her a smile that made her hate him more. She just didn't like seeing any emotion or reaction on his face at all.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed he pushed away from his chair and stood up. She didn't pay him any mind and just looked at her wristwatch as she counted the seconds.
But he did what she hadn't been expecting, or maybe she should have expected it since he liked to piss her off. He stopped in front of her and grinned.
"You look as beautiful as always Chloe."
She closed her eyes and took in a really deep breath before looking up at him.
"Can I help you with something?"
Kelvin was a handsome young man, no doubt. But when you dislike someone, even if the person looked like an angel, it didn't matter. She had heard and seen how girls threw themselves at him in school. He was also very proud and arrogant. She had noticed it.
Looking at him now, he also had a great body built and looked really fine in a suit. He was as tall as Jeremy but looked quite young. She could swear she was older than him with at least 2 years.
He rudely sat on the sit across her, making her flash her angry eyes at him.
"What are you doing? Get up!"
"Why?" He asked in amusement even though he was looking at her with an innocent expression.
"I don't want to make a scene here Kelvin so leave."
"Why do you hate me so much?" He asked, sounding really serious now.
"Leave!" She said sternly. She didn't want her date to come see her sitting with a man and probably tell it to her parents because these days, men were even worse gossips than women.
"I'm sure you'll like me soon though. We have enough time to get to know each other. That's why we are here in the first place." He said with a small smile.
His words didn't register in her brain until a few seconds passed.
"What does that mean?" She asked and watched him call for a waiter.
"We still have years Chloe. You'll come to like me." He said with an assuring smile..
"You... are my date?" She asked in utter disbelief.
"My pleasure."
Chloe's eyes would have widened to the brim if she didn't hate showing emotion to people. This guy? How did it happen? What were they thinking?
"Was this your idea?"
"No... not at all. The mother's talked about it and I agreed to the idea." He said immediately. "I just didn't want you to get too surprised at first which was why I sat at the other table."
"What would you like to have, ma'am, sir?" The waiter asked the both of them but none was looking at him. Chloe was staring fiercely at Kelvin while he was looking back at her.
"We'd let you know when we are ready." He said to the waiter without taking his eyes off her.
Chloe finally broke eye contact with him when the waiter left, and looked down with a palm on her forehead. She could feel a headache coming already.
She didn't only hate him, Jeremy also hated him. Why did it have to be him of all people? When she raised her head to look at him again, she was a bit taken aback when she thought for a moment that she had seen Jeremy's deep brown eyes staring at her. Her mind was beginning to play tricks on her, she thought.
She sighed deeply. "I am going to be as polite as possible for our mothers' sakes." She started. "I do not like you, never have, never will. And I am not a party to this courting or betrothal or whatever anyone wants to call it. I don't know the game you are playing, but stay away from me!" She was almost standing up to leave but didn't move when he asked,
"Is this because of Jeremy? You aren't dating him, are you?" His voice was tight, making it obvious that the idea repulsed him.
"I am not entitled to answer any of your questions." She said hotly.
Kevin's fists balled under the table but he tried to keep a straight face as he looked at her.
'She likes Jeremy.' He said the words to himself.
He had known and watched Chloe for a long time to know there was something between her and Jeremy.
"He isn't fit for you." He said quietly.
"And who are you to decide what or who I want?" She asked in an irritated voice.
"Jeremy is hiding a lot from you. You don't want to be with someone like that. Besides, don't you think he is after you because of your family and money?"
"Do you think it is by mere coincidence that he began to work in the mall where you own? You are a smart lady Chloe, you should be able to see these things. The guy is trying to get to you. He wants to use you" He said convincingly making Chloe's eyes twitch.
"He... is not that type of person." She said in a less confident voice, wondering why she was still sitting there and having a conversation with him.
Jeremy was the most innocent and kind person she has met. She would never believe he was after her because of her money. Ever since they knew each other, Jeremy had never asked her for anything except to follow him home, to dry his hair and feed him when he was sick. He had been the one wanting to do everything for her and he always bought her snacks and made sure she ate. Even when he had been sick at the hospital, he had cared more about her and her health more than himself. He had even asked her to go home with him so he would cook for her, and just the previous day, even when she had sent him out of her office, he had also wanted to get her something to eat. He was one of the first persons who genuinely cared about her without wanting anything in return. He had even blew his chance to kiss her when she asked hm to.
Jeremy was nice to not just her but to everyone else. Which was why he always pleaded with her on behalf of some of the staff, on behalf of David, to help his sister, and also taking the blame for something he didn't do. She also remembered his reaction when he heard she had an accident.
"He isn't that kind of person." She said now with more resolve that made Kelvin frown.
"Wouldn't you have said the same thing about your ex boyfriend, David?" He asked with his piercing gaze on her shocked face.
"Are you... stalking me?" She stuttered.
Before he could answer, her phone beeped with a text from Leo and she quickly opened it. Her eyes widened when she saw the short message.
'Your long–haired boyfriend is at my place. He's kinda depressed.'
Jeremy? What was he doing in Leo's house? That boy was really going to kill her one day!
She stood up immediately and reached for her bag.
"Chloe–" Kelvin stood up after her and called quietly when he noticed she was about leaving.
"We just got here." He reminded her sadly.
She eyed him once before walking out on him. It was bad enough that she hated him, why did he have to badmouth Jeremy? What an idiot!
She hurried to her car and turned on the ignition, driving straight to Leo's house where Jeremy was lying on the couch with his head on the armrest as he stared blankly.
"Do you think your sister is going to come here?" Mia whispered to Leo as they both watched him from the Kitchen's door.
"She will." Leo assured her. He guessed Chloe had a soft spot for Jeremy and he was sure his guess wasn't wrong. Jeremy was so strange that even he was beginning to like him. Sighs!