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“I’m saying this because I know your schedule is insane for the next two weeks. I don’t think you’ll have an early night except maybe on Sunday.”
“I know,” he replied. “However, I do have a free night next weekend. On Saturday?”
I was immediately confused by this and started to pull out my phone to check since I wasn’t aware of this, but he held my hand once again and stopped me.
“It’s a charity event, the Alzheimer's Foundation?”
This was immensely familiar, though I hadn't yet had the time to research it. All I knew was that he attended it every year, as well as a lot of lawyers and professionals like medical doctors were present, so it was more like a business meeting than a free night. Or was it?
He soon explained.
“My parents are the hosts,” he said. “They're the ones who created the foundation, hence why my attendance is compulsory every year and why it's not strictly a business thing. I don't necessarily have to work during it if I don't want to.”
“Ah,” my head slightly lifted in understanding. “Got it. That makes sense.”
He went silent once again, but I knew he was studying me, so I waited for what he would say.
“How about you be my date that night?” he asked.
I had somewhat expected this invitation given our growing bond, but still, it was quite startling because of just how public it was, and so I couldn’t help but be a little bit alarmed and confused all at once.
“Um... people from the firm are invited, right?”
“Not everyone, but yeah, some colleagues will be there.”
“So…”
He remained calm, but I didn’t bother completing my sentence because I was sure he knew exactly what my concern was.
“You’re my secretary,” he said. “It's not unusual for you to be seen with me.”
“Actually,” I smiled. “It is. I mean, it wouldn't be unusual for me to be there at the venue, but the way you're proposing it as a date, meaning I will be by your side, that is unusual.”
We watched each other, and then thankfully, the waiter arrived with our food.
Things were getting tense and quite uncomfortable, at least for me. The ease and romance of earlier was fading, and instead, reality and its cruelty were encroaching into our little bubble, and I hated every bit of it.
Just then, however, and as though he could read my mind and the gloom that was overwhelming me, his leg underneath the table began to stroke mine. It was soft, affectionate, and when I looked back at how his eyes held a magical assurance, that things would be fine. However, I didn’t have the courage to believe him.
“Maybe I should go with George,” I offered a solution. “No one would bat an eye, and even if they did, it wouldn’t matter. Maybe it would even be for our own good as well to divert attention.”
He seemed amused at my suggestion.
“I thought you said you weren’t manipulative?” he asked.
“I’m not,” I protested back. “It’s just… I’m trying to find a way for this to work. Maybe it's best I shouldn’t even be there at all. I mean, since you're not particularly set on handling business, then is there any official need for me to be there then?”
“No official need,” he replied. “Just solely personal.”
“Alright,” I replied, strangely feeling warm at his words but yet just as dejected.
We continued with our meal, which was quite delicious, and in that way, I was slowly able to push our prior contention out of my mind.
Midway through our dinner, he spoke up. Before then, there were a lot of questions I wanted to ask him about his childhood, but once again, there was that damn wall because even though he had said he wanted to see how far this would go, I had no idea about what he was talking about.
“Why don’t we make things a little bit more personal? Officially?”
I stared at him for what had to be the umpteenth time that day—stunned. I heard him loud and clear; however, this was the one time that I had no intention under the sun in jumping to conclusions.
