《Hello! Mr. Billionaire》 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION: THE SPINSTER AND THE MATCHMAKER RITA Is it just me or it¡¯s generally difficult to find whom to spend the rest of your life with? To start with, ¡®I do not fall in love easily and now, love wouldn¡¯t just go my way because I¡¯ld never open my heart to anyone again¡¯ funny how this statement ising from ady in herte twenties yet still single. Sadly,st summer I was in a rtionship, drunk in love with Jared but this year, there¡¯s no Jared, no new partner, and no feelings for anyone. I¡¯m all by myself because Jared didn¡¯t reach out to me anymore neither have I even met him in real life. There was this dating app, ¡®LOVE-STATION¡¯ it crashed few months ago and destroyed a lot of rtionships including mine. I met Jared on Love station, chatted and dated till it was high time we met physically and take things to the next level. Perhaps, I would have been a Mrs by now but unexpectedly, the app malfunctioned and crashed abruptly, and this erased every single contact since it was all connected. I lost all contacts with Jared and my loved ones but it was easier to reach out to other loved ones because I have known them all my life;they were families and friends unlike Jared, a boyfriend whom I only just met online. Somehow, I have this strong feeling that one day Jared and I will cross-path again which makes it very difficult for me to move on or love someone else perhaps because it¡¯s more or less a rebound. I¡¯ve waited and waited for him, whereas time wants for no one yet true love wait , isn¡¯t it? However, pressure from parents and friends have hit me so hard, now I¡¯m hesitating to love again but this time, it definitely wouldn¡¯t be anonymous or on a dating tform. ¡°Aarrrgh!¡± *-* I arrived at home,te and exhausted after a very hectic day at the studio that day. My work alone makes me a jealous freak, like I see many people getting married almost every day. Today, after trying my best possible to make the bride look kinky as ever. She returned for anotheryer of Make over. Guess what happened to the pretty face I painted earlier? It was ruined while her groom was crashing her lips. E¡­ Hmm, Maybe not Eww, ¡®cos I don¡¯t know how or what it feels and taste like. ** Aww, life of a spinster. Wee to my humble abode; where everything you¡¯ll find in here is SINGLE; just one toothbrush in the bathroom, a single pillow on my giant spacious bed meant for two and FEMININE too; my dresses, handbags, shoes. Not by a mistake would you find a male belonging in my house. Haven had dinner, I threw my wearily body on the chair and rested on it for a while before pulling off all of my clothes. No need to flinch, I have the house to myself afterall. I reached out for my phonezily, here¡¯s what entertains me whenever I¡¯m bored or there¡¯s no one to chit chat with. Iid down on the couchfortably, powered on my phone and swiped through the screen randomly.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Back then, I was addicted to the app, Love station and I wouldn¡¯t wait to log in and chat with my lover. Now he¡¯s gone, back to old Kikachat, a general application for everyone and it¡¯s not even a dating app. Well, I chat with only two people here; Adams and Evelyn. They are my colleagues and my best friends probably because Imunicate with them almost everyday but unfortunately, at the moment thest time they were active online was few hours ago. I sighed; bored and tired, and I won¡¯t chat with anyone else. I scrolled and swiped up and down through the gistfeed category. But then, the first post I came across was ¨C thus; ¡® Happy First Wedding Anniversary. Do you remember how your Wedding pictures looks like? Here they are; Look at you now. Marriage changes a whole lot of things!¡± I scorned jealously but that didn¡¯t stop me from checking out the beautiful pictures though. Woah! The bride¡¯s white long gown was literally sweeping the hall floor. Oh God! When would I get to wear a wedding gown to an alter along side with a prince charming? I scrolled up ~ away from the anniversary post but there was another post about a wedding.. Thus: ¡® Happy married life Bestie, It¡¯s time to stop searching for it here and there and lucky you, You¡¯re getting it all in one¡¯ I gave the line a very nasty interpretation and scorned before checking out the pre-marraige photos taken at the beach, at a restaurant and thest picture, they were sharing salivas ~ Kissing. I didn¡¯t know I was praticalising it until my lips came in contact with the couch-throw pillow. ¡°Jeez, what am I doing?¡± I snapped at myself and threw away the pillow to the next couch. I sat upright and continued to scroll up before I get too pensive. The next post; ¡°The newly wedded Bride and Groom were caught making out in the restroom while the wedding ceremony was still going on¡± ¡°What the heck!¡± I covered my mouth,ughing out loud. Well, Maybe they just couldn¡¯t wait for it. Wait a minute¡­ What¡¯s happening? Why is every post I scroll across about Weddings? Wedding here and there. I screamed after I scrolled to the forth post and noticed it¡¯s also saying some thing about a Bride and Groom. Then I suddenly remembered I intentionally followed a group yesterday. The group name is ¡°Find A Partner & Get Married¡± Yeah, I joined the group intentionally but it¡¯s not like I joined the group with any intention. My Mom called yesterday, swore, yak and yelled at me ¨C saying there can¡¯t be two olddies bearing samest name. I must have been so frustrated to have joined the group.¡±FIND A PARTNER & GET MARRIED¡± I sighed ¡°But this isn¡¯t what I want¡± This wedding and marriage epistles are only fueling up the frustration. ¡°I gotta unfollow the group right now!¡± I snarled. A message notification popped in just when I was about to click on the ¡®Leave group¡¯ icon. ¡°Oh yes finally, Evelyn or Adam is here¡± I anxiously clicked on the chat icon to reply the message but surprisingly the message was neither from Evelyn nor Adam. ¡°Who¡¯s this woman?¡± I wondered, peering my eyes at the screen trying to view her profile and biography. J Johnson ~ That¡¯s her name and I would have ignored if it were a guy, Irepeat never again will I ever, everinvolve myself in any online conversation with unfamiliar guys because somehow it might end up leading to a romantic one then boils down to prove avail like what happened between Jared and I. ~£¾¡±Aren¡¯t you gonna give me a reply, you¡¯ve already seen my message¡± Another message from J Johnson popped in and I sighed and said aloud: ¡°Alright, Alright¡± What audacity! ~£¾¡±Hello dear¡± I replied ~£¾¡±How are you and how was your day? ¡± She responded almost immediately. My day was actually very stressful but I shouldn¡¯t say that to her because she might then ask why it was stressful, what I do for a living and I might ended up telling her all about myself without knowing her too well. ~£¾¡±My day was fine. Thanks¡± I replied with simplicity. ~£¾¡±My name is J¡± She introduced herself. ~£¾¡±Rita¡± I sent, uninterested. Well ain¡¯t good at chatting with strangers. ~£¾¡±Miss Rita or Mrs Rita or just Rita? ¡± She asked and I begin to wonder if she¡¯s someone close to me or someone who knows me, sent her to me. I red at the message thinking of what answer to give her, a lie or the in Truth? ~£¾¡±Anyways, I¡¯m Mrs Johnson and my maiden name is J. I¡¯m married with four kids and to a loving husband¡± She sent this and I scorned enviously; her photos looks young and she was ying like ady but she¡¯s married even her short introduction sounded truly like an old woman. ¡®Yen yen yen! I¡¯m married with four kids¡¯, I mimicked as if I could hear her voice. What¡¯s my business with that? Who cares, why is she telling me? Ugh! I snubbed her message but she sent another. ~£¾¡±Well, I¡¯m a member of the group ¡®FAP&GM''¡± ~£¾¡±What¡¯s FAP&GM? ¡± I curiously asked. ~£¾¡± Find A Partner & Get Married¡± Oh! That annoying group I recently joined and it¡¯s bringing me videos and photos of newly wedded couple. ~£¾¡±So are you married? ¡± J Johnson asked me. Questions like this freaks me out and aside that it hurts me emotionally, does my uploaded pictures looks like I¡¯m married or do I look old already? Seriously. I huffed and made a little dy before responding with a sharp capital lettered; ~£¾¡±NO¡± ~£¾¡±Oh¡± She responded immediately. Wait a minute, why does she respond quickly to my messages? Am I the only one she¡¯s chatting with right now? I rolled my eyes and dropped my phone on the couch non-chantly but I had to pick it up instantly ¡®cos it beeped again. ~£¾¡±Well, next year I¡¯ll be celebrating my 20th year in my sweet marriage¡± J Johnson sent. ¡°Oh well, Good for you. It¡¯s none of my business. Stay with your husband and take good care of your four children. End of story¡± I said aloud, I was so pissed off. I really wish I could type it down that way too and send it to her but you know, uhm sometimes, one has to be polite. ~£¾¡±Okay¡± That¡¯s all I could type back. ~£¾¡±Don¡¯t you think we need to know much more about ourselves. Like; why aren¡¯t you married? Your pictures don¡¯t look under twenty. So what¡¯s stopping you? ¡± She inquired, she sounded like my mother. Geez. ~£¾¡±My very own private reasons!¡± I responded abit rude. ~£¾¡±Oh really? Just so you know and you can check if you want to. I¡¯m in charge of FAP&GM group. That¡¯s simply because; I¡¯m a matchmaker, I can help you find Mr Right wherever he is, Like I¡¯ve just said ¡­ Neen years in marriage, I know much more about Love than Google or Wikipedia. Also, I can bring back together two separated lovers. So by the way, do you already have a lover, perhaps there¡¯s an issue between both of you and it¡¯s probably what¡¯s stopping you from getting married. Tell me¡± J sent. My eyes remained bulged as I read the long text. Didn¡¯t I just tell her that It was private. Seriously! What¡¯s with this girl? Woman, Olddy¡­ whatever. I don¡¯t even know her. She¡¯s tryna force words outta my mouth. She¡¯s tryna make me tell her about my love life in a long-note form. I don¡¯t care about how long she has been married or how good she is when ites to the Subject LOVE. All I know is that It¡¯s none of her business and she¡¯s only trying to Poke nose. ~£¾¡±Well, right now I¡¯m feeling so tired and sleepy¡± I lied. ~£¾¡±Good night¡± I included with a-feeling-sleepy Sticker. ~£¾¡±Good night Rita, nice chatting with you, We¡¯ll continue from where we stopped at, tomorrow. Have a sweet night rest¡± She said. I swear! I¡¯m not gonna reply thatst text neither will I chat with her tomorrow or ever again. Instead, I checked up on Evelyn once again yet she wasn¡¯t active. By the way, what¡¯s with she and Adam? Also, they¡¯ve been acting suspiciously at worktely. I was still bored and I wanted a friend to chat with, not J Johnson and not someone new. I decided to just continue scrolling through the Gistfeed till Adam and Evelyn are back online but then my eyes caught something. J Johnson was typing. Oh For crying out loud; no no no, not again. I turned off mywork signal connection instantly, powered off my phone and threw it on the next couch. Free me please. Who the hell is J Johnson? *-*-*-*-*-*-* To Be Continued Chapter 2 A SECRET ADMIRER Rita I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep on the couch the previous night. As I slowly opened my sleepy eyes and my nce stopped exactly at the mini wall clock. ¡± Christ! ¡± I eximed and jumped up immediately. 10:25 am? How can it be 10:25am already? when I¡¯m supposed to be at work by 9am unfailingly. ¡°Oh My God!¡± I stood up, confused on what to do first.. Was it to run into the bathroom or to quickly make my breakfast? I rushed into the bathroom, pulled off my undies and littered them on the floor. Life of a lonely spinster, I¡¯m careless with my undies and panties. No guy will visit is a key assurance. * Immediately I ran out of the bathroom hurriedly, I wore a simple outfit -a baggy blouse and a somewhat loose knee short after all, my job does not require an elegant or gorgeous dressing and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m having a date with a boyfriend. * I ran into Beauty and Cosmesticpany. It¡¯s a bigpany which deals with import and exchange of facial care products to younger industries. And there¡¯s a small studio department where I work situatedright before entering into the main offices where paper work andputer works are done. It¡¯s a little tad bit unfortunate that I do not work at the ssy office but a mere make up artist, etcetere in a small section. ¡°Hey! Calm down Rita¡± I bumped into Evelyn at the entrance. Like I said, Adam and Evelyn are my colleagues, we work at the small department. Adam works at the male section, ~ to curl, perm, trim or dye guys¡¯ hair or eyebrows etcetere whichever way they want it. Guys also have their own make over and a special way to look more handsome too. ¡°Oh Goodness!¡± I was breathing too fast because I¡¯ve been running ever since I alighted from the cab. ¡°Rx¡± She patted my shoulder and giggled. ¡°You¡¯re lucky Mrs keston is not around,¡± She led the way. Mrs keston is the owner of the studio, she is the managing director and she¡¯s a no nonsense one at that. I sighed again but this time, it was a heave of relief. Mrs keston is so mean, she treats us like we¡¯re under 18 and anyone bold enough to confront her or dares not to follow the stupidpany rules is surely ready to lose his or her sry. ¡°So why did youe to workte today, it¡¯s not as if you¡¯ve got a man who doesn¡¯t want you to leave him. ¡± Evelyn teased me and I rolled my eyes at her. She¡¯s so fond of disturbing me to get a man ~ just like my parents. ¡°You know what Rita, A man won¡¯t walk up to you when you are dressed like this. Baggy and not sexy. Duh,¡± Evelyn stood in front of me and essed what I was putting on. She shook her head disappointedly. ¡°Seriously Evelyn! It¡¯s not like guys don¡¯te my way. I don¡¯t feel a thing for every single one of them. How many times do I have to tell you? Oh please Evelyn, It¡¯s still early and I just came in and you¡¯re already talking about men. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I shunned. ¡°Allow me have this life-changing conversation with you¡± She scorned. ¡°We¡¯ve been having this same conversation every single day, every time!¡± I fired back at her. ¡°Well, We¡¯re not done ¡®cos it hasn¡¯t changed anything yet¡± She said. ¡°Evelyn, you seem to be forgetting that I¡¯m way older than you¡± I said having a tone of maturity in my voice. ¡°Right! Onlyfive years older than me. You don¡¯t even have a man friend and I already do have a boyfriend¡­.!¡± She said then paused instantly: ¡°Oops. Let¡­ Let¡¯s just go to our seats¡± She suddenly stammered and walked ahead of me. ¡°Oh really?¡± I obstructed her way and stopped her from diverting away from the topic. Good thing, She brought it up in the first ce. ¡°You are seeing someone? Who is he?¡± I knew she was gonna say something when her cheeks turned red and she began to blush heavily. ¡°I think I¡¯m so shy right now¡± She flushed. ¡°Oh well, you weren¡¯t shy when you were bbing just now¡± She rolled her eyeball then said: ¡°Adam¡± ¡°What about him?¡± I asked her, confused. ¡°It¡¯s Adam, he asked me to be his girlfriend now thenter his fianc¨¦ and sometimes in the future, I¡¯ll be his wife. That was how he proposed to me yesterday ¡± Evelyn crowed. ¡°Oh my God! So you two had a thing for each other and I never noticed? ¡± I said even though I have suspected something fishy between themtely. ¡°Well, I¡¯m so happy for you¡± I hugged her sincerely. ¡°So back to you Rita, are you ready to find real love?¡± Evelyn resumed her love sermon. I rolled my eyes and hissed. I¡¯m trying to; Love doesn¡¯t just go my way. ¡°Stop speaking to me like you¡¯re older Evelyn!¡± Now I tried to change the topic. ¡°Sorry¡± She grumbled. ¡°Hmmm, alright¡± I arranged the littered make over equipments into their various cases and bags. ¡°So Adam and I went on our first datest night. It was a sweet long night¡± ¡°Uhm. I see the reason why you both weren¡¯t active on kikachatst night¡± I responded. ¡°Oh sorry about that, I know your single-ass was so boredst night¡± Evelyn said and I hissed. ¡°Could you please cover up for me? I heard from the receptionist that Mrs keston wouldn¡¯t be around throughout today and I¡­ I really want to spend the whole day with Adam¡± I smirked jealously.. ¡°Uh, I was thinking of spending the whole day here with you but of course, you cane over to my side instead; every wish way¡± Adam overheard as he walked towards us. ¡°Oh! There you are darling¡± Evelyn ran towards him, gave Adam a tight hug and a mushy kiss on his cheek. They intertwined arms and stood right in front of me like I¡¯m a parent, waiting to grant them the permission to go out together. ¡°Oh my God, you two look sopatible. Just go, have fun¡±Of course, permission granted. ¡°Before you even say¡± Evelyn responded rudely and I rolled my eyes. ¡°However, what I meant by cover up for me includes helping me attend to my clients¡± ¡°You want me to do your work for you too?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°You can just send the clients away then, thepany¡¯s loss not mine¡±Evelyn replied and Adamughed. ¡°Bet it, I¡¯m gonna make you run down here like cindere who left her prince charming in the middle of the night¡± I pulled her legs. I watched the two young lovers walk away humorously. I smiled. Although Evelyn can be so annoying but she has this interesting vibe that I cannot resist. I thought of what being in a rtionship with someone you love felt like. I really wanna experience this feeling of love again, I want this lovey dovey stuff too. I huffed, feeling lonely but I quickly snapped out of it by shoving out my cell-phone and a pair of earpieces. Thrusted in the earpieces into my phone and began to listen to some cool music instead. This helped to kill boredom and all these lonely thoughts while I awaited the arrival of customers. ¡°Hmmmn, melodious!¡± I hummed the song, nodding my head, vibing to the soft rythming tune. I wanted to click on the Kikachat app but I suddenly rememberst night conversation with a total stranger. She probably must have sent me a lot of messages; J or whatever her name is. Never have I ever met a nosy old woman before, Ugh! I red at my phone screen instead, doing absolutely nothing but enjoying the music ying from it. ¡°Hey, Hello¡± I heard a muscr voice only after he removed one earpiece outta my left ear. ¡°Oh sorry?¡± I said to him. ¡°I had to do it since you didn¡¯t hear me call you several times¡± He said referring to the action he just did~(Removed my earpiece) ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± I said, removing the other one from my right ear and pausing the music. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a new customer here and I do not seem to get where¡¯s the male saloon department¡± He said. ¡°Oh, just follow the stairs right there¡± I pointed at a corner where there was a staircase. ¡°Okay. Thanks I¡¯ll do just that¡± He said and then began to walk away. I watched him only to make sure he¡¯s going the right away . Just after he took some steps, he suddenly stopped walking and turned to look at me. He smiled widely, I wondered why. ¡°Your earpiece, continue with the music¡± He gesticted. ¡°Oh!¡± I nodded awkwardly and stopped ring at him. But through the corner of my eyes, I could still see him staring at me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He better not be falling for me at first sight ¡®cos that¡¯s what men says. Jared still upied my heart, it¡¯s really not easy to totally forget my first love. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 3 OKAY, I¡¯LL GIVE LOVE ANOTHER TRIAL Rita¡¯s POV There¡¯s never ever a free day. There were many clients to attend to, and as usual it was tiring especially because Evelyn is not here to assit me. ¡°Oh My God!!!¡± I stretched my hands wearily after attending to thest client. Now they have stopped trooping in and I really needed a short break before another persones in. I sighed heavily and rested my head on the desk. Earlier, I just did a full m make over for a young girl who must be barely twenty and she was about to have a court wedding photoshoot. Why is everyone getting married every day? Ugh! I cringed as I thought of my age which further made me to think of menopause. Gosh! I¡¯m not getting there anytime soon. I shook my head like I could shake off the ugly thoughts too. I checked the digital clock on my phone home screen, it was high time to have lunch yet Evelyn and her boyfriend aren¡¯t back. I shook my head, looking lightly miffed because we three are meant to go to the cafeteria together. I clicked on the Kikachat social app. ¡°Whenever they are together, they would never be online. Then why did we create a friendship group?¡± I smirked jealously. I notice I had few new messages from J Johnson, the so called matchmaker. ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna check that!¡± I ignored it and turned off the power button. ¡°Hey there!¡± I heard a familiar voice. It was the guy I directed to the male section earlier. ¡°Hi, nice haircut¡± Iplimented nicely. ¡°Thank you. I mean, this studio is just the best¡± He appreciated. ¡°Yeah, sure. You look different, I almost didn¡¯t recognize you¡± I told him. ¡°Oh really? The hairstylist must have done a great job then¡± He replied. ¡°Our pleasure. Please do visit this studio again and invite your friends¡± I said. I didn¡¯t really mean any of these words, I¡¯m only trying to be a good worker, ugh! It¡¯s not like Mrs keston will pay me extra for that. He smiled widely and stared at me, instead of heading out. I faked a smile back though. ¡°So I¡¯ll get going¡± He said. Please do already. Yet he continued staring and smiling while he walked away. ¡°Ugh! Weird! Very weird a guy¡± I uttered when he was beyond my sight. My stomach rumbled, ¡°Arrgh! I better get something to eat¡±Just when I got on my feet. ¡°Hey Rita!¡± Adam and Evelyn. ¡°Speak of the devil¡± I faked a frown. I pretended to be very upset with them. ¡°You missed our presence obviously¡± Evelyn said smiling. ¡°You missed our presence obviously¡± I mimicked with an ugly expression and theyughed. ¡°We had fun¡± Adam said. ¡°Adams is so lovely¡± Evelyn boasted as she threw her arm over his neck and gave him a peck on his cheek. ¡°You guys are so cute together¡± Imented and blushed foolishly but sincerely, I¡¯m happy for them. ¡°I know right¡± Evelyn said. ¡± I knew right from the first day I met you that we¡¯repatible¡± Adams made her blush and I wished I had someone to say words like that to me. ¡°Anyways guys, it¡¯s time for lunch¡± I cut in sharply, disrupting their supposed sweet moment. ¡°And I am so hungry, I cannot wait any longer¡± I thought they felt the same way. ¡°Err¡­.¡± Evelyn stuttered. ¡°Errr what? Are you guys not hungry?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve been to the restaurant and we¡¯ve eaten to our satisfaction¡± Adam said. ¡°Sly! Now I really do feel dejected by my so called friends¡± I rolled my eyes and hissed. ¡°We brought you lunch too¡± Adam said when I was just about to walk away. ¡°Sorry, we should have said this earlier¡± He added. ¡°Yeah, you should have¡± I almost snatched the meal from him. ¡°Okay so, you were angry just now. I saw a look on your face that you wished you weren¡¯t single¡± Evelyn said. ¡°There you go again Evelyn. I wore a nk look, I was just hungry and angry that my friends are now leaving me out of their businesses just because they have turned lovers¡± I told her and began to devour. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would do worst once you have a lover too¡± Evelyn shipped in ¡°You seemed like someone who would love hard¡± ¡°Evelyn, must we always discuss the topic love, men, rtionship?¡± I barked at her ¡°Love, men, rtionship!!!¡± I repeated. ¡°We must!¡± ¡°No. Or maybe yes you are right but it doesn¡¯t have to be all the time okay?¡±I warned with a dead serious tone. ¡°It has to be all the time Rita¡±She insisted. I smirked and ignored her troubles. ¡°Confide in me Rita, do you like girls?¡± ¡°Hell no Evelyn¡± I flinched. She was about to say something again but I had to interrupt her, I¡¯m sincerely fed up of her. ¡°Let me eat in peace Evelyn, I don¡¯t wanna choke¡± I almost screamed at her. We have forgotten Adam¡¯s presence or maybe he just left us the chance for wedies tomunicate all we wanted. ¡°Who is he? Why is he staring at you?¡± Adams suddenly uttered. ¡°Who?¡± Evelyn and I asked simultaneously. ¡°You. He was peeping at Rita¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I mean who¡¯s the person?¡± I asked with my mouthful. ¡°He was standing over there but he already left¡± Adam said. We looked around. ¡°Are you expecting anyone?¡± Evelyn asked me. ¡°Not at all, maybe you got the wrong idea, he probably wasn¡¯t staring at me¡± I said inattentively as I continued eating till I was done. ¡°You know what Rita, you gotta flirt with some guys, give every guy a chance and stop looking for true love! stop tryna to fall in love before giving a guy a chance¡± Evelyn urged. I rolled my eyes. I¡¯m trying really hard not to say a word to her if it concerns this love topic. ¡°Whenst did your momma call you?¡± She probed further. ¡°Well, days ago¡± I replied as I poured out a ss of water to drink. ¡°Then i should be the one to frustrate you to get into a rtionship¡± Evelyn remarked. ¡°Stop it already Evelyn, Fine I would date just one random guy and settle down with him, happy now?¡± I snapped at her. I didn¡¯t mean what I just said though. However, she and her boyfriend, Adamughed hysterically but I ignored them and picked up my phone because it beeped. ¡°What???¡± I screamed mere looking at the phone screen. ¡°What??¡± My friends are funny and dramatic, they screamed too without even knowing why I screamed. ¡°Okay just what is it?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Lottery?? Free Tickets?? What? Why did you scream?¡± Evelyn questioned ¡°51 messages¡± ¡°52¡± I said when another one came in. I wiped my eyes to confirm if I could see well. What the hell does this woman want from me? ¡°Just messages? Is that why you screamed??¡± ¡°52 messages from an unknown, someone is after me I swear¡± I said and showed them the phone. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know her¡­ First, she sent me a message yesterday and she acted too clingy like she physically knows me well¡± I tried to exin to them. ¡°Oh wait, she¡¯s an old woman¡­¡± Evelyn collected my phone from me and skimmed through the chat. ¡°She said she¡¯s married with four kids¡± I told them but they scrolled through and read the conversation. ¡°Oh wait, you finally joined the group FAP&GM, Find A Partner And Get Married ¡± She found out. Oh shit! Jeez, she saw that. ¡°It¡¯s not like I badly wanna get a partner¡± I fired. ¡°Give me back my phone¡± I struggled to collect it from her and she chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t judge you. But why is the so called Mrs J Johnson doing this?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s indeed a heaven-sent matchmaker¡± Adam added. ¡°No, no, you are supposed to look at it from the wrong aspect. She¡¯s suspicious. Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s pestering me and literally forcing me to do what I don¡¯t wanna do. Mrs J Johnson is after my life!¡± ¡°No Rita. I think she¡¯s just trying to help¡± Adam said. ¡°Forcefully¡± I added. ¡°And I never seek for her help¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s where everything goes wrong¡± ¡°I clearly told her I¡¯m not interested yesterday. I don¡¯t want her help. Why is it so hard for her to understand that.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t ignore her yet, let¡¯s see what she¡¯s up to. She might eventually help you ge ¡­¡± I knew exactly what Evelyn was about to spew so I interrupted her. ¡°The love of my life¡± we said simultaneously. Like I knew that ~ that what she wanna say. ¡°Hmmn what else?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Sometimes Rita, you act like you are ready to have a lover and sometimes, you just avoid men¡± I smirked; ¡°I pretend I¡¯m ready to be someone because you and mom won¡¯t stop discussing about it¡± ¡°Shii, we¡¯re done!¡± I cut her off when she wanted to keep the conversation going. ¡°Excuse me guys, it¡¯s work¡¯ o clock¡± Adam took his leave. ¡°Do you perhaps know the why Mrs keston is absent today? It¡¯s unusual you know¡± I asked Evelyn. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll probably tell us the reason tomorrow¡± She said and picked up my own phone from the table. ¡°If I may ask, what do you wanna do?¡± I inquired. ¡°Hmmn hold on, I wanna skim through your chat with the unknown J Johnson and see what she really wants¡± ¡°Oh please, why are you bringing her up again?¡± I queried but she ignored me and checked my phone with so much keen. ¡°Hmmn¡± She hummed after a while. ¡°Hmmmn? Hmmn what?¡± ¡°Nothing. I think I¡¯m done¡± She dropped the phone and took a deep sigh. ¡°Did you observe anything? What is it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Hmmmn, nothing. I just think she¡¯s legit¡± ¡°Legit how? How do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, J Johnson is only being real and helpful to you. There¡¯s nothing to be suspicious about. I just checked now, she¡¯s an admin on FAP&GM and other rted group, through herments, replies and posts.. I think she¡¯s a true matchmaker¡± Evelyn said and I nodded sarcastically. ¡°So within only few minutes you checked my phone, you already observed all this?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Anyways, Thank you¡± I said sheepishly. ¡°Is that the only thing you¡¯re gonna say?¡± ¡°What else? Am I supposed to start dancing too?¡± ¡°No honey, tell me you¡¯re gonna change, give Love a trial and whenever she eventually match makes you with someone, open up your heart¡± Evelyn gestictes. I scoffed: ¡°Look Evelyn, you and I know it¡¯s difficult for me to fall in love with someone I¡¯ve known for years, even with someone I¡¯ve physically met and been seeing always. Do you expect me to just fall in love with someone I¡¯ve not even met or seen or someone I¡¯m gonna meet for the very first time if this so called J Johnson the matchmaker finds me someone?¡± I said. ¡°She dare not do such¡± I scorned. ¡°Hmmn, you¡¯ve got a point but with what you¡¯ve just spew out, I think you¡¯re not ready to give your heart to someone. I think you are the problem¡± she pronounced You-Are-The-Problem one by one. ¡°Oh please Evelyn¡± ¡°Of course, see you¡¯ve already concluded that it¡¯s impossible for you to fall in love with whoever you get match made with¡± Evelyn spoke like she were my mother. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Come to think of it, you¡¯ve never fallen in love before even when you¡¯ve met s many guys, seen handsome and adorable men that wants to date you. Perhaps you¡¯re destined to fall hard in love with someone who would suddenly show up, out of the blues or what if the one whom you are meant to fall in love with should be anonymous for the meantime ¡­¡± ¡°Duh¡± I cut in whereas the line ¡®Maybe I¡¯m destined to fall in love with someone anonymous¡¯ hit me so hard. She and Adam aren¡¯t even aware that I dated someone on Love Station. ¡°Adams might be right, like he said earlier Mrs J Johnson is probably a heavenly-sent matchmaker to help you¡± I feel a hint of seriousness in the way she spoke. ¡°Okay, enough¡± I murmured. ¡°Are you ready to give love a trial this time now?¡± She said and I was mute. ¡°Come on, give every guy a chance. Even¡­ even if you don¡¯t know who he is. We¡¯re old enough to tell who¡¯s dangerous and who¡¯s not..¡± She paused and smiled; ¡°And maybe if you find Mr Left, drag him to the right. It¡¯s as easy as that¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly¡± I giggled. ¡°I¡¯m serious¡± She added. ¡°Okay, Okay¡± I said as I was indeed already getting ufortable because Evelyn was right anyways. She is such a sensible but very silly friend. Alright, I think it¡¯s high time to leave this single life. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 4 HELLO ZANE Rita¡¯s POV Evelyn uttered real sense and the serious discussion we had really hit me hard on the exact right spot. Plus, seeing her and Adams flirting, ying like the two love-birds which they newly were; pecking and kissing publicly, intertwined their fingers and interlocked arms, called themselves romantic names has made me wanna have a man to do all these things with. I need to experience what it feels like. I walked alone to the bus stop, sat and waited for the bus to arrive. It could have been Evelyn and I, going home together but nope, she chose rtionship over friendship. ¡°Could you please move to the next seat?¡± A muscr voice said; ¡± Please¡± He added and I adjusted to the other end before looking up to see who it was. ¡°You..¡± I pointed, trying to recall where I must have met him. ¡°Thedy from Beauty and Cosmetic¡± The guy recongized me right away. ¡°Oh yeah you!!¡± It was the guy who came to the saloon and didn¡¯t know his way to the male section. That weird guy. ¡°You must have had a stressful day at work and you¡¯re heading home now right?¡± He said obviously trying to start a conversation with me. ¡°Yeah¡± I said with an uninterested look. ¡°Finn, i¡¯m Finn¡± He said, intending for an handshake. ¡°Rita¡± I said and shook hands with him. ¡°Beautiful name¡± Heplimented. ¡°Thank you¡± Just then, the bus I was expecting came and I got up immediately. ¡°My bus is here¡± I told him. ¡°Oh, I can see that¡± He stood up too but watch me board the bus instead. I thought he would follow me because only those who sat at that bus stop are expecting the same bus but he didn¡¯t enter, Maybe this is not his bus, probably the next. I got in and looked through the window and saw him wave at me. I only smiled, I didn¡¯t wave back. You know, it¡¯s dangerous when strangers are tryna to be friendly. ** ¡°Ew, Ew¡­ ¡± I squinched when I got home only to find a littered room just because I was in a hurry this morning. I bent down and picked up every pieces. ¡°What if I came home with friends¡­¡± I muttered. Yeah, although my key assurance is; ¡®There¡¯s no guy to pay me a visit¡¯ but what if I came home with Evelyn and Adam or what if I came home with someone who likes me, or a sudden boyfriend. Ugh! If I had a boyfriend, I won¡¯t keep my room littered like this and I¡¯m probably gonna behave more Girly. I stood still for a while, remincising on everything Evelyn told me today. I¡¯m not getting any younger, I need someone to spend the rest of my life too with. I took a deep breathe to subside my pounding heart. I decided to keep that aside as I began to tidy up my small apartment before I went ahead to freshen up then rushed into the kitchen to cook Dinner for One. Just Me. My phone rang while I was waiting for the meal to be ready. It was my mom. ¡± Oh Mom¡± I stared at the ringing phone for a minute, wondering if she has called to provoke me again before I eventually picked it up. ¡°Hello Mommy¡± I said into it. ¡°Hello dear, how are you?¡± ¡°Huh fine and how was your day?¡± I asked her, as I moved from the kitchen to the room. ¡°It was pretty cool. And yours?¡± ¡°Mine was hectic, Gosh! I can¡¯t wait be a boss or maybe find myself on a higher level¡± I told her. Of course, I envy those workers at the office part of thepany. They are literally not doing anything practical and stressful. ¡°Better still, I wanna be independent¡± ¡°If you wanna be independent, you gotta start from somewhere you know?¡± She said. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked then immediately got her point. ¡°Oh¡± I mouthed. ¡°How are your friends since you¡¯ve got no man for me to ask after?¡± My mom said. ¡°Oh please Mom, stop it. I¡¯m really not in the mood at all¡± I said in a serious tone. I already had this same conversation with Evelyn today and now, my mom. ¡°What about your friends? Evelyn and Adam. I¡¯m asking after Adam most especially, how is he?¡± She asked. ¡°Adam¡¯s fine¡± I scorned Ugh! she really thinks Adam and I will be a thing eventually. Seriously. ¡°And that reminds me Mommy¡± Adam and Evelyn¡¯s new rtionship. ¡°What¡¯s that darling? I¡¯m all Ears¡­ I¡¯m eager to hear the great news¡± ¡°Really? How do you know what I¡¯m about to tell you is a great news. Well it actually is¡± I smiled like she could see me. ¡°Gist me already Rita!¡± ¡°Adam And Evelyn are now a thing¡± I bursted. ¡°A thing? Like? I don¡¯t get it? Objects?¡± My mom pretended not to understand. I scoffed and rolled my eyes as if she could see me. Why would she think I might like Adam or he might like me. Yeah, she once said there¡¯s no way a guy can be in a clique of mostly female without one of them falling for the guy or vice versa. I know she was indirectly matchmaking Adam and I. ¡°Mommy, Adam and Evelyn are now dating! And I¡¯m so happy for them¡± I said. ¡°Hmmn I see¡± She just said, now sounding so low and despondent. ¡°What mom?¡± ¡°Nothing, anyways I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy. My regards to Evelyn and Adams. They aren¡¯t kids and they made the right choice¡± My mom replied coldly. ¡°Yeah.. yeah¡± I said then I found out where she¡¯s headed We were quiet for a moment. ¡°Errm Mommy.. Are you there?¡± I asked.. I don¡¯t know why I feel guilty now. Of course I should be. My mom is not happy with me because, I have no one yet to call my husband or fiancee or at least, man or boyfriend whatever. ¡°Good night Rita, sleep tight. Once again, my regards to your friends¡± I could sense mixed feeling of sadness and anger in the way she spoke. ¡°Oh mom, don¡¯t act like this towards me.. guess what I promise this time¡­¡± She hung up the call before Ipleted my statement. Geez. She won¡¯t even hear me out. I was gonna tell her about my new decision. I sighed.. I walked back to the kitchen to dish out my meal.. * I shoved out my phone as I started to eat slowly. A message came in, whoever the person was ¨C is so lucky because he or she sent a message to me at the right time I just came online; as if he or she has been waiting for my arrival. Who is this person? I checked the person¡¯s biography, Okay now it¡¯s a guy this time. His pictures weren¡¯t even uploaded yet. I returned to his message which was. ~£¾¡±Hello Damsel¡± Duh, he doesn¡¯t even know if I¡¯m an actual Damsel or not. ~£¾¡±Hi¡± I replied back. tryna not to be rude. ~£¾¡±May I know who I¡¯m chatting with?¡± I sent along, almost insolently. ~£¾¡±I¡¯m From FAP And GM group¡± Not again! Oh God what have I gotten myself into. Another message from a member of that group. Maybe this one hase to tell me that he is a seer. ~£¾¡±Actually J Johnson introduced me to you¡± He added. What? Why would she do that? I made it clear to her that I¡¯m not interested. ~£¾¡±J Johnson told me that you are interested in meeting someone then see how it goes like if it may work out.. I promise you won¡¯t regret having me in your DM¡± He sent again and I smirked. J Johnson or whatever her name is must be crazy! I rushed back to click on our chat conversation to use and send words that she would never ever forget and make her regret what she just did but to my greatest surprise, I saw a message from me to her; I was actually the one that requested that she should find me a partner. I mean when did I ever send this message to her? No matter how badly I want a guy, I don¡¯t have the guts to make that request from a total stranger. Evelyn! It was definitely Evelyn! I sighed in distress. It was when she collected my phone earlier at work today. Holy shit! ~£¾¡±Hello Damsel, are you there?¡± The strange guy sent another message. ~£¾¡±No¡± A mistake. ~£¾¡±I mean, Yeah¡± I sent. ~£¾¡±I forgot that I made such request to J Johnson¡± I lied, ufortably. ~£¾¡±Oh I see, well it should be the same reason you joined FAP and GM¡­ To meet someone¡± He sent. How smart of him. Duh ~£¾¡±You are Rita, what a nice name you¡¯ve got¡± He sent another message. Seems like he was already interested in me already not considering the fact we barely know each other. ~£¾¡±Thank you¡± I sent back. I ought to snub him or rather block his ass like I¡¯ve always did to other guys but I promised Evelyn to give every guy a chance. Wait what? She knew what she has done ahead and that¡¯s why she did a great job convincing me. ~£¾¡±And I¡¯m Zane¡± He introduced himself. ~£¾¡±Nice chatting with you Zane¡± I sent. ~£¾¡±We are yet to have a good chat¡­ we have only just introduced ourselves¡± He said then further the conversation. ~£¾¡±So what are you into?¡± He asked. ~£¾¡±I work at apany that deals with Beauty and Cosmetics¡± I answered reluctantly. ~£¾¡±That¡¯s a great one¡± ~£¾¡±What about you?¡± I asked too, Isn¡¯t that how to keep a conversation going? ~£¾¡±Uhm well, I won¡¯t say I have an exact Job or upation. Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m multi-upied.. you¡¯ld get to understand thatter¡± He sent. I ate my food slowly as I stared at the message. I¡¯m really not interested in him. He was a total stranger! and this¡¯s absolutely not safe, I¡¯d better learn from my experience with Jared. ~£¾¡±Hello Rita?¡± He sent another message when I didn¡¯t reply back. ~£¾¡±Dozing? About to sleep now?¡± He inquired. ~£¾¡±Yes please.¡± I sent. ~£¾¡±Oh dear, that¡¯s really fast. I guess we¡¯ll get to know ourselves better tomorrow. Good night and sweet dreams dear¡± He sent. ~£¾¡±Yeah, good night Zane¡± I replied non- chantly..Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ************ To Be Continued Chapter 5 ZANE, MY INTERNET BOYFRIEND Rita¡¯s POV Practically, I¡¯m literally starting a new life today. And to start with, i¡¯m gonna stop doing some things and start some new things. Geez! I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯m kinda eager to find a partner, all of a sudden. Let¡¯s see how it goes, how long it wouldst and if it¡¯ll make me happy as! I woke up very early that day, quickly engaged in some simple domestic chores which didn¡¯t take much of my time because I have the whole small house to myself. I searched for and jostled out a really nice outfit out of my wardrobe, with a matching pretty footwear. I¡¯m fashion conscious but these days I¡¯ve been less concerned about whatever I put on simply because I have this sort of mentality that there¡¯s no guy out there to wear a dress to kill for. But today I say Bye- bye to that mindset. I blsuhed secretly when I realised that my mode of dressing has captivated men¡¯s attention. Gosh! When and why did I start thinking about guys? Yet I won¡¯t give them a minute to talk to me. Ain¡¯t being too pompous or full of myself instead I see them as strangers. I¡¯d choose Friends to lovers rather than strangers to lovers. Bute to think of it, I prefer friends to lovers but I¡¯ve got no friends other than Evelyn and Adam. epted, I have to meet and mingle with people, Strangers. Several thoughts ran through my head as I tried to fight off the old mentality. * Thank goodness I arrived at the office earlier than yesterday. Haven exchanged pleasentaries perfunctorily with some colleagues, I looked around forr Evelyn because she arrives at thepany before me. Talk of the devil, Evelyn walked in. ¡°I guessed right, I actually saw you alighted from a cab but since I wasn¡¯t so sure. So I didn¡¯t wanna yell out your name¡± Evelyn said as she walked closer and gave me a greeting peck. ¡°We were gonna meet here anyways.¡± I responded. ¡°You don¡¯t need to embarrass yourself out there by yelling out my name¡± ¡°Oh another stressful day.¡± She sighed and took a seat. ¡°Good morning Rita¡± She added. ¡°Good morning to you too¡± And I suddenly remembered what she did yesterday. ¡°And Evelyn what have you done?¡± I screamed at her. ¡°What have I done? Like what? How? I don¡¯t understand¡± She pretended. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± I imitated her with an ugly expression. ¡°You told J Johnson to hook me up with a guy!¡± I fired. ¡°Well that¡¯s not a bad one, I was only helping as a friend¡± She said, ignoring the fact that I was mad at what she did. I stared at her, waiting for her to at least apologize or give me better reasons why she did that. ¡°So how did it go with the guy she introduced you to?¡± Evelyn asked me instead. I rolled my eyes.. ¡°Jokes on you, It will never go well¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you ignored him?¡± I snubbed her and sat properly ¡°I didn¡¯t, but sure I will, soon¡± ¡°C¡¯mon Rita¡­¡± Just then my phone rang, it showed an unknown number yet I slid to the receiver anyways because it could be someone important or an urgent call. ¡°Good morning, You¡¯re speaking with Rita Martinez, please who is this and how may I help you?¡± I spoke in a polite and official manner. £¼£¾¡±Oh Goodness, I got the right number. Hello Rita¡± An unfamiliar muscr voice. ¡°Hmmn Hi, please who am I into?¡± I asked again. £¼£¾¡±Zane¡± Now the name sounds familiar. £¼£¾¡±From Kikachat. Hello? remember me? From J Johnson?¡± He added when I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Oh¡± I shot a re at Evelyn. Yeah it was all her fault. She caused all this. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± She mouthed back but I scowled at her. ¡°Hello Zane, it¡¯s great hearing from you¡± I responded, acting all nice. £¼£¾¡±Same here, you have a lovely voice Rita¡± Heplimented and I smiled. ¡°You do not sound bad as well¡± I told him. ¡°Hmmn but how did you get my contact?¡± I inquired. £¼£¾¡±Oh that, err¡­ It¡¯s online, easy to find¡± He said. ¡°Really?¡± I eximed. I actually thought I took down my contact a long time ago because of this same reason. Avoiding calls from strangers. £¼£¾¡±So where are you right now?¡± He asked. ¡°At work¡± £¼£¾¡±Oh right, it¡¯s work day. So what are you presently doing?¡± He asked me, being friendly and perhaps romantic too. I blushed a little; apart from my parents, there¡¯s no one else to ask after me and my day. That¡¯s probably why I got ttered. ¡°Hello? You are blushing! You got a guy Rita!¡± Evelyn pped her hands. Everyone initially minding their businessed started to stare at me. ¡°Uh.. noo¡± I stammered. Oh shit! I covered her mouth with my palm right away. I¡¯ve almost forgotten that she was watching me and taking notes of my expression being an annoying uing love doctor that she was. ¡°Uhh.. I¡¯m at work, I¡¯m working Zane!¡± I said rudely like I got upset with his caring attitude. £¼£¾¡±Oh sorry, I¡¯m probably disturbing you¡± He innocently apologized. Evelyn and I were still busying struggling. I managed to hold the cell phone on my ear while I covered her mouth with the other hand to stop her from spewing nonsense again. And she was just there trying to get herself free from me and she also wanna listen to my conversation with Zane. While we struggled, I didn¡¯t know how I clicked on the loud speaker icon. £¼£¾¡±So when would you be free? We have a lot to catch up on, you know. What time would you leave your workce?¡± Zane inquired. It was loud and clear. Jeeez¡­ I trembled and quickly reduced the volume. ¡°6:00pm!¡± Evelyn yelled. ¡°Evelyn!!¡± I hollered her name. ¡°Bye Zane, Bye.¡± I hung the call instantly and confronted Evelyn. ¡°Why are you shy that there¡¯s a guy who¡¯s into you or who you eventually might be into? Look, you were blushing¡± Evelyn said before I could even vent my anger on her. ¡°Stop saying nonsense, I don¡¯t even know him yet¡± I fired back but when I noticed that everyone in here was staring at us. ¡°C¡¯mon¡± I lowered my voice. ¡°Okay. Like you just said ¡®not yet¡¯. So is he the guy you were matchmade with?¡± She whispered curiously. ¡°We were not match made, he was only introduced to me¡± I gave an eye roll. ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s the same thing in terms that it is most likely you end up with him¡± She said. ¡°Rita got a guy?¡± Adam interrupted us. ***** To Be Continued? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 6 HI FINN Rita¡¯s POV ¡°We were not matchmade, he was only introduced to me¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever, it¡¯s the same thing in terms that it is most likely you end up with him¡± She said. ¡°Rita got a guy?¡± Adam came over and interrupted us. ¡°Oh baby..¡± His girlfriend stood up and gave him a tight hug and he reciprocated by kissing her on the forehead. ¡°So is there anything I¡¯ve missed?¡± He asked again and I gave Evelyn a-don¡¯t-you-dare-speak look. I know I¡¯m exaggerating by being unnecessarily shy and embarrassed but enough of this humiliation. She dare not tell him yet that there¡¯s a guy I got hooked up with and I may eventually fall in love with him along the line.. Oh nah! what did I just think of? ¡°Are you guys hiding things from me now? I thought we were best cliques, best friends?¡± He suspected when he noticed our voicelessmunication. ¡°Well dear, it¡¯sdies stuff.. hmmm?¡± She said, romantically pinching her boyfriend¡¯s cheek. ¡°Hmmn epted but little do you know that some people are eavesdropping.. plus that guy over there¡± He pointed and we traced his finger. ¡°Who?¡± We simultaneously asked.. because there was no one at the entrance. ¡°Uhh, I¡¯m sure I saw a guy there before I walked in.. he was watching you two with keen, so much interest, his arms were folded, he¡¯s tall. I know for sure he was listening to you guys ¨C girly conversation¡± Adams rushed his words trying to convince us. ¡± You cooked up this tale just because Evelyn said it¡¯s a girly conversation?¡± I didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I swear¡± He added. And I smiled.. ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Alright¡± Evelyn said too, acting like we believed him. ¡°Is that all you guys are gonna say? Okay? Alright?¡± ¡°What else? Fine we believe you but we still not gonna tell you what we were discussing¡± I said, making him more curious by having a high five with Evelyn. ¡°What if the guy is a spy? An intruder or something? Remember guys, yesterday a guy was spying at us. Now again. wait a minute, they kinda look alike.. Familiar rather.. I guess it¡¯s the same guy who was peeping at us yesterday, he¡¯s the same person!¡± Adam said. ¡°Hmmmn, Adam?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Yeah, Rita¡± He called my name just like I did to his. ¡°You guys still don¡¯t believe me?¡± He said. ¡°I do, kind of. I mean yesterday you saw a guy spying at us. Same guy, spying at us again? But remember, it¡¯s just you. We didn¡¯t even see the person¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Whatever¡± Adam remarked with a false humiliated expression. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s work O¡¯clock¡± Evelyn announced as twodies walked in, headed to our direction. ¡°Alright, see you guys during the lunch break¡± Adam said, kissed his girlfriend on the cheek then he walked away. I had noticed my cell phone rang again but when I realized that the strange number calling me might be Zane, I turned down the phone which halt it from ringing aloud. Ain¡¯t ready to continue this boyfriend conversation with Evelyn and I¡¯m d that, Adam indirectly ceased the messed up conversation I had with Evelyn about Zane. ** Our free period at work has to be before work period, during the lunch break and during closing hours. ¡°As good employees, I think we should check up on Mrs keston?¡± Evelyn suggested while we walked down to the bus stop together. ¡°You are being sarcastic right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Iughed, knowing fully well that she is neverfortable whenever Mrs keston, the boss is around. Infact, all of us ¨C do not like her. ¡°Of course I am kidding. I have been as free as a dove ever since yesterday, I really hope she resigns and assigns someone else to take over thepany, preferably one of us¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Ah well, I really have no issues with Mrs keston, except that she should treat us like the adults we are. We are not high school students please¡± I said ¡°Also, I wish that she can promote us to the main office too¡± ¡°Exactly. I wish the same¡± Evelyn agreed, hopefully. I thought Evelyn has forgotten to have her usual conversation with me because she didn¡¯t mention anything regarding the boyfriend issue since this morning but I was wrong, she suddenly brought it up again like she was reading my mind. ¡°Hmmm Rita, you know, you are meant to go on a date with that Zane guy¡± Ugh! back to this conversation. ¡°How do you know his name?¡± ¡°I figured¡± ¡°Evelyn, you really need to stop intruding into my private life¡± I hissed. ¡°Point of correction, your private single life¡± ¡°Arrrrgh! You are just so annoying Evelyn!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth Rita, you broke that innocent dude¡¯s heart, he probably wanted to spend some time with you and know you more that¡¯s why he asked of the closing hour¡± ¡°We met only yesterday. we didn¡¯t even meet, like we were only introduced yesterday and should we be meeting already today?¡± ¡°Of course¡± She answered sharply. ¡°Well I¡¯m sure he heard you yell the exact closing hour. If he really wants to meet me and spend some time with me, then he should havee over already¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t, did you even tell him where you work at? How would he find his way?¡± ¡°Uhn¡­well we haven¡¯t really talked about that. We briefly talked about ourselvesst night¡± I told her. ¡°Uhm Rita, something keeps telling me you would like this guy.. infact you would fall for him really hard¡± She said observing my facial expression, she could even scrutinize the hidden inner expression. ¡°Ah! Well I don¡¯t think so but you know what Evelyn, you are right, I might fall for him probably if we meet physically. Also, from friends first to lovers. Not from anonymous strangers to lovers. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s gonna work¡± I concluded. ¡°Till now, I still don¡¯t get your taste of man. You are just weird Rita¡± She scorned. ¡°I know¡± I smiled in an awkward way. Then the bus arrived and we walked in. We sat at thest seats because it was more spacious while the remaining seats could contain only two passengers. We took our seats and the bus was about to move when someone came in, he walked straight towards us and sat next to me (in between Evelyn and I). I recognized him immediately. ¡°Oh Friday¡± I called his name. ¡°Finn¡± He corrected with a smile. ¡°Hello Rita¡± He said to me, smiling widely. ¡°Hi¡± I smiled back. ¡°Returning home from work?¡± He asked and I nodded In affirmation. ¡°Who is he?¡± Evelyn mouthed. ¡°Oh Finn, meet Evelyn my friend and colleague¡± ¡°Hello¡± He said to her. ¡°Hi¡± Evelyn smiled at him seductively. ¡°Rita, you are a sly! so you¡¯ve got a friend aside Adams and I¡­ and you never told us anything about him, a male at that, how long have you been seeing him?¡± She said. ¡°Gosh Rita! Your friend is so handsome¡± She said dreamily and Finn chuckled. ¡°Are you guys just friends, friends?¡± Evelyn asked. I gave her a slight knock on her head and she yelped. ¡°Finn came to the studio yesterday to get his hair done¡± I told her. ¡°That was when I met him, while you were away with your boyfriend¡± I said, she scorned. I know that I have literally stopped her from further flirting with Finn by mentioning ¡®her Boyfriend¡¯¡­ And vice versa, stopping Finn from doing the same just incase he had that intention. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. And we also met at the bus stop yesterday, where we gotta to know each other better¡± Finn said and I only nodded and smiled. Urrh, Know each other better my foot! We only got to know each other¡¯s name and I was kinda hostile towards him because I felt he was acting all strange. ¡°You keeping my way, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fate?¡± Finn said to me romantically. ¡°Fate?? Haha!¡± Evelynughed. ¡°Wow, what a sweet pick up line¡± ¡°Erm..¡± I stanmered ufortably. ¡°He¡¯s only kidding¡± I scratched my hair that wasn¡¯t even itching but Finn on the other hand was gazing at me and smiling. ¡°No Finn. Uhm, you probably live or work around here, that¡¯s why we are meeting again¡± I said and tried not to blush.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You think so?¡± He asked and gave a shortugh. ¡°You didn¡¯t get into the bus yesterday?¡± I changed the topic because it was now getting awkward. Why do strangers flirt with me? Isn¡¯t it awkward for them too? ¡°Oh yes, I was waiting for a friend, so I simply took the next bus¡± He said. ¡°Ohhh¡± I mouthed.. Only to realize that Evelyn was staring at me suspiciously as if I was already interested in him but I wasn¡¯t, sincerely. I shot her a gaze that meant please don¡¯t say anything annoying and I know she understood what I meant. I yed calm; while Finn and Evelyn chitchated. Like how do people easilymunicate with strangers freely? Or maybe I am just a boring type. Though I met this guy before Evelyn, I¡¯m not throwing myself at him. Although, that¡¯s not what Evelyn is trying to do but doesn¡¯t she realize that she has a boyfriend. I rolled my eyes and looked away but Finn tried to bring me into their conversation thinking I was being left out. ¡°My ce is nearby. The bus would stop soon¡± I told him. ¡°Oh-kay!¡± He said. ¡°You can talk to Evelyn all you want ¡®Afterall she will alight at the second bus stop¡± I said. ¡°And I, till the final bus stop¡± Finn said, chuckling. I didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I hung my bag on my arm.. Getting prepared to leave immediately the driver pulls the break. ¡°Can we exchange contact ¡­ Rita?¡± Finn asked. ¡°Uhm well., I don¡¯t even know you Finn¡± I mumbled. ¡°Forget it Finn, Rita won¡¯t give you her contact just like that¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Yeah you are right, I can see that. Maybe till she knows me well¡± ¡°Just believe you two are gonna meet again; Fate just like you said¡± Evelyn said and Finn giggled. He dipped his hand into his trouser and brought out a card. ¡°I knew this would happen¡± Finn said. ¡°Huh??¡± I eximed. ¡°Have this, I¡¯ld be expecting a call from you¡± Finn handed over the card to me and I slowly took it from him. Soon the bus halted and I alighted quickly. ¡°Did you just forget to say Bye to me?¡± Evelyn screamed through the window. ¡°Oh sorry dear. Bye, see you tomorrow¡± I waved at her. ¡°See you tomorrow too¡± Finn said, smiling at me. Why do I feel like he¡¯s acting all weird? * * * Chapter 7 A LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP Rita¡¯s POV ¡°I feel so tired¡± I groaned as I threw myself on the bed. Wait a minute! I paused; realizing the room, looked so neat, tidied and well arranged. Oh! the new me, new way of life stuff. I hissed a little because I have almost forgotten. And oh! the deal is to start with that guy in my Kikachat. Haven undressed, close to being nude; I lied on my bed. Click on the chat app but I found none. Like no message at all. A guy who is interested in me should be persistent, isn¡¯t it? I even refused to pick up his subsequent calls and he couldn¡¯t even leave a message for me. Darn it! When I was just faking to feel loved by him..This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Yen! Yen! Yen!! Give every guy a chance¡± I mimicked Evelyn then I rolled my eyes. I guess the destiny set aside for me is to remain single forev- My phone beeped. -ever. I picked up the phone quickly. A message from Zane! No, several messages.. Beep! Beep! Beeping in.. ~~>¡±Hi dear, how are you?¡± ~~>¡±Are you back from work?¡± ~~>¡±I¡¯m sorry for calling you several times, I must have been disturbing you whereas you were busy at work like you told me¡± I smiled, I felt sorry for thinking that he dished me away. ~~>¡±Hey Zane¡± My inte boyfriend, I guess. ~~>¡±It¡¯s fine¡± I responded, smiling widely. ~~>¡±Wow, that¡¯s great¡± He responded immediately. ~~>¡±Are you busy?¡± ~~>¡±Not at all, I¡¯m back from work. I am at home¡± I informed him. ~~>¡±Great. I was busy earlier and at the same time waiting for you to be online here. Now you are here, so I¡¯m taking a break from work to put you first. Good thing, you are at home¡± Zane sent. I smiled. I was sorta bored actually. I haven¡¯t even eaten or had my shower but I do not mind. Somehow, I just wanted to have an intimate rtionship with someone. Not Evelyn, not Adam. Alright, I admit deep down, I have always wanted to date someone again. It¡¯s not my fault that it turns out to be someone anonymous again. ~->¡± Are you really interested in me Zane?¡± I asked, without beating around the bush. ~~>¡±I am so into you Rita. Should we talk about it?¡± Uhmmn, I said that aloud. I decided to write it that way. ~~>¡±Hmmn, yeah¡± ~~>¡±First, we are lovers, now aren¡¯t we?¡± He asked but I couldn¡¯t type back anything, so he responded himself; ~~>¡±Yes we are¡± ~~>¡±I needed to find love again, coincidentally you told Mrs J Johnson that you wanted someone too¡± I read his messages, I didn¡¯t want to remain speechless, so I sent another ~ ¡°Uhmmn¡± ~~>¡±I love you Rita¡± I least expected a sentence as such. What? I eximed, opening my mouth in awe. ~~>¡±How do you know you love me Zane? We haven¡¯t even met and this is literally our first proper conversation¡± ~~>¡±Online¡± I added. ~~>¡±I know that too. I¡¯m d that you had a reconsideration about having a good chat with me¡± ¡± Reconsideration¡± I pronounced. Well, He isn¡¯t bad anyways. ~~>¡±Can I now see the face of the beautiful damsel I¡¯m speaking with?¡± He requested. ~~>¡±No please¡± I answered. ~~>¡±The feeling isn¡¯t mutual yet Zane. The only thing I think I love about you is your voice and it¡¯s more than enough¡± ~~>¡±Oops¡± I sensed he felt dejected. ~~>¡±I just don¡¯t feelfortable with the I-love-you thing yet. ¡± I told him ¡°I think we¡¯re moving this inte rtionship too fast¡± ~~>¡±You are right, let¡¯s take things slowly¡± ~~>¡±Exactly, do away with the sweet names stuffs for now¡± ~~>¡±Roger that. I guess I was just eager to love again. So let¡¯s leave it at ¡®I like you¡¯, we can pronounce the love word to ourselves when we are now fully involved.¡± ~~>¡±Yeah, probably when we truly feel it. It¡¯s fine by me¡± I told him. ~~>¡±Yeah, fine by me too¡± He responded to my messages swiftly, making me do the same too. My stomach rumbled and I rubbed it gently. ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡± I said, putting my phone away. It beeped but I ignored it. I put on something casual as I was about to leave the room, for the kitchen. My phone suddenly rang aloud .. I picked it up from the bed; it was a strange number. ¡®Can¡¯t be Zane because I already saved his number. ¡°Hello, you are speaking to Rita Martinez; who am I into?¡± I said into the phone. The caller didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Hello there?¡± I said. ¡°Finn¡± A familiar muscr voice spoke. ¡°Finn?¡± I never even called him. ¡°Yeah, Finn¡± He responded. ¡°How did you ¨C¡± ¡°Evelyn. She was so kind enough to give me your contact¡± Finn replied. Evelyn! I should have known! She hooked me up with someone on inte! Now she gave my number to someone I don¡¯t ever want to be interested in because Finn seems like someone who¡¯s after my life. Uugh! ¡°Hello Rita?¡± He called my name. ¡°Yeah, Finn¡± I responded sheepishly. ¡°Are you a calm person or you just don¡¯t want us to get along?¡± Finn asked. ¡°I¡¯m not calm¡± I told him. ¡°Oh you are indirectly sending me off?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I muttered. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Because you are right, I don¡¯t want us to get along¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t even know me, am I too clingy?¡± ¡°Exactly! and there¡¯s more, you seemed suspicious Finn¡± I told him and he went mute. I heard him sighed then he finally spoke.. ¡°But I haven¡¯t even done anything suspicious.¡± He said. My stomach rumbled again. ¡°Uhn, Bye Finn¡± I disconnected the call and rushed into the kitchen. I guess I had the strength to attend to anything else immediately after I ate. I probably wouldn¡¯t have hung up Finn¡¯s call had it been, he called now. I would have listened to what he has got to say then hung up the call on him eventually. Speaking about a call, my phone rang. I recognized the caller to be Zane. ¡°Hello Zane¡± I said into the phone happily, I really don¡¯t know why. ¡°You haven¡¯t been online for a while, so I decided to check up on you. Or are you about to sleep?¡± He asked. ~¡±Not at all¡± I replied back, smiling and shaking my head as if he could see me. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna force anything. I know it¡¯s awkward for a total stranger to be this protective but I really wanna speak with you every now and then like a normal physical boyfriend¡± He confessed. I was supposed to smirk or turn him down instantly but I chuckled. I think I¡¯m very much interested in him too. ¡°Let¡¯s chat via where we met, Kikachat. Should we?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be there soon¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m there, waiting for you¡± He hung up the call. I wasted no time to click on KikaChat application. I had other messages from my friends, Evelyn and Adam and even Mrs J Johnson but I snubbed them all because I wanted to chat with my new boyfriend. I love this new feeling. ~~>¡±Hi Zane¡± I sent him a message. ~~>¡±Hi Rita, you are here¡± He responded and I smiled. ~~>¡±You don¡¯t feel awkward about me anymore or do you?¡± He asked. ~~>¡±No, not anymore. I feel kinda free with you¡± I replied. ~~>¡±That¡¯s good to hear, very soon the feelings will be mutual. I mean you will soon feel the way I feel for you¡± He said. ~~>¡±Hmmm¡± I sent. Was he being romantic or maybe trying to make me like him? Anyhow, it¡¯s surprisingly working. ~~>¡±Zane, I think we should meet and talk on a one on one¡± I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m the one insinuating this first. ~~>¡±Hold on, do you think I¡¯m ugly or disabled in real life?¡± He asked and Iughed out loud. ~~>¡±Very funny. That¡¯s not enough reason for me to turn you down¡± I sent. ~~>¡±Oh really?¡± ~~>¡±Yeah really¡± ~~>¡±Well, we can¡¯t meet yet¡± ~~>¡±Ugh Why?¡± I was shocked. ~~>¡±I¡¯m out of the country. I have just tracked your location, it shows United State, but I¡¯m in Canada¡± He said. ¡°Ohh¡± I muttered, he could have told me that earlier, before I started getting interested in him. I didn¡¯t type back anything. ~~>¡±I know what you are thinking, actually I¡¯m from United State too. I¡¯m just caught up with something here in Canada¡± He said. ~~>¡±So when will you be back?¡± I asked him. ~¡±Maybe in few months time. Sincerely, I don¡¯t know when exactly¡± He said. I sighed sadly. ~~>¡±Distance is not a barrier Rita¡± He said, like he knew I was downcast. ~~>¡±I¡¯m disappointed because earlier at work today, you responded like you wanted toe over to see me. You asked of my working ce and the time I¡¯ll be done remember?¡± I reminded him. ~~>¡±Yeah I asked because I wanted to calcte when next you¡¯ld be online. I¡¯m so sorry¡± ~~>¡± So haven found out where I¡¯m based, you don¡¯t wanna continue this inte rtionship anymore?¡± He asked. I stared at the message for a while. Honestly, I was confused. I thought I¡¯ve finally found a lover to not only chat with, but go out with, catch fun with and practice those lovey dovey stuffs I¡¯ve seen but looks like, all these aren¡¯t happening¡­ yet. He typed when I didn¡¯t reply him, so I quickly did. ~~>¡±It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not breaking up with you Zane. I¡¯ll wait for you¡± I sent. I hope I¡¯m not taking the wrong decision, at least it¡¯s better than not being in a rtionship at all. ***** Chapter 8 FINN IS MY NEW CEO! Dring! Dringggggggg! My phone beeped loudly, jerking me up from sleep that morning. I yawned tiredly as I stretched my hand over to pick up the ringing phone. I stared at the phone screen blurrily ~ It was Eveyn. ¡°Evelyn!¡± I mumbled, trying to sit upright. ¡°Good morning! did you get the notification too?¡± ¡°What notification?¡± ¡°Mrs keston wants us to be at the office an hour before the usual arrival time¡± Evelyn announced. ¡°Huh! Why is that?¡± I rubbed my eyes tiredly. ¡°She said she has an important information to pass across and we must all be present¡± Evelyn replied. I yawned loudly again. ¡°Oh good I called you, I know you wouldn¡¯t have seen that nor woken up yet. Now go get ready, let¡¯s hear what she has for us today after days of being absent¡± ¡°I hope it¡¯ll be a good news though. That woman has never said anything pleasing¡± I murmured. ¡°So see you at work!¡± Evelyn disconnected the call. I just sat there on the bed, thinking about nothing in specific just tryna process some random stuffs. I was half asleep and half awake yet I managed to jump out of the bed to get prepared. ** Mrs keston was patient enough to await everyone¡¯s arrival while standing akimbo right at the receptionist office (The entrance). I arrived at thepany just in time anyways. We were all quiet as we didn¡¯t want to step on Mrs keston¡¯s nerve. Oh gosh! I was nervous. I picked up my phone to check what the time says. Figured out I missed calls from Zane and Finn. Funny how two guys are head over heels about me. Haha! ¡°I believe more than half staffs are present¡± Mrs keston pped trying to draw our attention as she walked to the center of the room. Oh here she goes¡­ ¡°I really meant it when I said everyone should be present an hour before but no, some of you took me for a joke¡± Her tone changed into that strict bossy one. She red at those just rushing in and shook her head in disappointment. ¡°Anyways..¡± She cleared her throat and resumed.. ¡°It¡¯s handing over time!¡± She announced. Huh?! No one dare to exim but we all wore a surprise look. We¡¯ve all been waiting for this day. ¡°I¡¯m not totally resigning. I will be at the topmost watching over thepany while someone else takes over here!¡± She announced. Finally, we are getting a new boss. ¡°My doctor insisted I deserve some rest¡± She told us and cleared her throat again. I was eager to know who our new boss will be, I hope she picks a staff to take over. A colleague who will understand us and treat us nicely. ¡°I¡¯m handing over to my son¡± Mrs keston finally announced. Geez! I looked at Evelyn, wemunicated with our eyes. We both didn¡¯t like this idea. He might have taken after his mom. ¡°Meet my son, Finn Lakston¡± Eh! Finn came out of no where and walked toward us. He stood at the centre, next to his mom. ¡°Ugh! What?¡± I eximed, it was almost audible. I looked at Evelyn, she was as shocked as I was.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Finn is Mrs keston¡¯s son? Others were pping and weing him. I was just there, mouth opened, jaw dropped, staring at him. He caught me staring at him and smiled. He was putting on suit which made him look more serious on cooperate and now he is my boss! ¡°Your speech, my dear¡± Mrs keston told Finn. Finn moved forward, he also cleared his throat and began: ¡°Hello everyone, it¡¯s nice meeting you. I¡¯m the new Chief Executive Officer, Finn Lakston and I hope that I would enjoy working with you all. And just so you know, the initial rules of thispany still remains the new rules¡± He spoke authoritatively. ¡°That¡¯s right. My own rules are his own rules¡± His mom added. ¡°You¡¯re dismissed¡± She said, already walking away with her son to their office. ¡°We could have had this gathering in the meeting hall. It would have been more official¡± I heard Finn say to his mom. I just stood right there and watched them till they were beyond our sights then the murmuring between the staffs began. Evelyn and Adam rushed towards me. ¡°What just happened?¡± Evelyn asked me. ¡°Are you aware that he is Mrs keston¡¯s son?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m surprised too. He didn¡¯t tell me that he is Mrs keston¡¯s son. Uhm because we never got the chance to introduce ourselves better¡± I replied. ¡°Do you guys know Finn Lakston?¡± Adam asked us, confused. ¡°Yes, he is Rita¡¯s friend¡± Evelyn replied. ¡°Our friend¡± I smirked at her: ¡± We are not too close yet, so he never told me that he is Mrs keston¡¯s son¡± I said. ¡°I know that guy!¡± Adam suddenly said. ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn and I chorous. ¡°Do you remember I told you that someone was spying at us. He was one! I vividly remember his face ¡± Adam said. Oh My God! Let me try to understand this. ¡°So first of all, Finn came here to spy on us¡± I said thoughtfully. ¡°Twice¡± Adam added. ¡°The two days Mrs keston was absent. Which means that she must have sent her son Finn, toe spy on everyone in thispany¡± Evelyn said. I shook my head: ¡°When I first met Finn, he came here to have a haircut. Okay so, it was part of his mission to check everything going on thispany¡± I sighed heavily. We¡¯ve been fooled. We kept mute when we saw Mrs keston leaving the office with her bag. Looks like she¡¯s leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll be at my department. See you guyster¡± Adam quickly left. I kept on reminiscing on my encounters with Finn. Somehow, I knew that he was acting all strange. ¡°Evelyn. Do you think I was rude to Finn yesterday?¡± I asked her because I was beginning to panick. ¡°No dear. You were cool and quiet. Unlike me, he already knows the story of my life. I was just bbing! Oh My God!¡± She hit her face ¡± I should have kept quiet too¡± Evelyn began toment and I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure he finds me loquacious and he¡¯ll fire me soon! I¡¯m very scared Rita¡± She said, perturbed. ¡°You can make it up to him by showing him a good behavior¡± I told her. Then I suddenly remembered thatst night, Finn had called me. I had told him that I didn¡¯t want to get along with him, hung up the call on him and snubbed his subsequent calls. ¡°Oh My God! I think mine is worst¡± I cried out suddenly. ¡°What? But you didn¡¯t do or say anything!¡± Evelyn said. ¡°You gave Finn my contact number. He called me and I was so rude to him. Evelyn, I snubbed him and took him for a joke! You caused this! Why did you give him my number??¡± I cried, hitting her hand. ¡°Are you seriously ming me for your unfair behavior towards guys? I was only trying to save your single-ass life. Remember I told you to give every guy a chance, if you had listened to me it wouldn¡¯t turn out this way. Even if it¡¯s just gonna be an intimate friendship with Finn, you would have known that he is Mrs keston¡¯s son¡± Evelyn med me. I opened my mouth in awe, speechless to say the least. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I spoke to you in that manner¡± She apologized. She¡¯s right though. I brought this problem upon myself. It¡¯s simr to the story of a rich guy pretending to be poor to see who stays. I failed, I fucked up. ¡°Rita Mertinaz!¡± An older staff from the other department called my name. ¡°The new boss wants to see you in his office right now!¡± She said and walked away. My heart throbbed. I think I¡¯m in a big trouble! ****************** To Be Continued Chapter 9 I THINK I MIGHT LIKE ZANE Rita¡¯s POV I sluggishly walked to the new boss, Mr Finn¡¯s office. I was so scared and it was so obvious. ¡°There you are¡± Finn said. I stood in front of the door, agitated to move closer to him. But he ordered authoritatively andughed hysterically; ¡°Come closer and have a seat¡± My heart raced, I trembled and managed to sit opposite him. ¡°I can see that you are shocked I turned out to be your new boss in disguise¡± Finn spoke. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I am sorry¡± I stuttered. ¡°Why are you apologising?¡± He asked but I didn¡¯t say anything, I couldn¡¯t even look him in the eyes. I thought he was jovial and nice but he wasn¡¯t, he pretended to be. Ugh! This was a simple test that I have failed. ¡°You are sorry because you treated me like a low life sneaking into yourfortable life. You were rude, you underestimated me. You didn¡¯t see thising, did you?¡± He asked. No, I never underestimated him, that¡¯s just Me; I do not like to make friends. How do I exin that to him when he already misunderstood? Evelyn was right, I should be friendlier and nicer and give new people chances toe into my life. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry sir¡± I apologised again. ¡°Ah! Hahaha!¡± Heughed again. ¡°Your friend, err¡­ Evelyn. Though she¡¯s a little bit of a talkative but she won my heart but you, you are nothing to write home about¡± He shook his head continuously in disappointment. ¡°Is there anything you want say?¡± He questioned. ¡°I¡­ uhm, there¡¯s nothing I can say to justify my awful attitude towards you. Once again, I am so sorry but I want you to know that I didn¡¯t mean to. That¡¯s not who I am, my friends , Evelyn and Adam will confirm to you that I am a good person for real, I swear¡± I pleaded. ¡°Too bad, Evelyn didn¡¯t make any mention of that¡± He remarked. ¡°Please.. do not fire me. This is my only means of earning a living¡± I begged, my eyes were getting teary. ¡°Ah! No, no no. It¡¯s too early for me to start firing people¡± He smiled. ¡°Thank you very much sir¡± I mumbled, still not looking up to him. ¡°And I need you to prove to me that you are good person¡± He added. ¡°What?¡± I eximed. ¡°You just said you are¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ I swear. I¡­am. I¡­ promise to make it up to you¡± ¡°I love how that sound. Make it up to me. I have forgiven you though. But my eyes are on you. I¡¯ld love to see your true character but if it turns out that there is no difference, it will trigger my anger and i¡¯ll fire you ultimately¡± He uttered imperiously and I hupped nervously. ¡°Yes.. Yes sir¡± ¡°Very good, you can leave¡± Hemanded. My legs suddenly felt feeble, I felt sad and broken as I staggered sluggishly back to my department where my friends were waiting for my arrival and as soon as they saw me approaching, they ran to meet me. ¡°What¡­ What did he say?¡± They asked me simultaneously. Instead, I bursted into tears, wiped them off with the back of my palm so others wouldn¡¯t notice something¡¯s wrong. I headed to my seat and they trailed me behind, waiting for me to speak up. ¡°Did he fire you?¡± Evelyn asked and I shook my head. ¡± Not yet¡± I responded. ¡°What do you mean by not yet?¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll fire me if my behavior continues to disgust him. He¡¯ll be watching me closely¡± I told them.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh dear, what a headache¡± Adam remarked. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong. You are such a sweet hearted person¡± Evelyn consoled me. ¡°He¡¯s yet to confirm that. My first encounters with him revealed that I am not a good person.¡± I sniffed. ¡°I have to keep my Job, I will make it up to him¡± I concluded. ¡°Oh My God. This Mr Finn Lakson is worse than his mom. What did he say about me? Am I also in trouble for running mouth? Oh Jeez! he¡¯ll send for me too ny moment from now Evelyn began to panick. ¡°No, he is not mad at you¡± I said and she sighed in relief. While I wondered what to do in this big situation I got myself into. Suddenly, my phone rang, it was Finn, we checked the caller ID together. ¡°Hello sir¡± I tried topose myself. ¡°Come back to my office without wasting any time¡± He ordered. ¡°Yes sir¡± I rushed back to his office. ¡°These files, take them to the secretary¡± He pointed at the files on his table. I was startled. ¡± I do not work in the office. I¡¯m at the minor sector. I do not have any business to do with papers and files¡± I told him, in case he didn¡¯t know. ¡°Oh wow I see, teach me my work since you are the boss then¡± He said. Oh my God. I didn¡¯t mean¡­ ¡°No. I.. I was just trying to¡­.¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°Nothing at all, no problem¡± I carried the files and was about to leave. ¡°There are unnecessary stuffs here that I would also love you to move out¡± He said. ¡°Okay boss¡± I responded in distress then exit his office. I wanted to let him know that he could just call those in charge of sanitaries to do this for him but if this was a way to make it up to him, I guess it¡¯s fine. Except that it took much of my time and left me exhausted. I¡¯m sure he is fully aware that I still had my own work to attend to. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he also dyed me during the closing hours; sending me unnecessary errands here and there but I dare notin. ¡°Hey, hello dear¡± Zane had called me while I was still carrying out CEO Finn¡¯s task. ¡°Hello Zane, we¡¯ll talk in the next an hour, I should be home by then¡± I informed him. ¡°Uh? Are you still at work by this time? ¡± He asked. ¡± Yes. Bye Zane, call me backter¡± I disconnected the call quickly and sighed heavily. Sick and tired of this shit. Soon Mr Finn came out of his office and walked towards me. ¡°Done with the assignment I gave you?¡± He asked. ¡°Almost done¡± I overreacted because I guess he was gonna throw at me another work to do. ¡°Good. Round up quickly and go home too¡± He ordered and I felt a little relieved. Meanwhile almost everyone is leaving already, I¡¯m sure they wondered why the new boss is picking on me on his first day at work. I also had to bid my friends Bye and in no time, I was done with my work. Finally. *** I groaned as I threw myself on the couch, welled up with fatigue. Oh! what have I done to deserve this ill- treatment. Wished Zane was a physical boyfriend whom coulde give me a massage and make me feel good. Speaking of Zane, he called just at the right time. ¡°Hello my love ¡± He said. ¡°Hi¡± I mumbled. Because one, I¡¯m stressed out already and two, I told him to do away with sweet words for now. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Rita?¡± He noticed I¡¯m downcast. ¡°Exhausted. Today¡¯s a bad day¡± I told him as I got up the bed and went to the kitchen. ¡°You snapped at me when I called earlier¡± ¡°Sorry, I was frustrated. My new boss is making life miserable for me. He stressed the hell out of me with unnecessary stuffs yet he doesn¡¯t seem to be pleased¡± I briefly told him as I put my food into the microwave, sat on the kitchen cab and I waited for my meal to get cooked. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that darling. Almost all bosses are cruel and ungrateful and they make sure that they always get what they want¡± He said. ¡°Funnily enough, he came today. He¡¯s as annoying as his mom¡± I smirked. ¡°My old boss was strict and an annoying person too but I tried as much not to get on his nerves¡± Zane told me. I loved the fact that he was ready to listen to my venting. ¡°Well I¡­I am at fault though. We already met before he became the CEO and I shunned him because he was a weird stranger¡± I said. ¡± Same way you wouldn¡¯t get along with me when I first chatted you up¡± Zane chuckled. ¡°No offense though. I take it as being careful enough but he took it has me being rude to him¡± I told Zane. I dished out my food and began to consume hungrily. ¡°His lost anyways. He doesn¡¯t know your worth¡± Zane said; ¡± Let¡¯s talk about something else¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed yet but I¡¯m such a boring person¡± I responded. ¡°Uhm, While we¡¯re still taking things gradually, let¡¯s know ourselves better¡± He suggested. ¡°What else is there to know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know your people¡± ¡°That would be when we finally meet¡± ¡°No dear. Why starting another fresh introduction when we finally meet physically? Besides, somehow I feel like you¡¯ll reject me eventually simply because you still do not sound interested in me and if we continue to take this rtionship thing slowly, we¡¯ll go no where¡± Zane said. I can¡¯t believe he wasining now, does he expect me to be so mad in love with him already and began to rejoice about it like a fifteen years old having a first crush? There was a moment of silence between both of us. ¡°Do you have any silbling?¡± He asked. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s just me¡± I responded softly. ¡°It¡¯s just me too¡± He giggled. ¡°At least, we have something inmon, it¡¯s a sign¡± He said and I chuckled too. ¡°Got friends?¡± He interrogated. ¡°As you may already know me, I do not like to make friends neither do I like to mingle¡± I told him. ¡°Ah! You¡¯re one hard girl¡± Hemented. ¡°But I have two best friends, they¡¯re also my colleagues at work. Evelyn and Adam¡± I told him. ¡°Evelyn must be the girl I heard her voice the very first day I called at work¡± Oh. He remembered. ¡± She is¡± ¡± I can¡¯t wait to meet these people that keeps my girlfriend¡¯spany and make her happy. They gotta give me tips on how I can make you happy instead of having boring conversations with you every now and then¡± He said. ¡°Zane¡± I only called his name with no intention to say something else. I can feel it that he was getting fed up that I won¡¯t admit that I like him too, Infact, he thinks I do not because I act like I do not. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m d you have friends around you. Unlike me, I¡¯ve got none. I love making friends and I used to have friends. I¡¯ve got old friends. But now, things have turned upsidedown, I¡¯ve got no one by my side but you¡± He said. Such a sweet pick up line, I faked a cough. ¡°Any Ex? Or Exes?¡± Zane asked. ¡°An Ex. I once dated someone online¡± I told him reluctantly after several hesitation. ¡°Really? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m not the first person you¡¯ld date online¡± ¡°Anyways, I dated someone on Love station. That popr dating app that crashed few months ago. His name¡¯s Jared ¡± I confided in him. ****** To Be Continued. Chapter 10 CEO FINN¡¯S FAVOURITE PREY Rita I hung up the callst night and told Zane that I needed to sleep early so I won¡¯t wake upte today. Early to bed, early to rise works for me all the time. Assuming Mrs keston was still our boss, I could be a little bitte to work and she wouldn¡¯t notice aside that, Evelyn would always cover up for me. But Mr Finn, the new boss? He¡¯ll definitely notice that I came to workte. He¡¯s on my neck and he¡¯s indeed watching me really closely. Although I got to the office pretty much early, Finn was already in his office. Only few workers were around including Adam whom informed me that Mr Finn had already asked after me. I dashed into his office as quickly as possible. ¡°You arete¡± Mr Finn said to me. ¡°But It¡¯s not resumption time yet¡± I argued. ¡°As for me,, you arete to work¡± He repeated. ¡°Many other staffs are not at work yet¡± I paused. ¡°Even Evelyn¡± I added. ¡°What matters is that I got to thepany before you. So you arete¡± He insisted. ¡°Okay¡± I murmured. He didn¡¯t say anything else and it felt awkward for me to keep standing in front of him while he was checking some files on his table. I had to leave without his permisssion.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°What is it this time?¡± Adam asked when I returned. Evelyn was around now. ¡°He said I came to the officete¡± I reported to them and they shook their head sadly. ¡°Did he call out names of people yet to be in the office?¡± I asked. ¡°No. Just you. As soon as he got to work, he asked after you¡± He replied. ¡°What about Evelyn?¡± ¡°No¡± He responded. ¡°He hates me and might eventually fire me no matter what I do to impress him ¡± I told them, my eyes clouded with tears. Unexpectedly, Evelyn hugged me. ¡°You do not deserve this ill treatment¡± She said. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a lesson to us all. Never can tell who is who¡± Adam said, one by one. ¡°You should be worried that Finn likes your girlfriend!¡± I said. ¡°What? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Evelyn snapped. ¡°It¡¯s obvious. He is giving you preferential treatment. He¡¯s supposed to be mad at you but he wasn¡¯t, why not? because he likes you¡± I fired. ¡°No Rita, I think you¡¯re upset and sad this over what you are going through that¡¯s why you¡¯re saying this¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I.. I think Rita might be right¡± Adam said and gestured to us that Finn was watching us from afar. ¡°He likes you, Evelyn¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯d better return to my section this moment. He seems mad and I don¡¯t wanna get on his other side¡± Adam walked away, cowardly. ¡± You soon will when both of you began to fight over Evelyn¡± I said and she chuckled. ¡°Except if Mr Finn is standing right there and thinking of ways to provoke me again¡± I l expected Finn to walk towards us but then, he left. *** Finn drove into hispound, sighted a car at his garage and recognized it as his brother¡¯s. Ugh, why is he here again? he wondered and rushed into the house. ¡°What are you doing here Alexander?¡± Finn questioned. ¡°Am I not always wee at my brother¡¯s ce?¡± Alex replied with a question. ¡°Of course you are. But no surprise visits¡± ¡°Why? ¡®Cos you might be bringing a girl home but my presence would ruin your night with her¡± Alex teased. ¡°I¡¯m a changed person now Alex. I¡¯m responsible too¡± Finn told his brother. ¡°Oh just because mom handed over herpany to you, does that makes you a responsible person?¡± ¡°No. I turned a new leaf earlier before now¡± Finn leered at him. Alexander giggled; ¡°Alright, if you say so. How is it going anyways? Your new work ce?¡± ¡°Fine, I guess¡± Finn responded sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m now the CEO of beauty and cosmetic and that is what matters, full stop¡± He unbuttoned the first few buttons of his inner shirt then pulled off his suit jacket and gave it to the maid, Madison. ¡°Should I serve your dinner?¡± Madison asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯lle to the room soon¡± He told her and watched her leave. ¡°I hope you are not sleeping over at my ce?¡± He interrogated. ¡°It¡¯ste, you do not expect me to leave this night and besides, I¡¯ll be staying with you for some days¡± Alex said and Finn shot him a hard gaze. ¡°I knew it. You are up to something. Is it women? do you even have a serious girlfriend now?¡± I was gonna give him a reply but he cut in; ¡°Oops wait! Are you sleeping with your Maid, Madison? Is that why you don¡¯t want me at your ce¡± ¡°Ugh! Hell no. Madison is a queer and I am not sleeping with her. I just need my privacy okay?¡± He told him. ¡°You have a hidden agenda. That¡¯s the only reason why you¡¯ld cherish your privacy so much¡± Finn¡¯s brother mumbled but Finn pretended not to hear him. ¡°So what are you up to, Alexander The Inte Explorer?¡± Finn questioned. ¡°Okay so I¡¯m working on a new project¡± He began to yak. He so much loves talking about the inte. ¡°I knew it. You are here to gab about some new creations, inte rted. Your obsession with technology is unbelievable¡± Finn remarked. ¡°I¡¯m d you wanna listen, and you¡¯ll be the first I¡¯m telling this¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Finn squinted his eyes ¡°I¡¯m bringing back the Love station app¡± He announced and I eximed: ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yes and it¡¯s gonna be kinda different with new updates¡± Alex continued to Yak. ¡°Oh whatever, but I personally do not think people will download Love Station ever again¡± ¡°Why not? Many lost their lovers¡± ¡°That¡¯s the exact reason why I do not think they¡¯ll download Love Station on their mobiles again. Once bitten, twice shy¡± Finn told him. ¡°I guess they¡¯ll want to reconnect again. Remember, I lost a lover too?¡± Alex said but Finn hissed. ¡°The one you were ying on her feelings?¡± ¡°I miss herpanion but guess what, I can get to her if I want to¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°You seemed to be forgetting that I¡¯m a tech guy, an inte god¡± He boasted. ¡°Just whatever¡± ¡°What about you? Are you dating anyone since you became responsible and turned a new leaf?¡± He teased. ¡°Uhm, there¡¯s actually a girl that caught my interest¡± Finn said. ¡°What¡¯s this look? Wait a minute, you are not joking about turning a new leaf¡± ¡°C¡¯mon. I am not joking, I¡¯m serious. I¡¯m responsible now¡± ¡°No more hooking up with whores, clubbing with sluts, no more one night stands, no more womanizing ?¡± ¡°None of that anymore. Now I just need to find true love and stop avengingdies that are after my money¡± Finn shunned him. ¡°I see¡± Alex nodded empathically. ¡± So who is this girl that caught your interest¡± His brother asked and it parted a smile on Finn¡¯s lips. ¡°She works at thepany. Funny how I think I might actually like an employee¡± ¡°You are the love doctor. You know when two people are met for each other¡± ¡°Yeah, I feel it for Rita and I. Her name is Rita¡± He suddenly frowned: ¡°But I might lost my chance with her due to this dangerous hanky panky games I¡¯m ying with her¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Err¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m treating her very badly¡± Finn hit his hand on his head: ¡± What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± His brotherughed: ¡± I guess you are just tryna show you¡¯re the boss but not all girls likes toxic guys maybe except the ones after your money. If this so called Rita girl isn¡¯t like that, you gotta apologize to her. Sincerely apologise to your employee¡± He said. ¡°Ugh! Just nevermind. I know what to do¡± Finn continued to grumbled in regret ¡± I¡¯ve always been a private person, I shouldn¡¯t have told you though¡± ¡°Haha, why not? I discuss everything with you too. A problem shared is half solved¡± Finn smirked; ¡°A problem shared is not half solved. A problem shared is still my problem, you have just poke nosed¡± ¡°That what you think. Anyways, if this girl turns out to be your true love like you have said, then you¡¯ld help me find mine. Mr love doctor¡± Finn scorned and got on his foot ¡°Make yourselffortable ¡± He walked away to his room. **** To Be Continued Chapter 11 ¡°I LOVE YOU TOO ZANE¡± Rita¡¯s POV Zane hasn¡¯t even called me throughout today neither did he leave me a single message. None. I shook my head and whined inwardly. What sort of unserious rtionship have I gotten myself into? Oh jeez, maltreatment at work and as if that isn¡¯t enough for me to handle, only to get home and get snubbed by my online lover. I continue to rant even as I prepared and ate dinner to while away time. Yet, no call or text from Zane and he wasn¡¯t even online. And Oh! I would have med myself for overthinking or overreacting because this is what to expect once you date someone online but my ex, Jared had my time always. This one is totally different from Jared. Okay, maybe i¡¯m actually being extra. Should I call Zane instead? Uh no! It¡¯s too early to show him so much interest and concern. Yes, it¡¯s early to let him know that I enjoy speaking to him all the time. He¡¯ll find out that he has eventually won my heart. He¡¯ll know I¡¯m beginning to ove him. Geez! Let¡¯s not call it love yet, I am only interested in him. ¡°Please call me already¡± I cried out childishly. I nced at my phone again ¡± I¡¯m breaking up with him when next he calls¡± I concluded. I lied on my bed, feeling heart broken; my phone suddenly chimedThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Oh Zane, finally. I hurriedly picked it up even after the whole drama. ¡°See who finally remember that I existed¡± I shouted into the phone. ¡°What do you mean? What about your boss? I.. I didn¡¯t want to get you into trouble¡± He said. ¡°Oh¡± My voice was calm now. ¡°I¡¯m at home¡± ¡°He dyed you yesterday, you snapped at me too¡± ¡°Thank you¡± I regretted thinking that Zane forgot about me. ¡°How was work today?¡± ¡°It was better than yesterday. That jerk of a boss didn¡¯t tackle me a lot today¡± I told him. ¡°Great to know that¡± ¡°Uhm Rita¡± Seems liked he had something to say. ¡°What is it?¡± I inquired. ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t call or check up on me if I do not?¡± His voice felt soft and cold and I could sense a feeling of dejection. I didn¡¯t know what to say at that moment. ¡°Just what if something is wrong with me¡± He added. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Zane¡± I muttered, filled with guilt. ¡°Misunderstanding I guess? You must have wondered if I jilted you so soon while I was here ensuring you were fine and I didn¡¯t want to get you into trouble with your new boss¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m sorry Zane. And you are right, it¡¯s a misunderstanding¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point Rita¡± He cut in, he was tryna insinuate into something and I already saw thising since thest time we spoke. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we haven¡¯t clearly defined our rtionship¡± He said; ¡°To me, you are my online girlfriend whom I love so much but to you, I¡¯m a nobody or probably just an online friend not to make me feel so bad¡± ¡°What do you mean Zane?¡± I pretended not to understand meanwhile I continued to feel remorse about why I¡¯ve been this way towards him. ¡°I have always been the one to check up on you, I call you first, text you first. I¡¯ve always made the first move as it should be right? All because I approached you first¡± ¡°Hmmmn Zane. How bad of me¡± I remarked, maffling. But he wouldn¡¯t even stop there, he continuedining. ¡°All in the name of trying to take the rtionship gradual like you wanted whereas you know how much I love you. It¡¯s close to a week with you now yet I¡¯m not getting a positive vibe to move on with you; except that we engage in this boring conversation, we don¡¯t talk about Love, we don¡¯t even talk about us. It doesn¡¯t look like we are dating, it looks like I¡¯m forcing myself on you ¡®cos you don¡¯t take me serious. But it¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll tell Mrs J Johnson to find me another partner while we remain as ordinary friends¡± ¡°I¡­ I feel the same way you feel¡± I stuttered. ¡°I see. Mrs J Johnson will also find you a new partner after all, we wre even now. It¡¯s nice talking to you Rita¡± He said, about to hung up the call maybe but I interrupted quickly. ¡°No, no Zane. I.. I meant the feeling¡¯s mutual¡± I sighed heavily. ¡°I love you too Zane¡± I finally admitted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you in this hard position. I¡¯m sorry for taking so much time to admit that I love you too and I actually enjoy talking and chatting with you¡± I paused, hoping to hear from him but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Jeez he hung up the call already before listening to what I have to say¡± I whimpered softly. ¡°I¡¯m still here¡± He spoke just when I was drew the phone from my ear to look at the screen. ¡°Zane¡± I called his name. ¡°Rita¡± He mentioned mine too with the same tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you feel dejected¡± I apologized again. ¡°So you¡­ you love me¡± He said instead. ¡°I really do. Let¡¯s resume this rtionship over again, properly like the true lovers we are now ¡± I proposed. ¡°I¡¯m d you waited till now despite my odd attitude towards you¡± I spoke solemnly. ¡°I love you so much Rita¡± He repeated. ¡°I love you too, Zane¡± ***** To Be Continued Chapter 12 ZANE OR FINN? Rita Today¡¯s just a too good day; first, Finn was busy throughout and he didn¡¯t have the chance to ill treat or provoke me. Although, we had little free time for ourselves because clients kept trooping in and going out because It¡¯s a Friday, party day! Although, we were so busy yet I felt so happy this very day. Finally, it was recess, enough time to chat with my online boyfriend Zane while we had our lunch at the office cafeteria. Adam and Evelyn sat next to eachother, doing their usual lovey-dovey stuff while eating. I sat opposite them, eating and engrossed with chatting with Zane, I was blushing and smiling, oblivious to the environment. Little did I know that Evelyn and Adam were watching me. ¡°When exactly are you gonna tell us about your new boyfriend ¡± Evelyn caught my attention. ¡°He¡¯s Zane. The same guy Mrs J Johnson hooked me up with¡± I responded. ¡°Oh wow. That guy. So thanks to me¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Nah. Thanks to J Johnson instead. Oops! I haven¡¯t even appreciated her all this while¡± I suddenly remembered. ¡°Wait a minute guys, is it that same J Johnson youined about somedays ago?¡± Adam interfered. ¡°Yeah¡± I smiled widely. ¡°Woah! I knew she¡¯ld help you somehow¡± Adam said. ¡°Adam, it¡¯s not as direct and easy as you think it is¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Shiii¡± I hushed her ¡®cos I knew she was gonna spew out the full gist. ¡°Shiii!¡± She hushed me too and faced her boyfriend: ¡± I personally told J Johnson to hook her up with a guy. She yelled at me when she got match made with Zane but just look at her now, feeling so exicted that she¡¯s in love with Zane. Her eyes says it all, look at her reddened cheek¡­¡± I cut in sharply. ¡°Okay, Okay¡­ That¡¯s enough! Thank you so much, are you happy now?¡± I said to Evelyn then got engrossed with my phone again when it beeped. ¡°Will you please drop your phone now and eat now?e on you¡¯ve barely touched the meal and it¡¯s getting cold¡± Evelynined. ¡°Love is crazy!¡± Adamughed out loud. ¡°My phone, my boyfriend. Zane is literally here with me just like Adam is sitting next to you. Sometimes you both discuss all alone and forget about my existence remember?¡± ¡°Oh whatever. Just do whatever you want. Feel love, love love, it¡¯s your first time anyways. Enjoy it while itst¡± Evelyn said. I smiled, then slowly switched to a little frown. ¡°I have something to tell you both¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Err¡­ It¡¯s more like a confession¡± I resumed and they stared at me waiting for me to speak up already. I sighed heavily and dropped my phone: ¡°Actually, I have dated someone before¡± ¡°What? I thought this is your first time¡± Evelyn eximed. ¡°I lied to you because thest rtionship didn¡¯t end well¡± I said truthfully. ¡°Everyone¡¯s past rtionship didn¡¯t end well and that¡¯s why we left. So there is nothing to be ashamed about¡± ¡°Err.. the.. the thing is it was also an online dating¡± I paused. They gave me the listening ears I wanted, so I continued: ¡°His name was Jared, we dated on Love station¡± ¡°That application that crashed months ago?¡± Evelyn confirmed and I nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s the main reason why I¡¯m scared to date again, especially online. I lost Jared forever. I¡¯m so into Zane and I don¡¯t want simr case to ur¡± I confided in them. ¡°It definitely won¡¯t. Love station is scam and it¡¯s bygone¡± Evelyn blindly assured me. ¡°I¡­ I uhm also once dating on Love station¡± Adam confessed too.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°You did, too?¡± Evelyn red. ¡°Yeah, we actually met physically and she turns out to be an old woman¡± Adam told us and Evelyn bursted intoughter. ¡°Good for you¡± She mocked him. To me, what he said was more than joke, I read meanings in it. I¡¯m yet to meet Zane, what if when meet physically, he turns out not to be what he ims he is. I was about to tell them about my current plight but Adam spoke first. ¡°Have you met Zane physically?¡± He interrogated ¡°Not yet¡± ¡°Soon to meet him?¡± Evelyn interfered. ¡°Not really, I don¡¯t think so. Zane is in Canada, he said he works there¡± ¡°Temporarily?¡± She asked. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know¡± ¡°Well, if it¡¯s permanently, I guess he¡¯lle take you along with him, get married and start a new life over there¡± ¡°Evelyn, you are only trying tofort me. Look at the disadvantage, for instance Adam said when he finally met his online girlfriend, she turns out to be an old woman. What if Zane too is ¡­¡± Adam cut in ¡°Hope for the best Rita. I¡¯m sure Zane is different. Love station on its own was a fake app, filled with fake people. Err¡­your first lover Jared?¡± He tried to recall the name. ¡°Yeah, Jared¡± ¡°Jared would have literally been the one whom will turn out to be an old man or someone even worst just like my experience¡± Adam stated. ¡°He¡¯s right. I heard Love station had a lot of fake identity, major reasons why I said it¡¯s a scam earlier. Focus on having the best rtionship with Zane, afterall a matchmaker came through for both of you¡± Evelyn added. Yeah, I remember J Johnson said this is her job, she brings two people together, watch them fall in love, then get married eventually. She also fix broken rtionship. She¡¯s an expert when ites to the subject ¡®Love¡¯. What else do I expect from a woman married for twenty years. Maybe there¡¯s really nothing for me to worry about. An idea suddenly niggled at me. I would have a video call with Zane, to make sure I¡¯m chatting with the right person. But how sure am I sure hat he is Zane. Ugh! as far as whom I am on a video call with isn¡¯t an old man. I giggled and continued eating. ¡°Hi¡± someone said behind me. We raised our head up to see who it was. It was Finn, Mr Finn; our cruel boss. I began to tremble; he has made his presence so terrifying to me ¡®cos all he does is to maltreat me all in the name of me making it up to him. He already figured out my weak point, I don¡¯t wanna lose this job. Without our consent, he sat with us; the only avable seat was next to me, opposite Evelyn. He sat next to me! I could hear my heart throbbing!! ****** To Be Continued Chapter 13 ¡°THE VERY FIRST DAY I MET YOU RITA, I LOVE YOU¡± SAID FINN Rita¡¯s POV Without our consent, he sat with us; the only avable seat was next to me, opposite Evelyn. He sat next to me! I could hear my heart throbbing!! ¡°Hi¡± Finn said again, surprisingly, he was smiling cheerfully. We three greeted him perfunctorily and in a somewhat fearful murmur. ¡°I came to say what a great work you¡¯ve done. I saw how we had so many clients miling into your department. And I must say, that section in thepany does the most work¡± Finn said. ¡°Unfortunately, we are under estimated¡± Evelyn replied informally. ¡°Boss¡± She then added. She seems free with him as he was with her. I noticed Adam was jealous. Him and I just sat down there and said absolutely nothing. ¡°I came to say thank you to you guys. Ignore the under estimation, my gratitude alone should go a long way¡± Finn said. ¡°Nope. An increase in sry will do. At least, almost the same as what those in the official section receive. You have just admitted that we are doing a better and harder job than they are¡± Evelyn said and Finnughed. ¡°I can see you¡¯ve got the gut to talk to me unlike your friends¡± He looked at me but I looked away. ¡°I am sorry¡± Evelyn apologized. ¡°No, No, it¡¯s fine. I have known you to be an outspoken person and I love that¡± Finn said. ¡°While then, the meek one gets treated badly for being quiet? I see¡± Adam interfered brusquely. ¡°I.. I.. I¡¯m only being silent right now because I.. I¡­ I don¡¯t wanna get on your nerves¡± I stuttered in a murmur. ¡°Mrs keston never showed anyone of us a preferential attention neither did we ever had an intimate interaction with her but as for you, you¡¯re our peer group or maybe just a little older. Listen, I¡¯ll talk back at you if that¡¯s what it means to fight for love¡± Adam stood up and fired at Finn confidently. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± Finn ignored Adam and faced Evelyn to give him some proper exination. ¡°I.. I¡¯ll apologise on his behalf. Please forgive him, he didn¡¯t mean to talk to you in such manner¡± Evelyn pleaded. ¡°Evelyn!¡± Adam shunned. ¡°He is still our boss no matter what, he¡¯ll fire you if you continue this way!¡± Evelyn snapped back at him. ¡°Does being a boss give him the authority to snatch you from me?¡± Adam said back. I could see he was jealous of Finn taking Evelyn away from him but Evelyn was only ying all nice and sweet to Finn because he¡¯dplimented such behavior. ¡°Snatch her from you?¡± Finn repeated, confused kind of. ¡°Evelyn is my girlfriend. So stop being all sweet and romantic towards her¡± Adam continued to bark. Finnughed hysterically and shook his head disappointedly. Finn ignored Adam, faced me and said ¡°Rita Martinez, make sure youe see me personally before you go home¡± With that, he stood up and left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Adam? Finn is not flirting with me. He came here to talk to Rita¡± Evelyn cautioned her boyfriend. ¡°Then he should have done that right away. I can¡¯t just watch you chit chat with him in front of me¡± He said. ¡°You are only over reacting!¡± ¡°You think I am over reacting!¡± ¡°You are!!¡± They were quarreling in front of me all because of Finn, I had to interfere. ¡°Stop it already guys!¡± I almost screamed and they kept quiet immediately. ¡°You are not the problem Adam, you didn¡¯t mean any harm neither are you at fault Evelyn! So stop fighting¡± I pleaded, although I was more worried about why Finn want me to see him. I checked the time on my phone; ¡°Recess period is over, let¡¯s get back to work¡± I announced. We left the cafeteria together. **** Soon, it was closing hours, I was tied down with work since we returned from the cafeteria, so I didn¡¯t have the chance to go see Mr Finn. I summoned up courage to go now, he¡¯ll be very mad if I don¡¯t show up at all. ¡°I guess you guys have to leave without me¡± I waved them, Bye. ¡°Be good okay?¡± Evelyn pulled me for a warm hug. But deep down, I was scared, several thoughts ran into my head wondering what Mr Finn Lakston is up to this time around. I watched them leave and others too; in no time the office became almost scanty. I went to Finn¡¯s office, peeped on him first and noticed that he was done with his stuffs, he was already packing up his briefcase and ready to leave any minute from now, so I knocked gently and rushed in to meet him. ¡°I¡¯m here¡± I announced my presence. He stopped what he was doing and looked at me like he wasn¡¯t expecting me, so I quickly reminded him; ¡± You.. you said I shoulde see you before I leave¡± ¡°Hmmm yeah, I know I did¡± He smiled, I¡¯m sure it was a mischievous one. He gestured; ¡°Sit. Befortable¡± I obeyed, trembling as he came to sit right in front of me, on his table. My heart almost jumped out, it was racing. ¡°Be calm Rita. I won¡¯t hurt you, I promise¡± He spoke innocently. I didn¡¯t say anything also, I avoided eye contact with him. ¡°Oh! Or maybe I must have hurt you indirectly. I am very sorry¡± Finn apologized, I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. He sighed heavily because I still didn¡¯t utter a word. ¡°I swear, I¡¯m jovial, sweet and friendly. I still got the characteristics of the Finn you met first before I became your CEO. I didn¡¯t mean to treat you badly, I guess I was only trying to prove I¡¯m the boss but it turned out the wrong way. I.. I swear, I only wanted to be your friend right from day one¡± Through the corner of my eyes, I could see him looking into my eyes. ¡°The very first day I met you, I love the aura I get when I¡¯m around you and it¡¯s making me wanna be with you by all means. I¡­ I thought being all harsh and bossy will bring you closer to me but it doesn¡¯t look like it. I.. I.. I think you hate me now¡± He said. Involuntarily, I blinked severally, still speechless to say the least. ¡°Say something Rita¡± He pleaded. ¡°I¡­ I wanna go home¡± was what came out of my mouth. I stood up quickly and rushed towards the door. ¡°No! Don¡¯t leave. Wait up!¡± Finn ordered before I could turn the door knob. He got off the table and stroded over to where I stood, still trembling. ********Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. To Be Continued Chapter 14 ¡°SHOW ME YOUR FACE ZANE!¡± Rita ¡°No! Don¡¯t leave. Wait up!¡± Finn ordered before I could turn the door knob. He got off the table and stroded over to where I stood, still trembling. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you off at your ce¡± Finn said, I was gonna turn him down but he added immediately; ¡°Do not say No¡± So, I remained mute instead. He returned to his desk, picked up his car keys, and his briefcase then walked out of his office, I followed him behind sluggishly like a lost puppy. By this time, every worker has left except the securities. Finn tried to start a conversation with me in his car but I stayed mute; at least not too scared, neither was I still trembling like earlier. I felt a little relieved but what he has said to me kept reminiscing and banging in my head leaving me shocked and speechless. I only spoke to him when he needed directions to my ce and then, I was dumbfounded again till we arrived at my ce. I opened the car hastily and got off before he¡¯ll stop me or say something unbelievable again. ¡°So see you at the office on Monday¡± He waved, smiled at me even when my behavior towards him was a cold one. I stood at my entrance and watched him drive away till he was beyond my sight. Finally, I exhaled heavily. Just then, my phone buzzled. It was Zane. ¡°Zane!¡± I found my voice, I shouted into the phone. ¡°You sound somehow excited¡± ¡°Excited? Ugh no! Zane, you won¡¯t believe what just happened between my boss and I¡± I began to b as I unlocked the door to my apartment and walked in. ¡°What? What is it? Wait! Is it what I¡¯m thinking?¡± He said. ¡°What are you thinking? Oh no! Incase it¡¯s a dirty thought¡± I shut him up and heughed. ¡°I¡¯m all ears¡± He said. ¡°My boss apologized for how badly he has treated me, he said something like he likes me and want me around him. He said he wants me to be his friend. And you won¡¯t believe that he just dropped me off at my ce too in his expensive car¡± I rushed all my words, somehow I was happy about it and somehow I was still amazed. ¡°Expensive car¡± He repeated after me emphasizing on the word Expensive. ¡°Wow wow. I perceive a boss to employee rtionship¡± Hemented enviously. ¡°Hell no¡± I replied. ¡°Well, good thing he will no longer ill treat you anymore¡± Zane said. ¡°Yes, I guess¡± I was breathing too fast, so I paused to catch up my breathe: ¡°You sound so jealous Zane, I can sense it¡± I said. ¡°Whatever¡± I heard him hiss and I giggled. ¡°You had better appreciate the kind of girl you¡¯ve got. I tell you almost everything that happens at my ce of work yet I know nothing about yours except that your former CEO was mean and that¡¯s a paste tense¡± I told him. ¡°Oh you are not aware that I am not a sole entrepreneur. Also, I have multiple side jobs which makes me financially stable and rich. I¡¯m a billionaire¡± He boasted. ¡°I know you are financially stable. I meant you don¡¯t tell me about the daily activities at your work ce like I do gist you about mine¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Here¡¯s boring, there¡¯s nothing fun. Same routine, I just sit in front of aputer, attend to annoying physical and online clients and there¡¯s no girl flirting around me all in the name of wanting to be my friend¡± Zane said. I knew he was referring to my boss and I case. ¡°Jealous! Jealous! You¡¯re jealous! I smell jealousy¡± I teased him. ¡°Whatever, whatever¡± He snarled. ¡°Uhm, let¡¯s switch to a video call¡± I suggested. ¡°I¡¯ld love to see that jealous face of yours¡± ¡°Huh! I¡¯m not jealous Rita. There¡¯s nothing to see¡± ¡°Okay! Just a picture. You can actually fake a jealous face, I don¡¯t mind¡± ¡°No¡± He blurted out. Instantly, I started recalling the conversation I had with Adam and Evelyn during lunch. Adam had said that his online lover turned out to be an old woman. Although, they gave me reasons why I shouldn¡¯t worry about Zane, yet I suspected that he was definitely hiding something for not even showing me a picture, even his profiles and biography were yet to be uploaded. He also disagreed about switching to a video call. I was mute for a while, regretting why I didn¡¯t request for a video call or his pictures earlier before Ipletely fell in love with him. All this while, I¡¯ve only imagined how he¡¯ld look like, I predicted that he was a handsome young fellow because that how his voice sounds; sweet and romantic. ¡°Rita¡± He called my name when I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Zane, tell me the truth. Are you.. disabled for real?¡± I inquired but he couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°I¡­. I¡­¡± He stammered. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you let me see your face. We aren¡¯t meeting physically anytime soon and you wouldn¡¯t let me see who I¡¯m into?¡± ¡°Thought you said you loved my voice and it¡¯s more than enough¡± He recalled. ¡°I¡­ I was kidding Zane. I didn¡¯t mean it and it¡¯s been a long time I made such statement. Now, I really would like to see your face. Only someone who is up to no good would hide his identity. Are you dangerous? , a spy or you might even be someone I already know. Are you disabled? Oh no, you can¡¯t be disabled. Zane, I¡¯m begging to see your face, I do not care if you are ugly, a beast or faceless, got burns or a face disease or even blind; no you can¡¯t be blind. I just wanna see you¡± I pleaded. ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna see you and I¡¯ve got no problem with that. Rita, let¡¯s forget about this issue and discuss about something else. I¡¯m not having a video call nor sharing my pictures with you. Not yet, not anytime soon. I¡¯ll let you know when I want to¡± He said like it¡¯s no big deal. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. What could he be possibly hiding? I disconnected the call angrily and bursted into tears. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 15 THE MATCHMAKER Rita¡¯s POV Zane tried to contact me throughoutst night and even till now, my phone wouldn¡¯t stop buzzling with his calls and several messages. I read and ignored them intentionally. What sort of a serious online boyfriend hide his face from his online girlfriend? Just what sort of! I kept pacing around my house, tossing on my bed, missing Zane¡¯s voice yet I wouldn¡¯t pick up his calls. Afterall, that¡¯s the only thing I can miss about him; His voice since he¡¯s faceless. I kept nagging, yaking and hissing. I sent messages to Evelyn and Adam because I was bored but they wouldn¡¯t reply. These two became one and indirectly threw me out of the clique. Messages from Zane kepting in because he noticed I was active online, I continued to read and ignore them till he¡¯s ready to show me his damn face instead his messages were filled with a million apology. I scrolled through the gistfeed to kill boredom and as usual pictures and videos of couples, kissing, lovey dovey here and there. I almost screamed. I received a popped up message from J Johnson which reminded me that I haven¡¯t said thank you to this woman since Zane and I got along. ¡°Hey dear Rita, it¡¯s been a while. How are you?¡± Read her message. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I replied simply. I wanted to burst my heart out here. Also, I can¡¯t go ahead to say thank you to her for helping me find Zane yet because it looks our rtionship is about toe to an end. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for intruding into your privacy but it¡¯s my job because I¡¯m the matchmaker. How are you and your date, Zane?¡± J Johnson asked. ¡°We are not in good terms at the moment J Johnson¡± ¡°Oops! All this while your rtionship had crash while I was here thinking I¡¯ve done a fantastic job. No wonder you didn¡¯t text me a big thank you¡± J Johnson sent. ¡°No. It actually escaped my mind to appreciate you¡± I sent ¡°Zane and I had a big fightst night¡± I told her. ¡°What??¡± I could imagine she eximed just the way she typed it.¡±Big fight. What happened?¡± ¡°Zane won¡¯t let me meet or see him, not even his pictures or a video call. He is definitely hiding something, must be something really huge¡± I said and typed at the same time.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She didn¡¯t respond immediately but soon did; ¡°You are right, it is something huge¡± She responded. Good she reasoned along with me, therefore I¡¯m not over reacting. ¡°Listen dear, the major cause of quarrel between lovers is misunderstanding. Even a little thing can cause a big quarrel¡± ¡°But I¡¯m trying to understand Zane. We were so cool untilst night¡± ¡°Would you please ask Zane why he refused to let me see him?¡± I requested. ¡°I do not need to ask him. I know the reason¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°When Zane joined FAP & GM. He told me he¡¯d prefer to date someone online because he has been turned down by otherdies he met physically¡± ¡°Ugh! Zane told me it¡¯s been a long time he dated¡± ¡°It simr with same plight. Zane has a huge ugly scar on half his face and it doesn¡¯t seem to heal any time soon and it¡¯s really irritating more than you can ever imagine¡± Ew, what d¡¯ fvck! Is this a made up story? ¡°Before you, I match made him with one otherdy who broke up with him immediately after seeing a picture of him. At first, she thought it was photoshopped, confirmed with a video call and broke up with him right away. Zane is afraid that you might also do the same to him; I¡¯ve seen his face, he got the fresh-looking scar from an ident. Trust me, it¡¯s irritating¡± She said and my eyes widened as I read the long message. At the moment, I didn¡¯t know what to say or type. ¡°You¡¯ll most likely break up with him when you see him. So he wants to date you for a very long time, he wants you to fall in love with his personality and not what looks like. Please Rita, can you do that for the meantime while he undergoes a stic surgery of his true face?¡± What?? ¡°Is he getting a stic surgery?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, he told me he¡¯ll do a stic surgery to get back his actual look¡± She responded. I suddenly felt bad and sympathetic. ¡°I love Zane so much Mrs J Johnson¡± I confessed to her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Zane was going through a lot, I must have overreacted and hurt him with my wordsst night¡± ¡°You could make it up to him by not having the conversation about his face till he brings it up, I¡¯m sure by then he¡¯ld be looking attractive¡± ¡°You can also make it up to him by loving him more because all he hoped for is that kind of girl¡± ¡°I will¡± I replied, I began to regret everything I said to him yesterday, I called him ugly, I called him all sort of name that referred to his condition. ¡°He¡¯ld also like to meet you physically when he has had the stic surgery and has fully recovered¡± ¡°I guess he also lied to me about his location. He said he¡¯s in Canada. What If he lied, it means he is here in United state but not ready to meet me face to face. I could even bump into him one fateful day¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not a lie. He works at Canada¡± ¡°Remember I¡¯m FAP&GM admin, I know everything about each and every group member. I have helped almost everyone on the group to find their future partner and settle their differences. Do not hesitate to let me know if there¡¯s anything wrong between both of you again. I¡¯ll always be of help¡± She said. ¡°Thanks a lot Mrs J Johnson¡± ¡°One more thing, do not tell Zane I told you about his face scar; that¡¯s his little big secret. I told you because I didn¡¯t want you two to quarrel over that issue anymore; make it up to him¡± ¡± I will, I must¡± I was about to send that but a call from Finn came in.. ¡°Hello sir¡± I spoke formally. ¡°Sir what? I told you yesterday that I want us to be intimate friends and you are calling me sir?¡±He shunned. ¡°You¡­are.. still¡­my boss¡± I said one by one. ¡°Doesn¡¯t stop me from being more than a boss¡± He responded. I didn¡¯t say anything else. I wanted to hung up the call, call my boyfriend and make it up to him already before it¡¯s toote. But I can¡¯t just disconnect the call because I was speaking to a CEO, I have to wait till he disconnects the call himself. ¡°Come open the door¡± He said. ¡°Huh?! Which door? What door?¡± ¡°Your door. I¡¯m in front of your house¡± Now I could hear footsteps drawing nearer and I could hear his voice out of the phone. ¡°What??¡± I eximed. I wanted to ask how he knew where I live but I remembered that he dropped me off yesterday. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting Rita! Come open your door!¡± He repeated. ******* Chapter 16 FINN VISITED ME Rita¡¯s POV ¡°What a really really nice abode you¡¯ve got¡± Finn said, he started inspecting the house as I let hime in. ¡°Th¡­ Thank you¡± I stuttered. ¡°Please have a seat¡± I gestured him to the couch since he won¡¯t stop looking around. After he sat down, I sighed heavily then went to serve him a very cold fruity drink. ¡°Enjoy, it¡¯s.. it¡¯s all I got in the fridge¡± I said as I poured the drink into a ss and handled it over to him. I sat ufortably on the next couch and watched him gulped it. ¡°Rita, did you think about what I told you yesterday? You should be excited the boss wanna be close with you¡± Finn said. ¡°We could be just friends sir¡± I managed to say. ¡°Do away with the sir. Finn, it¡¯s Finn and what do you mean we could just friends? Do you have a boyfriend?¡± I didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Looks like you already know that I want to be your friend, so that I could be more than friend?¡± He smiled mischievously. ¡°Your mother, Mrs keston never visited me nor any other colleagues except if it is business rted. Why are you here Mr Finn Lakston¡± I thought calling him by his full name will sound a little formal. ¡°I came to check up on an employee of mine and you¡¯ld be the first I¡¯m paying a visit¡± He replied. ¡°Your mom never checked up on ¡­¡± He interrupted me. ¡°I am interested in you Rita, I¡¯m afraid I really like you and would wanna date with you¡± Finn said boldly and arrogantly like the CEO he was. The statement that ¡®bosses make sure to get whatever they want is right but no, I can¡¯t date Finn. I scoffed; ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t do this with you. I can¡¯t date you, I can¡¯t even be your intimate friend but I have epted to be your friend, just a friend and i¡¯ld be d if you would continue being a nice boss towards me even after I have just turned you down¡± I said and picked up my phone. I clicked on Kikachat to reply all of Zane¡¯s messages and I informed him I was no longer mad at him. ¡°So you do have a boyfriend¡± He grited his teeth, coldly and heartbroken. ¡°Okay! I would only be friends with you if you will date me¡± He said. Huh? How¡¯s that supposed to be possible? He stood up and headed to my door: ¡°And if you truly have a boyfriend, let me know when you¡¯re single again¡± Hestly uttered and walked out of my house.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Jeez! Billionaire CEOs are proud and full of themselves. Does he really think I won¡¯t turn him down because of his reputable position?? Ugh! I smirked and picked up my phone, oops! Zane wouldn¡¯t stop texting me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry my love¡± I sent that to him and as soon as he read the text, he switched to a voice call and I picked it up in a jiffy. ¡°Rita, my love¡± He cried. ¡°Zane baby¡± I responded smiling like he could see me. ¡°I am sorry¡± We said at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night. We could do a video call right away. I¡­.¡± Zane said but I interrupted him. ¡°Nevermind Zane, it¡¯s fine. I am sorry, I said harsh words to youst night. It¡¯s really not how I am¡± I apologized sincerely. ¡°No dear, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Asking for my picture or a video call with me is right and normal. The reason I disagreed and overreacted is because I.. I am ¡­.¡± I interrupted him again. ¡°I said it¡¯s fine¡± I repeated, I don¡¯t want him to repeat what Mrs J Johnson had told me about his scar. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna see me yet?¡± He asked. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, your sweet and romantic voice is more than enough¡± I repeated. ¡°I miss us Rita¡± He said. ¡°I miss us too, Zane. I am very sorry for ignoring you for almost twenty four hours¡± ¡°Less than twenty four hours without hearing from you is like a century. It is like a torture I will never ever forget¡± Zane cried out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you a lot¡± ¡°But I was the one who hurt you¡± He argued. ¡°No, I ¡­ I hurt you more¡± I insisted ¡°I said those insultive words, like I was literally making a mockery of you¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. We are good now and that¡¯s what matters. I love you so much Rita¡± He said. ¡°I love you too Zane¡± ****** To Be Continued Chapter 17 ADAM KNOWS ZANE! Rita¡¯s POV ¡°It¡¯s so great, speaking to you 24. 7¡± I ced my phone on loud speaker that Sunday evening while I was cooking. ¡°I know right. We usually spend only less than half of the day with eachother during the weekdays¡± Zane said. ¡°We should do this more often. I¡¯m preparing stir-fri noodles. What about you?¡± I inquired because earlier, we agreed to carry out the same activities together at the same time. ¡°Same here. I¡¯m a great cook¡± He boasted and I gave a shortugh. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see a movie together while we eat right?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± I agreed. ¡± Same movie, titled Dawn Of Love. I¡¯ve seen it before but I want you to see it too, it¡¯s my all time favorite movie¡± ¡°Anything for you, your highness¡± He giggled. I guess this way of doing things together won¡¯t make us notice that we¡¯re far apart. Our meal was ready almost at the same time, we literally ate together and watched the movie at the same time or together rather. I made sure he enjoyed the movie as much as I did but then, I doze off. Until I heard an audible muscr voice saying ¡®wakey wakey¡¯. I almost jumped out of the bed before realizing the voice wasing from a phone call. ¡°Are you awake now Rita?¡± ¡°Zane, I¡¯m sorry I slept off. And it¡¯s morning already¡± ¡°I enjoyed the moviest night and it¡¯s really great to literally sleep next to you¡± Hemented and I chuckled. ¡°I have to end the call now. I need to go get ready for work¡± I informed him. ¡°Same here, bye my love¡± I said the same.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. *** ¡°Hey, good morning Evelyn¡± We pecked eachother¡¯s cheek when I arrived at the office. ¡°Where¡¯s Adam?¡± I asked when I didn¡¯t see him around. Normally, he gets to the office earlier, spend more time at our department then leave for his departmentter. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± Evelyn mumbled perfunctorily. ¡°Morning Rita¡± I noticed she forced a smile. ¡°Oh! There he is, your boyfriend¡± I saw Adam approaching towards us. ¡°You didn¡¯t know he is around?¡± ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t know¡± She replied coldly, shrugged and rolled her eyes. ¡°Good morning Rita¡± Adam beamed when he drew closer to where we were. ¡°Good morning to you too¡± I responded. ¡°How was the weekend?¡± He probed further. ¡°It was great, really great¡± I responded, referring to my interesting chit chat with Zane throughout yesterday. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve got good news for you¡± Adam apprised¡­ ¡°I love good news¡± I cheered anxiously. ¡°Your online boyfriend Zane, is he Zane Withney?¡± Adam inquired, squinting his eyes. ¡°How do you know his full name.?¡± I shrieked: ¡°Your right, Withney is hisst name!¡± ¡°Oh My God!!¡± He eximed. ¡°What happened? Is there anything you wanna say to me?¡± I was very curious, this has to do with my man! ¡°Zane Witheny, your boyfriend and I went to the same college!¡± Adam announced, pping his hands. ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn and I eximed simultaneously. It was then it dawn to that Evelyn was mute while I and her boyfriend were cheery and conversing. ¡°Yes, really. So after the conversation I had with youst Friday, I was concerned too and I went ahead to search up for his name, turns out he was someone I know¡± Adam said showing us his chat with Zane. Adam had asked for his surname and the name of college he attended and his course of study. It turns out they were acquainted and they had an amicable dialogue there after. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me any of this¡± ¡°How does Zane look like?¡± I asked eagerly. ¡°Zane was the hottest guy back then in college, I mean.. me too but he had more entourages. We were pretty close, Zane is a very great guy. Oh my God Rita! You are so great to have him¡± Adam encouraged and I was so heartened. I blushed, smiling heavily. ¡°What else? Does he.. he have any¡­uhm scar or something weird on his face?¡± I inquired furthered because that¡¯s what Mrs J Johnson told me. ¡°No!¡± He blurted. ¡°I just said that he was the hottest and a popr guy in school. If he has something weird on his face, that would make him the ugliest guy not a popr guy¡± Adam tittered. ¡°Nevermind. You saw himst at college anyways¡± I murmured. He probably had the scar after college or of recent. ¡°I feel bad that I didn¡¯t trust him earlier now you have just confirm that you are acquainted with him. That¡¯s more than enough proof that I have absolutely nothing to worry about¡± I told them. ¡°Yeah and it¡¯s great being a friend of your boyfriend¡± ¡°Exactly. Coincidentally, he wanted me to introduce you guys to him. Evelyn, you should send him a text via Kikachat introducing yourself to him as my best friend¡± I told her. ¡°Roger that. I¡¯ll do that right away bestie¡± Evelyn said, picking up her phone. ¡°Uhm, so i¡¯ll return to my department now¡± Adam said, feeling somehow ufortable. ¡°Good, leave¡± Evelyn said brusquely. Huh! I looked at both of them. I was engrossed with Zane topic that I barely noticed that something was wrong with both of them, they barely spoke to each other. ¡°Are you guys Okay?¡± I asked, looking at them suspiciously. ¡°No¡± Adam replied honestly. ¡°Yes¡± Evelyn said simultaneously then she hissed while Adam left. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with both of you?¡± I interrogated but she wouldn¡¯t respond. Neither did we talk about it while we attended to clientster that day. *** When we arrived at the office restaurant during recess period, I observed that Adam and Evelyn still weren¡¯tfortable around eachother. There were four seats around a rectangr centre table. Evelyn usually sat next to her boyfriend, leaving a nk seat next to mine but this time, she sat beside me. ¡°Now, will you both tell me what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked but they didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Speak!¡± I hit the table imperiously. ¡°She¡¯s still mad at me because I overreacted about Finn¡¯s issue¡± ¡°Ugh!! Finn? Does this have to do with what happenedst Friday?¡± I questioned and Adam nodded. ¡°And Evelyn says I¡¯m too clingy¡± He frankly, added. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna date a clingy boyfriend. I think we should go our separate ways¡± Evelyn murmured, with a malevolent facial expression. ¡°For no reason are you meant to be mad, I¡¯m the one who was hurt. Evelyn you flirt with other guys in my presence¡± Adam said. ¡°Flirt? You think I was flirting with Zane?! You jealous freak!¡± ¡°Enough! I¡¯m still here¡± I cautioned, hitting the table again. ¡°Of course Rita, you brought it up. We were cool avoiding each other ¡± Evelyn grumbled rolled her eyes. ¡°I hate this animosity between both of you. Come on! You guys are quarreling over Finn¡± I spoke. ¡°Obviously¡± Adam replied. I shook my head: ¡± I was wrong when I said Finn likes Evelyn. He.. uhm, came to my ce during the weekend to confess that he had feelings for me¡± ¡°What?¡± They eximed. ¡°He has no feelings for Evelyn. I¡¯m the one he likes, I¡¯m the one he is after, it has always been me not Evelyn¡± I told them. Hmmn, They were mute. ¡°And you guys are at the edge of breaking up with eachother because of a slight misunderstanding¡± I shook my head again then signaled at the waiter to bring us food. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Adam asked. ¡°I¡¯m not tryna boast but clearly, it has always been me Adam, so stop being jealous or clingy when you see them together and you Evelyn, stop giving Finn a green light because you think he¡¯s tryna make advances towards you. No please¡± I spoke to them like a mother or an elderly one. ¡°J Johnson was right when she said the main root of quarrel between lovers is Misunderstanding. You both really need her intervention in your affair¡± I sniggered. ¡°No¡± They blurted at the same time. ¡°Why not? Trust me, J Johnson is really great at her job. Zane and I had a small quarrel during the weekend and she helped us resolve it as soon as possible. I¡¯m sure you can book an online session with her¡± I urged them. They usually quarrel over the slightest issue. ¡°No please. We don¡¯t want a fourth party¡± Evelyn said. ¡°That right. I agree with Evelyn¡± ¡°You can be the third and only party involved in our lovers quarrel and that¡¯s because you¡¯ve always been our best friend from day one¡± Evelyn added. ¡°I agree with Evelyn a hundred percent. We are not disclosing our affair with someone else¡± Adam added. I watched both of them have a high five then Evelyn moved over to sit next to her boyfriend whom in turn, ced his hand over her neck. ¡°What a good job I must have done then¡± I smiled but Evelyn scorned at me, then faced Adam squarely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything¡± Evelyn apologized. Adam intertwined fingers with her, kissed hers and said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry too my love¡± ¡°Awwn¡± I smiled. ¡°As it should be. Ugh! I really can¡¯t imagine ignoring someone I see everyday at work¡± I said. ¡°Okay. We are back together again. Can you please not make reference to that. It¡¯a bygone now?¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Okay, Okay¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat guys¡± Adam said when the waiter approached us to serve our meal. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 18 ¡°PRETEND TO LOVE FINN¡± RitaThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Mr Finn Lakston had passed by us; to my greatest surprised he ignored me, he went ahead to sit on the nearest vacant seat. Somehow, I was scared that he might do the worst to me. I watched him eat while I ate slowly with shaky hand. Evelyn and Adam had noticed. ¡°So what did you say to Finn when he confessed his feelings for you?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Of course, I turned him down¡± I answered innocently. ¡°Now it looks like you¡¯re regretting that you did¡± Adam observed. I sighed heavily: ¡°I¡¯m just a little scared that he might change towards me again, didn¡¯t you see how he just acted like I¡¯m not existing¡± I spoke soberly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have turned Finn down. That¡¯s a little harsh¡± Evelyn remarked. ¡°Why not? I¡¯m in a serious rtionship now with a serious boyfriend, Zane¡± I reminded her. ¡°I know, I know. You should have at least pretended to be interested in him too¡± ¡°Evelyn!¡± Her boyfriend shunned. ¡°Chill Adam, I¡¯m not asking her to date Mr Finn, she should.. uhm y along, just for the fun of it, or maybe for his money. She won¡¯t loose anything afterall. Or maybe she shoulde into his life as a friend¡± ¡°Oh yes! He asked me to be his friend. I.. I uhm, I think I rejected his offer too¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re so lucky Rita but you chose to be unlucky. What are you thinking? Mr Finn literally gave you free ess into his motherfucking wealthy life¡± She was raising her voice uncautiously. ¡°Evelyn, c¡¯mon¡± Adam cautioned. ¡°Ugh!¡± She shook her head; maybe disappointed at my stupidity. ¡°Rita, being Finn¡¯s close friend will save you from a whole lot of things, you get to be treated nicely, we also get to enjoy his preferential treatment being your best friends¡± Adam urged me calmly. ¡°Exactly¡± Evelyn supported. ¡°But Rita, you have to be very careful not to get carried away by golds and silvers¡± ¡± Rita is not that kind of girl. She doesn¡¯t even like Finn one bit¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him one bit¡± I repeated after her in a low tone. ¡°Good. So this is why you have to pretend that you do¡± Evelyn said. I nodded my head in affirmation and stood up; ¡°I¡¯ll go to him now and take back my words. What do you think?¡± ¡°Good¡± Evelyn raised her thumbs up. I inhaled and exhaled heavily, summoning up the confidence to pretend, then I walked towards where Mr Finn sat. ¡°Hi Mr Finn Lakston¡± I smiled widely and sat in front of him. ¡°Hi Rita¡± He responded sheepishly at first but he finally smiled; perhaps he couldn¡¯t avoid his crush on me. ¡°Or can I just say Finn, like hi Finn, can I join you at the table as a friend?¡± Thus, I acted; action! ¡°You finally wanna be my friend?¡± He eximed, beaming. ¡°Yes! Yes! Finn¡± I responded. ¡°Oh wow! I guess your colleagues will get used to seeing both of us together!¡± He said then whispered discreetly; ¡°You are my favourite employee¡± I forced a blush, flung my hair; acting all charming and beautiful. ¡°I was in a bad mood that very saturday you came visiting. I¡­I need you to believe that I didn¡¯t mean every single word I said to you¡± I spoke solemnly, touching his hand; I¡¯m sure it sent cold shivers into his vein. ¡°But since you wanna be my friend, you¡¯re gonna date me. That¡¯s what I said, ¡®if you¡¯d date me, be my friend''¡± He reminded me. Oops! I pped a little but I didn¡¯t let him notice it. ¡°C¡¯mon slowly. Friends first? Isn¡¯t that what you also said?¡± I reminded him and heughed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m happy we are getting along gradually¡± Unexpectedly, he stood up, spread his hands apart beckoning me toe embrace him. I gave a weirdughter, got on my foot too and gave him a light hug. We had our seats after that, interacted freely, discussed about random stuffs but Finn seems to be more interested in my rtionship. He profounded themunication to the subject Love but I stylished waved it away to discuss about other random stuff. I¡¯m not sure of how long I can keep up with this. When we returned to the office after recess period, I told Adam and Evelyn everything that happened between Finn and I. ¡°Aish! I so much hate that guy¡± Adam whined. ¡°But he likes Rita not me. Why do you still hate him?¡± Evelyn questioned. ¡°I just do not like the aura thates from him. The fact that he thinks he can get everything he wants. He disgust me¡± ¡°Finn is the boss¡± I cut in. ¡°Adam is just upset that our boss is his agemate yet he has to listen to whatever he says¡± ¡°Whatever¡± Adam smirked. ¡°Hmmn guys, don¡¯t you think ying along with Finn is tad way too extreme. Finn doesn¡¯t seem to lose interest in me¡± I told them. ¡°Nah! Rita, the n isn¡¯t for him to lose interest in you, of course; it¡¯s never easy. I want you to get on his good side, there is a lot to benefit from that¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Evelyn, Finn really likes me and he is moving things too fast. He wants to be more than just friends, he wants to date me¡± Iined. ¡°I told you he thinks he can get everything and he will make sure he does!¡± Adam smirtled. ¡°Date him¡± Evelyn advised. ¡°What?? Why?¡± I and her boyfriend eximed. ¡°I mean.. a fake one. Even if he takes things too real, just have it at the back of your mind that it¡¯s all fake. Continue to y along Rita, you can do this ¡± She encouraged. ¡°Evelyn, Rita has a boyfriend¡± ¡°I know¡± She responded bluntly. ¡°Which means you could double date me?¡± He asked. ¡°No.. I mean, it¡¯s all fake besides, Rita¡¯s boyfriend, Zane is online; he¡¯s not around. So it¡¯s not like she is cheating on him anyways¡± ¡°I really love Zane. I do not wanna cheat on him¡± I uttered assiduously. ¡°No dear, you are not¡± ¡°In case you have forgotten Evelyn, Zane is my friend. I don¡¯t wanna see him get hurt¡±Adam added. ¡°So are literally saying you¡¯re gonna act like a spy and report every single thing Rita does to your old best friend, Zane. That makes you a bad friend to Rita and I¡± Evelyn argued. ¡°That.. That¡¯s not what I am saying¡­¡± ¡°You two should stop arguing over silly stuffs like this; I will decide what to do myself. Also, I will let my boyfriend know only what he needs to know¡± I cut in sharply; my ears were full of their argument already. **** To Be Continued Chapter 19 HI ZANE, BYE FINN During the closing hours, we were still arranging and packing our few things, so we could leave together when Finn came to meet us. ¡°Hey guys¡± He waved. ¡°We are going home or are you supposed to boss us around during the closing hours too?¡± Adam yawped at him. Finn only peered at him and shook his head in frustration. ¡°Watch it Adam!¡± Evelyn whispered in Adam¡¯s ear and pinched him on the neck. ¡°Hi Finn¡± She said. ¡°Hi Finn¡± I forced a smile because I wondered what he was up to this time around; as if the pretence I pulled up during the lunch hour is not enough. ¡°Mr Adam, your friend and girl-friend and I have gotten along so well. What¡¯s stopping us, being same gender, from being cool too?¡± Finn asked. Adam didn¡¯t say anything, Evelyn and I were speechless too because the question wasn¡¯t thrown at us. ¡°You three should are the luckiest because I have never showed much interest or attention to any other worker here yet I stooped so low, considering my position to you guys level. It should be like a big achievement to you Adam¡± Finn dered boastfully having a tune of a supremacy in his voice.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°This is why I do not want you close to me. You¡¯re full of yourself, Mr Finn with all due respect¡± Adam confronted him. We¡¯ve never ever seen him this way, we wondered why he was overeacting irrationally with such boldness. ¡°Let the gap remain between us as boss and worker, no intimacy at all. I don¡¯t want you close to me nor my girlfriend ¡± ¡°Ugh! Is this pugnacious attitude still because you think I want Evelyn?¡± Finn querried. ¡°Well, I am not here for you. Go to hell for all I care, and listen very good, this is thest time i¡¯ll let you talk to me in such manner. For now, let¡¯s just say you do not realize what you are doing¡± Finn looked down on him then he turned to me. ¡°Hey Rita¡± The scowl-look on his face promptly shifted to a big smile. At the moment, I didn¡¯t know who to support or console between Finn and Adam, before I could utter a word, Adam hissed at Finn and left aggressively, his girlfriend ran after him. ¡°Rita, you had better be careful with him¡± Finn warned, I nodded slowly but confused. ¡°Please forgive him Finn, I don¡¯t know what has gotten into Adam, he is usually not like this at all¡± I pleaded, gently touching his shoulder to make him calm. ¡°Of course, I will forgive him because of you. Because he is your best friend! Somehow, I envy your crew, you¡¯ve got eachother¡¯s back. Adam literally fought for you the other day and you are doing almost the same thing now. You are pleading on his behalf!¡± I smiled; ¡°What are best friends for?¡± It suddenly dawned on me that people were already leaving: ¡± Oh! I¡¯ll get going now¡± I announced. ¡°Come on. I can drop you off, as.. a friend¡± Finn offered. Hmmn, if it takes cheating on Zane just to enjoy the CEO¡¯s preferential treatment, then I definitely do not like this. ¡°I.. errm, I¡¯m actually not going home yet¡± I lied ¡°I will stop y at the grocery store. I have an empty fridge at home¡± ¡°Oh great, I can also drop you off at the grocery store¡± He insisted and I shook my head continuously. ¡°I might as well drop by at a friend¡¯s ce before the store¡± Lies create more lies they say. ¡± Just go your way Finn, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow¡± I waved, walking ahead of him already. ¡°Rita¡± He called my name. I turned to look at him¡­ ¡°I¡¯m so d that I could make up things with you and now you¡¯refortable around me; I just need to get more intimate with you¡± Finn said. ¡°I¡¯m.. excited too and I do really feel so special to be my CEO¡¯s closest friend¡± I responded with a broad beam on my face then I exited the office in a jiffy. Finn sounded innocent, he truly regretted ever treating me badly. Obviously, his visit at my ce during the weekend was to make it up to me and uhm, perhaps he truly fell in love with me too; I could see it in his eyes and the way he speaks to me. He seems pure inside out and he doesn¡¯t deserve to be yed on. I felt sympathetic and at the same time, I¡¯m not ready to let Finn know that I am in rtionship because the only reason why he is still being all sweet and nice to me is because I am kinda reciprocating to his pleasant attention. I drew out my phone in the bus, Oops! Zane should get used to my slow inactiveness because of we are both working. We¡¯ve only got eachother¡¯s attention during recess but mostly during the closing hours. He already has sent several messages for me. Yeah! send them in baby, I love reading your messages. I blushed heavily as I proceed to respond to all of his messages and inform him that I was on my way home; maybe we could continue with doing the same thing at the same time,ugh and talk about everything. That¡¯s romantic and lovey-dovey enough for someone in a long distance rtionship. **** To Be Continued Chapter 20 KIKACHAT APPLICATION Rita¡¯s POV ¡°How was work today Rita?¡± Zane asked. ¡°It was fine, you know stressful too; the usual routine¡± I responded. ¡°About your boss?¡± He inquired. ¡°Hmmmn¡± I hesisted to tell him. ¡°No you tell me Zane, how was work today? It has always been me telling you about mine¡± I changed the topic. ¡°Oh! You thought I was joking when I said there¡¯s no girl throwing herself at me? And work is boring, hectic.. You know the vibe Rita¡± He said. ¡°Okay.. OKAY¡± I replied bluntly. ¡°Uhm, so is there anything you want me to know? Zane asked. I breathed in heavily, although Zane and I are far away yet he suspects when something is wrong, he could tell when I have something to say, he knows when I am in a good mood or bad one. ¡°It¡¯s about my boss, you might get jealous if I say this¡± I resumed reluctantly. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t get jealous or did something really bad happened between you and your boss?¡± ¡°Come on, you don¡¯t always have to think of something disgusting. I will¡­ never cheat on you¡± I said. ¡°I know, I trust you so much because you always confide in me even when we are far apart.¡± I exhaled; ¡°My boss and I are kinda intimate now, obviously he loves me so much, but I don¡¯t. I just need to pretend, y along to be on his good side.. in order to keep my only Job¡± I confessed steadily. ¡°Okay!¡± Was all he said. ¡°You¡¯re mad?¡± ¡°Not really; infact not at all. Just a tiny little bit jealous but since it¡¯s pretence, then it¡¯s nothing¡± He said; ¡°What did your friends say about it?¡± ¡°Actually, Evelyn brought up the idea that I should y along¡± ¡°What about Adam?¡± ¡°He.. he didn¡¯t totally agree. Wait a minute! Did he already tell you?¡± ¡°Nah!¡± ¡°Hmmn, you suddenly ask after my work and my boss. So I suspected he already told you what¡¯s going on since you two are acquaintances¡± ¡°Nope Rita. You¡¯ve always told me what¡¯s going on at your working ce, I¡¯m only following up. Plus, I prefer hearing stuffs like this from you rather than from anyone else¡± ¡°Hmmm¡± ¡°Believe me Rita, I trust you so much, never will I ask your friends to monitor you closely on my behalf ¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m actually surprised that you are not mad, you don¡¯t sound jealous either about my boss¡± He scoffed; ¡°After I promised not to jealous, it¡¯s hardposing myself¡± I gave a shortugh; ¡°I¡¯m also d I opened up to you and you¡¯re cool with it¡± ¡°Sure, so you could keep your job Rita. Can we also exort money from him?¡± He asked. ¡°What? No, no no Zane. We are not doing that¡± I shunned and heughed. ¡°It¡¯s only to keep my Job and enjoy his sweet gracious attitude towards me¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Do not let him fall in love with you!¡± Zane suddenly warned. ¡°I told you earlier, he is already in love with me¡± ¡°Oh! Maybe I meant, do not fall in love with him¡± ¡°Ugh! I can¡¯t. Remember how hard it was for me to fall in love with you?¡± I giggled. ¡°I¡¯m dead serious though. Do not think I¡¯m absent, then fall in love with him¡± Zane repeated, his voice sounded calm but serious. ¡°No way Zane! C¡¯mon¡± I said. ¡°Moreso, just so you know; I can¡¯t fall in love with someone physically but online-ically¡± I told him. ¡°Oh! So there¡¯s someone online you are interested in besides me?¡± ¡°Jeez Zane! That¡¯s not what I meant! Gosh! You are so jealous!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Well, Jealousy means obsession. I¡¯m obsessed with you Rita, it means love¡± He said. I blushed. *** Finn¡¯s POV I disconnected the phone call and walked into my house; only to meet my brother Alex, sitting at the dinning room, with hisptop, engrossed with whatsoever that he was doing. ¡°For how long, do you n to stay at my ce?¡± I questioned. ¡°Wee¡± Alex said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, big brother Finn¡± ¡°You are intruding into my privacy¡± I grumbled, moving closer to him; shook hands with him as I took the next seat. I was so tired and thirsty, so I drank from his wine ss. ¡°What are you up to again Alex?¡± I interrogated, ring at hisptop¡¯s screen. Kikachat was written boldly at the heading. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked again. ¡°So I figured out the founder of Kikachat¡± Alex announced. ¡°Woah!! Really?¡± I eximed. ¡°He¡¯s an obsessed tech guy like me¡± ¡°You know, Kikachat became the next topmost downloaded social media application after mine, ¡®Love Station¡¯ crashed¡± He began to exin. ¡°I thought you were nning to bring Love station back¡± ¡°Yeah.. I¡­¡± He paused then sighed in distress: ¡± Kikachat is the most used at the moment. Finn, you¡¯re right, people would never download Love Station on their mobiles again after what happened¡± ¡°Good, you are thinking the same way¡± Finn remarked, pouring more wine into the ss. ¡°So why did you track down the founder of Kikachat?¡± ¡°To be his friend of course, we can work together and be of each other¡¯s assistance. He is a better tech inte guy than I am. I want him to put me through ¡± Alexander answered innocently. ¡°Good for you¡± I scoffed. ¡°I guess¡± He yawned, closing hisptop. ¡°By the way, I am surprised you¡¯re concerned about my inte exploration, you have never showed any interest¡± ¡°Oh dear Alex, you¡¯d better appreciate my little attention while I¡¯m still at it¡± ¡°Yen! Yen! Yen! Thank you. You¡¯re underestimating my job, instead of you to be my biggest fan¡± Alex mumbled. ¡°Alexander the inte explorer!¡± Finn teased as he drank more chilled wine. Just then, Madison the maid came to serve my meal. ¡°Thank you Madison¡± I drew out the cutleries to started devouring. ¡°Sorry to cut into your conversation. I also used the Love station application ¡± Madison told us. ¡°You did?¡± Alexander eximed¡± ¡°Yup¡± She nodded. ¡°I thought you are a queer Madison¡± I said. ¡°Well, I have a lover¡± She snapped. ¡°Is it a guy or a girl? You are a queer Madison!¡± ¡°I had a lover on Love station¡± Madison repeated. ¡°Oh Madison, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re a fan and I¡¯m.. i am sorry you also lost your lover. Apparently, everyone who joined the app did¡± Alexander apologized. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t lose mine. Somehow, we connected on Kikachat. It¡¯s fate I guess¡± She smiled innocently while Alex smirked at the mention of Kikachat. ¡°I can see that you so much envy the founder of Kikachat. So I agree, you should work together with him; this will help people who lost their lovers reconnect again¡± I urged him and he nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m sure the founder will love to work with you being the son and brother of a billionaire¡± As, Alexander put on a smile. **** To Be Continued Chapter 21 FAKE IDENTITY Finn¡¯s POV ¡°It is past 12 in the midnight Finn. When did you start sleeping sote?¡± Alex peeped through the door beforeing into my room. ¡°Since I started working at mom¡¯spany, trust me Alex it¡¯s ain¡¯t easy¡± I closed myptop and kept it aside. ¡°I know right, I have never been interested in wearing suits to offices. Working at home is way better, imagine exploring the inte, finding new discoveries, creating new ounts and identities only by sitting and operating theputer all day is much more better¡± Alexander said. At first, I thought Alex only came to check up on me and might leave soon but instead, he drew nearer, lied down on my bed and covered himself with my duvet. ¡°So are you done with thepany¡¯s work?¡± Alex inquired ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll continue tomorrow. I¡¯m very tied¡± I groaned, stretching my hands.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Same here¡± Alex said ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing Alexander?¡± I queried. ¡°What does it look like?¡± He answered a question with a question ¡°You left your room toe sleep here?¡± He concurred, nodding his head innocently. I scoffed, with inaudible groan, Arrrrgh! ¡°How¡¯s Rita, the love of your life?¡± Alex asked, ignoring the fact that I was upset because he kept intruding into my privacy. ¡°We¡¯re cool at least, we are now getting along¡± I answered him. ¡°Have you told her about your feelings?¡± He asked, I stared into the space for a while before nodding in affirmation. ¡°So would she like to date you?¡± He interrogated. ¡°I¡­I hope so¡± If only he knew that there¡¯s more attached to it. ¡°You really think there¡¯s no girl that wouldn¡¯t date a billionaire because of his wealth?¡± ¡°Rita is just different. I.. I don¡¯t know her too well though. I want her, I¡¯m really in love with her¡± I replied. ¡± I have an idea Finn¡± Finn smirked; ¡± What idea?¡± ¡°I can help you create an anonymous ount, fake your identity, pretend like a poor man trying to find true love¡± He suddenly paused. ¡°Oh geez Finn, Love station could have been the best ce for you to do this, now it¡¯ste¡± ¡°It¡¯s notte, I¡¯ll do that on Kikachat¡± I teased, knowing fully well that he¡¯ll get envious. Alexander hissed: ¡°You never supported my own application Finn, I told you to join Love station, you refused, now you won¡¯t hesitate to create an ount on someone else¡¯s app¡± He felt a little sober. ¡°C¡¯mon Alex, I was only joking. I won¡¯t join Kikachat, Infact I¡¯ve never been interested in online dating, I mean¡­ what if the so calleddy turns out to be assless and b**bless. I prefer to physically see what I¡¯m getting myself into¡± He said, which made Alexanderugh out loud. ¡°Almost everyone on online tforms are living a fake life¡± This buttresses my point. ¡°I agree Finn. You won¡¯t believe that someone actually used my own pictures on my own love station app; I was gonna track down the person when the app had crashed, Jeez!¡± ¡°Really? Your pictures? The person was pretending to be you? I guess you are very handsome¡± Finn teased and he smiled. ¡°I have a very great physique right?¡± Alex boasted, hardening the bone cartge on his elbow. I chuckled. ¡°I can see that¡± I yawned, gradually getting bored of the conversation. ¡°So, in conclusion, ain¡¯t joining any dating tform and I don¡¯t need to fake my identity for any reason. Remember, I am a love doctor myself, I will know if someone truly is in love with me. Same way, I know that Rita and I are meant to be together, I just need to make her fall in love with me¡± I concluded, lying down properly and covering myself with the duvet. ¡°End of discussion¡± ****** To Be Continued Chapter 22 A SWEET DREAM Rita¡¯s POV My eyes were heavy, I had dark eye bags circled round it, I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night yet I had to work tirelessly the following day (today). I looked forward to the recess period and as ¡­ ¡°Oh finally! It¡¯s time to take a break¡± I ced my head on the table. ¡°You¡¯re not getting lunch?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°I¡¯m tired and sleepy. I¡¯m gonna have a siesta instead¡± I told her. ¡°I can see it, your eyes are kind of bulgy¡± She gawked at me. ¡°That¡¯s what you gain for dating a guy online. Midnight calls and chat but since it¡¯s all for love, it¡¯s fine¡± I yawned and sheughed. ¡°Lover girl, I¡¯m happy to see you in love and I¡¯m super excited that you are happy in love¡± She said and I blushed. ¡°I¡¯m also d I won¡¯t be having that annoying disturbing conversation with you¡± I was referring to the way she pester me to find a lover. ¡°And incase you do not know, you were indirectly mocking my marital status¡± Sheughed out loud. ¡°Okay now, you gotta go¡± I motioned her. ¡°I can¡¯t go to the cafeteria without Adam, I¡¯ll wait for him here¡± ¡°Oh please just let me have this one hour nap, I couldn¡¯t even seize the opportunity earlier although there weren¡¯t any client else the almighty boss might get upset¡± I said. ¡°Oh speaking about Finn, ugh! Mr Finn whatever, what did he say to you yesterday?¡± ¡°Nothing serious but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll end up heartbroken because that guy really really loves me¡± ¡°His cup of coffee!¡± Evelyn giggled. ¡°Meanwhile honey, enjoy it while itst¡± She advised. Just then, Adam came over. ¡°Uhm, Rita is noting to the cafeteria. She needs to rest, let¡¯s go alone¡± She interlocked her arm with his. ¡°Are you okay Rita?¡± Adam was concerned. ¡°Online boyfriend fever¡± I replied and he chuckled. ¡°So do you get it,e on let¡¯s go¡± Evelyn pulled him away. Oh good, I shut my eyes; trying to catch a nap when I heard Mr Finn¡¯s voice. ¡°I bought you lunch¡± He approached me. I raised my head up, he smiled widely, dishing out meals from the lunch pack. ¡°Thank you so much Finn¡± I appreciated. ¡°C¡¯mon eat up¡± He said. Geez! How do I tell this guy that I can never be interested in him, his green light is so shy enough. ¡°I¡­ uhm, I will eatter. I feel tired, sleepy, I need some rest¡± I managed to tell him, hoping that he won¡¯t get offended and surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. Have some rest my darling¡± He told me without anyint. My darling? Oops whatever, I shut my eyes again. In no time, I was gone. I slept off. I had a dream about Zane, I gave him an image of my own, very handsome like Adam had described, with a small beautiful scar on his face but what I saw was a beauty mark, in the form of scar. Zane looked breathtaking. If I was correct he was about six feet and some inches tall, and his jet ck hair looked shiny and glossy under the room¡¯s light. His dark eyes seemed redoubtable under his long darkshes as he gazed at me. His prominent nose high against his chiseled face and medium stubble neatly shaped beard at the bottom of his face. He seemed like everything at the same time, and I refrained myself from gulping as my eyesnded on his chest which seemed like they were trying to burst out open from his silk ck shirt. I watched as he checked me out a bit before raising his head up to look at my face. ¡°As¡± He muttered, his countenance was mixed with amusement and excitement. I was super excited to meet him too and astonished that he looked beyond my expectations. That very day, Zane and I were meeting for the very first time, I had gone to pick him up at the airport and I recognized him right away. We were staring deeply into each other¡¯s eyes and beaming happily. I jumped on him, giving him a very big hug, there after; we kissed. He told me how I looked more beautiful in real life than in pictures, Iplimented him too. I took him right to my ce, we spent the whole day doing all the romantic lovey dovey stuffs I¡¯ve ever yearned for and we had the most amazing night together. The following day, we visited my parents; they loved him at first sight and gave him their blessings. He introduced me to his family and I was also highly wee. We went on several dates since we never had any since we dated online. On one certain outing, he proposed to me and of course, I screamed yes. Soon we began the wedding preparation and in no time, the wedding day finally came. We stood at the alter, took our oats and said our vows then we kissed so passionately. The priest proceeded to thepulsory question usually asked at every wedding ceremony. ¡°Is there anyone here who doesn¡¯t want this marriage to hold?¡± What a very dangerous question yet I had nothing to be afraid of because I knew everyone had been waiting for our union and I never ever cheated on Zane. ¡°Is there anyone here who thinks this marriage is a mistake and doesn¡¯t want it to hold?¡± The priest asked again, his voice gradually became faint, I could hear some loud murmurings and footsteps drawing closer. ¡°I¡± Someone said, I managed to see who it was. Turns out it was Finn. The disturbance and noises from people barely made me hear what the priest was about to say next. I opened my eyes, only to see Finn; sitting in front of me, he folded his arm, smiling, staring at me with so much keen. ¡°Sleeping beauty¡± He said, tracing the contours of my cheeks. I yawned and looked around me, confused at first. I saw people walking around then it suddenly dawned on me that I was still at work. Isn¡¯t the lunch break over already? ¡®Cos people were miling out of thepany. On the other side was Evelyn, packing her bag and cleaning up. ¡°Finally, you are awake¡± She noticed me. ¡°Yes? Where are you going?¡± I asked, confused. ¡°Home of course, it¡¯s closing hours¡± She replied. ¡°Closing hours?¡± I blurted and checked the wall clock. ¡°Oh My God Finn, I am so sorry¡± I apologized to Finn. ¡°Don¡¯t mention. I ordered Evelyn not to wake you up because you seemed so tired. I¡¯m sure you had a sound sleep right?¡± He said. ¡± It was supposed to be a short nap, I¡¯m so sorry¡± I felt so guilty. ¡°Ugh Rita, Finn isn¡¯tining. You should thank him instead and thank me too, I attended to all your clients, what a double workload for me!!¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Thank you so much, I owe you one. I slept like a baby, I heard no noise at all¡± Because I was engrossed in my sweet dreams. But why the hell will Finn show up just when the priest asked that question? I faked a weird smile at Finn anyways and I murmured thank you to him. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you home. Don¡¯t ever turn me down plus I have been waiting for you to wake up; sleeping beauty¡± Finn said. ¡°I cane with you guys right?¡± Evelyn jumped.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Nah, sorry. I would love to have a private time alone with Rita. Besides, you have a boyfriend, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She does¡± Adam responded, walking towards us just in time. ¡°Good¡± Finn smirked. Then he turned to me and smiled; ¡± Shall we?¡± I nodded slowly and followed him. ***** **** To Be Continued Chapter 23 WHEN THE PHONE CHIMES, THE HEART BEATS Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Again Rita, I will be confessing my feelings for you for the third time¡± Finn resumed, breaking the unpleasant silence between us in his car. I cleared my throat in an awkward way when he ced his fingers on mine while he drove with the other hand. ¡°I love you so much Rita, what are you gonna do about it¡± He said ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I swear, that slipped way too fast outta my tongue. But seriously, I do not know what to do about his sudden feelings for me, it¡¯s not even mutual. ¡°I guess i¡¯ll just give you enough time to think about it. When next I talk about my feelings, I would be asking you out right away and I won¡¯t take no for an answer¡± He said. I looked at him, cringed and puffed out heavily. ¡°Oh no, I do not mean it that way. I¡¯m not forcing you¡± He added, yet I didn¡¯t say anything. I sat upright and gawked through the window instead. ¡°You are notfortable around me¡± As he figured out. ¡°I.. I am. I amfortable around you¡± I replied, avoiding not to stumble over the words. ¡°No. My presence has always made you ufortable since day one. I meant since before I became your boss¡± Oh no! We¡¯re not going back there. ¡°Well, we¡¯re getting along now, aren¡¯t we?¡± I managed to say. ¡°No dear, you are faking it¡± He suddenly pulled the brake, packing his car by the roadside, then he adjusted to face me squarely. Oh no! ¡°I am no fool Rita. I know you do not like me one bit, talk more of love even in your fake intimate interaction with me, it shows it all¡± I saw a hint of anger on his face and I shuddered, he noticed it ¡°Listen Rita, calm down. You don¡¯t have to be scared of me anymore¡± He added. ¡°Oh geez, I caused this¡± He swept his front hair to the back and groaned coldly. ¡°Rita, I want you to be genuinely free with me, don¡¯t fake it. In as much as I want us to be cool, don¡¯t force yourself to befortable around me¡± ¡°Are you regretting that you stooped so low to my level? You are the boss and iam an ordinary employee¡± ¡°No. No one is stopping low ¡­ whatever. I am only telling you what I have observed so far¡± He responded. ¡°Well, looks like the fake intimacy has brought about our friendship afterall¡± I deduced and he grinned. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be harsh on you anymore and I won¡¯t fire you. Please befortable¡± He pleaded. I observed a hint of sincerity in his voice and even the look in his eyes. His smile was so contagious, that I finally put on a smile. He started the car and drove me home, straight up. ¡°Do not forget about what I have discussed with you¡± He reminded me when we arrived at my ce and he opened the car door for me to alight. I squinted my eyes, evoking on what it was because we literally just concluded our discussion and there¡¯s nothing to worry about or think of. ¡°I¡¯m talking about my love for you, think about it¡± He recalled. ¡°I¡¯m yet to like you as a friend but you keep reminding me that you have feelings for me¡± I murmured, he didn¡¯t hear what I said because he was on his way back to the driver¡¯s seat. I faked a smile and waved bye, as I watched him drive away before walking into my house. Poor Finn, there is no room my heart for him. Instead I recalled the sweet dream I had earlier today and I couldn¡¯t wait to tell Zane about it. I dailed his number right away. ¡°Hey baby boo¡± I voiced into the phone. ¡°Hi love, uhm can I call you backter. I¡¯m caught up with something at that the moment¡± He said. ¡°Take your time baby¡± I disconnected the call, smiling to myself and swaying around the room happily. I¡¯m sure that this dream has just revealed that Zane and I are meant to be together. Somehow, I just feel so sure that we¡¯re fated. I have never ever dreamt about Jared or perhaps, I only had this dream because I love Zane so much and he¡¯s been in my head all day. He deprived me from having a good sleep during the night only for me to have a recing long nap during the day just to dream about him. And it was not just a random dream, we got married! My phone chimed and I picked it up swiftly thinking it was Zane but it was my mom. ¡°Hello mommy¡± I said into the phone; grinning from ear to ear. I knew that she called me to query as usual. ¡°Rita, my lonely daughter¡± She mocked and I scoffed. ¡± Funny how I still share the samest name with my own grown up daughter¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°How are you and how is Dad?¡± I changed the topic immediately. ¡°We are fine. Except that we¡¯ve never heard from our daughter in a long time now just because she is married to her Job¡± ¡°Oh mom..¡± ¡°Your Dad and I are paying you a visit during the weekend¡± She suddenly announced. ¡°What? Mom, I am not having anymore meetings with you guys¡± ¡°We really need to talk to you Rita!¡± ¡°I know right? about finding a partner¡± ¡°What¡¯s dying you! You are twenty seven for crying out loud!¡± She hollered. ¡°Mom! I have a boyfriend now¡± I announced in the same tone. ¡°Haha, you just said that to shut me up!¡± ¡°Seriously mom, his name is Zane and we¡¯re still trying to figure ourselves out and a whole lot of things before discussing about marriage¡± I informed her. ¡°You¡¯re serious!¡± She eximed. ¡± So when are we meeting this Zane?¡± Huh.. I haven¡¯t even met him yet. ¡°Uhm.. mom, In addition to what I have just said, when it¡¯s time I¡¯ll definitely introduce you to him¡± I said. ¡°Okay! We¡¯ve got a wedding to n and that¡¯s what matters¡± ¡°So uhm.. you are not visiting me during the weekend anymore, right?¡± ¡°Of course not darling. Take good care of yourself and my regards to Zane¡± Oops! I don¡¯t think she will ever ever forget that name. I hung up the call. Not quite long, Zane called me back like he promised, I told him everything that happened at work, we discussed about other random stuffs andughed over it. As usual, we switched from call to chat, and chat to call discussing about everything. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 24 ONLINE RELATIONSHIP IS BORING Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Mr Finn is far better than his mother¡± Evelyn suddenly uttered while we were having our lunch at the restaurant. ¡°You are right. I totally agree with you. Finn sees us as his friends and his peer group¡± I nodded my head in affirmation. ¡°We are his peer group afterall¡± Adam sneered and his girlfriend shot him a warning stare. ¡°Uhm guys, I already saw thising! Finn wants me to be his girlfriend¡± I announced and Evelyn pped happily; ¡°The CEO wants to date you! Oh my God, this is giving billionaire romance novels vibe¡± She beamed and jubted. ¡°No, no Evelyn, I am not happy about it, I¡¯m really confused at the moment¡± I told her. ¡°What¡¯s there to be confused about? We have already discussed this, I told you to pretend, y along, just date him; fake dating!¡± She emphasized. ¡°Oh well, fake friendship, fake this, fake that. Just so you know, Finn already figured out that I have been pretending to get along with him¡± I told him. ¡°He figured out?¡± Adam eximed, surprised.. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s not like you did it for his money but to get on his good side¡± Evelyn said. ¡°He knows I¡¯m notfortable around him yet he likes me so much¡± Iined almost whining. ¡°Hmmmn Rita, I think you should date Finn for real. I mean.. Finn has everything you want in a guy. He¡¯s rich, you are so lucky¡± Evelyn advised and her boyfriend shouldered hit her. ¡°I can¡¯t be with Finn. I already have a boyfriend remember?¡± I snapped my fingers at her face. ¡°Oh poor Zane¡± she said with an ugly expression. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to feel pity about Evelyn. Rita is happy she¡¯s with Zane and she¡¯s never gonna cheat on him with Finn! Right Rita?¡± Adam retorted. ¡°Yeah, right. I love Zane so much. I don¡¯t wanna cheat on him¡± I kinda frown. ¡°Oh great. I guess I¡¯m just a bad adviser ¡± Evelyn hissed and turned to Adam. ¡°What will you do if I told you that my billionaire CEO wants to date me?¡± She asked him. ¡°You must not date him under my nose¡± Adam said. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t date him under your nose. He¡¯s wealthy, I can make some money out of him for us¡± Evelyn said, Adam peered his eyes like what she just spewed out made sense to him. ¡°Rita, you are the luckiest girl ever¡± She said. ¡°Look Evelyn, Finn is a very good man. I do not wanna y with his heart not even break his heart and rob him too. Ah! No please!¡± I shook my head, disagreeing to the suggestion. ¡°Did you tell your boyfriend about Finn, what did he say?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Funny how he gave the same opinion you gave but Zane was only kidding around. He is not even aware that it has gotten to this level, I mean I am yet to tell him that Finn wants to date me, he will re up if he finds out. Zane is such a jealous freak!¡± I blushed while I spoke. ¡°Do you guys chat with him too?¡± I asked when they didn¡¯t say anything but watch the way I spoke. ¡°Uh, once in a while. Infact, it¡¯s been a while¡± Adam responded. ¡°Thest time, I spoke to your so called boyfriend was when I introduced myself to him¡± Evelyn answered then she added;¡± In as much as I love making friends, chatting online is boring! I prefer talking to people physically. You know, scrutinizing their faces and noting down their expression, that way I can tell how they really feel. The face and body gestures speaks louder than words¡± She concluded, fidgeting her hands. ¡°Action they say¡± Adam corrected.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Whatever, chatting online is really boring¡± Evelyn repeated.. ¡°I guess that¡¯s why you barely ¡­ uhm chat me up¡± I said. ¡°Nope! It has been since Adam and I started dating, I barely chat with anyone else. You do the same, since you started dating Zane online, you barely send us a DM, it¡¯s always you and him¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Evelyn, can I ask you a question?¡± Adam suddenly said. ¡°Yes baby¡± She put her hand over his neck. ¡°So you are aware of how boring chatting is with the few good reasons you have just given. Then why did you let Rita date Zane?¡± I was surprised Adam was on my side. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Rita fell in love with Zane, I didn¡¯t force her¡± ¡°Thest time I checked, you told Mrs J Johnson to find Rita a lover¡± ¡°Rita was single and lonely. I wanted her to fall in love and to feel loved too¡± She defended herself with even more better reasons. ¡°But you just said chatting online is boring and ¡­¡± ¡°Adam!¡± I cut in sharply. I have heard enough. Besides, why should he be arguing with his girlfriend because of me. ¡°Verbalmunication is boring but for lovers, it¡¯s not because love is in the heart not through the words¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Yeah. Zane and I love eachother. Our words speaks louder than the facial expression¡± I told her. ¡°Okay! epted. But then, I wonder how you guys have a romantic moment. The lovey dovey stuff, no kissing and no .. oops!¡± She paused, goggled and opened her mouth in awe. ¡°Poor Zane, what a highly celibat-ed rtionship except if on the other side, there is a side chick to satisfy his cravings¡± ¡°Evelyn! Enough!¡± Adam cautioned. I wondered if Adam shut her up because she was making me ufortable or maybe because she was indirectly revealing to me that they have had s*x. I coughed and almost choked. Adam gave me a ss of water and shot his girlfriend a hard re. I couldn¡¯t hide it, Evelyn words really hit me. Everything she said was absolutely right but she didn¡¯t have to be rude and unconcerned about how I felt. Yes, Zane and I do have great conversation yet it was missing something, all that I have yearned for. What about him? Does he feel the same? and therefore, he probably has another girlfriend over there? ***** To Be Continued Chapter 25 POOR ZANE, POOR ME Rita¡¯s POV I was restless throughout the rest of the day, I waited for closing hours impatiently, I just wanted to get home and have a heart to heart conversation with Zane. We returned from the lunch break, attended to clients like everything was fine. I wish I could fast forward time but then, before I knew it, it was finally time to go home. I didn¡¯t exchange words with Evelyn and Adam, instead I quickly packed up my things into my bag and prepared to leave in a jiffy. I didn¡¯t want Finn toe stop me again or says he wanna drive me home and end up talking about his feelings again. I don¡¯t wanna hear any of that, I just wanna talk to my Zane about us. Poor Zane, poor me; I screamed in my head. ¡°Uhm Rita, can we go home together like we used to?¡± Evelyn obstructed my way. ¡°Sorry, I wanna walk alone¡± I turned her down without thinking twice. ¡°Then can.. can I talk to you for a minute?¡± She asked. ¡°About what happened at lunch? If it is, forget it¡± I told her. ¡± I am very sorry Rita. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I was only bbing ¡­¡± She began to plead but I interrupted her. ¡°I need to go now¡± I said when I sighted Finning out of his office. I walked faster, so he wouldn¡¯t catch up with me. ** ¡°Evelyn, I see you and your friend just had a big fight; what is it?¡± Finn inquired. ¡°It¡¯s not a big fight¡± She shrugged ¡°And it¡¯s private, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you¡± Evelyn replied. ¡°I guess I will just go after her¡± He was about to go ¡°Finn. Just give up already because Rita will not date you¡± Evelyn told him. ¡°Oops! Rita already told you about us. I can¡¯t help it, I¡¯m in love with Rita¡± ¡°We are best friends so she tells me almost everything. Geez! I just need to fix things with her now¡± ¡°Err¡­so uhm, what makes you think Riita won¡¯t date me? I am not her kind of guy?¡± Finn questioned further. ¡°She¡¯s taken. She has a boyfriend whom she cherishes so dearly. I have never seen her so drunk in love like the way she loves her boyfriend. So Finn, just give up, Rita doesn¡¯t like you; she can¡¯t and won¡¯t date you¡± Evelyn concluded. Finn¡¯s eyes became clouded with tears. Obviously, he was heartbroken. ¡°Ohh geez!¡± Evelyn knocked her head. ¡± I have been bbing all day! What is wrong with me?¡± she murmured feeling remorseful all of a sudden. ¡°Please Mr Finn, do not hurt Rita when she eventually turns you down herself¡± Evelyn implored earnestly. ¡°Who¡¯s the guy? Who is her boyfriend?¡± Finn inquired. ¡°Oh no! That¡¯s enough information I can give to you. I am supposed to run after my best friend and apologize intensively till she forgives me but look at dumb me, here I am disclosing her private life to you¡± She said. Adam approached them, so she had to bid Finn bye and walk home with her boyfriend; holding hands with him. ¡°So did you clean up your mess? Did you apologize to Rita?¡± Adam asked her. ¡°I tried but it proved abortive¡± Evelyn answered in low spirit. ¡°Of course, she¡¯s so mad. You know Rita just never says she¡¯s mad, she pretends she¡¯s not¡± Her boyfriend told her.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh no. Now, I feel really really bad¡± She whimpered. ¡°You deserve to feel bad. You fvcking mocked her!¡± He inculpated his girlfriend and she squinted her eyes, looking downcast and dejected. ¡°I was outta of my mind, I was only spewing nonsense. I didn¡¯t notice she¡¯ll get very upset¡± ¡°Oh really? but you said you prefermunicating with someone physically, so you could be mindful of their facial expressions yet you failed to notice that she was pissed off that you kept on insisting she should dish her boyfriend and date a billionaire¡± Adam continued. ¡°Oh that too. I swear, I didn¡¯t mean any of that. I was only rting her situation to those billionaire CEO romance stories. Now she sees me as a bad friend right? Uugh! I have a lot of things to apologize for¡± She was sincerely sober. ¡°And I am sure that the main reason she was so mad at you is because you literally made her get into the rtionship when she was not ready. You caused her match-makewith Zane¡± Adam continued to me his girlfriend. She got provoked, she stop walking and shot him a long stare. ¡°Why are you ming me?¡± She folded her arms. ¡°Should I be supporting what you have done wrong? You think you deserve an de?¡± ¡°No, I am not saying that. I admit, I was wrong and I ammenting and regretting from the depth of my heart. But why are you suddenly talking about her and making me feel even more sad and despondent. Also, that reminds me, earlier at lunch; you supported her and snapped at me like she¡¯s more important¡± She voiced out. ¡°Rita is my best friend!¡± Adam said. ¡°And I am your girlfriend!¡± ¡°We three were best of friends before you became my girlfriend ¡± He reminded her. ¡°That doesn¡¯t justify your action neither does it answers my question. Do you like Rita?¡± Evelyn asked suspiciously. ¡°Ugh¡­ what no? I love you so much Evelyn. I am only correcting you. I.. I.. want you to make up things with her as soon as possible; so we three can be cool again¡± He tried to defend himself but Evelyn rolled her eyes and stood at an akimbo angle indignantly. ¡°Okay, okay ¡­ I was overreacting¡± He surrendered almost trembling. ¡°Hmmmn¡± She gazed at him skeptically then walked ahead of him. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 26 PHYSICAL TOUCH Rita¡¯s POV ¡°When will you be done with what you¡¯re caught up with in Canada?¡± I literally stormed into his DM. I remembered he had told me that he was caught up with something and that¡¯s why can not travel down here soon. ¡°I am working here, you know¡± Zane replied. ¡°Which means we won¡¯t meet forever unless you are ready to lose your Job?¡± I cross-interrogated, grumbling and furrowing my brows like could see me. ¡°What are you suddenly talking about Rita? I wille to the states during the winter holiday then return to Canada again and I might even take you along with me¡± He responded. ¡°Winter is about seven months away¡± I reminded him. ¡°Yeah, Love waits¡± He said. ¡°Zane, this isn¡¯t about love. This is about us!!!¡± ¡°Talk to me. You seem to be bothered about something!¡± He sent then he switched to voice call. ¡°Like you said, when we finally meet; we will start preparing to get married immediately when we haven¡¯t even enjoyed our dating stage¡± I sounded very perturbed. ¡°But we are enjoying ourselves¡± He answered innocently. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint what I was tryna insinuate. ¡°What.. what about the practical aspect? Zane, i¡¯ld love to go on a date with you, I want to have you around me! talking to you over the phone seems like you are not romantic enough. I wanna touch .. you; you know the lovey dovey stuffs, I wanna kiss you and .. and¡­¡± I confessed honestly but suddenly paused, realizing that he should be the toin about stuffs like this not me. ¡°And you wanna spend the night with me¡± Hepleted my sentence which means he clearly understood my plight. ¡°Yea.. h, things like this matters in a serious rtionship except you are cheating on me over there¡± I retorted. ¡°What?? Hell no. I can never cheat on you¡± ¡°I see¡± I slightly huffed; ¡°Don¡¯t you.. see me as a woman or you never just imagined naughty things to do to me?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to tell him such, this is very unlike me; Evelyn already got into my head. ¡°Listen Rita, I can ¡­ wait for all that¡± ¡°Then I insist it is either you are cheating on me or you are a virgin momma boy!¡± I shunned. ¡°How can a guy resist to stuff like this? You¡¯re gay?¡± I irked him but he chuckled. ¡°Your picture, although decent and modest yet it reveals that you¡¯re very s*xy, endowed with big handful b**bs and sulent as* . I must be very lucky to have you and it will be such a great memorable wee night when we finally meet physically¡± He said. I love how that sounds, somehow it made me feel a little better. ¡°Oh wow, you are not a virgin momma boy afterall¡± I teased. ¡°Absolutely not. I didn¡¯t want to bring up erotic conversation else you may see me as a bad boy who¡¯s just after what¡¯s under your skirt. Been waiting for you to bring it up first¡± He said and I smiled sinfully. ¡°You are a bad boy!¡± I remarked jokingly. ¡°A responsible one at that. Is there a normal guy who doesn¡¯t want it? And I am not different¡± Zane added, being all silly and naughty. Awwn, the conversation isn¡¯t boring now. We don¡¯t have to talk about work all the time. ¡°Uhm Rita love, I have a presentation tomorrow morning which means I have to go now to prepare ahead¡± He informed me. ¡°No problem my love, I really can¡¯t wait till weeekend, so we could have all time to ourselves¡± I told him. ¡°So take care darling, make sure you¡¯re not bored else you will miss me so much¡± He said and I giggled. ¡°Bye¡± I disconnected the call. My skin flushed and I had goosebumps when I remembered Zane¡¯s nasty words especially the line ¡®Memorable night when we eventually meet¡¯ Oh My God! I really can not wait to finally feel like a woman. I scrolled through the gist feed of FAP & GM and read other couples¡¯ experience. I read 18+ lines and my eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. I should have seen nor read this, because I nearly imagined it. I had to swipe back to the chat icon else I¡¯ll feel so wet and there is nothing to do about it. ¡°I am sorry about the things my girlfriend said to you today. She was only being childish¡± Adam had sent me a text. ¡°It is alright Adam¡± I replied, simply. Just then, another message popped in from Evelyn. ¡°Rita. Are you still mad at me? I am so sorry¡± It read.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I won¡¯t reply that. I¡¯ll rather make her feel like I¡¯m mad, till she is genuinely sorry ande to a realisation that I am way older than her. She ought to see me as big sister and from now on, she must never ever talk to me in such insolent manner. I snubbed her message and watched it archived down to the list of all ignored messages, it was then I noticed J Johnson had sent a message sometimes ago and I must have mistakenly ignored it because I was charmed by Zane. ¡°Hello Mrs J Johnson¡± I sent. ¡°Oh see who finally replied me¡± She responded after few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mrs J Johnson; more than half of the day, I¡¯m at work and I¡¯m less busy only in the evening. You sent me this message during the day, so I didn¡¯t notice it¡± I sent. Perfect! I found a perfect excuse . ¡°Okay great. Henceforth, I¡¯ll take note and send you messages only during the night¡± She replied. ¡°Well, I was gonna invite you to a virtual video call meeting for only thedies of FAP & GM group¡± She told me. ¡°Oh, what is it all about?¡± I inquired. ¡°Questions and answers regarding rtionship. And we discussed about Love Languages¡± She said. ¡°Oops! I can¡¯t believe I missed that¡± I remarked. ¡°Yup¡± She answered. I suddenly remembered that I can share the issue on ground with her and hear whatever she has to say. She is the rtionship doctor by the way. ¡°Can I ask you a question Mrs J Johnson?¡± ¡± You do not have to call my full name. Just call me J¡± ¡°J¡± I sent. ¡°Good. There you go; I am all ears¡± She said. ¡°As you already know, Zane and I would not be meeting face to face anytime soon. All we do throughout is chat and chat and chat. I know I signed up for this but is there a way I can spice up our rtionship, somehow?¡± I summoned up the courage to asked. ¡°The Five Love Languages!¡± She said. ¡°What?¡± I sent and uttered the word at the same time. ¡°Your questions brings us back to the topic we discussed yesterday. Oops! I wish you were there¡± She sent and continued typing. I impatiently waited to see what she was typing but it took a while. And it read thus; ¡°There are five lovenguages; Quality time, Words of affirmation, Act of service, Gifts and Physical touch¡± ¡°Quality time¡± ¡°Try to always be avable whenever he wants to talk to you and vice verse. Attention is very very important in a rtionship. In the absence of quality attention, one could literally loose interest¡± ¡°Word Of Affirmation¡± While she was typing the exnation of word of affirmation I guess, I broke in. ¡°No, no¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I am requesting for. Zane and I talk every blessed day; we understand eachother properly¡± ¡°Could you please rephase your question then?¡± She asked, like an AI, she replies so fast and automated. ¡± I meant how can we make our rtionship a romantic one¡± ¡°Like, spice it up¡± I repeated.¡±How can I feel his presence around me?¡± I sent several messages at once, hoping would understand me even if I was straight forward. ¡°Oh physical touch must be your lovenguage¡± She finally got the point. Is it? I want all the five lovenguages but physical touch happens to be my favorite. ¡°I think you are right J. Physical touch is all I have yearned for but it doesn¡¯t look like I will be getting any of that soon¡± ¡°Physical touch makes guys go crazy. I do advisedies that it is the best way to reconcile with your partner when you have a misunderstanding. Physical touch is definitely the way to a man¡¯s heart not food¡± She briefly exined. ¡°Exactly! Men loves s*xy stuffs and s*x itself. What if this long distance rtionship makes him think I am not good enough for him ¡± I inquired further. ¡°Oh! Are we talking about s*x here?¡± I can¡¯t believe she asked, all this while. ¡°Of course. What do you think I was talking about?¡± ¡°Physical touch¡± She replied. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same?¡± I wondered, I think I need serious rtionship tutorial from J Johnson. ¡°Nope, it¡¯s not the same thing. Physical touch involves cuddling, kissing, tight hugs, holding arms, spanking, romance without s*x, and even caressing and all sort of lovey dovey stuffs. They are all ssified under physical touch¡± J expantiated ¡°I want all of that!¡± Yes! She just listed out all that I have long desired for. ¡°I¡¯m sure Zane wants this too¡± I told her. ¡°While s*x is physical intimacy. It¡¯s most likely the further result of physical touch¡± ¡°And you are right dear, every guy wishes to have physical touch most especially what it leads to S*x! S*x is a form of bonding, it makes a man go crazy about you ¡± She exined briefly. It sounds so cool to be s*x educated by J Johnson rather than Evelyn. I¡¯m super free to talk about it with J instead with my best friend. ¡°But Zane and I are miles away, far apart¡± I reminded J. ¡°Oh dear. That¡¯s right. You and Zane are the first couple that would be meeting months after the matchmake. I feel so sorry and sad for you both¡± She replied empathically. ¡°What do I do J?¡± I asked. ¡°S*x call¡± She answered instantly. ¡°What? But that sounds Ew!¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Trust me, he¡¯ll imagine your figure and you will do the same. S*x call is the solution for long distance rtionships¡± ¡°And if it involves a video call. It¡¯s way out of the n. I can not have a video call with Zane till he is over his insecurities and ready to let me see his face¡± ¡°Oops! That too¡± ¡°You know what, just send him pictures and clips revealing your body sneaky peek. That would also make him go crazy over you¡± J Johnson urged. ¡°Do you mean my nudes?¡± I asked naively. ¡°Yes Rita! Guys loves hot and s*xy pictures of their partners. He will never ever get images like that out of his head. So therefore, he will think of you all day and this is also a form of bonding. Try this and thank meter¡± She concluded. ¡°I really really appreciate this advice, thank you for giving me your time and attention¡± I beamed widely. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 27 FINN IS HEARTBROKEN ¡°I have a mindblowing surprise for you¡± I texted Zane that morning while I was on my way to the office. After work today, I nned to visit the clothes supermarket and get some s*xy new lingeries. I assumed tonight will be really naughty and dirty but full of spice in my ownnguage I smiled to myself as I walked happily into the office. As soon as Evelyn sighted me, she went her on knees. ¡°Rita, forgive me. Yesterday, I was outta my sense. I am deeply sorry¡± She apologised. I rolled my eyes and stood at an akimbo angle: ¡°You are being dramatic. Stand up already¡± ¡°I spoke ill of you and your boyfriend, I shouldn¡¯t have done that¡± She whimpered. ¡°Shh! It¡¯s enough. I am not offended¡± I tried to pull up her. ¡°No, you are seriously offended. I know you pretend you are not upset whereas you are¡± She persisted. ¡°Okay fine! I was angry yesterday. But just so you know, I am already used to the shitty things thates out of your mouth. So get up already, I have forgiven you¡± I said. She stood up and jumped into my arms. ¡°C¡¯mon¡± I disengaged from her and moved to our seats. ¡°You seemed so happy¡± She observed examining my face. ¡°It¡¯s good to be happy always!¡± I replied inly, not giving her even a tiny hint about what I am up to. I arranged my materials, getting ready for today¡¯s business when Adam walked towards us. ¡°Hey Rita, you are around¡± He said; ¡°Mr Finn sent for you¡± ¡°Oops!¡± Evelyn suddenly interjected; ¡± I think I know why he wanna see you¡± I looked at her suspiciously because she seemed funny. ¡°You didn¡¯t do or say something stupid right?¡± I asked her. ¡°Err¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s actually stupid¡± She answered; scratching her hair that wasn¡¯t itching. ¡°Ugh!¡± I shook my head disappointedly and left. ¡°Oops! Just when we have reconciled! Geez, she¡¯ll be mad at me again¡± Evelyn seemed bothered. ¡°I¡¯m tired of cleaning your mess Evelyn, what did you do this time?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I told Finn that Rita has a boyfriend. It¡¯s the truth, so there¡¯s no reason for Rita to be mad right?¡± ¡°Oh Evelyn, you should not be the one to tell Finn. Rita would eventually tell him herself or he finds out himself¡± ¡°Oh My God! I don¡¯t know why I have been poking nosing and bbing around these days¡± Evelyn pped her both cheeks then buried her face into her palms. **** ¡°Good morning Finn¡± I freely walked into his office only to meet him, looking sad. He stood up from his mesh chair and walked towards me before I got to where he was. ¡°Err.. Is anything wrong?¡± I was confused. ¡°You are in a rtionship!¡± He said and I nodded slowly, honestly. ¡°Evelyn told me you have a boyfriend¡± ¡°I was gonna tell you sooner orter¡± I said. ¡°Why do you have a boyfriend?¡± He voiced. What sort of a question was that? ¡°I love you so much, so what I am gonna do now?¡± He stared deeply into my eyes. His eyes were red, like he has been crying. ¡°I.. I am sorry¡± I don¡¯t know why I apologized though. ¡°I loved you right at first sight. I should have met you sooner¡± He drew nearer, making me tip-top backward. ¡°Rita, is there a way I cane into your life?¡± He asked faintly. ¡°As a friend¡± I suggested innocently, feeling bad that I broke his heart. Yet, I can¡¯t break Zane¡¯s heart to be with Finn, neither can I double date both. That¡¯s equally very injudicious of me; moreso, I have absolutely no feelings for Finn. ¡°As a friend¡± He repeated. ¡°Can you give a friend space in your heart?¡± He proceeded. ¡°No¡± I blurted,, shaking my head continuously. ¡°Please Rita, I beg of you to give me a chance. I love you so much; you are the first person that will make me feel this way. You are the¡­¡± I interrupted him. ¡°I love my boyfriend so much too. So please, I am also begging you to erase every single feeling you have for me. I am sorry I broke your heart, the news didn¡¯t get to you the way I intended it to. And I am done with this conversation if you would excuse me¡± I bowed my head in respect and left his office. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 28 NUDES Rita¡¯s POV I had no other conversation with Finn that day neither did he leave his office at all, not even during lunch period; he didn¡¯t show up at the restaurant. Poor Mr CEO, he must cried his heart out but one thing I am so sure of is that he will get over it eventually because that¡¯s how unrequited love works. I remember when I lost all contact with Jared, it felt like a one ¨C sided love. Imagine being in love with someone but unable to hear from him, talk more of being sure if he still feels the same way for you. It¡¯s like I was left alone in a rtionship and I already got over him already, I moved on. Finn had better move on too. It¡¯s just a matter of time. ¡°You¡¯re really not mad that I literally caused this silent treatment between you and Finn¡± Evelyn asked again for the zillion time that day while we were waiting at the bus stop.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I will eventually get this silent treatment from him one day because I was gonna turn him down as and let him know that I have a boyfriend. You were just faster than me so I¡¯m not really mad¡± I replied honestly. ¡°What if Finn fires you or he continues treating you the way he ill treated you previously?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he will do that to someone he truly loves¡± I told her and she nodded in agreement to what I said. The bus arrived and we boarded. ¡°I¡¯ll alight at the close by boutique¡± I informed Evelyn when we sat down. ¡°Shopping O¡¯ clock?¡± She inquired. ¡°Hmmmn, maybe. I just wanna get few wears¡± I secretly smiled to myself knowing fully well and ready for the real deal. ¡°Okay¡± She said, I took my phone out to check Zane¡¯s message; he was curious to know what surprise I have got for him. My cheeks redden and I tried not to let Evelyn notice it even if she does, I won¡¯t tell her what I was up to. ** Evelyn and I departed when I alighted before her and headed straight into the boutique. I purchased the s*xiest, mouth watering lingeries and undies ever. Funny how the seller gave me an obvious wink, making me feel a little embarrassed. As soon as I got home, I wore the lingerie which exposed a tasteful amount of my cleavage and the silk bodycon material transparently revealed my hot banging body shape. Good, he already admitted that he loved b**bs and as*. I googled searched for s*xy posture that could literally turn men on and I emted and practiced them in front of my big vertical mirror. Somehow I could even feel it in me that I was so hot and s*xy. I took some really really nice but naughty pictures and spammed Zane. He wasn¡¯t expecting it and I never asked him if he would love to see me half naked. ¡°Tada!¡± I added immediately after the pictures. Our previous conversation was from him pestering me about what surprise I¡¯ve got for him. I noticed he had already seen the pictures, I beamed eagerly waiting for his response which took a little longer. ¡°Zane?¡± I had to text him again. ¡°Rita, are youfortable sharing me your nudes?¡± Zane asked instead. ¡°Of course. Are you ufortable seeing it? You do not like it?¡± My beaming smiling happy face changed to a sad one. ¡°You do not feel ufortable at all or at least shy?¡± He asked again. ¡°Not at all. You are my long distance boyfriend and I thought of spicing up our conversation with this. I thought you would love it. I literally moved out of my naive zone to please you since we are not together but I¡¯m shocked you do not like nor want it¡± I sent but got no reply from him. My phone buzzled, it was Zane. He had just switched to a voice call. ¡°Hello Zane, I am sorry if I have offended you with those pictures without your consent. I would delete them right away¡± I apologized before hearing him out. ¡°I¡­ I love them. I just never expected them from you yet. You blew my mind! I cannot seem to get those pictures off my head. You literally just made my day. The lingeries are nice and they revealed how sweet and hot you are¡± He rushed his words then suddenly paused to give a soft moan which I heard and love the sound of that. ¡°You know what I wanna do now, I wanna resign ande over there¡± Iughed out loud. ¡°Oh Zane, you are kidding!¡± ¡°Send me more sexy pictures!¡± He requested. ¡°Nah. That¡¯s all for now. I don¡¯t wanna get you horny and then you will get someone over there to satisfy you¡± I said. ¡°As much as I am so aroused. Trust me, I swear I am never ever gonna cheat on you. Those pictures can satisfy me better because they keep banging in my head and I think I gotta frame them and hung ¡±em on my walls¡± Zane said. ¡°Come on, you are never gonna do that!¡± I cautioned. ¡°Of course not¡± Heughed. ¡°Jokes apart, I could spend the whole day staring at it Rita. If I ever get on a bad mood, this s*xiness of yours will jerk me up into good mood¡± He couldn¡¯t stop talking about it. ¡°And a hot mood¡± I added, ttered; ¡± Enjoy all you want¡± ¡°So let¡¯s get back to Kikachat. I have something to show you too¡± Zane said and I smiled, disconnected the call and almost immediately he sent a picture of his¡¯ He didn¡¯t show his face, started from his hot six packs, revealing his thick abs downward, I scrolled slowly to see the full picture. Although it didn¡¯t expose his private part but his short partly revealed his erected hardened d*ck and my jaw dropped, saliva dropped, with goggled eyes which almost bulged out of the sockets. I barely noticed that he sent an extra message below. ¡°Do you like what you see?¡± I loved it. I already imaged his dark naked picture. This minute, I craved for everything all at once; physical touch and physical intimacy. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 29 FINN VS ZANE Rita¡¯s POV ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me Zane, my body is vibrating¡± I managed to send him a message even under such a condition. ¡°You wanna see more? Deeper? Should I take off the panties?¡± Zane asked. ¡°No¡± I replied immediately. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Zane, I am not myself at the moment. My body feels strange. I¡¯m not sure of what I might do to myself if you show me more than just your abs¡± I typed, avoiding to use the rated private part words. ¡°Alright, I am sorry¡± ¡°I understand you Rita, you are almost Wet¡± He figured, mentioning that same word I found difficult to utter. I swallowed my saliva really hard; I couldn¡¯t type anything. ¡°Let us discuss something else, it will make you feel better. Infact, you will suddenly forget you once felt this way¡± He assured me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Zane if I didn¡¯t turn out to be the kind of nasty girl you want, maybe we could do this again but once in a blue moon. As in, I¡¯ll surprise you, boom! with my s*xy pictures¡± I promised. ¡°That sounds very romantic. I love such surprises!¡± ¡°Uhm Rita, what do you intend we¡¯ll do when we first meet¡± He tried to change the topic but I didn¡¯t really get it. ¡°The first day we meet, I just wanna be on your bed¡± I replied in ordance with what I felt at the moment. ¡°Rita! Focus! Focus! You¡¯re not helping yourself at all but I am trying to help you¡± He sent. Ohh! I sighed heavily. ¡°We¡¯ll hangout when we first meet, spend more time with each other, thenter that day, I just wanna meet your parents¡± He said. ¡°Woah¡± I eximed.¡±That is exactly what my dream was all about¡± ¡°Dream? Did you dream about me?¡± Zane asked. I switched to a voice call, I wanted him to hear the excitement in my voice. ¡°Yes, I dreamt about us Zane, about our future. You came over to U. S. A, I introduced you to my parents, you proposed, we got engaged and we got married¡± I briefly told him everything enthusiastically. ¡°We got married!¡± He repeated in the same joyful tone. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear such a guarantee in form of a dream. I actually nned to propose to you with the most expensive ring when Ie over there but ¡­¡± He paused abruptly. ¡°But what Zane?¡± ¡°But I¡­ I am afraid that you might turn me down when we finally meet¡± He said. ¡°I love you Zane. No matter what you look like, I love you that¡¯s why I am doing all this for you, that¡¯s why I am showing you my body, that is so unlike me¡± I paused, realizing I no longer feel funny. ¡°I showed you my body, I spend quality time with you on phone and I even turned down my boss just to be with you¡± ¡°Your new CEO wants to date you?¡± Zane eximed. ¡°You won¡¯t believe he actually asked me out¡± ¡°I saw iting¡± He responded. ¡°Bosses thinks they can always get whatever they want but I fvcking turned his a*s down¡± I said. ¡°I love you too Rita. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ll face the wrath for turning down your boss?¡± He askedpassionately. ¡°Mr Finn cannot hurt me. He is such a softie, love made him cool headed, poor him¡± I chuckled. ¡°You know what Rita, I am really d I have you¡± ¡°Me too¡± **** Alexander closed hisptop and moved it aside angrily, he threw his phone on the other couch too. Madison came to serve him chilled fruit wine which he grabbed the ss and gulped all it contained. When he felt a little better, he sighed heavily and stretched his fatigued arms. ¡°Madison¡± He called her name when she was just about to leave with the tray and ss cup.. ¡°How may I help you sir?¡± She asked politely. ¡°Sir?¡± He scoffed; ¡°It¡¯s Alex. Finn permits you to call him by his name, you don¡¯t have to ce some respect on his younger brother¡¯s name ¡­¡± Alex corrected. ¡°How may I help you Alex?¡± Madison corrected herself before he couldplete his sentence. ¡°Better. Did you say you reconnected with your lover from love station to Kikachat?¡± Alex inquired. ¡°Yes. Bet we two were the only ones that got in contact again¡± ¡°But how?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I have a phone book¡± She replied. ¡°Phone book? Are you from Jupiter? Who still does that?¡± Alex eximed. That wasn¡¯t the response he expected from Madison. ¡°I do¡± ¡°You write each and every contact in a book?¡± ¡°Because of cases like this. Love station has damaged a whole lot and it should not be brought back¡± She ridiculed and I smirked.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re only saying this because you didn¡¯t lose your lover as well. I¡¯m sure people who did, wanna connect again¡± ¡°No. I am only standing by what¡¯s right. Kikachat for example, it has been existing for a long time, way back before Love station and it still does yet we¡¯ve never had a bad case unlike Love station, it came boom! and vanished into the thin air so soon, boom! Love station is trash!¡± She gesticted dramatically and I boiled in anger. ¡°Look here Madison, I am the founder and owner of Love Station!¡± I told her, pronouncing the words one by one. ¡°Huh! What is that supposed to mean?¡± She asked. ¡°Ugh! Just go, but let those words sink into your brain, I own Love station and stop bullshitting my one and only creation.¡± Alex raised his voice infuriatedly. Innocent Madison murmured ¡®sorry¡¯, trembled and left, Alex was the one who asked for her suggestion which she honestly gave to him. Just then, Finn arrived; he flung the door, walked passed his brother without any pleasantries as he headed straight to his room. ¡°Oh great there you are, Finn¡± Alex pped his hands, barely realizing that his brother was in a bad mood. ¡°I have something to discuss with you Finn and damn! your maid Madison isn¡¯t helping matters at all¡± He continued, walking behind Finn. ¡°So I found a way to talk to Charles. Charles is the founder of Kikacha ¡­¡± Finn suddenly cut in sharply. ¡°Listen Alex! I am not ready to listen to your inte talk!¡± Finn fussed and entered his room yet Alexander followed him in. ¡°What is it Finn? You look pissed off¡± Alex finally noticed. ¡°Yes! Yes! I am. I am very very angry with myself, with everyone. I hate everyone! I hate myself! This is all bullshit!!¡± Finn groaned all sort of nonsense, and paced around his room. ¡°Did the girl you love turn you down?¡± Alex asked. Finn stopped pacing and took a heavy breath in, ¡°Yes, I think she did¡± He responded sedately. ¡°What do you mean you think she did?¡± Alex peered into Finn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes! Think! I THINK she did. I think she doesn¡¯t love me. I think! Alex, I don¡¯t know what to do, I don¡¯t know how to exin¡± He exhaled. ¡± There is so much more¡± Finn added. ¡°Come, sit; rx a bit and tell me everything¡± Finn reluctantly did like his brother had said then he resumed. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 30 THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR Finn reluctantly did like his brother had said; he hesitated a little before he resumed. ¡°I figured Rita has a boyfriend so she won¡¯t date me¡± Finn cried out. ¡°Oh! Your poor heart!¡± Alex consoled. ¡°But you are the love doctor!¡± ¡°Funny how I cannot solve my own love life yet I can predict when two people are meant for each other, I also know when someone is in love with me; but the look in her eyes says she doesn¡¯t love me one bit Alex. Rita is in love with someone else¡± ¡°Sorry. Maybe it failed when it revealed to you that Rita is yours¡± Alexander indirectly redicled him ¡°No¡± Finn barked. ¡°It has never for once failed me. Maybe this means she wille back to me finally but this is so heartbreaking that she will waste precious time with her so called boyfriend but, I will make sure that she¡¯s mine, she must fall in love with me¡± Finn stumped his feet against the ground. ¡°Uhm, Okay. Let¡¯s see if you can do that¡± Alex doubted him. ¡°And what are you still doing here?¡± Finn suddenly screamed at him. ¡°Calm down. I am leaving your house first thing tomorrow. I wasn¡¯t the one who broke your heart, so stop yelling at me¡± Alex fired back at his brother. ¡°Sorry¡± He apologised immediately. ¡± I was also upset earlier and I am still trying to adjust, so please do not fuel it up¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Finn askedpassionately. ¡°You just said I shouldn¡¯t bother you with my inte bber . We are both in bad mood; you are heartbroken at the moment¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears Alex. I will create time out of no time to talk to you because you are my beloved brother¡± Finn spoke in a dearly tone and Alex scoffed. ¡°Beloved brother, yet you want me outta your house¡± Alex remarked and Finn shot him a hard re. ¡°With theme reason, privacy you stated. Whereas, I just wanna be around someone who is ready to listen to me all the time but you Finn, sometimes you act like you¡¯re interested in my inte bber, and sometimes, you show no real interest¡± Alexined, shaking his head. ¡°Will you tell me what is wrong with you already or keep it to yourself and leave my room? Stop bbing!¡± Finn snapped at him. ¡°I had the chance to talk to Charles, who is the founder of Kikachat. I told him I wanted to work with him, I told him I wanted to be his buddy but guess what? Charles is so full of himself, he is pompous. He said a lot of mean stuffs to me and he said he doesn¡¯t wanna work with me especially after he found out that I ownte Love Station, he instantly took me as his rival but I really wanna be his friend and a co-partner. I feel so sad right now¡± Alex gabbed , rushing all the words before his brother would change his mind. ¡°Is that all you have to say ?¡± Finn asked solemnly. ¡°Urh¡­ yeah. That¡¯s all¡± Alex awaited a lengthy piece of advice from his brother. ¡°Okay!¡± Was all Finn said. ¡°Okay¡­?¡± Finn didn¡¯t say anything, he yanked off his clothes. ¡°Is that all you¡¯re gonna say Finn?¡± ¡°Please Alex, you just said you need someone to listen to your inte gabs. I have heard you. Good luck!¡± Finn said, lightly pushing him to the door. ¡°Leave my room, I am not myself right now that I cannot even have dinner. My heart aches, I can not do or say anything. I need some space, I need to rest¡± He pushed Alex outta the room and shut the door. ¡°Then why hear me out in the first ce!¡± Alex screamed, hitting the door. ¡°I know what I am gonna do! If charles, the inte god or whatever his nickname is insist on not working with me. I¡¯m gonna boast to him about who I am¡± ¡°I am gonna let him know that I am a billionaire, a billionaire¡¯s brother and a billionaire¡¯s son¡± Alex yelled at the door, behaving like the younger brother that he was. ***** Rita¡¯s POV The Next Morning, ¡°Good morning love, how was your night? I hope you had another fantastic dream about me but not an erotice one¡± Zane said over the phone and I giggled. ¡°It was a sweet night rest. Sorry, I didn¡¯t dream about you again¡± I told him. ¡°Uhm, well I dreamt about you¡± Zane said. ¡°You did? What was it all about? What were you doing? What was I doing?¡± I was anxious to hear it because it might be another sign that we were fated. ¡°Err uhm Rita, I am not sure you wanna hear it¡± He said, lowering his tone a little. ¡°A bad dream?¡± I squeaked. ¡°Nah. An erotic one¡± ¡°Oh My God! Please, oh please¡± ¡± I am not talking about it, don¡¯t worry¡± Heughed. I giggled again. ¡°So it¡¯s weekend, we have the whole day to ourselves. I really enjoying carrying out the same routine with you, it¡¯s like you are here with me¡± ¡°It¡¯s like you are here with me too¡± I smiled widely like he could see me. A notification popped into my phone from Evelyn, she just informed me that she would be paying me a visit today.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oops Zane, I am not sure we have the whole today to ourselves. Evelyn ising over here¡± I informed Zane. ¡°Oh! So you¡¯re choosing friendship over rtionship?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon Zane. Don¡¯t make me choose¡± ¡°But we are meant to spend this weekend together and alone. You already saw and spoke to Evelyn throughout the week¡± He spoke like a baby. ¡°I know babe. I¡¯m sorry okay?¡± I responded. ¡°While you are away, I won¡¯t miss you. Wanna know why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± I furrowed my brows. ¡°I will spend my day staring at that picture you sent to mest night¡± He replied and Iughed. ¡°And it may lead you to indirectly summon up a figure or spirit that looks like me toe satisfy your sexual urge¡± ¡°Oh dear. Even though I ever have a strong s*xual urge, it¡¯s manageable and controble . I am not like you, you saw just my abs, you dripped in your panties and almost drawned in your own wetness¡± Zane said. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. I cringed. Zane says nasty dirty words like it meant nothing. Looks like I am the virgin mommy¡¯s girl not him. ¡°Oops! Stop it Zane!¡± I snapped at him after a moment of being quiet. ¡°Why? You¡¯re wet again?¡± He teased. ¡°Oh please. I am not¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even listen to words like this. You see, my sexual urge is controble. I could literally stare at your nudes all day, maybe get turned on yet it won¡¯t lead me to do anything stupid not even to fvck a summoned-up figure that looks like you or isn¡¯t that what you said?¡± He recapped. ¡°Haha! Did you not say you had an erotic dreamst night about us?¡± I reminded him. ¡°Oops! You caught me¡± Heughed. There was a loud knock on my door interrupting our conversation. ¡°Are you expecting anyone early this morning?¡± Zane heard it too. ¡°Nah. Just Evelyn and she wouldn¡¯t arrive this early. Bye Zane, I¡¯ll go check who is at the door¡± I hung up the call and walked closer to the door. ¡°Who is at the door?¡± I asked as I drew closer but the visitor didn¡¯t reply. Somehow, I knew it was Finn. I opened the door; lo and behold; it was¡­ **** To Be Continued Chapter 31 PAY ZANE A VISIT Rita¡¯s POV It was Evelyn; I heaved a sigh of relief, somehow I thought it was Finn because he visited mest weekend. ¡°Hello Bestie¡± Evelyn jumped into my arms. ¡°Hi Evelyn¡± I responded sheepishly disengaging myself from her. ¡°Why do you still look surprised to see me here, I already informed you earlier when I was at the nearest junction¡± She said. ¡°You didn¡¯t inform me that you were already at the nearest junction, I thought you¡¯ld arriveter in the day¡± I replied. My phone buzzed, it was Zane. He called to ask of who visited me. ¡°It was Evelyn, I didn¡¯t know she will be here so soon. Talk to youter my love¡± We disconnected the call. ¡°I¡¯m guessing, you just finished speaking with Zane¡± Evelyn chipped in. ¡°Of course, who else? We were gonna converse all day but looks like your presence here has disrupted our n¡± I told her. ¡°Oh sorry. I should not be here too but Adam¡¯s out. I don¡¯t know where he went to and besides, it¡¯s been a while I came over to your ce. You don¡¯t have to worry, I will leave soon¡± She promised. ¡°I see. Make yourselffortable after all, you¡¯re already familiar with the kitchen and lucky you, I visited the grocery store recently¡± ¡°Very lucky me¡± She chuckled, moving towards the refrigerator and returned with some snacks, a bottle of juice and a ss. ¡°Lucky indeed¡± I smirked: ¡°You really don¡¯t know what you have done wrong, just because your boyfriend is not around, you don¡¯t want me to be with mine¡± ¡°Ugh Rita! Why are you bringing it up again? I thought I already apologised and it¡¯s all over¡± She said, serving herself a ss of juice. I sighed: ¡°I am just a little upset. We won¡¯t be having our lone moment¡± ¡°Uhm, you¡¯re obsessed with him¡± She peered into my eyes. ¡°Yes! Yes! I won¡¯t deny that fact. I love Zane so much¡± She smiled: ¡°Whenst did you your momma call you?¡± ¡°Hmmmn, some days ago. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Err¡­ uhm, I have a ity-bity confession¡± She stuttered a bit. ¡°What is it? wait! did you do anything stupid again? I swear, I won¡¯t forgive you this time!¡± I voiced. ¡°Come on, calm down Rita. Rx¡± She rolled her eyes then continued: ¡± Uhm, do you know that your mom told me to make sure that you find a man before summeres to an end?¡± ¡°She did!¡± I eximed. ¡°Yeah and that is exactly why I pestered the hell outta you and say those mean annoying stuff a long time ago ¡± She divulged. I opened my mouth in awe and repeated: ¡°My mom actually told you do so?¡± ¡°Yup! You think I will badger and pester you for no reason? Ugh! No! I would rather watch you fall in love whenever you want even as a grandwoman or granddy rather. And my kids and I will definitely attend your wedding ceremony¡± She saidughing hysterically and I scorned at her.¡±Well, your momma called and I answered. So I did what I had to do and that included texting J Johnson to get you someone, and currently, you are addicted to Zane¡± She ted and I blushed secretly. ¡°So don¡¯t you ever ever me me for whatever happens between you and Zane!¡± She warned and rolled my eyes. ¡°Shhh, Zane and I, together forever; I will wait for him no matter what¡± I told her. ¡°Does your mom know about Zane?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Yeah! But she doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s an online rtionship stuff so please, do not tell her I signed up for this¡± I pleaded. ¡°You can count on me. I will just confirm to her that I know you¡¯ve settled into a serious rtionship that will most definitely lead to marriage¡± ¡°Good, good. I know my parents would wanna meet Zane face to face very soon. As for me, I can wait. Love is wait, isn¡¯t it?¡± Evelyn concurred, nodding her head. ¡°But you know Rita, you can go to Zane¡± Evelyn suggested. ¡°What did you say?¡± I didn¡¯t hear her right. ¡°C¡¯mon. Zane is in Canada, you can go pay him a visit. A surprise visit will even be more romantic¡± She said. ¡°Oh My God¡± I eximed softly. ¡± I have always been thinking he will be the one toe over here since he¡¯s actually based in this city. Why did I ever not think of going to him instead?¡± I questioned myself, beaming steadily. ¡°But.. but what about work?¡± ¡°Ever took Leave Of Absence?¡± She asked and I shook my head. ¡°There have never been a tangible reason to sacrifice my work for an absence leave¡± I told her. ¡°Oh well, that was then. Now there is Zane in Canada! C¡¯mon we are talking about your man here! You don¡¯t even know precisely when next you will see him if you do not visit him now¡± I nodded continuously in agreement. ¡°You have a great point Evelyn. This is a splendid suggestion¡± I embraced her excitedly. ¡°¡±I have got the international passport, my portfolios and other international necessary details. I should apply for the visa ticket to Canada¡± I was so delighted. ¡°And when you get to Canada, you lodge into the nearest hotel. Then you call Zane, ask him for his address or even better still, say he¡¯s got a parcel from you to pick up at the motel and then boom! You both will finally meet. Oh My God! This is so romantic, bet it the night will be so so great and fantastic¡± Evelyn cheered and suddenly kept quiet when I shot her a re. ¡°Evelyn, there is much more to do when you are just meeting your partner for the very first time rather than s*x¡± I said, pretending not to admit to what she meant. ¡°Uhm, I did not mention s*x. A fantastic night could be a night date, or like an borate celebration with just both of you. It doesn¡¯t have to be s*x¡± She twisted her words, made me look like the bad girl. ¡°Yup! Now I agree!¡± I responded in a awkward manner. ¡± You should send an email to Mr Finn, requesting for a leave of absence. I know he will definitely grant you the permission because of two main reasons. One, it is your first time you are taking a break from work, secondly, Finn loves you and so he will do anything to make you happy¡± She said. ¡°Evelyn! Don¡¯t talk about Finn¡¯s love for me whatsoever. It would only make me feel pity for him yet there¡¯s nothing I can do about it¡± I cautioned her. ¡°Roger that!¡± ¡°Now continue¡± ¡°While waiting to get your letter approved, you should also start processing your Visa. When you get a visa and approval at the same time, you travel right away¡± She concluded briefly and apuded. ¡°Aww!¡± I was so happy that I jumped into her arm again. ¡°Thank you so much for this beautiful idea. This is what I love to hear from you not some annoying querries¡± ¡°My pleasure. Anything for you darling. I am the only true friend you¡¯ve got Rita¡± ¡°Ugh! Now you¡¯ve so full of yourself¡± I scoffed. ¡°Why not? I have helped you a thousand times, when you want advise, when you are sad and confused, while you were single, I helped you find love and now I am tryna help you to meet the love of your life¡± ¡°Just so you know in case you don¡¯t, darling you have done more harm than good¡± I told her and she furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s the fact. Sometimes, you speak sense and most times, you spew nonsense¡± She hissed at the bittersweetpliment. ¡°But of course, you are my little silly true friend¡± I pinched her cheeks lightly and she finally smiled. Her phone chimed a love song, when she picked it instantly and the excitement on her face signified that she was speaking to her boyfriend. ¡°Finally! Okay. I will be on my way now¡± She said into the phone and hung up the call. ¡°That was Adam¡± ¡°I know. Obviously¡± ¡°So, he is back from wherever he went to and I better get going now!¡± She sipped from the ss once more then hurriedly headed to the door.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Aww! Adam and Eve are about to go have some lone time together¡± I teased her while I saw her off the door. ¡°While Rita¡¯s head is still banging about the fantastic night I mentioned earlier. It¡¯s very very obvious!¡± She teased in return and scurried outta my apartment before I couldmbast her. Yes! Yes! Oh finally! Zane and I will be meeting sooner than I expected. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 32 ABOUT TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY Rita¡¯s POV I spoke to an immigration officerter that day whom rendered a detailed procedure on how to travel to my preferred country. I had also paid every single dime he demanded for in order to make the means rapid since I really wanted to be in Canada this week ortest during the weekend. I kept it a secret away from Zane while we had our usual random chat and somehow, he observed that there was something I didn¡¯t wanna reveal but he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was. ¡°You have been a little tensed since Evelyn left your ce, why?¡± He inquired. ¡°Really? Tensed? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about Zane. I am only just being myself¡± I buffed. ¡°Nope sweetheart, there is something you are not telling me. Why did Evelyne visiting? What did she say to you?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh stop tryna poke nose! Evelyn and I discussed about girly stuff, I am so d she came over here today¡± I said. ¡°Hmmn¡± He maffled. ¡°You think it has something to do with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± He answered. ¡°No it doesn¡¯t. That aside, I have a huge surprise for you!¡± I announced. ¡°Really? Is it¡­uhm time already?¡± ¡± Time for what?¡± ¡°Time for that stuff. That stuff¡± He said. ¡°What stuff??¡± I tried to recollect what he was referring to. ¡°You said you won¡¯t inform me whenever you wanna send me some s*xy pictures of you. Isn¡¯t that the surprise?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh! Not that kind of surprise bad boy! And of course, I will spam you those pictures next time and yes! that is also surprise because I won¡¯t inform you that I am about to surprise you. Don¡¯t you know what a surprise is? A sudden boom!¡± I expantiated jokingly. ¡°Alright. What other surprise do you have for me?¡± He asked further. ¡°Zane darling, it is called a surprise for a reason. Lucky you, I have given you a head up, so anticipate for the unexpected¡± Iughed but he hummed suspiciously ¡°Hmmn¡± ¡°Apart from speaking with me presently, is there anything you¡¯re doing at the moment?¡± He asked, changing the topic entirely. ¡°Nah, I amzily sprawling on the couch¡± I said. ¡°I am lonely and bored too¡± ¡°Zane, I wish to go out with you on a cool saturday like today¡± I told him. ¡°Yeah. We can go on a date right now. All bills on me. Go to the lovers restaurant over there, I will do the same, we¡¯ll talk to each other over the phone and catch fun. It¡¯s almost like doing the same thing at the same time OVER THE PHONE..¡± ¡°Publicly!¡± I interrupted bluntly. ¡°We can¡¯t do such when there are people around, they¡¯ll think I am insane. Nah, I don¡¯t buy that idea. The simr routine at home is enough. Don¡¯t worry, we will catch so much fun when we finally meet¡± I told him euphorically. ¡°And that reminds me, I will be visiting my parents tomorrow¡± I lied to Zane, because I needed to be at the immigration office for other physical registrations and clearances. ¡°Your parents!¡± He uttered. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while I saw them; they miss me so much and I miss them too. I need to go see them¡±I cleared my throat and added; ¡°I will be pretty much busy tomorrow because they want my attention¡± ¡°Oh dear, I understand okay? My regards to your lovely parents¡± ¡°Sure, I have told them about you. They can¡¯t wait to meet you¡± ¡°d to hear that. I cannot wait to meet them too¡± * The following day, I headed to the immigration office to do andplete the other important stuff, and I was dismissed at the point they told me to await a guaranteed approval email. On my way back home, I did few shopping, I got beautiful clothes and more lingeries and every other item to surprise my boyfriend whom isn¡¯t even aware of my arrival. I had declined his several subsequent iing calls earlier and he didn¡¯t reach out again because he thinks I was at my parents ce like I have told him. But then, Finn also called, I had to pick up the phone ¡°Hello Finn¡± I mumbled; I think I¡¯m getting used to speaking to him informally without disrespecting him. ¡°Please Rita, I¡¯m asking you once again, will you give me a chance in your life? I have been thinking of you, I cannot get you outta my head, I have been crying all day, I am so heartbroken. I really don¡¯t know what to do, the feeling is so deep because I have had it from the first day I set my eyes on you; it.. it is really hard for me to let go of you just like that¡± He prattled on, literally crying over phone. I huffed heavily: ¡°What exactly do you want me to do Finn? ditch my boyfriend aside and date you instead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can never get over you even after finding out you are taken. Maybe you just pretend to love me or something, it hurt me more when you show me no love¡± He rushed his words and paused then added; ¡± We need to talk Rita¡± ¡°Yeah Finn, I.. I actually have something to tell you at work tomorrow, so yeah! We need to talk¡± ¡°Oh My God! You wanna tell me something!¡± ¡°Uhm, so till then. I am kinda busy at the moment¡± I hung up the call immediately. Great, he didn¡¯t call me back. When I got home that day, I was so stressed out. All I wanted to do was to sleep. I left Zane a sweet apology message for not giving him attention today but I am quite sure that he wouldn¡¯t take it seriously because he believed I actually visited my parents. While he wasn¡¯t active at the moment, I intended to log out of Kikachat when I noticed J Johnson¡¯s popped up message. She just informed me about an ongoing virtual meeting on a group chat for onlydies in rtionships. Uugh! I could have just ignored it but never have I attended her meetings, and the few times I have private chatted her revealed how great she really was when ites to the topic LOVE. I managed to join the group chat anyways;All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Wee Miss Rita¡± She acknowledged my presence right away. ¡°Thank you J Johnson and thank you for alwaysing through for me and my partner¡± I answered haven noticed that other members also appreciated her for one or two things. J Johnson is just the best. ¡°Like I was saying; another way to be sure that you and your partner are meant for each other is..¡± She continued her discussion. Great, I joined this conversation at the right time. ¡°Once your partner knows most of your likes and dislikes, about a 90% especially when you have never made mention of it to him. That¡¯s soulmate bond connecting right there!¡± She rounded up themunication with such statement and told us to feel free to disclose whatever was bothering our current rtionship. Since I had no issue with mine, I exited Kikachat. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, my eyes were heavy. I was drowsy already. **** To Be Continued. Chapter 33 APPROVED Rita¡¯s POV When I arrived at the office the following day, I met Evelyn and Adam who informed me that Finn had just returned to his office, and he has been at our department waiting for my arrival. Deja Vu! Finn was always expecting me. I knew he was eager to hear what I wanted to tell him, so I went to meet him. ¡°Good morning Finn¡± I greeted right from the door before moving closer to him. ¡°Have your seat, make yourselffortable Rita¡± He said, leaned forward a little to adjust the seat. ¡°I hope you havee to give me good news¡± He asked immediately after I settled down. ¡°Ugh!¡± Oh jeez, he thinks I havee to say yes to him. Oh no, never.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s actually a request that I really hope you would grant¡± I pleaded. ¡°Say it out already. I am the boss, is there anything I cannot do? for you?¡± I smiled a little then continued freely: ¡°I havee to request for a leave of absence¡± I said, slowly sliding the neatly folded letter on the table towards him ¡°A leave of absence ?¡± He was astonished. He unfolded the paper and skimmed through it then he dropped it and faced me squarely; ¡°Why do you want an absent leave?¡± He inquired. ¡°Er.. uh it¡¯s kinda personal¡± I briefly told him. ¡°Are you sick?¡± He panicked and leaned forward again to touch my forehead. I shook my head; ¡°No, I am okay¡± I answered. He looked at me, doubtfully and read through the letter again. ¡°It is my first time leaving work actually, so you ought to grant me this leave¡± I said. ¡°Yeah Rita. But there is always a reason for requesting for an absent leave. Why do you want this leave of absence?¡± He asked again. ¡°I swear, I have got a reason but it¡¯s really personal. Probably when I am back to work and it is all settled, I will let you know¡± Finn didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Pretty please¡± I rubbed my palms together and squinted my eyes in a cold romantic way. ¡°Please Mr Finn, I ¡­ I mean Finn, please do this for a friend¡± I leaned forward, stretched my hand, managed to hold his, then gave it a light squeeze. Like Mrs J Johnson has said, physical touch is another way to a man¡¯s heart. Most especially Finn, he is in love with me, he has no choice but to do whatever makes me happy. ¡°Okay, Approved¡± Finn finally said after a while. ¡°Oh My God, thank you so much¡± ¡°As you have written in your letter, it is only for two weeks! I wonder what you would be doing for two weeks¡± He asked again stylishly but all I did was smile. ¡°Thank you so much Finn. I won¡¯t be at work tomorrow, I will resume back to work next over-week¡± I made it clear to him. He nodded in affirmation then I stood up to take my leave. ¡°Uhm Rita¡± He called my name after I¡¯ve taken few steps away from him, almost at the door. ¡°I will miss you so much¡± He said. What was I suppose to say? Of course, I won¡¯t miss him too; Infact he will be the least of my worries. ¡°My pleasure ¡± I responded, smiling. ¡± You know¡­ I.. I actually thought you were gonna say Yes to me but it¡¯s fine, I won¡¯t force you anymore. I will continue to love you and be good to you even if you won¡¯t date me; it¡¯s fine¡± He said, cing his head on his left chest (heart), he sniffed, fighting back the tears clouded in his eyes. ¡°I ¡­ I am very sorry¡± I apologized. ¡°So I will take my leave now¡± I bowed my head a little in respect and left his office ***** To Be Continued Chapter 34 ZANE, HERE I COME Rita¡¯s POV When I returned to our department, it was alreadyte to discuss with Evelyn whom was already working and I had my own clients waiting. So we had to wait till lunch break¡­ ¡°You spent like forever in his office, we were waiting for you¡± Evelyn beckoned me after the waiter served us our order. ¡°What did you say to him? ¡®Yes, I¡¯ll date you¡¯?¡± Adam quoted. ¡°No. That¡¯s what he thought actually¡± I gave a shortugh. ¡°Rita will only date one guy which is Zane even in her next life¡± Evelyn teased. ¡°So uhm, what were you guys discussing in his office?¡± Adam gaped at me. ¡°I requested for a leave of absence which he hesitated to approve but thanks to my beautiful face which captured his heart, he finally approved my request¡± I announced to them excitedly. ¡°Finn approved it?¡± Adam and Evelyn eximed. ¡°Oh My God, I am so happy for you¡± Evelyn pped her hands. ¡°Hold on guys; youdies have left me in the dark Why did you request for a leave of absence for the very first time since you have been working here?¡± Adam inquired with surprise. ¡°There¡¯s always a first time¡± Evelyn scorned at him. ¡°I am travelling to Canada¡± I informed him. ¡°Canada? For what? Vacation? Don¡¯t tell me you are taking a break to travel around the world¡± Adam eximed. ¡°Yes, vacation because it¡¯s more like it. I¡¯m going to see Zane!¡± I informed him. ¡°Romantic¡± Evelyn eximed with her mouthful. ¡°Zane what? Your.. ¨C your online boyfriend?¡± Adam shrieked. I nodded and he continued; ¡°Does Zane, my friend ; your boyfriend know you areing over there. You are traveling all the way from United State just to see him in Canada?¡± Adam pried further. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s a surprise¡± I beamed. ¡°A romantic one¡± Evelyn grinned too. ¡°So you must not tell him¡± I warned Adam. ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t ¡± Adam faltered, tryna not to stammer. ¡°And you Evelyn, none of you should tell Zane about this okay?¡± ¡± Sure girl. And I have told you, your boyfriend and I barely liaise; maybe once in a while and it¡¯s just Hey, Hello, Hi, how are you? I mean you are his girlfriend. I have no business having an extra extra conversation with him¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Likewise¡± Adam said; ¡°Zane and I talk only once in a while. We are no longer intimate like we used to in college¡± ¡°Maybe my affair with him should still bring you both together. Anyways, I am very d that both of you are now acquaintances with whom I¡¯m dating¡± I smiled. ¡°What are best friends for?¡± Evelyn said, giving me a high five over our meal. ¡°Uhm Rita¡± Adam suddenly cut in; he stopped eating slowly and folded his hands instead, he seemed uneasy. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right you go see Zane¡± He suddenly disputed. ¡°Why not?¡± Chorus Evelyn and I as we gaped at each other and shot him a hard gaze. ¡°I.. I mean, you are thedy in this anonymous rtionship; Zane shoulde see you instead, not vice visa. It is only safer that way¡± Adam implied ¡°What do you mean?¡± I looked at Evelyn face again, waiting for her own opinion. ¡°That¡¯s not a sensible reason¡± Evelyn snapped at Adam. ¡°Listen guys, Ladies don¡¯t make the first approach. It makes them look cheap, Zane will think you are cheap if you take a break from your job just to see him. I think you should wait till hee see you himself¡± Adam briefly exined. ¡°What d¡¯hell are you talking about Adam? We are in the century wheredies takes whatsoever risk and make the first move¡± Evelyn red up. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it is wrong. I said; it¡¯s makes.. them look cheap¡± Adam repeated. ¡°So do I look cheap to you¡± Evelyn leered. ¡°Huh!¡± I was confused and even more confused; watching their quarrel. ¡°I confessed my feelings to you first, which means you pretended to love me too and you only asked me to date you instantly because I look cheap and pathetic right?¡± She fussed. ¡°No, no Evelyn. Come on, I love you so much that¡¯s why I asked you to be my girlfriend¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just saydies who makes the first approach are cheap?¡± ¡°I¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant, I.. I wasn¡¯t even talking about you Evelyn; you are different¡± He stuttered, putting his hand over her neck but she took it off and hissed. ¡°I guess you are talking about me then. I am not any different right?¡± I added. ¡°Oh jeez, please; listen guys¡± He pleaded fervently ¡°Evelyn, I love you so much as my girlfriend and my best friend. Rita, you are my friend too, I will never do or say anything to hurt you two¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that what you said earlier. Tryna cover it up now like it meant nothing?¡± Evelyn hammered on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I take back my words. I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡± He bloomed. Evelyn and I kept mute but grumbled within. ¡°I am very sorry¡± He apologized repeatedly. ¡°Alright¡± I uttered perfunctorily. ¡°What¡¯s alright?¡± Evelyn furrowed. ¡°He is sorry. More so, I don¡¯t take such slight quarrel to heart. You guys also kept it a secret away from me that you made the first approach¡± ¡°Look what you caused; you dickhead!¡± Evelyn rolled her eyes at her partner.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, back to the previous discussion¡± ¡°I have began to process my flight and other stuff, I will be getting a feedback soon. Also, I have been looking forward to this day with so much ns in my head. Whether I make the first approach or not does not matter because I know that Zane loves me so much as much as I do. Therefore, I am visiting Zane and that¡¯s final¡± I concluded. **** To Be Continued Chapter 35 A FLIGHT TO CATCH Rita¡¯s POV I felt relieved throughout the rest of the day because of the fact that I won¡¯t be at work for two good weeks; away from stress, toxic older colleagues and away from CEO Finn. Evelyn and Adam walked with me to the bus stop so they could extend their farewell. ¡°I¡¯m amazed Finn didn¡¯te bid you Bye before we left the office¡± Evelyn broke the silence. ¡°Poor lover boy, well there were so many clients and visitors today, so he didn¡¯t have to chance to express his feelings for me for the next zillion time¡± Weughed out loud. ¡°Yeah, poor billionaire CEO¡± Adam said; ¡°I do not like him one bit ever since he flirted with my Evelyn and maltreated you Rita¡± ¡°That was a misunderstanding Adam, and it¡¯s bygone, you should like him now. Aside his sudden feelings for Rita, Finn is a good man¡± Evelyn retorted. ¡°Uhm, well once I dislike one already, it¡¯s very much difficult for me to like the person even if he¡¯s changed¡± I huffed; ¡°Even Zane, a winning rival is not so mad at Finn like you are Adam. Zane is a sweet man! Oh! I cannot wait to meet him already!¡± Avidly, I shut my eyes for a little while and had sh imagination of Zane right in front of me. I blushed and opened my eyes. ¡°Is your flight tomorrow?¡± Adam asked me. ¡°Most likely because I should get the feedback tonight¡± ¡°Tomorrow¡± He muttered, nodding his head. ¡°And she will be returning in two weeks time, I will miss you so much Rita¡± Evelyn embraced me. ¡°Yeah, we will miss you so much¡± Adam added. ¡°I will miss you both too. Especially watching you both quarrel everyday and settling it immediately¡± I teased them and they chuckled. ¡°Rita, did I ever tell you that you¡¯re like the big sister I never got?¡± Evelyn said. ¡°An¡± I patted her head gently. She rolled her eyes and took off my hand. ¡°Well, dear Evelyn, you have always been like a little sister to me, we were never mate¡± I retorted and she scoffed. Adam was just there, watching us and smiling widely. *** ¡°Hello Zane¡± I spoke into the phone; he has been tryna to reach me but I kept him on hold. I ignored his calls and told him to call backter but he wouldn¡¯t stop calling. ¡°Oh good, you finally pick up your phone¡± He said. ¡°Zane, I am busy at the moment, I¡¯ll call youter I promise¡± I held the phone on my ear while I managed to fold my clothes neatly and arrange them into my traveling box. ¡°No, do not end the call yet Rita. How busy are you that you don¡¯t wanna hear my voice? Or is your strict boss maltreating you again because you have turned him down?¡± ¡°No. Zane, I am at home. I just got caught up with something?¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯re fine, is there something you aren¡¯t telling me Rita?¡± ¡°No, I am not hiding anything from you¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken at length like we used to. Yesterday, you were at your parent¡¯s ce, today you¡¯re upied with only God knows what meanwhile you know after-work is the only period during the week we¡¯ve got for ourselves¡± He paused and spoke softly: ¡°I miss us already. I am addicted to you Rita, I almost cannot do without speaking to you in a day. Come on, will you suspend whatever you are doing and talk to your baby!¡± I chucked; ¡°Alright darling, you win!¡± ¡°Anything for you. But you¡¯ll let me go in the next an hour promise?¡± ¡°What? Hold on, are you dating your boss now?¡± ¡°Huh no. I turned him downpletely, I told you already didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Then who am I sharing our usual conversation duration with?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon Zane, I just told how busy I am right now and I need to resolve what I am caught up with as soon as possible¡± ¡°Tell me what it is¡± He interrogated ¡°Err.. it¡¯s some kind of domestic chores that I need to put in order properly¡± Yes, that wasn¡¯t a lie. I was packing up and preparing for the travel. ¡°So you¡¯re leaving me for some domestic chores?¡± He argued. ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re forcing more words that I don¡¯t have to say outta my mouth¡± I told him. ¡°Well finally, I got you to talk to me anyways¡± He sighed softly. ¡°I do not mean to be clingy forgive me; please give me this attention¡± He pleaded. I understood him absolutely because J Johnson already exined better why he is in love with me and she had told me to give him attention. ¡°Uhm Zane, what if there¡¯s another way we canmunicate with each other not only through the phone?¡± I gave him a tiny clue. ¡°What are you talking about Rita?¡± I gave a weird shortugh ¡°Nevermind¡± ¡°Hmmn. How are your parents by the way?¡± He asked. ¡°They are fine¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Although I lied about visiting them, I wondered what he was tryna insinuate when he asked if I was sure. ¡°What do you mean am I sure they are fine?¡± ¡°They must be eager to know who their daughter is into as much as I am anxious to see them too; when we meet Rita, the first thing I will do is to visit them and ask for their blessings right away¡± He suddenly suggested. ¡°Nah¡± I shook my head like he could see me.¡±That won¡¯t be the first I wanna do when I meet you ¡± ¡°Oh goodness Rita! If you are about to spew out something nasty, please swallow it for your own good. I feel bad when you are s*xually aroused and I can¡¯t help but as for me, I promise to practice celibacy till we meet¡± He implied. I giggled: ¡°We¡¯ll meet soon, it¡¯s just a matter of time¡± Another quick hint he couldn¡¯t grab. ¡°It¡¯s not soon enough, for me it¡¯s like a century nheless I¡¯m tryna be patient¡± ¡°What if Ie over?¡± I was so enthusiastic that it slipped outta my mouth. ¡°Are youing over?¡± He asked me. ¡°Of course not. At the moment, I have a whole lot to do. Also, I hate traveling long distances. Nah! I can¡¯t travel all the way down to Canada!¡± I rushed the words, hoping he will buy the lie. ¡°Oh My God Rita, I will really appreciate it if you woulde over. I am an employee, also tied up with work and there¡¯s almost no chance for me to travel down over there to see my people¡± ¡°Did you say you would be happy if ie over? I asked to confirm, saying the words one by one. What about his face scar? that he doesn¡¯t want me to see it yet. Although, I already made up my mind never to resent him no matter what he looks like, I will prove to him that I love him anyways. But what about him? Now he is literally inviting me over, does it mean he has gotten the stic surgery. ¡°Of course Rita, I will be more than happy to see you here¡± He repeated. ¡°Oh well, too bad Zane. I cannote over there, reasons I made mention of earlier¡±¡±Maybe sometimester, I will think about paying you a visit¡± I said. ¡°Alright¡± He responded coldly. ¡°And uhm Zane, it¡¯s time to end this call¡± I took the phone off my ears but he hollered. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°What do you have for me? The surprise, I¡¯m still very eager to know what it is¡± He inquired. ¡°You naughty boy! Hold on your horses, it¡¯s something you would love more than my smut!¡± ¡°Okay. So when will you reveal the surprise to me?¡± ¡°Err uhm, soon. I gotta go love¡± I kissed the phone, making a kissing sound then I disconnected the call and sighed heavily. ¡°That was a close one! Come on Rita, watch it! You almost let the cat outta the bag¡± I said to myself, hitting my forehead. ¡°Well, I think I erased the hint. So he will never ever see iting ¡± I sat on one leg on my bed then continued arranging the clothes, not leaving out any of the sexy lingeries most especially. My phone beeped, I checked the notification on the screen. The flight I booked has beenpleted and approved. Flight date and time is Tomorrow, mid day. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 36 OFF TO THE AIRPORT, MAYBE At the regr early time, CEO Finn walked into thepany early the following morning. He crossed path with Adam at the reception; he¡¯s very punctual to work too. Adam murmured his greetings to Finn whom signaled him toe with him to his office. ¡°Rita is not at work¡± Finn uttered as he paced to his counter. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s not. You epted her request for an absent leave, didn¡¯t you?¡± Adam said, sittingfortably while Finn was perturbed. ¡°I did. But why did Rita request for a break?¡± Finn inquired. ¡°She didn¡¯t inform you?¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. She said it was private. Uhm, you both are friends, you should know. Why did Rita request for a leave of absence?¡± Finn asked again. ¡°She¡¯s visiting her boyfriend, Zane¡± Adam notified him. ¡°What?¡± Finn eximed. ¡°Do you think I will let her go visit her boyfriend if she had told me?¡± He freaked out. ¡°Of course not because you are literally her boyfriend¡¯s rival, why would she let you know that she has gone to spend two weeks with boyfriend in Canada¡± ¡°Shit!¡± He groaned: ¡°When is her flight?¡± ¡°She should leave today, that makes it aplete two weeks absent leave¡± ¡°Darn it! Oh my God! Darn it! Darn it!¡± He screamed and rushed to his desk to pick up his phone ¡°Is there anything you can do about it now?¡± Adam asked. ¡°I¡¯ll call her right away and I hope she hasn¡¯t gotten to the airport yet¡± He picked up his phone, his hands twitched as he couldn¡¯t concentrate, he couldn¡¯t even think straight. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you that she went to see her boyfriend, Rita already told you it was private. Now it¡¯s more like I¡¯m supporting you because now you won¡¯t let her go see her real boyfriend¡± Adam said and Finn shot him a hard stare, Adam did the same and smirked. ¡°Goodluck, gotta take my leave now¡± Adam stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood to entertain any visitor until Rita returns. Please tell the receptionist to keep every client waiting at the reception till I inform her to let theme in¡± Finn said, dailing Rita¡¯s number again but it was unreachable. He panicked. **** Rita¡¯s POV I did my skincare with soft make over.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I wore a bodycon gown which revealed my elegant body shape, my cleavage was exposed too but I covered up with a thick fur leather coat because of the different weather over there but of course, I will pull everything off once I am with Zane. I intended to leave home before 9am and stay at the airport till my flight time. I ensured I have already taken all required documents, most especially my international passport, and my ticket. I was not expecting a call from anyone not even Zane because the only chance we have arranged to be in touch with each other waster at night but I¡¯ll be on ne this night which means we won¡¯tmunicate and he will feel bad about it but it is worth it afterall. My phone suddenly buzzled; I looked at the screen, it was Finn. ¡°Hello Finn¡± I spoke into the phone haven picked it up and swiped to the receiver. ¡°Hello Rita¡± He said. ¡°I.. I know you are observing your break but this is so urgent, can you rush down to thepany right away?¡± He asked.. ¡°Huh! What?! ¡°I squeaked. ¡°Are you at home?¡± ¡°Yeah.. I.. I am.. at.. at home¡± I stuttered. ¡°Oh good, good. I am not supposed to offer you a break during this workload period. Your absence today has just dawned upon me that we¡¯ve got only few workers¡± He said. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t understand Finn. You already approved my request and.. besides, we do not have few workers¡± ¡°If you were around, it would make work faster¡± ¡°I am about to go somewhere¡± I told him. ¡°Oh sorry Rita, I will grant you this break, another time! My bad!¡± He said. ¡°But this is only my first time taking a break from work¡± I argued. ¡°Rush down to the office right now! I order you as the boss and not as a friend¡± He spoke authoritatively and hung up the call. What?? I called him back to exin reasons why I took the leave of absence but he wouldn¡¯t pick it up. Gosh! I have a flight to catch by 12noon and I have spent a lot to get this booked and ready. And just when I was prepared to leave anytime soon, he ordered that I should rush down to the office. I could have just ignored him and rush down to the airport instead but I am gonna spend two whole weeks at Canada which means he will throw at me a letter of termination when I return. I bursted into tears, dropped on the floor and squated on my legs, I began to whimper causing Finn under my breathe. Apart from the fact that I have been looking forward to this day, I have also spent so much; I literally invested all my savings to process this so it could work out in a jiffy now it¡¯s all gone. I received a notification from Finn, annoyingly jerking me up from the horrible mood. ¡°I am expecting you in the office in the next ten minutes!¡± Thus it read. I screamed at the phone like Finn could hear it. I quickly struggled to pull off my beautiful outfit and changed into some casual office wear, then I hurriedly left the house for thepany and not the airport. ***** ****** To Be Continued Chapter 37 RUINED PLANS Rita¡¯s POV I ran into thepany like cindere abruptly leaving the ball before 12:00 midnight. I was breathing heavily when I got to the entrance, I had to stop so as to catch my breathe because I was breathing too fast. I brushed up my face inwardly and sniffed heavily. My eyes was clouded with tears, so I wiped it off,ported myself and walked inside thepany as if everything was fine. I bumped into Evelyn. ¡°Rita! What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you suppose to be at the airport?¡± She asked me. ¡°Finn ruined my ns, you didn¡¯t know? He told me to run down here at once, he said there¡¯s a lot to do¡± I said. ¡°But he granted you the permission to leave, didn¡¯t he?¡± She was puzzled. ¡°He imed it was a mistake and that we¡¯ve got a workload this period but look at you, doing absolutely nothing ¡± ¡°Probably this has to do with you turning him down, go meet him quickly, he might still let you leave¡± Evelyn motioned me. Other colleagues that were aware of my supposed absence gazed at me ntantly, surprised to see me. I ignored them and barged into Finn¡¯s office rudely without knocking. ¡°Oh dear, there you are Rita. Wee back¡± I met him on his feet, hands folded like he was awaiting my arrival. ¡°There¡¯s nothing too much for Evelyn and co to handle¡±I grumbled ¡°But now you are cognizant of the rule that you are not supposed to be absent during the summer period¡± He spoke, I wanted to fire back with some better justification but he interrupted. ¡°I will give you a full month holiday all through next month¡± ¡°Ugh! I have a flight to catch in the next few minutes!!¡± I red at my wristwatch: ¡°Jeez, I already missed it¡± I groaned. ¡°A flight? Oh my God Rita! I am so sorry about it¡± He pretended to shocked and regretful. ¡°Why would you approve my request in the first ce then take it back just because I won¡¯t date you!¡± I blinked back the tears which were already forming around my eyes eventually a tear slid down my cheek. Now I couldn¡¯tport myself anymore.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No Rita, this has absolutely nothing to do with us. I already told you that I won¡¯t force anything¡± He came closer and ced his hand on my shoulder which I shrugged off. ¡°Throw tantrums at me instead and stop tryna ruin me indirectly!¡± I fired. ¡°You already ruined my ns as! I have missed my flight, are you happy now? He was mute, he gazed at me pathetically. ¡°Oh! You are the boss and I¡¯m at your service always and forever¡± I said sarcastically fighting back the tears. ¡°I get it, no break during this period. I¡¯ll do as you wish¡± I bow my head in a perfunctory respect, I exited his office. Evelyn consoled me sympathetically and I resumed to work reluctantly. *** I was moody all through the day, I couldn¡¯t even join Evelyn and Adam for lunch. I screamed within as I felt like doing on the outside. I barely notice it was time to go home untill my friends reached out, knocking on the desk which I ced my head on. ¡°I.. I can¡¯t move, I can¡¯t feel my legs nor myself¡± I murmured but Evelyn gently raised my head up. ¡°You had better waive off this glooming attitude!¡± She voiced but it didn¡¯t help matter, my eyes were teary again. Neither did sce jerk me off the mood. ¡°She has been like this all day¡± Evelyn reported me to Adam. ¡°You both do not understand how much it hurt¡± Iined. ¡°I know it hurt but it does cause you to grief. Get over it already!!¡± She coaxed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Rita¡± Adam spoke softly unlike his girlfriend whom was kinda harsh on me maybe because she was fed up of consoling me already. Adam continued; ¡°Finn will offer you a month break next month¡± ¡°Then next month, he withdraws his offer again?!¡± ¡°He won¡¯t. I¡¯m sure he is regretting why he didn¡¯t let you go¡± He sighed. ¡°Rita, I am sorry. I was the one who told Finn that you are traveling to Canada to see your boyfriend¡± He confessed, guiltily. ¡°I¡­ I was the one whom ruined your n, I shouldn¡¯t have told him. He was so jealous that he canceled the break, I am very sorry. This is all my fault¡± Adam apologized coldly, feeling remorseful. ¡°What?¡± Evelyn eximed. My jaw dropped. ¡°Oh my God, what have you done Adam??¡± I stomp on my feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you ¡± Guilt ate him up. I dashed into Finn¡¯s office and they ran after me; unsure of what action I was about to take next. ¡°Finn!¡± I hollered his name informally and brusquely. He stood on his face and gazed at us suspiciously. ¡°You said this isn¡¯t about us but Adam has just told me everything!¡± I screamed at Finn whose face growled as he shot Adam an angry look. ¡°I¡­ I just have to tell her. She was grave sad¡± Adam mumbled. ¡°He told you I wanna go spend some days with my boyfriend¡± ¡°Hmmm. Offense number one, the reason for your request for an absence leave is not genuine enough¡± Finn replied. ¡°Ugh!¡± I scoffed; ¡°Why I am taking a break is none of your business!¡± I yelled at the top of my voice. ¡°Calm down Rita, I think you¡¯re exceeding the boundary Finn set for us¡± Evelyn scolded in a whisper. ¡°And that doesn¡¯t mean we do not have the right to voice out when a motherfucking CEO is doing something wrong¡± I wanted to continue yelling and I could even beat him up yet I was a softie, I bursted into tears. ¡°It was high time to see my man. I already booked the flight and spent my whole life savings. Now it¡¯s gone; I didn¡¯t get to see him, I lost my money too. Why do you have to do this to me just because I turned you down Finn?¡± ¡°Rita¡± He called my name softly, his red eyes prated into my teary eyes. ¡°There¡¯s more to it¡± He said. ¡°Adam, Evelyn; leave just Rita and I alone. I need to speak with her. Go home by the ways¡± He told my friends, motioning them to the door. They obliged. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 38 GOOD NEWS Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Is he the guy you choose over me?¡± Finn asked ridiculously. I scoffed; ¡°Zane is not just an ordinary guy, he is my main man and I¡¯ll choose him over and over again¡± ¡°Then I guess it is really high time I stop tryna get you, I am very sorry Rita¡± Atst, he btedly conceded that he deliberately stopped me travelling out just because he was jealous that I wanted to go see another guy. I was in grouse, even when he offered me to seat; I stood Akimbo. Guilt-ridden, he spoke to me sedately; ¡°You can go to him next month, all bills on me¡± He continued; ¡°You just said that you spent all your life savings¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡± I inhaled heavily tryna calm down now as I finally took a seat. ¡°I still feel really bad¡± I exhaled, face palming myself. ¡°Rita¡± He called my name in such a solemn way that I had to look at him. ¡°One more thing¡± He said. ¡°I have been thinking of promoting you to the official section of thepany. And I will also increase your sry. Anything you want at all, name it. I would love to idemnify you this way, what do you think?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears, I was dumbfounded. Seconds earlier I was so mad at him for ruining my ns, I felt like tearing him apart but now I was startled and bbergasted by this unexpected opportunity he¡¯s offering me. Yet I scoffed again; ¡°Do you think you can bribe me?¡± I tried as much to show no joyous expression on my face. ¡°Oh no! No, not at all¡± He replied. ¡°You and your friends are doing a very great and hardworking job and because they are your friends, I will offer them a token of my appreciation too¡± He said. ¡°But, why are you transferring me to an office?¡± ¡°Isnt that what you¡¯ve wanted?¡± ¡°Adam and Evelyn wants it too¡± ¡°Ohh¡± Finn mouthed. ¡°But I just said I will appreciate them for their work weldone¡± He paused. ¡°Or maybe you are right, I want to transfer only (just) you to the office because I love you but it¡¯s not a bribe, I swear¡± Now I was just a tad little bit mad at him but still sad about the incident that happened today. Well I¡¯ll be getting a betterpensation after all. I¡¯m a little hurt though. ¡°I will inform the scretary to prepare your promotion letter, make sure you get it first thing tomorrow and resume at once¡± He smiled at me. He seemed to notice that I was impressed. ¡°Very well then¡± I finally said and sighed in relief ¡°I gotta go now¡± I stood on my feet. ¡°Err¡­ I¡­ I will¡­¡± He stuttered on purpose as he gestured his intention which I clearly understood. Whenever I spend the closing hours at his office, or whenever it¡¯s just both of us left in the office, he will offer to drive me in his car and drop me off at home. We are alone, it is somewhat awkward. Finn promised he won¡¯t force anything yet he was smiling widely at me, prating his eyes into mine in such a romantic way. ¡°Bye Finn¡± I left his office without hesitating. **** I got home exhaustedly but haven had a quick refreshing shower., I informed Zane that I was back from work, so he could switch to a voice call. Also, I already informed him earlier that I had something to tell him. I was supposed to be lying on his chest at this moment. I breathe in and exhaled deeply to let go of the anxiety. ¡°It is about the surprise I have for you Zane¡± I said when he finally called. ¡°Oh! You are ready to reveal what it is. What is it?¡± He asked. ¡°Zane¡± I mentioned his name coldly: ¡± I wanted toe to Canada today¡± I finally told him. ¡°What?¡± He eximed. ¡°Yes, I wanted to surprise you but the annoying jerk I have as a boss didn¡¯t give me a break from work¡± ¡°Oops! Oops! Darn it!¡± The happy tone changed to a sad one. ¡°I promise I wille see you next month if you still can¡¯te down here yet¡± I promised. ¡°Oh my God Rita! I am so excited to hear this¡± Then his voice lowered; ¡°But I¡¯m a little sad that you couldn¡¯t make it today. I am also disappointed in myself for bringing you down here whereas I am meant toe over¡± ¡°Oh nevermind about that, it is nothing. I understand how upied you are and you already told me to wait till the end of the year but I just cannot wait to see you¡± ¡°I cannot wait to see you too my love. However, I am looking forward to next month¡± ¡°So next month it is¡± ¡°Haha, that makes it not a surprise anymore¡± Zane chuckled and I groaned slightly in a funny way so he could hear. ¡°Is there any other surprise to rece the lost surprise?¡± He asked. ¡°No Zane¡± Although I knew he was referring to my nude sneaky peak. ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s been a while¡± He grumbled yfully. ¡°I know right, expect it very soon¡± I giggled. ¡°But I do have a good news, for me, for you, actually for us¡± I chuckled. ¡°Shoot! I¡¯m all ears¡± ¡°I have just been promoted and transferred to the official section! Which simply means; lesser work to do, less stress and this work is even more prestigious and respected¡± I announced. ¡°Oh my God Rita. I am so happy for you¡± I could hear him apuding. ¡°More Wins¡± He suddenly paused but when he spoke next, his voice sounded fierce. ¡°Hold on, that CEO promoted you?¡± ¡°Yes¡± I answered. ¡°Why? Last I checked; you said he is one annoying jerk, he wants to date you and now he offered you the promotion you have always dreamt of¡­¡± I interrupted him. ¡°And before you overthink further. There is nothing between him and I. Actually, Finn signed my request for a leave of absence to go see you and he suddenly took it back. Zane, I cried a river for you and I am only just recovering. So Finn gave me this job to make it up to me¡± I exined briefly. Also I didn¡¯t want Zane to know that this particr CEO Finn is madly in love with me and he¡¯s only being a good Samaritan because of his feelings for me. I didn¡¯t also disclose to Zane, how close Finn and I interact. ¡°Ugh! I get jealous when you talk about Finn or any other guy!¡± He hissed slightly and continued;¡± But you remember sweetheart, jealousy is a sign of love¡± I smiled like he could see me. ¡°I love you so much Zane¡± I uttered. An idea suddenly popped into my heart.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got something for you, it could erase every tension that niggles at you!¡± I told Zane. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get back to Kikachat¡± I hung up the call. I changed into another Lingerie I got recently. It was a Bikini-like lingerie; the upper piece w-covered only the nipple and the lower piece was more like a G ¨C string, it revealed my curvy hipline and a tasteful amount of my soft bouncy a*s. As usual, I felt hot inside of me and I felt a tingling sensation on my private parts. Actually, I had n to put on this lingerie for Zane the night we meet because it was tititing and there¡¯s this irresistible eroticaura it gives. I took several pictures of me lying in randy positions, one could mistake me for a stripper. I smiled to myself when I stared at my banging hot nude image. The heat was too much, Zane might need a fire extinguisher because there was no way these images won¡¯t turn him on, they weren¡¯t ordinary pictures of me. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 39 MY EX, JARED IS HEREAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°What d¡¯ actual fvck??!!¡± Finn screamed when someone suddenly flung his door. He was on only shorts, he quickly grabbed the duvet and covered himself. ¡°It¡¯s just me¡± Alex walked in,ughing. Finn exhaled. ¡°I thought it was Madison, she would knock, wait for my permission before entering my room. You should knock too beforeing in¡± He scolded. ¡°It was me, your brother. It wasn¡¯t Madison!¡± Alex said. ¡°I was almost naked, why wouldn¡¯t you knocking? And what are you doing here?¡± Finn querried. Alex smirked; ¡°I arrived earlier at noon, slept off and I didn¡¯t know when you returned from work¡± His brother gazed at him waiting for a proper exnation. ¡°Chill bro, I am leaving tomorrow¡± Alex retorted. ¡°So you have been under my roof, peeping on me and eavesdropping maybe¡± Finn chided. ¡°No¡± He responded bluntly. ¡°I told you I don¡¯t want surprise visits and it¡¯s getting frequent these days. Alexander, you have a home and I never visited you often like you do¡± Finn continued tombast even as he got off the bed and put on his trousers. ¡°How bad of you as a brother¡± Alex scowled dimly then added; ¡°I am leaving tomorrow and I swear, you wouldn¡¯t see me anywhere close to this ce¡± ¡°Why did you show up again then? You only just left few days ago¡± ¡°Uhn.. I¡­ I want a favour from you¡± ¡°And it can¡¯t wait till tomorrow morning Alex? You don¡¯t have to barge into my room because you want me to help you with something¡± Finn hissed. ¡°I know you would still be awake by this time¡± Finn whined thenid back on his bed and covered himself with the duvet. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy¡±¡±What is it?¡± Alex smiled and sat on his bed, right beside his brother. ¡°Charles and I are beginning to get along only because he figured I¡¯m wealthy¡± He resumed. ¡°Charles, Charles; ¡± Finn tried to recall the name. ¡°Hold on, isn¡¯t he the founder of kikachat you told me about?¡± ¡°Yes, the Inte god!¡± Finn shook his head disappointedly, realising that his brother hase to talk about some inte stuff. ¡°But Charles said he will only work with me and help me out once he gets a white cor upation¡± ¡°Alexander, why are you telling me this?¡± He asked incuriously. ¡°I¡­ I want you to give him a job in yourpany¡± He responded discreetly. Finnughed hysterically. ¡°First, he is popr. He should be financially stable¡± ¡°I know right¡± Alex stared into the space and thought for a second. ¡°Charles is an anonymous celebrity, people do not know the face handling Kikachat. Just his business name known as Inte god¡± I snickered: ¡°Whatever. Do you think this is how I employ anyone into my bigpany?¡± ¡°Please Finn, do this for me. There¡¯s a lot for me to gain from this guy¡± Alexander pleaded. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Finn groaned in disturbance. ¡°You could just swipe through his certificate and CV and nod like you¡¯re impressed then give him the Job¡± Alex suggested and Finn shook his head in disagreement. ¡°That¡¯s not how it¡¯s done¡± ¡°I know right. Pretty please¡± ¡°Just Inform Charles or whatever his name is toe to my office tomorrow morning. I will see what to do¡± ¡°Really? Great!¡± Alex threw at him a big hug. ¡°I¡¯lle with him¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee¡± Finn mumbled, inconveniently disengaging himself from him. ¡°So could you please leave my room now?¡± Finn ordered, pointing the door. ¡°Sure, good night¡± As soon as Alex walked out of the room. Finn got on his feet, walked towards the door and bang it. He shut it. ***** I met Evelyn and her boyfriend at the reception, the enclosed office was right at the entrance. They seemed like they¡¯ve been expecting my arrival, they beckoned onto me as soon as they sighted me. ¡°Oh finally, you are here Rita!¡± Evelyn drew nearer and interlocked her arm with mine. ¡°Are you okay? How was your discussion with Finn yesterday?¡± While Adam askedpassionately. ¡°I am¡­uhm fine. At least it ended well¡± We walked in together. ¡°The secretary sent for the three of us, we were waiting for you so we could go meet her together¡± Evelyn informed. ¡°Oh! I know why she sent for us¡± I beamed. ¡°Why?¡± They looked at themselves, puzzled. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go recieve the good news together¡± I held their hands, side by side. * We received our letters at the secretarial office and opened them on our way back to the department while we walked slugghly. I knew exactly what mine entailed so I wasn¡¯t really anxious to open it. I was so excited. I watched them unsealed the envelope curiously, unfolded the letter in it and they read through the sheet at the same time. Evelyn was the first to scream joyfully. She jumped on her boyfriend, then embraced me too. ¡°Take a look, take a look Rita¡± She showed me the letter ¡°Congrattions baby girl¡± I apuded without reading through the letter because I felt I knew what was already written there since Finn told me yesterday. ¡°I have been transferred to an office with a fat sry!¡± She eximed. ¡°What?¡± I squeaked. ¡°I.. I meant congrattions, I am very happy for you¡± I said, then quickly unsealed mine to check what¡¯s in there for me. Evelyn was so excited and loud that colleagues who overheard congratted her and wished they got the same opportunity. My letter says the same thing, I¡¯ll work as the Operating Officer and Evelyn will be my assistant. I was very satisfied and d that he transferred my friend although he never concluded that he will. But he did it for me. ¡°Same here¡± I showed them my letter. ¡°Congrattions to you too, more greater wins together¡± Evelyn and I had a high five and jubted. ¡°Congrattions to you guys¡± Adam finally uttered, frowning a little. ¡°What about you?¡± Evelyn asked. She snatched the letter from him and skimmed through. ¡°You are getting a fat sry too¡± She said and frowned too. ¡°You weren¡¯t promoted¡± ¡°Well it is still great, you will be receiving almost the same amount as what he offered us¡± Evelyn cheered. ¡°I know right¡± He smiled disdainfully. ¡°Congrattions Adam¡± I said. ¡°You both are leaving. We wouldn¡¯t be in the same department and at the same time, he has separated us and broken our intimacy¡± Adam stated. ¡°Come on Adam, we have lunch break, closing hours and even before work resume, we cane together again¡± ¡°Evelyn, it won¡¯t be like before¡± Heined. ¡°Oh you¡¯re saying? We should turn down this huge offer?¡± Evelyn fired. ¡°Well, I know why Finn offered us this opportunity. I know why he is literally breaking this clique¡± He replied. ¡°Why?¡± Evelyn and I asked simultaneously, raising our brows. ¡°He hates me as much as I do¡± Adam answered. ¡®Adam! We are not gonna talk about this again. Why are you so grumpy! Why?¡± She hissed and held my hand. ¡°Come Rita, let¡¯s go move our stuff to the new office¡± ¡°Sure¡± I replied. ¡°Oh My God! This is simr to freedom¡± She jumped up while we walked away, happily chitchatting about the new job and leaving Adam behind. We have only taken few steps away when we sighted two guysing in. I was shocked to see him, I stopped walking, made Evelyn stop too. They passed by us and headed towards Finn¡¯s office. I watched them till they were beyond my sight. ¡°What is it Rita? Do you know them?¡± Evelyn asked when she noticed I was staring at them. ¡°Yes, that.. that¡¯s Jared!¡± I stuttered. ¡°Jared?¡± ¡°Jared, my ex¡± I responded. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 40 MY EX, JARED DOESN¡¯T RECOGNISE ME! Rita¡¯s POV ¡°What is it Rita? Do you know them?¡± Evelyn asked when she noticed I was staring at them. ¡°Yes, that.. that¡¯s Jared!¡± I stuttered. ¡°Jared?¡± ¡°Jared, my ex¡± I answered. ¡°The guy I dated on Love station, he is the one¡± ¡°Are you sure about what you are saying Rita?¡± Adam drew closer. ¡°Yes, he is the one¡± I repeated certainly. ¡°Wow! I suppose this is fate then¡± Evelyn eximed. ¡°But.. but he just walked passed me like he doesn¡¯t.. know me¡± I furrowed my brows.. ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t see you or he recognize you. He¡¯s in the CEO office at the moment, make sure you go meet him before he leaves¡± Evelyn urged, I nodded slowly. ¡°But why should she go see Jared, her ex? Rita has moved on. And just so you know Rita, you¡¯ve just gotten yourself into a love triangle or is it a quad, there¡¯s Zane, there¡¯s Finn and now Jared¡± Adam stated. ¡°No, I no longer have feelings for Jared. I¡¯ll just walk up to him; say Hi as a friend and nothing more¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jared has moved on too¡± He added. ¡°I know right. I¡­ I am only surprised to see him. I gave up on Jared and never thought we would cross path some day¡± I remarked while we packed our necessary stuff and Adam gave us a helping hand to our new office. **** ¡°You¡¯re Charles, I supposed; the inte guy¡± Finn weed his brother and Charles in, motioning them to sitfortably which they did. ¡°The inte god¡± Charles smiled ¡°I see you have heard a lot about me¡± Charles said pompously. ¡°You look like an ordinary guy though¡± Finn retaliated haven observed his egotistical attitude. ¡°Come on Finn, you know why we are here¡± Alex resumed. ¡°Yeah, you want me to help him¡± Finn snickered, because the Charles here raised his shoulders. He must really be arrogant. ¡°Sorry, there is no vacancy. But anyways, I would love to throw you at the other section of thispany, the male department and it requires knowledge and practice¡± Finn said. ¡°I don¡¯t want that dirty work! ¡± Charlesmented. ¡°Dirty work?¡± Finn scoffed. ¡± All you know about is the inte, we don¡¯t deal with technology here¡± Finn fired back. Charles mumbled and got on his feet, like he was done with conversation and was about to leave. Finn wondered why he was so full of himself. ¡°Finn, offer him another job; you are the CEO for a reason¡± Alex pleaded. ¡°Let your friend speak Alex!¡± Finn cautioned. ¡°You wanna hear from me?¡± Charles scoffed; ¡°I supposed we already have a deal before I came here. Alex told me I¡¯ll get a job as soon as I am here and I will help him in return. You don¡¯t seem to know me, do you?¡± He smirked. ¡°You¡¯re proud¡± Finn sneered. ¡°As an inte god, why do you wanna work here?¡± ¡°I am only doing it for someone. I am doing fine on my own, being on the inte 24. 7¡­¡± He boasted but Finn interrupted him mockingly. ¡°No one knows you, we don¡¯t care about you. You are anonymous¡± Finn redicled, giving a smallugh. ¡°I¡¯m yet to pinpoint the exact reason you want a job. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s because you wanna wear some suits and work in a bigpany¡± ¡°Exactly¡± Charles said, having his seat again. ¡°Ugh! Finn, enough of the interview. Employ him already¡± Finn huffed and reluctantly said; ¡°You can be my P. A¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Alex grinned but the good news barely put a smile on Charles¡¯ face. ¡°Well, I do not need a P. A and your sry will depend on how good and hardworking you are¡± Finn added. ¡°I have something to say¡± Charles said. ¡°Shoot¡± ¡°I will work for you only once in a while, because I have other important work to attend to rather than this bullshit¡± ¡°Bullshit?¡± Finn shook his head. ¡°How arrogant and unserious you are¡± Finn smirked and faced his brother: ¡± I am only doing this for you Alex and it better pay off¡± Charles stomp his feet against the floor as he stood up and headed to the door; ¡°I will resume tomorrow and leave whenever I want to¡± That was when Evelyn and Rita came in. ¡°Oops!¡± Charles opened the door when Rita was about to turn the knob so she almost bumped into him. Charles stood there, staring at her with so much keen instead of walking out like he intended to. ¡°Uhm..¡± Rita snapped her fingers at his face because he was obstructing the way. ¡°Oh, this is where you work. You look unbelievably familiar¡± Charles remarked with a smile, took one more scrutinizing look at her before leaving. Rita and Evelyn ignored him and moved closer to Finn¡¯s desk where Jared sat opposite him. ¡°Do you know that guy? Charles is his name¡± Finn inquired. ¡°No, not at all¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know him either¡± Evelyn also said. ¡°He just said you look familiar¡± Jared added, talking directly to Rita. Rita stared at Jared, and wondered whether he was pretending not to recognize her. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know him but I.. I know you¡± Rita replied ¡°Me?¡± Alex eximed, pointing at himself. ¡°Yeah¡± She nodded, amazed that he was bewildered.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Rita¡¯s POV Have I aged a lot already? ¡°Don¡¯t you know Rita?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°So you are the one who bears the name Rita, my brother Finn has told me about you. And no, I do not know you. This is literally my first time meeting you¡± ¡°Jared¡± I called his name but he looked at me strangely. I wanted to further introduce myself to him but Finn interrupted. ¡°Rita, Evelyn. This is my brother, Alexander ¡± Finn introduced. Alex smiled widely as he shook hands with Evelyn and I. I found it hard to believe that Alex was his name, why then does he look so much like Jared? ¡°And this is Rita, the one whom I have an unrequited love for¡± Finn said and I rolled my eyes inwardly. ¡°Oh dear Rita, why don¡¯t you give my handsome brother a chance?¡± ¡°Alexander! I guess it¡¯s high time you leave; your friend has already left¡± Finn shunned authoritatively and Alex giggled. ¡°Alright, Alright. Have a nice day¡± Alex stood up and walked towards the door. I stared at him till he was beyond my view. I was so certain he was Jared, I have seen a lot of his pictures. He has seen mine too, I probably look older now but hold on, he ims he is Alex not Jared. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 41 A NEW JOB Rita¡¯s POV ¡°So how may I help you?¡± ¡°Our profound appreciation. We received our letters from the secretary, we are here to express our gratitude¡± Evelyn spoke first. ¡°It is nothing I can¡¯t handle. Don¡¯t mention¡± Finn said. ¡°Thank¡­ you so much¡± I muttered, still baffled about Alex not being Jared. ¡°I¡¯m d your mood is better than yesterday¡± Finn said, I put on a little smile. ¡°You can leave now, enjoy the rest of your day¡± We turned to go. ¡°No, I was talking to Evelyn¡± He gestured that she should leave us alone. ¡°Ugh! Again¡± I heard her murmured before she exited. ¡°Congrattions on your new Job¡± Finn got on his feet, stroded over to stand face to face with me. ¡°Thanks to you¡± I mumbled. ¡°Still mad at me?¡± ¡°Not at all¡± I smiled. ¡°You know I would do anything at all to make you happy. I hate myself each time I hurt you¡± His face was filled with guilt. ¡°It¡¯s.. in the past now¡± I replied simply ¡°Wondered why I promoted your friend too?¡± I nodded; ¡± She¡¯s your best friend, and you two will make a great team¡± ¡°Also, I noticed the look on your face yesterday when I decided to transfer just you. You were half excited, oh such a selfless person you are¡± Finn said. ¡°Diforting yourself tofort others, that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing¡± I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes at his yful remark, unable to hide the slight blush creeping up my cheeks. ¡°Anything for you¡± He smiled, drawing nearer to me. Somehow, I felt like I am leading him on. Also, guilt gnawed at my conscience, whenever he went out of his way to grant my heart desires and make me satisfied, a part of me felt a mixture of gratitude and remorse.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. In his eyes, I could see the spark of hope and adoration, the way he looks at me with such longing and affection. But deep down, I knew I couldn¡¯t fully reciprocate to those feelings. Poor CEO Finn, as handsome and financially stable as he was, he can¡¯t find love. Finn is a perfect man and he is every girl¡¯s dream, so I questioned myself, trying to understand why I couldn¡¯t possibly feel the same way towards him, the answer I got was that it was just a bad timing. He held my both hands like he has something to say, but I cut in before he could speak. ¡°I¡­ uhm, you know¡­ I gotta go to my office now¡± I released my hand from his and walked outta his office. **** Evelyn and I skimmed through the journals together, we realised that there¡¯s more task to do than just sitting in front of a monitor. Well, it wasn¡¯t as hectic as our former job; plus this one is more prestigious and it requires dressing cooperate each and every day.. Also, I figured that I will be visiting Finn¡¯s office more often to submit the daily updated files to him. We spent half of the day introducing ourselves to our new colleagues and getting to know each other better. While I was still hiding in my shells, Evelyn already made new friends. During the recess period, Adam came over so we called walk down to the office cafeteria together. Our clique was pretty popr that no other person could join us. And of course, Evelyn and Adam have other friends they rte with but when ites to tete -a ¨C tete conversation or secrets, it¡¯s just we three. ¡°Are you guys enjoying your new ce of work?¡± Adam inquired. We¡¯ve never followed the ¡®Do not talk while eating rule, lunch period is a period for us to keep chit chatting¡¯. ¡°Yup! The environment is cool and the staffs there are actually nicer than we thought. All these while, I thought they were arrogant freaks but they made us feel very wee¡± Evelyn talked enthusiastically. ¡°Also, we almost didn¡¯t work at all; see how energetic we are unlike how weary we be after attending to a client at our previous section¡± ¡°Evelyn¡± I cut in. ¡± We have got a lot of work to do after this recess¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothingpared to our former hefty work. Funny how I look forward to this one¡± She said. Even Adam who asked the question didn¡¯t probe further but he looked somewhat apprehensive while Evelyn on the other hand seemed genuinely excited and contented. ¡°Adam, didn¡¯t you say thank you to Zane?¡± I asked. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°The increment in sry of course¡± Evelyn said. ¡°That¡¯s normal for a boss to do¡± Adam replied. Evelyn and I red at eachother, surprised at his ungrateful attitude. ¡°You¡¯re still mad that you weren¡¯t promoted?¡± I asked. ¡°Not really¡± He said. ¡°Listen Rita, I am concerned about a whole lot of thing. Especially what is currently going on this office, this will never end well¡± We didn¡¯t understand what he meant neither did it corrted with the question he was asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± We asked simultaneously. But just then, Finn approached our table. ¡°Hello, I¡¯vee to join you guys¡± Said Finn, sitting next to me. ¡°May I?¡± ***** To Be Continued Chapter 42 FINN IS JARED Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Of course you can join us. You are the CEO, you don¡¯t need permission. You are always wee to our midst; anytime, any day¡± The most sociable Evelyn weed Finn. ¡°And once again, thank you for ..¡± ¡°Uh, Evelyn, it is alright. My pleasure¡± ¡°On behalf of my boyfriend actually, Adam. I wanna say thank you for ¨C -¡± Evelyn continued but Finn interrupted her again. ¡°I said it is alright¡± ¡°How was your first few hours at your new work?¡± Finn asked, turning to me. ¡°Good¡± Was all I said. ¡°¡®Good¡¯ is an understatement ¡± Evelyn corrected. ¡°Rita, how did it go with Jared?¡± Adam changed the topic entirely maybe because he felt like he was being left out whenever we discuss about this new ce of work. ¡°He says he is not Jared. His name is Alexander and he happens to be Finn¡¯s brother¡± I replied. ¡°Finn¡¯s brother, Alexander?¡± Adam eximed. ¡°And Alex doesn¡¯t seem to know Rita at all. He wasn¡¯t pretending¡± Evelyn added. ¡°Are you sure you recognise Jared well?¡± Adam asked me. ¡°Definitely. I have seen a lot of his pictures and I recognize him except if he has another look alike, a twin or something¡± I said. ¡°Who¡¯s Jared?¡± Finn asked. ¡°You called my brother the name Jared¡± ¡°I.. I mistook him for someone else¡± I responded. ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t have a twin. It¡¯s just him and I¡± Finn stated. ¡°Alright¡± ¡°So who is Jared?¡± Finn asked again ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± He guessed. None of us said anything. ¡°Oh, the one you wanted to meet?¡± Finn inquired. ¡°Nah, Jared is an ex¡± I answered. ¡°She dated him on love station and he probably lied about his identity. I told you Rita, Love station is full of fake people¡± Adam reminded me. I rolled my eyes; ¡°I am not worried about Jared, I kinda saw thising¡± I continued; ¡± I have got no single feelings left for Jared, so I¡¯m not freaked out that he must have used someone else¡¯s identity¡± ¡°Why do you prefer to date online Rita?¡± Finn interrogated. ¡°I have never fallen in love with someone I met physically¡± I responded honestly. ¡°That is right¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Uhm.. what if the one you intended to visit, also turns out to be someone else? You¡¯re not scared at all?¡± Finn probed further. ¡°Finn, we have addressed this issue between ourselves before¡± Adam cut in. ¡°Well, Rita and I are good friends now and I know she doesn¡¯t mind discussing her love life with me¡± He ignored Adam and faced me. ¡°Zane won¡¯t turn out to be someone else. I am not scared one bit¡± ¡± I can see you love him so much¡± Finn said and I nodded. ¡°Rita, you are a strong woman. I know how difficult it is dating someone online, yet to meet him, he hasn¡¯t even seen you cry orugh. I know there are moments you just want him by your side.¡± ¡°There are, there are many moments I have wished he was here with me¡± I replied, my voice softening. ¡°Whenever you need a shoulder to cry on.. I mean rest on; you can have mine. It¡¯s very muchfortable¡± Finn said to me, tapping his broad shoulders. I smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s so sweet of you Finn¡± ¡°What are friends for?¡± He ced his palm on the table for a handshake. Adam smirked and looked away. ¡°Thank you Finn for always being there for Rita¡± Evelyn appreciated.. ¡°Thank you Finn¡± I shook hands with him but he then intertwined fingers with me instead. I let be anyways. I am no longer ying along or pretending. Now I feel free whenever I am around him. He doesn¡¯t seem that bad of a man after all. **** ¡°Is it just me or don¡¯t you think Adam is being weird these days?¡± Evelyn asked when we returned to the new office. ¡°You mean to you as a ¡®boyfriend?¡¯ ¡± I asked. ¡°Nah, I mean generally. Adam has been acting weird since Finn became our CEO. He has been over reacting over every single little thing, he loathes Finn and he is rude to him yet Finn has been nothing but so kind enough to even increase his sry¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the least Finn could do for him. I¡¯m sure Finn would have transferred him along with us but like you said, Adam has been rude to Finn¡± I answered while working on theputer. ¡°Hmmmn, you¡¯ve got a point¡± ¡°Actually, Finn transferred us just to make it up to me for cancelling my leave of absence. Shush!¡± I covered her mouth when I notice she was about to eximed. ¡°Oh My God¡± She mouthed instead when I took my hands off. ¡°So Finn is doing all these for you. I¡¯m certain he meant to fire Adam a long time again but he just can¡¯t, he won¡¯t, all because of you¡± ¡°I guess¡± I nodded, trying to concentrate on the work we have ahead of us. ¡°Surprises are underestimated. When you surprise a guy; it is another way to his heart as it is to we girls¡± Evelyn suddenly uttered while we were working. I was shocked, I thought she already went through my phone, because myst chat with Zanest night was ¡®Our Defined Surprise¡¯ and I went awol since then. ¡°What are you talking about Evelyn?¡± She smiled; ¡°Adam¡¯s birthday ising soon, he has never made any mention of it because he doesn¡¯t celebrate his birthdays. I wanna make sure this particr one will be a memorable one¡± She told me and I heaved a sigh of releif. ¡°I n to throw him an borate birthday party, it¡¯s gonna be a surprise one¡± ¡°Yup! I agree! Guys love.. uhm.. some surprises¡± I said, now focusing on my work. ¡°Yes! And I¡¯ll need your help Rita¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. I nodded; ¡± We will discuss that some other time, his birthday is at the end of the month; there is still enough time¡± ¡°So for now, let us finish up with this task¡± She nodded, helping me bring the files closer and we resume working but in another minute, she was about to say something again, I quickly piled up files in front of her and ordered her to give Finn. I would have love to go to Finn¡¯s office myself but I¡¯m very sure he will make me sit in his office and offer me a princess treatment. ***** ¡°They have all gone home¡± Adam announced to Finn during the closing hours. ¡°Nowe with me, it seems like you have a lot to say and I do too¡± Come let¡¯s discuss in my car, I will drop you off at your home if you do not mind¡± Finn offered. Adam exhaled heavily then finally epted the ride. They walked together into his car. ¡°The windows are tinted, trust no one would see you¡± Finn assured when Adam tried to his face with his cap. ¡°Finn, Who is Jared?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Uhm, who do you think it is?¡± ¡°I know it is someone messing with my friend¡¯s feelings¡± Adam replied. ¡°I know you are Jared¡± Finn didn¡¯t utter a word. Adam continued; ¡°I know you used your brother¡¯s picture. You are Jared!¡± ¡°Yes, you are right¡± Finn finally admitted. ¡± A long time ago, I stumbled upon love station, I wanted to please the founder whom was my brother and on a mission to maybe find true love, that was where Rita and I first met¡± ¡°How do you think Rita will feel once she finds out all of your secrets?¡± Adam asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know Adam and I am more worried that she¡¯s not even over her current online boyfriend. Therefore, there is no space for me as Finn in her heart yet¡± ¡°Neither does she have anymore feelings for you Jared. Listen Finn, Rita is deeply in love with Zane, so you had better know what you are doing¡± ¡± I am also trying to make her fall in love with me too. I am trying¡± ¡°It is gettingplicated now, isn¡¯t it?¡± Adam made a mockery of him. ¡°It is not my fault things turn out this way¡± Adam scoffed; ¡°Whose fault? Mine?¡± ¡°Adam, I¡­ I just wanted to be my brother¡¯s biggest fan secretly, he created love station. There, I fell in love with Rita, the app had crashed and I just wanted to get back to her¡± Adam didn¡¯t make anyment about that, so Finn continued.. ¡± Also Alex motivated me that being anonymous is the best way to know who stays and who leaves; or who is a cheat and who¡¯s not. Every other girl I havee across are after my money and I was after their body in return. My love life became a game of give and take¡± Finn rushed all his words. ¡°None of this matters Finn!¡± Adam interrupted. ¡°I will tell Rita who you truly are if you do not¡± ¡°Please Adam, give me some time. Rita has to love me again like she did online. I need you to support me¡± Finn pleaded, confused. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 43 RITA IS A VIRGIN Rita¡¯s POV I ignored Zane sincest night after spamming him with such banging lustful photos. I picked up my phone, dramatically inhaled and exhaled before clicking on Zane¡¯s message. I smiled, I loved the fact that he loved them and he didn¡¯t criticize me for what I have done; although he didn¡¯t send his pictures in return or in exchange because I had warned him of heavily aroused I feel at the sight of his abs alone, talk more of his huge c*ck. Since he wasn¡¯t active ¨C online on Kikachat yet, I called him. ¡°Tada!!¡± I beamed when he picked my call almost immediately. ¡°Rita!¡± His voice was filled with excitement. ¡°How was your night?¡± I teased him. ¡°If you meantst night Rita, I slept with an erected d*ck¡± He answered. I covered my mouth, ¡°How do you get sofortable saying these nasty smutty words¡± I asked, giggling at his audacity. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had caught me off guard with his blunt remarks. He grinned; ¡± It is what it is, Life¡¯s too boring if you are uptight about s*x¡± ¡°Well, I only recently gotfortable sharing you my naked pictures¡± ¡°Obviously. Also, I noticed that you could barely pronounce the F-words, and you get nervous at the sight of my Mr B. D¡± ¡°Mr B. D?¡± ¡°Big d*ck! C¡¯mon Rita, catch up!!¡± ¡°Arrgh! our first night together will be hectic and so full of drama¡± He remarked,ughing mischievously. ¡°Oh no Zane, I swear It won¡¯t be like that. Stop underestimating me! Just like I could send you pictures of me almost naked, then of course, I can stand right in front of you dark naked¡± ¡°I think I can imagine that right now¡± ¡°You are so naughty Zane, but I like it anyways ¡± I chuckled. ¡°Rita¡± He suddenly mentioned my name, his voice dropped to a solemn one. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I raised my brows, seemingly fazed. ¡°I must confess that I enjoy and I love to see your body, it brings out the wild side of me; also, you have won my trust that your body is mine and mine alone¡± ¡°Awwn¡± I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate his candidness. ¡°But I feel bad that you don¡¯t want to see mine. It¡¯s like i¡¯m a cheat, I have yours, you don¡¯t have mine¡± He huffed ¡°Well, I understand clearly that you are not used to it yet. You are notfortable¡± ¡°Can I see it again? Can I see your Mr B. D?¡± I requested, my eyes sparkled with anticipation as I mustered up courage. ¡°What?? Are you sure about that Rita?¡± He asked. ¡°A hundred percent sure and ready to endure whates in after. Show me those sexy abs of yours Zane especially what¡¯s underneath! Your Mr. B. D!!¡± I pleaded lustfully. ¡°Sounds tempting. You seemed ready¡± Zane said. ¡°Remember, if I had seedingly flown over to Canada, we would have had our first night and several nights together, I am so prepared, let me see your B. D¡± I repeated sinfully. My phone beeped, I looked at the screen. Zane already wasted no time sending me a short clip of his hardened d*ck as he wiggled it tenderly. So thick, hard and shockingly masculine. I stared at it immorally and I moaned into the phone speaker, so he could hear since the voice call was still on. ¡°Your p*ssy! You¡¯re sure you can open up your legs to amodate my Mr. B. D?¡± His voice softened. I was keening from the urgent impulse entirely new to me and inexpressible, I moaned loudly; ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes please¡± Then lowered my voice once. ¡°Paired and connected sessfully¡± He mimicked Siri. ¡°Now, Mr B. D can¡¯t wait to prate and thrust in and out of your honey pot¡± He spoke softly and sensually. I bit my lips when a felt tingling touch from an imaginary d*ck sliding up my thigh yet I kept my eyes bravely opened because I only wanted to feel what wasing upon me but I got engrossed staring at the Mr BD which truly was a huge d*ck. I twirled my fingers around the string of my panties absent ¨C mindedly. ¡°Are you there Rita?¡± Zane asked because I didn¡¯t say anything, I was both lost and found in the soft burning pleasure. ¡°Yes¡± The short lettered word came out as a breathless whisper. ¡°This is torture¡± I cried out. ¡°I can sense you¡¯re horny. Go to bed and don¡¯t think about it, don¡¯t think of anything at all. Sleep! Sexual arousal is almost unbearable for women than it is for we men, so just go to bed and try as much to sleep. Goodnight¡± He concluded and hung up the call. Yet I continued to stare at the clip, and the more I stared at it, the more awakened my body got but the moment I felt a cold shiver in my spine, running down my boobs; making it fuller, also made my nipples pointed. That same electrifying shiver ran down my V- area, making it tingle ticklishly. I dropped my phone, more like it fell off my hand. I threw myself on the couch, groaning under my breathe, trying hard as much to forget what my body was feeling like. I shut my eyes tightly; until his naked picture slowly vanished out of my mind, leaving a ck nk space. I exhaled deeply, Long-distance rtionship is never easy. My phone suddenly rang, I got up to reach for it, it was Zane. ¡°How cruel of you to have just left me heavily aroused which was first initiated by you¡± I screamed at him before he could even utter a word. ¡°You told me you were ready to endure whateveres in, and I didn¡¯t just leave you alone, I wanted to help. I warned you to sleep off once it bes unbearable¡± I rolled my eyes as if he could see me. ¡°Rita, another reason why it was unbearable for you is because you are a virgin! I know you are a virgin Rita¡± Zane said. I opened my mouth in awe, he figured out even when I tried to hide the fact that I was a Virgin at almost thirty. I thought I yed along so well like It was never my first time. ¡°Virgins are sensitive to everything sexual or touchy because they are new and naive to the changes that urs in their body. Virgins easily get turned on, they crave for sexual rted stuff they have never ever felt especially because you don¡¯t know what it tastes like or but must have seen it, heard about it, read about it. And I am sure, that is where you must have gotten the little quackery experience from¡± Zane had seen right through my facade. I felt my cheeks flushed with embarrassment as his words sank in He continued; ¡°Rita, I am not a virgin momma boy but you are. I am sorry. I am a wild boyfriend who loves s*x, I am an experienced bad boy, I have had several one-night stands with many sluts a long time ago. I repented once I had a misfortune and now I chose you alone. I am very sorry I¡¯m making you do things you have absolutely no idea about¡± He confessed honestly. I was mute, a part of me also felt a strange sense of relief. Zane¡¯s words made me reflect on my own desires and curiosities. ¡°I want to learn and grow, maybe I can do that with you¡± I mumbled coldly. ¡°If you are still horny, then let¡¯s sex chat, a video call will make it look quite real¡± He suggested. A video call chimed in, waiting for me to switch to the ¡®ept¡¯ icon. *****This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. To Be Continued Chapter 44 CHARLES ¡°I want to learn and grow, maybe I can do that with you¡± I mumbled coldly. ¡°If you are still horny, then let¡¯s sex chat, a video call will make it look quite real¡± He suggested. A video call chimed in, waiting for me to switch to the ¡®ept¡¯ icon. But I rejected it. ¡°Nevermind Zane, we don¡¯t need to s*x chat or have a video call. I¡¯m less aroused now, I¡¯m better¡± I told him. ¡°Are you sure about that or you just wanna subside the pleasure¡± ¡°It¡¯s all gone, I¡¯m alright. I will let you know when I want it¡± I said. ¡°Whatever you say my love, anything you wish. Should we talk about something else?¡± He asked. ¡°No, let¡¯s call it a night¡± ¡°Are you mad at me? Oh! You feel awkward that I figured out you¡¯re a virgin. I am sorry¡± He apologized again. ¡°No dear. There is nothing to be sorry about; virginity or disvirginity is not something to be ashamed about. We are still very cool. Actually, I feel sleepy right now¡± I responded. ¡°So we¡¯ll talk again tomorrow. Good night and sweet dreams. I love you¡± ¡°I love you too Zane¡± Just when I hung up the call, a lovely goodnight message from him popped in which made me smile. Zane is such a romantic and considerate boyfriend. I yawned, a sudden fatigue welled me up, making me stagger wearily into my bedroom. **** The following day, (At My Workce) This new job as an operating officer, is even easier because I have an assistant. I guess Finn was right about Evelyn and I being a great team and we work very well together. I handed over the rest of the work for Evelyn to finish it up while I piled up the files we¡¯ve thoroughly checked, then I made my way to Finn¡¯s office to submit them to him. ¡°Come on in¡± He permitted only after the first knock.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Good day Mr Finn¡± I said, dropping the files on his table, while I turned to leave. ¡°Come have a cup of coffee with me¡± He proposed. There¡¯s no way I can juste into his office and leave without engaging in a explicit conversation with him. Because I was thirsty at the moment, I couldn¡¯t turn him down. I returned to him to quench my taste. ¡°Have a seat¡± He motioned affectionately. I did and watched him make coffee on his table, right in front of me; for two. He passed a ss towards me and I thanked him before gulping it slowly. ¡°I prefer my coffee cold too¡± I enjoyed the chilled milky coffee. ¡°I¡¯m d you love it¡± He smiled. I noticed he watched me while I gulped it all at once and dropped the ss. ¡°Both of us, having a cup of coffee together, all alone, it is like a coffee date¡± He stated and I almost belched out, instead I cleared my throat and huped awkwardly. ¡°Th.. Thank you for the coffee¡± I managed to say then stood up to leave now. ¡°What do you think about us going on a date?¡± He proposed. But before I could decline, he continued; ¡°No, no, it¡¯s nothing. No strings attached okay? I¡¯ve gotten over you, um.. although not totally but I just want us to have some time alone, away from work, I suggest a dinner date at a restaurant. We¡¯ll get to chat, dine andugh our heart out. It would be perfect! What do you think?¡± ¡°No, I am sorry Finn, I can¡¯t.. go out with you¡± I turned him down firmly, my voice filled with conviction. ¡°Please¡± He pleaded, narrowing his eyes into mine, searching mine for no sign of hesitation. I shook my head and look down, giving a little bow. ¡°I have to get back to work now, see you during the lunch break maybe and thanks for the coffee¡± I exited his office. As I walked back to my desk, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions. I hate to see him feel sober and disappointed, but epting to go out with him is more like I¡¯m leading him on again. It would onlyplicate things further. **** Funny how Finn never avoid us; he was closer to our clique than anyone else, he gave us preferential treatment and I could smell obvious jealousy and rumors from other staffs. During the recess period, he walked with us to the office cafe like we were equally in the same league, a stranger wouldn¡¯t know he is our CEO and I¡¯m so certain that our colleagues cannot also infer that Finn intimacy with us is because he is interested in me. ¡°All bills on me¡± Finn announced when the waitress served our lunch. ¡°Oh great, thank you Finn¡± Evelyn apuded. I turned to Finn and smiled at him. He always sits next to me, where else on rectangr table for four? ¡°Thank you Finn¡± Adam also appreciated, although in a murmur. I was surprised that he caused no trouble today. ¡°I¡¯m d you have finally weed me into your crew. Sometimes, I think I¡¯m not supposed to be here, I should find a partner to eat with during the recess break¡± Finn said and I looked at him, our eyes met. I knew he was referring to me. ¡°Well, you¡¯re wee here, anytime, anyday maybe till you find that partner¡± Evelyn chuckled. ¡°I agree, you are.. always.. wee here¡­with.. with us. We.. are notining¡± Adam stuttered, perhaps, Evelyn was pinching him hard underneath, so he could cooperate. Finn¡¯s phone buzzled, he looked at his screen and huffed. Then shook his head, before shoving his phone back into his pocket. ¡°Who was that?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I cared. Well, he answered anyways; ¡°Someone I¡¯m probably meant to dine with once we click!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± I raised my brows. ¡°I employed an unserious personal assistant yesterday. He is supposed to resume today but he¡¯s not here¡± Finn told us. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He has just notified me that he won¡¯t show up today and he will resume whenever he likes, can you just imagine that audacity? Do you think I¡¯m being too linear?¡± His authority wavered for a moment. ¡°I think you should be gentle with him, give him another chance¡± I didn¡¯t know what exactly to say. ¡°Yeah, I agree with Rita; maybe he has a private reason or something¡± Evelyn said ¡°Damn him! I don¡¯t need a P. A. He is nonchnt, how then will he earn my trust? For instance, I increased your sries and promoted you guys because you were devoted to your work but this guy called Charles, is not ready to work his hands out!¡± ¡°Is it the same guy that came here with your brother?¡± Adam asked and Finn nodded. ¡°The same guy that stared at me and said I look familiar to him or something?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, and wait a minute. Are you sure you don¡¯t know Charles?¡± Finn asked me again. ¡°I am not sure. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met before, I¡¯m surprised he knows me¡± I tried to recall if I have ever met Charles somewhere before. ¡°Oops! Perhaps he is your online boyfriend!¡± Evelyn blurted. What??? ******** To Be Continued Chapter 45 MY PARENTS WANNA MEET ZANE! ¡°I swear down Alexander, I will fire your so called friend once he resumes¡± Finn yelled, his voiceced with anger. ¡°But why?¡± Alexander wondered. ¡°Because he iszy and arrogant. He didn¡¯t even show up at work today¡± Finnined. ¡°I know and that¡¯s because we were working together¡± ¡°He was supposed toe to thepany!¡± ¡°I thought he already told you that he won¡¯t show up at thepany everyday¡± ¡°Oh wow, a good reason to miss his first day of resumption?¡± Finn grinned sarcastically. ¡°Alexander, you¡¯re making me do things I don¡¯t wanna do¡± He shook his head continuously in regret.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Finn, I thought we have already concluded the matter, are you sure there¡¯s nothing more attached to this?¡± Finn shook his head; ¡± I don¡¯t likezy and umitted people and didn¡¯t you notice he spoke to me insolently like it was mandatory I employ him. Listen Alex, you¡¯d better get or learn whatever you want from him, so I¡¯ll fire his ass instantly¡± Finn raised his voice then finally sat on the couch to calm the tension. ¡°I need you to find out how Charles knows Rita¡± Finn resumed again. ¡°What? Am I a hired private investigator or something? and besides, Charles only said Rita looks familiar to him. Why are you so worked up?¡± Alex raised his eyebrows. ¡°Alex, I need you to find out how Charles knows Rita? Why does Rita look familiar to him!¡± ¡°Obviously from Kikachat. Everyone on Kikachat looks familiar to Charles, the founder¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he say I look familiar too, huh?¡± ¡°What??¡± Adam eximed. His curiosity piqued. ¡°I¡­ I¡­. uhm nevermind, I meant what if Rita¡¯s not in kikachat, I don¡¯t know, just find out what I ask you to find out. I need you to dig into Charles¡¯ life¡± He said, and stood up to leave but Alex obstructed his way. ¡°Something bothers me¡± He peered his eyes. ¡°I know where Rita must have known me, and why she called me Jared¡± Alex uttered. Finn almost flinched but he tried toport himself. ¡°Jared was her lover on my dating tform, ¡®Love Station¡± He continued; ¡°Do you remember I told you about someone who used my identity on my own app?¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you were able to clear the air, so Rita doesn¡¯t think you are pretending not to be Jared and about your dead creation, I¡¯m no longer surprised, everyone now believes Love station is filled with fake identities and multi identities ¡± Finn remarked and his brother whined softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I must have omitted Strong security; I will learn more from Charles, hence before a user can sign up, he or she must submit his personal details¡± Finn smirked at the mention of the name ¡®Charles¡¯ even though he barely understood what Alex was exining. ¡°Once again, dig into Charles¡¯ life! ¡± Finn repeated and headed straight up to his room. *** Rita¡¯s POV ¡°How has your day been my love?¡± Zane asked. ¡°The usual but I¡¯m fine. How are you and how was your day too?¡± I asked, holding the phone down on my head to shoulders while I attended to the dishes. ¡°What¡¯s that word again? Hectic!¡± He replied. ¡°Uhmn, same. Work is never fun despite the kind of upation¡± Iined. ¡°I agree¡± He responded. ¡°And before you ask about what happened at my ce of work, I¡¯ll let you know that nothing exciting happened, so do not ask!¡± I cautioned ahead and heughed. ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t ask you anymore because I trust you¡¯ll never keep secrets away from me¡± He said. I smugged, little did he know that I made my mind never to disclose to him about my boss and I. Why do I always have to tell him since it will do no good to him. ¡°So you do not have anything at all for me today Rita?¡± He asked. ¡°Nothing, nothing¡± An idea suddenly popped into my head as I made my way out of the kitchen. ¡°Zane¡± I mentioned his name; I always do that whenever I have something to say. ¡°Yes my love¡± He answered. ¡°I wanna test you¡± I said. ¡°You wanna test my level of self-control?¡± ¡°Oh please Zane, I¡¯m dead serious now, this have nothing to do with s*x okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Actually, I have three questions to ask you¡± I began. ¡°Shoot me¡± ¡°I will ask you just one question right now and the rest whenever they pop into my head¡± ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± He wondered. ¡°Mrs J Johnson said if lovers were truly meant for each other, knowing their spouses likes and dislikes is a little hint especially, the ones they have absolutely no idea about yet¡± ¡°Uhmm, I¡¯m all ears¡± ¡°Which do I prefer Zane? A cold coffee or a hot one¡± I questioned. ¡°Errm Rita, what kind question is this?¡± He asked. ¡°Just answer it. It¡¯s cool if you fail this one and get the remaining two questions correct¡± ¡°Okay. Hmm¡­uhm Rita, I think you prefer to drink.. erm¡­ a cold coffee whenever the weather seems hot and a hot coffee whenever the weather seems cold¡± He answered smartly. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears, I gave a brokenughter. ¡°Wow Zane, what a clever way to answer the question¡± I remarked awesomely and heughed out loud too. ¡°Who says I¡¯m wrong? I¡¯m not. Therefore We¡¯re soulmates! We¡¯re meant for each other!!¡± I was about to say something when my phone buzzed. Oops My Mom! ¡°I¡¯m getting a call from my mom, I¡¯ll speak with youter Zane¡± ¡°Alright! My sincere regards to her¡± He replied. I disconnected his call and swiped to the receiver to pick mom¡¯s. ¡°Hello Mom¡± I said into the phone. ¡°Hello my dear Rita¡± With the dearest motherly tone ever not minding my matured age. ¡°How are you mom and how¡¯s Dad?¡± I asked. ¡°We¡¯re great, couldn¡¯t be better. And your father is right here, watching me speak with you while he listens¡± I chuckled. ¡°Awwn I miss you both¡± ¡°Oh perfect, we miss you too darling. This brings me back to why I called you today¡± Oops! I have a man now, so what is it now? I thought. ¡°How is he?¡± My Mom asked. ¡°I know you are referring to my man, Zane is doing just fine ¡± I replied simply. ¡°So when are we meeting Zane?¡± She suddenly asked. ¡°What?? Uughh!!¡± I blurted. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± I stuttered, I wasn¡¯t expecting such question yet. ¡°Well, I know. Your Dad and I were just discussing about it. We have fixed a meeting during this weekend,e here with him to have dinner and uhm maybe sleepover¡± Mom suggested. ¡°What? Mommy??? Ugh!!¡± ¡°Yes dear. We wanna meet your man this weekend!¡± ******** To Be Continued Chapter 46 HIRE A MAN! Rita¡¯s POV ¡°What? Mommy??? Ugh!!¡± I eximed. ¡°Yes dear. We wanna meet your man this weekend!¡± ¡°Eh! How is that gonna be possible?¡± ¡°What¡¯s impossible about it?¡± ¡°Everything! Err¡­ nothing, nothing mom. I mean, it is too early¡±I whined, faltering. ¡°Early? Isn¡¯t it past a month now that you have been dating him? It¡¯s not too early baby girl, I¡¯m sure he would love to have dinner with us, Evelyn told me how humble he is¡± Her voiceced up with anticipation. ¡°Yeah, uhm right.. I .. erm, mmm¡­ I ¡­ err¡± I stuttered all sorts of nonsense. ¡°So dear, saturday it is; we can¡¯t wait to see your beautiful face, we¡¯ve missed you so much and to meet the love of your life¡± My mom said. ¡°So bye dear, till then¡± She hung up the call. My mind was nk at that moment, quiet to think the least. Zane¡¯s call came in just in time. ¡°Hey dear¡± He said. ¡°I have just finished speaking with mom¡± I uttered calmly. ¡°Inws call¡± He stated. ¡°Hope you told your mom your man says Hi¡± ¡°Zane, actually my parents wants to meet you already¡± I sounded so low. ¡°What?¡± He eximed like I expected. ¡°This weekend precisely. I don¡¯t know what to do and I know my mom too well, she¡¯s looking forward to the day already¡± I said. ¡°Oops¡± I heard him sigh. ¡°Could you please make it over here by weekend? Maybe you should book an emergency flight or something¡± I pleaded, kind of. ¡°It¡¯s not possible Rita¡± He huffed confusedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I cannote over to United State, not just yet¡± He replied. ¡°I understand, your face¡± I muttered. ¡°Did you say something about my face?¡± he heard me. ¡°Ugh! Nah, Nevermind. I ¡­ I guess I will cancel the meeting somehow, maybe urge my mom to postpone it right?¡± ¡°Yes, postpone. I will meet your parents in four months¡± ¡°All right¡± I managed to say. ¡°Also, I never told them we¡¯ve been dating on the inte, else they¡¯ll never ever be approve of it¡± ¡°I get it. I suggest you should find a way to convince them probably¡± ¡°Recieved, I will¡± I spoke reluctantly because I didn¡¯t know what exactly to do. There was no valid reason or solid excuse to give to my mom for not bringing Zane over on Saturday. ****** At the office the following day, Evelyn spoke excitedly that she barely noticed I wasn¡¯t in a good frame of mind. ¡°So I met with the event nners. They suggested that it¡¯s best to surprise Adam at his ce, instead of a hall and then the party shouldmence right after that¡± She rushed the words ¡°It¡¯s gonna be lit!!!¡± She beamed delightedly. ¡°Rita!¡± I was so engrossed in my thought. ¡°Rita¡± She waved and snapped her fingers at my face.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Evelyn, what is it?¡± I asked coldly when she caught my attention. ¡°What is wrong you Rita?¡± She examined my mood and I sighed deeply. ¡°My parents want me to bring Zane to their ce during the weekend, they are ready to meet my man but it cannot work, Zane cannot travel down here just yet¡± I divulged the plight without even hesitating. ¡°Oh My God! Oh! This is so bad¡± She remarked thoughtfully. ¡°So what are you gonna do?¡± She asked and I shot at her an awkward look. ¡°Evelyn, if I had a solution, I wouldn¡¯t be so worried¡± ¡°Oops! Right! Sorry¡± She said. I heaved another deep sigh, staring into the space which turned blue then nk, as I was about to process the situation or zone out again. ¡°You need to hire someone to pretend to be Zane for a day¡± Evelyn suggested all of a sudden. ¡°Huh!¡± I squeaked. ¡°I can help you discuss the matter with Adam!¡± She said ¡°Evelyn, this idea is¡­¡± I paused for a moment while contemting the suggestion, then I continued; ¡°Adam cannot pretend to be Zane, My mom knows Adam, she knows we are friends and I¡­ uhm kinda already told her that Adam is your boyfriend¡± ¡°Oh! ¡± She seemed a bit taken back by my response though ¡°Then you need to find someone else, a substitute is the only way out¡± ¡°I think I like your idea Evelyn but.. but there should be a better alternative, if there¡¯s still none, I¡¯ll buy your idea, hire a man but what man? Who?¡± I shrieked in distress, burying my face into my palm. ¡°Let¡¯s put that aside, will you please help submit these files to Finn; he¡¯s expecting it, I forgot¡± I told her. She red at me emphatically before picking up the files and went to deliver them to Finn. When she had left, Instead of me to attend to other assignments, my current situation kept bothering me, it was as if reality had abruptlye crashing in and I soon zone out in thought that I didn¡¯t notice when Evelyn returned until she knocked on the desk, jolting me back to real life. ¡°What about Finn?¡± Evelyn asked me. ¡°What about Finn, what?¡± I asked, confused and startled. ¡°Tell him to be your pretend boyfriend, he will y the role even better¡± Evelyn suggested. ¡°What?¡± I eximed; my heart heavy on the weight and glimpse of what it¡¯ll be. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 47 ¡°FINN, WILL YOU PRETEND TO BE MY BOYFRIEND?¡± ¡°What about Finn?¡± Evelyn asked me. ¡°What about Finn, what?¡± I asked, confused and startled. ¡°Tell him to be your pretend boyfriend, he will y the role better¡± Evelyn proposed. ¡°What?¡± I eximed; my heart heavy on the weight and glimpse of what it¡¯ll be. ¡°What?? Finn is our boss¡± I didn¡¯t wanna cross the boundary ¡°And he is your friend, the two of you are pretty much closer than just friends and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll wanna do this for you¡± ¡°We are just friends, we are not pretty much intimate whatsoever¡± I murmured. ¡°Well, the major reason I said he will y the role of a pretend boyfriend better is because he loves you¡± Evelyn added. ¡°Ugh!¡± I scoffed and rolled my eyes. ¡°Listen Rita, I see no better alternative and I cannot watch you continue to get worked up when there¡¯s already a solution¡± She said and I forced a smile because she truly cared. ¡°Thank you Evelyn¡± I got on my foot. ¡°I should go meet Finn now, what do you think?¡± ¡°Yeah, Go right now, he¡¯s less busy¡± She encouraged, gently pushing me forward. I adjusted my dress and brighten up my look, as I¡¯ve been frowning all day. ** ¡°Hello dear¡± Finn said before I could greet him a good day. The supposed P. A was around, sittingfortably at the palour part of the office, with aptop in front of him. I greeted him perfunctorily then drew nearer to Finn. ¡°I love to see you in my office, I love to see you around me¡± Finn gestured me to sit on the mesh seat in front of me. ¡°Charles¡± He called the guy, the P. A. ¡°Meet my favorite employee, Rita and Rita, meet Charles, thezy ass personal assistant¡± Finn said. ¡°Hi Rita¡± Charles gazed at me from where he was. ¡°Hi Charles¡± I was ufortable with his gazes. ¡°That¡¯s how I¡¯ll introduce you to every employee thates here. You are not worthy enough for me to call up a meeting just to announce your presence¡± Finn said to Charles, who only smirked and continued what he was doing. ¡°What brings you to my office, dear Rita? Evelyn had just brought in today¡¯s files¡± ¡°Uhmm.. I¡­¡± I lightly scratched my head that wasn¡¯t even itching. ¡°Can I talk to you privately?¡± ¡°Privately¡± He repeated after me, seemingly eager to hear what I had for him.. He turned to Charles. ¡°Hey Charles, leave the office riht now, just hang around somewhere. I¡¯ld like to have a one-on-one conversation with her¡± He ordered him. At first, Charles hesisted by ying deaf, then he gave a heavy huff and shook his head before closing hisptop then stood up and headed to the door reluctantly. He stared at me till I was out of his sight. ¡°I really regret employing him¡± Finnmented, shaking his head disappointedly. Then he faced me and smiled; ¡°What is it? I hope there is no problem Rita?¡± He inquiredpassionately. ¡°Uhmmnn¡­ I..¡± I didn¡¯t know how to tell him so I began by reminding him; ¡°You said you would love to help me at any point in time¡± ¡°Definitely, even if it¡¯s not within my capability Rita; I would always help you¡± He assured, yet I fondled with my fingers nervously and he noticed it ¡°Is there a problem Rita?¡± ¡°Uhm, actually it¡¯s about my boyfriend¡± I resumed, I saw a glint of disappointment on his face. ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± He mumbled. ¡°Yes, my online boyfriend. I haven¡¯t met him yet but my parents want to¡± I broke the news to him. His eyeshes blinked severally ¡°Continue¡± He said. ¡°So¡­ I¡­ Uhm, I want to take you home to my parents¡± I said, without beating around the bush. Finn didn¡¯t say anything, so I continued. ¡°Err¡­, just this once and when next they ask after you, I¡¯ll just say we are no longer together, and by that time, my real boyfriend will be back¡± He was dumbfounded and seemed, bbergasted by my idea. ¡°Please¡± I pleaded when he wouldn¡¯t stop staring at me unbelievably.. ¡°I asked you out on a date, you turned me down¡± He finally spoke, drumming his fingers on the desk. Oh that¡­ ¡°I wanna be your real boyfriend but you want me to pretend¡­¡±He emphasized in the word ¡®Pretend¡¯ ¡°To be your boyfriend¡± ¡°What about my feelings for you? You would hurt me more during the pretense¡± ¡°Ugh! You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry¡± I apologized. ¡°I¡¯ll find and pay someone else to do the job¡± I was about to stand up. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t. I¡¯ll do it¡± He epted unexpectedly. ¡°Huh! You will?¡± He stood up from his mesh chair and sat on his desk in front of me. ¡± I will be your pretend boyfriend but only on one condition¡± He added. ¡°Life is a give and take afterall, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Finn, we cannot be lovers. I can¡¯t date you¡± I declined before he spoke. ¡°Nah, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m not asking you to be my girlfriend¡± He said; ¡°And I don¡¯t want your money¡± ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡± I asked him. ¡°I want you to go out with me¡± I was gonna say it was the same thing but he interrupted. ¡°Just a date¡± so I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°If you agree to go out with me, I will be your pretend boyfriend¡± He said. ¡°Uhm?¡± He burrowed his eyes into mine, waiting for an answer. ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡­ errm¡± I probably won¡¯t find another man if I turn Finn down. ¡°Alright, I¡­uhm, I.. I ept¡± ¡°Oh finally¡± He bent forward a little, lifting my chin up. ¡°You look so beautiful Rita¡± He suddenlyplimented. ¡°Uhm¡± I stood up, he thereby took his hand off. ¡°I would just go back to work now¡± I headed towards the door. ¡°Are we having the date before or after I meet your parents?¡± Finn asked when I got to the door. ¡°After. We¡¯re visiting my parents tomorrow¡± I saidstly then left his office. * Charles came in shortly after Rita left the office. ¡°Dude!¡± Finn shouted at him, moving closer to stand face to face with him. ¡°Why were you staring at Rita that way?¡± He querried, folding his arms. ¡°You noticed! Why not? I can stare at anyone. Don¡¯t you have your eyes too?¡± Charles responded rudely. ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about Charles¡± Finn grouse. But Charles smirked and headed to his seat. ¡°Rita is taken, let that sink into your brain!¡± Finn warned. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware she¡¯s taken but not by you¡± He fired, packing his stuffs andptop into his brief case. ¡°I¡¯m done for the day¡± He announced. ¡°What the heck do you mean Done for today?¡± ¡°I will be absent tomorrow likewise¡± Charles added.From N?velDrama.Org. I scorned, ¡°You should get ready to receive a termination letter because i¡¯ll fire your ass!¡± ¡°Well, remember your brother and I have a deal¡± He said pompously. ¡°So see you next week Boss¡± He gave a triumphant smug and left. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 48 I INTRODUCED FINN TO MY PARENTS Rita¡¯s POV I didn¡¯t inform Zane that I have found someone to substitute him, Finn, my CEO, the one whom he so much detest. Instead, Zane believed that I must have canceled the meeting with my parents. However, Canceling the meeting seemed even more suspicious because my mom will continue pestering the hell outta me to show them my partner and they might eventually find out themselves that I¡¯ve got no physical partner. Therefore, to avoid all these further dramas, I¡¯ll take Finn home to clear the air once and for all and when next they wanna meet Finn, I¡¯ll announce to them that we¡¯ve broke up and we¡¯ve gone separate ways and I¡¯m now with Zane. What a brilliant idea! I ignored Zane¡¯s messages to make ns ahead with Finn the night before the D-day. ¡°Hello Finn¡± ¡°Hello Rita¡± He sounded sleepy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disrupting your sleep¡± ¡°Uhmmmn¡± ¡°Okay so, since we are having a dinner at my parent¡¯s ce, I think you shoulde over to pick me up at my ce tomorrow evening firstly¡± I suggested. ¡°Yeah, sure. I gat you Rita. I nned this already¡± ¡°Good, uhmm I really want us to go together like a um.. Co-couple¡± I stuttered the word. ¡°Yeah, couple. I love how that sounds¡± He remarked ¡°So bye, I¡¯ll keep in touch with you tomorrow ¡± I ended the call and heaved a sigh of relief, hoping everything will be fine. I stared at my phone screen and noticed that I have missed several calls from Zane, I called him so he wouldn¡¯t get suspicious about anything. ¡°Hello bouncy baby boy¡± I teased him. ¡°Oh look who decided to check up on me after ignoring all my messages and calls¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll never Ignore you Zane. I was just busy¡± I lied. ¡°Ugh! So what¡¯s more important than me?¡± ¡°There you go again, Jellyfish!¡± I rolled my eyes as if he could see me. ¡°Well, tomorrow is another Saturday for us to spend the time alone, free from work as usual¡± He said. ¡°Oh, tomorrow ¡± I muttered. ¡°Err¡­ Zane, I¡­ erm, I will be very busy tomorrow¡± ¡°Busy?¡± He eximed. ¡°Yeah, uhm¡­ actually, there¡¯s this twelve hours virtualdies meeting with J Johnson¡± I thought of a lie but I couldn¡¯te up with a better lie at that moment. ¡°Twelve hours virtual meeting with J Johnson?¡± He eximed. ¡°Yeah¡± I responded, I hoped that he¡¯ll buy the lie without investigating further. ¡°Twelve hours is way too much¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, you are right but it¡¯s Twelve hours¡± ¡°Okay¡± He epted, sounding so low. Oh finally, ¡°So uh, good night and sweet dreams¡± ¡°What do you mean Good night already? We usually discuss till midnight. ¡°I feel drowsy Zane¡± I yawned. He huffed sadly, ¡°Okay, talk to youter. I mean, whenever you¡¯re ready to talk to me; I miss you already¡± He spoke solemnly. ¡°Same here Zane¡± *** My mom had called me very early the following morning to remind me that we had an appointment. Oh great that I took it seriously and I already n with Finn ahead. I jostled out a very beautiful outfit from the wardrobe. It was still the newest and the most beautiful outfit in my closet. It was a new bodycon gown with delicatece details which I bought recently because I wanted to wear to Canada for Zane. As I slipped into the bodycon gown, its stretchy fabric hugged my curves in all the right ces, entuating my femininity by highlighting my elegantly shaped figure ¨C eight and the opened design revealed the smooth expanse of my fair skin that shone brightly. I loved it. I adorned my wrist and waist with beautiful jewelries to sum it up. While I sat in front of the mirror, I reminded myself that I was a stylist and a retired make up artist. Therefore, I did justice to my look too; started with; styling my hair myself, leaving out curling strands cascading down my shoulders but framing my face perfectly. With a touch of rosy blush on my cheeks and a subtle smokey eye. My features were enhanced, exuding confidence and allure. I grabbed a matching handbag and sprayed some perfume, the scent lingered in the air; adding a touch of romance to the overall look. I knew I looked so different todaypared to my usual mode of dressing whenever I went to the office. Now imagine having to do all this unnecessary posh dress- up and make up only to work at the office tirelessly. Ugh! I red at the wall clock, Finn should be here by now. I looked through the window but didn¡¯t see himing. While awaiting his arrival, I slipped on a pair of elegant stilettos that elongated my legs, giving me an extra boost of elegance then I headed out the door. ¡°Finn, where are you?¡± I dialed his number. ¡°I am very sorry to disappoint you Rita, you might have to go alone. Something suddenly came up, I.. I am sorry¡± Jeez! I disconnected the call before he finished speaking.From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh shit! Shit! Shit!¡± I fretted, pacing around because I didn¡¯t know what next to do. I should never ever trust Finn. He has always disappointed me right from time and he thinks everything is all aboutpensation thereafter. Darn him! I hate him! Finn could have called me earlier and told me that he won¡¯t make it. Then I could have found another substitute within the short period instead of relying on him. Jeeez! My phone buzzed, I thought it was Finn but it was my mom. Geez! How do I tell her that I cannot make it today anymore. I watched the phone ring till it ended, it began to ring again, I finally picked it up after hesitating. ¡°Hello mommy¡± I responded coldly. I call her mommy in full whenever I¡¯m in no mood to exchange words. ¡°You should be on your way by now, the weather doesn¡¯t seem too friendly, there might be a heavy downpour tonight¡± She said. I looked up at the climate, the cloud darkened. ¡°Yeah. I.. I uhm¡­ I am on my way¡± I lied. ¡°See you soon!¡± She hung the call. I sighed heavily, I guess I¡¯d go alone and find a better excuse why I couldn¡¯te with Finn. I made my way towards the roadside to board a cab. **** As I alighted from the cab by the roadside and walked closer towards the entrance door of my parent¡¯s house. I racked my head inwardly, searching for a lie to tell them but I couldn¡¯t reach one. My mom and Dad came out of the house before I rang the doorbell. ¡°Daughter!¡± My mom eximed, throwing her arms over my neck. ¡°Mom¡± I embraced her and did the same to Dad. ¡°Daddy¡± I missed him more, I hear from Mom almost all the time. But Dad? He let me be the grown up daughter that I was unlike mom who still checked up on me like I was a teenager. ¡°I have missed you daughter¡± My Dad said. ¡°I missed you a lot more Dad¡± I said, while we disengaged. ¡°Hello handsome¡± My mom said, ¡°Oh, I see you finally came with your boyfriend¡± My Dad added. ¡°Ugh!¡± I quickly looked behind me. Only to see Finn¡­ ***** To Be Continued Chapter 49 AND WE KISSED Rita I looked behind me, only to see Finn. He just alighted from his car and walked towards us with a fruit basket and a bouquet. He wore suit with dart stripes, surprisingly matching the colour of my gown. He had styled his ck jet hair which looked kinda glossy, perfecting his chiseled face and the stubbled neatly trimmed shaped beard at the bottom of his face. His deep-set hazel eyes sparkled, drawing me in yet I refrained myself from drooling besides, I was still shocked and surprised to see him. ¡°Good evening ma¡¯am, sir¡± He greeted parents, bowing his head respectfully. ¡°We¡¯rete, aren¡¯t we?¡± He asked, throwing his hand over my neck while I kept gazing at him. ¡°Late? Not at all, you both arrive just in time¡± My mom beamed. ¡°Come on in,e in¡± My Dad paved the way for us as he motioned us to the dinning room. ¡°This is for you both¡± Finn said, dropping the basket of fruits on the table right in front of them. ¡°Oh wow, just wow. You are such a sweet gentleman¡± My mom praised him. ¡°And this is yours babe¡± Finn handed the flower to me, his eyes locked onto mine; yet he acted like nothing was wrong. ¡°The flowers are beautiful right?¡± He said and I nodded slowly like a confused dummy. ¡°But you are more beautiful¡± He added, tucking the fallen strands of my hair to the back of ears. I gave a little false smile; ¡°Thank you.. my love¡± We were putting up an act, weren¡¯t we? However, underneath the intriguing surface, there was an undeniable tension, a silent understanding acknowledging the unspoken intensity as we exchanged a knowing nce but he smiled. We sat next to each other at the dining table while my mom and Dad sat opposite us, next to themselves as well. Just then, it began to rain heavily. ¡°Great, what a sweet cold atmosphere for this special gathering¡± My Dad remarked. ¡°We¡¯ll talk over dinner right, screw the don¡¯t talk while eating rule¡± My mom said and I giggled. ¡°Here, your favourite dishes on the table¡± She disyed with her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll dish out the meal¡± I volunteered. I stood up and opened every tes. ¡°Awwn¡± I sniffed in once the aroma passed through my nose. ¡°I have missed your food mom, you have always been a very good cook¡± Iplimented her. ¡°I am sure you took after her¡± Finn added. Huh! Oh wow! Perfectly yed, now my parents will think we¡¯ve been together for real. Anyways, I noticed my mom already loves Finn. ¡°There you go¡± I served everyone¡¯s meal andstly, Finn; giving him an obvious smile while I stepped on his feet underneath the table. He looked at me and smiled instead, acting all normal on the outside. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± My Dad interviewed him. ¡°Finn Lakston¡± He replied. ¡°Finn? I thought you said his name was Zane¡± My mom turned to me. I trembled a little.. ¡°Yeah, I.. uhm actually my name is Finn, and I also go by the name Zane, Rita prefers to call me Zane¡± Finn responded, tryna exude confidence. ¡°So Finn, where did you meet my daughter?¡± My mom suddenly ask. ¡°Err¡­¡± He stuttered, ring at me for an answer. We weren¡¯t fully prepared for this, I didn¡¯t expect them to throw these questions at him. I thought we were only to appear as couple, have dinner and leave. ¡°We met at work¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°Let the gentleman speak¡± My Dad scolded. ¡°Yeah, we uhm.. actually met at work¡± ¡°What do you mean? Do you work at the samepany?¡± My mom probed further, and I was even more scared. ¡°Actually he¡­¡± My mom shushed me, but Finn continued. ¡°Uhm I stopped by at where she works one fateful day to get a little glow up at the studio¡± He paused; ¡°and I met this beauty¡± He intertwined his finger with mine and kissed it, It sent a shiver down my spine, igniting a fire within me that I never knew existed. Physical Touch! ¡°Awwn, that¡¯s so sweet¡± My mom remarked. ¡°The sweetest thing is that, I fell in love with her at first sight and she did too¡± He added. What the hell, I stepped on his foot again. ¡°Oh dear future husband, where have you been all this while? Rita has been single her whole life¡± My Dad dramatized and I felt a little embarrassed when Finn chuckled, I secretly shot him a re. They didn¡¯t ask him anymore questions while they ate, our fingers were still intertwined on the dining table, so I slowly moved it under and unintertwimed it. ¡°What ns do you have for my daughter Finn?¡± My mom asked. ¡°Uhm, we will get married eventually¡± He answered. ¡°So what¡¯s stopping you?¡± She inquired. ¡°Err¡­¡± He cleared his throat and looked at me, so I had to answer. ¡°We only just met month ago and I told him to keep things slow and gradual¡± I replied. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do whatever she says, anything at all as far as she¡¯sfortable and happy¡± Finn said, pecking me on the cheek. Argh! He¡¯s got to hint me when he is about to do stuff like this. I can¡¯t keep wearing a sudden shock look and shift into a smile the next second. ¡°Uhm Rita, so it¡¯s you who is dying the marriage, you are not getting any younger you know¡± My mom said. ¡°I think you should leave her be, you can clearly see that her man is also not in a rush¡± My Dad chided. I love the fact that he has always been on my side. And there was another long silence, till we were done eating; my mom stood up to clear the dishes.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Come on mom, I am here now. I¡¯ll do it.¡± I said, collecting the tes from her and packing the rest of the tes. ¡°You need an helping hand¡± Finn offered. ¡°Sure, assist me¡± I said, wemunicated more with our eyes. I had a lot to ask him and I¡¯m sure he had something to tell me too. ¡°Aww Finn, you are so romantic. I can see why Rita loves you so much¡± My mom remarked, as she watched him clear the tes along with me and I led the way to the kitchen while he followed me behind. Immediately we entered the kitchen, I closed the door and stood in front of him. ¡°Woah Rita, you look really beautiful ¡± Heplimented, staring at me from my head to toe. I know right; I¡¯m aware of how good I look, I have nned to dress this great for Zane not him. ¡°You have been hiding this curvy body, under the cooperate outfit you wear to work¡± He said. ¡°Enough Finn¡± I said, ¡°spill out the exnation you owe me¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m very sorry. Something came up earlier and I thought, I wouldn¡¯t make it but I could, only by chance and Evelyn gave me this address. I had to rush down here, fortunately we arrived at the same time that your parents didn¡¯t notice anything¡± He said, beaming along. ¡°Hmmn¡± I rolled my eyes, now calming my nerves. ¡°Thanks foring¡± I said, dropping the dishes in the sink and helping him with the ones he carried. ¡°And what¡¯s up with pecking and kissing me on the cheeks, on my hand, you don¡¯t have to do all that; it¡¯s not part of the n¡± I cautioned him. ¡°You didn¡¯t give me script by the way, all you told me was to pretend like a real boyfriend and I¡¯m sure I aced it. Look, I already won your parents heart¡± He grinned and I scoffed. ¡°Give me a gestured head up next time,¡± I told him. ¡°So, was that why you were stepping me under the table¡± He bent cleaning the dust off his shoe. ¡°At first, I thought you disappointed me even after I already promised you a date, I almost caused you under my breathe¡± I told him honestly but he chuckled, giving me a wonderful gaze while he was still admiring me. ¡°Finn, you are a very good person, you are generous, loving and nice. I hope you find someone who loves you wholeheartedly¡± I said and he smiled. ¡°Are you saying all this because I yed the pretend boyfriend role well?¡± ¡°Uhn.. Maybe you are right. You¡¯ld make a lovely husband to your future partner¡± The door suddenly opened but I didn¡¯t know because the door was behind me, while I faced him. ¡°Thank you for being a lovely but fake b¡­¡± Finn leaned forward immediately and kissed me to interrupt me from fully pronouncing ¡®fake boyfriend¡¯ ¡°Oops! Sorry¡± It was my mom who opened the door, she closed it immediately she caught us in such act. Finn withdrew his lips ¡°Sorry, I just had to. There was no other way to interrupt you¡± He apologised, cleaning his lips. I was lost, I mean I enjoyed it even though it was an abrupt and a quick one. He needed not to be sorry. I burrowed my eyes into his, slowly my gazended on his juicy pink lips which felt soft and smoochy on mine, can¡¯t describe what it tasted like but I loved it. Since the beginning of this fake intimacy, Finn has been the reason behind the shivers running down my spine and recently, he has also been caused of my racing heart. Now, he has just kissed me, one of the physical touch I have desired for and this electrifying moment, all I craved for was more. Instead of being mad at him for kissing me, I move closer to him, stood on my toes, so we could be of same height, then I kissed him even more deeply. I felt he wanted to withdraw or disengaged from me but I wasn¡¯t satisfied yet, I didn¡¯t let go of him. Hence, he slowly reciprocated. ***** To Be Continued. Chapter 50 FOUND ZANE ATLAS! FINN IS ZANE! Rita¡¯s POV It was when I felt I have had enough; I withdrew my lips from his. The air was heavy with unspoken words, it was as if time had frozen, while we stood there, staring at each other, caught in the aftermath of the passionate encounter, unsure of what to say or do next. The kiss was just a temporary escape from reality, and as for me, it was a fleeting moment of bliss; a taste of what it could be. Now I¡¯ve returned to my right senses and I felt embarrassed immediately reality crashed back in, reminding me of theplexities thaty between us. Yet I wanted to hold on or continue where we left off but our connection waned. The passion that had burned so brightly moments ago began to fade, as it was reced by a lingering awkwardness. I cleared my throat awkwardly and avoided eye contact with him as I moved away. I opened the door, leaving him in the kitchen but he soon came after me. ¡°Rita, your room is still very much vacant and avable¡± My mom beckoned, smiling widely as she was aware of what happened in the kitchen. Well, it had just confirmed to her that we¡¯re dating. ¡°And there¡¯s no other vacant room, which means Finn would be sleeping in yours¡± Dad added. ¡°Huh¡± Finn blurted out softly, confused. ¡°You are sleeping over¡± I whispered to him, since he was closer to me than to them. ¡°Alright¡± I just said, then headed straight up to my room. Finn trailed me behind. ¡°Oh so, I¡¯m having a sleepover here¡± Finn said when we were out of their sight, and beyond their hearing. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t inform you¡± I mumbled. ¡°But the date we nned was just for the dinner meeting but sleep over? How would you pay me for that?¡± He paused and a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips; ¡°Okay, you have already paid me with a kiss for the sleepover ¡± ¡°Finn, I¡¯m sorry. Look, the kiss meant absolutely nothing to me, it was uhm¡­a mistake¡± I was able to look into his eyes even when he locked in his gaze. ¡°A mistake?¡± He furrowed his brows. ¡°Yeah, it was a mistake and it should never happen again¡± ¡°Oops! That hurt. The kiss meant everything to me¡± ¡°And that¡¯s because you still have feelings for me Finn, you are in love with me¡± I uttered the words one by one. ¡°Unfortunately for me, you are not in love with me right? Why did you kiss me then? It was so affectionate and we both enjoyed it, didn¡¯t you? Now you are calling it a mistake?¡± He grumbled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry okay?¡± I could sense that he was disappointed and I totally understood how he felt, but he has no idea how I felt. ¡°You kissed me first and it triggered me to continue¡± I exined briefly but he was gazing at me as if I just gave a flimzy excuse. ¡°It¡¯s.. it is my first time¡± I finally confessed. ¡°What first time?¡± He asked. ¡°You stole my first kiss Finn, so I just had to continue and enjoy it for the moment¡± I told him and he gave me a puzzled look. ¡°First kiss?¡± He scoffed in disbelieve; ¡°You are not a teenager¡± ¡°I know what you are thinking, that I¡¯m just having my first kiss at almost thirty¡± I smirked, shamefaced. He continued to stare at me with the same puzzled look. ¡°I need to change into my nightwears, so could you please leave? You can return after a few minutes¡± I said and he respectively left the room without saying a word.. I sighed before pulling my body fitted dress to put on a baggy pajamas **** Finn¡¯s POV As! Her parents and I conversed tillte at night. We discussed random stuff but her mother most especially, seemed to be more interested in our rtionship, she wanted us to get married, settle down and start a family as soon as possible. Also, it became clearly obvious to me that Rita finds it difficult to fall in love, she has never dated any other man and everything smoochy seemed just new to her. I feel really sorry now, figuring out that Rita is not the kind ofdy I should test or y tricks with, she doesn¡¯t deserve theseplications. I returned to the room, only to meet her fast asleep and she snuggled herself because she felt cold. I covered her properly with the duvet and watched her sleep like a baby. Rita is simply beautiful; to begin with her smooth round face having dazzling closed eyes with medium eyshes and trimmed eyebrows. She had a straight pointed nose and I recalled how her pink thin lips softened against mine. I nted a kiss on it and gently wiped it off with my fingers but she suddenly opened her eyes. I didn¡¯t know what to do or say, I leaned still and muttered; ¡°So.. sorry¡± but she shut her eyes back and continue slumbering. I heaved a sigh of relief as I stood up to take off my suit jacket, leaving the inner one. I lied down on the bed again, sharing the duvet with her but just when my body mistakenly came in contact with hers, she unsnuggled herself and snuggled me instead yet she doesn¡¯t seemfortable because of the cold. I knew exactly what she needed, a cuddle! I moved closer to her and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her gently towards me. The warmth of our bodies intertwined, creating an intimate cocoon against the chilly night air. I could feel her shivers gradually subside as thefort and security of our embrace enveloped her. Rita¡¯s going through a lot emotionally. Aside, She¡¯s a virgin, her number one lovenguage must be physical touch then how the hell has she been coping all these while without Zane.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The slightest body contact makes her quiver and makes her body crave for more. It really must have not been easy for her. I had better confess once and for all that I am Zane, her loving online boyfriend whom she loves so dearly and whom she¡¯s been so loyal to. I picked up my phone. ***** Chapter 51 CAUGHT IN BETWEEN FINN AND ZANE Rita¡¯s POV We left my parents¡¯ ce the following morning haven had breakfast with them. My lovely mother had packed a lot of dishes for Finn and I because Finn enjoyed it. We deserve an de for pulling up a great act that my parents didn¡¯t suspect something wrong. But now, they love Finn so much and I¡¯ll break their heart when I bring home another man, next time; anyways till then. ¡°It was really really stressful right?¡± I broke the awkward silence in the car. ¡°It¡¯s worthwhile¡± He replied and I smiled. ¡°Your parents are very nice and sweet¡± He remarked. ¡°Thank you¡± I said. ¡°You can have all the dishes by the way as an extra thanks foring¡± I added and he nodded.. ¡°You know what I really want Rita¡± He said, taking his gazes off the steering and stared at me romantically instead. I gasped; ¡°Finn, you promised we won¡¯t be discussing this issue again, I have told you times without number, I cannot ¡­ we cannot ¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Calm down,e on Rita, chill; I¡¯m talking about the date. Let¡¯s have a dinner date tonight¡± ¡°Ohh.. of course, I promised you a date¡± I stammered, a little embarrassed. ¡°So I¡¯lle pick you up by 7pm, make me drop dead, I wanna see you in a super lovely outfit like that of yesterday, Oh My God! You are extremely stunning¡± Heplimented and I blushed secretly. ¡°You didn¡¯t look bad yourself Finn, nice haircut, designers suit and shoes, looks so good on you ¡± I said honestly, I admired his look; I never noticed how gorgeous he was untiltely. Gosh! ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m very handsome?¡± He grinned. ¡°I¡¯mplimenting you because youplimented me¡± ¡°Oh wow, so it¡¯s not genuine; it¡¯s give and take¡± He put on a frown. ¡°It is genuine,e on. You are handsome Finn, you¡¯re so cute, happy now?¡± I said and he chuckled. ¡°Do you think I am more handsome than that your boyfriend, uhm Zane or what¡¯s his name?¡± He teased. ¡°Hmmm¡± I was dumbfounded for a while. I really don¡¯t know how Zane looks yet. ¡°You are beautiful ¡± He suddenly uttered when I didn¡¯t say anything. Then, there was a total silence for a while. ¡°Rita, the kiss we shared yesterday, are you sure it didn¡¯t mean anything to you? I kissed you first, epted, but that was a mistake but then you kissed me back, you didn¡¯t want to let go and you imed it¡¯s nothing¡± ¡°Finn, we shouldn¡¯t be talking about it. Let¡¯s act like nothing happened, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing please¡± ¡°Can I ask you a question Rita?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°You really won¡¯t open up your heart to anyone else just because you are in a rtionship?¡± ¡°As it should be¡± I replied. ¡°But he is someone you haven¡¯t even met¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a picture of him either¡± I confessed, seeing no reason why I should hide that fact away from him. ¡°What?¡± He eximed, he adjusted the steering and drove slowly by the road side; so he could talk to mefortably. ¡°At the end of the day, what if this so called guy you¡¯ve spent almost all your life being loyal to fucks up? As in.. he breaks your heart?¡± He interrogated me.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I kept mute. ¡°I know you love him so much and I¡¯m sure he probably loves you too. But just so you know, in every broken rtionship, the couple were once in love with each other and one day , something happened, they had to go their separate ways, ¡± He continued. I was confused. I didn¡¯t know if he was only trying to gaslight me so I could give him a chance yet what he said made real sense all along. What if after spending my whole life being faithful to Zane and then he breaks my heart and we eventually had to part ways. I shook my head continuously as if I was trying to shake off the thought. ¡°Just saying ¡± Finn muttered. ¡°Finn, If I decide to date you ¡­uhm,¡± He seemed eager to hear from me. ¡°You could eventually break my heart or I break yours and we¡¯ll be strangers again¡± He opened his mouth in awe, surprised to hear such a brilliant tackling response from me but I continued anyways; ¡°And by doing so, we¡¯ll lose this friendship which I cherish so much¡± I divulged, looking at him. ¡°There are ups and downs in rtionships and uhm.. friendships¡± He nodded. ¡°So let¡¯s hope such would never ever happen¡± I concluded, stealing gazes at him while he focused on the road. I picked up my phone, had the urge to call Zane because I have missed him so much. He had tried to reach mest night while I was already asleep. I didn¡¯t tell him I would go awol for this long plus I lied to him, I haven¡¯t been sincere to him all this while. Am I a cheat? Finn dropped me in front of my house, I opened the door myself and alighted quickly when I noticed he was about to do so as if I were his girlfriend. ¡°Don¡¯t forget we have a dinner night¡± He reminded and I nodded, heading into the house. My head kept pondering on what he told me earlier but I didn¡¯t make it so obvious to him. ***** To Be Continued. Chapter 52 THE DINNER DATE RITA After I have mustered up energy, while having enough rest, I picked up my phone to respond to Zane¡¯s messages. Thus; ¡°Hello Zane, I am very sorry for going awol suddenly, I have been busy all day long. I had another appointment after the meeting with J Johnson and unexpectedly, business called crashed in during the weekend and it¡¯s been very tiring¡± I read it aloud while I typed it. Lies creates more lies they say and that¡¯s true. I sighed deeply and waited for him to read the messages soon but when he didn¡¯t, I called him. ¡°Hi Zane¡± I spoke solemnly (filled with guilt) into the phone as soon as he picked up the call. ¡°Rita!¡± He mentioned my name with an opposite tone. I puffed out heavily and I¡¯m sure he heard it. ¡°I know no matter what I say would not justify the reason for doing it, you can call it a flimsy excuse¡± I paused; ¡°But I already sent you a message¡± ¡°I forgive you¡± He suddenly uttered even when he was yet to listen to my excuses, the lies upon lies. ¡°I know you are very very mad at me¡± ¡°I ought to but It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s just talk things out and keep eachother¡¯spany tonight and we¡¯ll be good again¡± He said. I was surprised, he wasn¡¯t mad. ¡°Oh, right. Roger that, honey¡± I beamed. Although, I wanted to request for permission from him about tonight absence or even better still; tell another lie to him, some reasons why he won¡¯t have my attention tonight because I would be having a date with Finn but no, I cannot tell him about Finn and I. Also, I must not go awol again without informing him because that would even be more suspicious that something¡¯s really fishy. I was confused, I have to be at Finn¡¯s date since we made a deal and I also have to make it up to Zane. I breathe heavily in distress, almost forgetting that I was still in call with Zane. ¡°So you¡¯re free now? Can we have a lone time to ourselves?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah.. Err.. uhm sure! Yeah!¡± I replied, avoiding not to stutter. ¡°How do you do my dear?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯m good, I think I¡¯m doing just fine and how are you too Zane?¡± ¡°I am just recovering¡± He said. ¡°Recovering?¡± I eximed.¡±Were you sick Zane and you didn¡¯t let me know?¡± ¡°No, or maybe yes, I was ill. I was suffering from You-fever. I have missed you so much, so I am just recovering from your sudden absence¡± He said and I giggled because at first, I thought it was something really serious. ¡°So have you had lunch?¡± He asked. ¡°Ugh! I do not feel hungry at the moment. I feel satisfied¡± I told him. ¡°Oops, I was thinking we could do the same thing at the same time¡± He quoted ¡°And we could start with cooking and eating the same meal¡± ¡°Oh dear, many more days to try that again¡± I stated. I stared at the wall clock, realising I¡¯ve got to start preparing before Finn arrives. I held the phone to my ear, as I emerged into the room, begun to search my wardrobe for a nice outfit, yet I spoke with Zane over the phone. ¡°The thought of tomorrow being Monday makes me kinda sad, I wish the weekend would never end¡± He grumbled. ¡°Me too! Everyone hates Monday, but I, Rita hates Monday the most¡± I replied, now cing the phone on my bed ~ on loud speaker while I dressed up. For an unknown reason, I wanted to dress really gorgeous , I don¡¯t know if it was because Finn told me to make him drop dead or probably because he loved my outfit yesterday. Plus apparently, I also just got a ck beautiful dinner gown, which exposed my cleavage and I¡¯m beginning to love dresses that hugs my body and reveals my shape. I have also nned to wear this particr gown to dinner date with Zane once I arrive at Canada.. ¡°Oh Rita, we¡¯ve already lost the whole of yesterday and half of Sunday. Now the weekend¡¯s over. We¡¯ve got to spend this night judiciously¡± ¡°Uhm, yeah¡± I responded sheepishly. I stood in front of the vertical mirror and checked myself out, then I moved to the dressing table and did the same make over like that of yesterday. I was looking really stunning and gorgeous. Now, I havee to the realization that everydy is beautiful, all we needed was to dress very good, light make over enhancement to unt out our wless skin. ¡°Rita!¡± I suddenly heard Zane¡¯s voice jolting me back. ¡°Yeah Zane! I ¡­ I can hear you very well. I¡¯m listening¡± I replied even thought I didn¡¯t hear thest sentences he made. ¡°The signal¡¯s bad¡± I lied. ¡°Is there anything you wanna share with me? What should we discuss about? Bring it up¡± Zane said. ¡°Errr¡­ I do not know¡± I replied; ¡°Bring it up instead, you know I¡¯m more of a listener¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s chitchat about random stuffs to while away time¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead¡± I said. I heard a car horn in front of my house, sounded like Zane must have heard it too. I pepped through the window. It was Finn¡¯s car. I have always wish for a long walk with my guy, anyways, being alone in a car with a guy is not any different. It¡¯s romantic. ¡°Errm Zane, I¡¯m about to have a shower. So let¡¯s talkter¡± I said and hung up the call right away.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. I watched Finn got off his car, he looked expensive and well dressed as usual. I picked up my bag, clung it over my hand and quickly scurried out to open the door before Finn knocked on it. ¡°Hello beautiful¡± He said smiling. ¡°Hi¡± I replied, I didn¡¯t know why I also beamed though. It was as if I was happy to see him. Unexpectedly, he hugged me. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 53 MY HEART IS RESTLESS Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Hello beautiful¡± He smiled widely. ¡°Hi¡± I replied, I didn¡¯t know why I also beamed though. It was as if I was happy to see him. Unexpectedly, he hugged me. We have never exchanged pleasantries this way. I know it¡¯s normal to greet people by embracing them. I have hugged Adam and few other male colleagues but hugging Finn felt a little strange ¨C different. ¡°You look ravishing!¡± Heplimented and my cheeks reddened. ¡°Soe with me¡± He curved his elbow, I interlocked my arm with his and he led me to his car, helped me sitfortably before he moved on to the driver¡¯s seat. Somehow, it was beginning to look like we were couple and I felt like I was cheating on Zane but just this once please. Finn and I had a deal, a deal is a deal. Though, I enjoyed every interactions I have had with Finn and I really wanted to have this date with him. Through the corner of my eyes, I noticed he stole nces at me via the rear mirror. I tried as much not to blush but I couldn¡¯t. We arrived at a very expensive restaurant, one could easily tell through the grandeur of its exterior. The moment we stepped inside, the air was filled with an aura of elegance and sophistication. He held my hand and led me to a crystal ss table for two which sparkled under the gentle glow of the chandeliers. The soft lighting created a warm and inviting atmosphere as we settled down. Despite thevishness of the surroundings, the air createdfort and intimacy. Finn held my both hands on the table, while we sat opposite each other, he squeezed them lightly. He was being all sweet and romantic to me like he was aware of my weak point, which was physical touch. ¡°You look so beautiful today¡± He smiled, admiring me only by staring deep into my eyes. I didn¡¯t realized I was engrossed with his look too until my eyeshes blinked involuntarily. I didn¡¯t want topliment him too, so I said something entirely different. ¡°Uhm Finn¡± I cleared my throat awkwardly, releasing my hands from him. ¡°Thank you so much foring to my parent¡¯s house. You do not know how much it meant to me, you¡¯ve literally covered up so many uing situations¡± I said. ¡°Ugh Rita! You have thanked me a million times already. Do not mention, okay?¡± ¡°And you have told me that I look so beautiful a zillion times!¡± ¡°But you have never stopped looking beautiful, I have never seen the ugly side of you ever since I set my eyes on you. Therefore, I have to keep onplimenting you¡± He¡¯s got sugarcoated tongue and the tter got me. ¡°Thank you¡± I smiled. ¡°Also¡­¡± He gazed at my cleavage and took his eyes off immediately. ¡°I never knew you were this curvy. Why then wear a baggy cooperate outfit to hide the shape?¡± ¡°Ugh, never judge a book by its cover¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh well, I want the book without the cover¡± He blurted out. ¡°Huhhh???¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He eximed too. ¡°Err.. I¡¯m sorry ¡­uhm that¡¯s a slip of the tongue¡± ¡°It should be¡± I rolled my eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re having this date with me¡± He said, wanting to intertwine his fingers with mine again but I withdrew. ¡°You took someone¡¯s girlfriend out on a date dude! We¡¯d better know what we¡¯re doing¡± I mumbled and he chuckled. My phone suddenly chimed, I knew right away that it was Zane. Oops! I had told him I was about to have a shower and it looks like I¡¯m not done showering. I turned the phone down, making the screen face the table, soon it stopped ringing. ¡°Errr..¡± I cleared my throat awkwardly. ¡°Pick up your phone¡± Finn permitted. ¡°I want to but I don¡¯t want to¡± I gasped. Finn already knows I have Zane but Zane doesn¡¯t know I have Finn. He¡¯s not aware of how intimate Finn and I are. I know if I pick up the phone, I would have to talk to Zane at length enough like we usually do. ¡°It¡¯s my boyfriend, Zane. I will reach out to himter¡± I told Finn. ¡°Okay!¡± Finn said. ¡°There¡¯s a menu right in front of you¡± He picked up the other menu and ticked his order. ¡°I¡¯ld like anything at all¡± I responded restlessly without taking a look at the menu list. ¡°What do you mean anything at all? This is not just an ordinary date and we are not at the office restaurant remember?¡± He chided me calmly. I picked up the Menu list reluctantly and skimmed through it. From sulent seafood to perfectly cooked steaks, every item on the menu promised an explosion of vors that would dance on our taste buds. Ah Good! my second Favorite meal was on the list, I chose it. The waiter approached our table to take our orders. My phone suddenly buzzed again, Finn looked at the phone and gestured to me to pick it up. ¡°Err.. okay, give me a second¡± I took the phone and hurried to the bathroom, following the directions. When I got to the bathroom and finally looked at the phone screen, it was actually Evelyn not Zane. I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She called again just in time.. ¡°Hello Evelyn¡± I almost screamed into the phone. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna pick up my calls!¡± she yelled back. ¡°Your call made me so nervous and uneasy girl! Why did you call?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t get to conclude about the party I¡¯m nning for Adam!¡± ¡°Oh that¡± ¡°That is why you called? I¡¯m in the middle of something really serious yet interesting ¡± ¡°What? What the hell is that?¡± She screamed, more like she had a dirty mindset. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything tomorrow. And bye, do not call my phone any moment from now on¡± I warned and hung up the call. At this critical moment; whenever my phone rings, the heart beats hundred times faster. I exhaled deeply, I do not only feel relieved but the spirit of fear and guilt welled up in me.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Calm down Rita¡± I talked to myself while I stood in front of the mirror, inhaling and exhaling three good times. I rubbed my face lightly, in a way that it won¡¯t ruin my make up, then I puffed out. I was prepared to return to Finn when my phone suddenly rang again. ¡°For Pete¡¯s sake Evelyn! I told you not to call ¡­¡± I eximed before looking at the caller ID. But It wasn¡¯t Evelyn this time but Zane, atst! He called me!!! **** To Be Continued Chapter 54 RITA IS IN LOVE WITH FINN Rita¡¯s POV My hands trembled as I managed to slide to the receiver. ¡°Hello Zane, I¡­I.. I am¡­so.. sorry. I¡­ I¡­ forgot to reach out to you after the shower and that¡¯s so.. so bad of me¡± I apologized, stuttering without hearing from him first. ¡°No honey, I am the one who is sorry. I slept off not quite long, and I¡¯m still very much sleepy. I don¡¯t know how to let you know that I don¡¯t think we can chat tonight. I¡¯m very sorry for ruining our ns¡± He said. ¡°Oh!¡± I mouthed, relieved. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± He repeated. ¡°Err.. No problem. It¡¯s actually fine. I feel tired and not in the mood to talk at length too. I also didn¡¯t know how to tell you especially after what I have dely!¡± Lies and more lies! ¡°Good night to you and sweet dreams¡± I wished. ¡°Sweet dreams¡± He repeated and hung up the call. I took a deep breathe in and exhaled them all out, feelingpletely relieved now. I picked up my phone and switched it off instantly to avoid any more calls that could make me panic. I practiced a smile on my face to brighten up my mood before I returned to the restaurant. ¡°It was Evelyn not my boyfriend¡± I told Finn as I took my seat. Our meals have already been served. ¡°Oh Evelyn, your best friend¡± He muttered, dropping his phone into his pocket. ¡°So let¡¯s eat. I was waiting for you¡± He uncovered the meal in front of him and I did the same. ¡°Oh wow! Yummy and appetizing!¡± Imented as the aroma filled the air. I drew out the cutleries then began to eat etiquettely.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Tell me about your boyfriend¡± Finn suddenly inquired. ¡°What?¡± I almost eximed but covered my mouth, so the food won¡¯t fall off. I never expected such a question from him. I chewedpletely what was in my mouth before I spoke. ¡°It¡¯s shocking of you to suddenly ask after my boyfriend¡± ¡°Well I asked, I wanna know. You don¡¯t wanna tell me?¡± I shook my head a little; ¡°The only people I talk to about my rtionship are J, Evelyn and Adam¡± I told him. ¡°I thought we¡¯re close enough too¡± He said. Hmm, I hesitated whether or not to tell him. ¡°We are bosom friends now, we see each other almost everyday, and there¡¯s no day we don¡¯t have an in-depth conversation. I know your parents, we¡¯ve spent so much time together, we¡¯ve eaten together, we have even slept together.. I.. I mean slept on the same bed, we shared a duvet¡­ ¡± I interrupted him. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m aware we are very very close¡± I interrupted him. ¡°And look, we are having a date. Yet you think we are not close enough for you to disclose your semi-private life with me?¡± He added. ¡°Fine! I will tell you about my boyfriend. Happy now?¡± I said and he smiled. I stopped eating, so I won¡¯t choke; ¡°My boyfriend, Zane is the sweetest. He is super super nice and really funny¡± I began to describe him, blushing a little. ¡°Zane is the best thing that have happened to me, I love him so much. He gives me his listening ears each and every time so we basicallymunicate all the time. He is everything to me¡± I paused and sipped from the milky smoothie. ¡°So Zane has everything you want in a man?¡± He asked. ¡°If that¡¯s what my description divulged, then yes! Zane is just perfect¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Perfect? You mean he has no ws?¡± ¡°ws?¡± I muttered, then it dawned on me that I didn¡¯t mention somethings. ¡°I told you there are ups and downs in a rtionship and a rtionship will never work out if downside is not urgently attended to¡± ¡°Are you a counselor or something?¡± I inquired peering into his eyes. ¡°Why do you seem to be interested in my rtionship?¡± I asked. ¡°Uhn¡­ why else? Obviously, I wanna know the kind of man that stole you from me¡± He answered and I chuckled. I dropped my cutleres. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell you all this Finn¡± I sighed then continue anyways, I seemed free around him. ¡°Honestly, there are no ups and downs in my rtionship whatsoever because Zane and I seldoms quarrel¡± ¡°Wow¡± He remarked. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°A whole lot of things are omitted in our rtionship which makes it boring¡± I finally admitted that I was having a boring rtionship with Zane. ¡°For instance, Zane is the one I would love to have this date with not you¡± Finn giggled; ¡°Maybe you should see me as Zane then. You have had more encounters with me and none with him. Remember, we have also kissed¡± He recalled. ¡°Oh please Finn, this should be the veryst time you remind me that we actually kissed¡± I warned. ¡°Allow me to teach you how you¡¯ll know if the kiss meant something to you or not. You¡¯d feel Goosebumps! slight inner shivers! ¡± He said. I remembered I felt shivers running down my spine yet I didn¡¯t take it seriously, I was still a first timer. I stared into his flicking eyes while he spoke, Ohtely, I have begun to notice how very handsome Finn is, especially when he smiles. Meanwhile, I have always been the one refraining myself from gazing at him intently. I think I have been the one holding back not to fall in love with him because I have a boyfriend and drooling over Finn was more like I was cheating on Zane. I broke the long stare while he was still speaking, Awkwardly, I picked up my cutleries and continued eating, rushing my meal because I suddenly became ufortable. ¡°Easy, easy¡± He said. ¡°I need to get back home because it¡¯s gettingte and there¡¯s work tomorrow¡± I avoided looking at him. ¡°I have work to do tomorrow too¡± He said. ¡± So c¡¯mon, take it easy¡± I began to eat my meal slowly, not because he cautioned me but because I realised that I was embarrassing myself in front of him and others. He stood up and leaned forward, I shut my eyes, thinking he wanted to kiss me since that was the topic we have just finished discussing and he had admitted that it meant everything to him. I didn¡¯t feel his mushy lips on mine but I felt a tissue in his finger, wiping off something from the side of my lower lips. It made my heart flutter. ¡°Th¡­ Thank you¡± I stammered. The rest of the night was a blur. We continued to eat in silence as the tension thickening with each passing moment. Even when he drove me back home, I found myself lost in my thoughts. A tiny voice inside me whispered, reminding me that what I was feeling was just infatuation. **** To Be Continued Chapter 55 TWO OPTIONS Rita¡¯s POV I met Evelyn and Adam at the bus stop and we scurried into thepany together while we nattered all along. ¡°How was the weekend guys?¡± I asked them. ¡°Great, it was great¡± They responded simultaneously and chuckled together, giving themselves a knowing gaze. Well, whatever. ¡°Mine was fantastic too¡± I continued;¡± From visiting my parents to going on a date with Finn¡± ¡°You went on a date with Finn?¡± They eximed. ¡°Are you dating Finn?¡± Adam further asked. ¡°Nah. Finn showed up at my parents¡¯ ce to substitute for my boyfriend, he asked me to go on a date with him to pay him back¡± I briefly exined. ¡°Howe I do not know anything about this at all?¡± Adam looked puzzled.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s because Rita and I work in the same office which made us more intimate and I know every action she¡¯s about taking. Fun fact, I was the one who advised her to ask Finn to rece her boyfriend¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Finn must be a paid actor¡± I stated. ¡°Tell me everything, anything at all that I have missed¡± Adam inquired. ¡°Nothing too much. Well, few days ago; my mom called and she really wanted to meet who I¡¯m dating. Zane couldn¡¯t make it over here soon. Evelyn suggested I told Finn who willingly grabbed the offer and I went out on a datest night with him to thank him foring.¡± I bbed. ¡°Hmmm¡± Was all Adam said. ¡°So how did it go?¡± Evelyn asked. ¡°Like I said, Finn is a paid actor. My parent didn¡¯t suspect any fair y¡± I giggled. ¡°Is Zane aware that you took someone else to your parent¡¯s home?¡± ¡°No¡± I shook my head. ¡± I didn¡¯t tell Zane¡± I muttered, feeling bad somehow. ¡°Why?¡± Adam asked. ¡°What sort of a question is that? Zane doesn¡¯t have to know. She¡¯s not cheating on him after all¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Yeah, I guess. I did it for us. I did it to save our rtionship¡± I answered, lowering my voice once we entered the office. ¡°Alright¡± Adam just said. ¡± Have a nice day ahead¡± He waved at us while he departed to his section. ¡°Come on girl, you have a lot to tell me about¡± Evelyn clunged her arm with mine. ¡°And we also have a tasks to attend to and clear. It¡¯s Monday¡± I fired and she grumbled. ***** **** ¡°Oh wow, I¡¯m surprised you showed up at work today, youzyckadaisical piece of shit!¡± Finn fired at Charles, who just walked into the office. ¡°Good day¡± Charles greeted perfunctorily, in the mood for no troubles. Finn scorned and ask; ¡°What¡¯s today¡¯s schedule?¡± Charles obediently showed him the iPad, so he could checked himself. Finn realised the work load for the day was quite substantial, with back-to-back meetings. ¡°I want you to handle the ones the deadline seems impossible to meet¡± He ordered Charles who returned to his small section. Soon, there was a knock on his door. ¡°Come in¡± Finn said. It was Adam. ¡°Excuse us Charles¡± Finn said even before Adam drew nearer to him. ¡°You¡¯re gay now?¡± Charles murmured. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ugh! Nevermind¡± He exited the office. ¡°You visited her parents and went on a date with herst night. This is not part of the n! What exactly are you up to Finn?¡± Adam questioned. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I admit that I know where this is headed¡± Finn shook his head remorsefully. ¡°You¡¯re taking the lead, what do you mean you don¡¯t know where this is headed? Finn! You are ying tricks with her! That¡¯s what you are doing!¡± Adam fired, pointing his finger at him. ¡°You know what to do, you just don¡¯t wanna do it. You are gonna tell her who you are; you are not just Finn, don¡¯t make things moreplicated¡± Adam queried and Finn exhaled heavily. ¡°Tell me what to do¡± He mumbled. ¡°It either you remain hidden forever and she continues to date Zane without knowing the face behind but eventually the rtionshipes to end because it can never ever work or you reveal yourself already before it¡¯s toote!!!¡± Adam warned. ¡°Or she never finds out which means i¡¯ld lose her as Finn and Zane¡± ¡°Ugh! Even more better I guess¡± Adam remarked. ¡°Adam, it is very difficult for me to stop pretending to be Zane. I think she¡¯s beginning to like me being Finn, I know I am messing with her feelings yet I cannot stop. I want to but I do not know how to stop being someone else. Also, I cannot all of a sudden erase the feelings I have for her¡± ¡°You have to!¡± Adam retorted sharply. ¡°Listen Adam, I swear I came into Rita¡¯s life, won her heart to form the most intriguing love story ever but it looks like I have messed things up. I am a mess¡± Hemented. ¡°More reasons why you have to ¨C erase the feelings. She¡¯s falling in love with two people and she has no idea why her emotional state is crashing and her love life isplicated¡± ¡°God! This is really bad¡± Finn stretched his unitching head, manspreading on his seat. He was so confused. ¡°I have given you my suggestion Finn, it¡¯s left for you to decide¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t walk up to her just to tell her that I am Zane, I can¡¯t. It will break her and she may forever resent me¡± ¡°Remember that¡¯s not all of your secrets¡± ¡°Arrrgh! No matter the decision I make, I¡¯ll break Rita¡± ¡°So, I think it¡¯s best I get out of her life right now both physically and online¡± Finn decided reluctantly. ¡°This also means you would put an end to the intimacy because it¡¯s more like you¡¯re leading her on¡± ¡°Rita and I are soulmates¡± Finn argued. ¡°Ughhhh! Indeed! Your funny theory I do not believe. Rita will move on with or without you¡± Adam dered. ¡°Okay¡± Finn finally surrendered. ¡°I will cut off ties with Rita as from now on and I really hope she finds another man¡± He concluded. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 56 RITA AND FINN Rita¡¯s POV Evelyn assisted me with the tasks, and swiftly, we were able to clear several pending orders. Then it was high time to submit the obtained data for the day as usual. Evelyn diligently arranged and piled up the files, she intended to go submit them to Finn but today, I wanted to go to him myself. For some unknown reasons, I was eager to see Finn, I wanted to spend some time with him; maybe I¡¯ll stylishly resume by thanking him for all he has done for me in a way I wouldn¡¯t feel awkward. After all, I enjoyed hispanyst night and I want to be around him again. Gosh! I love it when he stares right into my soul. Finn was on a phone call when I arrived at his office, his personal assistant wasn¡¯t inside so he gestured me to ce the files on the table which I did, but I sat down, waiting for him to end the call, so we could have a one on one conversation. Finn was smiling and grinning from ear to ear as if the caller could see him. He seemed to be very exicted to speak with whoever it was, I barely heard nor understood their conversation because he spoke softly. ¡°Good day Finn¡± I said to him, smiling widely when he finally ended the call. ¡°Hey Rita¡± He said, ¡°How may I help you?¡± He asked, he barely looked at me, instead his attention was on his phone. ¡°I came to submit the files¡± I informed him. ¡°Oh yeah, you already did¡± He red at me casually and swiftly took his gaze to the files on the table. ¡°Yea.. h¡± I roughly scratched my hair a little. ¡°Err, I had funst night, thanks to you¡± I resumed, bringing up an interesting conversation to get his attention. ¡°You are wee¡± He responded simply and inly with no tiny joyous energy. I continue speaking though; ¡± uhm, you know I am not an extrovert, Infact loneliness made me an introvert. My date with youst night has dawned upon me that I have been missing a whole lot of fun¡± I expected a gingering response something like ¡®yeah, let¡¯s do it again¡¯ Instead he nodded and perfunctorily gave a small smile while he flipped the pages of the book in front of him. This was so unlike him but I didn¡¯t give up either. ¡°Thank you foring through, showing up at my parent¡¯s ce ..¡± ¡°I have told you this is the umpteenth time you are thanking me¡± He voiced harshly. ¡°Err ¡­ umm sorry¡± I mumbled and got on my feet. I red at him for a while when he wasn¡¯t looking, since his expression was casual, I could barely scrutinize what went wrong with him. I took my leave even when I expected him to call me back or utter something but he didn¡¯t, he watched me leave. ** ¡°Aaaargh!!¡± Finn let out a frustrated groan after she left. Knowing that the thick soundproofed wall ensured words wouldn¡¯t be heard. ¡°This is not easy for me at all¡± He roughed his hair and swept it to the back. He got on his foot and moved to the window blind as he watched her return to her office, looking unhappy. ¡°Aiisssh!¡± Hemented pitifully then returned to his seat once she was outta his sight. He rubbed his forehead gently, it was aching as a result of all theplications he brought upon himself. He tried to feel rxed by turning on hisputer, and scrolling through but he couldn¡¯t, he ended up groaning again. He couldn¡¯t work nor focus. Now, he has seeded in beginning to cut ties between him as Finn and Rita. **** Rita¡¯s POV I ate sluggishly as I constantly looked around to see if Finn came to the restaurant. He didn¡¯t show up. I wondered if he was mad at me or sad or something probably went wrong, I couldn¡¯t decipher if he behaved hostile to me only. I was so concerned. And of course, my friends noticed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Rita? Are you expecting someone?¡± Adam asked thest time I turned my head to look behind me. ¡°Is anything the matter Rita?¡± Evelyn also inquired. ¡°Finn¡¯s not here¡± I responded. ¡°So what¡¯s about him? Perhaps he¡¯s not having lunch, maybe he went elsewhere¡± Evelyn replied unseriously. ¡°Hmmn¡± I sighed a little. ¡°Thest time I went to the office today to submit the files, Finn didn¡¯t seem fine¡± I said and they gazed at each other dramatically. ¡°As if something is bothering him¡± I added. ¡°Did you ask him what¡¯s bothering him?¡± Evelyn asked but I shook my head. ¡°Nothing is wrong with Finn, he¡¯s fine. I was also in his office today and I didn¡¯t observe anything odd¡± Adam said. Alright, I guess it¡¯s my presence. I¡¯m only overreacting because Finn is just being himself and not flirting with me. ¡°Why are you so concerned?¡± Adam asked. I couldn¡¯t give him a perfect excuse but Evelyn came through. ¡°She should be concerned. They enjoyed the weekend together, ¡°she said. ¡°Yeah.. uhm, maybe your boyfriend¡¯s right. Nothing¡¯s odd about Finn¡± I concluded quickly before everything got suspicious that maybe I have fallen in love with Finn. I began to eat normally and stopped looking around for Finn. ¡°Hi guys¡± We heard a masculine voice and I looked up to who it was faster than the rest because I thought it was Finn, but it was his new personal assistant. He sat down on the usual vacant seat which was next to me. ¡°Hello¡± We greeted him nicely. ¡°Can I join you for lunch?¡± ¡°You just did¡± Adam said. ¡°Wait a minute, you are Finn¡¯s personal assistant aren¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn peered at him. ¡°So should I be running after him like a lost puppy?¡± He replied rudely and she got pissed off. ¡°Hello Rita, I wanna be your friend¡± Charles turned to me, giving his hand for a handshake. I shook hands with him though, staring at him weirdly. ¡°I am Charles¡± He beamed.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I know you very well now¡± I let out a false smile as I managed to disengage my hand from his since he won¡¯t let go. ¡°Charles¡± We heard Finn¡¯s voice from the other end. He just came into the restaurant and settled at another table far apart. ¡°So see you around Rita ¡± Charles said, he stood up and went to join Finn. ¡°Ugh! Such a weirdo!¡± Evelyn remarked. ¡°Rita, listen. Sooner orter, he¡¯lle tell you that he is in love with you or even lie that he fell in love with you right from the first day he set his eyes on you¡± She said. ¡°Finn?¡± I asked, ¡°C¡¯mon, I¡¯m talking about Charles. He¡¯s flirting with you obviously¡± She said and I rolled my eyes. ¡°You are so lucky, you¡¯ve got so many guys over you¡± ¡°Oh please¡± I looked up to stare at Finn where he sat but immediately our eyes met and he looked elsewhere instantly. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 57 THE END OF FINN AND RITA Rita¡¯s POV After the short break, there wasn¡¯t really anything serious to attend to, Evelyn has stolen the opportunity to stay with her boyfriend, leaving me all alone. I rested my head on the desk and a soft exhale escaped my nostrils. My shoulders mellowed down when I raised my head up and fixed my eyes into the space. I wasn¡¯t staring at anything in particr but different thoughts ran through my mind and I felt a deep ache in my left chest region (Heart) I released another sigh once I concluded to ask Finn what went wrong instead of listening to the crazy assumptions in my head. I dashed out of my office into Finn office without knocking, I met him alone busy with theputer. Non chant Charles was absent, he must have left early like he used to. ¡°Finn, are you okay?¡± I moved closer towards him but didn¡¯t take a seat. He raised his head up, surprised to see me. ¡°I am fine¡± He replied inly. ¡°Are you mad at me or something, did I do anything wrong?¡± I asked him straight away without beating around the bush. ¡°No?¡± He replied after a short silence. ¡°Then what happened to us Finn?¡± I questioned. ¡°There is no ¡®Us''¡± He corrected, sitting upright as he folded his arms. ¡°Uhm¡­ I mean you changed, like you .. you don¡¯t wanna talk to me¡± ¡°You noticed?¡± He raised his head up. ¡°Obviously¡± I said, at least he admitted. ¡°So there is nothing wrong with you but you are intentionally ignoring me?¡± I asked and he admitted; ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I have a fianc¨¦e now¡± He replied. I opened my mouth in awe, I was never expecting that response. ¡°But.. but that doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t interact with me anymore, I have a boyfriend too¡± I reminded him but he stood up and drew nearer towards me. ¡°Rita! You have been using me all this while to get what you want¡± Was what he said. ¡°Ah! What do you mean?¡± ¡°When you knew I was in love with you, you kept on and on and on ying with my feelings and it¡¯s not fair, it¡¯s not right¡± He raised his voice. ¡°I¡­ I was never ying with your feelings. I¡­ I thought we were only being just friends!¡± ¡°Friends?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Friends don¡¯t know how it taste¡± He mumbled. ¡°What??¡± ¡°Oh well, my girlfriend doesn¡¯t want me to have an extra female friend. She¡¯s suspicious of you and mad at me because we were together all through the weekend!¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You asked me out on a date!¡± I defended myself. ¡°Hence, we should keep our rtionsh¡­ friendship¡­ nope, interaction strictly business. Keep your distance away from me¡± He warned and returned to his seat. I stood right there, gazing at him dumbfoundedly. Since he now has a love life, why then was he all sweet and romantic towards mest night? I finally took my eyes off him and sluggishly walked out of his office to mine; Evelyn was back. ¡°Where did you go?¡± She asked. ¡°Somewhere in thispany¡± I said, forcing a smile. ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk¡± She said, beckoning me to sit. ¡°Okay so, I already discussed with the event nners, those in charge of decoratorations and surprises and uhm, I have secretly told some staffs about Adam¡¯s birthday partying up this weekend! It¡¯s gonna be a big day!!¡± Evelyn bbared. I didn¡¯t say anything, I was lost in thought again. Somehow, I heard her but for now, I wasn¡¯t interested in this conversation. I didn¡¯t know why my heart was aching. She finally noticed I barely paid attention to her. ¡°I¡¯m Adam¡¯s girlfriend and we are best friends. C¡¯mon bring up suggestions! Don¡¯t make take serious decision alone¡± She snapped her finger at my face. I took an heavy sigh. ¡°Did you hear all what I said?¡± She asked and I only nodded. ¡°You look sad, why?¡± Why? Why am I sad? Why am I thinking about him so much? Why did his simple words hurt me so much? He said he has a girlfriend, then why do I feel sad about it afterall, I am in a rtionship too and at least, that makes us even. It¡¯s all my fault, I was supposed to bemited to my rtionship. I miss our intimate friendship, I miss Finn a lot and I was beginning to substitute him for a physical boyfriend. Finn gave me fun, he makes my heart flutter. I have also gotten all the five lovenguages I ever yearned for from him. The saying, you will never realize how precious someone is until you lose them is right. Or maybe Finn was right, it¡¯s high time we better keep our rtionship strictly business. I heaved another heavy sigh. ¡°Rita ¨C Rita? C¡¯mon say something, answer me¡± Evelyn tapped me. ¡°You are not listening to me Rita!¡± ¡°I am. Yes, I.. I am listening to you¡± I formed a smile.¡±I.. I agree with everything you have said Evelyn, you know your boyfriend best!¡± ****** To Be Continued Chapter 58 RECONCILED WITH ZANE Rita¡¯s POV That very day when I got home, I engaged myself in some random stuff that wouldn¡¯t make me think about Finn. I cooked, ate, rested enough and tried to while away time. It suddenly drew on me that I was missing someone, Zane! He hasn¡¯t reached out to me yet! I dialed his number right away. At that moment, I badly wanted hispanion. On the second ring, he finally picked up his call. ¡°Hello babe, I am back from work¡± I announced, speaking into the phone. ¡°Ugh! Why does it sound like it¡¯s been a long long time since we heard each other¡¯s voice?¡± He said. ¡°You are right, it¡¯s been a while since we had a heart to heartmunication. My bad!¡± I tried to apologise but I heard him chuckle. Nowadays, he seemed to care less about my umitted attitude towards him. As if he was suspicious that I was cheating on him, now he¡¯s probably no longer interested in the rtionship or perhaps, he¡¯s just used to my umitted behavior. I don¡¯t know but the feeling of guilt welled up inside of me. ¡°Zane, I have a confession¡± I uttered. Lately, I have been carried away by Finn that I have almost forgotten about him, my boyfriend. ¡°I know we are at the edge of breaking up¡± Zane said solemnly. I was mute for a while, ¡°I agree¡± I muttered. ¡°And I admit that I am the major reason why our rtionship is falling apart. Like Mrs J Johnson has said attention and quality time keeps a rtionship going but I starved you of my attention these past days instead I diverted it to someone else¡± I confessed and I heard him exhale deeply. ¡°I am very sorry, maybe I am such a cheat¡± He didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Also, I have lied to you several times, Zane. I haven¡¯t been faithful, I.. I have not been honest with you for some time now¡± I felt really guilty. ¡°I¡­ I noticed Rita and I¡¯m prepared for what maye up soon¡± Zane replied, sounding like our rtionship ising to an end. ¡°No, I¡¯m not breaking up with you. I regret everything I have done but I still love you Zane, I love you so much and I am ready to make up things with you again, let¡¯s reconnect and return to the way we used to be¡± I proposed. He sighed deeply again. ¡°Zane¡± I mentioned his name. ¡°You don¡¯t want us to continue our rtionship?¡± I asked. Looks like he was hesitating. ¡°You don¡¯t love me anymore?¡± ¡°Of course, I do. This is just too much for me¡± He said. ¡°But, it is alright, do not feel bad; maybe I am also at fault¡± He finally answered. ¡°I am sorry for everything¡± I apologized again. ¡°Can we stop being solemn already? Instead make it up to me like you have said¡± He cheered, sounding delighted. ¡°I know exactly what you want¡± I giggled ¡°My once in a blue moon surprise!¡± ¡°Hmmmn maybe you are right but I don¡¯t wanna see you naked if you don¡¯t wanna see me naked!¡± He said. ¡°Alrigght fine! I wanna see you pants down! I will ignore the wetness, I mean the s*xual urge is normal. It is very normal to get horny after being allscivious¡± ¡°Are you sure I won¡¯t perceive your motherfvcking arousal from where I am?¡± He asked. I scoffed; ¡°I am ready for whatever¡± I said remembering how I was so certain thest time. ¡°I see. And you know what, I would love to finally have a video call with you!¡± he suggested. ¡°Really? Marvelous!¡± I eximed. ¡°You must be ready to see me in action¡± ¡°I¡¯m more than ready for you! A video call chat with you is something I have been looking forward to¡± I remarked. Just then, his iing video call popped in, chiming till I swiped to the receiver. ¡°Hold on a second Zane, watch me go change into a lingerie that would blow your mind¡± I said as I moved to my closest and picked a red silky-like lingerie because the color red gave a kind of lustful vibe. Haven, half-dressed up in the lingerie, I ced my phone vertically on the dressing table, so he could see my full body. Somehow, sex chatting with Zane this way has rekindled my suppressed feelings for him. I guess I was the one who hurt myself by dancing along to Finn¡¯s tune in the first ce but right now, I was less concerned Finn but more excited that Zane and I are getting along again and he was finally having a video call with me, an erotic one! It may be awkward yet I mustered up the courage to be ready for him in view of the fact that if I am not sexually enlightened and active now, how about when we finally meet physically? I felt goosebumps all over me as every single tiny hair on my skin stood. **********? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 59 SEX CHAT 18+ Rita¡¯s POV We resumed the video call, he was sitted stack naked, face cropped out, he slowly zoomed in and out through all other part of his body and focused more on his Mr B. D, I wasn¡¯t really startled but my eyes giggled because I could literally feel a tingling touch in between my legs. Since I didn¡¯t have to hold the phone while he could view me, I stood right in front of the phone, slowing swaying round as I tried to find a s*xy pose, I assumed his gaze was probably roaming down my body. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± I teased, doing a little twirl for him, giving him the view from every angle. ¡°Fvck woman! Are you trying to kill me?¡± He moaned. ¡± I learnt from the best¡± A smile formed on my lips. I love the fact that I already made him moan. ¡°I find it hard to decide whether to fly down there at this moment or continue to look at you all night. You are breathtaking¡± He said. If my face could look redder than it just did. ¡°You can do both ¡± I suggested, darting out my tongue to wet my lips. ¡°Put on a show for me¡± He demanded, his voice sounding deeper than usual. He didn¡¯t need to tell me, I was ready and prepared to do so, Confidence is s*xy especially when you¡¯re wearing a lingerie, I had learnt that statement from a couple¡¯s gist about how their wedding night went. I have also watched and read a lot of smut rted. I bent slowly and seductively, I have seen how strippers do it movies and I hope to God that Zane hasn¡¯t seen them because there was no way I could measure up to them. Following the imaginary music in my head, I twisted my body and twerked in front of the camera. ¡°I love what I see¡± He groaned. Once I stopped twerking, I zoomed out the screen, so he could properly examine my banging baddie body after all the piece of cloth wasn¡¯t covering anything at all, the tiny pores on it revealed my b**bs and my tiny nipples pointed at him. I slowly trailed my finger from my neck down to my breast and massaged both softly, I heard some smacking sound from him and the quick sharp breath he took. I didn¡¯t stop there, looks like I wasn¡¯t a learner anymore but the dominant one this moment. I continued to stroke my body in a sinful way, afterall it wasn¡¯t all about putting on a show for him, I was also enjoying myself. I turned, showing my back to the camera, now he could see the big ass which my curvy hipline carried. ¡°Spank! This is bouncy!!!¡± He remarked and I chuckled. ¡°You are endowed. I need pictures of you on this outfit. I love love it¡± ¡°Sure! Send me pictures of your Mr B. D. I can handle it¡± ¡°I see, I see. I can see that I ould prate thrustfully into my honey pot¡± He said, stroking his dick. I gave a loud moan, because I actually felt his hardened dick thrusting inside of me. ¡°I can smell your mother fvcking arousal from here and I can practically taste how much you¡¯re dripping in those panties of yours¡± ¡°Y-es babyyy¡± I moaned, sinfully sliding my hands slowly all over my body. ¡°I could cum just from gazing at you¡± He said; ¡°Look at it, my dick has erected towards your direction, it¡¯s finding it way to bury deep into your p*ssy¡± I fingered my self and groaned in pain, yet I said; ¡°I wish you do not stop Zane!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t get enough of you, take it off!¡± ¡°I love that lingerie but I don¡¯t wanna see you in it anymore¡± Zane said. I didn¡¯t hesitate to pull off the lingerie and stood dark naked like he was. ¡°Woah!¡± He stretched his hand towards the camera like he could almost touch me yet I felt his cold bare hands all over my body. ¡°Look what you have hiding inside those clothes Rita. You are hot!¡± He said, I shamelessly turned around 360 for him. ¡°You know what Zane, I care less about my body right now, it is for you to care. And yours is for me to tend, vice versa. Your dick is the first I have seen, l didn¡¯t know it was this big and thick and long and it¡¯s mine. I wish I could grab it right now thrust it into me¡± I don¡¯t believe words like this coulde out of my mouth. ¡°Do you want me to thrust it into your mouth or pussy? Whichever way, like you can see, the cap is pinkish, it might taste like your favorite strawberry lollipop¡± I felt that was even more nasty but he moaned loudly. ¡°Sucking is my fun than fucking¡± He added. ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me if I were to lick down your tight little pussy, my tongue wouldn¡¯te out soaked?¡± ¡°Suck fucking!!¡± Our moan filled the air. He humped and rubbed his dick till cum gushed out of it. ¡°Done sucking, back to thrusting deep into your pussy¡± Zane¡¯s a s*x expert and I guess, I have finally be one. All on my mind was Sex, sex, fucking and fucking. ¡°Ye-s, I ¨C I can feel it, don¡¯t stop Zane, go deeper¡± I felt the tip of his cock nudging my entrance, it was me fingering myself and a shiver of painful pleasure banked in. Iid on the bed and spread my legs apart. ¡°Oh my days! Much more work I¡¯ve got to do down there¡± Hemented. ¡°I¡¯m pretty much tight, my fingers can¡¯t even pierce it through. Do you think I am not good enough?¡± I asked. ¡°Nah, I love tight pussy. I wanna eat you till it expands¡± He said. I moaned loudly, practically screaming until my phone buzzed. I got up to look at the screen, I figured the video call has ended. I tried to reach Finn, but it wouldn¡¯t connect. ¡°Arrgh¡± I groaned and squatted on my self. I was all wet. Since we couldn¡¯t reconnect the video call, I rushed down to the bathroom to have a cold bath, refreshing myself and erasing the memory of what just happened if possible. My V area still hurts, and I regret piercing my fingers into it, I squeaked but tried to ignore the pain afterall I enjoyed the unreal sex. It makes me crave for an actual action. *** Zane¡¯s POV I turned off my phone and threw it aside carelessly. I staggered into the bathroom, leaned on the wall and turned on the shower. ¡°Aarrrrgh!!!¡± I screamed, hitting my fist against the tiled wall. I groaned out as the pain radiated through my hand yet wasn¡¯t satisfying enough, I swept my hair to the back, frustrated about the whole situation. I turned off the shower and faced the mirror, my face reflected uneasiness, my eyes turned red with my jaw hardened. As the frustration lingered, a particr thought swirled in my mind like a hurricane. Was I A S*x Maniac? I mean ¡­ I love the body of ady, I love s*x, I used to hunt for sluts. That was me before however, the sexual desires have consumed me totally especially now I¡¯ve be solely for Rita. Her s*xy body has be a distraction, an obsession that I couldn¡¯t shake. ¡°This is not working out for me!¡± I yelled. The n was to end every rtionship with Rita in order to end thisplication but I cannot. I¡¯m addicted to her, I¡¯m obsessed with her body, I have made her do immoral and sinful stuff she has never ever done. Maybe I am a truly sex freak, a satyriasiac, I am a retired male slut afterall. ¡°Aaarrrrrrgh!!!!¡± My doors were locked, so Madison wouldn¡¯te rushing in. I walked out of the bathroom and began to pace around my room, ¡°Why do I keep deceiving myself that I can avoid Rita? I have managed and maybe seeded to end our rtionship at work as me being Finn yet I keep in touch with her on the inte as Zane. Why? Why? Because I wanted her body again? Am I really in love with Rita or I was only lusting over her banging body?¡±From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh no! I love Rita!¡± The original n haspletely taken a different turn. Our love story was supposed to start and end by me anonymously pretending to be a poor guy then show up as her CEO. Then figure out if she was gonnna leave her poor online boyfriend to date a billionaire CEO. Instead, I messed up the whole thing, I messed with the wrong girl. It¡¯s all my fault! It¡¯s my fault she fell in love with her CEO, it doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s a gold digger, it¡¯s my fault she¡¯s in love with both Finn and Zane. It¡¯s my fault she opens her body, it doesn¡¯t make her a slut. It¡¯s all my fault! Jeeez! I have a lot to fix! Rather, let¡¯s try again, I¡¯ll try to end things with her both as Finn and Zane. ****** To Be Continued **** Chapter 60 INVITATION CARDS Rita¡¯s POV While we were less busy at work, I assisted Evelyn to share Adam¡¯s birthday invitation card secretly yet within thepany without making Adam aware about it. Although I tried to ignore Finn throughout today, I eagerly epted to go give him an invitation card. ¡°Good day Charles, Good day Mr Finn¡± I greeted formally, no single string attached after all. ¡°Good day beautiful angel!¡± Charles replied.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. While Finn slowly raised his head, acknowledging my greetings with a nod, looks like he then reluctantly said; ¡°Good day to you too Rita¡± I moved closer then dropped the invitation card on his table. ¡°Adam¡¯s birthday. Evelyn says your presence will be appreciated and mind you, this is a secret away from Adam¡± I warned. He picked up the card, unsealed it and skimmed through. ¡°Happy birthday in advance to your best friend¡± He replied. ¡°Can I get an invitation card too?¡± Charles requested. I smiled and drew closer to him. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure Evelyn wouldn¡¯t mind. You are a very jovial fellow. Here¡¯s one for you¡± I handed over to him an invitation card too. ¡°Thank you Rita¡± Charles said, narrowing his eyes into mine while he received the invitation card, also, he lightly pinched my finger. I chuckled because I didn¡¯t understand that gesture. I noticed Finn was peering at us through his sses, when I caught him doing so; he adjusted his sses and continued his work. I returned to him and sat down. ¡°Mr Finn¡± I called his name as formally as possible. ¡°Finn¡± He corrected, not looking at me but focusing on theputer. ¡°No, Mr Finn¡± I repeated. ¡°Woah! What¡¯s wrong with both of you? Charles chipped in. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Finn shunned. ¡°Lovers quarrel!¡± Charles added, scoffing. ¡°Shut it!¡± Finn hit his desk. ¡°We were never lovers¡± I shunned Charles too. ¡°Well, I noticed you two used to be pretty close. Anyways, good for me I guess¡± Charles said, then faced his work squarely. ¡°I¡¯vee to see you¡± I told Finn. He adjusted his mesh chair and sat upright. ¡°Excuse us, Charles¡± He ordered and Charles grumbled. ¡°No, Charles doesn¡¯t have to leave, it is not private¡± I said. ¡°What is it Rita?¡± Finn asked me. ¡°Next week is a new month, I¡¯vee to remind you of the absence of leave I¡¯m getting¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get itst month remember? You promised this month plus you now have my personal reason¡± ¡°Yeah¡± He replied after a while. ¡°I vividly remember you requested for two weeks breakst month. You can have it next month¡± He approved. ¡°Thank you so much Mr Finn¡± I bowed my head in respect, got on my feet immediately. Charles smiled and waved at me while I exited the office. **** I stopped by at the male section, haven peeped through and noticed Adam¡¯s absence, I proceeded into the department and shared all the invitation cards I had, I hushed them not to inform Adam about it and I ensured they kept the cards before Adam came in. Evelyn wouldn¡¯te down here herself to share the invitation cards because of Adam¡¯s presence. On my way out of the section, I bumped into Adam at the entrance. ¡°Woah Rita, what are you doing here?¡± He asked. I tried toport myself, so he wouldn¡¯t suspect or notice anything fishy. ¡°I was justing from Finn¡¯s office, so I decided to say Hi to you. Where have you been?¡± I said. ¡°Uhm, the rest room¡± He responded. I smiled a little; ¡°Okay, catch youter in the day¡± I waved, taking my leave. ¡°Rita¡± He called me back. ¡°Uhm, yes Adam¡± ¡°Can I talk to you for ¨C some minutes?¡± He asked, looking serious yet nervous. Adam talks to me this way whenever there¡¯s an issue between him and Evelyn and he wants me to be an intermediary. ¡°Sure¡± I nodded, moving closer to him but he headed outside thepany, I followed him behind.¡± ¡°Is there a problem? You look really worried¡± I asked. He blew a light huff; ¡°Everything is fine maybe¡± He responded and asked further;¡± How is hum, your boyfriend, Zane?¡± ¡°Zane is fine¡± I wondered why he suddenly asked after him. ¡°He¡¯s your best friend, why do you ask?¡± ¡°Actually, I told you we were buddies at college, we are- no- no longer best friends¡± He stuttered. ¡°That¡¯s sad to hear¡± I remarked. ¡°You¡¯re still with him despite the-the distance?¡± He asked and I nodded; ¡°I¡¯m sure you converse often then¡± ¡°Yeah, we had a lit conversation yesterday, do not ask me what it is¡± I said and he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m just checking up on you, I just wanna make sure everything is alright with you in your long distance rtionship especially because online rtionship can be really tiring and dangerous and besides you haven¡¯t made mention of you and Zane for a while now, I know you too well Rita, you pretend everything is fine¡± I giggled a little; ¡°Thank you so much for your concern Adam, Zane and I are actually very much cool at the moment, we know how to go about it whenever we¡¯re quarreling, it¡¯s more like fighting to be strong for each other¡± I exined briefly. ¡°You know you can always talk to me if something is wrong¡± Adam is more matured and understanding than Evelyn! I sighed heavily. ¡°Sometimes ago, I thought of Finn as Zane¡± I resumed. Adam gave me his listening ears, so I continued freely; ¡°I see Zane in Finn. Adam, I do not know if you understand me or maybe you¡¯ll eventually mock me.¡± ¡°No, I understand you clearly. Long distance rtionship is never easy amidst all temptation outside the rtionship¡± ¡°Yeah, temptation! you are right. While Finn and I had a great time together, I had wished it was Zane and I allowed my head to lead and my heart followed. I imagined Finn as Zane or is it Zane as Finn. Finn gives me butterflies in my belly, I.. I am not sure if I¡¯m in love with him too¡± I paused; ¡°Maybe because of my imagination or maybe it¡¯s just a mere lust or infatuation or something¡± I shut my eyes and sniffed deeply. ¡°I understand ¡± Adam said. ¡°You won¡¯t report to Zane, will you?¡± ¡°No, of course not. Your secret is safe with me Bestie¡± I smiled and hugged him. ¡°I just want you to be fine, you do not deserve a hard time¡± He said. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s all in the past now. Finn has a girlfriend and he¡¯s no longer close with me. I think it¡¯s helping me forget that I ever developed such romantic feelings for him¡± I told him. ¡°Also, I got back together with Zane and I cannot wait to see him soon¡± I jumped up happily. ¡°What do you mean by see him soon?¡± ¡°Catch up Adam! I¡¯ll travel down to Canada next month remember?¡± ¡°Oh.. Oh that¡¯s right. I¡­ I¡¯m happy for you¡± ******* To Be Continued. Chapter 61 MORE SECRETS ¡°So I spoke with Rita today, we had a serious lengthy discussion¡± Adam informed Finn. ¡°What?? What did you tell her?¡± Finn squeaked. ¡°Not a single hint about for true identity. Chill¡± ¡°True, she would have dashed into my office tond a hot dirty p on my face. So was it just a usual random conversation with her?¡± Yet he asked to confirm. ¡°Well, I wanted to know her own side of the story and I figured that you stillmunicate with her as Zane, you also had a great chat yesterday!¡± Adam emphasized on the word ¡®Great¡¯ ¡°She told you that?¡± Finn eximed. ¡°Rita told me she and Zane are on great terms but you are hostile towards her as Finn. So what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°I do not know what I¡¯m doing anymore Adam, I told you it¡¯s difficult and now it¡¯s getting out of my hands. I couldn¡¯t help butmunicate with her as Zane¡± He grumbled. ¡°Well just so you know, it¡¯s more better if you end things with herpletely as the character Zane and move on with her as Finn forever, forever bury the secret that you were her online lover, that¡¯s if she never ever finds out¡± Adam suggested. Finn sighed heavily ¡°It¡¯s worse if she eventually finds out herself, and you aware that there¡¯s more secrets to just being her online lover. I hope she never finds out and I hope she forgives me once she does. Impossible¡± He sighed, shamefaced. ¡°I love Rita so much¡± ¡°She loves you too. Although, she is currently killing the feelings she has for you. You have to do something now before it¡¯s toote¡± Adam urged. ¡°Adam, you advised me to end things with her as both Finn and Zane, now you are suggesting I end things with her as Zane only¡± ¡°Do not ever me me! Finn, Zane, Finn, Zane, Zane ¡± Adam repeated the names and shook his head.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Listen, this is not about what I¡¯ve said, this is about both of you. I¡¯m trying to mend things somehow. I¡¯m sorry if my suggestion seemplicated but the issue on ground has already been way moreplicated¡± ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Finn mumbled. ¡°Do you truly love Rita or you just wanna mess with her?¡± ¡°I love her so much, both as Finn, the CEO of Cosmetics And Beauty Company and as Zane, her online boyfriend. I love her from the bottom of my heart¡± Finn crossed his heart. ¡°Rita is also in love with those two identities without knowing you are one¡± ¡°I know right. And that¡¯s not cheating¡± ¡°Return to her as Finn. That¡¯s all I have got to say¡± Adam concluded. ¡°I will, I will end things with her online ande back into her life as Finn, a physical boyfriend¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am a love doctor anymore, how can I be having problems in my own rtionship?!¡± He questioned rhetorically. ¡°Why did you give Rita a break again to travel to Canada?¡± Adam suddenly changed the topic. ¡°Rita is not going anywhere. Of course, I have a n ahead¡± Finn replied and Adam shook his head. ¡°You had better¡± ¡°Do you mind if I drop you off?¡± Finn asked, tightening his seatbelt as he was about to start the engine. ¡°No, please. I¡¯m stopping by at my girlfriend¡¯s ce and you know she mustn¡¯t suspect why we suddenly became close after pulling up a whole act to be worst enemies¡± ¡°Your girlfriend¡± Finn chuckled; ¡°Speaking about her¡± He paused and slid out the invitation card out from his briefcase. ¡°You are not supposed to see this, I¡¯m repaying you for all what you have done for me¡± He said and handled over the card to him. ¡°Woah! My birthday is on saturday and I didn¡¯t remmber! Who did this? You¡¯re throwing a birthday party for me?¡± Adam was shocked. ¡°Your girlfriend, dude!¡± Finn snatched the card from him. ¡°It¡¯s meant to be a surprise, I¡¯ve given you a head up now and I regret it¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s still a surprise¡± Adam smiled while he got off the car. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 62 ZANE AND RITA Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Hey baby girl¡± I mimicked his muscr voice thenughed out loud, he only chuckled. ¡°How are you, baby girl?¡± Zane asked. ¡°I¡¯m doing just fine and how are you too?¡± ¡°Oh dear, I am fine too¡± ¡°In reference to, we lost contactst night¡± I reminded him. ¡°Ye-ah, I tried to reach you but the signal was bad¡± I scoffed; ¡°Ugh! The signal is always bad on a good day¡± ¡°Hmmn well I feel it is very good, the signal cut us offst night. Rita, I¡¯ve put you in so much pain and difort, it shouldn¡¯t happen again¡± He suddenly grumbled. ¡°Nothing is diforting about it. See, I¡¯m over the shyness. And did I perform well, do you love it?¡± I asked excitedly but he took a while before he replied. ¡°Yeah.. I did¡± He answered under his breath. ¡°I hope we do it again another time¡± I suggested eagerly and actively. ¡°No Rita, I think I¡¯m turning you into something else, I think we should stop s*x chatting already. You were all naive and innocent when we started this rtionship¡± I cannot believe that he wasining. ¡°But¡­ this is what we both want. We¡¯ve got flesh, we are not logs of wood¡± ¡°You are right, I.. I love¡­ it. I understand it¡¯s normal for a first timer like you to continuously yearn for physical touch and physical intimacy. I think you are taking it too far and fast¡± He said. ¡°Huh?! Physical touch and physical intimacy?¡± I repeated, I thought those words were made up by J Johnson and I only. Perhaps J Johnson told him my strengths and weaknesses. Zane coughed and continued; ¡°I am notining okay? I feel guilty for this strange sexual behavior of yours¡± He said. ¡°Zane, I told you I wanted to learn and grow. To start with, I¡¯ve outgrown shyness and naiveness. And I do not regret showing you my body¡± I said. ¡°Uhm, alright. If you insist ¡± He said reluctantly. ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± He added. ¡°What is it again dear?¡± ¡°Erm, err-r¡­ about my face¡± ¡°Oh, Oh!¡± I mumbled, I cannot believe that he was ready to tell me: ¡°You didn¡¯t show me your face during thest video call¡± I muttered. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I know you expected it¡± ¡°Feel free, let me see your face when you want me to¡± I tried not to sound anxious enough. ¡°Actually Rita, I will be having a surgery soon¡± ¡°Surgery?¡± I eximed, pretending like I wasn¡¯t aware. ¡°Are you ill Zane?¡± ¡°I.. I am slightly disabled¡± He sighed and continued; ¡± I am ready to let you know why I have been hiding my face¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I am not every girl¡¯s kinda guy. I look really unattractive. I had an id¡­¡± I interrupted him. ¡°Say no more, you are my kind of guy no matter what you look like and I am d you confessed to me yourself¡± ¡°I feel relieved now¡± I giggled; ¡°Looks like you would be getting the facial surgery before Ie visit you¡± ¡°You wanna pay me a visit?¡± ¡°Oops, was supposed to be a surprise, remember?¡± ¡°Good you informed me ahead, I am about to embark on a tiring business trip to Nethends shortly after having the surgery, my boss chose me toe along with him¡± ¡°Business trip? Nethends?¡± I muttered. ¡°Why are you just telling me this, Zane?¡± I asked. ¡°I was gonna tell you Rita¡± He said but I cut in sharply. ¡°When exactly?¡± I didn¡¯t realize that I was raising my voice. ¡°Rita, we haven¡¯t had enough time for ourselves, just yesterday when we clicked again, we did something else¡± He said. I sighed; ¡°You should have informed me ahead, somehow. I have been looking forward to meet you¡± ¡°Uhm, me too¡± He responded coldly; ¡°Once I get the surgery soonest, Nethend way immediately¡± ¡°Ugh! I nned to visit the immigration office on friday, but it has now been canceled. I also have to inform my boss that I am not taking the break anymore¡± I said, disappointedly. ¡°Yes, dear. Please do that. Till we meet¡± ¡°So winter it is, till winter like you have said¡± ¡°Yeah¡± I sighed heavily, trying to process the situation and at the same time, trying to calm my nerves down. ¡°So can I hang up the call now?¡± Zane asked.From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? Why? Why so soon?¡± ¡°I am very busy Rita, against the task ahead of me¡± He grumbled. ¡°Oh all right. So let¡¯s call it a night, I guess¡± ¡°Yes, please¡± He answered kinda harshly and he hung up the call instantly. Without saying ¡®I love you¡¯, or ¡®good night¡¯, or ¡®sweet dreams¡¯ or anything romantic. He disconnected the call just like that because the task he has ahead is more important than me in his life? Maybe I just needed to be patient with him. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 63 FLOWERS Rita¡¯s POV Coincidentally, Evelyn and I alighted in front of thepany, we walked into our office together only to find a bouquet on my own desk. ¡°Who dropped this?¡± I faced Evelyn. ¡°How would you expect me to know? We are just arriving¡± Evelyn responded. ¡°So who dropped these flowers on my desk?¡± I asked no one in particr. I was surprised because I barely associated with the other staffs in here, so who could it be. ¡°Maybe it was Adam, maybe he dropped it for me¡± Evelyn said. ¡°I found it on my desk, your desk is next. Adam wouldn¡¯t make such a mistake¡± I shunned and she frowned a little. ¡°Last time I checked you do not have a boyfriend in this office¡± ¡°Evelyn, they are just flowers. It coulde from anyone, a secret admirer maybe¡± Just then, Adam walked into our office. ¡°Hey guys, when did you arrive? I have been expecting you¡± He said. ¡°Hi babe¡± He hugged his girlfriend, pecking her all over, making her giggle dramatically. ¡°Okay guys, do you realize that I am not invisible?¡± I announced, they disengaged and chuckled. ¡°Rita, found these flowers on her table, did you drop them for me?¡± Evelyn asked Adam. ¡°Flowers. No, I didn¡¯t leave any flowers¡± He answered. ¡°Oh then, I guess the bouquet is mine¡± I carried them and blushed secretly because I guessed the flowers were from Finn. Finn is romantic and I think this is his small way of apologizing to me for suddenly being weird, maybe he wants us to get back together. I remember he also gave me some flowers at my parents ce after disappointing me. ¡°I think I know who gave me this bouquet ¡± I smiled and sat down. ¡°Uhm who?¡± Evelyn inquired. ¡°I told you, a secret admirer, who else?¡± ¡°Hmmmn¡± Adam hummed like he knew who I was referring to. ¡°Ande to think of it, your main boyfriend Zane never sent you parcels, packages, talk more of ordinary flowers¡± Evelyn teased but it startled me. Gift! another lovenguage it is, I never got gifts from Zane nor little funds for up keeping. I wasn¡¯tcking neither did I ever ever request anything at all from him because I am not a gold digger but little gifts thates from the heart matters way more than the sentence ¡® I love you¡¯ ¡°Maybe he doesn¡¯t have ..¡± I answered, rolling my eyes. I didn¡¯t feel bad that Evelyn literally just mocked my boyfriend after all, she was right, even though Zane was absent, he never ever waybilled parcels or gift items while Finn, whom I never even dated, showered me with more love, offered me a good job with increased sry, he took me out on a dinner date. Finn wasn¡¯t a random guy to me neither was Zane a bad guy, he could at least be like Finn and other romantic guys. ¡°Maybe my boyfriend doesn¡¯t have anything to offer¡± I repeated myself. ¡°I cannot believe you are saying this ¡± Adam stated. ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s true, Zane never sent me gift items, maybe he is broke or he doesn¡¯t have¡± I didn¡¯t feel remorseful one bit. Even Evelyn who brought up the topic of discussion only to pull my legs was very shocked that I admitted unrepentantly. They stared at eachother like I was out of my senses. ¡°And announcement everyone, I am not traveling to Canada anymore¡± I said. ¡°Why not?¡± They asked simultaneously. ¡°Zane said he¡¯s upied, he has a business trip to the Nethends or somewhere, wheresoever ¡± I answered perfunctorily. ¡°Maybe you could visit him once he is back¡± Evelyn suggested ¡°No, never. I will travel nowhere but wait here till he returns, even if it takes the return of Jesus Christ¡± I sighed. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? What do you mean?¡± Adam folded his arms, inquisitively. ¡°I think something is wrong between her and her boyfriend¡± Evelyn presumed ¡°Or did you guys break up already?¡± She confronted me. ¡°No¡± I blurted. ¡°We are together and not together, that¡¯s how our rtionship has always been¡± I responded sheepishly. ¡°You and Zane might break up soon. We spew out nonsense, what we actually do not mean whenever we are quarreling. Talk to me Rita¡± Evelyn said empathically as she drew a seat forward and sat next to me. I took a deep breath in and out. ¡°I am only over reacting, Zane and I didn¡¯t quarrel¡± I told them. ¡°Then what exactly happened? Why are you making a fuss?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Nowadays, Zane is being un-understandable, I am tryna be patient with him, I want us to fix things despite all odds, despite his ws. I know I am also not a perfect girlfriend but I am tryna be one¡± I kept on starting a new statement withoutpleting the other, I didn¡¯t know how to exin. ¡°You are truly overreacting like you¡¯ve admitted, I don¡¯t get your point; is it because you don¡¯t get all you want from Zane?¡± Evelyn questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me, I don¡¯t what¡¯s wrong with us; actually, nothing is wrong with us. Today I¡¯m beginning to get fed up of the rtionship, another day I am obsessed with him, I don¡¯t know¡± I said. ¡°Break up with Zane already, I think you should take a break¡± Adam suddenly uttered. ¡°Wtf Adam, that¡¯s not a good advice,¡± Evelyn snapped and patted my back gently. ¡°Your boyfriend must be a great guy, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a reason for every action he is taken that¡¯s making you feel fed up of the rtionship¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him, it¡¯s me¡± ¡°Will you endure till you¡¯re sure of what your heart is saying?¡± She asked. ¡°I have no choice, I still love him somehow¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± She looked at me and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m confused please¡± I smiled in a weird way. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with you, you don¡¯t know what you want¡± She gave a eye roll and returned to her seat. Iughed out loud in a weird manner. ¡°You had better talk to a therapist or your Mrs Johnson wherever¡± ¡°Be fine okay? See you guyster¡± Adam exited. Only Adam understood how I was feeling, I huffed deeply and tried to look my best by putting on a smile and changing the topic. ¡°The flowers are beautiful¡± I sniffed it in ¡°And they smell nice too¡± I gently ced them into a side ssy vase and resumed the day activities.From N?velDrama.Org. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 64 FINN VS CHARLES Rita¡¯s POV Regarding the bouquet I got, I was expecting Finn to show up at my office but he didn¡¯t, he probably thought I turned down the flowers ?? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. I abandoned the rest of the work for Evelyn handle while I impatiently piled up files to go give them to Finn. ¡°Hello there¡± I waved at Charles who obviously admired me as I walked pass him towards Finn¡¯s desk. As usual, I dropped the files on the table and repeated; ¡°Hello¡± I smiled widely, giving him a gesture that I got his message and his flowers. When he smiled back at me, I took that as a cue of hope. ¡°Can I have a seat?¡± I asked rhetorically. ¡°Of course¡± He replied. I sat down stylishly. ¡°I won¡¯t be taking a break from work anymore¡± To start with, I informed him. ¡°Uhm, why?¡± ¡°Private reasons ?¡± ¡°Uhm?¡± ¡°You know the private reason, I wanted to go see my man but something came up, so I won¡¯t be traveling anymore¡± I exined briefly, I spoke to him freely and informally since we¡¯re starting to get cool again. ¡°Oh, alright¡± He said. ¡°Er¡­ uhm, I.. I got your gift, why aren¡¯t you saying anything about it, you¡¯re shy?¡± ¡°What gift? Gift?¡± He asked, furrowing his brows. I chuckled, oh! so he has decided to pretend he knew nothing about it. ¡°I will return to my office now, see you during lunch maybe¡± I got on my foot. ¡°Enjoy the rest of your day Rita¡± He said. ¡°Thank you, you too¡± I smiled, now heading towards the door when Charles obstructed me. Is he always having a conversation with everyone thates to see Finn? ¡°Hey dear¡± ¡°Hi Charles¡± I yed along by returning the sweet attitude he¡¯s showing me. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful ¡± He suddenlyplimented and I was puzzled. ¡°You are really beautiful¡± ¡°Thank ¡­you¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look bad yourself¡± It¡¯s even better to exchangepliments even when you don¡¯t mean it. I noticed Finn raised his head up to see what Charles was up to again. I wondered also. ¡°Thank you¡± Charles smiled. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even get you somethingpared to your beauty, but I thought you might love some flowers anyways¡± ¡°Uhn.. you were the one who left bouquet on my desk?¡± I asked and he nodded. I was shocked, I turned to Finn, who looked bewildered as I was, then why was he smiling and jovial to me whereas we were initially on bad terms. ¡°You didn¡¯t love the flowers? Allergy?¡± Charles asked. ¡°I.. I love the flowers. They are beautiful, they smell nice too. I love Fl.. flowers¡± I stammered abit, still stunned. ¡°I know right¡± He smiled widely. ¡°Uhn.. Charles. Thank you, I.. I¡¯ve got work¡± I tried not to be rude. ¡°Oh, sorry for taking too much of your time. See you aroundter¡± I nodded weirdly, taking another look at Finn before leaving his office. I have made a fool of myself by speaking to Finn, I hit my left side chest (heart) as if it would make it stop racing abnormally. ***** Finn¡¯s POV ¡°Why did you get her flowers?¡± I tried not to make a fuss yet. Infact, I¡¯ll take this very lightly if he meant no intention at all. ¡°Why did I get Rita flowers?¡± Charles asked himself like he didn¡¯t understand the same question I just asked him. I didn¡¯t say anything but folded my arms and stared at him, waiting for a proper answer. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what it means to give a girl flowers?¡± Charles questioned me rhetorically. ¡°I know and that¡¯s why I asked to confirm¡± He smirked; ¡°Hmmn well, I like Rita so much. Huh, did I use the word ¡®like¡¯? I am in love with Rita¡± Charles responded and I groaned, hitting my hand on the table then I stood up to confront him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you dude?¡± He asked. ¡°Dude?¡± I voiced; ¡°I am Mr Finn Lakston to you, the CEO of thispany, I am your boss! You have no fvcking right to call me dude, you dare not speak to me informally!¡± I retorted. ¡°Okay, Mr CEO Finn, what is wrong with you? Why are you so mad?¡± Charles ridiculed. Finn scoffed and moved closer to him; ¡°Put an end to the feelings you have for Rita, it¡¯s not a request but an order¡± Charlesughed hysterically ¡°Who are you to tell me who I should fall in love with or not?¡± He fired back at me. ¡°I¡¯m not messing with you Charles¡± I raised my voice but this idiot seemed to be unbothered; ¡°Rita is in a rtionship ¡± ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want me, Rita would tell me herself. Just because she is dating someone doesn¡¯t necessarily guarantee she would end up with him¡± Charlesughed. ¡°Shut the fvck up!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your business? You are not her dad, brother or bodyguard. Oh sorry, oops! you love her too. Wow, that makes us rivals right? Nice meeting you again Mr Finn¡± He stretched his hand for a handshake. Sarcastic! ¡°You are insane¡± I insulted him and returned to my seat. Charles went back to his seat too but packed up his things along with him. ¡°Just tell me you¡¯re resigning!¡± I said. ¡°Opps! See you on monday¡± Heughed weirdly and left my office. ¡°Arrrgh!!¡± I mithered frustratedly. ¡°I hate that guy! I hate him! I hate him!!!, Aaaaarrrgh!!!!¡± ***** To Be Continued Chapter 65 RECONCILED WITH FINN Rita¡¯s POV ¡°You kept a strange bouquet from an anonymous. The flowers might not even be yours¡± Evelyn raised the topic while we were having our lunch. ¡°They are mine. I thought the flowers were from Finn, but turned out Charles gave them to me¡± I shrugged a little. ¡°Finn didn¡¯t send the flowers?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Sadly, No¡± I murmured. ¡°Sadly?¡± Evelyn raised her brows. ¡°I.. I mean I never expected flowers from Charles, we are not intimate; Finn and I are¡± I avoid stuttering. ¡°Charles is making advances towards you, he flirted with you yesterday, didn¡¯t he? Today he got you lovely flowers, expect more from him ¡± Evelyn said. I sighed slightly. ¡°Charles is a nice guy and at least, he knows how to impress a woman. Did you notice how happy I was when I got the flowers?¡± They looked at me weirdly. ¡°You know Rita, you¡¯d better get back with Zane before another guyes in between you two¡± Evelyn said. ¡°Anyways, have you made up with Finn?¡± Adam asked and I shook my head. ¡°We¡¯re not on bad terms. ording to him, he¡¯s keeping his distance. Geez! I made a fool of myself by speaking to him today!¡± ¡°Huh, is there more to Finn not interacting with you like he used to?¡± Evelyn asked but I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Also, you said you expected the flowers were from him¡± She continued but I rolled my eyes and kept mute. ¡°Hmmm¡± She looked at me suspiciously. ¡°I believe we all miss having Finn around us. The guy mingled with us because of you Rita. Therefore, if you two are not on good terms, so we are¡± Adam said. Just when I tried to wave off the terrible feelings, I heard Finn¡¯s voice behind me ¡°Hi¡± Perhaps I imagined his voice but the look on Adam and Evelyn¡¯s face confirmed he was the one, so I didn¡¯t turn to look at him. He pulled the chair, to sit next to me as usual. ¡°Rita¡± Until he mentioned my name, was when I looked at his face. ¡°Uhm?¡± ¡°Can we talk privately?¡± He asked. Evelyn scoffed; ¡°Spew it out here, we are one or whatever you say to her in private, she wille back to tell us. We are best friends¡± ¡°Shii Evelyn¡± I chided her and she gave an eye roll. For some unsure reasons, I still had a soft spot for Finn that I couldn¡¯t scold him. I wanted to listen to what he had to say. I missed him so much. I missed our closeness. I wanted us to get back together but he has a Fiancee now. He led me to the VVIP¡¯s table where he usually have his own lunch. ¡°You want us to discuss¡± I uttered when he signaled the waiter to bring us a meal. He adjusted his seat and leaned forward; ¡°I am so notfortable with the way things are between us¡± He said when I didn¡¯t say anything, he continued; ¡°We were doing just fine and we were getting fond of eachother¡± I interrupted him. ¡°As it shouldn¡¯t be because you have a lover¡± I murmured. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean I should avoid you¡± ¡°Oh now it has just dawn upon you¡± I rolled my eyes. He smiled, he was gonna touch my hand but I slid it down off the table, so he couldn¡¯t touch me. ¡°You know one thing about having the slightest quarrel with someone, it makes it difficult to fix the initial bond again¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are you still mad at me?¡± He asked solemnly. ¡°Nah, I am not¡± ¡°Then can we go back to the way we used to be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡­ I wish¡± I paused; ¡°I wish we never took this sudden break but I respect your reason for doing so¡± I stood up the minute the waiter came to serve us. ¡°Just so you know, we are cool but we can¡¯t be intimate anymore. We are moving extra, extra and messing with our emotions. We are both in a separate rtionship, we should be careful¡± I saidstly and left his table. I sighed and frowned a little when I was some steps away from him. I didn¡¯t look back at him because I could already feel him staring at me. I also wish we could still be intimate but that will only grow my feelings for him which I¡¯m tryna make it fade away. I briefly made it known to Adam and Evelyn that Finn apologized and we are friends again. Nothing more. ¡°Any ns for the weekend Adam?¡± Evelyn broke the silence again. ¡°Err¡­ no ns exactly. Weekend has always been weekend¡± Adam replied bluntly. I knew why Evelyn asked, Adam¡¯s birthday! ¡°You¡¯re right! Weekend has always been weekend. I¡¯ming over to your ce¡± Evelyn announced. ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Adam smiled. He¡¯ll never see iting. I suddenly felt someone was looking deeply into my soul, I raised my head only for my eyes to meet Finn¡¯s.From N?velDrama.Org. He looked pathetic, like I have hurt him so much or perhaps he doesn¡¯t understand why I was in support of this aloofness. Oops! Maybe he is actually dating someone to get over me but just can not. The look in his eyes is loving yet it showed he was heart broken. He smiled at me when our eyes met, I also managed to wave at him as a cue that we were now on good terms. Geez! This is so awkward. **** To Be Continued. Chapter 66 HOLIDAY Rita¡¯s POV Been waiting for the day Finn and I will get back together and now that we¡¯re at it, I¡¯m rejecting him for a flimsy but a good reason. My heart was confused as several thought ran through my head then I ended up ming myself for rebuking Finn by suggesting to keep up with an aloofness between us. Meanwhile, It was really difficult to get him off my head especially after our eye gesture during the lunch hours. Hold on a minute! I thought I was beginning to get over Finn! Oops! My heart betrayed me. ¡°We won¡¯t walk to the bus stop together you know..¡± Evelyn announced again while we¡¯re packing our things during the closing hours.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Uh! I know! I know alright? You already said you were gonna spend the holiday at your boyfriend¡¯s ce!!¡± I jealously barked at Evelyn and sheughed out loud. ¡°Oh Sorry¡± She mocked. Finn walked in just when we were about to walk out of the office. ¡°Err¡­ Hi¡± He said. ¡°Hello Finn, Happy Workers holiday¡± Evelyn said while I was still acting weird because of Finn¡¯s unexpected presence. ¡°Wish you the same Evelyn¡± Finn responded. ¡°You¡¯reing to Adam¡¯s surprise birthday party, aren¡¯t you?¡± Evelyn uttered discreetly. ¡°Of course, I will be there. I got the invitation¡± He replied. I stood in between them awkwardly, my heart was racing like it could literally jump out of my chest. I couldn¡¯t interfere instead, I allowed Finn and Evelynmunicate. ¡°You¡¯re heading home right?¡± Finn faced me now. ¡°Uhn?¡± I pretended not to hear him right yet I answered his question. ¡°Yeah, home¡± I said. ¡°Can I drop you off? Uhm¡­ like I used to. I¡¯m not exceeding the boundary, am I?¡± He asked. I knew he wanted us to talk at length and connect again. ¡°Err¡­.¡± I stuttered. Evelyn folded her arms, watching the drama we¡¯re disying in front of her. Until her boyfriend came over, so they could leave together. ¡°Bye¡± She waved and scurried towards Adam, almost leaving Finn and I alone. I felt somewhat shy and this doesn¡¯t have to do with us tryna reconnect. My heart was acting really funny. ¡°Evelyn! Adam! Wait up!¡± I called their names. ¡°Finn, could you please offer my friends and I a lift in your car instead?¡± I said, when I didn¡¯t know how else to turn him down. ¡°That¡¯s fine by me¡± He agreed without hesitating. ¡°Really?¡± Evelyn eximed while Adam didn¡¯t look too joyful about it. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted a ride in your luxurious car¡± Evelyn said enthusiastically then childied herself once she realised that she was being too dramatic. ¡°Adam and I are headed the same way. Drop us off at his ce then further your drive with Rita¡± She said. ¡°A CEO bes a cab driver, I guess¡± Finn stated and I giggled a little. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for you¡± He whispered to me and I blushed secretly. ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡°No, it¡¯s totally fine. Come on!¡± He motioned us, leading the way. **** I barely said anything but Evelyn and Adam had their lovey dovey conversation at the back seat while Finn and I sat down there acknowledging a knowing silence and I stole several nces at him through the rear mirror. Soon, Adam and Evelyn alighted at the nearest junction and he drove me to my ce quietly but definitely, it won¡¯t continue that way maybe we couldn¡¯tmunicate because of Adam and Evelyn¡¯s presence. Finn cleared his throat awkwardly, breaking the silence. ¡°So how do you intend to spend the holiday?¡± He started the conversation. ¡°Uhm, I cannot say yet but one thing I¡¯m certain of is that I am going nowhere¡± I gave a shortugh, lying to myself that I wasfortable around him. I don¡¯t know if Finn felt the same way I¡¯m feeling. I think he is still in love with me and I also think he doesn¡¯t like me anymore. I wanted to ask him and rify it once and for all. ¡°Two days break from work is meant for you to rx and enjoy yourself¡± Finn said. ¡°Well, Adam¡¯s birthday is right after the holiday, so merriment till then¡± I said and he chuckled. ¡°You turned me down even before I asked you toe with me to a cinema¡± He said. ¡°A date again Finn! C¡¯mon watch it!¡± I said. ¡°We are not going out¡± Finn¡¯s smile faded slightly; ¡°I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re just friends or if there¡¯s something more¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to figure that out too¡± I murmured avoiding eye contact with him when he looked up to me, his eyes searching for mine. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder if there¡¯s still a chance for us.¡± Finn added. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. After all this while, Finn still had feelings for me. He drove with one hand and took my hand in his but I released it immediately. ¡°There¡¯s no chance for us Finn. You have a girlfriend¡± He wanted to say something but I cut him off. ¡± I¡¯m very very d we are back together again as friends, maybe close friends that have mutual feelings. You don¡¯t know how tough it was for me when we weren¡¯t talking¡± I indirectly admitted that I liked him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± He apologised. ¡°It¡¯s bygones now¡± I said. He pulled up in front of my house. He leaned closer to help me to unlock the door and every single hair on my skin stood as his hand grazed mine. When I stepped out of the car, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Part of me was relieved that Finn had finally confessed his lingering feelings, but another part of me was frustrated by the timing of it all. Why now, when he was already in amitted rtionship? ¡°Happy Workers¡¯ day off ¡± He waved. ¡°Happy Workers day off¡± I said the same. ¡°So¡­ see you during the weekend at Adam¡¯s party¡± ¡°Yeah, see you then¡± I said. I was waiting for him to drive away but he didn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving?¡± ¡± I wanna watch you go in¡± He said. I smiled: ¡± Oh..¡± I scurried towards the door. He started his engine too. ***** To Be Continued Chapter 67 A BORING DAY Rita¡¯s POV He has a girlfriend! He has a girlfriend!! He has a girlfriend okay?! I battled with my mind when I entered the room. So stop blushing and smiling stupidly at whatever he says. Finn is not being serious with you at all! He has a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend too! You have Zane! What is wrong with you Rita? ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I shieked like a crazy woman. I inhaled deeply then gasped out, picked up my phone to call Zane, probably I¡¯ll return to my right senses haven had a romantic conversation with him. But Zane¡¯s contact was unreachable, I dailed his number over and over again but to no avail. I clicked on Kikachat and scroll through so as to chat with Zane only to find out he was inactive and unavable. This was so unusual of him neither did I wanna begin to panic yet. Zane will definitely reach out to me soon. While expecting him, I went into the kitchen to cook dinner also carried out few domestic chores as if I was trying to fasten time. Night time drew near quickly anyways, I retired to the room, picked up my phone. I was so shocked to find out that there was not a single call from Zane. I checked our chat, yet he wasn¡¯t online. This time, I began to panic a little, first I wondered what went wrong with Zane but just when I was about to exit the Kikachat application, I finally received a popped up message from Zane. I heaved a sigh of relief although it was just an ordinary ¡°Hi¡± ¡°Hello baby¡± I responded. Come to think of it, Zane acted really hostile towards me thest time we spoke. Forgive and forget they say ¡°I have been expecting you Zane¡± I said. ¡°I was busy¡± He replied. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you now, so we could talk better¡± I sent a message and I was switched to a voice call which he declined and sent me a message instead. ¡°I¡¯m in no mood for voice calls¡± Was what he typed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Zane? Talk to me¡± I knew something was definitely wrong, now it took a while before he replied me. ¡°Nothing is wrong Rita¡± I sighed: ¡°Hmmm, I pretend to believe you. But why didn¡¯t you reach out to me sooner Zane? Why do you sound so in and sheepish?¡± ¡°Rita¡± He called my name.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Like I said, I am very busy, super busy. I have a lot ofpiledplicated task ahead of me, it is so tiring yet I managed to show up this minute¡± Huh? I had to type it same way I uttered the word;¡±Huh?¡± ¡°Create time out of no time¡± ¡°Anyways, I have onlye to say Hi, take good care of yourself¡± He ended the chat and became inactive again. I was really baffled. When I tried to call him again, his number kept saying unreachable. I was heartbroken even though a part of me tried to assure me that Zane was truly busy while the other pessimistic side of me says Zane is avoiding me and thereby, drawing our rtionship to an abrupt end. Just so he knows, the uing two days break is Nationwide; we could spend it online with each other after all, lovers go out together during whatsoever holiday even Evelyn will be spending the day at Adam¡¯s. I groaned softly, Now it seemed and felt like I was single again. I was lost in thought till I didn¡¯t know when I doze off. * My default rm woke me up as early as 6:00am the following morning, jerking me up from the bed to go prepare for work. Today¡¯s holiday! Geez, I turned off the rm and tried to catch the sleep again but I couldn¡¯t. I reached for my phone to check if I got a call or message from Zane, sad to find out that there was none and when I dailed his number, it says his phone was switched off. Anyways, I sent him a brief Happy Workers¡¯ day off note on Kikachat, hoping he will get back to me once he sees it. I resumed a boring day, I checked through my phone times without number even when I got bored of scrolling through the toxic gist feed, I didn¡¯t wanna chat up with any random person either. Once, I dropped my phone, I picked it up again because I had nothing else to do. I paced around my living room to bedroom,id on the bed on different posture and postion, I re-read my former conversation with Zane, starting from the very beginning and it made me smile especially when I came across our naughty pictures. I gazed at themsciviously till I was satisfied then I deleted all of them. C¡¯mon I should have deleted all this pictures since! What if someone took my phone and scroll through my conversation with Zane? Someone like Evelyn could intrude into my privacy. Come to think of it, where does deleted images moves to? I giggled, I knew I was only over-thinking but for pete¡¯s sake, I do not want any rming surprises in the nearest future. I tried everything to kill boredom but nothing was working out, Iported myself to be an understanding girlfriend and awaited the arrival of my boyfriend whom never showed up. I fell into a long nap intentionally as an escaped from ennui and despair but once I woke up from the seista, the boring day continued all together with dejection and weariness. I sat by the window side and stared at people outside as if I were a locked up princess. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 68 DAY TWO Worker¡¯s Day Off ~ DAY TWO Last night, I sent Zane a long text expressing how I really felt about this rtionship and I didn¡¯t expect him to receive the message anytime soon because neither did he reply my previous ones. But, I received a response from him the following morning. Thus; ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Rita, I need you to understand that this has to do with the Nethends business task I informed you about the other day. I will be absent even more often¡± I heaved a deep sigh, Zane has gone AWOL again. ¡°Okay, take your time¡± I didn¡¯t mean it though but what more can I say. Today is another lonely and boring day I guess¡­ ¡°I guess not¡± I hissed and brighten up my mood. I walked towards my closet and changed into a pretty outfit, brushed and styled my hair and applied really light make up. I didn¡¯t look like what I was going through, I looked beautiful. ¡°Happiness is free after all and self love first they say isn¡¯t it? Ugh!!¡± I admired myself in the mirror and set to go out and have fun. ¡°This is why it¡¯s better to have two boyfriends, so once one¡¯s gone, there¡¯ll be another one you can fall back on¡± The misleading voice in my head adviced. ¡°Get away you!¡± I rebuked the idea but Finn name suddenly popped into my mind. The misleading voice had only mentioned a second boyfriend and the only person I could think of was Finn. Probably because Finn¡¯s another guy I have unsure feelings for although I¡¯ve lied to myself severally that there¡¯s no such thing. I settled into my seat when I arrived at the nearby restaurant. The restaurant buzzed with conversations andughter from couples and friends enjoying each other¡¯spany. I couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of nervous excitement because I was all alone. I was glued to my phone while waiting for the waiter to serve my order. Then it suddenly dawned on me that I was here to while away time and maybe forget about Zane, so I dropped my phone. Uh! Funny how a nce at my cell phone keeps reminding me of Zane perhaps because that¡¯s our only means ofmunication. Shortly after, the waiter approached my table with the chicken pie and the smoothie I ordered for. ¡°Woah! Cool enough to cool down my mind¡± I sipped from the smoothie and exhaled in relief. ¡°You¡¯d said you¡¯ld do no where¡± I heard Finn¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t notice he was on the next seat close to mine. He smiled, stood up and came to join me. ¡°What¡­what are you doing here Finn?¡± I asked. This restaurant was nearby my house, and it was a small cheap restaurant; so I least expected Finn to be anywhere around here. ¡°What are you doing here too?¡± He asked me the same question. I chuckled; ¡± I mean ¡­away from home and away from work¡± I said, looking around: ¡°Where¡¯s your date?¡± ¡°I came alone¡± He replied. ¡°Oh¡± I took a nervous bite from the chicken pie. ¡°You are an introvert, aren¡¯t you?¡± He inquired ¡°I was never an introvert please, the situation I ignorantly signed up for made me one. Tomorrow I¡¯ll be partying at Adam¡¯s ce¡± I stated. Looks like Finn had just arrived, as the waiter came over to our table to serve him his order. ¡°The situation you ignorantly signed up for¡± Was the only statement he repeated after me. ¡°Yeah, I mean¡­ my boyfriend never forced me to have an online rtionship with him. Oops! Maybe I am such a fool¡± I said. ¡± So do you wanna go out with me?¡± Finn asked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean I am an extrovert and so you are. We can always go out together, explore and tour down the town together¡± Finn said. ¡°No¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°What do you mean why not Finn? Of course, I would love to go out with you but have you forgotten so quickly theplexities thatid between us, have you forgotten why we kept our distances few days ago?¡± I questioned. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°You have a girlfriend¡± I reminded him incase he¡¯s forgotten. ¡°And you have a boyfriend too. That makes us even, let¡¯s have some fun after all, your so called boyfriend hasn¡¯t proposed, or has he?¡± I can¡¯t believe he said that. ¡°What the heck are you saying Finn?¡± A disgust look formed on my face. ¡°Your girlfriend somewhere loves and trusts you so much and here you are, making advances towards another girl¡± I said. ¡°Rita, can we not just Be without you mentioning that I¡¯ve got a girl?¡± He paused haven realised he was kinda raising his voice in public. After a short silence, I responded; ¡°We can¡¯t ¡± I expected him to get mad but a small smile tugged on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re loyal and such a sweet girl, I mustprehend your faithfulness¡± Finn uttered. I looked at him in a weird way wondering why he suddenlyplimented me. Such apliment. ¡°Thank you though¡± I mumbled. ¡°Just so you know, my rtionship situation is different, my man is not anywhere around me, therefore I would love to go out with you each and everytime but it can¡¯t work.. you found yourself a girlfriend now so that will make you a cheat¡± ¡°Fine! Alright. Well you know now of the fact that I¡¯m not over you yet no matter how hard I¡¯ve tried¡± He said.From N?velDrama.Org. I didn¡¯t say a word but look at him like I was giving hisst statement a second thought. However, we ate our meal in silence. Every pulse of my heart inwardly echoed a challenging question; why and how I fell in love with Finn? I knew deep down that we deserve such a profound connection, why then was I still resisting such feelings that have now proven inevitable. Maybe I should allow my love life take the ead. At this point, I was less worried about Zane afterall, he has literally ghosted me with some silly excuses, while Finn upied my mind. I nned to dance to his tune but while we ate, he didn¡¯t make any mention of the subject Love. I hope he hasn¡¯t given up on me. ****** To Be Continued Chapter 69 OUR SECOND KISS Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Surprise! Happy birthday!!!¡± Evelyn and I screamed as she took off the blindfold. Adam was standing in front of a big cake. ¡°Woah!!¡± He was astonished, unsure of how to react. His eyes almost bulged out of the socket and his jaw dropped. Adam always forget his birthday date, so he never saw thising and we can¡¯t me him, guys do not fancy birthdays as much as wedies. Evelyn would be dramatically screaming Oh My God! Oh My God!! ¡°Today¡¯s my birthday¡± Adam muttered. ¡°iish! You never remember your birthdays Adam! You should always look forward to this very day and bless God for adding an extra year to your age¡± Evelyn scolded before wishing him: ¡°Happy birthday to you my love, I hope and pray we celebrate more birthdays together¡± Then she kissed him on his lips affectionately. ¡°Happy birthday Adam¡± I said, when they were done, he spread his hands and I embraced him lightly. ¡°Thank you girls¡± He appreciated, gaily. ¡°Make a wish¡± Evelyn slightly pushed him to the front of the cake. Adam shut his eyes, made a quick silent wish and blew off the candle lights together with his girlfriend then they embraced once again. ¡°That¡¯s not all my love¡± Evelyn chuckled, interlocking arms with Adam as she led the way to the living room. We¡¯ve already nned ahead with everyone invited. Also, Evelyn made me arrive earlier being a best friend to both the celebrant and the celebrant¡¯s girlfriend. And to start with, we wished him earlier in his room. ¡°Surprise Adam!¡± Everyone screamed when we arrived at the living room ¨C the party room rather. Someone popped a party popper and another popped a champagne. Adam was even more mbagasted than he was earlier. He was speechless. Lol, he wasn¡¯t supposed to exim Oh My God! Oh My God!! The hired deejays began to y birthday songs and that¡¯s how the party began. The invited guest took turns to wish and hug the celebrant. Adam couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by the love and warmth surrounding him. As thest notes of the birthday song faded away, the deejay switched to a very lively disco music. Feets started tapping to the beat, and soon enough, everyone was dancing vibrantly showing off their best move. Since everything went well and lively, the way it was nned, I jostled my way sneakily while looking around for Finn. Aww! He was more like the major reason why I awaited his day. Haven jostled my way out of the party, I bumped into the one who I was searching for at the entrance. Finn! ¡°Ohh! You are just arriving!¡± I interjected dramatically like he wasn¡¯t the one I was just expecting. I stared at him from head to top. Gosh! This guy knows how to dress so good at anytime, anyday despite he wore just suits that hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, entuating his tall frame. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± Finn inquired with a charming smile, his eyes sparkling with warmth. ¡°Leaving? Right now? No, the party has just begun¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel a rush of excitement upon seeing him. I noticed he admired my look and outfit, so I pretended to pose subconsciously. He smiled. ¡°Like I said, the party just started and the whole world is in there¡± I told Finn. ¡°So where are you off to?¡± He asked. ¡°Err¡­ a ¡­ stroll¡± I smiled in an awkward manner. My breath caught in my throat, emotions swirling within me. ¡°Adam¡¯s garden is not too far away and I¡­ uhm, wanna admire some flowers¡± I spewed out the word separately but tried to put them together so it could make sense a little. ¡°Alright¡± Finn nodded and walked inside. My heart raced, anticipation mounting for a further beautiful encounter between Finn and I. I couldn¡¯t just go back inside shortly aftering out. Some guests arrived and met me at the door step seemed really embarrassing. One would think I was being left out, I was only waiting a little longer before returning to the party. I sighed and stroded over to the garden, plucked and admired some flowers like I told Finn that I wanted to do. ¡°Maybe you are also not a party type¡± I heard Finn¡¯s voice and turned immediately. ¡°What are you doing here Finn?¡± ¡°Uhm, haven wished Adam, still didn¡¯t see you around, I came to search for you¡± He responded honestly. My cheeks couldn¡¯t be more redden than it was now. Unknowingly to him, I was only stuck outside because I was searching for him when he didn¡¯t arrive sooner. ¡°I asked if you didn¡¯t enjoy the party¡± He repeated. ¡°It¡¯s crowded in there¡± Iined in a murmur. ¡°I agree¡± He drew closer. ¡°We could stay here, just us, perfect¡± He smiled. I tried to act normal and not like a high school girl being left alone with her crush. ¡°How are you Rita?¡± Finn asked. ¡°I am fine¡± I wondered how such a simple question still made my heart flutter. ¡°I see¡± He gazed at my outfit again. ¡°You should dress like this to the office, look at the body¡± ¡°You have made this statement a zillion times already Finn¡± I chuckled while we walked together. ¡°There¡¯s a bench over there, let¡¯s sit¡± I pointed and walked ahead of him while leading the way but he grabbed my hand and made sure we walked to the seat and sat together. Of course, we observed an awkward moment of silence. I couldn¡¯t help but to feel that at this very moment, everything will fall into ce. ¡°Rita, I really do not have a girlfriend or fiancee¡± Finn broke the silence and then cleared his throat. ¡°Uh?¡± I looked at his face. ¡°I ¡­. I lied because I still had so much feelings for you and I felt you were joking with my emotions¡± While he confessed, he narrowed his eyes into mine that I had to blink severally before I could maintain a stable eye contact with him. His eyes were filled with adoration and tenderness and it made my heart skip a beat. ¡°You¡­ you haven¡¯t given up your love for me¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes¡± He confirmed, cing his hand on mine. His soft touch always sent shivers down my spine and ignited the fire within me. ¡°I love you so much Rita. Somehow, I know you love me too, it¡¯s pretty obvious but you pretend not to¡± He was absolutely right. Finn moved close to where I sat and ced his palm on my cheeks. ¡°Let¡¯s stop ying childish games and y it in a matured way¡± I froze right there like a statue as his words echoed over and over again in my head. The weight of his confession seemed almost unbearable. It was as if the world had momentarily stopped spinning and my heart raced as I tried to process the enormity of what he had just said. He leaned forward and kissed me passionately. I didn¡¯t resist. His lips softened against mine and our bodies pressed together, merging in a perfect union of desires and longing. Time seemed to stand still as we hosted ourselves in the intoxicating embrace. In that moment, the world faded away, leaving only the two of us in a state of pure bliss. His hands gently brushed against my face, his fingers traced the contours of my cheeks. It was as if he was trying to convey everything he felt for me through a single kiss. As our lips parted, our eyes met and I could see the reflection of my own desires mirrored in his gaze. ¡°Can I kiss you again?¡± I asked softly. ¡°And you won¡¯t call it a mistake?¡± He warned, in reference to thest time we kissed.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. I smiled and shook my head gently. I kissed him back, almost like I was trying to pour all my love at once into that single moment. ******* To Be Continued Chapter 70: Drunk In Love Rita¡¯s POV We felt alive after the electricity coursing between our lips. As we pulled away, our eyes met and we couldn¡¯t help but smile. A smile that conveyed the realization that something special had just transpired. I gently wiped my lip gloss stained on his lips while he tucked the fallen strands of my ear to the back of ear. ¡°Come, let¡¯s return to the party¡± He got on his foot and I interlinked my arm with him as we walked back together. We uninterlocked our arms once we were standing in front of the entrance. Surprisingly, the guests have left. It wasn¡¯t a long night party anyways. ¡°Where have you two been?¡± Adam asked. ¡°Why would you just leave the party Rita?¡± Evelyn queried. ¡°You never even notice my absence¡± I rolled my eyes. She was all over her boyfriend today that she didn¡¯t have my time. ¡°Finn, I thought you left. It¡¯ste¡± Adam said. ¡°Ugh.. where¡¯s everyone? I can¡¯t believe party¡¯s over. I never even joined the party¡± Finn muttered. ¡°Oh well, since it¡¯s just we four. Let¡¯s have a small party at the dinning table¡± Evelyn suggested. ¡°Good idea, I haven¡¯t even had anything. Where¡¯s the cake and wine¡± I stroded over to the dining table. Woah! The event nner has done a great job. ¡°Everything is set just in time¡± ¡°Finn¡± Adam whispered his name when Evelyn and Rita had gone to the table. ¡°Hey! Celebrant¡± Finn grinned. Adam led the way to his room. ¡°How is it going?¡± He asked Finn when they were beyond the girls¡¯ sights and listening. ¡°Are you talking about your birthday or ¡­?¡± ¡°Of course, how is it going between you and Rita?¡± Adam inquired and Finn smiled widely. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Uhm so apparently, I made Zane ghost her forever. And uhm, Rita loves me so much, obviously¡± Finn told him. ¡°Aww you ignited the spark. Such a love doctor you are!¡± Adam remarked.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. One might think these two guys were y boys. ¡°I am absolutely sure that it is gonna work out between Rita and I. I swear, I will never ever recall the past while we are gonna live a happy ever after life. The end of Zane¡± Finn apuded inaudibly. ¡°I am very happy for you guys¡± ¡°Thank you for everything Adam. Thank you for always being by my side from the beginning to the end¡± Finn tapped his friend¡¯s back and he chuckled. ¡°I hope you enjoyed your birthday party¡± ¡°I did. Although, I am not a fan of parties. Also, I am not a fan of surprises but this particr one, got me bewildered! I wish you saw the shock on my face!¡± Adam yaked. Finn sneered and lightly hit him;¡±Like you were truly shocked, ugh!¡± ¡°Believe me, I was shocked! bbergasted!¡± ¡°Then you must be a Cindere not a guy¡± Finn teased. ¡°Evelyn pulled this up, she has really tried. You had better take good care of that girl¡± ¡°We¡¯re soulmates? Did you see it?¡± Adam eximed. ¡°Sort of, I mean Evelyn truly loves you, I feel you two arepatible. And if you ever break her heart, that makes you a very evil guy!¡± Finn warned and he nodded slowly. ¡°Guys! Where are you? Where did you go?¡± We heard Evelyn¡¯s voiceing closer, so we came out quickly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She stared at us suspiciously. ¡°We¡­we¡¯re just talking¡± Adam tried not to stutter. ¡°I wonder how you two suddenly clicked¡± She looked at them like they were gays. ¡°Let¡¯s go have our small after-party¡± Finn changed the topic instantly. ¡°Ugh!! Uhm.. errr¡­ Rita¡¯s knocked down¡± Evelyn announced. ¡°What?¡± Finn eximed. ¡°I mean¡­ she¡¯s wasted!¡± ¡°Why did you let her drink?¡± Finn rushed over where she was swinging the seat, he caught her when she almost fell off. ¡°Rita doesn¡¯t drink¡± ¡°I know right, I only allowed her drink few bottles because we were partying¡± Evelyn panicked. ¡°Oh my God Rita! She¡¯s drunk¡± ¡°What do you mean, I¡¯m drunk? I¡¯m not drunk. You are the one who is drunk¡± Rita pointed at Finn and wanted to grab another bottle but he snatched it from her and Adam helped cleared the other bottles. ¡°Give me that bottle ¡± She stretched her hand, tryna reach for it. ¡°We are leaving. Let¡¯s go home!¡± Finn announced. He spread his arms, so he could carry her but instead of Rita to jump on to his arms, she stared at him dreamily and smiled. ¡°Caught between the euphoria of a kiss¡± She pouts her lips and leaned forward, she almost fell again. Adam chuckled, giving Finn a knowing look. ¡°We are leaving!¡± Finn bent and carried her in bridal style. Evelyn helped opened the entrance door, then car door. Finn ced Rita in the front seat and fasten the belt across her chest, so she won¡¯t fall down again. * She had slept off in the car and jerked up immediately I pulled the break when I arrived at my ce. Her peaceful sleepy expression filled me with a sense of tenderness and protectiveness. Again, I carried her on my back and took her straight to my room;id her down properly on my bed and gently covered her with the warm nket. I yanked off my heavy suit jacket, unknotted the tie and took off my shirt. I changed into a pyjamas short without the upper wear because I have had enough heavy clothings today. I watched Rita¡¯s sleepy face and both the bitter and sweet memories we have had together flooded my mind. Lost in my thoughts, I traced the contours of her face with my finger tips. I leaned in and ced a gentle kiss on her forehead, silently expressing the love and adoration I have for her. Now Iid down properly to sleep; as I turned to face the other side, I suddenly felt a hand wrapping around my waist and her body contacted mine. ¡°Cuddle me like you did thest time¡± She whispered into my ears. Ugh! First, I was shocked she was awake; secondly, she was aware that I cuddled her thest time we slept on the same bed. I turned to face her, She had this pleading eyes as she gently caressed my chest like she has never done such. I moved closer to her and wrapped my hands round her waist; kissed her deeply as Ipressed my body against hers even though she reeked of alcohol. ¡°I don¡¯t want physical intimacy¡± She broke the kiss and shook her head slowly. ¡°I want romance Finn; cuddle me, kiss me over and over again. I need you to caress me all you want Finn¡± Rita kinda pleaded, in a soft moan. ******* To Be Continued Two Phones RITA¡¯S POV ¡°Rita, meet Madison, the maid¡± Finn introduced thedy who just served us breakfast. ¡°And Madison, this is Rita, my woman¡­¡± He looked at my face; ¡°Uhm?¡± I smiled; ¡°I am Rita, it¡¯s nice to meet you Madison¡± I spoke nicely to the youngdy. ¡°You are so beautiful Miss¡± Madisonplimented. ¡°Thank you¡± I felt ttered, especially because I just woke up and I wasn¡¯t wearing any form of make up. ¡°You¡¯re blushing, stop it!¡± Finn said when Madison left. Then he leaned closer and whispered: ¡°Madison is either straight or a lesbian as she¡¯s not so sure of what gender he sh she is. So stop blushing, she or he might be interested in you¡± He said and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t speak bad of her. She¡¯s human too. Is that what you tell everyone that visits you; ¡®My maid is a queer¡¯ ¡± I quoted, imitating his voice. ¡°No, I don¡¯t gossip about people. I told you she¡¯s a queer because I¡¯m jealous¡± He said and I chuckled as I began to eat. ¡°Hmmn, she is a good cook¡± ¡°Ye.. ah, maybe¡± Finn replied. While we ate quietly, I noticed he wouldn¡¯t stop staring at me. ¡°Say it out already¡± I said. He gave a shortugh; ¡°First of all, I am sorry aboutst night¡± He spoke steadily. I giggled; ¡°Why did you bring me to your house?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ because it waste¡± ¡°Ugh! My ce from Adam¡¯s is nearer than from here¡± ¡°I care so much about you¡± He answered and I smiled. ¡°Why do you always pretend to be asleep?¡± He questioned me too. ¡°I never pretended. I am a light sleeper, a drop of needle on the floor could wake me up instantly¡± Actually, I was only exaggerating.From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh! Wow, I will take note¡± Finn added; ¡°Before doing anything stupid next time¡± We chuckled. ¡°By the way, your ce is very beautiful ¡± I looked around the dinning room which was twice as wide as my living room. ¡°Do you live here alone?¡± I had to confirm. ¡°With my maid literally and my brother visits once in while but unexpectedly¡± ¡°Oh¡± I mouthed. ¡°I could show you around once we are done having breakfast or would youe live with me?¡± He asked and I rolled my eyes. He gave a shortugh; ¡°May I ask Rita, what are we now?¡± ¡°Are we what I think we are?¡± He inquired, staring deep into my eyes. I shook my head slowly; ¡°Not yet¡± ¡°Not yet?¡± He repeated. ¡°We have crossed a line, something special has transpired between us Rita¡± He said. There was nothing I could say to dispute that fact, he was absolutely right. ¡°I love you Rita and obviously, you love me too, or don¡¯t you?¡± He paused; ¡°wait a minute, you -you¡¯ve never said you love me too, are you still joking with my feelings?¡± ¡°I.. I love you too Finn, and I can¡¯t even hide it anymore. I have fallen for you¡± I finally admitted. ¡°Then what¡¯s stopping us from being together, forever. As for me, I already see us in a rtionship ¡­¡± I interrupted him. ¡°Because I am still with Zane. Listen Finn, no matter what I have done with you outside the rtionship makes me a cheat; Zane and I never broke up officially¡± I uttered faithfully. ¡°What? What the heck are you trying to insinuate Rita?¡± Finn cut in when I was about to exin further. ¡°Oh I understand you alright? Because your boyfriend is far away then you wanna use me as a substitute especially to satisfy the physical touch cravings which I recently found out that it is your major lovenguage¡± He was heartbroken, he rushed the words. ¡°No¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I wanna end things with Zane and move on with you, Finn¡± I told him. ¡°But you and Zane are done!¡± ¡°Ugh! I never told you that¡± Yet he was right, Zane and I haven¡¯tmunicated for the past few days now, so it¡¯s more like we are done. ¡°Tell me Rita, do you still love Zane?¡± Finn asked. I was mute. ¡°Or does your feelings fluctuates? Are you in love with two people or more than two people?¡± He probed further. The questions tumbled through my mind like a raging storm. ¡°All I know is I love you Finn and I know it¡¯s not a rebound love. I know my feelings for you is true and it doesn¡¯t fluctuates¡± My voice softened as I reached out to touch his fingers and interlinked mine with his. He was hurt and frustrated. I could see he struggled to trust me. ¡°My feelings for Zane is fading. However, I don¡¯t know how to tell him such, somehow I believe he no longer has feelings for me too as we barely contact with eachother. We might break up soon and I.. don¡¯t want it toe from me first. Also Finn, I cannot be in two rtionships, I can¡¯t double -date, that¡¯s how much loyal I am¡± Finn sneered; ¡°But we have shared unforgettable memories togethers. I will always see us as lovers even if you don¡¯t¡± He insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you soon, I promise¡± I said. I wanted to further talk about the situationship I¡¯ve got myself into but he shoved a piece of steak into my mouth. End of discussion. **** Finn returned to his ce after driving Rita home. He met Alex in his house, at the bar where he was busy drinking. I wasn¡¯t shocked or surprised to see him, Alex sudden presence was no longer a new thing to him. ¡°Caught red handed. What are you doing here?¡± Finn moved over to where he was. ¡°Just chill dude. You haven¡¯t seen me in a while. At least, make me feel wee¡± ¡°I thought you promised never to step your foot into this house¡± ¡°Uhm yeah I did, maybe I couldn¡¯t hold on to that promise. That reminds me, Madison told me you had a female visitor not too long ago¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡± Finn hissed, grabbed a wine bottle and moved away from Alex, whom trailed him behind. ¡°Did you already go back to the old ways, bringing slutty girls home. I know it¡¯s hard for you to repent ugh!¡± ¡°It was Rita,e on. We partiedst night, so uhm, she slept over at my ce¡± ¡°Oh it was Rita! How is she? Are you guys dating now? I can see you look excited¡± He scrutinized my face ¡°We are not dating officially. We are almost there¡± He couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I mean¡­ a whole lot have happened between us¡± ¡°Woaaaaaaaaah!¡± Alex eximed. Finn smirked and shook his head. ¡°You have taken after me, when did you start having a naughty and dirty mindset ugh! For your information, it¡¯s nothing of such¡± Finn stomp into his room but Alex followed him so as to pester him. Alex sniffed around and gasped out: ¡°Your room smells like dried cum¡± ¡°Cum? C¡¯mon you are forcing words out of my mouth just because I said a girl passed the night here. Come on brother, it is the literal meaning ¡®She Slept Over¡¯ The End. Moreso, Madison has cleaned up the room already ugh!* Alexander let out a loudugh because he seeded in frustrating his brother. Finn sat down on his bed, while Alex walked in circles, moving from curtains, his table counter, closet like a broad daylight thief, searching for something valuable to steal. ¡°What have youe to discuss with me?¡± Finn suspected. ¡°Nothing. Like I said, it¡¯s been a while I came herest and I know, you wouldn¡¯t check up on me, so I let go of my pride and came to say Hi to you¡± ¡°Pride? I love how that sounds¡± Alex scorned ¡°You don¡¯t normally check up on Mom too¡± ¡°Last time, I spoke with her over the phone¡± ¡°You need to go see mom! Don¡¯t be a prodigal son¡± Alex urged. ¡°I¡¯ll visit her soon¡± Somehow, he felt a little bad. ¡°Alexander, are you done with the deal you have with Charles?¡± Finn changed topic immediately. ¡°No, why did you suddenly ask?¡± ¡°Why did I ask? Jeez! I so much hate that guy and I can¡¯t wait to fire his ass. Just tell me you are almost done with him¡± ¡°Charles is full of himself and although he¡¯s aware of my family background, he seemed to care less about that and I feel redicled and intimidated by him most of the time, maybe because he is way older¡± Alexined, frowning his face. ¡°What is it Alex?¡± Finn raised his brows. ¡°I guess I will just try to cope till I¡¯m done learning¡± Alex brightened up his mood. ¡°Afterall; so far, so good, I have learnt a lot. Soon, I¡¯llunch a new social tform, it may not major on dating again¡± Alex said. ¡°Alexander, don¡¯t change the subject, did Charles bully you?¡± Finn inquired. ¡°Hell no, I won¡¯t let him do such. I will make sure I earn what I want from him and we are done¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit guy! I am also fed up of seeing Charles around¡± Finn groaned. ¡°I am so sorry for every inconveniency I may have caused you¡± Alex apologised then continued pacing around the room. ¡°Woah!¡± Something caught his attention. ¡°You got another phone¡± Alex pointed at the two phones in the drawer, then he took them out. Finn stood up quickly and grabbed the phones from him. ¡°Why do you have two same phones? Which is the new one you just got?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I love the brand and everything about the phone, that¡¯s why I got the another one¡± Finn defended himself and kept the phones in his pocket. ¡°Uhm, I know you don¡¯t fancy having double items. You prefer getting another stuff once you are fed up of one¡± Finn didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°By the way, there are new and upgraded phone brands instead of getting the same phone. One would barely know you¡¯ve got two same phones¡± Alex argued. ¡°Exactly what I want. Now Alex, please leave my room now¡± Finn opened the door and motioned his brother out of the room. Alex looked at him in a weird way, wondering what he must have said wrong. He finally left the room quickly without making excuses. **** To Be Continued In His Office RITA¡¯S POV The following day, I arrived at thepany before Evelyn. I quickly began to sort out some files for the day so as to make our work easier and faster. Not too long after I¡¯ve settled, the door opened and Adam walked in. ¡°Good morning Adam¡± ¡°Hello, good morning to you too¡± He responded. ¡°Happy bted birthday to you¡± I waved. ¡°And a big thank you to you guys¡± He appreciated. ¡°Actually, Evelyn did the major part¡± I told him ¡°But why is she not here yet¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get here very soon¡± Adam said then he sat down on Evelyn¡¯s seat which was next to me. ¡°You were drunk yesterday, thank goodness you got home safely¡± He said. ¡°Yeah, uhm actually¡­ Finn took me to his ce, it might be worst if I had slept alone that night in such condition¡± ¡°Then you could have slept over at my ce since Finn wasn¡¯t gonna drive you straight up to your home¡± Adam said.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Well ¡­¡± I paused, folding in my lips to hide the smile. ¡°You¡¯re beginning to fall in love with Finn again?¡± Adam gave me a suspicious gaze. ¡°Uhm, things happens, you know..¡± I murmured but he made noment about that. ¡°Actually, I have lost contact with Zane for a while now, but it seems like forever. I think he is intentionally ghosting me perhaps because he must have found another woman but well, he says he¡¯s busy and doesn¡¯t have any time for me¡± I exined to Adam briefly; ¡±Therefore, I created room for the next avable guy. Do not me me¡± I justified myself without feeling remorseful. ¡°So you fell in love with Finn because Zane is ghosting you¡± Adam interrogated. ¡°No¡± I shook my head continuously. ¡°I have told you that I fell in love with Finn way long ago even while I was into Zane¡± ¡°Yeah you did. Hmmn¡± ¡°Finn loves me so much too, we arepatible obviously. I think we are fated or something, Finn and I are great together. Come to think of it, we have shared alot of memories together even when we are not couple yet. I do not regret that I wanna move on with Finn ¡± I informed Adam, but all he did was to nod, he sighed and put on a small smile. ¡°Why¡­ do you always care about my love life?¡± I asked Adam. ¡°I always care about you Rita¡± He replied. Something suddenly niggled at me ¡°Do you uhm, maybe like me Adam? actually, I mean are you in love with me?¡± I asked him. ¡°Uh!¡± He eximed. He seemed taken aback by my question. ¡°You have been so concerned about me, you ask after Zane, you ask about Finn, you always wanna discuss about my unsure feelings. You ¡­uhm, sometimes even shun your girlfriend just because of me. Are you probably in love with me Adam?¡± I spoke discreetly, staring deeply into his eyes until he blinked severally. ¡°What? Uh no. I ¡­ I am dating your friend, is, Evelyn¡± He stuttered and moved away from me awkwardly. ¡°Of course, I know right. Meanwhile you care so much about me Adam!¡± ¡°I¡­ I like you as a friend¡± He blurted. ¡°You like me as a friend¡± I repeated after him. ¡°That¡¯s all. I swear, there¡¯s nothing more¡± He added but I gave him a doubting look. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize that I cared so much, that I was getting closer to you, I didn¡¯t realise I was being Extra¡± Adam tried to make me believe him and I nodded as if I did. ¡°I had better get going now¡± He headed to the door in a jiffy but I spoke before he stepped out. ¡°I have had enough situationship. There¡¯s Zane and there is Finn, please put an end to whatever feelings you have for me else we might end up loosing our friendship¡± I told Adam. He didn¡¯t say anything, he trembled like was tryna process what I have just said then he finally walked out of the office. I took a deep sigh and continued working without letting the conversation I have just had with Adam bother me. Soon Evelyn came in. ¡°Oh finally, wee assistant birthday girl. Did you meet your boyfriend on your way?¡± ¡°Adam? Was he here just now? I¡¯ll go say Hi to him soon¡± At the mention of her boyfriend, her face normally beams. ¡°Yeah, he was here to see you too¡± I said with no intention to narrate all that happened. ¡°Oh¡± She drew nearer to me. ¡°How is your health, how do you feel now?¡± She ced her palm on my forehead. ¡°I am fine, thank you¡± ¡°Not after drinking a whole lot for a first timer, I thought you were gonna die¡± I noticed a hint on her face that she had panicked. ¡°I got better especially after almost vomitting out my intestine. Next time, never let me drink okay?¡± I warned and she smirked. ¡°Catch youter¡± She left the office. I knew she was headed to Adam¡¯s department. ****** I must admit that one of my favourite part while working is piling up some files and taking them to Finn¡¯s office. I almost barked at Evelyn when she offered to take them to him herself. Also, I could have gone to see Finn anytime I wanted but I didn¡¯t wanna make it obvious to Evelyn or anyone yet that something is going on between us; or maybe I also wanted to kill two birds with a stone. ¡°I peeped on you today, you didn¡¯t notice¡± Finn said when I asked in. ¡°Really?¡± I smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t help but to continue admiring you¡± He ttered me. I blushed heavily as I drew nearer to where he sat. Finn got on his foot, came closer and sat on his desk while I stood right in front of him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him in a way that I was on the same height level with him. Literally, I found myself romantically captivated by him. Finn leaned forward and sniffed around my neck and his warm breath grazed my skin. He leaned back slightly in such a way that his lips was just inches from mine. His proximity caught me off guard, I already shut my eyes and pouted my lips but then, he asked instead. ¡°What brand of perfume do you use?¡± I opened my eyes, a little embarrassed. I rolled my eyes inwardly but as if he had noticed it, his lips curled into a yful smile as he sat upright; straightened himself. ¡°Enchantress¡± I replied, disappointedly. I didn¡¯te here to answer some questions. ¡°Enchantress suits you¡± Heplimented. Hmmn, we exchanged a knowing nce, acknowledging the unspoken intensity that was passing through us. Me, especially. ¡°And the gown¡± He checked me out, allowing himself a moment to take in my attractive appearance. He had always loved whenever I dressed gorgeously, which was why I wore this lovely outfit to the office today, for him. His finger traced the fabric of my gown, practically sliding his hands on my curvy hipline. His touch lingered more than necessary that it turned me on a little more than a care for admit. I already knew,ing to his office was way more than just submitting some files and leaving not after thest encounter. I came fully prepared actually. Finn leaned in once again, his lips now dangerously close to mine. Again, I felt his sweet mint breath on my face, intoxicating me further to get possibly closer than we already are. I ced my both hands on his shoulder; over his neck. ¡°Just kiss me already¡± I whispered breathlessly when he wasn¡¯t making any move to do so soon. I stared at himsciviously and he smiled. Just when I wanted to kiss him instead, he withdrew his lips and moved backward. ¡°Why not?¡± I queried. Anticipation already hung heavily in air with taste of possiblity on my tongue. He shook his head in negation as he moved away from me and returned to his seat. ¡°Oh I see! You are ying on me now? I thought you said you love me¡± My eyes and my voicedced up with evident frustration and disappointment. ¡°Yeah, I love you so much¡± Finn said. ¡°No, you are leading me on now that you are aware of how I truly feel about you¡± ¡°You are the one who is leading me on Rita. Last time, you said we are nothing yet. You said you wille to me once you are done with your boyfriend, you have no idea how much that hurt me¡± He continued. ¡°I really wanna define my rtionship with you but you don¡¯t¡± He was right, although I loved him, it was more like I was using him to satisfy all the physical touch I¡¯ve yearned for in spite of the fact that we both enjoyed it and our chemistry is undeniable. I was gonna finally tell him : ¡°Yes, I wanna be with you now and forever. Let¡¯s start a rtionship and take it to the next level¡± but the door was flung open suddenly and Charles walked in. ¡°Greetings¡± He raised his voice like a tout. He was just arriving at this time of the day. Oh good, he didn¡¯t catch us in such act anyways. ¡°Hello beauty¡± Charles said to me. ¡°Hi Charles, you came in when I was just about to leave anyways¡± I headed to the door awkwardly. ¡°Inform me whenever you are less busy, I have something to tell you¡± Charles said. ¡°Huh? Me? You mean me?¡± I pointed to myself and he nodded. ¡°Haha, sure. Later¡± I exited the office. **** To Be Continued Caught In Between Finn And Charles Rita¡¯s POV Sometimes, life throws us into situations where our hearts and minds don¡¯t align. It¡¯s another painful remainder that we cannot force love or feelings. Zane, Finn, Charles and now Adam. It¡¯s a lot for me to have four guys that are in love with me. I feel like It¡¯s left for me not to hurt their emotions at the expense of mine. Perhaps, Adam was also trying not to jeopardize our friendship. He didn¡¯t make any mention of the conversation we had earlier this morning, neither did I. Also, I noticed he was ufortable around me now. We ate at the Cafeteria in silence while I expected Finn to show up any moment. Finn¡¯s presence around me has a way of filling the air with excitement. I can¡¯t just help but wonder where this new connection would eventually lead us to. I expected Finn but Charles came to join us instead. Phew! ¡°Hello everyone¡± Charles greeted my friends perfunctorily and as usual, he sat beside me. Evelyn hissed, looks like she was expecting Finn toe pay for our lunch, not this jerk. ¡°I couldn¡¯t make it your birthday party Adam, I am sorry. Something got into my way that very day¡± Charles apologised instead of wishing him a bted birthday. Evelyn replied brusquely; ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry Charles, we didn¡¯t even notice your absence, there were many other important people¡± ¡°Come on Evelyn, that was very rude. I invited Charles, yes I gave him an invitation card¡± I said. ¡°Whatever¡± Evelyn murmured and rolled her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys went as far as distributing invitation cards for my birthday yet I never came across any¡± Adam interfered as he avoided direct eye contact with me. ¡°It¡¯s called a surprise for a reason¡± Evelyn remarked. She seemed more worried about Charles who sat with us, literally intruding into our privacy. I wasn¡¯tfortable too neither did I enjoy Charles¡¯panion but I didn¡¯t wanna chase him away by myself. ¡°For your information Charles, you have to take permission before joining us and just so you know, you are not wee to this clique¡± Evelyn added. ¡°Who says I wanna join your damn clique?¡± Charles hissed. ¡°I am here for Rita actually¡± He ced his hand over my neck and I cringed a little. ¡°Oh right, you said you have something to tell me, isn¡¯t it?¡± I took his hands off me stylishly. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s kinda private¡± He replied, smiling. ¡°All-right¡± It¡¯s not like I cared anyways. My face lit up when I noticed Finn approaching our table. We exchanged a non verbalmunication via nces. ¡°Come with me¡± Finn uttered as soon as he arrived at where we sat. I thought Finn was referring to me, I almost got on my feet but Adam stood up too. ¡°Come with me, Charles¡± Finn said. ¡°Oh mannn!¡± Charles groaned and grumbled, stump his feet against the floor as he stood up reluctantly and followed Finn. Funny how the three of us heaved a sigh of relief once Charles leftFrom N?velDrama.Org. ***** Finn stopped walking (leading the way) once they got to a quiet passage way. ¡°I warned you to stay away from Rita, didn¡¯t I?¡± Finn resumed, he put his hands into his pockets as he moved closer to Charles. ¡°Here we go again! Who exactly do you think you are uh? Chiefmander?¡± Charles was ready to confront him as well. Finn boiled in anger yet he resisted the urge not to punch him on his face. After all he has gone through to get Rita to be his, and his alone. Now there¡¯s one annoying jerk giving him headache. He tried toport himself as he spoke gently. ¡°Charles, let¡¯s settle this amicably. We are grown up, we shouldn¡¯t fight over a woman¡± ¡°Who said I wanna fight with you over a woman?¡± ¡°Ugh! Now listen, I love Rita so much¡± Finn confessed. ¡°I love Rita so much too and it¡¯s great you have finally admitted instead of ordering me to stay away from her¡± Charles turned to leave but Finn pulled him back. ¡°You have absolutely no idea how far Rita and I havee¡± ¡°Hmmn¡± ¡°Please give up on her, you will certainly find another woman. The true love of your life¡± Finn kinda pleaded like a gentleman but Charlesughed out hysterically. ¡°N. O, No. I love Rita, you love Rita. I think we should leave it for Rita to choose. I am about to confess my feelings to her anyways, although she¡¯s aware¡± Charles ridiculed him. ¡°Aaaargh! I put it to you Charles, that Rita will never ever date you¡± Finn fired, he couldn¡¯t hold his temper anymore. ¡°Haha! Well, I have know Rita for sometimes before I started working with you. Don¡¯t you wonder where I must have met her? Anyways, once I reveal myself to her, I don¡¯t think Rita will ever reject me¡± Charles continuedughing hysterically and walked away majestically. Finn stood there, pondering what Charles meant by he had met Rita before? and why Charles was so sure he would never get rejected by Rita? Was he her bethrone? Or was he her ex? ****** To Be Continued Rita Is Horny ¡°Rita doesn¡¯t seem to understand the fact that Zane is no more. She¡¯s so fvcking loyal and she thinks she¡¯s cheating on Zane by having a rtionship with me. She has not totally forgotten Zane even when he¡¯s absent and a heartless snub towards her on Kikachat. Hmmn I gotta close down the Zane¡¯s ount already!¡± Finn vented while he drove. He red at Adam through the rear mirror when he didn¡¯t utter a word. ¡°Why do you seem moody?¡± Finn inquired. Adam sighed heavily: ¡°Rita thinks I¡¯m interested in her¡± Finn chuckled: ¡°What? Why? Did you dare make advances towards her?¡± ¡°Yes, I did indirectly. Actually, I kept asking her about her rtionship, now she has misunderstood¡± ¡°Do not do that anymore. Rita and I are headed somewhere, I¡¯m so sure of that now¡± Finn smiled, feeling so fulfilled and satisfied but then he suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Charles earlier that day. ¡°Except that there¡¯s someone getting on my nerves¡± The encounter niggled at him. ¡°That must be Charles¡± Adam guessed right. ¡°You must have noticed¡± ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to be worried. Obviously, Rita will choose you over and over again¡± He assured him. ¡°I know right¡± Finn huffed worriedly: ¡°Charles said.. erm, something like he has met Rita before but she¡¯s yet to recognised him¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve met in their first lives¡± Adam teased. ¡°I rebuke such¡± He snapped his fingers and snarled. ¡°But Charles was certain. He also said once he reveals himself to Rita, she¡¯ll go to him. Is Charles her ex-lover or were they kinda in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Nah, Rita has never been in a rtionship before except with Jared and turns out you were the one¡± ¡°Then what does he mean? Is she betrothed to him?¡± Finn was seriously baffled. ¡°I thought you called yourself a matchmaker? Or does the Matchmaker need a matchmaker?¡± Adam teased again. Finn scoffed: ¡°I really don¡¯t know what Charles is up to but I feel like it¡¯s something huge and dangerous but whatever it turns out to be, I¡¯ll win against him¡± He beat his chest confidently. ¡°Dont get yourself worked up Finn. Incase you must have forgotten, let me remind you that you are the boss and since you employed him, you can as well fire him¡± Adam advised. ¡°I will¡± He nodded. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have employed Charles in the very first ce but there¡¯s a lot attached. I¡¯ll sack him eventually, at the right time¡± ***** Rita¡¯s POV Back to scrolling through the gistfeed because I no longer have the attention of my supposed boyfriend. I watched more and more couples lovely videos and I read their epistles about how they met and how far they have gone. Meanwhile, in my head I was busy picturing a future together with Finn. I stared into the space and imagined that Finn and I got married and had beautiful children. So shall it be. A dirty thought popped into my head and I mustered up the courage to read people¡¯s erotic experiences on FAP & GM gistfeed which made me sh back to what happened between Finn and I at his office today. Although it wasn¡¯t like we had sex neither did we kiss again but he fvcking spanked my ass and slid his hand on hips and fondled my ass. That fvcking turned me on! Then urred to me that Finn yed on my emotion because I haven¡¯tpletely ended things with Zane yet. I swiped from the gistfeed to the chat log, Oh My God! Zane was active ¨C He was Online! and he didn¡¯t text me at all! I rushed into his DM and sent a capital lettered ¡°HI ZANE¡± I bit my finger as I anticipated his response; He finally saw my message and replied back with ¡°Hi Rita¡± Oh Good! I needed to officially break up with him this minute because I was fed up of the rtionship and I don¡¯t love anymore yet I was stuck between breaking up with him first or waiting for him to bring it up. I pitied him just a little, we¡¯ve spent amazing time together on the inte but I really want something more deeper than a fleeting moment of pleasure. I wanted a real and longsting connection, a real conversation and a real sex experience. Online connection can never fulfill all my desires and I was tired of waiting for him. I can¡¯t believe that all I was basically thinking about is sex. Sex! Sex! Sex! I suddenly felt a tingling sensation as if a tiny current ran through my body. It started from my boobs, slowly spreading down to my v-area. This sudden feeling sent a wave of excitement and curiosity coursing through me. I tried to pinpoint why I suddenly became horny. Was it because I read smut earlier or was it because my boyfriend who always put me in the mood was online or perhaps because I remembered how Finn caressed my body today and made me yearn for more? I closed my eyes and took in deep breathe then let them all out as if I was trying to let go of the sensation that washed over me yet it felt as though a dominant energy within me was being awakened. It was exhrating and a little unnerving at the same time. Zane had told me to think about random stuff, unrted to sex whenever I felt this way. He had also urge me to try to sleep off. But right now, nothing worked out. I can¡¯t think and I can¡¯t sleep. I picked up my phone and texted Zane. ¡°You have sex starved me!¡± I med him. I held on really tight but this nasty feeling wouldn¡¯t subside. ¡°What?¡± He texted back. Then immediately switched to a voice call. Been a while I heard his voice! ¡°I am horny¡± I cried out. The tingling sensation grew stronger especially in between my legs. It was irresistibly alluring probably because I was on my ovtion period. ¡°Calm down Rita. Talk to me¡± Zane said.From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have tried everything Zane. I have deleted all your nudes but I just can¡¯t unsee IT. I don¡¯t know what to do. I am wet, wet¡± ¡°Calm down¡± He repeated. ¡°I can help¡± ¡°Mmmn¡± I moaned. ¡°Can you imagine I¡¯m right in front of you?¡± He sounded soft, sexy and seductive. ¡°Zane¡± I moaned coldy, the s*xual urge was inevitable. ¡°I can see you, you are shirtless¡­ your s*xy abs you¡¯ve shown me¡± I imagined his naked figure standing right in front of me. I could already see and feel his erected d*ck. ¡°Good, now imagine everything you wanna do to me¡± He continued softly; ¡°I can see you on a sexy red bra, revealing those juicy boobs. I could squeeze them, and grab them into my mouth¡± I felt everything he said yet I screamed out ¡°You are not doing enough Zane!¡± There was a sudden knock on the door, disrupting the sex call which almost felt real and I was still extremely aroused. I managed to disconnect the call quickly to go open the door. It was Finn, I allowed hime in. ¡°Mmmn! Hello Finn¡± I moaned his name softly, trying to act normal. ¡°Hi Rita¡± Finn smiled innocently. The sexual urge seemed uncontroble and irresistible. It grew stronger at the sight of an opposite sex. I stared at Finn seductively and I saw everything Zane told me to imagine earlier. Naked, Hot and Sexy! I drooled, Heavily aroused and engrossed in my dirty imagination. I don¡¯t know what took over me, I jumped on innocent Finn and pinned my body against him by locking my legs behind. I kissed him deeply, he didn¡¯t even resist. Seemed like Finn understood the assignment, He knew I wanted him in me! ****** To Be Continued Longing Intimacy The tension was palpable! Our breath entwined, savoring the feel of our lips against each other while he ran his hands down my back and grabbed my butt. S*x could be enjoyed even in the most unconventional moment. Without breaking the kiss, Finn carried and took me to my bedroom like he¡¯s been there before. Carefully, he ced me on the bed, letting mey on my back. He knelt on top of me as he began to unbutton his shirt. I assisted him. Removing his shirt, my jaw dropped as I gulped hard. Finn had a familiar seemingly perfect body with chiseled abs and defined muscles. I traced my fingers along the lines and curves of his chest. He looked into my eyes, the same gaze he gave thest time we were positioned this way at his ce ~ like he wanted me to give him a go ahead sign but before I answered, he lifted my chin and our lips locked again. A slight moan escaped my lips as my breathe began to cease. Doesn¡¯t he understand that my body wanted more? I was so down. I broke the kiss and ran my fingers down the ridges of his lower abs then I shoved my hand into his trousers as if I were a professional. ¡°Fvck!¡± Finn groaned. My breathing became rapid and goosebumps formed on my skin the moment I touched his shaft. I hope I didn¡¯t hurt him though. ¡°Make love to me Finn¡± No, that was too in. ¡°I¡¯m horny, fvck me!¡± I whispered. His hardened d*ck poked at me as if it was tryna get out of the clothing. He was in the mood too, why then was he taking so much time? He unbuckled his belt and pulled down his trousers, alongside his boxers. His erection eagerly pointed at my direction and my eyes were fixated on it. Mr B. D! I was supposed to be terrified or shocked but it brought back memories that made me yearn for him more. He raised up my re gown, so he could easily pull down my panties. I held onto his hand and moved it between my legs, into my hot, wet sheath. His eyes stared in amazement as he felt the wetness between my legs and the tightness of my p*ssy. He rubbed my p*ssy, I instantly got scared but I enjoyed it. Without any warning, he pushed in a finger, evoking a loud moan from me. ¡°Hah¡­ Finn! Oh my God!¡± My fear increased. He slipped the finger out and rubbed my clit lightly. ¡°You¡¯re damn so tight¡± He whispered into my ears. ¡°Should I continue?¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. I really wanted him inside of me but without the pains. He suddenly inserted the finger again. ¡°Hah!¡± I yelped and pushed him aside. I was trembling. It was just one finger, infact half because a full finger couldn¡¯t go in, talk more of his hardened d*ck which was erecting to prate. ¡°Oh My God! It hurts. Hold on Finn! Wait a minute¡± I closed my eyes and bemoaned. Like the patient and understanding man Finn was, he paused although the s*xual urge was too much for him. I wondered why he wasn¡¯t shocked that I was a virgin; like he already knew he was gonna meet a tight V. Maybe he has already seen through my charade. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked me softly after a while. I can¡¯t believe that I was wet even in serious pain. When I didn¡¯t say anything he got off the bed. ¡°I¡¯m ready¡± I pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go against your wish¡± He said calmly. But if I don¡¯t do this now, when next or when ever I decide to, I¡¯ll still feel the pain, so what¡¯s the point? Afterall, the pain is just for the first time. ¡°Slowly and gently¡± I added, making him climb on the bed again. Heid me down in the position he wanted and slowly rubbed his skin against mine as he lowered himself on top of me, letting me wrap my legs around his torso. He teased my honeypot with his d*ck trying to make the pain subside as well increasing my want for him but when he tried to insert into me again, he couldn¡¯t. It was just the pinkish cap poking at my v- wall. With harsh and uneven gasps, he moved from on top of me and fell to the bed, right next to me. I guess he has given up. ¡°What¡¯s.. what¡¯s happening?¡± I asked, exhaling roughly. I was also already beginning to fall out of mood. ¡°I can¡¯t do this, I can¡¯t prate¡± Heined. ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know¡± He replied. ¡°Check it out, let¡¯s try again¡± I urged. I spread my legs shamelessly, Finn knelt in front of me and peered at my virginia. He forcefully drove his finger into me and I screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t.. don¡¯t do it again¡± I flinched. I gave up once I noticed a little droplet of blood sliding out of my clit. The pain was inexpressible. I suddenly felt sore and boneless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± He apologized. I grabbed the duvet to cover my nakedness, like he hasn¡¯t seen or touched it. ¡°You are in serious pain¡± He picked up his trousers and began to dress up without his shirt. Heid next to me, shirtless and pulled me closer to rest on his chest, our bodies entwined while we covered ourselves with a duvet. He kissed my forehead. ¡°How do you feel now? Relieved?¡± He asked. ¡°Not really¡± I responded coldly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡± I told him. ¡°It¡¯s not yours either¡± We chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s usually like this for a first timer right?¡± I didn¡¯t wanna panic yet. ¡°Hmmn, the pain, yes. But¡­ I don¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t prate¡± He huffed. ¡°Maybe because you are so fvcking tight or maybe because I have never disvirgined a girl¡± Finn replied. ¡°You are a virgin too?¡± I almost eximed.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Hell no, I meant you are my first virgin girl¡± ¡°Ohh¡± I felt pleased and delighted. He smiled; ¡°I¡¯ve indirectly just confessed my wildest secret to you¡± ¡°You met so many different girls before me?¡± I mumbled. ¡°I promise, I regret not finding you sooner. I¡¯m sorry for wasting precious time with other women¡± He apologized, gently patting my head. I rolled my eyes and inquired; ¡°Are all guys actually the same? S*x is supposed to be a form of bonding. You can¡¯t bond with so many women¡± I argued. Although, I knew within me that the only reason why I was still a virgin was because I wasn¡¯t opportune to have sex! ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right. Well, life is too short to be uptight about sex¡¯ Finn remarked. I felt I¡¯ve heard this exact statement, somewhere. While I reminisced about the statement, the situation on the ground unexpectedly bothered me, I frowned and unsnuggled him, then turned to the side to face him properly, he did the same. ¡°You are not frustrated, are you?¡± I asked him, referring to the longing intimacy that couldn¡¯t work out. ¡°What? Not at all. We can do this again when you¡¯ve recovered or when you¡¯re ready¡± He said as he gently pulled me closer again, returning to our initial position. I swear, I am an innocent woman who unyielding yearns for physical connection, physical touch, physical intimacy, sex and everything in between. ******* To Be Continued The Marriage Contract Finn¡¯s POV I slept over at Rita¡¯s ce just to make sure that she felt good and secured around me. The following day, I urged her to stay at home and have enough rest because of the pain she passed through the previous night. Afterall, no one else was gonna query her for not showing up at work promptly. I¡¯m the CEO of thepany she works at! Instead of heading to the office right away, I visited my mom instead. It¡¯s been a while I saw her, how bad of me not to have reached out earlier. I shushed the gate keeper and maids not to announce my arrival and the maids carried the few presents I got while they led the way to the yard where my mom sat on the swing sofa, drinking and merrying all alone. ¡°Surprise!¡± I caught her attention. I spread my arms, like she was gonna jump on me but she didn¡¯t even make any move. ¡°Look who remembers that he has a mom¡± She scorned. ¡°Uh¡­ugh! Are you not happy to see me?¡± I moved closer to embrace her instead. The maids left us alone. ¡°Your brother told me you did not only neglect me but him as well, you abandoned us like you have got no family at all¡± My mom grumbled. ¡°Oh no mom! I will never do such a thing. I am not a prodigal son¡± I took her hands and kissed it. ¡°I have missed you so much mommy¡± Even when she was ying hard to get, she finally put on a smile. ¡°I missed you too¡± She responded. I sat beside her, gazing at her in admiration ¡°You are doing very fine¡± ¡°Why not. I¡¯ve been taking very good care of myself more than ever¡± She replied, sharing me a ss of the juice she was drinking. The maids also returned to serve me french fries. ¡°How¡¯s thepany?¡± She asked. ¡°Great, great. Have you checked our current worth?¡± ¡°Yes dear, I am impressed. You¡¯re handling thepany better than I did, I¡¯m so proud of you¡± ¡°Dad will also be proud of me wherever he is. Among thepanies he left behind, mine is doing extraordinarily well¡± I remarked and started eating some fries. ¡°Ding dong! That remind me of this news¡± She dropped her ss cup and sat upright. I knew she was gonna say something very important. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Have you thought about settling down soon?¡± I can¡¯t believe my mom finally asked such a question! ¡°Hmmn, you mean marriage?¡± ¡°Of course! You won¡¯t be rewarded an de for being a bachelor at almost thirty you know?¡± I giggled. ¡°Alex told me you use and dump girls! That¡¯s so irresponsible of you!¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Use and dump? That¡¯s a cruel thing to say. I will never ever do such¡± ¡°How about the girls you uhm.. hook up with at the club?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a prostitute¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you are but just so you know, the club isn¡¯t the best ce to find a lover¡± My mom said. ¡°Of course, I know. It¡¯s been a while I went to the club, I am a changed person now. Alex is crazy for filling your head with nasty assumptions about me¡± ¡°I know you too well Finn, this isn¡¯t about what Alex told me. Do you want me to start asking you whenst you had S*X?¡± ¡°Uh!! That¡¯s the most awkward question you should never ask mom!¡± I shunned, scoffing. Memories of the previous night flooded my head. ¡°Oh well, suit yourself¡± She said. ¡°Back to the news I have for you¡± She said. ¡°So you haven¡¯t even made any mention of it yet. Is it a good news?¡± ¡°Hmmn C & Opany reached out to me. Don¡¯t you check your Gmail at all Finn?¡± ¡°I uhm, deliberately archived some mails¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford losing 70 billion!¡± ¡°70 billion isn¡¯t way too huge¡± I scoffed. ¡°Then add 70 billion to thepany¡¯s worth¡± ¡°Oops! It¡¯s way to huge then!¡± ¡°C & Opany wanna work with us jointly. The chief executive officer reached out to me and asked if we¡¯re interested in merging ourpany with theirs as one¡± ¡°Oh! I saw their mail and intentionally ignored it. Why not? It¡¯s such a ridiculous offer! Who does that? ¡°It is not ridiculous! This is growth Finn!¡± ¡°Growth my foot!¡± I hissed. ¡°I read the contract, they¡¯ll pay the 70 billion as a signing bonus, and we¡¯ll also earn more when we start working together! Therefore our worth will boom!¡± That statement made me smile. ¡°We love money so much in this family, it¡¯s heredity¡± She added. ¡°Billionaire¡¯s goal!¡± I remarked cheerfully as I picked up my phone and sent a mail. ¡°What is their requirement?¡± I inquired. ¡°Ourst name. Since we are bing one, they will bear ourst name, Lakson¡± My mom exined further. ¡°Yeah, as it should be¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. The CEO of C & O has no son to inherit thepany, that¡¯s why they came up with this wonderful decision¡± ¡°Who said women shouldn¡¯t own apany! You took over Dad¡¯spany¡± I smirked. ¡°Well, whatever reason why they took this decision is to our own benefit afterall¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°So have you epted to sign the marriage contract?¡± She asked. ¡°Marriage contract?¡± I eximed. ¡°What marriage contract are you talking about?¡± Now, it dawned on me that she¡¯s been beating around the bush. The CEO of C & O has no son but daughter and since they¡¯re using myst name, I will have to get married to the daughter so she could take myst name, Lakston. It is a marriage contract!!! ¡°Hell no, no! Jeez! I already sent them a mail toe over for a meeting tomorrow¡± I pped my face. ¡°Come on Finn, their daughter is very much single, she¡¯s such a young and beautiful woman. Thank Goodness, you are not married yet nor are you seriously into anyone¡± I scoffed;¡± Sounds more like you have been arranging a marriage for me¡± ¡°No dear. This offer came up right just in time. You could see it more like a blind date¡± ¡°No mom, this is never gonna work out¡± I said. She was gonna say something again but I interrupted her with another sharp No. ¡°No!¡± ******* To Be Continued Vanessa Rita¡¯s POV I expected a call or text from Zane because I left him hanging the previous night after telling him that I was so horny but he didn¡¯t reach out to me. Instead of feeling remorseful that I have cheated on Zane, I felt excited and eager to end things with him and probably apologize for leaving him. I picked up my phone and dailed his number. Unfortunately, it was unreachable. I clicked on Kikachat app only to find out that Zane has closed down his ount and profile. What? I was shocked. I couldn¡¯t contact him, I couldn¡¯t send him a message, I couldn¡¯t reach him. This reminds me of how Jared and I rtionship came to an abrupt end. Although, I was about to break up with Zane but definitely not this way, we could still be casual friends afterall Zane yed a big role in my life. Let¡¯s just conclude that something went wrong with him for now and he¡¯ll be back on Kikachat in the mean time. The thought aboutst night recapped in my mind, and put a big smile on my face. I saw him dark naked, he saw me stack naked too. I touched him, he did.. ¡°Oouu Rita, I didn¡¯t know I¡¯m such a badddd girl¡± I yfully pped my both cheeks and shook my head like it would literally erase the sinful memory. That was impossible! Also, I wondered why I bleeded even when there was no entrance for Finn to prate yet I was in serious pain. I stood in front of the mirror, pull down my underwear and panties and tried to pierce a finger into me but I gained more pain not pleasure. My v-area seemed really tight or blocked. This reminded me about thest time I sex chatted with Zane and tried to finger myself, it was very painful but I felt it was normal for someone who hasn¡¯t done it before. Maybe till when my body is used to his¡­ My phone chimed, it was Finn. He called just when I was thinking about him too much. I hastily jumped on the bed to pick up my phone but tripped over myself in the process then bursted outughing. God! I am overwhelmed by him! I finally slid to the receiver. ¡°Hello my love¡± He spoke first. Gosh! His voice was captivating. I could feel my heart skip a beat as I replied; ¡°Hey Finn, what¡¯s up?¡± He chuckled, a sound that was both yful and affectionate. I kinda med myself for not being romantic with my words. He said ¡®Hello, my love¡¯, I responded with Hey Finn! Jeez! That¡¯s so in, general and casual. He is my partner now, my new boyfriend! ¡°I hope you¡¯re not mad that I¡¯m just reaching out to you? I was with my mom but believe me, I was thinking about you all day¡± Finn said. A rush of warmth spread through me, and I couldn¡¯t help but blush like he could see me. ¡°How is your mom?¡± Been a while I saw Mrs kston. ¡°My mom is doing very fine¡± He answered and continued:¡± How do you feel? Any better? Are you ¡­still in pains?¡± He asked, his voice grew softer, filled with tenderness. ¡°Uhm, not really ?¡± I chuckled, a little embarrassed. ¡°Do you want me toe over? and wrap you in my arms and uhm..¡± I interrupted him. ¡°Nope Finn, see you at work tomorrow¡± I said. ¡°What if I told you that right now, I am in front of your house?¡± He teased. I rushed towards the window and almost tripped again. ¡°Just kidding!¡± Heughed out loud. ¡°You are silly Finn. Listen, I am not sure I can look straight into your eyes after what we¡¯ve done. I¡¯m.. ashmed¡± I mumbled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m shameless¡± He remarked and I giggled. ¡°Jokes apart Finn, I feel like all eyes are on me¡± Iined. ¡°Chill Babe¡± He said. ¡°Just chill okay? No one is watching you, no one knows¡± He assured. ¡°Hmmn¡± ¡°Damn! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re an innocent newbie, pretending to be a baddie. Nice try¡± He stated,ughing. ¡°Wow I can see you know me too well. Well, that¡¯s enough¡± I snapped. ¡°See you at work tomorrow or do you mind if Ie pick you up?¡± He asked. ¡°Oh dear Finn, I don¡¯t wanna make us obvious to everyone¡± I murmured. ¡°Sweetheart, I am not hiding this rtionship¡± He said. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s take a little while before making it obvious¡± ¡°As you wish, your highness. I¡¯ll order my driver toe pick you up. Is that fine by you?¡± ¡°Sure honey¡± ¡°I love you so much. Be good okay?¡± Even after we¡¯ve ended the call, I kept smiling throughout the rest of the day. Finn is a physical boyfriend! Finn is all I asked for and more. I love Finn so much! ****** Finn¡¯s POV Today, I nned to be all sweet and lovey dovey with the love of my life throughout today but my mom ruined the n before it even happened.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. My mom dashed into my office unexpectedly, informed me that I had some visitors then we headed together into the meeting hall where I met this big man and his wife most likely and Vanessa. Vanessa? Iported myself, pretending I didn¡¯t recognize her. The man stood on his foot to shake hands with me. ¡°I¡¯m Mr WillGate¡± He introduced himself. ¡°Oh, the CEO of C and O!¡± ¡°Yeah, Costume and Organics. It¡¯s nice meeting you finally¡± The man said, having his seat while I sat at the centre of the long table. The meeting began with a brief speech from Mr Will Gate, Vanessa¡¯s father?!! ¡°I believe¡­¡± He paused.¡±Mrs kston, your mother has informed you about the reason why we are gathered here today¡± He said. ¡°I was the one who decided that we should meet today and I also cancelled this meeting. Didn¡¯t you get my mail?¡± I furrowed my brows, folding my arms. The woman by his side, his wife brought out the contract in a file from her bag and slid it over to me like I have no other choice than to sign immediately. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna sign that¡± I shook my head in disagreement and push the form away. Vanessa hissed, I shot her a hard gaze and she rolled her eyes and scoffed. ¡°I thought as much¡± Mr Will Gate groused. ¡°Yourpany is Beauty and Cosmetic while ours is Costume and Organics which is why I think we could work well together¡± ¡°Of course, I would love to merge with yourpany because it will be of great profit and benefit to us both. Also, I have been informed about the criteria for us to be one. I can¡¯t marry your daughter ¡± I went straight to the point without beating around the bush. Vanessa kept on staring at me even when I avoided eye contact with her. ¡°Finn, I thought we talked about this¡± My mom whispered. ¡°Yeah but we didn¡¯t conclude. I have just concluded¡± I said. ¡°Well, uhm..¡± Mr Will Gate picked up the contract and kept it inside his briefcase. ¡°Today doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be the signing day¡± ¡°You are right¡± His wife added. ¡°Let¡¯s just get to introduce ourselves and know eachother better. We do not actually mind if the signing process takes weeks¡± He cleared his throat ¡°Here¡¯s my wife sitting next to me and Vanessa, my eldest daughter sitting next to her¡± He introduced. ¡°I feel in the mean time, you and Vanessa should get to know eachother very well. You might have a change of mind¡± Vanessa¡¯s mom insisted. ¡°Hi Finn, I have heard so much about you and I¡¯m so excited to meet you¡± Vanessa stood up, stretched her hand forward. And I didn¡¯t want to be rude in front of her parents so they won¡¯t suspect that we already knew eachother. I shook hands with her: ¡°Nice meeting you Vanessa¡± I replied simply. Our parents pped dramatically. ¡°You look so cute andpatible together¡± My mom remarked. She has absolutely no idea that I¡¯m not a single man. ¡°I know right¡± Vanessa blushed and winked at me. ¡°So uhm, we¡¯ll leave now¡± Mr Will Gate and his wife got on their foot. ¡°I¡¯ll wait behind, so I could catch up with Finn and get along with him¡± Vanessa suggested, meanwhile, she spoke to me voiclessly. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great idea. We will backter with the contract for you both to sign¡± Her father added. I shook my head as I motioned them to leave the meeting room first. They headed out, leaving Vanessa and I behind. ¡°Long time, no see Finn¡± As expected , Vanessa stroded over to where I sat ¡°Vanessa¡± I only uttered her name but she pulled me by my tie, making me stand face to face with her. ¡°So you work here, uhm¡± I took her hands off me and adjusted my shirt and tie. ¡°Yeah. This is one of my familypanies¡± I told her. ¡°Woah great¡± she drew nearer to me ¡°Now, business aside¡± She leaned forward and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± She whispered. ****** To Be Continued Don’t Touch Me! Finn¡¯s POV Vanessa leaned forward and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± She whispered. ¡°Miss you?¡± I scoffed, tilting my head away from him. ¡°What the heck! Bold of you to say that. It¡¯s not like there was anything special between us. We were never in a rtionship, now get that into your skul! l¡± I moved away. ¡°No darling. We fvcked. Didn¡¯t we?¡± She uttered discreetly and smirked. ¡°Not once, not twice, not three times. You were always looking for me once you got to the club, I am the only one that satisfied your s*xual urge¡± She pointed, looking down like I wasn¡¯t putting on trousers. ¡°Shhhh! You have be my past now Vanessa¡± I shushed ¡°You were never a rtionship material, nor are you a marriage material. I didn¡¯t even know that you came from a great great background, you were always at the hotel or club, ready for hook up and ready for one night stand with some Mr Anonymous¡± I tackled her but she didn¡¯t feel a single hint of shame. ¡°And what about you? You are the CEO of thispany? I can¡¯t believe it. I never knew you were from a good background either, you bad bad boy!¡± She fired back andughed hysterically. ¡°That was in the past. We are done¡± I was about to walk out of the room when she said. ¡°We cannot cheat fate. We are meant to be together, forever¡± ¡°Fate my foot!¡± I stumped my foot against the ground and raised my voice. She needed to understand that I was dead serious. ¡°Finn, I gave you my body not because I was a slut or something, but because I was in love with you, I still do but you never saw me as a lover¡± She looked pathetic. ¡°Giving a guy your body won¡¯t make him love you especially if he never did. That¡¯s a piece of an advise I¡¯m giving to you for free and I¡¯m sorry about your feelings. I am in rtionship, I love someone else. Please go now, tell your parents the contract marriage won¡¯t work¡± And with that, I walked away. ***** Rita¡¯s POV I returned to Finn¡¯s office again for the third time because I saw when his visitors left thepany which meant that the meeting has ended. ¡°Finn is not on seat¡± Charles said when he caught me peeping through the window. ¡°Oh, Okay. Thank you¡± I moved away from the window. ¡°Come on in Rita¡± Charles opened the door. ¡°You want me toe in? Why?¡± I wondered what business we¡¯ve got together. None, actually. ¡°Can I talk to you for a second?¡± I nodded, and finally walked in, towards him. He smiled heartily; ¡°If I may ask, don¡¯t you notice something strange about me?¡± ¡°Strange? Ugh! Not at all¡± I shook my head. He continued smiling; ¡°You are so pretty, that I forgot my pick up lines. Oops! I¡­ I¡¯m so bad at pick up lines¡± He stuttered, feeling awkward. I giggled. He was only being dramatic. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s one. If I had a rose for everytime I thought of you, I would be walking through my garden forever¡± He stated. I faked a smile: ¡°That¡¯s¡­uhm nice, nice line.. uhm?¡± I felt so ufortable around him especially when I realised what he was tryna insinuate. Could he please let me leave now? ¡°I told you I had something to tell you, remember?¡± ¡°Oh yeah!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem curious to know what it is¡± He mumbled. ¡°Err ¡­ I have alot on my mind, and I¡¯ve been so busy with work..¡± I lied. He really expected me to be eager to hear what he has to say? If it was so serious, he would have said it right away. He moved closer to me and held my hand, ced it on his chest. ¡°Can you feel my heart beat? Steady thrump! Thrump!¡± He flirted with me. ¡°Are you ill?¡± I pretended to be naive. ¡°C¡¯mon Rita¡± He pulled me for a hug in such a way that my my head rested on his chest. He¡¯s way taller than I am. ¡°I¡¯m in love with you¡± He confessed. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m always smiling whenever I see you, your presence alone brighten up day¡± He said. I quickly disengaged from him before he gets the wrong idea. ¡°It¡¯s actually love at first sight, do you remember how shocked I was the very first day I saw you? That¡¯s because I was startled by your beauty¡± He continued. Evelyn¡¯s right. Almost every guy lies about love at first sight. ¡°Thank¡­ you¡± I stuttered speechlessly, slowly moving away from him. ¡°You won¡¯t give me a response?¡± ¡°Are you asking me to date you?¡± I crossed my arms. Charles nodded affirmatively. ¡°I think the question you should ask is if I were married?¡± I said and he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve checked your marital status, you are single and your title is ¡®Miss¡¯ Miss Rita Martinez¡± ¡°What makes you think I am not in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°I have a fianc¨¦¡± I didn¡¯t lie, I wasn¡¯t only dating Finn as a boyfriend. ¡°A Fianc¨¦?¡± He eximed, his eyes searching for a ring on my finger. ¡°So, excuse me¡± I headed towards the door. ¡°Actually Rita, I have something else to say¡± He obstructed my way but just then, the door opened and Finn came in. ¡°You are back Finn, I have been waiting for you. How was the impromptu meeting?¡± I asked passionately in the presence of Charles. ¡°Uhm, great. How do you do Rita? ¡± I sensed he seemed nervous. Ady rushed in after him. ¡°We are not done talking Finn, how dare you walk out of me? How dare you leave me in there?¡± She screamed then turned to Charles and I. ¡°Who are you? You know what, I don¡¯t care. Excuse us¡± She ordered. I was confused, shocked. I don¡¯t know what emotion best describe me that moment. Who is she? ¡°Vanessa, calm down okay? At least,port yourself, you are in an office, not the club¡± Finn snapped back at her. ¡°Oh wow! How dare you Finn!¡± ¡°Rita, this is Vanessa. I have alot to exin to youter okay?¡± I nodded slowly like a lizard struck with bone in its throat.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°And Vanessa, this is Rita. She works in thispany. Rita is my girlfriend¡± He announced when I thought he might be reluctant to. Although, I wasn¡¯t ready to announce to the whole world about Finn and I rtionship but I guess, in this kind of a situation, it is very necessary. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Vanessa and Charles eximed. ¡°The one you are in a serious rtionship with?¡± Vanessa inquired. I guessed they must have spoken about me. ¡°Wh¡­ wait, what? how? I.. I mean ..¡± Charles stuttered. Sorry and not sorry for him. ¡°Finn, when you¡¯re less busy¡± I mumbled to Finn and awkwardly left the office. ¡°You are dating an employee?¡± Vanessa asked to confirm. ¡°Apparently, we are not just a boyfriend and a girlfriend but something more serious than that¡± Finn added. ¡°Since when have you and Rita been together?¡± Charles inquired. Finn ignored both of them and ran after Rita, she hadn¡¯t gone too far. He grabbed her hand and took her to a vacant room space, so they could have some privacy. Rita was still having a mixed feelings, maybe angry too. ¡°Finn, what¡¯s going on?¡± Rita questioned, crossing her arms. Finn took a deep breathe, his eyesced with confusion and regret. ¡°Are you cheating? Who is Vanessa to you? I should have believed that you had a girl!¡± ¡°No¡± ¡°Listen Finn, we have only started this rtionship and you ..¡± He interrupted me. ¡°Vanessa is a nobody, I mean it. I have only had past encounters with her and we were long over. Never knew we¡¯ll cross path again¡± He ran his hands through his hair as he tried to exin and wished that she could easily understand. ¡°Then what is she doing here?¡± I queried. ¡°err¡­Vanessa came with her parents for some business stuff¡± He answered. ¡°What past encounters did you have with her?¡± I asked another question and before he even answered, I cut in sharply ¡°Dirty things? Like we did previously?¡± ¡°Yes¡± He answered after a moment of silence. ¡°We never dated, we were just partners with sexual benefit? ¡± He answered honestly. ¡°Oh! I see¡± I gasped. ¡°Why are all guys like this?¡± ¡°What.. what do you mean?¡± ¡°You all fuck around like it means absolutely nothing. Probably not every guy does that but even my ex boyfriend Zane, was like that too¡± ¡°I met Vanessa at the club, that¡¯s where I hook up with sluts or at the hotel! Believe me, I have turned a new leaf now¡± ¡°Enough¡± I raised my hand. I breathe in and out, in order to be as calm as possible. ¡°This is the exact same thing my ex said¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I hurt you¡± He apologised. ¡°You know what Finn? I want to trust you on two good things. One, I hope you do not see me as a sexual partner too, just like Vanessa who is now running after you after you jilted her¡± ¡°Never Rita, my love for you is true. You are my woman, you are my life¡± He pleaded and I scoffed. ¡°Two, don¡¯te close to me until you have done the STDs, HIV/AIDs test¡± I warned him. ¡°What?¡± He blurted; ¡°Really Rita? You do not trust me..¡± ¡°I do, I¡­ I am only taking protective measure. Do this for me if you want me to trust you more¡± I walked out of him and he came after me but soon stopped because of the staff around. ******* To Be Continued There Was A Caught! RITA¡¯S POV I broke the silence while we had lunch, I cleared my throat and announced; ¡°Breaking news guys! Zane and I are done. It¡¯s officially over between us¡± The cutlery fell off Evelyn¡¯s hand in shock: ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°It is what it is¡± Adam mumbled. ¡°Oh My God Rita, this really hurt right?¡± Evelyn came to sit beside me, she ced her hand over my neck, trying to console me ¡°Actually, I am fine¡± I told her. ¡°I am totally fine, it was a happy break up, no heartbreak¡± ¡°Why? How? Did you break up with the poor guy?¡± She questioned. ¡°Hmmn, actually. I was gonna end the rtionship because I got fed up of him, Ipletely fell out of love with Zane¡± ¡°Oops!¡± Evelyn opened her mouth in awe and covered it with her palm. ¡°If you were in shoe, you would understand better. But then, before I broke up with him, Zane already shut down his Kikachat ount¡± ¡°What?¡± Adam and Evelyn eximed. ¡°Yeah, he did. His phone number has been blocked too, chat closed, so I haven¡¯t heard from Zane for some days now. And that¡¯s brought our rtionship to an end¡± ¡°Oops! Sad, sad. What could be going on with Zane?¡± Evelyn wondered. ¡°Of course, Zane also got tired of the rtionship too, he never said that but he gave you some signs right?¡± Adam interfered. ¡°That¡¯s right, he did¡± I muttered. ¡°So he had to close his ount and he blocked you because the inte is the only means you can get to him. Forget about him¡± Adam encouraged. ¡°Hmmn¡± I already forgot about Zane and moved on. ¡°Hey Adam, that¡¯s definitely not how to handle break up!¡± Evelyn snapped. ¡°Zane mighte back to you soon¡± She gently tapped my hand. ¡°Evelyn, I know you want me to be happy in love but I really need you to stop rooting for my rtionship with Zane. I fell out of love with him a long time ago and I kept pushing the rtionship so it could work out. I¡¯m not going back to Zane!¡± I shunned. ¡°Alright¡± She gave up. ¡°Good¡± I said and continued eating my meal unbothered. ¡°Rita, how about you tell us that you are not single either, you are with Finn¡± Adam suddenly uttered. I was shocked, so he knew. ¡°What?¡± Evelyn blurted. ¡°Rita, for how long do you n to hide it before informing us that you are dating Finn?¡± Adam questioned. I furrowed my brows, speechlessly. ¡°Really Rita? Is that true? Are you dating Finn? Oh My God!!¡± Evelyn eximed. ¡°Shush! Lower your voice¡± I hushed her indiscreetly. ¡°Then, open up already!¡± ¡°I¡­uhm, I was gonna tell you sooner orter¡± I kinda stammred, blushing secretly. ¡°When exactly? No, you¡¯ll never let us know, you never even told us when you were dating Jared, even Zane, we found out ourselves that you had an online lover remember? You never for once,e to us and announce that you have got into a new rtionship. Are you shy Rita? does the word ¡®Boyfriend¡¯ embarasses you?¡± Evelyn queried. ¡°No!¡± I blurted, although she was right, somehow. If only they knew that there were so many other stuff I¡¯ve hidden from them, ¡®like sex¡¯ the word makes me freak out like crazy. I called them my best friends but I never treated them like best friends. I sighed. Adam and I haven¡¯t been really cool with eachother after the other day I alleged him of being into me. He¡¯s been kinda trying to prove to me that he does not love me one bit. ¡°Since when have you and Finn been together? Besides, you cannot like start dating someone right away. There has to be like a romantic connection between the two of you¡± Evelyn gasped. ¡°Since when did you start liking Finn?¡± She probed further. I scratched my hair that wasn¡¯t even itching. ¡°I¡­ uhm, I don¡¯t really remember¡± ¡°Say something¡± She hit the table. ¡°Alright, alright. For a long time, I have not been sure of my feelings because I was with Zane. I confirmed that I was in love with Finn when we started having misunderstanding¡± ¡°Oops! So Zane was like an obstacle?¡± ¡°Maybe¡± Adam responded before I did. ¡°Adam!¡± I called out his name and shot him a hard gaze. ¡°How do you know about Finn and I? I never told anyone, I didn¡¯t tell you either¡± I crossed my arms ¡°Err.. I.. uhm, I¡­¡± He stuttered. ¡°I¡­uhm, I¡­ you what? Speak!¡± I snapped, making Evelyn wondered why I was strict.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Finn told me himself¡± Adam answered honestly. ¡°You know.. Guys secret conversation¡± He added ¡°I¡¯m aware of how close you and Finn are. It¡¯s really surprising you know¡­¡± I stared at him suspiciously. ¡°Have you ever thought about the first time you met someone andpare it to where you guys are now?¡± Evelyn suddenly interfered, breaking the tension. ¡°And you are like wow, just wow. Who knew this would ever happen?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Ex- excuse me guys¡± Adam stumbled on his feet and dragged his legs behind him, making his way out of the restaurant. There was a caught! ***** To Be Continued Secrets Rita¡¯s POV I peeped at Finn during the closing hours in an obvious way so he could catch me engrossingly staring at him. ¡°You¡¯re ying hide and seek now?¡± He rounded up his work and paid attention to me. I scoffed: ¡°Who¡¯s ying games with you? I just came to say, Hi, Bye because I¡¯m leaving¡± I dramatised. ¡°We are leaving. I¡¯ll drop you off at home and when I say home, I mean ¡®at my house¡¯ which will soon be ¡®our house¡¯, you should consider relocating soon¡± He winked at me as he drew nearer. ¡°Oh my dear, you wish! In your dreams¡± I turned to leave. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± Finn asked. ¡°Uhm, nope. I don¡¯t know¡± I murmured. ¡°Vanessa already left before I returned to the office¡± He told me. ¡°Are you sure she didn¡¯t only walk out of your office but out of your life too?¡± I grumbled. ¡°That would be thest we¡¯ll see of her, I promise¡± He embraced me from behind. I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I said don¡¯t touch me¡± I shouted and immediately released myself from him. ¡°And bye, don¡¯t drop me off, neither am Iing to your ce¡± I shunned. ¡°But why are you like this Rita?¡± He was pained. ¡°Finn I meant it when I said you should go for a medical check up before you even think of touching me¡± I reminded him, crossing my hands and moving away from him. ¡°Rita¡± I could see it in his eyes that he felt really bad. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I exhaled lightly, feeling bad as well for treating him this way. ¡°But I just have to do this. You had a dirty past and I¡¯m clean, we¡¯re unlike¡± ¡°We have done all sort of¡­¡± He paused and sighed; ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the medical test¡± He finally epted. ¡°Thank you¡± I whispered. ¡°Can I at least kiss you?¡± Finn teased. Although I craved for his smoochy lips on mine, yet I pronounced ¡± NO¡± and walked straight out of the office. ¡°See you tomorrow, boyfriend¡± To be sincere, it was very hard ignoring Finn and avoiding physical touch. He sent his driver to make sure I get home safely. ***** ¡°Who taught you how to be so romantic Finn? Didn¡¯t you say I am your first love uhm?¡± I said as soon as I picked up his phone call. ¡°Well, the one who barely loves, loves hard¡± He replied and I giggled. ¡°I hope you are not mad at me?¡± Funny how we asked each other this question at the same time. Weughed together. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, infact I am taking the test tomorrow¡± He announced. ¡°I¡¯lle with you if you don¡¯t mind, afterall I brought up this idea¡± ¡°Sure. Then Marriagepatibility test it is¡±From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Finn, you are really serious about marrying me?¡± I mumbled softly. ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the purpose of being in a rtionship if it¡¯s not to end up together?¡± He asked. ¡°You are right but you know, sometimes it doesn¡¯t always work out¡± I referred to Zane and I. ¡°Forever is the deal Babe, trust me¡± I blushed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk via Kikachat, it¡¯s very convenient there¡± ¡°Kikachat?¡± He eximed. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m not a social media kind of person, I do not have an ount there¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you. You don¡¯t have a Kikachat ount?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll create one right now because of you¡± ¡°Nevermind¡± I blurted. ¡°I¡¯m used to switching to kikachat because I do that with my ex boyfriend, so nevermind¡± ¡°Oh!¡± I heard him mutter. ¡°As you wish my love¡± I wanted to keep the conversation going¡­ ¡°Is there anything you are not telling me Finn? ¡± I¡¯ve been wondering when he was gonna tell me what I already found out. ¡°Ugh.. nothing¡± Finn replied without thinking twice. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°I¡­ am.. not so sure¡± He stuttered. ¡°We mustn¡¯t keep secret away from eachother, so I have to spill this out before it turns into a secret¡± ¡°You are free to lie to me if the truth will break my heart¡± Finn rizzed and I giggled. ¡°C¡¯mon, I don¡¯t wanna lie to you. It¡¯s nothing serious, it¡¯s just your personal assistant, Charles. He wants to date me¡± ¡°What?¡± Finn eximed just as I expected. ¡°It¡¯s been pretty obvious that he likes me so much¡± ¡°So, you are gonna give him a chance? Remember how far we havee¡± Iughed out loud; ¡°Oh now you remember how you bothered me to be your girlfriend even when you clearly knew that I was in a rtionship ¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you are gonna do now right?¡± I could sense fear in his voice. ¡°No babe, no one will snatch me from you okay?¡± He heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I have to put a ring on your finger before someone does¡± ¡°Also, no one should snatch you away from me, not even Vanessa¡± ¡°Vanessa¡± He muttered. ¡°Since we are confessing our secret, then I must spill this out¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears¡± ¡°First of all Rita, I need you to believe that our love will conquer all¡± He resumed. I didn¡¯t say anything but listened attentively to what he has to say. Was he finally gonna confess? ¡°It¡¯s about Vanessa¡± Finn said. ¡°Vanessa?¡± What about Vanessa? I wasn¡¯t expecting him to tell me about her. He cleared the air about Vanessa, so she was like the least if my worries at the moment. ¡°Earlier at the office today, her parents were around. They were the visitors that arrived with my mom¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about what the meeting was all about because I thought it was business talk as usual ¡± ¡°Yeah, it was. It was a contract. A.. marriage.. contract¡± ¡°Marriage contract?¡± I eximed. ¡°Is it what I¡¯m thinking? ¡°Yes but it will never work. I can¡¯t marry Vanessa, I turned down the money they offered and the contract¡± I didn¡¯t say anything fo r a while. ¡°Let¡¯s see where this goes, I really really hope that we have seen thest of Vanessa¡± I finally spoke. **** To Be Continued Moving On Rita¡¯s POVR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only I decided to check up on Zane one more time ~ for friendship sake. And to my greatest suprise, I realised that his phone number doesn¡¯t exist anymore. I quickly click on Kikachat, his ount was still closed, therefore sending him a text proved abortive. Now this got me really perturbed. What¡¯s going on with Zane? An idea suddenly niggled at me, I should ask J Johnson, she¡¯s probably aware of whereabout. ¡°Hello J Johnson¡± I texted. As usual, she responded immediately like an AI Robot: ¡°Hi Rita, how was your day?¡± ¡°My day was great J¡± ¡°How may I help you today?¡± ¡°I lost contact with Zane. I haven¡¯t been able to reach him and it¡¯s been ages I heard from him¡± She didn¡¯t reply, so I sent another text. ¡± Zane¡¯s ount is closed down and his phone number doesn¡¯t exist anymore¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Was all J Johnson said. ¡°What happened?¡± I probed further. ¡°You should move on with your life now Rita, Zane is gone. I¡¯m sorry things didn¡¯t work out between both of you, it¡¯s my fault¡± She sent. ¡°What do you mean by Zane is gone? Did I do something wrong?¡± I questioned, biting my finger tip as I anticipated her response. ¡°No dear, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Zane has done something terrible but his secrets are rather safe with me. You and Zane cannot work, he¡¯s gone forever. Zane told me to tell you to move on with your life and totally forget about him¡± I read her text. ¡°But, you just informed me because I asked¡± I retorted. ¡°ept my apology. I am also a terrible person for introducing you to Zane. I¡¯m sorry¡± She apologised but I snubbed her message. ¡°Do you mind if I find you another match?¡± She sent another message. I mocked her ¡°No, you have failed as a matchmaker. Your matchmaking skill was supposed to be 100% fated and urate¡± I deliberately sounded a bit rude. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry once again¡± ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m never gonna try online rtionship again. I wish Zane good luck wherever he is. I moved on already¡± I informed J Johnson. ¡°Wow! You did?¡± I don¡¯t know why I felt she should know about Finn. Maybe because she is the love doctor and I might need her assistance in the nearest future, ~ in my marriage. ¡°His name is Finn, I love him to the moon and back. It¡¯s my first time dating a physical guy and I already have a feeling that it¡¯s gonnast forever and ever¡± I told her. ¡°I wish you everything you wish for in your rtionship ¡± ¡°Thank you so much J Johnson¡± I closed the chat and exhaled heavily. Now it¡¯s time to have a sweet night rest. ***** We thought we have seen thest of Vanessa but unknowingly to us, this was only the beginning. I met Vanessa right at the entrance as soon as I arrived at the office the following day. For peace¡¯s sake, I tried to ignore her but she obstructed my way just when I wanted pass hy her. ¡°Hello! My boyfriend¡¯s girlfriend¡± She said aloud, getting the attention of the few people around. What the fuck was that? ¡°Oops, pardon me dear. They don¡¯t know¡± She mouthed andughed hysterically. ¡°Good morning Vanessa¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Wow! You remember my name even when we didn¡¯t get to introduce ourselves better. I hope we¡¯ll get along Rita¡± She acted nice but in a ridiculous way. ¡°We shall see¡± I mumbled then hurriedly headed to Finn¡¯s office. He hasn¡¯t arrived yet, oh! I see why Vanessa was busy hanging around the office periphery, joblessly. I caught Charles sitting and manspreading on Finn¡¯s seat, feeling like the chairman as he slowly drove the mesh seat round and hummed to the soft music ying from the radio. I was about to walk away without him noticing but the door cracking sound caught his attention. Not again! He saw me! ¡°Hey there, good morning Rita¡± Charles sprung on his feet immediately and walked up to me. ¡°Good morning to you too¡± I murmured. ¡°Nevermind, I didn¡¯t see you over there, ying with Finn¡¯s stuff. I¡¯m not gonna report you to him¡± I turned to leave. He giggled:¡± I actually don¡¯t care¡± He smirked. ¡°Okay, bye¡± He pulled me, making me turn around and face him properly. ¡°Did you uhm.. think about what I told you thest time?¡± He asked. I knew what he was up to and that¡¯s why I intended to leave immediately. ¡°We will discuss about thatter Charles¡± ¡°Later might be toote¡± He said. I looked at him in a confused way. ¡°Later¡± I repeated and left the office quickly. I met Vanessa again at the passage way, she probably followed me or was eavesdropping. I snubbed her because I was not interested in exchanging words with her nor being friends with my boyfriend¡¯s ex. Speaking of Finn, he emerged into the passage way that led to his office. ¡°Finn!¡± Vanessa and I called out at the same time and it was really awkward. It was more like two girls were fighting over a guy. ¡°What are you doing here again Vanessa?¡± Finn raised his voice. ¡°Nevermind¡± He sighed in distress and suddenly acted like he didn¡¯t see her. Then he walked towards me. ¡°We are going out today¡± He interlocked arms with me. ¡°Really babe?¡± At least, I wanted to utter something to make Vanessa jealous. ¡°Finn! How dare you ignore me? We are meant to spend this whole week together and see where love leads us to then you proceed to sign the goddamn contract, so we can get married¡± Finn hissed: ¡°I told you before and I¡¯ll repeat it again incase you thought I was kidding. We are never ever getting married and I will not sign that contract!!¡± He snapped at her. ¡°Let¡¯s go sweetheart¡± Finn turned to me, put on a pretty smile like Vanessa was a nobody to ruin his mood. We walked out of thepany together while people red at us in awe. We have just confirmed that their rumour about us is true. **** To Be Continued Vaginismus Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Why are we at the hospital?¡± I inquired since we left the office. Finn finally stepped on the brake. ¡°For the medical check up!¡± Finn answered. Oh My God! I made up my mind thest night to tell Finn that I was only joking, I trust him and he doesn¡¯t have to take the medical test but here we are now. I looked at his face for sign of nervousness. I took his hands into mine ¡°I love you so much, no matter what the result maybe¡± ¡°I love you more Rita¡± We headed inside, through the sliding automatic doors. The hospital sterile smell filled the air, as though reminding us of the gravity of the situation. Finn was a very important person, the nurse led us to the Doctor¡¯s office without having us wait. ¡°You kinda look alike, is she your wife?¡± The doctor teased. We looked at ourselves and giggled. ¡°Yeah, she is my woman¡± Finn said, cing his hands over my neck.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The doctor smiled: ¡°How may I help you Finn?¡± It was then, it dawn on me that they were acquaintances. ¡°Actually, Dr Chris, I¡¯m here to take the HIV test¡± I can¡¯t believe Finn boldly said that while I was embarrassed on his behalf. The Doctor peered at us for some moment then ask: ¡± Are you ready?¡± ¡°I am more than ready¡± Finn responded boldly. ¡°Your partner doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s ready¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m ready¡± I finally spoke after so much hesitation. ¡°Come with me to theboratory, my nurses will attend to you. Just a few droplets of blood sample and the result won¡¯t take so much time¡± Doctor Chris beckoned. I motivated Finn to be calm when I wasn¡¯t even calm. *** We returned to the doctor¡¯s office while waiting for the test result. ¡°You know, your HIV test result will also predict her result¡± The doctor said. ¡°Yeah, actually.. I was gonna say that too¡± Finn replied shamelessly. ¡°Dr Chris¡± I decided to speak up about what has been bothering me for some times now. ¡°How may I help you miss?¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t have sex because I cannot¡± I told him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Rita, you don¡¯t really have to bring this up¡± Finn whispered. ¡°Finn, I¡¯m worried. I am in pains¡± I said. ¡°Please feel free, go ahead. What¡¯s yourint?¡± Dr Chris said, supportively. I exhaled heavily. ¡°I am still a virgin because I can¡¯t have sex, not even a finger could prate into me. I feel this sharp pain¡± I blurted out freely, not minding that the doctor I wasining too was a man. ¡°It¡¯s more like your vagina is blocked?¡±He asked. ¡°Yes¡± Finn replied before I did. ¡°Exactly. Is this as a result of being a virgin for a very long time? What the heck is this? The pain is so unbearable for me.¡± I almost cried. The doctor looked at me with concern, he listened attentively as his brows furrowed in deep concentration. ¡°I understand you very well Miss Rita¡± He said: ¡°You are not the first woman toin about this¡± ¡°So is it normal or abnormal?¡± Finn was as nervous and curious as I was. ¡°It is abnormal¡± Doctor Chris said. ¡°It is called Vaginismus, it means the inability to have sex, your vagina is blocked, neither can the male s*xual organ can¡¯t prate into your vagina¡± He exined. ¡°What??¡± Finn and I eximed. Fear washed over me as his words sank in. I was going crazy. ¡°So it¡¯s something really serious¡± Finn panicked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people heal from it. Vaginismus is not permanent¡± ¡°Can I also breakthrough from that ailment?¡± I inquired further. ¡°Of course. Why not! But you can not do it alone. Mr Finn, you have to stand by her always because vaginismus can also be traumatic¡± The doctor added. While I fought back my tears, Finn interlinked fingers with me and kissed it. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side no matter what¡± He promised, tears welled up in his eyes. Doctor Chris went on to exin the different treatment option avable, there was literally no medical exnation or solution. He had insisted that with time, I¡¯ll be fine. As for now, I was devastated; I cried inwardly. This wasn¡¯t about me alone, Finn was hurt as much as I was. His HIV test came out negative, we were met to cheer and celebrate but no, there was another situation on ground. He couldn¡¯t focus nor drive either, he packed his car and consoled me. ¡°Am I less a woman to you now?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I asked the question but I asked anyways. ¡°No¡± He blurted. ¡°You are my woman no matter what, the absolute love of my life and it¡¯s high time I introduce you to my mom¡± He assured. ¡°I can¡¯t get married to you if we can¡¯t have sex¡± ¡°Rita, we¡¯ve just got to keep trying. It¡¯s no big deal, I want you to be the mother of my unborn kids¡± He wiped off my tears with his fingers. ¡°I love you Rita, no matter what¡± He said. ¡°I.. I love you too Finn. I will marry you¡± I responded, forcing a smile amidst the tears. I felt I¡¯d be a burden to Finn, I felt I was now less of a woman but a log of wood but Finn promised to be with me forever. ***** To Be Continued Rita Found Jared We didn¡¯t head back to the office but home, Finn insisted that I needed some rest. Iid on his king sized bed while waiting for Finn, who was in the living room, pacing around and making calls. I thought about the condition the doctor said I had, Vaginismus. Oh My God! For someone like me who craves for physical intimacy. Thinking of s*x had my bodying to life, I felt my nipples tighten into hard buds. A moan slipped out of my lips as I pressed my legs together , allowing my imagination to take over after all, I can¡¯t practically have it. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here now¡± I heard Finn¡¯s voice. He walked towards me and knelt down to the level of the bed. I rolled towards him and wrapped my arms around him, making him climb the bread, so I rx my head on his hard chest. Finn, on the other hand, lightly caressed the warm skin of my stomach, as he locked his eyes into mine and smiled. ¡°Do you feel good?¡± He asked, with his palm now grazing my cheek. I nodded gently, returning him a smile. ¡°Great, babe¡± His thumb traced the curve of my sensual lips then he leaned closer and sealed his lips into mine. I tasted him slowly, as though savoring the moment. We pulled apart when we felt relieved at least. ¡°It was a call from the office. I was told Vanessa caused a crazy scene at the office today, so I informed the securities never to let Vanessa step into thatpany ever again¡± Finn said. ¡°The finalst we¡¯ll hear of her, I guess and hope¡± ¡°Yup and I¡¯ll send emails to her parents and mine reminding them that the contract marriage thing is not working¡± I smiled: ¡°Most times, it doesn¡¯t pay to have a past; who knew the past wille back to life¡± I teased him. ¡°Vanessa and I are done for good. And besides, I¡¯ll introduce you to my mom this week¡± Oh My God, I raised my head up.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m nervous. I don¡¯t know what your mom may think of me. We weren¡¯t really cool when she was at Beauty and Cosmetic. I find her harsh¡± I grumbled and heughed. ¡°My mom is really sweet and nice¡± ¡°Is that true Finn?¡± ¡°Yes babe. I know she will be so d to have you as her daughter-inw. While I¡¯ve been ying games, she has always wanted me to settle down. You¡¯ll be my loving wife¡± His warm breathe fanned my lips as he pecked me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my mom, you know she has to be unintentional about her employees, infact she will be surprised once she finds out I¡¯m actually getting married to an employee¡± ¡°Exactly what I¡¯m saying. Why do I keep jumping from fry pan to fire?¡± I was worried and he chuckled. ¡°If that is what you are worried about, then I don¡¯t want you to work at thepany anymore¡± Said Finn. ¡°You.. wanna.. fire me?¡± I was confused by that statement he suddenly made. ¡°No, I uhm.. I¡¯ve actually been thinking that you need enough break¡± ¡°I.. I¡¯m fine¡± I huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to work under me as my employee anymore because you are now my woman¡± Finn suggested and I scoffed. ¡°You want me to be jobless?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. I want to establish your own business and you¡¯ll be the CEO. Not so much stress as you would hire people to watch over your business for you while you make cool cash and that doesn¡¯t stop me from spending on youvishly¡± He said. Although, I was excited but I gave a him disbelieving look:¡± You are probably saying this to put me in a happy mood¡± ¡°I¡¯m no joker, sweetheart¡± I smiled: ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a bad idea¡± He pout his lips, this gaze straying to mine. So I leaned into him to im his. I wondered if this sweet solemn moment was the perfect time to bring up this matter afterall, he wasn¡¯t making any hint or mention about it. ¡°Finn, we have passed the point of ignoring each other¡¯s secret¡± I said after pulling away. ¡°Sure¡± He answered, cing his hand to the back of my neck. ¡°Then how long do you n to hide this secret away from me?¡± I asked. He gazed at me for a while before uttering: ¡°What¡¯s that sweetheart?¡± ¡°Do you really think that I haven¡¯t found out who you are? Did you really n to hide such secret forever?¡± He was obviously shocked or afraid, he straightened his stance and stuttered: ¡°How¡­how did you¡­¡± ¡°How did I find out that you are Jared, my ex boyfriend whom I dated on Love Station?¡± ¡°Uhn¡­ what? ***** To Be Continued. Introduction ¡°How did I find out that you are Jared, my ex boyfriend whom I dated on Love Station?¡± ¡°Uhn¡­ what.. yes, how.. how did you find out?¡± He stuttered. I knew it. ¡°Well, I had the suspicion that very day your brother came to the office, turns out he wasn¡¯t Jared but looked like the Jared I know, so who else could he be if not some one close to him? Which was you, you had sent me pictures of what your brother was currently doing, in the morning, in the afternoon, evening, while eating, whenever. That was a simple logic, how could I have not known you were Jared even before now¡± ¡°I.. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you, I¡¯m deeply sorry¡± ¡°I actually found out haven overheard your conversation with Adam¡± I told him. ¡°What?¡± He gazed at me. ¡°That¡¯s how you found out?¡± ¡°Yeah¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you found out?¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s more?¡± I looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Well, uhm..¡± His expression fell. ¡°I only heard Adam mention Jared¡¯s name to you, that¡¯s why I kept asking if you had secrets you were hiding away from me and you just confirmed right now, this very moment that my suspicion was true. You are Jared, the guy I met and dated on the love station app¡± ¡°I know I messed up, I know I hurt you. I am very sorry¡± Finn apologised. I didn¡¯t know the exact emotion to feel. My ex boyfriend is back; infact he never left, he has always been there waiting for me toe back to him; he loves me so much. I put on a little smile and touched his cheek, remembering the past we have shared and what we¡¯ve been through. ¡°Maybe I should consider this situation as fate¡± I said. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not, it¡¯s me, I put this up. I don¡¯t know, I just keeping back to you in different ways¡­I.. I put this up¡± My face lit up, trying to understand what he meant. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust again, I promise¡± Finn said. I felt a sense of cautious optimism washed over me. ¡°We¡¯ve had a long difficult day, I need you to have enough rest; because we are going to see my mom tomorrow; I wanna introduce you to her, so that the wedding preparation can begin immediately¡± Finn rushed his words. ¡°Whoa, hold on. Wh¡­what? Why so soon? You only made the suggestion today and we already have a wedding to n?¡± I raised my brows, my mind spinning . He suddenly seemed to be in a hurry. ¡°ASAP!. I have already wasted enough time Rita. Time is not on our side, we have to do things properly¡± ¡°Besides the doctor has said that with this situation I¡¯m going through, you have to be by my side always¡± I quoted the doctor. Despite my reservation, I was also eager to be married but I wanted him to make the move first as it should be. And now, we are at it! I looked into Finn¡¯s hopeful eyes and felt my heart swell with love for him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Exactly, more better reasons. Rita, I want us to start our life together as soon as possible. We are getting married before the end of the year!¡± He dered. *** Rita¡¯s POV My heart raced as Finn led me to the walkway to his childhood home, a mansion where his mother lives. I knew his mom would be very surprised to see me, let alone to be introduced as his fiancee in tow. Everything was just happening too fast for my mind to process. I took a deep breath in as he rang the door bell, Finn nced at me and gave me a reassuring smile. When the door opened, Finn¡¯s mother stood there, her expression was a mix of surprise and curiosity. ¡°Sweet mother¡± Finn sang. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you¡± He embraced her. I stood there, awkward and a little scared. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am.. kston¡± I said when they disengaged; surprisingly, she pulled me for a hug. I was confused though. Finn¡¯s mother smiled warmly at me as she released me from the hug. ¡°Come on in, both of you¡± She ushered us inside and we made our way to the living room. ¡°Rita Martinez, it¡¯s so great to see you again especially in this way¡± Mrs kston said. I was still confused, I looked at Finn; I looked back and forth. ¡°I told mom about youst night, i knew you were nervous to meet her, so I informed her of our arrival ahead, that¡¯s how eager I was¡± Finn cleared the air. ¡°Oh¡± I mouthed. ¡°Rita was fast asleep when we spoke over the phone¡± Finn told his mom. ¡°Oou.. You were togetherst night! Make so much sense¡± Mrs kston teased then beckoned onto me by holding my both hands. ¡°Rita, I must admit, I was a surprised to hear about your engagement to my son but I¡¯m excited to get to know you better¡± I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Finn¡¯s mother seemed genuinely happy to see me. ¡°Thank you, Mrs kston ¡± I replied respectfully. ¡°I¡¯m excited to get to know you better too¡± ¡°Lovely to hear¡± Mrs kston apuded. ¡°Told you, my mom is such a nice, sweet sweet mother¡± Finn whispered but his mom obviously heard. ¡°You¡¯re right¡± I smiled,fortably. ¡°Oh, I never showed that side of me while I was in the office¡± She chuckled. ¡°How about Vanessa by the way?¡± She asked Finn. I sat there, sipping the drink the maid had just served me, trying to be inconspicuous as possible as I couldn¡¯t just walk out so as to excuse mother and son conversation. Finn responded ¡°That witch! She caused a lot of drama in the office. I¡¯ve asked the securities never to let her in and I¡¯ve sent my rejection letter to her parents¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I kinda forced you¡± ¡°Not really. Let¡¯s forget about her now. And focus on me and Rita¡± Finn ced his hand over my neck. ¡°Oh yes, yes!¡± Good, ¡®cos it was starting to look like they left me out of their discussion. ¡°Hurray! We¡¯ve got a wedding to n!!¡± ****** To Be Continued Found Zane Rita¡¯s POV I arrived at the office during the lunch hours, and headed straight to the restaurant; I knew my friends would be there. Finn wasn¡¯t even aware of my presence, he had told me to stay back at home and have enough rest but how long do I keep resting in idleness. ¡°Oh My God Rita!¡± Evelyn nearly spilled her coffee. She sighted me before I could announce my presence in a surprise. ¡°You are here Rita. Finn said you were taking a few days off¡± Adam said. ¡°I was gonna ask Finn about your whereabouts, you didn¡¯t tell me you already did Adam¡± Evelyn queried him. ¡°Adam!¡± I called out his name. ¡°Adam! ¡± I repeated, drawing his attention and sitting next to Evelyn. She was initially sitting opposite her boyfriend. ¡°Apparently, your boyfriend Adam and Finn are best friends¡± I told Evelyn. ¡°I know right. That¡¯s a very good thing to hear ¡± Evelyn remarked. ¡°Rita, we have talked about it and I thought we have settled this¡± Adam said. ¡°If you were truly my good friend, Adam. You would have told me that Finn was Jared, my ex boyfriend!¡± I almost raised my voice. ¡°Uhn ¡­ what are you talking about Rita?¡± Evelyn interfered. ¡°You.. you found out? He told you.. it wasn¡¯t my fault; Finn was scared that you wouldn¡¯t take him back after everything he has done to you¡± Adam said. ¡°Is this true? Wow, oh my God! Adam, how did you ever know that Finn was Jared in the first ce?¡± Evelyn inquired. I never wondered how Adam knew. ¡°Rita, Finn didn¡¯t tell you how.. how or why..¡± I shook my head. ¡°He told me himself, hence the reason why we have been so close¡± Adam replied. ¡°Why will he just open up such a huge secret to you and not Rita, the girl he loves?¡± Evelyn asked further. Adam kept quiet for a moment. ¡°Rita, I am sorry we¡¯ve not really been in good term these past days, and that¡¯s because I¡¯ve note out clean to you¡± ¡°What do you mean Adam?¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Listen Rita, Finn hasn¡¯te out to you clean either. He is still hiding something from you¡± Adam said. I tried to process what he said before responding; ¡°I told him to keep shut if the truth could break my heart. What could be more worse than being a serial killer or a bad man, is he?¡± ¡°No, Finn is not. But I think, you should know all his secrets, just like you found out that he is Jared¡± ¡°Somethings are better left unsaid Adam¡± I interrupted. ¡°Besides, Finn proposed to me¡± I announced. ¡°Really? Oh My God!, Congrattions!!!¡± Evelyn eximed, searching for a ring on my finger. ¡°Uhm, actually. He didn¡¯t give me a ring yet but he said it, he is serious, we¡¯ve had the marriagepatibility test at the hospital and he has introduced me to his mother. Mrs kston is really nice and sweet outside the office¡± I tried to make them believe. ¡°Really? Wow, oh wow. Congrattions Rita. Yaay, we have a wedding to n¡± Evelyn rejoiced. ¡°You are right Rita, somethings are better left unsaid and that¡¯s why he wants you both to move on with life¡± ¡°Exactly¡± I said. ¡°Allright, Okay Guys, enough of the argument or misunderstanding, whatsoever beef you guys are having¡± Evelyn said out loud. ¡°I¡¯ve said out my mind, I think I¡¯m fine now¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m cool too¡± Adam added. ¡°Good!¡± Evelyn pped. There was a moment of silence as the reality of my new rtionship status settled in. ¡°Finn doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here. He had told me to rest but I got bored. I¡¯ll resume fully soon even though Finn¡¯s ufortable that we are literally still like employee and employer¡± I said. ¡°So he wants you to be the boss?¡± Evelyn guessed right. ¡°Yeah, uhm.. something like that¡± I smiled with a little shrug. ¡°You are lucky Rita, Finn is the perfect man for you. I am happy things are falling into the right ces all for you. Congrattions bestie¡± Evelyn said. I felt so emotional and embraced her. ¡°Thank you Evelyn¡± ¡°You are here Rita!¡± A familiar voice interrupted us.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Charles. ¡°Hey Charles, longest time¡± I said. ¡°How are you? Where have you been?¡± He asked, leaning on the table. I replied with a smile; ¡°I¡¯ve been taking some time off but I¡¯m back now, I guess¡± Charles nodded, a hint of disappointment shing across his face; ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. I¡­ I have missed having you around. You don¡¯t pick my calls either. Why?¡± ¡°Rita has been busy. She doesn¡¯t even have the time to gist with her best friends¡± Evelyn chimed in. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, can we at least talk?¡± Charles ignored Rita and faced me instead. Oh no! I hesisted for a moment. This might be the best time to clear the air with Charles once and for all. ¡°Sure, we can talk,¡± I said, standing up from the table. ¡°Do you want to go for a walk?¡± Charles nodded, and we made our way out of the restaurant. ¡°So, how have you been?¡± Charles asked again as we walked along the sidewalk. ¡°I¡¯m doing well, Charles, thanks for asking,¡± I replied, not quite sure how to broach the subject of Finn and our engagement. ¡°I can see that,¡± Charles smiled and stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching my face. I took a deep breath, knowing I couldn¡¯t put off the conversation any longer. ¡°Charles, I am engaged, I must have said this before. I am engaged to Finn and I know you are aware of our rtionship¡± I blurted out. ¡°Engaged? As in, to be married?¡± He asked to confirm. ¡°Yeah, Finn and I are serious¡± Charles stopped in his tracks, his face pale and expression pained. ¡°I know you want to talk about your feelings and I¡¯ve told you that it can¡¯t work, we can¡¯t be¡± I shook my head continuously. ¡°Yeah, I ¡­actually want to discuss with you about something else¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I crossed my arms. He sounded serious. ¡°Rita, I¡­ I don¡¯t know how you would take this, I am sorry for everything I have done, I am sorry for everything I have put you through, sorry for going awol all of a sudden, I am sorry¡± I squinted my eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what are you talking about Charles? What are you sorry for? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I should have done this a little bit earlier but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ste now right? I¡¯m sorry that I took too long to show myself to you. I am sorry I lied to you; I lied about the task I had to do in Nethends¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve gone through alot, believe me. I had to get a new face, along the line, I was deported back to the country because I messed things up with my boss and¡­¡± I cut in sharply. ¡°Wait, wait, what? Hold on. Nethends? You lied to me about the task in Nethends? I don¡¯t understand. What¡­ I¡­ who are you? What are you trying to tell me?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten about me, Zane, your lover so soon? Oh geez! I shouldn¡¯t have taken too long to show myself to you¡± ¡°What? You are Zane? Zane? No, You can¡¯t be Zane¡± ¡°I¡­ I am Zane¡± He said. ***** To Be Continued Charles Proved That He Is Zane Rita¡¯s POV ¡°Have you forgotten about your lover so soon? Oh geez! I shouldn¡¯t have taken too long to show myself to you¡± ¡°What? You are Zane? Zane? No, You can¡¯t be Zane¡± I disagreed tantly. ¡°I¡­ I am Zane¡± He repeated. ¡°No!¡± I screamed. ¡°How do you know Zane? Who mentioned Zane to you? What.. how..¡± I¡¯ve just received the most shocking news of my life. ¡°Please Rita, calm down.. I can exin, please listen¡± Charles bursted into tears. ¡°You are Charles, you can¡¯t be Zane¡± I refused to believe him but just eyes was already getting clouded. ¡°I can exin, I¡¯m not trying to decieve you neither did I know that we¡¯ll meet here soon¡± ¡°Then you should have brought yourself to me or spoken up the very first day we met. You are not Zane! No!¡± ¡°I did, if you could remember but for some stupid reason, I held back so as to study you and physically know more about you until now, I can¡¯t take it anymore Rita¡± Tears streamed down his face. I moved away from him. ¡°I¡¯ll prove to you that I am your online lover. I can prove it to you. We met on Kikachat , we were matchmade by Mrs J Johnson, an admin of Fap&GM. We finally got used to eachother after we failed several times. I had told you that I was at New York which was true but I didn¡¯t tell you that I¡¯ve been deported a long time ago instead I lied to you about a business task in Nethends, I lied you, on and on. I¡¯m sorry, I never wanted things to get messy between us¡± ¡°I rmended a movie for you and I to watch at the same time, what was the title?¡± I asked. ¡°Yeah, I remember. The title is Dawn Of Love. That sunday evening we did everything together at the same¡± He answered correctly. ¡°No way, you got that. You can¡¯t be Zane, no!¡± I refused to believe him. ¡°Why is it so hard for you to ept that I¡¯m back into your life though?¡± He asked. I continued shaking my head in disagreement. ¡°What were my parents remark about you haven spoken to you over the phone?¡± I asked further. ¡°What?¡± Charles eximed. ¡°You see, you don¡¯t know, you can¡¯t answer¡± ¡°But.. but I never spoke with any of your parents. Infact, you told me that you can¡¯t inform them about our rtionship because we were dating online. Also, you mom had suggested we met but you cancelled the idea because I asked you to¡± Charles answered. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. I screamed, covered my eyes and ran away from him. * I bumped into Finn.. ¡°Woah! How did you get here? I ¡­mean, I left you at home, so you could have some rest. What are you doing here?¡± He asked. I had already wiped the teary eyes. I sniffed to feel much more better and brighten up my mood. ¡°Madison didn¡¯t treat you well?¡± Finn drew me closer. ¡°You are treating me like some sick girl, I got lonely and bored, so I came to see my friends, and I had the intention to surprise you too¡± I tried to put on a smile. He wrapped his hands around me; ¡°Let me guess, you already informed them about our engagement¡± I gave a shy nod. ¡°Now I can say it out loud anywhere and to anyone that we are getting married. We are no more hiding our rtionship¡± He lifted my chin and kissed me in public, I withdrew slowly. ¡°C¡¯mon¡± ¡°Finn, I.. I am worried¡± I told him. ¡°What is it sweetheart?¡± I hesisted. ¡°Is it Vanessa? She¡¯s gone, like finally. I cut the ties¡± He said.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I shook my head. He embraced me in such a way that my head rested on his chest. ¡°The Doctor had said that the mental health could get involved with that fucking Vaginismus. I don¡¯t want you to be worried or worked up¡± He patted my head. I need that snuggle more than anything else. And we didn¡¯t care if people were watching. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go home ¡± He interlocked arms with me and led the way to where his car was parked. *** ¡°I¡¯m living together with you even when we are not married yet¡± I said when we arrived at his ce. ¡°You are my soon- to-be wife. I¡¯m not evenining¡± Finn said. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s high I go back to my ce¡± ¡°Hmmn¡± He paused and continued;¡± You know what? That¡¯s right. It¡¯s high you go bring your stuffs or you I get new ones¡± Finn said. I smiled, in no second, the smile had faded away. ¡°Madison,e get us a refreshing cold drink¡± Finn hored and her response echoed back. ¡°And then, I¡¯ll put you to bed¡± Finn said, kissing my cheek down to my neck. ¡°Hold on Finn¡± He pulled away obediently. ¡°Why are you worried Rita?¡± Finn had to ask me again after all his ways to make me feel excited prove abortive. ¡°I found Zane¡± I answered without anymore hesitation. ¡°What? Who??¡­ Who is Zane?¡± He asked. ¡°My ex boyfriend. The one I dated on Kikachat. Jeez, it¡¯s reallyplicated to have an ex¡± I rubbed my forehead and paced around. ¡°How.. how did you find him¡± Finn followed my pace. ¡°He came to me. I mean Charles has been around all along, he has been watching me very closely¡± ¡°What? What does Charles have to do with this? ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? Charles is Zane¡± ¡°Hell no, no way!¡± He eximed. ¡°Exactly the way I was shocked when he revealed himself to me¡± ¡°He told you that he is Zane?¡± ¡°Yeah, he came to me and told me he is Zane¡± I answered. ¡°Come on Rita, you can¡¯t just believe Charles because he said so. Charles can¡¯t be Zane, how does he even know Zane? I doubt if you ever mentioned about Zane to him, Charles has probably been eavesdropping into your conversation with Adam and Evelyn. You need to be very careful with him¡± Finn said. ¡°Finn, this guy proved that he is Zane. We have had this private conversation that he could prove with. Charles is Zane¡± ¡°He proved it to you? Wtf¡± Finn eximed again. ¡°Jeez, this guy has seen me naked! Oops!¡± That slipped outta my tongue. ¡°I swear, I have never ever done that before but I did with Zane¡± I was beginni ng to panick. Finn furrowed his brows in concentration. He was unease too. ¡°I need to go home Finn¡± **** To Be Continued Zane Is Back On Kikachat ¡°That stupid idiot! Damn it! I knew he was up to something when he said he knew Rita and Rita woulde to him eventually. So this was his n all along! Arrrrgh!¡± Finn yelled, his outburst echoed through the room like a thunderp, his frustration palpable in every syble. He paced back and forth, his hands balled into fists as he fought to contain his anger. ¡°He¡¯s the creator of Kikachat, he has seen our chats and messages. How dare he intrude into our privacy. That¡¯s so unprofessional! I have to report him, challenge him but¡­ I can¡¯t do that yet¡± His teeth clenched so tightly. ¡°Alex is here¡± Madison announced his presence and in the next minute, Alexander walked in. ¡°Long time no see my brother, I was told Rita¡¯s been living with you, so I gave you guys some privacy and to not show up¡± Alex said. ¡°Suit yourself¡± I answered sheepishly. ¡°Woah! See who is already missing his girl¡± ¡°Yeah, but..¡± Finn sighed, he was confused. ¡°I¡¯m in a mess Alex. Can I disclose a secret with you?¡± I asked him, holding his hands. ¡°Sure and before you do, I¡¯ll go first. Madison has been the one giving me information whether you are around, whether you¡¯re alone or not¡± Alex confessed.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Of course, who else would be the spy if not Madison¡± ¡°Another secret is that I really like Madison, we might have something going on between us, that¡¯s why I keeping here¡­ to see her. So don¡¯t fire her¡± Alex continued to confess ¡°Uhnn.. what?¡± That was the least of his worries right now. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thatter Alex. I need help right now, I¡¯m so confused. So please listen¡± Finn pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m all ears¡± ¡°I¡¯m fucked up. I don¡¯t even know where to start¡± I paused, exhaled deeply and continued ¡°remember when you wanted me to be your biggest supporter when you created love station; I used your app¡± I confessed, straight to the point. ¡°You¡­you did? Ever had an ount?¡± ¡°Yeah. The username was Jared. Alex, forgive me I am one of those who misused your app. I¡¯m the owner of that fake ount who used your pictures and identity¡± I confessed, he removed his hands from mine. ¡°What.. you.. you were the one impersonating me?¡± Finn nodded slowly. ¡°You are one of the reasons why Love Station had several fake ounts, fake Identities, scammers and then Love Station eventually crashed?¡± ¡°Yeah and I regret doing so. Trust me Alex, I regret my actions and I¡¯m being punished right now¡± I spoke bitterly. ¡°What greater punishment is there if no one has sued you¡± Alex remarked. ¡°You will never sue your beloving brother, will you?¡± ¡°Permit me to go out with Madison, then I¡¯ll think about it. Ugh! It¡¯s not like I need your permission anyways¡± Surprisingly, Alex was smiling again like my confession didn¡¯t hurt him an inch. ¡°I said we¡¯ll discuss thatter. You are not even taking this conversation seriously¡± ¡°You are the one taking it seriously. I forgive you obviously, take a chill pill. Don¡¯t bring back bygones, Also, you should know that I always have good news to tell you about my application¡± Alex said. ¡°Alex, I dated Rita on Love Station, trailed her til I found her again¡­¡¯ Alex opened his mouth in awe before uttering ¡°And you won, you are back into her life again. Sounds like a stalker romance. You should let her know immediately that you knew her from Love Station¡­ Ohh¡­now I understand why she thought I was Jared. Omg Finn! You have to reveal yourself to her before it¡¯s toote¡± ¡°She found out but it¡¯s not yet fully settled. Not only did I have a rtionship with her on Love Station, I also did on Kikachat and what we had was intense,sted months, she fell deeply in love with the username Zane¡± I confessed. ¡°Fvck! Shit! Fvck.. what have you done to yourself Finn? Has she found out?¡± He asked. I shook my head. ¡°I have tried to leave this behind and move on. Rita and I will get married very soon. We have both forgotten about Zane but Charles hase in between us¡± ¡°You won¡¯t let him! Save your rtionship, don¡¯t you know how to?¡± Alex queried. ¡°Charles is pretending to be Zane. I don¡¯t know how he did it but my Rita has believed that he is Zane¡± J briefly exined. ¡°This is so bad, this is so bad¡± ¡°How can you help me Alex?¡± I didn¡¯t realise tears rolled down my cheeks until it dropped. ¡°Charles is a wicked man, I found out way toote but now I¡¯m done with him. Listen brother, Charles can never get into your way if you don¡¯t allow him¡± ¡°But he pretending to be Zane; Rita and I have had alot together¡± ¡°First, no matter how he pretends to be Zane; he is not Zane, and he can ever get it right, he cannot steal her heart. Also, Zane and Rita are done, I don¡¯t think Rita will go back to her ex¡± ¡°We have to get married as soon as possible because Charles can be tricky. I¡¯ll fire his ass first thing tomorrow¡± ¡°I support, ¡± Adam added, tapping his brother¡¯s shoulder. *** Rita¡¯s POV The first ever mistake I made was trying an online rtionship, then I went on and on to sharing nudes. I gasped; ¡°It¡¯s over between Zane and I. Why am I worried?¡± ¡®That he will leak my nudes¡¯ My inner self answered. ¡°No. Zane cannot do that. We havee a long way for him to betray me. He loves me so much¡± I shook my head Iike I was trying to shake of the thought too. ¡°But Charles is Zane. That¡¯s unbelievable. Why did he surprisinglye back into my life this way?¡± I exhaled heavily. I kept asking myself questions, no one was gonna answer. ¡°I had better inform J Johnson who introduced me to him¡± I picked up my phone. ~¡±Hello, J Johnson. Something shocking just happened to me¡± I sent a message and awaited her instant response but there was none. Her activity status indicated that it¡¯s been a while she was active. ¡°Ohh.. that¡¯s unusual¡± I muttered. I was about to drop my phone when a message popped in. I looked at the screen, it was from Zane! Oh My God! I sat upright immediately, strengthening myself. ¡°Hey babe¡± He had sent. I typed as fast as possible. ¡°Zane, who are you? Where are you? Where have you been?¡± I sent first and typed another one.¡±There is someone in my office that ims to be you. Do you have a friend bearing Charles? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± Before I click on the send icon. His response came in. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to rm you by revealing myself to you in the office. I¡¯ve always wanted to. I miss you so much Rita. It¡¯s even better now that you know me physically, we can continue our rtionship from there on¡± He sent. Charles is Zane! Zane is Charles!! I screamed out loud. Shockwaves rippled through me and my mind reeled with the heavy weight of this realisation. ******* To Be Continued War Rita¡¯s POV I just arrived at thepany and I have just spoken with Finn over the phone, we agreed to meet in his office and sort things out if possible. On my way to the passage that led to his office, I met Charles who was justing out of the elevator, heading towards the office too. He sighted me before I could turned to leave or hide from him. ¡°Rita¡± He called my name and moved closer to me. ¡°Good morning Charles¡± I avoided eye contact with him. ¡°Charles is my second name but it¡¯s fine if you no longer wanna call me by the name Zane¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I texted youst night but you wouldn¡¯t reply¡± He said. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I was so tiredst night I guess¡± I responded, obviously not interested in having this conversation with him. I ced a palm on my forehead like I was having an headache just to give a hint that he stresses me out. ¡°Are.. are you okay?¡± He empathetically asked softly, he ced his hands on my shoulders and I took his hands off me. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Listen Zane.. uhm.. I.. I .. mean Charles, I¡¯ve epted the fact that we used to have something in the past but it¡¯s all past¡± I said. ¡°What do you mean?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°We no longer have anything together ¡± I exined. ¡°We never broke up¡­not even officially¡± He retorted. I couldn¡¯t believe he said that after everything he did. ¡°I haven¡¯t spoken to you in weeks, and I moved on, I have a fiance and you know it! It¡¯s over between us Zane! Get it straight!¡± I said. ¡°Uhm.. but¡­¡± He wanted to say something. I interrupted by giving him a stop right there hand signal and walked away from him. Not towards Finn¡¯s Office since that¡¯s where he was also headed. *** Finn¡¯s POV I was expecting Rita, so once I received a knock on my door, i said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to knock baby¡± I opened the door for her.. but saw him instead. ¡°I don¡¯t have to knock? Wow that¡¯s new. Thanks for opening the door for me¡± Charles grinned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked him. ¡°What am I doing here? I work here have you forgotten?¡± He said, moving towards his desk. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡± I went to my table and took the sack letter I already asked the secretary to type for me. ¡°Maybe I was just too eager to give you this letter¡± I returned to his desk and threw it on face. ¡°You are F. I. R. E. D!¡± I said. ¡°What?? Why?¡± He eximed. ¡°Why are being respectful? The other day, you don¡¯t care about this job orpany and you didn¡¯t do anything for me yet I pay you every single time! Well, henceforth your services is no longer needed here¡± I said. Charles looked at me andughed hysterically as if I had just cracked a joke. ¡°There goes your true character¡± I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my temper in check. ¡°You are firing me because of my rtionship with Rita¡± He spoke confidently. ¡°You have no rtionship with Rita¡± I fired back and heughed again. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that Rita and I havee a long way and she¡¯lle back to me once she finds out who I am?¡± Charles said. I tightened my fist ready to punch him on face if he tries nonsense with me. ¡°Sit, let me give you the full gist. Rita and I were lovers, I mean we are lovers. We have had an amazing time together even though we have never physically met. It¡¯s high time our love story began to blossom since I¡¯m back into her life¡± ¡°Shut up your dirty mouth! Shut up you motherfucking liar!¡± I shouted. ¡°You think I¡¯m lying? Go ask Rita, she¡¯ll confirm it to you¡± ¡°You are not Zane! You never dated Rita. Why the heck are you impersonating me!¡± I said. ¡°What?¡± He eximed. ¡°Why are you impersonating Zane? Oh! the only way you could think of to win a girl¡¯s heart is to lie that you¡¯re her ex online lover?¡± I confronted him. ¡°Are you Zane?¡± He asked me instead. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me stupid questions, get the hell out of my office! ¡± I screamed but Charles didn¡¯t move an inch, his smug grin unfaltering, he leaned back in his seat, feigning nonchnce. ¡°I said get out my office!¡± I stomped my feet against the ground. He reluctantly stood up and took his things, shot his gaze at me before leaving the office. I heaved a sigh of relief and shoved out my phone because it beeped. It was a text from Rita. It read thus; ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the conference room¡± I took my keys and left the office immediately to the conference room. * ¡°I met Charles on my way to your ce, so I couldn¡¯te¡± Rita said. ¡°I fired him already. We have nothing to be scared of now¡± I said. She exhaled in relief. ¡°How are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I was doing fine until the whole Charles Zane thing came up. He even chatted me upst night¡± She told me. ¡°Charles chatted with you!¡± I eximed. ¡°Yes, on Kikachat with his Zane ount to prove to me that he is the one¡± ¡°Oh My God, My God. This is serious¡± My heart pound a frantic rhythm in my chest. ¡°Not anymore, I mean you¡¯ve fired him and I also said it clear right to his face that we are engaged and I can never continue a rtionship with him¡± Rita said giving my hand a light squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m d you made it clear to him¡± She put on her most beautiful smile; ¡°We have seeded in letting go of your past which is Vanessa and my past which is Zane. It calls for celebration don¡¯t you think so?¡± She suggested, sliding her hands on my chest. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe live with me forever?¡± I asked her. ¡°Oh, there we go again¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Pretty please ¡± I pleaded by fanning a kiss on her lips. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ll think about it¡± ¡°Else I¡¯ll pick you up by surprise my wife¡± I teased. She kissed me back; ¡± I should return to the office now. See you whenever youe pick me up by surprise I guess¡± She chuckled, I finally let her go haven had enough warmth and touch from her skin. *** I returned to my office, feeling excited and a bit relieved that I¡¯ve settled and worked things out. But I received the greatest shock when I opened the door to my office. It was Charles He was on my seat, operating hisptop. ¡°Charles, are you in your right senses at all? What.. what are you doing here? How dare you walk back in here?¡± Each spoken word like a spark threatening to ignite a raging inferno. I cannot believe this guy has no respect for me. ¡°So are you Zane?¡± He asked me instead and didn¡¯t care that I was fussing. ¡°Securities!!!¡± I yelled and walked towards the rm button to call their attention. ¡°Oh.. Ho ¡­ hold on right there. There¡¯s something I¡¯ll like you to see¡± He turned hisptop screen for me to see. On the screen was a picture of Rita putting on a fish lingerie. ¡°Uhh¡­you probably didn¡¯t see that clearly. Here¡¯s another one ¡± He swiped the screen to a picture of Rita stack naked. ¡°Take a look at it very well, is she the woman you wanna marry?¡± Charles asked me. I felt my throat constrict and my temper seemed to slow down even when the tension was still very heavy. Charles stared back at me with a sickening grin of satisfaction. ***** To Be Continued Blackmail Finn¡¯s POV ¡°You should ask me where I got the picture from,¡± Charles grinned. I was speechless to say the least, I was in shock and disbelief. ¡°Where¡­ wh¡­what is the meaning of this?¡± My voice was hoarse with anger and confusion. ¡°This is Rita, the woman you want to marry, take a good look at it well, it is not edited¡± Charles said. I walked towards him and forcefully shut theptop, and didn¡¯t care if the screen broke. ¡°Where did you get those pictures?¡± I choked out. ¡°The inte, simple! I¡¯m very handy with the inte, you know¡± Charles responded, the sinister glint in his eyes was infuriatingly intensifying. ¡°I know!!!¡± I almost screamed. ¡°Easy dude, the next question you should ask is why would Rita have her nude on the inte, you know as well as I do that the inte never forgets and let¡¯s just say Rita¡¯s past is nasty and uhm¡­ a bit colorful¡± Charles¡¯ smug was only inming my rage further. ¡°Shut up! Just shut the fvck up! Shiii! Rita had only sent this pictures to her ex boyfriend, Zane¡± ¡± Wow, she confessed. I¡¯m Zane¡± Charles repeated. I growled: ¡± You are a liar and a fraud¡± Charles shrugged with a twisted smirk stered on his face. ¡°Believe what you want but if I were you, i¡¯d be asking Rita a few questions right now¡± I felt my blood boiling, the urge to strangle Charles nearly overwhelmed me. But I couldn¡¯t let him bait me into doing something foolish. ¡°Now as you can see, you can¡¯t get me out of your life like you did with Vanessa. Oops Vanessa, we had ns, she wanted to have you while I have Rita. It didn¡¯t work out for her but I will always get what I want¡± I shot him a hard stare. ¡°You have two options, it¡¯s either you let me have Rita or you give me $50, 000, 000¡± ¡°Fifty million dors!! You are definitely out of your head. You won¡¯t get a penny from me¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, everyone would see Rita¡¯s pictures¡± Charles continued, his grin widening. I seethed, ring at him with pure venom in my eyes. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare¡± Charles feigned surprise, chuckling darkly; ¡°Oh! Wouldn¡¯t I? Rita¡¯s reputation, her dignity .. gone in a matter of seconds, all because you couldn¡¯t part with a measly fifty million¡± His words sent cold shivers into my spine, I had to let my pride be trampled on and begged ¡°Please Charles, please.. don¡¯t do this. Rita do not deserve this, you are literally destroying her life¡± ¡°Uhm, if you feel it¡¯s not fair for Rita to suffer her past indiscretions then just grant one of the conditions, I have her or the money or both it¡¯s that simple. Remember the inte will never forget when the pictures get leaked out but for now, only I have these pictures¡± Charles¡¯ eyes gleamed with a sick satisfaction as he watched my agony with relish. ¡°I am Zane, ¡± I muttered. ¡°Yes, Rita and I dated on your Kikachat Application before we moved on physically. She doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m Zane¡± I confessed. ¡°Wow¡± Charles eximed; ¡°Wow, wow, wow¡± He pped his hands. ¡°This is interesting, you are the face behind the other pictures¡± I was face shamed. ¡°I mustmend, I enjoy your love story journey with Rita¡± Heughed hysterically. ¡°So tell me Zane, what are you going to do?¡± Charles leaned back in the chair. ¡°Are you going to hand over Rita to me or pay me fifty million dors to keep these pictures private?¡± His tone was gleeful. I stood there, my mind racing, my thoughts a tangled web of confusion and fury. How did I get myself and Rita into this mess? She isn¡¯t even aware yet. ¡°You think I¡¯m joking here?!¡± Charles stomped on his feet and hit the desk to jolt back my attention since I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°If you cannot decide by the end of the day, I¡¯ll unleash pictures onto the inte! ¡± He concluded, packing his things andptop. ¡°Hold on¡­ I¡­ ¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He walked out of the office because I stuttered with my words, I still didn¡¯t know what to say. The seconds ticked by, the silence in the office deafening. I was paralyzed by indecision, my mind racing with thoughts of Rita, my anger towards Charles, and the implications of my choice. The thought of handing over Rita, the woman I loved and nned to spend the rest of my life with, to that despicable man was unfathomable. Also the thought of letting her reputation be ruined by his sick ckmail scheme was equally as harrowing. As the minutes dragged on, the weight of the choice before me grew heavier and heavier. My mind was churning, looking for a way out of this. My hands clenched and unclenched as I paced the room, trying to calm myself, to think clearly. I knew I couldn¡¯t let Charles get away with this. ***** To Be Continued “You Can Have Ritaâ€� Finn¡¯s POV ¡°It¡¯s recess, I brought us lunch¡± Rita came into my office with a small stylish basket in her hand. She moved closer and ced it on my table. ¡°Just have it and enjoy. As for me, I¡­ I have no appetite ¡± I mumbled. ¡°Why not? I actually prepared this at home specially for us¡± She insisted. ¡°Rita¡± Little did I know that I was putting on a frown. ¡°Is it about Charles? We already concluded on a light mood. What is wrong with you Finn?¡± I couldn¡¯t just speak, after sometimes I exhaled heavily, stood up and took my jacket. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon okay?¡± I exited the office in a jiffy. ** ¡°I left what I was doing toe see you as soon as I got your message¡± Adam said, entering Finn¡¯s car and mming the door beside him. ¡°Thank you Adam¡± ¡°What is it?¡± He read the look on his face. ¡°It has happened ¡± ¡°What has happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Charles¡± ¡°Oh, you both are still fighting over a girl¡± Adam teased. ¡°That would have even been better but it¡¯s more than that Adam, Charles is¡­ he is ¡­¡± He struggled to exin the situation on ground. ¡°Charles pretends to be Zane, Rita kinda believes him. I fired Charles, so he could get out of our way but he returns to ckmail us¡± Finn exined briefly. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think I understand what you just said. What do you mean Charles pretends to be Zane¡± ¡°Charles is the motherfucking founder of Kikachat, I had closed the Zane¡¯s ount for good but he hacked through, chatted with my Rita and even revealed himself to be Zane. That would have just end it there because Rita won¡¯t go back to her ex boyfriend Zane because she loves me, Finn but.. but Charles is wicked, he went through our conversation, he saw our.. our..¡± Finn rushed his words then stuttered as he tried to catch his breathe. ¡°Your what?¡± ¡°Our pictures, our nudes. I made Rita loosen up to be the girl she¡¯s not. She sent me her nudes and ¡­¡± Adam cut in sharply. ¡°Fvck! Fvck!¡± Adam screamed, hitting the dashboard in front of him. ¡°Fvck Finn!¡± ¡°Are you trying to say Charles saw the nudes, and he is ckmailing you with money or he leaks her nudes?¡± Finn nodded.. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all your fault Finn, I was never in support of whatever you were doing¡± Adam voiced. ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault, I have to clean up this mess myself. I need help! I don¡¯t know what to do¡± Finn was so confused. ¡°Has Rita found out?¡± ¡°No, but she soon might¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Rita what you have done, I¡¯ll let her know how cunny, tricky, trickish you have been throughout your rtionship with her¡± Adam was about to open the door but Finn stopped him. ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t. I need to sort out the mess with Charles before Rita gets to know everything¡± Adam Scoffed;¡± Are you serious right now? You¡¯ve got my bestie into trouble¡± ¡°I know¡­and that¡¯s why I.. I need your help¡± ¡°To do what exactly?¡±From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know¡± His eyes became teary. ¡°I¡¯m tired of getting involved in your mess and I regret ever letting you do this with my friend¡± With that, Adam opened the door and left. ¡°Fvck! Damn it!¡± Finn screamed his lungs out and banged his steering, making it horn and horn. He tried to calm down and think! ¡°$50 million dors! I will have to give him $50 million, that¡¯s almost half thepany shares¡± He sighed. ¡°I have no choice¡± I picked up my phone and dailed Charles number. ¡°You will send you the money as soon as possible ¡± I told him over the phone. (O. S) ¡°Good. You finally made up your mind¡± Charlesughed, he wanted toplete his statement but Finn hung up the call angrily. ¡°You beast! Fvck you!¡± He snarled. He scrolled through his phone contact, and put a call to his bank manager. ¡°Hello, Mr Jeremy, transfer $50 Million into my private ount!¡± I exhaled, and swept my hair to the back, feeling a little bit relieved. My phone suddenly me rang, I picked it up quickly. It was my mom. ¡°Hello mom¡± I spoke into the phone. ¡°What the hell do you need $50 million for?¡± ¡°Err mom, how do you find out?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten thepany¡¯s bank is mine too? My manager reached out to me¡± ¡°Jeez. I know right. The money is¡­¡± ¡°You have started spendingvishly again?¡± ¡°No mom. I just wanna pay some wedding nners¡± I lied. ¡°Finn, I told you. I¡¯ll take care of your wedding, I already reached out to some event nners too¡± ¡°Nevertheless, mine and yours will make that wedding day the best¡± I argued. ¡°Finn, don¡¯t you think $50 million is too much. Because it is¡± ¡°C¡¯mon mom, I¡¯m capable. My Fiancee and I want something borate. Thanks for your concern, thanks for calling ¡± I hung up the call quickly because I couldn¡¯t tell more lies and it hurt me that I¡¯m spending that much money on a ckmail. I put a call to the bank manager again and managed to say; ¡°Transfer the money to my personal assistant, I¡¯ll send you his ount details and one more thing, do not inform my mother!¡± Haven sent Charles Bank details to my bank manager, I waited some minutes, biting my finger, waiting for Charles call to confirm to me that he has received the money and it¡¯s over between us. ¡°Hey! I said you should transfer the money to Charles, my PA!¡± I shouted at bank manager over the phone. Time was no longer on my side. ¡°I already did¡± He replied. ¡°You already did?¡± Once I hung the call, I dailed Charles number. ¡°Charles, the money has been sent to you¡± ¡°Stop yelling at me. I received $50 million dors some minutes ago¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t just say so. Anyways, you have what you want. Get out of our lives okay?¡± I hate to hear Charlesugh. ¡°It remains a bnce of another $50Million dors¡± He requested. ¡°You thief, what do you mean a bnce? I took a whooping some of $50 million dors out of thepany shares to you¡± ¡°It was a slip of tongue when I requested for 50, I actually meant a 100¡± ¡°You thieffffff¡± I screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t have $100 million dors to give you¡± ¡°Alright, I understand you clearly, I¡¯ll just have Rita¡± He said. I was speechless. ¡°You promised not to leak her nudes¡± ¡°Of course, I promised and I remember clearly, I gave you two conditions¡± My chest is leaping as I managed to say; ¡°You can have Rita¡± I guess, I¡¯m such a coward. ******* To Be Continued Solution Zane¡¯s POV I returned to my office, only to still meet Rita there. ¡°Rita, I¡¯m worried about thispany. My business is not going smoothly, the clients are demanding a lot more; I am drained.¡± I thought a flimsy excuse would help. ¡°And that¡¯s why you ignored your fiancee¡± She retorted. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only She rolled my eyes and crossed her hands. ¡°Rita, I want you to understand that whatever action I¡¯ve taken will favor both of us¡± I said. ¡°You did something wrong, you have to admit properly, just apologize and I¡¯ll let it go¡± Rita said innocently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I paused; ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for my offenses in the nearest future too¡± I returned to my seat. ¡°What do you mean? Why are you like this? Like you n to offend me in future¡± She seemed worried. ¡°You won¡¯t understand,¡± I mumbled. ¡°But then, you want me to believe and understand that whatever actions you are taking are for us?¡± She tried to process that line. ¡°Yeah and I need some space Rita¡± ¡°Hmmn, well, sorry, I can¡¯t give you that space because I have just considered moving in with you, hmmn let¡¯s say today¡± She announced. ¡°No¡± ¡°Why not? You always wanted me to move in with you¡± ¡°My brother is at my ce. So you can¡¯te ¡± I quickly said, trying as much not to sound rude. ¡°Okay, I respect that. My regards to Alexander¡± She replied, ¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Alright, maybe I¡¯ll just give you the space you requested for; we¡¯ve been through this non talking terms before and I understand.¡± With that, she left. Even before she hadpletely step out of the office, I had bursted into tears. For the first time in my life, I left like I was falling into the ground and the earth was closed up on me. I was lost in thought, even when I wiped off the tears on the outside, I wailed profusely within. I couldn¡¯t work nor focus. I got on my feet, took my briefcase and left the office. Done for the day. ** I walked into my house, only to meet Madison and Alex at the dining table, looking like they were having what seems like a date. ¡°Wee sir, I¡­ I didn¡¯t know you¡¯ll be back so early¡± Madison red upand panicked when she sighted me. I didn¡¯t respond, I headed straight to my room. ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t be scared. I already told him about us¡± I heard Alex console her then he trailed me to the room. ¡°So what¡¯s up with you?¡± He asked. ¡°Can you just let me be alone please?¡± I fired. Alex headed to the door like he actually wanted to leave until he remembered something and turned back to me. ¡°Is it Charles¡¯ issue, did you fire him already?¡± ¡°Shit Alex! Don¡¯t you understand ¡®just let me be¡¯?¡± ¡°A problem shared is half solved, the other day; you told me about Charles pretending to be you after he hacked through your ount and I tried to help you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Oh well, it didn¡¯t work. I¡¯m in aplicated hot mess. Charles has Rita¡¯s nudes, Charles ckmailed me, I sent him a whopping sum of $50 million dors, he demanded for more and I gave him my wife to be ¡± I rushed the words. ¡°Wo.. Woah! Hold on! You did what? When did all this happen?¡± ¡°Today, just after I threw a sack letter at Charles¡¯ face, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have¡± ¡°He¡¯ll stille back to ckmail you whether you fire him or not. And how did he get Rita¡¯s nudes?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s your whore of an older brother who chases anything under a skirt. I lured her in sending me her nudes and she innocently did¡± I eximed, regretting each and every lusting moment Rita and I had on kikachat. ¡°How gullible!¡± Alex eximed, shaking his head. ¡°What did you say? How dare you? It¡¯s my freaking fault! I am gullible, Rita Is innocent. ¡°Hmmmn¡± ¡°I¡­can try to help you¡± Alex uttered. ¡°Are you sure? Are you serious right now?¡± ¡°Yeah, I learnt from the inte god himself, I¡¯ve be a professional. I¡¯ll hack into his programme and just erase the stuff¡± Alex spoke like it was really easy for him to do. ¡°Are you sure you can do that Alex? I will be very grateful, what do you need? Hisptop? I can help you get and..¡± ¡°Nevermind. I don¡¯t need that. In one way or the other, I saw his log in details and password but it still gonna take me few days¡± ¡°Few days? stupid me already told him to be with Rita. Can¡¯t you just wipe it off today? Like right now?!!¡± ¡°Sorry no, but I¡¯ll promise you I¡¯ll do it. I will abandon my own project, I was working onunching Love Station before the end of the month but I¡¯ll put all that aside to hack into Kikachat for you¡± Alex said. Even though, I felt like hugging him because this mea nt a whole lot to me yet all I said was; ¡°Get into it already¡± ***** To Be Continued Entrapped Rita¡¯s POV ¡°He didn¡¯te to the office today¡± I said to myself after checking up on Finn for the zillion times that day. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± I hope he is fine? Why did he demand for some space? Is he going through something he doesn¡¯t want me to know? What does he mean by whatever action he takes is for us?¡± I asked myself a lot of questions. I had to take out my phone from my pocket and put a call to his number. His phone rang but he didn¡¯t pick up the call. ¡°I hope everything is fine¡± I sighed. ¡°But what the hell does he mean by he needs some space when we are now engaged, is he trying to break up with me somehow?¡± I continued soliloquising until I mistakenly bumped into someone, the files I was carrying to submit to Finn and my phone fell and scattered on the floor. I bent to packed them all but the guy did before me. ¡°Thank you¡± I said, thinking it is just a random colleague before raising my head up to see him. Charles. ¡°What the fuck are you doing here Charles¡± I voiced. ¡°What do you mean? I work here, have you forgotten?¡± He answered, handing over the files to me when we got up. ¡°I¡­ I mean, Finn fired you¡± ¡°Oh, yeah he did and then, he retained me¡± He smiled. ¡°Why?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Charles Chuckled; ¡°I¡¯m probably a responsible employee he can¡¯t just let go of¡± I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Are you taking that to his office?¡± Charles asked. ¡°Yeah but I have not seen him today¡± I mumbled. ¡°Hmmn¡± He looked at his wristwatch;¡± It¡¯s unusual for him to be absent¡± ¡°Yeah, did he tell you why he¡¯s absent today, what else did he say after giving you back your job?¡± I inquired. ¡°Nothing¡± I didn¡¯t say anything, I just passed by him to continue going my way. ¡°Why not just drop the files on his desk? I¡¯m sure he will check them out he¡¯s here¡± Charles suggested. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I can as well do that¡± Somehow, I reasoned with him. ¡°Bring them¡± He offered to carry them for me. ¡°Thank you¡± I rolled my eyes and walked ahead of him. ** We got to the office, I arranged the files on Finn¡¯s side shelf, which was close to his table. I turned, only to see Charles right behind me, if I had trip, I¡¯d fall on him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date¡± Charles proposed, wrapping his hands around my waist. ¡°You must be a day dreamer Charles¡± I said, disengaging from him and moving away. ¡°I need to ask Finn why he retained you in this office, he made the biggest mistake¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Finn will be super excited that we are getting along again¡± ¡°Uhm?¡± I scorned and just tried to ignore him. ¡°C¡¯mon babe¡± Charles hugged me from the back, his hands were around my waist again. ¡°How can you just throw away what we had for months? Apart from the love we¡¯ve shared, how about this moment we both wanted? I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m finally touching you and it¡¯s not just fictional¡± He caressed my ass and before I got too carried away, I turned around and pped him. ¡°What the heck Rita!¡± He eximed, rubbing his cheeks. ¡°Maybe now you¡¯ll get it straight to your skull Zane! What we had then was nothing, it¡¯s not gonna happen again, don¡¯t touch me that way, how dare you!¡± I screamed at him. ¡°What we had was nothing? What do you mean nothing? The sex chat? Your nudes that still makes me cum? I still go back to look at them to make me feel good? So what do you mean we had nothing?¡± ¡°Zane, I was innocent and gullible back then¡± I spoke gently. ¡°I understand baby girl¡± He said, sliding his hand on my face slowly. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the way we used to be, at least, I can physically have you now, no need for sex chat¡± He began to caress me again. I took his hands away gently, ¡°I can¡¯t do this with you. Just because you have seen.. my body was a thorough mistake, the sex chat was a mistake, I told you I was gullible then. Please delete the pictures and erase them from your memories too¡± I pleaded. ¡°You spoke like it¡¯s as easy as that¡± He scoffed mockingly. ¡°I am about to get married!, don¡¯t you get it?¡± My eyes was beginning to get clouded. ¡°I understand, sweetheart¡± He managed to kiss me on the cheek before I could even dodge it. ¡°What do you want?¡± I asked. ¡°I want you¡± He answered and whispered into my ears ¡°Let¡¯s have sex right here, what do you think?¡± ¡°You are crazy¡± I mumbled in such a way he could hear me. ¡°Or I show Finn and then, show it to the whole world. You know how things like that spreads like fireflies¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that Zane, I loved and trusted you¡± ¡°I did it too¡± He retorted. ¡°Just this once,e on babe, Nobody has to know¡± He pulled me closer and began to kiss my neck, try ing to put me in the mood too as he gently moved me to the couch. **** To Be Continued Finn Is Zane Rita¡¯s POV I pushed him away before he could pin me down to the couch and rushed out of the office before hees after me. ¡°You will be the one toe beg me¡± I heard him say but I ignored him and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. My heart was beating as fast as my thoughts were racing too. My body was trembling and my breathe was shaky. I found my way to the restroom and locked myself in a cubicle. I have never been so scared and vulnerable in my entire life. I took out my phone and dailed Finn¡¯s number again, he still won¡¯t pick up the call. I¡¯ve never been unfaithful to him. I tried to be calm and sniffed in deep breathe. The lustful memories I had with Zane came rushing down my head, reying the sex chat with Zane, ourte-night chats, the heat of the conversations and the thrill I felt when sending him my nude pictures. My mind was in a storm and I suddenly felt dizzy. ¡°Oh no..¡± I heard a loud bang on the door. ¡°Rita! I saw you enter inside just now! Open up already¡± It was Evelyn. I tried toport myself and opened the door. ¡°Are you okay? Are you fine?¡± She must have noticed. ¡°Yeah, I guess¡± I answered. ¡°What took you so long? Just to deliver some files and return. By the way, I heard from the secretary that Mr Finn is not around¡± ¡°Yeah, I was just hanging around to while away the time, I guess¡± I said, leaving the restroom with Evelyn. ¡°Oh well, you truly did. It¡¯s noon, time for lunch, c¡¯mon¡± ¡°I¡¯ll rather just stay back¡± I resisted. ¡°Adam said he has something to tell us both. I know he¡¯s already waiting for us at the cafe, you can¡¯t just decide not to show up¡± Evelyn locked my arms with hers and pulled me along. We met Charles at the Cafeteria, he shined his teeth and waved at me but I ignored him totally. ¡°Before you go Adam, I have something to say first¡± I mustered up courage to say this because Charles was really staring at me. ¡°Looks like, this table right here is not to eat but to discuss ¡± Evelyn Chuckled. I cleared my throat before I resumed; ¡°I am in trouble guys, I don¡¯t even know where to start from¡± ¡°Is it what I¡¯m thinking right now?¡± Adam squinted his eyes. ¡°No, it¡¯s so unthinkable, so unexpected, soplicated¡± ¡°What is it? What did you do that got you into trouble Rita?¡± Evelyn abandoned her meal to focus on me. ¡°Something terrible, I feel so ashamed to say this..¡± I began to whimper. Evelyn quickly left her boyfriend¡¯s side toe sit with me and console me. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Zane. Zane¡­turned out to be Charles. You know Zane, the guy I dated on Kikachat, he is Charles, Finn¡¯s personal assistant¡± I announced. ¡°What? How.. how is that possible? You mean the guy staring at us right now?¡± She shot Charles a hard gaze too. ¡°Yeah¡± I nodded. ¡°You have moved on. Why are you worried? What¡¯s there to be ashamed of?¡± ¡°Zane wants you back?¡± Adam chipped in. ¡°Something like that¡± I nodded. ¡°He must be very stupid to think he can just have you back after jilting you. Has he forgotten how he just abandoned you? Now he wants you back because you are engaged to CEO Finn. You know what, realising Zane Is Charles makes me hate him more. Say it right to his damn face that he is very stupid, infact, I¡¯ll just do that for you..¡± Evelyn stood up to leave but I held her hand. ¡°Charles has my nudes, I sent them to Zane¡± ¡°What? Your ¡­nudes¡­ why? What? Why would you send your nudes to.. to Zane? Why would you even take a picture of yourself naked?¡± Evelyn queried, trying not to raise her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t judge me okay? I regret everything now. I shouldn¡¯t have, I know¡± ¡°I.. I am sorry¡± ¡°So you are being threatened by him?¡± ¡°No, ckmailed?¡± Adam interfered. ¡°He didn¡¯t ask me for money but he wants me back or he leaks the nude. He wants me to ¡­have sex with him¡± ¡°What??¡± They bought eximed.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I am in trouble. I wish the ground could just open up and swallow me. I wish I¡­ I can just go back in time and fix everything¡± The tears began to flow down my cheeks. Adam hands over a handkerchief, Evelyn helped wiped my tears. ¡°Sorry dear, don¡¯t weep¡­ you are causing a scene already¡± Evelyn consoled me while Adam tried to obstruct the views of those in front of me, that were trying to stare at me. ¡°I cause the day I met Zane online, I cause the day I agree to date him. I hate him! I regret everything. I need help, I need someone to talk to. Finn is not picking up my calls.. I don¡¯t know what Charles is up to, maybe he must have told Finn, that¡¯s why he won¡¯t answer me. I¡­¡± I rushed my words, starting a new sentence before finishing the others. Adam interrupted. ¡°Charles is not Zane¡± ¡°He is, if he is not how does he know everything about Zane and I. How does he know about the nudes, I have confirmed that he is Zane¡± ¡°No Rita, Charles is the founder of Kikachat Application¡± Adam said. ¡°What are you saying Adam? Where did you get that from?¡± ¡°Believe me, Charles is the popr inte god we all know as the owner of Kikachat. Charles is not Zane and since Charles own the application you used inmunicating with Zane. He hacked his way through, he saw your conversation and your pictures, your nudes must have captured his attention¡± Adam briefly exined. ¡°What¡­what¡­¡± ¡°Finn is Zane!¡± Adam confessed. **** To Be Continued. Arrest Charles ¡°Finn is Zane¡± ¡°What.. what did you say? What? How can Zane be Finn? Can you even listen to yourself?¡± Rita shook her head continuously. ¡°Finn himself will exin to you ¡°Finn is Zane¡± ¡°What.. what did you say? What? How can Zane be Finn? Can you even listen to yourself?¡± Rita shook her head continuously. ¡°Finn himself will exin to you better¡± ¡°You mean Charles is the nte god, the popr founder of Kikachat?¡± Evelyn asked to confirm. ¡°And Zane Is Finn?¡± I uttered unbelievably. ¡°Remember I told you Zane and I are buddies at college, I recongised him the first day he stepped into his office. He told me what he was up to and wanted me to y along and that¡¯s why I was always concerned about yourplicated rtionship with Zane and with Finn because they are the same person¡­¡± Before Adam finished exining, Rita stood up and dashed out of the restaurant quickly. **** ¡°Charles security is pretty tight¡± Alexander said as he battled with hisptop while Finn stood impatiently behind him. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help? I can help you get hisptop, passport, his signature or some of his important documents¡± Finn said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any of that. Everything needed here is programme¡± Alex said, not taking his eyes off theptop while Finn watched what he was doing as if he understood. ¡°How long more is it going take?¡± ¡°Once I sessfully log in, I will be done in few hours¡± ¡°Okay, please do this for me¡± He gently patted his brother¡¯s back. The door was suddenly flung opened, it was Rita. ¡°Hey Rita, what.. what a surprise visit¡± Finn rushed to meet her and hugged her warmly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why weren¡¯t you at the office today?¡± She asked him, obviously feeling ufortable with his embrace as she disengaged from him first. ¡°Err¡­ This morning, I was feeling too good¡± Finn lied. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you pick my calls?¡± She crossed her arms and questioned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Finn murmured. She sighed; ¡°How are you?¡± Finn asked. I shook my head. ¡°Charles tried to molest me¡± She said. ¡°What?¡± Finn eximed, ¡°That rotten bastard, how dare him? Are you okay? Did he.. did..¡± He checked me out to confirm if I was okay. ¡°Why are you shocked and mad? You pushed me to him, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh.. what do you mean?¡± ¡°Charles asked me to sleep with him if I didn¡¯t want him to leak my nudes to the inte. And I had only sent those only pictures to you, Zane because you made me do it¡± I said, pointing my fingers on his chest severally. ¡°You made me do it! You are Zane, why do you hurt me so much? Why do you always hurt me so much!?¡± Finn was mute. ¡°I¡­. I¡­¡± He was speechless to say the least. ¡°You.. you what? Why do you keeping back to hurt me? What other secret are you hiding from me? What other trouble do you have in store for me? My nudes is almost out there all because you, all because you made me do it! I.. I was never like this¡± They both bursted into tears without even knowing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Finn uttered. ¡°You are sorry? Does it fix anything? Why don¡¯t you juste to me clean and in instead of going through the corners and so doing, you made me feel useless and as if I¡¯m not good enough? Is that why you asked for space? You couldn¡¯t even clean up this mess, that¡¯s why you deliberately pushed me to Charles, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know he would do that to you. He¡­ ckmailed me.. I¡­ I¡¯m .. I am a coward¡± She shook her head slowly;¡± I don¡¯t think I can continue this rtionship with you, I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Rita!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t even think ofing back to me through another cunny way. I have learnt and unlearn alot of things from you and finally, it¡¯s over between us¡± I removed the ring he gave me off my finger, forcefully folded it into hands. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ do this Rita. We can still sort it out¡± Finn pleaded. ¡°Rita, I am on it. I will clear everything Charles wanna use against you. I want you and Fin to be happy again ¡­¡± Alex helped to beg haven watched the whole drama. But Rita wouldn¡¯t listen, she dashed out of the house. **** Finn arrived prettyte at work the following day, he checked up on Rita in the office. Evelyn informed him that she didn¡¯te to the office that day. Rita wouldn¡¯t pick her calls too. It was as if she was doing the exact same thing he did it to her the previous day. After making some calls, he headed straight to his office where Charles was. ¡°Oh, well well, look who we have here¡± Charles said instead of greetings. ¡°What did you do to Rita yesterday?¡± Finn confronted him with a nk stiff expression. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Rita is mine to deal with now, isn¡¯t that our agreement?¡± Charles barked. ¡°You idiot, thief.. you¡­¡± ¡°Cause me one more time and I¡¯ll release those pictures right now!¡± Charles said, tapping some keys on hisptop. ¡°Oh, you want me to be afraid of you?¡± ¡°Looks like you are not, I¡¯ll make sure I deal with you and that woman of yours¡± Charles uttered wickedly. Finn picked up his phone call and said into it. ¡°Come in¡± Two hefty cops came in and walked over to where Charles stood and said. ¡°You are under arrest for Impersonation and Rape¡± They said, trying to cuff his hands. ¡°What¡­me.. when did I? How?¡± ¡°You tried to rape my woman and you impersonated me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.. I¡­ Cops, listen I can exin¡± Charles tried to say. ¡°Take him away right and lock him up¡± Finn ordered. Charles wanted to do one or two things on hisptop but the cop handcuffed him and showed him no mercy. They dragged him out of the office. Finn tiredly fell on the couch. He exhaled heavily in relief, he w as obviously sick and tired of the whole drama. At least, it hase to an end. He thought. **** To Be Continued better¡± ¡°You mean Charles is the nte god, the popr founder of Kikachat?¡± Evelyn asked to confirm. ¡°And Zane Is Finn?¡± I uttered unbelievably. ¡°Remember I told you Zane and I are buddies at college, I recongised him the first day he stepped into his office. He told me what he was up to and wanted me to y along and that¡¯s why I was always concerned about yourplicated rtionship with Zane and with Finn because they are the same person¡­¡± Before Adam finished exining, Rita stood up and dashed out of the restaurant quickly. **** ¡°Charles security is pretty tight¡± Alexander said as he battled with hisptop while Finn stood impatiently behind him. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help? I can help you get hisptop, passport, his signature or some of his important documents¡± Finn said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need any of that. Everything needed here is programme¡± Alex said, not taking his eyes off theptop while Finn watched what he was doing as if he understood. ¡°How long more is it going take?¡± ¡°Once I sessfully log in, I will be done in few hours¡± ¡°Okay, please do this for me¡± He gently patted his brother¡¯s back. The door was suddenly flung opened, it was Rita.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Hey Rita, what.. what a surprise visit¡± Finn rushed to meet her and hugged her warmly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Why weren¡¯t you at the office today?¡± She asked him, obviously feeling ufortable with his embrace as she disengaged from him first. ¡°Err¡­ This morning, I was feeling too good¡± Finn lied. ¡°And why didn¡¯t you pick my calls?¡± She crossed her arms and questioned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Finn murmured. She sighed; ¡°How are you?¡± Finn asked. I shook my head. ¡°Charles tried to molest me¡± She said. ¡°What?¡± Finn eximed, ¡°That rotten bastard, how dare him? Are you okay? Did he.. did..¡± He checked me out to confirm if I was okay. ¡°Why are you shocked and mad? You pushed me to him, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh.. what do you mean?¡± ¡°Charles asked me to sleep with him if I didn¡¯t want him to leak my nudes to the inte. And I had only sent those only pictures to you, Zane because you made me do it¡± I said, pointing my fingers on his chest severally. ¡°You made me do it! You are Zane, why do you hurt me so much? Why do you always hurt me so much!?¡± Finn was mute. ¡°I¡­. I¡­¡± He was speechless to say the least. ¡°You.. you what? Why do you keeping back to hurt me? What other secret are you hiding from me? What other trouble do you have in store for me? My nudes is almost out there all because you, all because you made me do it! I.. I was never like this¡± They both bursted into tears without even knowing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Finn uttered. ¡°You are sorry? Does it fix anything? Why don¡¯t you juste to me clean and in instead of going through the corners and so doing, you made me feel useless and as if I¡¯m not good enough? Is that why you asked for space? You couldn¡¯t even clean up this mess, that¡¯s why you deliberately pushed me to Charles, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know he would do that to you. He¡­ ckmailed me.. I¡­ I¡¯m .. I am a coward¡± She shook her head slowly;¡± I don¡¯t think I can continue this rtionship with you, I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Rita!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t even think ofing back to me through another cunny way. I have learnt and unlearn alot of things from you and finally, it¡¯s over between us¡± I removed the ring he gave me off my finger, forcefully folded it into hands. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ do this Rita. We can still sort it out¡± Finn pleaded. ¡°Rita, I am on it. I will clear everything Charles wanna use against you. I want you and Fin to be happy again ¡­¡± Alex helped to beg haven watched the whole drama. But Rita wouldn¡¯t listen, she dashed out of the house. **** Finn arrived prettyte at work the following day, he checked up on Rita in the office. Evelyn informed him that she didn¡¯te to the office that day. Rita wouldn¡¯t pick her calls too. It was as if she was doing the exact same thing he did it to her the previous day. After making some calls, he headed straight to his office where Charles was. ¡°Oh, well well, look who we have here¡± Charles said instead of greetings. ¡°What did you do to Rita yesterday?¡± Finn confronted him with a nk stiff expression. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Rita is mine to deal with now, isn¡¯t that our agreement?¡± Charles barked. ¡°You idiot, thief.. you¡­¡± ¡°Cause me one more time and I¡¯ll release those pictures right now!¡± Charles said, tapping some keys on hisptop. ¡°Oh, you want me to be afraid of you?¡± ¡°Looks like you are not, I¡¯ll make sure I deal with you and that woman of yours¡± Charles uttered wickedly. Finn picked up his phone call and said into it. ¡°Come in¡± Two hefty cops came in and walked over to where Charles stood and said. ¡°You are under arrest for Impersonation and Rape¡± They said, trying to cuff his hands. ¡°What¡­me.. when did I? How?¡± ¡°You tried to rape my woman and you impersonated me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.. I¡­ Cops, listen I can exin¡± Charles tried to say. ¡°Take him away right and lock him up¡± Finn ordered. Charles wanted to do one or two things on hisptop but the cop handcuffed him and showed him no mercy. They dragged him out of the office. Finn tiredly fell on the couch. He exhaled heavily in relief, he w as obviously sick and tired of the whole drama. At least, it hase to an end. He thought. **** To Be Continued The Love Doctor Needs Love Tears rolled down Rita¡¯s eyes and she kept on reying the memories with Zane,paring it with that of Finn and the fact that they turned out to be the same person was now ring. Even when she tried to push the thought aside, she just couldn¡¯t. Why did Finn y games with her? Did he truly love her? Same Finn was Jared too. She had sent her resignation letter to his email and he had called and called. He had also been here, knocking and knocking on the door but she wouldn¡¯t open the door for him. She read their conversation over again on Kikachat and scrolled through the gossip/gist feed, thinking she¡¯ll just bump into some of her nude pictures since Charles had said he would release it soon. While she was at it, the application suddenly began to glitch and malfunction and then, it finally crashed. Kikachat was no more. *** ¡°I did it! I did it finally!!¡± Alex announced, screaming. ¡°You did it?¡± ¡°Yeah, not only did I wipe the pictures, I took down the application¡± ¡°Oh My God!¡± Finn eximed, embracing his brother by his neck. ¡°While I was on it, I realised that Charles was the one who actually took down Love Station. He envied the fact that people moved from kikachat to love station¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Woah!¡± Madison eximed. ¡°But I promise, there¡¯s no way he can ever bring back Kikachat, he has to start afresh, no pictures.. I wiped and reset everything damn thing on hisptop too¡± Alexander smiled. ¡°And I was trying to help too, so I¡­smashed hisptop¡± Finn announced and Alex pped. ¡°He¡¯ll literally have to start his whole life afresh when he gets out of the prison, poor boy¡± Alex said, sarcastically. ¡°Calls for celebration, Isn¡¯t it?¡± Finn suggested, feeling as relieved as ever. Madison dashed to get the cocktails and sses to celebrate. ¡°Have you spoken with Rita now?¡± Alex asked. Finn shook my head; ¡°She doesn¡¯t wanna see me or hear from me¡± ¡°But I¡¯m sure she will be very happy to hear this news¡± ¡°Yeah¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do¡± I said. ¡°Thank you Alex, I am really grateful¡± Sincerely, this came from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Anytime¡± Madison returned, pour them a ss each and for herself too. ¡°Cheers to everything good¡± Alex moved towards Madison and ced his hand over her neck. ¡°Hmmn Madison, you can¡¯t keep working for me if you¡¯ve fallen in love with my brother¡± Finn cleared his throat and said. She immediately seperated from Alex, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± ¡°Finn, is this what I gain for helping you out? You are not even in support of my rtionship with her. I love Madison¡± Alex cried. ¡°I love Alexander too¡± Madison cried too. Finn looked at them dramatically. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a queer Madison?¡± ¡°I am not, anymore since I fell in love with Alex¡± She tried to exin. ¡°I see¡± Finn nodded. ¡°So this rtionship has been going on for long under this same roof¡± They nodded at the same time like agama lizard. ¡°You will never notice when you were busy ying hide and seek with one girl¡± Alex mocked him. ¡°You know what, suit yourself. I have somewhere to go¡± Finn took his keys and left the house. *** ¡°Why do you wanna see me? What else do you wanna say?¡± Adam frowned his face, crossed his arms as soon as Finn arrived at the restaurant, their meeting point. ¡°Are we enemies now?¡± Finn asked, feeling guilty as charged. ¡°If that¡¯s what you can call it¡± Finn sighed; ¡°So you were the one that revealed to Rita that I am Zane¡± ¡°I told you that I will, I¡¯m tired of covering up for you. I told her everything I knew about you¡± ¡°Thanks to you by the way¡± Finn said and he scoffed. ¡°Rita broke up with me and she resigned too¡± ¡°Oh no..¡± Adam eximed. ¡°I¡¯m not over her yet¡± He shook his head slowly. ¡°Okay, fine I¡¯m sorry that I have a hand in your break up¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m actually d you help me. I couldn¡¯t have done it if not for you. Thank you once again Adam¡± Finn said. ¡°How about the.. the nudes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got someone to erase everything and Charles himself has been arrested¡± ¡°Oh, good, good¡± Adam nodded. ¡°Now, what¡¯s left is to win back the love of my life¡± ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Adam looked at him suspiciously and even got more suspicious when Finn replied ¡°I need your help once more¡± ¡°No, no, no. Don¡¯t go into that pit you just came out from¡± Adam warned. ¡°Never. I won¡¯t do anything stupid. I just want you to talk to her and apologize on my behalf since she doesn¡¯t even wanna hear from me at all¡­¡± Evelyn interrupted. ¡°We can go to her together if you don¡¯t mind¡± ¡°Evelyn, what are you doing here?¡± They were surprised to see her. ¡°What does it look like? Sneaking on both of you, and eavesdropping. Actually, I followed Adam¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Now I see why you two are very close, this is the little big secret you¡¯re hiding¡± ¡°Evelyn, please help me. I know you are Rita¡¯s best friend. She listens to you all the time¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the flowers, the letter of apology, along side with what she loves the most and uhm..¡± ¡°Oh wow, how do know what to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a love doctor who needs love¡± Finn answered simply. ¡°Oh wow. Romantic!!¡± Evelyn pped. ¡°Let¡¯s be at her ce tomorrow morning and hopefully, she epts you back¡± ****** To Be Continued Reconcilation ¡°So since you resigned, do you stay at home all day, doing nothing?¡± ¡°Yeah, I already sent my application letter to somepanies and I just hope one of them epts me¡± Rita yawned. ¡°Hmmn, I¡¯m sorry about everything that happened to you¡± Evelyn said empathically. ¡°Thank you Evelyn, I¡¯m back to square one now¡± ¡°Since you are searching for another job, are you as well considering moving on because you lost both a rtionship and a job¡± Evelyn began to tease. ¡°No Evelyn. I am done with love¡± Rita rolled her eyes. ¡°Done with love? What the heck is that?¡± ¡°Do not provoke me Evelyn!!¡± She warned by pointing a finger at her, reminding her of those days she badly wanted me to be in rtionship and then Love messed me up. ¡°Fine, at least you need to forgive Finn and get this grudge off your chest¡± Evelyn urged her. ¡°And then the next minute, my nudes will be flying around the inte.. while his¡¯ not there¡± ¡°No such thing is gonna happen because Finn took them down already¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ he worked so hard to fight for you, he had someone take the pictures down and even destroy the Kikachat app, all for you. Not only did he do that, Charles is in the prison as we speak¡± Evelyn told her. ¡°Are you sure about all what you are saying?¡± She disbelieved even when she had wondered what went wrong with Kikachat. ¡°I¡¯m serious, do you think Finn would just sit down there and do nothing?¡± ¡°Yeah, because he is coward and I don¡¯t think he truly loves me. What¡¯s with all this multi identies?¡± ¡°I truly love you Rita¡± Finn opened the door and walked in. He has been at the door, listening to their conversation. They all nned it.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you toe in yet¡± Evelyn whispered. Rita stomp up on her feet as soon as she sighted Finn. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you Finn and I don¡¯t want to talk to you. Oh, you really think some flowers and gifts can make me forgive you?¡± ¡°Not at all¡± He ced the presents aside, on the couch. ¡°I want you to know that I regret everything, every single thing I did. I love you Rita, we have alreadye a long way to fall apart.. I swear, I almost cannot do without you, my brother can testify to that¡± ¡°Oh no, please don¡¯t make me feel like the bad person here¡± I crossed my arms, looking away from him. ¡°I know I deserve it. But can you please listen to me, I¡¯ll exin everything from the very beginning¡± Finn begged and Evelyn left them to be alone. She rolled her eyes, ¡®Get to it already¡± ¡°The love I had for you was love at first sight and it was true love, I had this strong feeling that made me feel you were mine, so I stalked you from Love Station down to Kikachat to real life when I met you at thepany, I needed an instant way to get into your life without being strange, that¡¯s why I went through a Matchmaker ¡± He said. ¡°Why would you do such a thing Finn?¡± ¡°I regret everything too¡± Tears clouded his eyes. ¡°And the nudes; I wasn¡¯t after your body but I lusted and made you do things that got us into trouble¡± ¡°I lusted too¡± Rita muttered. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, Evelyn¡¯s right; I destroyed all evidences Charles had against us and I destroyed him in particr, as we speak, he¡¯s in the jail¡± He said but Rita didn¡¯t say anything. Finn came closer and held her both hands, she gave in for him to interlink them with his. ¡°Please forgive me¡± Finn kissed his fingers and squeezed them lightly. ¡°What other secret are you not saying yet?¡± Rita asked him. Finn took a deep breath and thought of what else he hasn¡¯t said yet. ¡°And you are right about me being a coward, Charles ckmailed me with the nudes, I sent him a whole lot of money and when he came back to demand for more, I told him to have you yesterday, that was why I had said that whatever action I must have taken is for both of us, I must have been very stupid¡± Finn confessed. ¡°Continue spelling out all the secrets!¡± ¡°Rita¡± Finn pulled her to his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for everything, please forgive me¡± Rita hesitated not until Finn went on his knees, Evelyn and Adam came out if their hiding ces and pleaded along with Finn. ¡°Please Rita, forgive him and take him back¡± They said. This made me feel bad. After a moment of silence and hesitation, Rita finally gasped and said; ¡°Alright, I forgive you¡± Finn rose her and embraced her really tight. ¡°I love you Rita, I love so you much¡± ¡°I do too, I love you too but I¡¯m sincerely fed up of getting hurt by the person I love the most¡± I said but he shut me up with a quick kiss. ¡°It¡¯s high time we move on with our lives¡± Finn said , sliding the ring she had return into her finger again. **** To Be Continued Epilogue 1 Epilogue 1 Ding Dong Ding! The church bells began to ring, signaling the start of Finn and Rita¡¯s wedding ceremony. A sense of excitement filled the air. Rita, dressed in a stunning white gown, was surrounded by her bridesmaids, included Evelyn, her few close friends and few nieces, all of whom were helping her to look her best. And Finn, in a sleek ck tuxedo, stood at the altar, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his bride. Suddenly, the church doors opened, and everyone turned to see Rita begin her walk down the aisle. Finn walked to meet her on her way to the aisle, interlink his arms with hers and walked together with her. Everyone turned to watch the couple walk down the aisle. The priest continued with the ceremony, his voice booming throughout the church. ¡°Finn, do you take Rita to be yourwfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?¡± Finn, his voice filled with emotion: ¡°I do.¡± He faced Rita and asked her the same question; ¡± I do¡± She responded, gazing into Finn¡¯s eyes, and they shared a smile that spoke of a deep, profound love that had been built over time. After the exchange of vows, the couple was showered with rose petals as they made their way down the aisle, hand in hand, officially married. As the guests apuded and cheered, the newlyweds emerged from the church, greeted by a sea of well-wishers and a shower of confetti. It is indeed Rita¡¯s dream wedding, she was very happy, her parents were literally the happiest. The couple retreated to the reception hall, where they danced and celebrated their love with their closest friends and family. Theyughed, they cried, they drank, and they ate, basking in the joy of their new life together. As the ceremony came to an end, Finn and Rita turned to face their friends and family, beaming with joy before heading to the hotel. * The night of their wedding was a night of intense passion and tender intimacy especially with the fact that they both decided and agreed to be celibate till their wedding night. Their decision to wait until their marriage was a reflection of their deep respect and love for each other, and themitment they had made to each other. As Finn and Rita entered their hotel suite, they were filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation and nervousness because of thest time they had tried to have sex but could not but anyways, they knew that this was the beginning of their new life together, and they were eager to celebrate their love in the most intimate way possible. They slowly undressed each other, taking their time to savor every moment as theyy together on the bed, pressing their bodies against each other. Their lovemaking was slow and sensual, with each touch and each kiss sending waves of pleasure through their bodies. Rita didn¡¯t experience pain and difort this time, that¡¯s why she had been nervous but Finn¡¯s patience and understanding had helped her to ovee her fears. He was with her through countless treatments and therapies and finally, her Vaginismus had been sessfully treated. This good news only heightened the intensity and intimacy of the moment. As they made love, she felt a sense of relief and joy, knowing that she was finally able to share this intimate moment with the man she loved. They whispered sweet moans to each other, expressing their love in ways that only they could understand. The newlyweds made love with a passion and intensity that was unlike anything they had ever experienced before. As theyy together, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, they felt a sense of satisfaction and contentment that could only be found in the arms of the one you love. As the night wore on, they fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms, their hearts and souls intertwined in a way that only true love can create. Indeed, Rita¡¯s journey with Vaginismus was not an easy one. The night of their wedding marked a turning point for Rita, as she was finally able to enjoy a sexual experience with her husband without fear or pain. Their decision to wait had been worth it, and the night was a testament to the power of true love andmitment. ** Few yearster, Finn and Rita arrived at a wedding venue, dressed in their finest clothes, and they were filled with excitement. They were eager to celebrate this special day with their close friends, and to see them begin their new life together. It was Evelyn and Adam¡¯s wedding! ¡­which was being held in a picturesque garden. The sun was shining, and the air was filled with the scent of flowers and the sound of wedding bells.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Evelyn was a beautiful bride, her long white dress flowing gracefully around her. Adam, on the other hand, was a handsome groom, with a smile that seemed to light up the entire room. ¡°It¡¯s amazing to see them finally tie the knot,¡± Finn whispered to Rita as they took their seats. As Rita admired the joy on Evelyn and Adam¡¯s faces, Alexander whispered to them ¡°You two looked just as blissful at your own wedding!¡± ¡°We certainly did¡± Finn replied, smiling sweetly at Rita. ¡°Your wedding is next¡± Rita added, when she observed Alex and Madison interlocked arms. Madison blushed. Rita¡¯s mind drifted back to her own special day, filled with such joy and happiness that she still felt butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it. ¡°We¡¯ll tell them the good news when the wedding is over¡± Finn said to her discreetly. ¡°Yeah¡± Rita nodded, looking at her tiny baby bump and Finn gently ced his hand on her stomach. She smiled, her own heart swelled with excitement for the future. She couldn¡¯t wait to add another member to their new family, and to share the news with everyone they cared a bout. But right now, let them just enjoy the moment. *** To Be Continued Epilogue 2 Epilogue 2: As everyone was sitting around the patio, Rita stood up and announced, ¡°Finn and I have something to share with you all.¡± The guests turned their attention to her, curious about what she was about to say. As the apuse died down, Finn stood up next to Rita, beaming with pride. He looked around at their family and friends and said, ¡°We¡¯re so happy to announce that we¡¯re expecting a new addition to our family.¡± With a grin on Rita¡¯s face, she lifted up her shirt to reveal a small but noticeable baby bump. ¡°we¡¯re just so thrilled to be able to share this news with you all.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Evelyn suspended whatever she was doing and ran to embrace her best friend. The crowd erupted into cheers and apuse, congratting the couple on their exciting news. Everyone began to chat excitedly, asking questions about the baby¡¯s due date, whether they knew the gender yet, and what the baby¡¯s name might be. ¡°I and my husband has just scanned the baby, we are yet to check but then, we pleased and delighted to inform you that today¡¯s the baby¡¯s gender reveal¡± Rita announced. The excitement in the air was palpable as everyone eagerly waited for the big reveal. ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± Finn asked, grinning from ear to ear. Everyone nodded in anticipation. They were already told to wear either pink or blue, representing their gender guesses. Finn and Rita stood before everyone, a huge wrapped box between them. ¡°We¡¯re about to find out the gender of our twins,¡± Finn announced, his eyes shining with excitement. The crowd¡¯s anticipation grew as Finn and Rita slowly unwrapped the box, carefully revealing the contents inside. A burst of pink confetti and streamers erupted from the box, signaling that the couple was expecting a baby girl. Finn embraced his wife so warmly and passionately. This is incredible,¡± Rita whispered, tears of joy forming in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to have a daughter.¡± The crowd cheered, pped and congratted the couple. As the pink confetti settled, suddenly, another burst of blue confetti exploded, revealing that the other twin was a boy. ¡°Oh My God.. ¡°A daughter and a son!¡± Finn eximed, his voice full of wonder and joy. Ritaughed through her tears of happiness, overwhelmed by the unexpected surprise. The crowd erupted once again, this time into a chorus of cheers and shouts. Finn and Rita embraced each other, their faces lit up with love and awe. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have asked for anything better,¡± Rita said, cradling her baby bump with one hand as she held onto Finn with the other. ¡°A boy and a girl. Our family isplete.¡± The gender reveal party continued as everyone shared their congrattions and excitement. Friends and family gathered around Finn and Rita, offering hugs, gifts, words of encouragement, and heartfelt well-wishes for their growing family. Rita¡¯s mother pulled her aside for a moment and whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, sweetheart. You¡¯ve created a beautiful life with Finn, and now you¡¯re starting a family¡± As the evening wore on, Finn and Rita made sure to spend some time with each of their guests. Theyughed and reminisced about their own journey to parenthood, sharing stories and advice with her friends and others who were expecting or nning to start a family. Just while they were at it; Alex went on one knees, stood right in front of Madison. He took her hand in his and gazed into her eyes, his expression serious and determined. ¡°Madison,¡± he said, his voice trembling with emotion. ¡°You are the light of my life, the reason I smile every day. You have made me the happiest man alive¡± The crowd cheered and apuse as Madison burst into tears of joy. ¡°From the moment we met, I knew there was something special about you,¡± Alex continued, his eyes never leaving Madison¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯ve be my best friend, my confidant, and my partner in crime. I can¡¯t imagine my life without you by my side.¡± As he spoke, Madison¡¯s eyes filled with tears. She was overwhelmed by the love and devotion in Alex¡¯s voice. ¡°Madison,¡± he said, his voice soft and gentle. ¡°Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?¡± She nodded her head in a resounding ¡°yes.¡± Rita and Finn stood by in awe, their own happiness for the newly engaged couple radiating from their faces. Finn raised a ss in celebration, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°To Alex and Madison!¡± he shouted, his voice ringing out above the cheering crowd. ¡°May your love grow stronger with every passing day. As the cheers died down, Rita stepped forward to embrace Madison. ¡°I¡¯m so happy for you, Madison,¡± she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. ¡°You deserve all the happiness in the world.¡± Madison smiled through her tears, ovee with emotion. ¡°Thank you, Rita,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯m so d to have such wonderful friends and family to share this special moment with.¡± Finn turned to Alex and shook his hand, a wide grin on his face. ¡°Wee to the family, Alex,¡± he said. Another party continued well into the night to specially celebrate Alex and Madison¡¯s engagement. As the night came to a close, the air was filled withughter, love, and a sense of new beginnings. ¡°What a night,¡± Finn said, smiling up at the sky. ¡°Twins, and a new engagement¡± F inn and Rita, wrapped in each other¡¯s arm. **** To Be Continued Epilogue 3 Epilogue 3: A few months had passed since Madison and Alex¡¯s engagement at Finn and Rita¡¯s gender reveal party, and now it was time for their wedding day. The sun shone brightly as Madison walked down the aisle towards her soon-to-be husband, looking radiant in her beautiful white gown. Alex waited at the altar, beaming with joy and anticipation as he watched his bride approach. He thought back to the day they met, and how he¡¯d fallen in love with her from that moment on. As Madison reached the altar, she took Alex¡¯s hand in hers, and together they turned to face the officiant. The ceremony began with a heartfelt exchange of vows, each expressing their undying love andmitment to one another. As they exchanged rings, the crowd burst into cheers and apuse, their love for the newlyweds evident in their smiles and tears. The party was in full swing, with guests dancing and celebrating, their happiness for the newlyweds filling the air. Not only did the newlyweds shared their first dance, also the new couples; Rita, with her baby bump now showing, danced with Finn. And Adam and Evelyn, all of them lost in their love and excitement for the future. After the main wedding party, they had a small party to get together as usual at night. The night continued with toasts,ughter, and heartfelt conversations. The night had been magical, filled with love and celebration, but it wasn¡¯t over yet. Alex took the opportunity to share some exciting news with his closest friends. Alex stood up and raised his ss, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Dear friends, I want to thank you all foring tonight,¡± he said, smiling widely. ¡°But there¡¯s something else I want to share with you.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. He looked around at the faces of his loved ones and continued. ¡°As my brother, Finn already knows, I¡¯ve been working on a project that¡¯s been near and dear to my heart for a long time,¡± Alex said, his voice filled with excitement. ¡°I¡¯m thrilled to announce that I¡¯ve justunched my new app, Love Station.¡± The crowd erupted into cheers and apuse, eager to hear more about this new venture. ¡°Love Station is an app that allows people to connect with each other based on shared interests and values,¡± Alex exined. ¡°It¡¯s not just a dating app; it¡¯s a tform for building meaningful rtionships, whether romantic or tonic.¡± As he spoke, Madison squeezed his hand, smiling at him with pride. The excitement and pride of everyone in the room was palpable. Friends and family were all eager to hear more about Love Station, and to support Alex in his new venture. Finn, beaming with joy, raised his ss and toasted, ¡°To Alex and Madison, and to Love Station. May your love andmitment to each other be a shining example for all, and may Love Station be the key to happiness for many. Here¡¯s to true love, in all its forms!¡± The mood in the room was one of pure joy and celebration. The friends continued tough and chat, specting about the future and what it would hold for their little ones. ¡°Since it¡¯s the season to share good news, I¡¯m happy to inform you guys that I¡¯m pregnant too¡± Evelyn announced. ¡°And it¡¯s a baby boy!!¡± Adam, her husband added. Rita rushed forward to embrace Evelyn in a tight hug ¡°Oh my goodness, this is just wonderful!¡± She eximed, her eyes shining with happiness. ¡°A baby boy! I¡¯m so excited for you two. And congrattions, Adam, you¡¯re going to be an amazing father.¡± Finn, still holding his ss, leaned in and added, ¡°I can already see the little guy giving us a run for our money on the football field. That¡¯s the power of a baby squad, huh? Madison, still holding Alex¡¯s hand, joined in on the celebration. ¡°This is so incredible! Congrattions, you two¡± They all congratted them. ¡°When will you be due?¡± Evelyn had asked. ¡°Approximately in three months¡¯ time¡± Rita answered, beaming with joy and pride. ¡°Three months?¡± Evelyn said, her eyes wide. ¡°You look like you¡¯re ready to pop!¡± They cheered once again, to new beginnings. The excitement was palpable in the room. The group of friends were brimming with happiness for the newest addition to their growing family. ¡°Charles is out of the prison¡± Finn suddenly blurted. ¡°Who the hell bailed him?¡± Adam inquired. ¡°His family member I guess,¡± Finn answered. ¡°I can assure you that there¡¯s absolutely a hundred percent nothing to be worried about, both Charles and Kikachat whatsoever he called it is long gone and forgotten¡± Alex assured. ¡°We are not scared of him anymore c¡¯mon, I bet he cane anywhere closer to us because he haspletely been put to shame¡± Rita said. ¡°I love that energy!!¡± Evelyn encouraged. The two pregnant women had a high five. That was right, Charles didn¡¯te anywhere close to them, they lived happy ever after without haven to worry about Charles. ¡®Love Station ¡® on the other hand has taken over the inte , the application connected people in the most meaningful ways and in no time, almost everyone has forgotten t hst there was ever a apo called Kikachat. ***** To Be Continued Epilogue 4 EPILOGUE 4: Rita climbed the bed, wrapping her hands around her husband and resting her head on his chest as though she was meant to be there. Finn, on the other hand draped an arm around her stomach, gently touching her big baby bump. For a while, they remained in this position, afortable silence descending over them. Finn was never this quiet in bed. Was something bothering him? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you Finn?¡± Rita asked. Finn sighed heavily after staring at her for a while. Without uttering a word, he leaned into her to im her lips but she pulled away. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you Finn?¡± She asked again, her voice came out soft,ced with concern. For a moment, he was quiet but then, he spoke. ¡°Nothing,¡± Finn replied with a weak smile. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit nervous about bing a father. I mean, what if I¡¯m not good enough? What if I mess up?¡± Ritaughed softly. ¡°You¡¯re already the best husband and friend anyone could ask for. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be an incredible dad too. And remember, you won¡¯t be alone in this. We¡¯ll be in this together, raising our little one.¡± Finn rxed slightly, leaning against Rita¡¯s bump, feeling his baby kick. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got this. And you know, I can¡¯t wait to meet our little children¡± Finn said, echoing the thoughts that had been whirling around his head. Rita nodded, her brown eyes shimmering with contentment. ¡°Me neither,¡± she said, resting her head against Finn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ve got so much to look forward to.¡± For a moment, they sat in peaceful silence, the dim lights of the bedroom casting a warm glow over the couple. Suddenly, Rita¡¯s body tensed up. A sharp, searing pain shot through her abdomen, causing her to cry out. ¡°Finn,¡± she gasped, her hand gripping his arm tightly. ¡°It¡¯s happening. Our babies areing.¡± Finn¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Already? But it¡¯s not due yet,¡± he stammered, his heart pounding. ¡°I know,¡± Rita panted, her voice strained. ¡°But the babies has other ns. We need to get to the hospital, now.¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Finn grabbed the hospital bag they had packed weeks ago. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll call the doctor on the way,¡± he said, his voice shaking slightly with adrenaline. Rita struggled to her feet, her legs wobbly from the pain. Finn helped her to the car, his own nerves frayed as he tried to stay focused. He could feel the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, but he knew he had to be strong for Rita and their child. As they sped towards the hospital, the contractions came faster and more intense. ¡°Almost there,¡± Finn murmured, willing the car to go faster. Rita was moaning in pain now, her eyes squeezed shut. Finally, they arrived at the hospital, Finn parking the car haphazardly in the emergency zone. He helped Rita out of the car, her body wracked with contractions. A nurse came rushing out, a wheelchair in tow. ¡°Let¡¯s go, quickly,¡± she said, wheeling Rita towards thebor and delivery unit. Finn followed closely behind, his mind spinning with worry. Rita was wheeled into a private delivery room, and Finn was asked to wait outside while the nurses prepped her. He paced back and forth in the hallway, his hands clenched into fists. The moments seemed to drag on endlessly, each second feeling like an hour. Finally, a doctor came out, a serious expression on his face, Finn froze in ce, his heart racing. ¡°Mr. Finn Lakston, your wife is doing well, but there¡¯s been a slightplication. You know your wife is carrying twins in her womb, we need to perform an emergency C-section. That would be best for her¡± ¡°A C-section?¡± he repeated, his voice little more than a whisper. ¡°Is Rita okay?¡± The doctor nodded, his face grave. ¡°She¡¯s stable, but we need to act quickly. It¡¯s amon procedure, and she¡¯s in good hands, but I understand this is a lot to take in.¡± Finn took a deep breath, struggling to keep his emotions under control. ¡°Do whatever you need to do, doctor. Just make sure my wife and babies are safe.¡± With Finn¡¯s consent, the nurses and doctors whisked Rita into the operating room. Finn was left to wait, the minutes stretching into what felt like hours. He paced back and forth, wringing his hands together as he prayed for the safety of his wife and unborn children. Finally, he heard a faint cry from the operating room, followed by the sound of a baby¡¯s wails. His heart skipped a beat. That was one of his children, he realized, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. But there was still no news of Rita, and he began to panic. It felt like an eternity before a nurse came out of the operating room, her face breaking into a relieved smile as she saw Finn. ¡°Mr. Lakston,¡± she said, cing a gentle hand on his shoulder. ¡°Your wife is awake and stable. Both your babies are healthy and are being cared for by the doctors right now. You can see her in just a few minutes.¡± Finn felt a wave of relief wash over him, his legs suddenly weak. ¡°Thank God,¡± he breathed, closing his eyes in silent gratitude. ¡°Can I see them? Can I see my babies?¡± The nurse smiled. ¡°Of course, Mr. Lakston. But first, I need to bring you to your wife.¡± The nurse gestured for him to follow her, leading him down the hall to the recovery room where Rita was being monitored. Rita was lying in bed, an oxygen mask on her face, but her eyes were open, her face tired but glowing with happiness. As Finn entered the room, she reached out a hand to him, her fingers trembling. ¡°Finn,¡± she murmured, her voice weak but full of love. ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± Finn said, his voice choked with emotion as he took her hand in his. ¡°They¡¯re safe, Rita. They¡¯re healthy and beautiful, just like their mother.¡± Rita smiled through her tears, her eyes never leaving Finn¡¯s face. ¡°I love you, Finn,¡± she said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Thank you for being here for me, for being here for our children.¡± Finn leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll always be here for you, Rita. I love you more than anything.¡± Just then, a nurse entered the room, carrying two small bundles in her arms. Finn¡¯s breath caught in his throat as he saw his children for the first time. They were so tiny, so fragile, but so perfect. ¡°They¡¯re perfect,¡± Finn murmured, his voice filled with wonder. Rita nodded, her eyes never leaving the babies. ¡°Can we hold them?¡± she asked, her voice eager.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The nurse smiled and carefully ced one baby in each of their arms. Finn cradled his child, staring down at the tiny face, marveling at the miracle of life. As he held his child, Finn felt a wave of love and protectiveness wash over him. He had never experienced anything like this before, this intense, overwhelming feeling. He gazed down at the tiny, perfect features of his son, marveling at the tiny fingers, the tiny toes. He was struck by the realization that he would do anything, absolutely anything, to protect this child, to keep him safe and loved. Beside him, Rita was cradling their daughter, tears of joy streaming down her face. ¡°They¡¯re so beautiful,¡± she whispered, her voice filled with awe. ***** To Be Continued Epilogue 5 Epilogue 5: As Rita drifted off to sleep, a smile still lingering on her lips. Finn stood in front of the bass, gazing down at the two tiny bundles of joy. He reached out and gently ran his finger along the little boy¡¯s cheeks, marveling at the softness of his skin, the delicate curve of his nose. He did the same for the little girl, admiring her dainty fingers and her rosebud lips; she looked like her mom while the baby boy looked like the father, Finn. He carried the little boy since he was awake and yful. He held their son in his arms and sat on the rocking chair next to Rita¡¯s bed. He gazed down at the tiny baby, his heart bursting with love and wonder. All of Finn¡¯s previous doubts and fears about fatherhood had melted away, reced by a fierce, all-consuming love for his children. He couldn¡¯t wait to watch them grow and develop, to be a part of their lives every step of the way. As he rocked his son gently, Finn thought about all the things he wanted to teach his children. He wanted to teach them about kindness andpassion, about the importance of perseverance. And most of all, he wanted to teach them about love. As Rita slept, Finn took the opportunity to spend some precious moments with his little ones. He gently ced little bouncing baby boy back in the bass next to his sister. While, they are still in the hospital. One Rita woke up from her deep slumber; family and friends arrived just in time. Finn had already informed them that Rita has put to bed.. The arrival of their friends and families added a joyful bustle, as everyone eagerly waited to see the new additions to the family. Rita¡¯s parents were the first to enter the room, their eyes wide with awe as they took in the sight of their new grandbabies. ¡°Oh, my gosh! Look at them! They¡¯re so tiny!¡± Finn¡¯s mom chuckled as she marveled at the tiny babies in the bass. ¡°They are perfect¡± ¡°Congrattions to you too¡± As the grandparents cooed over their grandbabies, Finn and Rita¡¯s friends came in; Adam, Evelyn, Alex and Madison. ¡°Congrattions, you guys!¡± eximed Alex the warmth of his smile reflecting the genuine happiness he felt for his brother. ¡°Wow, Finn, you¡¯re a dad now! I knew you could do it, even if you were a bit nervous about it.¡± Adam winked yfully at him, recalling their conversations before the twins¡¯ arrival. ¡°Congrattions to you too¡± Finn responded, referring to Evelyn¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°So you literally told everyone you are nervous about this¡± Rita teased, hitting him yfully. Finn blushed a little, but heughed in good humor. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not ashamed of it. Better to admit my fears than pretend I have it all figured out, right?¡± he joked. ¡°True that,¡± Evelyn nodded, adding, ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to be an amazing father. Your kids are so lucky to have you and Rita as parents.¡± As the proud friends and visitors made their exit, closing the door softly behind them, the new family was left alone. Finn ced his arm around Rita¡¯s shoulders, drawing her close. ¡°We did it, babe. They¡¯re here, they¡¯re healthy, and they¡¯re ours,¡± he said, a wide smile on his face. Rita snuggled into his embrace, a faint smile on her lips. ¡°Yes, we did. Our little miracles,¡± she whispered, cing a gentle kiss on Finn¡¯s cheek. In the weeks following the birth of their children, Rita began to experience a profound change in her mood. She had trouble sleeping, even when the babies were sleeping soundly. She felt anxious and overwhelmed, even when Finn tried to help her. And worst of all, she began to feel detached from her children, as though she couldn¡¯t connect with them emotionally. At first, Finn assumed that these were simply symptoms of the exhaustion that came with having newborns. But as the weeks passed and Rita¡¯s mood continued to spiral downwards, Finn began to realize that something more serious was happening. With each passing day, Finn could sense the feeling growing deeper within Rita. She would often stare at the babies, her expression nk, and he could see the conflict in her eyes.From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Rita, are you okay?¡± he would ask, his concern growing as she struggled to respond. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she would whisper, her voice barely audible. ¡°I don¡¯t feel right, Finn. I don¡¯t feel like myself. I can¡¯t seem to¡­ to connect with them.¡± Finn¡¯s heart ached as he watched her struggle. ¡°Rita,¡± he said, his voice firm but gentle. ¡°I love you, and I¡¯m worried about you. I know you¡¯re going through something right now, something that¡¯s hard for me to understand. But I want to help you, I want to be there for you. We¡¯re in this together, you know? You, me, and our beautiful babies.¡± Rita let out a small sob, her shoulders shaking with emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this, Finn,¡± she said, her voice trembling. ¡°I¡¯m so scared.¡± Finn shook his head, his voice filled withpassion. ¡°Rita, listen to me. You are a wonderful, and loving mother, and those babies are lucky to have you. You¡¯re going through a tough time right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean, it¡¯s very normal okay?¡± Finn pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. ¡°You¡¯re not alone in this, Rita. I¡¯m here for you, and we¡¯re going to get through this together, okay? I¡¯ll help you with the babies, I¡¯ll hold your hand, whatever you need. We¡¯re a team, remember?¡± Rita nodded, her sobs slowing as she began to calm down. ¡°Thank you, Finn,¡± she murmured, her voice muffled against his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡± In the weeks that followed, Finn made it his mission to help Rita through her postpartum depression. He took over many of the daily tasks with the babies, allowing Rita to rest and recover. Rita began to open up to him more, sharing her fears and her struggles. She started seeing a therapist, the same therapist she saw when she had vaginismus. and Finn would attend some of her sessions with her, offering support and encouragement. Slowly, the clouds began to lift, and Rita began to feel more like herself again. As Rita¡¯s recovery progressed, Finn noticed small changes in her. She started to smile more often, tough more easily. She began to engage more with the babies, cooing and talking to them as they yed on the floor. Finn was thrilled to see the change in her. He knew that she still had a long way to go, but he was confident that she would make it through this dark time. **** To Be Continued Finale FINALE ¡°We find love in unexpected ces, trust me¡± Rita remarked after she and children had just finished watching a love movie. ¡°Oh wow, so that¡¯s how you met dad, in an unexpected ce?¡± The sharp little boy who was named, Anthony blurted. Ritaughed softly as she snuggled deeper into the couch cushions, her kids perched on either side of her. ¡°Indeed it was, my darling angels. Your father and I met at the same ce of work¡± She briefly told them. The little boy furrowed his brow, still struggling toprehend how his parents¡¯ love story began in such a mundane. ¡°Actually, we met before we met¡± Rita said, even making things moreplicated for the children. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m still having trouble picturing this,¡± the little girl named Lily, who looked like her mom chipped in. ¡°What kind of workce was it? How do you mean you met him before you met him? What does that even mean?¡± She questioned. ¡°And how did you two even start talking?¡± Anthony added. The little children questioned her. Rita chuckled at her children¡¯s growing confusion. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s a bitplicated, but I¡¯ll try my best to exin. So we met through an online matchmaker, her name was J Johnson and the tform was Kikachat, I doubt if you know anything about the tform. We dated without even knowing each other. We loved each other but physically and on the online tform¡± Rita smiled, remember everything that had happened between she and Finn, thick and tough, ups and downs.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Kikachat¡± Lily muttered ¡°What a funny name¡± While the little boy stared at his mother, his eyes wide with amazement. ¡°You mean, you were dating Dad without actually seeing him in person? And you didn¡¯t even know what he looked like?¡± Lily chimed in, equally incredulous. ¡°And you fell in love with each other without ever an actual physical meeting?¡± Rita nodded, a wistful smile on her face. ¡°It sounds crazy, I know. But love doesn¡¯t always follow a straight path. It can surprise you in unexpected ways. And in our case, it happened online and like I just said, we find love in unexpected ces.¡± Lily was also curious. ¡°And how did Dad react when he finally saw you?¡± ¡°The rest is history¡± Rita said, bringing the conversation to an end. ¡°We¡¯ll love to hear more¡± Their minds became grappled with the concept of love. ¡°Why do you even ask about how your dad and I met?¡± Rita crossed her arms and questioned them instead. Anthony and Lily exchanged a nce before Anthony made up his mind to respond, a hint of shyness in his voice. ¡°Well, we just¡­¡± he trailed off, a slight blush rising in his cheeks. ¡°He has a crush on Elsa¡± Lily finished for him. Elsa is Evelyn and Adam¡¯s daughter. Rita¡¯s eyes widened in amusement, her face breaking into a mischievous grin. ¡°Ah! I see,¡± Rita said, her voice full of mirth. ¡°So, my little cupid-in-training, you think that by learning the secrets of your parents¡¯ love story, you¡¯ll be able to unlock the code to Elsa¡¯s heart, is that it?¡± She teased him. ¡°No, Lily you promised to tell no one about it¡± Her brother shunned. Rita yfully nudged him in the ribs, sending him into a fit of embarrassedughter while Lily giggled, trying to contain her amusement. Then the door opened, their father, Finn has just returned from work. The kids ran to embrace him. Finn returned the embrace with warmth, his arms wrapping tightly around his children. Heughed as they clung to him, their tiny arms barely reaching halfway around his broad frame. ¡°Hey, kiddos. What¡¯s got you two so excited today?¡± he asked, still grinning. Rita rose from the couch and made her way towards the group hug, a yful smile on her face ¡°I told them a beautiful story¡± ¡°Yes, mom told us about how the two of you fell in love¡± Lily interfered. ¡°She said you dated without knowing eachother yet¡± The boy added. Finn looked over at Rita, a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Did you give away all our secrets, my love?¡± Rita chuckled; ¡°Hmmn well, not exactly¡± ¡°We promise to let them know the full gist once they both turn 16 years old¡± ¡°They¡¯ll find out the ones that doesn¡¯t make us look like aplete sap when they turn 16¡± Rita responded. They understood each other perfectly. ¡°What are you both talking about?¡± Little Finn tried to poke nose. Finnughed, pulling his kids in for another big hug but after secret exchanging knowing nces, Rita and Finn nced down at their kids, still full of curiosity. ¡°Well, little ones, that¡¯s all we¡¯re willing to divulge for now. But we promise you that when the time is right, we¡¯ll tell you the whole story,¡± Rita said, cing a hand gently on each of their heads. ¡°You mean when we¡¯re 16?¡± Lily asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. Finn chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. 16 years old, and not a day before. Finn gave each of his kids a yful squeeze before they wriggled free, darting off to y in their rooms. Rita watched them go, a fond smile on her face. ¡°Can you believe how grown up they are?¡± she asked Finn, her voice full of wonder. He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close. ¡°I know. It seems like just yesterday they were learning to crawl, and now they¡¯re trying to find out how we fell in love. Time sure flies, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Rita smiled and nodded. They have been through alot but look at them now. And so, with a deep sense of contentment, the happy family settled into their cozy home, their hearts full of love andughter. Who knows what adventures await them in the future, but for now, all is well. ******* THE END The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!