“Would you like me to move out of the house? I could move to a different place,” Benne suggested making Celsie laugh out loud at the joke.
She turned to look at him when she didn’t hear him laugh, and stopped laughing when she noticed that he was looking at her with a serious expression, “You…you are joking, right?” She asked with a wavering smile.
“Why? You don’t want me to leave?” Benne asked with a slightly raised brow.
Benne leaving? That wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Actually, it would be a great idea. That way she would have to worry less about him being her neighbor after their relationship comes to an end. And if her boss gave the go-ahead for her to replace Benne with a different driver, then she could finally relax and not ever have to worry about his presence in her life anymore. But how would he get the money to move? Where would he move to?
“You don’t have money to…”
“My friend’s place is available. I could move there, and you can visit me and sleepover as much as you want,” Benne suggested.
“Your friend would let you do that?” She asked, thinking that it would be really awesome if he could move once they returned from the Cinema. But then again that would also make coming to her house to pick her up in the morning difficult.
Seeing the thoughtful expression on her face Benne could tell that she liked the idea, but he couldn’t understand why. Was she still that uncomfortable around him?
“Sure. But you’ll have to visit me a lot. Take the next turn,” Benne called out to her abruptly when he noticed that she was about to miss the turn, and Celsie quickly did as she was told, almost causing the vehicle behind them to slam into their car.
The driver blared his horn angrily and swore at them before driving away, “Sorry. Should I drive instead?” Benne asked when he noticed that her face had gone pale.
She quickly shook her head, “No. It’s fine. I’m okay,” she said more to herself than to him as she drew in a shaky breath and kept driving.
Although Benne didn’t believe her, he chose to let her be. Neither of them said another word to each other until they got to the cinema and Celsie parked the car.
“Maybe we could discuss the checklist some other time,” Benne suggested, wanting to push it off as far as possible since she had said they would break up once they had done everything on the list.
Celsie gave him a nod as she picked up her handbag and reached out to open her door.
Once they got out of the car, Celsie’s cellphone started ringing and she took it out to see that the call was from Anita, “Hey! We just got here, are you inside already?” Celsie asked as she met Benne’s gaze.
“I’m just driving in… Oh! I can see you both,” Anita said excitedly as she quickly hung up, making Celsie turn in the direction of Anita’s car which she recognized from the previous day. Benne followed her gaze and squinted against the glare of the sun reflecting on her windscreen so he could see who was inside the car.
“That’s my friend,” Celsie announced, watching Benne with interest to see his reaction as Anita drove over to the available parking space next to their car.
Celsie grinned when she saw Benne’s eyes widen in surprise as Anita got out of the car, and she mentally patted herself for giving him such a beautiful surprise. He would be happy to spend the day in the company of his soon-to-be girlfriend.
Anita? She was Celsie’s friend? How? Since when? Why????? He wondered as he looked from Anita who was smiling at them as she approached where they were standing, to Celsie who was also smiling cheerfully at him like she had just done something great. Oh, no!
Benne looked at Anita with a blank expression on his face as she approached them. Unlike Celsie who was casually dressed, she was dressed in a blue strapless romper and black suede high-heeled sandals, and her hair was let down as the only covering on her bare shoulder. No matter how classy she looked, she would remain a cheap golddigger in his eyes, Benne thought as he looked away from her to Celsie who was still grinning cheekily.
What did she do so good that she was happy about? Benne thought with a scoff.
“Hi! It’s nice to…”
Benne grabbed Celsie’s hand and dragged her to the side before Anita could complete her greeting, leaving her standing there to watch them both in amusement since she had been expecting that sort of reaction from Benne. Although she was surprised that Celsie didn’t tell him about her.
“What are you doing?” Celsie asked with a frown as she tried to free her hand from his grip.
“How is she your friend?” Benne asked, glaring in Anita’s direction before returning his gaze to Celsie. Of all persons in that building to become friends with? Why did it have to be Anita? Why?
Celsie smiled at him, thinking he was feeling shy because he was surprised to meet his crush this way, “How do people become friends? Don’t worry, I think she likes you too, so no need to be shy,” Celsie said in a conspiratorial whisper, which made him look at her with a puzzled frown.
“Likes me too? How?” Benne asked, glancing at Anita who was standing there with an awkward smile on her face as she fanned herself because of the heat, while they both continued to whisper.
Celsie smiled again, “I never would have figured you to be so shy around someone you like. It’s cute. At least you now know why I said we can’t tell my friend about our temporary relationship. Don’t worry, I just reasoned that it would be wise I become friends with her, that way I can learn more about her and tell you all you need to know to get her. I got you,” Celsie said as she flashed Anita an apologetic smile.
Help him to get her? Wait a minute, she was really trying to matchmake them? The moment he had seen the smile on her face earlier, he had suspected this but had discarded the idea to be ridiculously silly, but he was actually right? What on earth would make her think that Anita was the person he was in love with? How had she managed to jump to such a farfetched conclusion like a toad?
“Let’s join her,” Celsie suggested as she tried to walk away, but Benne pulled her back.
“I don’t want to hang out with her. I don’t like her,” Benne said plainly, making Celsie raise a brow.
“Since when? Come on, stop acting like a shy little boy. You are not confessing your feelings to her yet, so there is no need to be… What are you frowning at me for?” Celsie asked when she noticed how Benne was frowning at her while gritting his teeth like he was seriously annoyed about something.
Shouldn’t he be thanking her? Why was he upset?
“I am not shy. And I really don’t like her!” Benne said through gritted teeth.
Celsie snorted, “Yet you had lunch with her and stood me up? And when I asked you if she was the one you said yes, so what are you lying for? Tell that to someone else,” she said with an eye roll.
Benne triid to remember the day Celsie was referring to and all that happened to make her think Anita was his mysterious lady. His eyes narrowed when he remembered the time she asked him if the lady he had lunch with was the lady he liked. He had said yes since he believed Celsie didn’t know what Anita looked like and thought it was best to just tell her it was Anita… His eyes widened in surprise when he remembered that she had eaten lunch at the cafeteria that day instead of her office. Was it possible that she had seen him with Anita? For God’s sake what was all this complications for? Just when everything was going well, and now this? And why was Anita playing along? Why was she here when she wasn’t even interested in him and didn’t want anyone else to know about their history?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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