Chapter 119 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Although, the producer wasn’t pleased about your absence, Jeff was quick to remind him that I was the one working with them, and not you, and as such, there was no need for them to meet with you,” Bryan explained, and Sonia nodded her head.

“True. Anything else that I need to know about the meeting?” She asked as she opened the refrigerator and looked into it, trying to find something to fix for dinner.

“We have to wear matching outfits for our interview tomorrow… Jeff and Mia will get the clothes on their way here in the morning,” he said, answering the question he knew she was likely to ask next, which was how they were going to get matching clothes.

“Cool,” Sonia said as she continued rummaging through the refrigerator. After searching for some time, she sighed, ” I know I asked before, but you didn’t answer my question then. Aren’t you supposed to have a cook or something?” Sonia asked wearily.

“I have a male home keeper, recommended by my mom. He makes sure the home is okay in my absence, and he takes care of my feeding and laundry,” Bryan said, mako Sonia nod.

“So why don’t I see him anywhere around?”

“That is because I asked him not to resume yet,” Bryan explained.

“You did? Why would you do that?” Sonia asked with a confused frown etched on her brow. Was he deliberately trying to wear her out with taking care of his home so that she would leave quickly?

“He reports everything to my mom. If he resumes and has to live here with us, he will eventually find out that we are not truly engaged as we claim, and the news would get to my mom. That would break her heart and I don’t want it. Besides, I don’t know who else he might reveal the truth to,” Bryan pointed out.

“Hm. I see. But I think if your mom recommended him, then he should be someone you can trust. She won’t recommend someone with questionable traits to you,” Sonia said thoughtfully.

“Although I understand where you are coming from, I don’t fully agree with you. I adore my mom, but I also know that she is human and can easily misjudge people’s character, so I can’t fully trust a person because they come highly recommended by her,” Bryan said, thinking of how his mother had said Sonia was a nice girl. Talk about being a terrible judge of character.

“Hm,” Sonia murmured with a nod as she took out the remnant of the salad they ate the previous evening and a pack of sausage since she couldn’t find anything else of interest, “I guess this will have to do until we get groceries,” Sonia said as she dropped the items on the kitchen counter and turned to look at him.

“May I ask why you don’t want to tell your family the truth? I don’t think it is a big deal for you to tell them that you proposed to a random stranger,” Sonia said, looking at him curiously. She had been wondering why he was keeping the truth away from his family.

Bryan considered her question for a moment, “Let’s just say I am kind of tired of being the family black sheep. It is almost like they are always expecting me to do something crazy. So when both To… My brother and mom called to congratulate me after hearing of the engagement, and I heard the pride in their voice, I did not want to disappoint them by telling them the truth,” Bryan said with a sigh.

Sonia pursed her lips as she looked at him quizzically. Contrary to what most people thought about him, she was coming to learn that he cared a lot about what people thought of him, especially his family. That left her to wonder why he got involved in all sorts of scandals in the first place.

“You don’t think you will disappoint them even more when they find out that you have been lying to them this whole time?” Sonia asked as she got busy with dicing the sausage.

That question was one he has been avoiding himself. He knew his mom would be disappointed if she finds out he had deceived her along with the world. He didn’t want to think of it yet.

“What can I do?” Bryan asked as he moved closer, wanting to help her out with dinner while also changing the subject.

“I don’t know. You will have to figure it out yourself…”

“I mean, what can I help you to do?” Bryan corrected.

“Oh! You don’t have to do anything other than answer my questions and keep me company,” Sonia said, flashing him a quick smile before returning her attention to the sausage she was dicing.

“Alright. Do you think she might like my brother?” Bryan asked, making Sonia blink at him rapidly.

Who was he talking about? His mother? Was he asking if she thought his mother might like his brother? Sonia wondered with a frown.

“Who?” She asked, turning to look at him in confusion, wondering where the question was coming from.

“I mean your best friend, Celsie. Do you think she might like my brother?” Bryan asked since he really wanted to find out what Sonia and Celsie were up to, especially now that he had spoken with Celsie. He felt closer to her now. She was no longer like a distant stranger to him.

Why was he suddenly asking about Celsie and his brother? “Nah, she doesn’t. Why do you ask? You want to matchmake them?” Sonia asked with a teasing smile as she moved to the air fryer and poured the sausage into it.

Was that really what they wanted? For him to matchmake her to Benne? Bryan wondered, “Would she like it if I did?” Bryan asked, dodging her question, so he could get his own answer.

Sonia turned her attention to him, “I told you already that she isn’t interested in guys. Besides, she is in a relationship with someone else at the moment,” Sonia said before she could stop herself.

“She isn’t interested in guys, yet she is in a relationship?” Bryan asked dryly, not wanting to let go of this opportunity.

“It’s just a temporary arrangement she has with the guy. She really isn’t interested in guys,” Sonia said defensively.

“Hold on, is it the same guy you were advising her to make her haaandy man?” Bryan asked in a suggestive tone, referring to her phone conversation with Celsie the first night they had met.

Sonia’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the realization that he still remembered everything she had said to Celsie over the phone that night, “Why are you so interested in my friend?” Sonia asked, trying to change the subject, while also trying to remember all that she and Celsie had discussed that night.

“Is it such a bad thing to want to know more about your best friend? Besides, I feel like I could give her better advice than you do, considering the kind of advice I heard you give her that night,” Bryan said with a shrug.

Sonia narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. Perhaps he was right. Maybe he could help them see things from a guy’s perspective? She would need Celsie’s permission to do that since she couldn’t confide in Bryan about Celsie’s personal business without her say so.

“Don’t forget that I let you stop me when you insisted I don’t tell Matt about his girlfriend being a stripper,” Bryan reminded her.

“That is a different issue,” Sonia said with a roll of her eyes.

“Is it now?”

“I don’t remember asking you to tell me about Matt’s private business,” Sonia pointed out.

Why did she have to be so stubborn and smart? Bryan wondered with an inward sigh, “Fine then, you can keep it all to yourself. I’m not curious about anything concerning you anymore. Just make sure you don’t ask me about my family or friends either,” Bryan said as he turned to leave, expecting Sonia to call him back and apologize.

“Hold on,” Sonia called out before he could cross the kitchen door, making his lips curve in a smirk, but he turned to look at her with a questioning expression on his face.

“Drop this on the dining,” Sonia said, handing him the bowl of salad, and earning herself a glare from him.

Celsie stood in front of her closet wondering what she could wear to the dinner. The only reason she wasn’t changing her mind at the last minute was because Benne was going for the dinner too, else she would have come up with an excuse to skip it. She really despised dressing up and leaving her house, especially because of the time it took to make up her mind on what to wear.

She didn’t know which she hated more between being overdressed and underdressed to an occasion. Being overdressed would make you stand out too much and cause others to assume you are showing off while being underdressed would make you feel small and unable to move around freely because you don’t want to be noticed.

After spending several minutes looking at the closet which was made up of corporate wear, a few sexy gowns, a couple of dinner gowns, and her causal wears such as jeans and joggers, she walked out of her bedroom dressed in bum shorts and spaghetti tops. Without thinking much about it, she walked out of her apartment and found herself standing in front of Benne’s door.

She knocked on the door and moved from one foot to the other as she waited patiently for Benne to open the door. Since he was closer to them, she was sure he would know the right outfit that she could wear.

Soon the door opened, “Are you okay?” He asked, looking at her with concern as his eyes scanned her clothes while he tried to figure out why she was in front of his apartment when she should be getting ready for the dinner.

She flashed him an apologetic smile, “I’m okay. Sorry to bother you, but…”

“You are not bothering me. You are my girlfriend,” Benne quickly corrected her.

“Oh!” Celsie exclaimed when she realized that she had once again forgotten about their relationship. It seemed like she could never get used to this relationship thing, even though she noticed that she had become more relaxed around him now, “Okay, I’m having a hard time making up my mind on what to wear… What are you wearing to the dinner?” She asked, looking him over to see if he had changed out of his clothes already.

“Oh!” She exclaimed when she realized for the first time that his shirt was unbuttoned and a towel was tied around his waist like he had been about to step into the shower before she knocked on his door.

Benne followed her gaze to his chest, but before he could say anything, she spoke.

“You shaved,” she murmured in a distant voice as though she was lost in thoughts as she kept looking at his once hairy chest, now cleanly shaven. Although she liked hairy men but seeing his hairless chest still affected her as much as his hairy chest had done. Her fingers itched to touch him and feel those muscles, but instead, she rubbed her hands together.

“You want to touch me?” Benne asked when he noticed how she kept rubbing her hands together.

“Yes,” Celsie’s face immediately heated up in embarrassment once she realized what she had just admitted, “What? No!” She denied, hiding her hands behind her, as she shook her head vigorously without meeting his gaze.

Benne grinned at her, “You don’t have to deny it or be embarrassed about it. I’m your boyfriend, after all, so you are free to touch me whenever and however you want to, the same way I am free to touch you,” Benne said as he reached out a hand to grab her arm.

---