Celsie looked at Benne with disapproval, “If you continue this way we are going to get caught before we even get anywhere. Reverse the car and let’s go to the office right now. You can’t change everything on your schedule just to satisfy your whim!” Celsie chided.
“Wanting to hang out with you isn’t just a whim,” Benne said as a scowl replaced the grin which had been on his face a moment ago, “I just want to hang out with you, is that too much to ask for?”
“It is. I’m not going anywhere else with you when it is still work hours. We have to distinguish between business and pleasure. Mr. Harry sent me your schedule for the day, and you have several meetings that you need to attend this morning. So reverse the car right now,” Celsie said in a tone that brooked no argument.
“Do you really mean that?” Benne asked, not pleased with the fact that she wasn’t as eager to spend some time with him as he was to spend his time with her.
Celsie took in a deep breath as she met his gaze in the rearview mirror, “We already made plans for the weekend, right? I’m sure you didn’t build such a successful company by canceling meetings and going on dates during work hours. Let’s focus on work during work hours, and date off work hours, please?” Celsie said with a placatory smile.
“How did I forget that you’re a workaholic?” Benne muttered under his breath in displeasure as he reversed the car.
“You are not mad at me, are you?” Celsie asked a moment later when the silence in the car became deafening.
“I’m sure it won’t make a difference to you even if I’m mad, so don’t worry about it,” Benne said as he kept his gaze on the road.
“How can you say that?” Celsie asked, feeling hurt by what he had just said, but Benne said nothing as he drove into the company’s parking lot.
“Are we still having lunch together?” Celsie asked as she reached for her door.
“I don’t know. I might be too busy with work,” Benne muttered under his breath as they both got out of the car.
Before Celsie could respond they both heard a familiar feminine voice, “Hey, Benne! Good morning!” The lady to who Benne had given his number the previous day called with a wide smile as she waved at him.
“Have a pleasant day,” Celsie muttered with displeasure as she walked past him, leaving him to deal with the lady.
“Hi! Good morning!” Benne greeted the lady who was now approaching him while his gaze remained fixed on Celsie’s retreating figure.
Wasn’t it too early in their relationship for them to be having a fight? All he had wanted was to spend a couple of hours with her having breakfast at his home. Was that too much to ask for? Why was she acting like she cared about his company more than he did?
“Do you have a minute?” She asked with a smile.
“Do you want something?” Benne asked, trying not to let his annoyance sound in his tone as he looked at her with a polite smile even though he didn’t really like that she was delaying him.
“Yeah. The number you gave me yesterday was missing a digit,” the lady said with an awkward smile as she waved her phone at him.
Benne looked at her for a moment without saying a word, and then he sighed, “Do you like me?” He asked with a slightly raised brow.
On hearing his question a blush crept up her cheeks, “Yes. I do,” she said looking into his eyes directly, surprising Benne who had been expecting a sharp denial.
“Wow! Thank you. Although I feel very flattered right now, I’m in a relationship,” Benne explained mildly so he wouldn’t hurt her feelings.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t think of that,” she said with a smile that managed to look both apologetic and disappointed at the same time.
“Why didn’t you think of that? Because I’m a mere driver and you think no one would want me?” Benne asked with a slight frown.
“No! Not that. I just meant that it just didn’t occur to me to first find out if you were in a relationship before making a fool of myself,” she quickly corrected.
“So you wouldn’t have been bothered about being in a relationship with a mere driver who works in the same company as you?” Benne asked curiously.
“I don’t know why you keep referring to yourself as a mere driver, but at least you just said he works in the same company with me, right? I don’t think the job description should matter, should it?”
“I suppose not,” Benne said with a nod.
“Why did you ask though? Does it bother your girlfriend that you’re a driver?” She asked thoughtfully, but before Benne could respond his phone started ringing.
He reached into his pocket to take out the phone and looked towards the entrance of the company when he saw that it was a call from Celsie. When he didn’t see any sign of her at the entrance, he looked up to his office window and noticed that she was standing by his window.
“Excuse me for a moment,” he told the lady in front of him before stepping away from her to receive the call, “Hey, what’s up?” He asked Celsie curiously.
“You must be seriously enjoying your conversation with her,” Celsie observed irritably, making Benne chuckle.
“As a matter of fact, I am. Why? Are you jealous?”
“Have fun then,” Celsie hissed at him before hanging up.
Benne looked up and shook his head when he noticed that she had left the window. It seemed like they were bound to fight no matter what he said or did, Benne thought to himself with a deep sigh as he returned to face the lady.
“It’s been nice chatting with you. I need to run now,” Benne said with a polite smile.
“Uhm, I know you said you are in a relationship, but can we be friends? I just really like your personality and would love to talk to you from time to time if you don’t mind,” she said with a small smile.
Benne paused for a moment when he remembered Celsie’s warning about giving his number out randomly. If she didn’t like him giving out his number or talking to other ladies, she would definitely not like the idea of him being friends with her.
“Uhm… I’m sorry, I know you mentioned your name the other day, but I have forgotten it…”
“It’s fine. People hardly remember my name as it’s not a very common name. My name is Cora. Cora Anderson,” she said with a friendly smile.
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.