Chapter 315 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Oh, come on! That isn’t fun,” Desmond protested with a defeated sigh as he collapsed back on his seat, and the ladies laughed.

“You can compete with Jade’s boyfriend when she gets one. I’m sure you will hear the result then,” Benne told his father.

Celsie cleared her throat, “Well, the whole essence of the game wasn’t for either of them to win or lose. Rather it was to see how far they were willing to go just to prove to each other that they are deserving of their place in my heart.”

“Dad, you’re my father and the man I first loved. I will always love you. You have your special place in my heart, so there’s no need for you to fight with Benne. He doesn’t want your place. He knows that he has his own place in my heart. Am I right, Benne?” Celsie asked as she turned to Benne.

“Yeah. Very correct,” Benne said with a nod.

“And seeing how he could have won but decided to turn back just to help you, I think you should cut him some slack and…” Celsie said.

“He already did. He welcomed my traitor brother to the family,” Bryan cut in dryly.

“Traitor brother?” Their father asked curiously, and Celsie’s father laughed as he told them what had happened.

“That was a smart move, Benne. I hope the guy your sister brings home is as smart as you,” Desmond said, and Bryan scowled at them both.

“Traitors.”

“Definitely not as traitorous as the person sitting next to you,” Celsie retorted, pointing at Sonia, and they all burst into a peal of laughter.

Sitting back in her seat as the waiters served their meal, Jade considered Harry as she tried to arrange all the questions she had in her head.

Once the waiters left, she leaned forward in her seat, “What was growing up like?” She asked, surprising both herself and Harry, who hadn’t been expecting that question.

She had wanted to ask many other questions, but only now did she realize that she wanted to get to know him better and understand him before doing that.

“Growing up?” Harry asked, confused.

“Yeah. Your childhood. Being raised by just your dad. What was it like?” Jade explained as she picked up her wine glass and sipped from it.

Harry cleared his throat and then leaned forward in his seat as he thought about the question, “Hmm, It was fine, I suppose? Although, at some point in my life, I was very sad and really wanted a mother like other kids. My dad tried his best to explain that he couldn’t give me one, but he would try to make up for my mother’s absence by loving and caring for me twice as much as he knew my mother would have done. So on my birthdays and during every Christmas holiday, he would get me two gifts, one from him and the other from my mom,” Harry said with a distant look in his eyes, and Jade felt tears gather in her eyes when she heard the sadness in his voice.

“Most times, he would make sure the gift from my mom was something I desperately wanted and had asked him for several times in the past, but he refused to get it. And then when I unwrap the gift, he goes, ‘Wow! Your mom is the best! I can’t believe I said I wasn’t going to get you that, yet she went on to buy it’ you won’t believe that he does that till date even when he knows I’m not a kid anymore,” Harry said with a sad smile as he met Jade’s gaze, and a tear slid down her cheek as she laughed.

“You’re making me fall in love with your dad,” she said as she used the back of her hand to wipe her tears.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be an unrequited love, and you’re going to get your heart broken,” Harry said with a small smile.

“You never can tell. I just might be the lady he has been waiting for this whole time. Who knows? I might become the next Mrs. Jonas, your stepmom,” Jade said with a wink, but Harry didn’t smile back as he looked at her with a blank expression.

Seeing the look on his face, Jade assumed that he didn’t like the joke, “C’mon, it was a joke. You don’t have to look so serious. I’m sorry,” Jade said apologetically.

“We should eat before the meal gets cold,” Harry said as he picked up his cutlery, leaving Jade no other option than to do the same.

“Is that all?” Harry asked after they ate in silence for some time, wanting to know if that was all she wanted to know about him.

“All? No. I just figured that you needed time to calm down before I continue,” Jade said, and Harry gave her a nod.

“You can go on,” he urged as they continued eating.

“So what kind of kid were you? What class did you fall into? Extrovert or introvert? The bully or the bullied? Were you among the cool big shots in your class? What sports did you play in school?” She asked, and Harry blinked in surprise at all the questions she had just asked at a go. Just how curious was she?

“What kind? I was calm and always kept to myself. I was almost bullied once, but I fought back, and that was the last time it happened…”

“You fought back?” Jade asked, not sure if she believed it.

“Why? You think I can’t fight?” Harry asked when he saw the doubtful expression on her face.

Jade grinned at him as she shrugged, “You just look too calm. But on second thought, I guess you have to know how to use your fist with that tongue of yours. If you’ve always been so brutally honest, you must have gotten into trouble more often than not,” Jade said with a grin, and Harry chuckled.

“Yeah.”

“So? Did you have your own cool kids clique? Did you play any school sports?” Jade asked, reminding him of the unanswered questions.

“No. I preferred to move alone. I played basketball…”

“No way!” Jade exclaimed in disbelief, and Harry raised a brow.

“Why not?”

“You don’t just seem like that type,” she said, looking him over.

“And what type do I seem like?” Harry asked with a slightly raised brow.

“Well, not the basketball type,” Jade said, unable to find the words to explain it.

“Basketball game isn’t for boring people like me, you mean?” Harry asked, and Jade grinned sheepishly.

“A few days ago, you said you didn’t think I was boring. Can you tell me what changed your mind so easily?” Harry asked, and she shrugged.

“You. I said that before spending enough time with you. You’re always working and talking about work.”

“So that qualifies me as boring? And you conveniently forget that I dragged you out of your house and even the hotel to stop you from burying yourself in your work?” Harry asked with a shake of his head.

Jade shook her head in protest, “That is different. I can have fun when I want to…”

“And you think I can’t?” Harry asked incredulously.

“Yeah, I think you can’t. You can prove it by going out with me tonight,” Jade offered.

“No! It’s not going to work. I’m boring, and I want to sleep so that I can resume my boring job tomorrow,” Harry said, and Jade collapsed against her seat in frustration, making him chuckle.

Why did she even bother to ask again when she had already taken the offer off the table? Jade wondered as she nursed her wineglass in her hand. By now, they had both stopped eating.

“Have you ever been with a woman?” Jade asked out of the blues, making Harry almost choke on the wine he was sipping.

“What?” He asked, looking at her in surprise. Something had told him that she was going to ask something related to his private life, but he hadn’t expected such a direct question.

“You said I could ask whatever,” she reminded him with a grin.

“I’m with you right now, am I not?” Harry asked, choosing to take the easy way, but Jade shook her head.

“You know what I mean, uncle Harry,” Jade said, leaning forward with a grin, eager to hear his answer.

“That isn’t a question you should be asking your brother’s best friend,” Harry reminded her.

“Then forget for a moment that you’re Benne’s best friend and assume that I’m just a random lady,” Jade offered.

“I can’t do that,” Harry said with a slight frown, and Jade rolled her eyes.

“C’mon, you agreed to answer my questions,” she reminded him with a pout, and Harry sighed as he looked away as though he was embarrassed.

“No.”

“NO?” Jade exclaimed in utter disbelief, and Harry frowned.

“If you thought I’ve been with someone, why did you ask?”

“You mean like you’ve NEVER had sex with a lady?” Jade asked, dropping her voice to a whisper in case he had misunderstood her question, and Harry just stared at her without saying a word.

“Was your dad right?” Jade asked thoughtfully, and Harry’s brows furrowed.

“My dad? Right about what?” He asked, not seeing what his dad had to do with their conversation.

“Maybe you’re not straight? Tell me, how do you feel around guys? Or is it animals?” Jade asked with an amused glint in her eyes, and Harry glared at her, making her burst into a peal of laughter. And she quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth when people around them turned to look in their direction.

“How old are you?” She asked when she finally comported herself.

“Twenty-eight.”

“You’re twenty-eight? I thought you were the same age as Benne,” Jade said, surprised.

“Is that a separate question, or is it related to the last question?” Harry asked as he glanced at his wristwatch.

“Why?”

Harry returned his attention to her, “Why what?”

“Why haven’t you been with anyone? What’s stopping you?” She asked, looking at him curiously now.

“Is there an age limit to having sex? I can always do it, right? So what’s the hurry?” Harry asked, and Jade shook her head.

“Are you not physically attracted to ladies?”

This was a very awkward conversation to be having with her. He didn’t even know why he was answering her questions when he could easily deflect or just say no, “Of course, I am.”

“So?”

“I don’t have to have sex with just any person because I’m physically attracted to them, do I? There has to be some sort of connection. An emotional connection. My body is important to me, and I can’t share it with just anyone. Now can we stop talking about this?”

Jade looked at Harry for a moment. Somehow in the middle of their conversation, her opinion of him had greatly changed and she had a newfound admiration and respect for him, “Sure,” she said with a nod.

“So, can I ask you a personal question too?” Harry asked, and Jade smiled.

“I would have thought you’d ask your question without asking my permission.”

“Well, unlike you, I can’t impose my questions on you,” Harry said, and Jade gave him a nod.

“Go on.”

“Have you been with anyone since you lost your ex?” He asked, and the smile in Jade’s eyes died.

“No.”

“If you don’t mind me asking. Why? Are you still mourning him, or you just haven’t found someone else you care about?” Harry asked, and Jade let out a sigh.

“Neither. I’ve just not been interested in getting involved with anyone,” she said with a small smile, “Do you know that lady on your three o’clock? She has been staring at you since she walked in with her friends,” Jade said, and Harry tried not to look that way.

“What does she look like?” He asked.

“Like a younger version of Jennifer Lopez? She looks like the richest amongst her friends too,” Jade tried, and Harry groaned. He only knew one person who fit that description.

“Let’s leave.”

“Why? Who is she?” Jade asked, not budging.

“You know TANYA corporation? It was named after her. She’s the daughter of the Chairman,” Harry said, and Jade giggled.

“She likes you?”

“I wouldn’t say that. Remember the blind date I told you about?” Harry asked, and Jade giggled.

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