My Girl
Whatever it is that he said, I tried not to dwell much on it. I don’t want to lose when I’m not even starting yet.
”How was your day?”
When he started talking about something unexpected at dinner, I stared at him. I don't know why, but he's been really nice to me in the past few days. Could it be because I treat him like a casual acquaintance? I can't say. In order to succeed, I plan to act as though I already do.
“Fine. How about you?"
There was a hint of a smile on his lips, but he gave me no response. I gave a shrug and kept on munching.
”I’ll be leaving for the countryside this weekend. There’s a business matter I need to attend to.”
I listened to him. Though I didn’t know why he’s suddenly saying this to me I just nodded. ‘That’s fine then. No presence of you for days.’
"There's a wedding I've been invited to in the same state," she continued.
I eat slowly and act engaged while watching TV. Once more, I smiled and nodded.
“I’ll bring you with me.”
As soon as he said it, I had to cough. To my relief, he came to help me right away. He gave me the water and glanced at me seriously as he did so.
”Eat slowly.”
At that point, I was able to let out a sigh of relief and a deep breath. The question was, "Y-you're going to bring me?"
”Yes.”
I stared at his blank eyes. I badly wanted to say no but who am I to decline it. As if I can do something about it.
”It will also be a good time for you to have a vacation. For sure my house is boring you out.”
Glad he knows. But that doesn’t mean I want to be with him on that vacation he’s calling. I just smiled and continued eating, but deep inside my mind is like a mess.
True enough. The weekend came and we both prepared for that. We are currently eating our breakfast because we’re leaving in the afternoon.
”How many days?”
He looked at me for a split second. He may be wondering what's sparked my unusual enthusiasm for the vacation he's describing.
”I just wanna know so I can pack enough clothes.”
His lips twitched. “A week maybe. Or more.”
I nodded.
”It’s alright if you don’t pack much. I can just ask my assistant to buy some clothes for you.”
”No. No need.” I insisted. He just looked at me.
He has enough of money, but I see no need for him to spend any more on me. To put it simply, clothing. I'm fine with only having a few options for clothing. So, I spent the remainder of my time packing the essentials.
Meanwhile, Aciel seems to be out and about doing whatever it is he needs to do before departing. When I had the chance, I sent Lulu a message.
Me:
Lulu, I’ll be gone for days. I’ll contact you as soon as I come back.
When Aciel finally returned, it was late in the afternoon. There are men gathering behind him. The two of them, Ros and Sibal, came into the living room and began picking up my stuff and Aciel's. Aciel, w ho had just finished his conversation, caught my eye.
”All set?” he asked.
There was a nod from me. Then, on the way to the elevator, he walked behind me and led the way. Not even in the automobile did I utter a sound. As I looked on, the cityscape gradually gave way to forests and uncultivated land. Seeing this portion of the country has left me in a state of awe.
I’ve never been into one before. I grew up in a city, so this kind of view is new to my eye. I’m sad that I can’t open the car’s window. I badly want to feel the wind. But I guess not today?
”Haven’t been here?”
As soon as I heard Aciel's voice, I stopped paying attention. I made my way up to him after giving our current driver, Ros, a quick glance. Sibal has another automobile following close behind ours.
Again, I turn my attention to Aciel, who is sporting a new look—casual clothing. When I think of him, I immediately see him in a suit and tie. He has since adopted a less formal style.
“Yes. My formative years were spent in the urban environment.
He gave me a half-grin and gently stroked my cheeks with his fingertips. Aiming to get away from the uncomfortable situation, I shrugged and blinked while turning to face the window beside me.
A little over an hour and a half of travel time was required to reach our final location. An open field was where we detoured. After Ros pulls over, she gets right to work, and I have to say, she is a busy woman. I looked around the entire room we're in.
”We’ll just stop by. I’ll check the construction. Stay here.” Elijah said.
I kept my mouth shut. As he stepped out of the automobile, he saw Sibal waiting for him. Really secure, eh? There's no way I'm getting out of here alive. It's a barren wasteland; I have nowhere to run. Tss.
No one can possibly remain interested for more than a few minutes at a time. When I got out of the automobile, Sibal's keen gaze followed me. He seems to be staring at me suspiciously, as if I were about to do something illegal.
“I just want to get some air.” I uttered. He stepped back when I said that.
Oh. Huh, so this is what it's like when people do what you tell them to do. You'll feel a new kind of fulfillment from it. This is probably why Aciel has an unhealthy fixation on feeling inferior to everyone else.
This is probably why Aciel has an unhealthy fixation on feeling inferior to everyone else.
There is a lot of room to play here. The dark and foreboding atmosphere of the City is outdone by the vividness of the sepia color. It has a different feel here. A traditionalist like me appreciates that the grass is a range of greens.
My head swiveled to see in the opposite direction. From a distance, I witnessed the construction of a large structure, and my jaw fell. It's also very active. You could compare it to a resort.
In fact, I've seen this before. The building itself, including its front. It's like finding a little bit of the 21st century in the midst of the traditional countryside. Taking a few more steps away from it, I emphasized its remoteness. The moment I left, I could feel Sibal following close behind. To be honest, that irritated me a little.
I drew a bit closer. Some individuals were standing in the middle of the street, and I had to swerve to avoid them. One of them is Elijah. I avoided them and continued in the direction of the building site.
The number of people inside who appear to be working is unexpected. The crane vehicle appears to be working alone from a distance. When I turned around, I found Sibal staring at me ominously. Then I happened to look in Aciel's direction and noticed his stern countenance. It's clear that you're not happy to see me.
I shook aside their protests and went on inside. The smoke and dust in the air made me choke as soon as I entered. The workers on the construction site stared at me, and some of them didn't even stop what they were doing to look. They have my sympathies. This floral dress makes me feel so out of place.
”You are not supposed to be here.”
Intruding on my personal space in such a manner, the man caught me off guard. He has some dust on him and is sporting a white hard hat. It's true that he exudes an air of friendliness, but when he first started talking to me, I felt a little uneasy.
It's true that he exudes an air of friendliness, but when he first started talking to me, I felt a little uneasy.
"You're not even wearing a hard hat," he smiled.
I wasn’t able to speak because Sibal was quick to butt in. “Ms. Hampton-”
”No, Sibal. It’s fine. Give me some seconds.”
He can't do anything except back off, regardless of how skeptical he appears. Once more, I focused on the man. His lips are still curved in a tinier grin of amusement.
”Ms. Hampton,” he echoed. “This is not a place for your sight seeing.”
”I-I just… I didn’t know.” I uttered.
He smiled sweetly and removed his hard hat and gave it to me. I looked at the hard hat, confused.
”I’m Angelo. I’m the construction manager here.” he offered his hands. I looked at it intently. Should I shake his hands back? He looks friendly. Maybe his intentions are clear?
The awkward pause "U-uhm, I'm-"
As though out of nowhere, "Mr. Evans," the man called "Angelo" said.
In an abrupt movement, I swiveled my head around. When I looked at Aciel, he was staring at me with his dark eyes. My stomach dropped. Upon seeing his angry face, my formerly staunch democratic stance quickly eroded. Despite his intimidating demeanor, he gently wrapped an arm around my waist.
”Mr. Lewis, I believe you have a lot more to do rather than shaking your hands with my girl.” Aciel said, glaring at Angelo.
My eyes widened. It took me some time to process but moreover, I’m concerned about how he’s so rude to him.
I decided to immediately butt into the fiery situation. ”N-no. You shouldn’t be-”
Angelo cut me in. “My apologies, Mr. Evans. Your girl seems to be lost so I offered for some help.”
I sighed and looked back to Aciel again. His hold unto me tightened and his jaw gritted in a hard way. I opened my mouth thinking what to say because tension seems to build up on them.
”Hey, Hey.” I slid my fingers into his palm to get his attention. His eyes quickly bore into it and up to my eyes again.
”Let’s just go, please?” I uttered under my breath.
He let out a big sigh before giving Angelo a one last look and he guided me out there. I pursed my lips while I could feel his continuous glance on me and our hands together.
