"Didn't know my business partner was so chivalrous,"
When Alex and the rest were talking among themselves, out of nowhere, someone else butted in the conversation. But the voice was familiar, and when they turned around to look, it was Jessica.
"You are finally here," Rebecca rushed towards her sister and hugged her nice and tight, "I missed you so much."
"What took you so long," Veronica complained," Don't you know how hot it is out here? Good thing we had Alex's brother to keep us entertained." Veronica said and let go of Damien's arm, much to his dismay.
"He is Alex's brother," Veronica said as she introduced Damien but paused.
"Ummm... What was your name again?" Veronica smiled at Damien and asked.
"What?" Damien thought he had heard it wrong. Surely he introduced himself in the most vivid way to leave a mark. Moreover, they have been conversing with each other for the last ten to fifteen minutes, spilling all the embarrassing details about his brother. And all of this for what? Only to be emotionally damaged in the end?
"Your name..." Veronica repeated herself, "I don't quite remember it." She did not look like it was a big deal for her.
"Damien..." Damien mumbled. But he was so emotionally damaged that he could not get himself to speak louder.
"Excuse me," Veronica, who could not hear him, leaned forward to hear more clearly.
"He is Damien," Alex put his hand on Veronica's shoulder and back and straightened her up.
"And Damien, she is Jessica," Alex introduced the newcomer to Damien, "Rebecca, who I didn't get the chance to introduce earlier, is Jessica's younger sister. This project was something we worked on with Theation." Alex laid out everything in front of Damien in short.
"So you are that Jessica," Damien smacked his thighs, "I knew I had seen you somewhere." With the new beauty in front of him, Damien did not lament Veronica's betrayal for even a minute. n--o-/V((e//1()b))1--n
"That Jessica?" Jessica looked interested by how Damien addressed her, "Do you know me?"
" I know you," Damien nodded, "I mean, who doesn't know the rich and successful you? We have never met, though."
"... You might know this, but you are that beauty with brain our dad would bleed our ear praising about. You are the person I used to hate the most until today. But seeing you in person," Damien shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"... You are drop-dead gorgeous. Shehh...I wasted so much time hating you," Damien punched his palm and acted disappointed, "Don't get me wrong. You did nothing wrong to me. And it's not like I lost all my money after buying your company's shares or anything of that sorts." Damien explained when he saw the look of confusion in Jessica's eyes.
"... It's just my father. Every time you are on the television, he would start playing like a broken record and praise you nonstop. Jessica this... Jessica that... And it was all fine in the beginning. I actually agreed with him in many instances. But when it is past a certain point, the praises start to prick your ears and, most importantly, your ego..."
"... And believe me, I am not acting petty here," Damien chuckled, "You have made many haters this way. After all, parents are all the same."
"I am sorry for being so brilliant and working hard. It must have been hard on you guys. I am sorry..." Jessica apologised, but anyone could make out that she was being sarcastic.
"Oh, don't let it bother you," Damien, on the other hand, was one step ahead and went with the flow, "It was tough, no doubt. But I can forget it all if you are willing to grant me a wish," Damien suggested.
"A wish? What wish? Jessica looked amused.
"Nothing much. Let's go on a dinner date," Damien said, "Just you and me."
"A date, you say?" This was so sudden and out of context that Jessica's eyes involuntarily turned towards the one person that came to her mind after hearing this, Alex. For some reason, she wanted to see how he would react to it. They might have these little altercations among themselves all the time, but that brief encounter must mean something to Alex, shouldn't it? It meant something for Jessica, for sure.
It is true that she left without a word that day, but he did come to her rescue later when she was in a pickle, didn't he? Was it all because he was somehow involved in that case? Or was there a tiny bit of room she managed to make for herself in his heart?
Because for Alex had managed to leave a deep impression of himself in her heart and mind.
In this day and age, sleeping around with anyone has become something very common. People end up in a hotel room or in their apartment on their very first date after swiping right on some app for a hookup.
But for Jessica, it was different. She wanted to have a story for herself, which ended up being nothing but a joke for others. She secretly loved someone in college, but it did not work out. Then, there was someone her family had arranged for her. A man she began to trust gradually. But before Jessica could entrust herself to him, she found him in bed, cheating on her.
After that, she shut her heart to anyone. Theation was the only thing that kept her going. That is, until she met Alex. From the first day, they came face to face, they never saw eye to eye. And despite that, Alex was the first guy she slept with. It was not something she wanted, but it did happen. And that is why Alex will always have a special place in her life, reminding her of something she was not sure was a mistake or a beautiful encounter.
Jessica herself was unsure about Alex, no doubt about it. But she wanted to know what Alex thought and felt. So when Alex asked her out, out of nowhere, she wanted Alex to say something.
Meanwhile, Alex's jaws dropped as he looked at his brother, taken aback.
"That..." It took a few seconds for Alex to get a hold of his thoughts. But as soon as he began to speak, a smile appeared on Jessica's face, and she was a tinsy bit relieved. A tingling sensation also erupted in her chest because Alex was taking a stand for her.
But to her dismay, the satisfaction was short-lived. The moment Jessica heard the rest of Alex's words, she was filled with fury.
"That was smooth, bro," Alex patted Damien's back nice and hard a couple of times, "It was indeed a good decision to send you to college abroad. Money spent on your college was really not wasted."
"Is everyone so smooth there in your college?" Alex continued with his praises of Damien, "You must have a girlfriend, don't you? And don't even lie to me." Alex asked, poking Damien in his ribs and tickling him.
But Jessica, on the side, didn't like what she heard. And the more Alex poked Damien, the more her face twisted. Finally, when she could not take it anymore, she flung her handbag hard and hit Alex right in the back of his head.
"You jerk," saying so, Jessica turned around to leave, stomping her feet in anger. This sudden outburst from her left everyone in confusion.
But no one had time to think more about it. Veronica patted Damien and mouthing, 'call me' she also followed behind Jessica.
Rebecca was the last one to leave but not before she threatened Alex with the consequences of messing with her sister.
"These sisters hate you don't they?" Damien put his arm around Alex's shoulder and asked as the two brothers watched the girls enter their car and drive away.
"I guess you can say that," Alex nodded. But inside his mind, he was thinking about something else.
'I was only trying to get her out of it. Why is she so angry, then?" Alex thought, 'Don't tell me she wanted to go on a date with him. But how would I know that? I am no psychic. Man, she is sick.'
"Girls are all the same. Be it here or the opposite side of this earth," Damien sighed, "You can never understand what they are thinking. Well, Veronica is different though. She asked me to call her, hehehe..." Damien laughed creepily, thinking about all the possibilities.
"You have her number?" Alex asked, pouring water into his excitement.
"Number?" Damien looked unbothered, "I don't have it..." But once Alex's words registered in his mind, he was left with his mouth open.
"She tricked me," Damien complained.
"Well, you are not the first," Alex laughed, "But don't worry. We can't have her have the last laugh," Alex pulled out his phone and said, "I have it..."
"Oh brother, my dear brother," Damien pulled Alex into a hug and snatched his phone in the process, "Finally, better late than never. You are doing what you are supposed to do."
Damien said and tried to open Alex's phone, but it was locked. Damien tried a couple of times, but when he could not open it, he looked embarrassedly at Alex.
Alex took back his phone and, snickering at Damien, said, "Not so fast."
And with that, Alex left from there for the car. He wasn't going to spend the whole day at the Airport entertaining people.
Damien also followed behind, begging and bribing Alex to get Veronica's number.