A SECOND CHANCE TO YOUR HEART - CHAPTER 25&26
[ Where we close? ]
“Yeah, we should”she smiled and they both left. Erica’s eyes on her, feeling shocked on the Joelle she’s seeing.
**
“Erica!”Jeffrey called for the fifth time and she fling in fright. “Why do you keep staring at them?”he asked but she shaked it off with a smile.
“She looks familiar but isn’t the one”she said.
“We should meet with few people”he stood up from their table while she tagged along.
Anna would have been here but she isn’t a business owner (CEO), she’s a princess on her own, her parents provide all her needs and about the fake pregnancy and rumor of her relationship with Kingston, it all ended that same year. News was that she lost the pregnancy and both of them divorced, so they’re just in their friendship zone, nothing else.
Kingston who just walked in bumped into Veronica.
“Please watch it”she groaned as she tried dusting off the poured drink on her dress.
“I’m so…sorry”he said.
“Now it’s ruined and I get to have sorry, wow!”she said sarcastically before raising her head to see who it is but she couldn’t speak.
“Are you an angel?”she found herself asking.
“Sorry?”Kingston said, he didn’t get what she said due to the music being played.
“My dress is ruined, you’re paying”she said.
“Oh! I’m sorry about it but if you want me to pay, it’s cool”he said, bringing out his phone from his Jacket pocket.
“How about dinner together, you can pay through dinner, buy me dinner”she smiled.
“Dinner? For the dress?”he stuttered but Veronica grabbed his phone, inputting her digit before handling it back.
“I’ll be expecting, prince…..”she smiled with a wave, walking away. Kingston stood there, watching till he couldn’t see her again.
**
GENEVIEVE’S RESIDENCE, SAME NIGHT.
The breaking of things could be heard from the kitchen. It’s Genevieve’s handiwork.
“How did it happen!”she screamed and in a swift, her hand moved down the hanged set of glass cup, shattering in pieces.
No one dared move closer to her.
Getting satisfied, she walked out, blood pouring from her hand as it stained the ground she passed through.
“Start talking!”she ranted to her secretary who’s in the living room. Her injured hands rested on the hands of a couch.
“Married with two kids, they moved in months ago, he has two companies here in California and back at Canada, he has three more, a hospital which he signed under his kids and…..”
“Shut it!”she shouted, walking upstairs instantly.
**
NEXT DAY, A MALL.
Slow sounds of matching heel came as the entrance opened. Lydia who’s directing one of her workers about a dress stopped to see who it is. Her eyeballs bulged out in shock, staring at smiling Joelle who’s staring intensively on a dress.
“Ma’am!”her assistant ran to Joelle but Lydia didn’t move neither did she breath for the past one minute.
“Can I see more?”Joelle asked.
“Yes please, this way”
They walked past Lydia, Joelle maintaining the smile on her face.
“Who’s the owner?”she asked as she stood in front of a green gown with spaghetti hand, a V-shape cut on the front, added with pearls, making it more segzy and right down, there’s a cut which stopped right after the doll on the dress knee.
“Owner?”the assistant asked on her pending question.
“Of the mall, I’ll be taking this”she added.
“Oh, please come with me”
“Your owner”she asked again, not moving.
“She’s right here”the assistant touched Lydia.
“Ma’am”
“A customer…?”Lydia stuttered, sounding stupid.
“Your mall is beautiful I must commend, I’ll be getting my dresses from here, please do treat me well”she said.
“Yes…. you are…. I’ll….”
“Shall we please?”she faced the assistant who showed the way for her to pay, leaving stuttering Lydia.
Minutes later, she was gone.
“Ma’am! You look odd”
“Who was that?”Lydia asked.
“Oh! The lady who just left? She owns the new modelling agency that’s on hit now”
“Okay, get back to work”she said, walking to her office. Picking her phone in haste, she dialed Erica’s line who picked instantly.
“If it’s about money, drop it”Erica said.
“I saw Joelle, no she came to my mall, she bought a dress… did you know?”
“I saw her last night also, you should have been there. She ignored me totally”
“Same, she pretended not to know me”she said.
“I don’t know but I’m planning of meeting with her”Erica said and the call disconnected.
Lydia dropped it as she paced round her office…..
“How did it happen? Joelle?”she muffled.
**
VERONICA’S PLACE.
“You won’t believe it Elle, I’ve gotten my prince charming”Veronica giggled, hitting the pillow she’s holding.
“On his forehead was written prince charming?”Joelle asked and she frowned.
“I’m being serious!”
“Wh@??ver, you said same thing about the other guy”
“He’s different, he was ready to pay for the dress, how rich he is!”she gushed.
“See, it’s about the money”Joelle said.
“No! I was flattered about his look, he’s dripping handsome!”
“So if he wasn’t handsome….”
“Would you date one who isn’t handsome”she scoffed.
“It’s about love babe”
“Stop criticizing me!”
“Okay okay, when is the dinner date?”
“Not a date”she blushed.
“Gosh! Let’s just go eat, you’re frustrating”Joelle stood up.
“I’m in love and you think it’s frustrating!”she shouted.
“Why don’t you call Granny and act like a child, I’m famished”Joelle walked to the dinning area.
“Elle!”
“Stop acting all dramatic and come eat!”she scoffed.
“How’s you and Matty…. you know, tell me”Veronica smirked as they started eating.
“The fact that we are married, you should have seen the look on Genevieve’s face when Matty showed up and I also met Lydia today, she was shocked”she said happily.
“I’m getting to that but first tell me, the both of you?”
“It’s normal just as it has been, nothing more or less”she said.
“You haven’t kissed?”
“Nica!”
“It’s a question!”Veronica used same tune.
“A silly one!”
“But have you?”Veronica asked again.
“Okay fine, just tell me when you do”
“Nica you’re crazy”she laughed.
“I am, now tell me about the others, what’s your next plan?”
“Awaiting Genevieve contract which she’d bring to Matty, we’ll be holding her there and about Lydia, she’s an easy one”she said.
“I once saw Erica, I wanted to start a fight but she was lucky an handsome dude saved her”Veronica said.
“Sweet, it’d be fun watching it”Joelle smiled.
“Anything for you darling”veronica blew kisses and she did same.
**
5PM, A RESTAURANT.
Jeffrey sat down getting inpatient. He has been waiting close to thirty minutes. Hours ago, Tina called and said Joelle did like to have the dinner here and here he is, waiting.
“Mr Jeffrey!”
“Oh, I was thinking you won’t be coming. Here please”he pulled out the other seat for her which she sat on.
“I’m sorry I made you wait”she smiled.
“It’s fine since you’re here”
“The restaurant….. it’s empty”she trailed.
“I bought it for the while”
“Sweet”she smiled.
“I remember you, I mean I’ve seen you before…..three or four years ago”he said as they began eating.
“I don’t think so, I haven’t met you”she smiled.
“Maybe, but she looks just like you”he muttered.
“How did you meet her?”she asked.
“At sky gaming company, she called my name but since I didn’t know her, I just ignored”he said.
“Just? Ignored?”she muffled but he heard clearly.
“Uhn?”
“Let’s talk about business instead, quite a rumor but it’s low this days, you’re like your mom’s pet”she said.
“I don’t get”he said and she dropped her cutlery, looking at him.
“You don’t own anything, all for your mom’s, you’re like a shadow”she said.
“It’s personal”he muttered.
“I get we’re both strangers right now and it’s silly for one party being curious about another but a grown-up man as you should be able to differentiate smart from dumb, I’m not sorry if I sound harsh but I expected more from you”she said.
“You don’t even…”
“The food was nice and it was great coming, I’ll call it a night then”she stood up.
“Mrs Joelle…”
“Please do think about what I said, I really expected more”she said, walking away. Jeffrey sat there watching her leave.
Does she know me? Sounded like we both were close….. he thought and stood up instantly, rushing out and thankfully, he met her just about getting in her car.
“Mrs Joelle!”he shouted, making her stop to turn back and he ran to her.
“You talked like we knew each other”he said but she maintained the stare, staring at him.
“Where we close?”he asked, expecting her reply but nothing came.
“Where we close Mrs Joelle?”he asked again.
TBC