45. His hope at happiness
After a stressful day at the office, it’s finally time to go home. As I am switching off my laptop, Jason walks out of his office.
“Are you ready to go?” He asks as he walks up to me.
“Yes, let’s go” I place my laptop in its bag and carry it with my handbag. Jason is taking me home since I didn’t come to work today with my car.
“How was work today? I hope your boss didn’t make it too stressful for you today?” He asks, stepping into the elevator
“It was stressful. My boss gave me a lot of work to do today,” I say, walking into the elevator.
“Sorry, sweetheart, I promise as your boyfriend I will have a word with your boss. I will tell him to stop giving you a lot of work to do,” He says, pressing the elevator button to the parking lot.
“Unfortunately for me, my boyfriend is my boss.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
“Don’t say, unfortunately, it’s a good thing I am your boss and boyfriend.”
“Really, because I am not ripping any benefits dating my boss.”
“I know, and I am sorry. I promise once I am back from my trip to Dubai. You will have less on your plate,” He says, stepping out of the elevator as it has reached the ground floor. Jason is going to Dubai with his grandmother in a few weeks. That’s why work was stressful today. We are trying to do all the work he will miss when he is gone. He is going to be gone for two weeks. She wants to introduce him to some of her business partners. Jason’s grandmother owns an oil company.
“I know, and work must also be tough for you. Running two companies must not be easy,” I say, following him out. Jason is the heir to his grandmother’s company and Mr. Crawford’s. I can’t imagine how stressful it is for him to run two multi-billionaire companies.
“It’s not easy, but I don’t have a choice. Evan would never agree to take over here. He loves running his own company and refused grandfather’s request to work here. I am also the only grandchild of my grandmother, so it’s only me that can take over after she is gone”
“Yeah, I know. Hopefully, in the near future, you will have someone to share the burden with you.”
“Who?” Jason asks as he opens the passenger door for me.
“Your children,” I say, getting into the car.
“Oh,” He says, walking over to the driver side and gets in
“Yes”
“Have you had dinner?” Jason asks, changing the topic. Did I say something wrong by saying his children will help him run his companies? Does Jason not see himself having children in the future? I hope that’s not the case. I don’t know if I see a future with him yet, but it would be good if he wants children because I do.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Great, we can eat dinner together before you go home,” Jason says, starting the car.
“Alright”
The following day starts off the usual way. It’s lunchtime now. I am already in the elevator with Jason on our way to a restaurant. I am checking feeds on Instagram when Alex starts calling me. I quickly reject the call. I hope Jason didn’t see it.
“What would you like to eat for lunch today?” Jason asks,
“Anything is fine with me,” I say, but it’s a lie. I actually would love to eat a burger for lunch today. I can’t remember the last time I did. Since before, Jason and I started dating, and now that we are dating. I have not had lunch alone in a long time. So that means I have not had a burger for lunch in a while, and I miss it. I can’t tell Jason I would like a burger for lunch. I don’t think the man has ever eaten one. I have never seen him eat junk food before.
“What of burger?”
“Huh,” I ask, not sure I heard him well
“I said, what of a burger.”
“Did you really ask me if I wanted to eat a burger for lunch?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Burger is fine with me.”
“Great, and why do you look surprised?”
“I look surprised because you don’t seem like the type who eats junk food.”
“I hardly do, but I know that’s what you want to eat, so we are going to eat it.”
“How do you know that?”
“You tweeted last night how much you miss eating a burger for lunch.”
“I didn’t know you were following my Twitter account. What is your username?” I say, unlocking my phone. I quickly open Twitter and start scrolling through my followers. If I knew he was following me, I would have never tweeted it last night.
“I am not following you. Evan sent the tweet to me.”
“Oh,”
“Yes,”
“I hope you don’t think I am ungrateful because I am craving junk food for lunch instead of a gourmet meal” Jason takes us to one of the best restaurants for lunch every day, so I hope he does not think that way. I just miss junk food.
“Of course not.”
“That’s good to know, and we don’t have to eat something just because I want to.”
“I don’t mind eating something just because you want to.”
“Jason,” I say, blushing
“Eleanor,” He says, smiling
“I appreciate the gesture, but I will feel bad the whole time we eat, so why don’t we do this. I pick what we have for lunch this week, then you pick what we have next week.”
“Anything you want, sweetheart, and you should answer your phone. It’s been vibrating for a while,” Jason says, stepping out of the elevator.
“I know; I don’t want to speak to the person calling,” I say, following him out of the elevator.
“Hmmm”
“What”
“I have this feeling it’s because of me.”
“No, it’s not,” I say, avoiding eye contact with him
“Eleanor,” Jason says, stopping in his tracks on his way to his car. Andrew is not taking us for lunch today. We are in the underground parking lot.
“Yes,” I say, with my eyes looking everywhere but at him. I feel like if I look at him in the eyes, he would tell I am lying.
“Can I have your phone?” Jason asks, with his hands stretched out.
“Why” I hope he hasn’t figured out who is calling.
“I know who is calling. I think it’s best I talk to him.”
“Why” I wonder how he figured its Alex without me saying anything.
“I know what to say to him to make sure he never disturbs you again.”
“Oh,”
“Yes, so can I have your phone,” He asks again. I don’t know if it’s a good or bad idea to allow him to talk to Alex. The last time he did, he forcefully took the phone from me, so him asking this time around must be a good sign. I slowly remove my phone from my handbag and hand it over to him. I hope I won’t regret what I just did.
JASON
Jason could not believe Alex had the nerve to do this after what he did last time. Jason collects the phone from Eleanor’s hands and answers the call.
“Hello Alex,” Jason says
“Jason,” Alex says, surprised to hear Jason’s voice instead of the sweet voice of Eleanor.
“Aren’t you ashamed? Always going after what I have. Christine was not enough for you. Now you want Eleanor. When will you stop trying to get everything I have” Jason yells at Alex over the phone
Eleanor looked at Jason, confused. She wondered who Christine was and what she had to do with Jason and Alex. She had a feeling this Christine woman must be the reason they are not friends anymore and why Jason hates Alex.
“Jason for the million times. I did not rape Christine. The only reason I am calling Eleanor is to know how she is doing. I don’t plan to steal her away from you.”
“Really, you are telling me you are not calling Eleanor to find out if we worked things out or not. So if we didn’t, you can make your way in and steal her while we are fighting.”
“I would never do such a thing to you, and you know it. You know me.”
“I don’t know anything, Alex. I don’t fucking know you,” Jason yells.
Eleanor moves away from Jason in fear of his anger. She had never seen him this angry before. She wondered more how this Christine woman was the reason he hated Alex. Maybe Alex stole her from Jason.
“Jason, It’s been more than 10 years, and I am still telling you the same thing. I did not rape Christine. She framed me; why she did, I don’t know, but I swear to you she did. Also, I am not trying to steal Eleanor away from you, and to prove it to you, I will stop calling her from now on. That is how much I want you to believe me”
“I will never believe you, and if you disturb Eleanor again, I swear to you I will ruin you. You succeeded in ruining things between Christine and me, but I promise you that if you cause Eleanor and me any problems, I will make you regret the day you were born. Don’t call her again. If you do, you will find out if I am bluffing or not. Trust me, I am not. Don’t fucking call her again,” Jason says and throws Eleanor’s phone across the floor.
Jason was boiling with anger in his body. He could not believe even after more than 10 years, his former best friend still refused to admit to his sin. The sin that made him the player he is today. The sin that made him never want to fall in love again. He hated Alex for making Christine leave him. He hated the motherfucker more than anyone in the world, and if Alex was not careful, Jason would make his life a living hell if he kept trying to steal his hope at happiness again. Jason already swore to protect his hope at happiness, and he will do everything to make sure he had Eleanor by his side forever. Jason snaps back from his thoughts when he hears Eleanor gasp out.
“My phone,” Eleanor says, with her eyes widen. She looks at her poor phone on the ground. Jason threw it so hard the glass broke. She prays she can fix it. Eleanor bends down to pick up her phone, but Jason stops her before she can reach it.
“I will buy you another one, let’s go,” Jason says, grabbing her hand to walk to his car.