It was six in the evening. I had just finished my coffee and eaten two slices of cake. Feeling bored, I asked the waiter to bring me some ice cream from the outside.
I’ve tried my best to be on time but Tobey is late. Is he intimidated by my words last time? No, I mean, did Christopher’s domineering presence scare him?
After playing around with my phone to entertain myself, I decided I would go home if he didn’t show up in thirty minutes. I have done my part and attended the meeting. Whether he chooses to show up is none of my business.
“What are you doing here?” I heard someone say. “I’m just getting… Ahem,” I said without thinking.
I almost said what I was thinking out loud before realizing it was Tobey’s voice. I cleared my throat to cover my embarrassment, put down my phone, and said, “Mr. Osborn, a gentleman shouldn’t be late for dates. I’m angry that you have made me wait for thirty minutes.”
“Oh really? I thought you would be happy instead since we can keep our interaction to a minimum. Don’t you think so?” Tobey smiled, seemingly unaffected by the incident last time. He sat down across from me and asked the waiter to take my coffee away and bring me a cup of warm milk.
“Girls should drink more milk and less coffee. It’s better for your health.”
“You do seem like an honest man. If we didn’t have conflicts of interest and if you could stop mentioning self-interest every time you open your mouth, I might actually consider being friends with you.”
To be honest, I quite liked Tobey’s honesty; he was not one to play dirty behind the scenes. However, I just could not stand how he viewed his relationships. If I have to choose between love and self-interest, I would not hesitate to choose the former. I’m just that simple.
“Just friends?” Tobey took a sip of his coffee and continued, “When you agreed to meet with me, I thought you have decided to agree to our relationship. Looks like I am overthinking it.”
“I rarely change my decision once I have decided. Apart from my family, I would never compromise with anyone, especially on matters regarding Christopher. I firmly believe that as long as I keep persevering, I will find an opportunity to change things for the better,” I said confidently.
“All right, then. I wish you success in your pursuits.” Tobey raised his cup of coffee as he said that. “You are a straightforward person. If I didn’t have someone in mind, I might even fall in love with you.”
“Thank goodness you have someone in mind! Otherwise, there would be trouble.” I treated his words as a joke and poked my tongue out cheekily.
I knew a little about the Osborn family but not because I wanted to know about them. After Christopher found out Mom had introduced a man to me, he investigated Tobey thoroughly. He even found out about how much wealth the Osborns possessed.
After he completed his investigation, Christopher presented me with the information and analyzed it with me. He compared his own height, body measurements, relationship history, loyalty, wealth, and even performance in bed with Tobey’s.
He tried his best to convince me that he was ten times better than Tobey and asked me to not consider Tobey.
“I’m that bad?” Tobey sounded a little hurt.
“It’s not that I don’t want you; I simply met someone better. So, no matter how compatible you are with me, you cannot compete with Christopher in my eyes. Do you get it? I’m sure you feel the same. I will never be better than the lady you have in your mind—that is, if you are serious about her.”
“All right, I admit you are making a lot of sense. I cannot deny any of your words. Looks like I will have to miss out on something during this trip to Avenport. What a shame.”
“If you are talking about business, I can introduce you to Lane Corporation for collaborative opportunities. I can’t get involved when it comes to Goldstein Corporation, but if you have the capability…”
I was about to talk to Tobey about doing business together before sending him on his way when suddenly a woman wearing a white dress ran in and grabbed my leg. “Please! Don’t separate us, please! Tobey and I are in love with each other!”
