Chapter 7

• Laura made sure the smile remained on her face and kept nodding her head calmly, waiting for his response, but seeing the way he stared at her like a stranger, she felt awkward and quickly apologized, putting the smile away from her face.
• “You probably don’t remember me, right? I am Laura, your…” she stopped before she could say the word fiancée and used “classmate” instead.
• She always teased him with the word fiancée ever since the day he came to her after the official engagement between them, but now the word felt strangely weird.
• “You are…” she heard him say after another few seconds.
• “I am Laura. You must have forgotten, but we were friends in high school,” she answered and smiled at him once again, disappointed that he didn’t remember her at all.
• Chris frowned after hearing her description of their relationship.
• Of course, he knew who she was, but did she just say they were friends? he thought, and chuckled before he could stop himself.
• Laura also continued to smile nervously, embarrassed to keep standing.
• “Can I sit?” she asked, seeing that others were beginning to notice her. Chris nodded his head gently to give her the go-ahead and watched her take the seat with a thank you.
• “Like I said, I am Laura, the president of Lovelies Group of Companies, and I would like to have a word with you as the CEO of TT Companies,” she said after sitting.
• “How did you find out about that?” he asked, not surprised she was the one who had been trying to dig out information about him.
• “Things like that are very easy in this industry,” she answered.
• “Why are you making so much effort to get my identity?”
• “Your company just got a huge deal, and I know you need the partnership of a much bigger company to execute it,” she answered.
• So she wants to work together with me? he thought, and stopped one of the waiters, picked a drink, and gulped it down his throat.
• “So you are asking us to work with you? But why would a big company like yours be interested in working with us?”
• “Hmm... the thing is, we actually showed interest in the deal first but we lost it to you. I personally have a great interest in it and would love to work with you,” she explained.
• “I have other companies willing to work with us already,” he said, turning his face away.
• “Lovelies is the best company you can get to work with you,” she retorted.
• “What will I get if I choose your company?” he asked after keeping quiet for a few seconds.
• “We will offer you the best resources we have,” she answered, happy that he seemed to be yielding.
• “I don’t think the resources are enough,” he told her, picking up another drink.
• “Anything you want,” Laura quickly said without thinking.
• “Anything means nothing. How about we do it like this: I will give the deal back to your company and you will grant me whatever I want,” he said, expecting her to think about it for a while before getting back to him, but Laura literally yelled okay into his ears, grinning with a smile, and he almost dropped his glass.
• “You are not joking with me, are you?” Laura asked to be sure.
• “Hmm.”
• “How about an official appointment then?” she requested.
• “Let’s meet up on Tuesday at the office by lunchtime,” he answered, and Laura felt relieved.
• She couldn’t believe that he would offer to return the project to her and squealed with excitement, then stood up and without thinking grabbed his hand and shook it.
• “Thanks a lot, see you then,” she said and hurried away before he could change his mind, making sure to record every bit of their conversation.
• Chris smiled and watched her leave, feeling amused for unknown reasons, but even more so to see her so excited despite not knowing what his intention was.
• He hadn’t expected her to approach him so casually and even refer to him as a friend; maybe he wasn’t all that invisible in her eyes.
• Josh came back to talk with Chris but paused when he saw him talking to a very pretty girl and even saw him raise the corner of his mouth in a smile.
• Knowing how rare it was for him to smile, Josh guessed whoever it was must have some skills. Except Mira, who loved to follow him around like a puppy, he had refused to get closer to any girl and saw them as annoying.
• Josh waited for her to leave before he walked up to Chris and tapped him on the shoulder. The smile on Chris’s face immediately disappeared and Josh couldn’t wait to tease him.
• “You don’t have to pretend, I already saw you with her,” Josh said and sat beside him.
• “What do you mean?” he asked like he didn’t understand.