Dell couldn't stop laughing. "I remember! I remember!" She said.
"Ah, those were fun times," Raph said, bouts of laughter still escaping him. They were having coffee at a cafe near the bank.
"Yeah, your group was really mischievous back then, always pranking the professors."
"They were practically begging for it." Sobering, he looked at Dell. "So what happened to you after college?"
She spread out her arms. "Well, I worked in a few firms, ended up in Kelly Bank. I liked it here, so I worked my way up."
"Simple as that, huh?"
"Yup!"
"And? No guys along the way? You're not married yet."
"Well, haven't found the right one yet."
"So, Sean's not right, either?"
"Too early to tell." She smiled. Best keep the answers vague. "And you? I see you've played around in business after college."
"Yeah, I enjoy entrep. I don't think I could ever work for someone other than myself."
"Well, you did good with ElemTech."
"I had to make a lot of mistakes in my other ventures first to get here."
"It looks like it paid off, though." She took a sip of her coffee. "And you? How come you're still a bachelor?... You are, right?"
He lifted his left hand and showed off a non-existent ring. "Still a bachelor."
She lifted a brow at him. "Don't tell me you're one of those who don't believe in marriage."
"I do. I do."
"Well, what's wrong with Bianca? I mean..."
Raph shot her a quizzical look. "Nothing's wrong with Bianca." Was he being defensive when it came to her?
"Sorry, what I meant was, so why haven't you settled down?"
He leaned in conspiratorially. "This is just between the two of us, okay?"
"Okay."
He hesitated, then said, "I don't want to get married if my business isn't stable yet."
"I guess I can understand that."
Raph scratched the back of his head. "Startup is fickle. I wouldn't want to subject the girl I marry to a financial rollercoaster. It won't take too long, though. This new system will really do it. I can feel it in my bones."
"Well, what if the girl you marry makes her own money, too? You wouldn't have to wait too long, right?"
"The girl I marry will be a princess," he said, looking straight at her. "She wouldn't have to work. She'll have good things and a comfortable life."
Dell wasn't sure what was making her blush, his dream for his wife, or the fact that he was saying it while looking straight at her, like he was implying who that potential wife would be.
She gave herself a mental shake. She was not going to assume anything! Still, it warmed her to know that he had a dream for his would-be family. Ah, if more men had dreams for their families, this world would be a happier place.
Not that she intended to stop working, mind you.
-----