Lunch with Suzy and Mike proved.... eventful with the two going back and forth over random topics each counting the number of victories they had over the other. Amanda never knew for sure how their little game worked.
The four finished their lunch and walked back to the office together. Jason happily answered Suzy's rather interrogative questions and even listened to the warnings of Mike's 'contaminated' conduct and how to best not contract its traits.
This of course made Mike and Suzy go into one of their non stop exchanges that luckily wasn't too long as they had already gotten to the office.
----
Jason earlier in the day had received a call from Natalie as Mike was walking him to a restaurant not too far from the office. Jason was sure the idea of eating out came to Mike after he noticed Suzy and Amanda leave the office to have their lunch.
Knowing that he had to answer the call away from Mike, Jason suggested Mike go ahead of him and that he would catch up soon.
Natalie informed him that both his parents were going to be in the city over the weekend to attend to some business and make an appearance at the upcoming city Y's famed Galla.
Jason was already aware that both his parents knew what he was doing, his mother. having been the first one to discover this, but non knew his motive behind it.
All he had to do was come up with a convincing reason for his actions and later allow himself to go through the necessary scolding of how he was hier to one of the countries leading corporate Giants and had to start acting like one.
In this speech his mother somehow always managed to bring up the topic of how she wasn't getting any younger and was being deprived by both her own children the joy of having grandchildren.
Jason knew it all because that wasn't the first time and not even the second that he had heard it.
"Thank you for the heads up Natalie." He replied after she was done speaking.
He knew all too well how she hated going behind his parents so he added, " I'll behave myself and won't get myself or you into any trouble." then hung up.
He walked into the restaurant looking around for where the trio could be seated when he caught sight of an all too happy and confident Mike stufing noodles into his mouth beside an irritated Suzy. Sitting across from them was a smiling Amanda, the mere sight of her brought a small smile to the corners of Jason's mouth.
(We could say our ML is a little thick and has a certain degree of pride when it comes to how he can feel towards a woman).
For now this warm feeling was welcome, he saw no threat in indulging in it for a while like he did in a number of other encounters, even though he knew the others weren't like this at all.
He slipped into his new character easily wearing a charming and yet innocent smile as he approached the table.
"Am I interrupting anything?" He said in a kind tone.
The look on Amanda's face as she turned to face him made all his insides do things they normally wouldn't. All his life Jason could literally count the number of times he had been at a loss of words or downright dumbstruck and in all these cases a woman ( other than his mother) was never the cause.
Looking at Amanda now, her bright eyes and delicate skin that now showed a tiny blush pink colour, pink lips and hair as dark as night framing her face... a picture of innocence in it's purest form.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mike and Suzy exchange a few words but was unable to make them out. Rebooting his nervous system Jason manged to direct a friendly smile Amanda's way momentarily breaking their connection.
After taking his seat he gave his attention to the pair in front of them argue as if they were a married couple. All the while Jason was more than aware of the woman he sat next to.
Jason had performed exceedingly well in the many positions that his father had put him in charge of as 'punishment for the sake of his continuous improvement in self conduct.' but non of those roles included creating an entirely new background and actually living up to it.
As most job positions he had taken on involved he submit a background of his achievements and education non were as personally involving as this one.
Here he actually had to make friends, interact in what he saw as more than necessary and take interest in it all.
In previous roles only his working performance mattered to him and those around him. After all this is the main reason his father employed such roles to him.
Jason was more than happy to keep to himself, having done so most of his life anyway, therefore keeping the list of people he talked to very short, by very short he meant family only with Amy as an exception outside family. The rest of his interaction circle was mostly business and working connection creation for the benefit of the company and his father's name.
Not to say he had no say in his interests and ambitions outside upholding his father's legacy but that he was well capable of being more than effective in both parts of his life.
In all this time he never spent anytime building attachements to anyone other than family because he felt they were enough for him.
Looking at Suzy, Mike and Amanda laughing cheerfully made him feel as though he had been missing out on the joy of friendship for a long time.
Maybe that feeling is what made him come up with the firm resolve to make this role as though it were part of his life that he was getting a chance to Iive through because he had missed out on. It could be just the feeling and the sound of Amanda's laughter that pushed him.
As they made their way back to the office Jason was rethinking his new resolve, but being one to never back down from a challenge he pushed on. Suzy fired one question after the other and some made him even feel a little uncomfortable, which happened very rarely.
This whole friendship creation might just be the hardest thing that he had ever done in his entire life.