When men said she looked beautiful, she assumed it was the clothes she wore, not her true self. Low self-esteem, that's what his cousin's problem was. All that bullying when she was younger had an impact on her ability to view herself positively these days. "Are you telling me you only want his sperm and not him?" Rosa asked.
"You are so right, Rosa. So smart. That's why you're the president of L Magazine at such a young age." "Would you stop saying that already? I got the position six months ago. It's old news now anyway," Rosa said, embarrassed.
She hated it when her friends mentioned anything about her workplace. She didn't want her personal life mixed up with her professional life, especially portraying two personas. It was already hard enough to distinguish which role was which. Tilting her coke-bottle lenses back up on her nose, she glared at Evonne.
"Still, out of all of us, you're the smart one," Evonne said, smiling at Rosa. "You're the intelligent one. I could never get into dentistry and become a periodontist like you," Rina said. "And you're the pretty one, Rina," James said, smiling and wrapping his arm around her again.
"Now, can we get back to the present subject? I want to know who this bro is. And if he's as smart and hot as me."
"Handsome, smart, kind, gentle, sincere. Everything like you, James. And everything I've listed, guys. And to top it all off—you guys won't believe this—he's the CEO of Bloembergen Hotel." "You've got to be kidding me, Evonne."
James slammed his palms on the tabletop again. "How did you bump into that Lord?" James did a lot of internet blog reading, and in New Zealand and Hawaii right now, the top business in the blue-chip industry was Bloembergen Enterprises, which also owned and operated Bloembergen Hotel.
Whoever was behind that corporate structure, he admired. "The Lord is, in fact, his uncle. He's the nephew," Evonne explained. "What's his name? I could do a little detective work for you," James suggested. " Ulysses," Evonne said. " Ulysses," Rosa and Rina both parroted.
James typed Ulysses's name into his phone while sipping the last of his orange juice. Glancing up from the glass, he eyed his cousin, using his big puppy dog eyes. "Evonne, cuz, be a dear and give me another ten bucks for some juice."
"You just had one," Evonne said, eyeing James 's now emptied glass. "I know, but I like it. I want to drink another one. This time apple," James pleaded. "You know drinking too much juice isn't good for your teeth. Didn't I tell you this already?" Evonne argued. "
I know… it causes my teeth to rot if I sip it instead of drinking it all in one go. Lord, you're so annoying sometimes. I'm drinking with a straw, aren't I? So there shouldn't be any problem, right? Please, just another one. They make good fresh apple juice here.
I like it. And when will you be free again to take me out?" "No, James, I won't allow it." Evonne didn't give in to her younger cousin's plea. "Fine, meanie," James said, poking his tongue out at Evonne, then turned to Rina. He gave her his biggest and cutest puppy dog pleading eyes. "Don't fall for it, Rina," Rosa warned.