"You like me...?" she asked with a surprised look.
"Yes Riley..., can you please give me the chance to take care of you?" he asked, searching Riley's face.
" Lio..., can you please give me sometime to think about this?" said Riley taking his hand into hers
"Sure Riley..., you can have all the time to think about it. I will wait positively for your reply." he said with a grin
"hmm..." she nodded
********************
"See you tomorrow at 7am" she said getting off the car
"Sure.." he replied and drove off.
Lucretia went into the house and met her mother descending the stairs whiles reading a magazine
"Hello..mum.."
"Hello..dear, just got home?"
"Yeah...mum. I passed by the hospital but met grandma's absence." she said leaving to the kitchen
"Sorry dear.., we tried reaching you on your line to update you but we couldn't get you."
"Yeah..., I was in class when the call came so I switched it off. I nearly got scolded by the lecturer." she added returning from the kitchen with a glass of juice in her hand.
"Sorry dear..." said Mrs Angelica, leaving to the living room with her face buried in her magazine
"What are you reading mum..?"
"Nothing Sweetheart just some magazine to keep me busy."
"Okay mum.... Is dad back?" she asked climbing the stairs
"No dear..., he called informing to pass by your grandma's end before getting home."
"OK..., then, I will be in my room."
"Sure dear.."
NICHOLE'S APARTMENT
Lionel drove to the parking lounge, found a spot and parked his car. He went to the house and met her mother busily on her phone
"Hello mum..., business again?"
"Yes son.." she replied putting away her phone.
"Okay..mum.., what's there to eat?" he asked leaving to the kitchen
"Your food is in the fridge, microwave it and suit yourself dear."
"OK mum..., love you.." he called from the kitchen
Few minutes later, he came from the kitchen with a plate of rice from his hand
"Why don't you use the dinning hall dear?"
"Uhm...,I will be in my room mum" he said stuffing food into his mouth.
"OK.. dear." she replied as she watched her son go into his room
When she was sure that her son was really gone, she brought out her phone and called Zed
"How are things going?" she asked
"Everything is well planned ma'am, we just have to wait patiently and watch as they fall into our trap."
"That's... great...Zed...." she replied schemely and hanged up.
"By the time I'm through with them, they will know the humiliations I went through." she said indignantly with a smirk.
*********************
It was a beautiful Saturday morning, the fresh air was filled with the aura of the morning dew. Riley shrugged herself from bed, feeling exhausted and dazed to the washroom. Few minutes later, she came out feeling refreshed and went downstairs
"Dad....." she called out with a smile on seeing her dad who was deeply drawn into a newspaper in the living room
"Yes....dear.., up already? he replied slightly raising his eyes from the paper.
"Yes dad...and I missed you so much." she added as she went over and hanged her arms around her dad
"And I missed you too Sweetheart..." he replied ruffling Riley's hair
"I'll go visit grandma today."
"Ok dear..., I learnt you went to the hospital after school yesterday."
"Yes..dad..but met her absence so I decided to go visit today."
"Uhm...,sure dear.." he replied with a node and went back to his newspaper
"OK dad.., I will be in the kitchen." she said, picking herself up from the sofa.
She went to the kitchen and met her mum who was busily arranging things
"Good morning mum.."
"Good morning Sweetheart, how was your night?"
"Great mum.., but why didn't you leave that for me to take care off."
"Didn't want to bother you dear, you were already looking exhausted."
"Uhm...." she replied, getting a glass of milk from the fridge
"I'm going to visit grandma together with Lionel today."
"Okay dear...have...." her statement was cut by the horn of a car outside
"Oh shit..., he is here already." she replied, rushing upstairs to get dressed
In few minutes, she came descending the stairs again
"See you later guys." she called, dashing out of the house
"OK..., take care of yourself dear." Rosita called after her.
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE
"I'm I too early?" asked Lionel
"No..., just in time." she replied, getting into the car
"Shall we go..?"
"Yes..." she replied and they zoomed off.
HOLLANDS' MANSION
It was already 8am when the car got to the mansion. Lionel packed his car at the parking lounge and helped Riley out of the car. They were greeted by the beautiful atmosphere and sweet aura of the garden
"Such a beautiful environment you have here." he said with a broad smile
"Yeah..." replied Riley, admiring it
"Let's get in, grandma might be waiting"
"Okay.., let's go."
Riley and Lionel went into the house to meet Mad. Flora taking medications with the guide of Aunt Anastasia
"Grandma....." exclaimed Riley, rushing to her and hugged her
"Hey...., how is my baby girl doing?"
" I'm good grandma...,what about you. How do you feel now?"
"I'm dear, just bored with this medications."
"It's fine grandma.., it's for your health."
"I know dear but....." she stopped midway when she saw Lionel
"Oh grandma....,this is Lionel..,my friend. Lionel,this Mad Flora, my grandmother."
"Nice to meet you ma'am"
"Nice to meet you too dear. Riley....., you never told me you had such a handsome boyfriend." she said, looking curiously at Riley
"Grandma...." she cried out sheepishly. Lionel looked on and smiled
"Sit beside me dear....." she said to Lionel
Lionel took his seat and they had a long conversation, laughing and making jokes.
"We've to go now grandma." said Riley
"Just now...?"
"Yes grandma, I promise we'll come and visit another time."
"Okay dear..."
"See you again some other time." said Lionel as he stood up
"Okay... dear, hoping to know you more."
"Bye grandma..." said Riley as they dashed out of the house.
Lionel and Riley sat in the car and drove off.
"When your grandma joked about me being your boy friend, you didn't say anything.., was that a yes to my proposal?" asked with a grin
"Hey...., no fast moves. You'll get your answer soon." said Riley with smile, ignoring Lionel's Starr
******************
Riley was her room on a conference call with Kate, Nancy and Linsey
"So...., can we meet in the cafe that heads towards the sub way?"
"Sure..." they answered in unison
"Okay.., then see you girls later." she answered and hanged up.
She went into her wardrobe, found something to wear and dashed out of her room
"Mum...,I'm going out to meet my friends." she called out to her mum who was in her room
"Okay dear...take care."
"Okay..mum, Is dad there?"
"No dear.., he has left to meet Uncle Lian for a business meeting."
"Okay.., see you later mum.." she added and rushed out of the house.
******************
It was already 12noon, when the cab pulled up in front of the shop
"Thank you sir." she said to the driver and went into the shop.
Linsey, Kate and Nancy were already seated in the shop. They waved her over on seeing her
"So what's with this urgent meeting? I can smell something fishie, spill it out." said Linsey
"It's about Lionel.."
"Yeah...., what about him?" they asked, looking curiously at Riley
"He asked be to be his girl.." she said with a grin
"What.....?" they chorused in shock
"So what what did you say?"
"I told him I will think about it." asked Kate
"Oh.....God..., what more thinking do you need baby girl...? questioned Nancy
" Hey....girl.., just say yes.." added Linsey with a grin
"You think so....?"
"Yes....." they all chorused
"Moreover, he is a cool and handsome guy or should I help you? said Kate teasingly
" Crazy..."said Riley sarcastically
They hanged out and chit chat for a while, laughing and giggling at each other's jokes and teases.