"Look, Harold is genuinely sorry. Please don't stay mad at Harold. Are you still upset because Harold didn't visit you sooner? Hmm?" She wrapped her arm around Justin's neck, drawing him closer. "And could you take off those sunglasses? Harold wants to see your eyes."
"I'm not upset with you. You're like a long-lost sister to me," Justin murmured. "But no, I won't remove my glasses."
"I thought so. Your long-lost sister apologizes. Harold didn't intend to upset everyone. But please take off those glasses. It's like Harold can't even tell if she's talking to Justin or not."
"You have to go and apologize. And no, for the last time, I'm not taking off these glasses," Justin insisted, adjusting his sunglasses once more.
"Why not?" Harold inquired, attempting to reach for the glasses, but Justin quickly retreated to prevent her.
"Look, could you just go and apologize?" Justin said, a hint of frustration in his tone. "You've caused quite a scene at the office, and it won't die down until you make amends."
"Fine," Harold finally relented. "Harold will go apologize. It's to Senior Queen, right?" She asked, and when Justin nodded, she smiled. "Of course, my dear, Harold will do anything for you."
However, as Harold was halfway to the door, Justin's additional comment froze her in her tracks.
"And Kyle."
"What? No, no. Not that mannequin," Harold grumbled, returning to the couch and sitting down.
"Mannequin?" Justin asked, puzzled by whom Harold was referring to.
"Yes, the mannequin," Harold explained her strong dislike for Kyle. "You didn't see it, Justin dear, but he was the only one who didn't drool or even bat an eyelid at Harold. Even Senior Queen commented on how beautiful I am, but that mannequin... that mannequin didn't even acknowledge my beauty. Harold is quite disappointed."
"For the first time, you're realizing your beauty won't captivate every man."
"You, my dear, are an exception because you're this beautiful creature's best friend," she said, gesturing to herself, "but that mannequin... I can't let it go. He wounded Harold's ego."
"You do have quite the ego, Harold."
"Not as massive as yours, my dear Justin," she retorted, then smirked, appearing curious about what he'd been up to since their last meeting. "Tell me, how many conquests have you had lately, my charming Casanova?"
"None," Justin confessed, fiddling with his sunglasses.
"None?" Harold exclaimed in shock. "What do you mean, none? You used to be the number one Casanova back in our university days."
"I can't seem to get into the mood these days," Justin confessed softly, but Harold's keen hearing picked it up.
"Really? Why? Wait! Does this have something to do with why you're wearing the sunglasses?" Harold inquired.
"Well, you could say that," Justin began his melancholy tale. "I had an encounter with this enigmatic goddess once, and now I can't seem to be intimate with anyone else."
"Was she really that remarkable?"
"Beyond anything you can imagine," Justin replied gloomily.
"Since she's that extraordinary, why are you feeling so down? Why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? That way, you can be with her every night."
"I can't."
"Why not? Harold doesn't understand."
"Because she's the mysterious goddess, that's why. I don't even know her name or where she is now. We had one encounter, and then she vanished. I tried searching everywhere, but I can't find her."
Justin didn't want to divulge to Harold that his dilemma was also due to Amy, the avocado. Both the avocado and his goddess were perplexing him.
Harold moved closer to sit beside Justin and began rubbing his back, just as she always did when Justin was upset.
"Have you considered hiring a private detective? Harold knows some excellent ones, just like Hercule Poirot in Miss Agatha Christie's novels."
"I did, but none of them could help me. They're still searching for the woman."
"Poor Justin, darling." Harold embraced her friend. "Perhaps she doesn't want you to find her. Maybe she was looking for a one-night encounter with you, you know, since you're so attractive and all."
"I suppose so, but... arrrggggg," Justin growled in frustration, ruffling his hair even more. "I just can't sleep. I've tried, but I can't. It's as if this woman put a curse on me. I slept with her once, and now I can't sleep at all. If I don't get to be with her again, I might succumb to insomnia. And when I do manage to sleep, I dream about her. That's why I have all these dark circles under my eyes." Justin removed his sunglasses, revealing the numerous bags and shadows he had been trying to hide.
Harold shuddered. "Oh, poor Justin, baby," she said, moving to sit on his lap and examining his eyes.
"Ka, you do have bags under your eyes. They could hold a lot of candies," Harold said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Harold, my eyes can't hold candies," he replied, growing annoyed. Why did she have to tease him like in their university days? He believed he had matured and changed since then.
"Harold is sincerely sorry. Please forgive her. She just wants to cheer you up," she said with a smile, gently touching his eyes. "But seriously, you can't go around like this. What if someone sees you? It would be a lasting impression."
"I know. That's why I've been wearing these glasses. Then Dad yelled at me to come to the hotel, claiming it was a life-and-death situation. I had to use the back stairs to avoid being recognized. I felt like a criminal trying to steal something from my own hotel."
"Ha-ha. Poor Justin. Evading all the employees who know you must have been exhausting," Harold laughed. "But it doesn't matter now. Harold will help you. There's this new eye cream she just got. Harold will give you some. You just need to apply it to these areas if you don't want to have more—"
"Ahem."
The throat-clearing sound at the door grabbed the attention of both Justin and Harold. They turned their heads to see Kyle Queen, his gaze sharp as he observed his cousin, the notorious playboy, and the alluring woman sitting provocatively on his lap with her arms around his neck. His heart raced, and he couldn't quite understand why, but it might have had something to do with the unsettling scene unfolding before him.
"Justin, Uncle needs to see you," he stated sharply before turning on his heel and departing.