Leo burst out laughing again, the sound infectious.
"Chocolate cake? Now you're speaking my language.
Maybe you should have led with that instead of the whole
'talk without interruptions' thing!"
I giggled, relieved he found humor in my blunder.
"Lesson learned! Next time, I'll stick to food-related thoughts.
Less chance of misunderstanding!"
"Smart move," he said, grinning at me.
"I wouldn't want to have to explain to the waiter why my secretary has a 'lewd mind.'"
"Please don't! I have a reputation to uphold!"
I exclaimed dramatically, clutching my heart as if I were in shock.
Leo laughed again, the warmth of his amusement wrapping
around us as we made our way down the bustling street.
"I promise I'll keep your reputation safe, Melody.
Just remember, no hugging yourself when we're out in public!"
"Deal! Just don't get any ideas about my mind!"
I shot back, unable to hide my own laughter.
And just like that, the evening lightened,
our banter flowing easily between us as we ventured into the night,
leaving the earlier tension behind.
"Alright then, let's go," he finally said, hopping into the car.
Before he could settle in,
I grabbed the keys with a playful grin.
"I'll be driving, sir. As your personal secretary, it's my duty!"
I added with a bright smile.
As I stood by the car with his keys in hand,
Leo gave me a slightly confused look,
as if he wasn't quite sure how to feel about me driving.
"Oh… okay," he said, his voice uncertain.
I could see he was reluctant to disagree, but I flashed him my brightest smile.
"I'm your personal secretary, sir. Tonight, that includes chauffeur duty!"
He chuckled softly and got into the passenger seat, shaking his head.
"You really are something else, Melody."
I slid into the driver's seat,
feeling a sense of victory as I adjusted the mirrors and started the car.
"You're in good hands. I'll have you know I'm a top-notch driver!"
"Let's hope you don't treat this like a race car,"
Leo quipped, the tension from earlier easing away.
The ride was filled with light conversation and laughter,
and by the time we arrived at the restaurant,
the atmosphere between us was relaxed and easy.
As we walked into the restaurant, Leo's mood seemed lighter,
and I found myself enjoying the easy flow of conversation between us.
We were seated at a cozy corner table,
and I couldn't help but feel a little thrill of excitement as we started talking.
"So," I said, leaning forward slightly,
"what's the deal with all the extra strictness lately?
You've been turning into Mr. No-Nonsense recently."
He paused, his gaze meeting mine, and for a moment,
I thought he was about to say something serious.
But then he scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Uh… you see, we're at the company, and I'm your boss,"
he said, as though that explained everything.
I raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.
"That's it? Really?" I teased.
"I thought there was a deeper, more emotional explanation lurking behind all that sternness."
He blinked and then gave me a sheepish grin.
"Maybe I'm just trying to keep things professional."
"Uh-huh," I said, not quite believing him.
"Well, at least tonight, you're not my boss. You're just Leo Cyprus—my dinner companion."
He smiled, but before we could get back to our easy banter,
a voice interrupted us. "Excuse me, Mr. Cyprus?"
We both looked up to see a woman standing by our table.
She was elegant, poised, and wore an air of self-assurance.
"I'm Claudia Peterson, Judge Peterson's daughter,"
she said smoothly, a hint of pride in her voice.
"I believe we have some family connections to discuss."
Leo's entire demeanor changed in an instant.
His relaxed posture stiffened,
and the smile he had been wearing moments ago vanished,
replaced by a look of pure frustration.
The warmth in his eyes had turned cold.
"Claudia," he said, his voice tight and controlled. "This is… unexpected."
She smiled, completely ignoring the tension that now filled the air.
"I thought it would be nice to introduce myself,
considering the future our families are planning."
I could feel the atmosphere shift,
and it was clear that Leo was not happy about her presence.
I glanced at him, unsure of what to say or how to salvage the situation.
He wasn't the same Leo who had been laughing with me just a moment ago.
Claudia looked from me to Leo,
her expression shifting into something almost territorial.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
"Actually, you are," Leo said flatly, his jaw clenched.
"This is a personal dinner, and I'd prefer if you respected that."
"who is this cheap girl Leo? She said as she looked at me like I am a trash to her.
Leo's expression hardened, his body tense as he stood up from the table.
"What are you saying, she is my girlfriend"
His words sliced through the air, sharp and unexpected.
I felt my heart stop for a split second, my eyes widening in pure shock. Girlfriend?!
My mind raced, trying to process what he had just said. Was this some kind of… strategy?
A distraction? I couldn't tell, but the word hung in the air like a bombshell.
Claudia's confident smile faltered, but only for a second.
She straightened up, clearly not backing down.
"Girlfriend?" she echoed, arching a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.
"You must be confused, Leo. You and I are going to engage soon."
She turned to me, her tone almost too polite.
"I'm sure you understand. We've been planning our future together for some time now."
I blinked, trying to find my voice.
But before I could say anything, Leo cut in, his voice a notch louder.
"We are not going to engaged, Claudia and Whatever you've convinced yourself of,
it's not happening."
Claudia's calm exterior cracked slightly, and her eyes darkened with irritation.
"Oh, but it is, Leo. You'll break up with her eventually—your father made sure of that."
She smirked and threw a quick glance in my direction.
"Enjoy your dinner while you can because this might just be the last one you have together."
Leo clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "That's enough, Claudia."
I sat there, still frozen,
my mind trying to catch up with the intensity of what was happening.
Leo was standing there, defending me, calling me his girlfriend.
And yet, here was this woman, claiming to be his fiancée, throwing verbal daggers in my direction.
The tension was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.
My heart pounded in my chest as I glanced at Leo, then at Claudia,
wondering how this night had taken such a dramatic turn.
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable, but she didn't move.
"Well, I'll leave you to your… personal dinner," she said,
though her tone made it clear she wasn't pleased.
With a final glance at Leo, she turned and walked away.
As soon as she was gone, Leo let out a frustrated sigh,
rubbing his temples as if trying to keep his temper in check.
The lightness from before had completely evaporated. continue this scene
Leo sat back down, the tension in his shoulders evident as he rubbed his temples,
clearly trying to regain some semblance of calm.
The light, easy atmosphere we had just shared moments ago seemed
like a distant memory, replaced with a heavy silence.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, unsure of what to say.
My heart was still racing from the whole girlfriend bomb he'd dropped.
The word echoed in my mind, sending waves of confusion through me.
But right now, Leo looked like he was dealing with his own storm,
and I wasn't sure if I should bring it up or just let it slide.
"So," I said, hesitantly breaking the silence,
"that was... intense."
Leo let out a bitter chuckle, his eyes still closed as he leaned back in his chair.
"That's one way to put it. I'm sorry about that. Claudia… she's complicated."
He opened his eyes, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at me.
"I didn't mean to drag you into this mess."
I smiled weakly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, I didn't expect dinner to come with a surprise engagement announcement."
He winced at that, shaking his head.
"We're not engaged, Melody. Whatever Claudia thinks… it's not true."
I bit my lip, the earlier shock still lingering.
"And the whole girlfriend thing…?" I asked, glancing at him carefully.
He exhaled, clearly struggling to find the right words.
"I said that to make her back off," he admitted.
"I know it's sudden, but I couldn't let her keep thinking she had control over my life."
He paused, eyes locking with mine.
"But I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable position. I'm sorry if that—"
"No, it's okay," I interrupted, waving my hand dismissively,
even though my heart was still doing somersaults.
"I just… wasn't expecting it. That's all."
He looked relieved, the tension easing slightly from his posture.
"I'm sorry for ruining the night, Melody. I wanted this to be a nice, relaxing dinner."
I shrugged, trying to sound casual.
"Well, to be fair, it's not every day I get to be called someone's
girlfriend in the middle of a fancy dinner."
Leo smiled faintly, a glimmer of his earlier warmth returning.
"True. I owe you a real explanation, but tonight… maybe
we can just forget about all that for now?"
I nodded, feeling the weight of the conversation lift just a little.
"Deal. Let's just enjoy the rest of the evening. No more drama, okay?"
He gave me a grateful look. "No more drama."
But as the waiter returned with our food,
a small voice in the back of my mind whispered that this wasn't over.
Not with Claudia, and not with whatever Leo was holding back.