"There's no work for you, Julian. I thought I'd be bored alone here, so I wanted someone to keep me company. Since you're the only person close to me in this group, I figured I could ask you. But you were being stubborn, so I used that excuse. I would never take your free time to make you work. Also… I missed you. We haven't talked or seen each other in, what, a month?"
What the hell! What is wrong with him today? Talking like this?
"Sure," I reply, not wanting to say much because, honestly, I'm speechless.
"You can do whatever you were planning to do with Miss Cooper with me. Whether it was watching a movie or whatever, I know I'm not her, but I can act."
"Okay, I can't take this anymore. What exactly are you up to?" I snap.
"Finally, it's gotten to you. Now you want to talk?" he asks, smirking.
"Talk about what?" I ask, wary.
"Why you're mad at me. If I were to guess, I'd say it's because of the girl you saw me with yesterday. You were in a great mood when you barged in, but suddenly, you're mad at me. So, am I right?"
"Why would you think I'm mad at you because I saw you with a girl?" I ask, almost nervously, as if I'm caught red-handed.
"I don't know, you tell me. Maybe because you're acting like that."
"I haven't been talking to you for like a month, so yesterday's incident has nothing to do with me not wanting to talk to you now. Goodnight."
"There's no 'goodnight' yet. Look, blue eyes, I have an offer here. You want to hear about it?"
Blue eyes?!
"Sure, why not?" I answer, sitting up on the bed.
"Okay, but once you listen to it, there's no refusing it."
"It depends. What is it?"
"I want to make you my secretary. More salary. What do you think?"
I look at him, surprised, wondering what he's up to. Why would he want me as his secretary?
"You're joking, right? In case you've forgotten, I'm the same Wilson you send away from your office because I distract you. Now you want to make me your secretary? Is this the business matter you were talking about?"
He nods, almost innocently.
"Why on earth would Mr. CEO want to make me his secretary?"
"Why else? To keep you close."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Okay, look, I've been thinking about your offer too, and I think I'm in. I've made up my mind and decided that I'm in. I hope your offer still stands," he says, almost seriously now.
"What offer are you talking about?"
"The friendship offer. I thought about it, and I think it's true. I like you around, so I want to be your friend."
I stare at him blankly. He... he leaves me speechless.
"What changed your mind?"
"Really now? Do you have to ask me those questions?"
"If I'm going to let you into the circle of my friends, I need to know because I don't trust you at all."
For a moment, I see a flash of disappointment on his face, but it disappears almost immediately.
"When I say I want to be your friend, I mean a real friend. Not just a friend in the circle of your friends. I want us to be friends who can hang out all the time, be there for each other whenever we need it. I don't want to be just one of your friends."
My, oh my. I know he's playing tricks on me.
"You're playing tricks. I hope you still remember that I'm the master in that area," I tell him, just so he knows.
He suddenly starts mimicking my voice and the words I use. "Dude, I've dropped my ego just to ask for friendship, and you're still calling it tricks?"
"Hahaha… Shut up! I don't talk like that."
"How did you know I was trying to talk like you if you don't talk like that?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"If it's obvious, then you do talk like that."
"Okay, I don't believe what you just said because you're a chameleon. You change all the time. You behave like this today, tomorrow you're someone else."
"I give you my word on this, M.L."
"M.L?"
"Yeah, that's your new nickname. You said friends give each other nicknames."
"What does it mean? I can't accept someone calling me something if I don't know what it means."
"You also call me something I don't know, H.H. Tell me what it means, and I'll tell you what M.L stands for."
"No."
"Okay, then I won't tell you either."
"I'll figure it out. I'm smart."
"I bet you will. So, friends?" he asks seriously.
"Yep, friends," I say, somehow feeling really excited. Like, really, really excited about it.
"And not just a friend, but your real, own friend. Don't lump me in with the others."
"That depends on how you behave," I say, making him look at me blankly.
"How do you want me to behave?" he finally asks.
"You know." I wave him off. "That aside, now that we're friends, you want to tell me about that lad…"
"I knew it's been bothering you," he says, his face lighting up.
"It's not bothering me. You know what? Forget about it," I say, pulling the duvet over me. But he uncovers me, making me sit up.
"Her name is Meredith Amell. My parents have been forcing me to get a girlfriend and marry soon, but I never took it seriously. My mom thinks I'm too busy, so she said she'd find me a girl herself. When she brought her to me, I agreed to date her because I had no other plans—not that I really love her that way. I broke up with her yesterday, though. I don't want to waste her time."
"So she's not someone you're in love with?"
"Not really."
"You had no plans, so now do you have them? I mean, why did you suddenly decide to break up with her?"
"Because you saw me with her, and I knew you'd think she's my girlfriend and that I love her."
"What? What does that have to do with you brea—"
"Forget about it. You tell me—do you have a girlfriend? Or someone in mind?"
I should just say, No, I don't have someone in mind. But it seems like if I say that, I'd be lying because someone seems to be in my mind. I just don't know who because I mess around with many people.
I find myself staring at him, and he's staring back at me. The intensity drives chills down my spine. I realize I've never actually been in this moment before.
"Forget about that. You tell me—do you ever drink?" I ask after snapping out of my daze. I don't even know where that came from, but the awkwardness in the room needs to go. Maybe alcohol will sweep it away.
"I don't really do alcohol, but for you, I'm in," he answers.
"Then freshen up. I'll order it."
"Sure," he says, disappearing into the bathroom.
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What do you guys think ML mean? And "Maternity leave" shouldn't be among answers😁 And not answering this question is not an option...it's compulsory💚