Branch One Hundred and Twenty Four
Jessica saw Xavier standing there in front of her with a box of Chinese take out in one hand a a bunch of flowers in the other.
“What are you doing here?” she asked confused to see him there.
Ever since she started the journey of making her own restaurant he had not visited for once and she did not think too much about it. He was busy so how could she be sulking that he refused to come see her there?
To expand the issue they were not close if not recent. To see him there was a shock but to see him with a box of food and a bouquet of flowers was another entire ball game for her.
“I am here to see you,” Xavier said as he pulled himself closer to her.
Her attitude in front of the people waiting for the interview was off-putting what if they noticed that their marriage was not love-based but contract-based?
“Why don’t we go to your office for lunch?” he asked blinking at her multiple times hoping she would get the signal he was throwing at her.
“I have to finish up these interviews” she answered without skipping a beat”
“It’s lunchtime” he added as if he was anticipating her answers. “I am sure these people won’t mind you taking a break to eat food with your husband,” he said.
He looked around them and the people nodded. Some wished they were in her shoes and that the richest man in the city was standing before them proposing to have lunch with them.
“Sure, yes” were the choruses of the people.
“See that,” he said.” Lead the way to your office,” he said a smile climbing his lips. He somehow found a way to have his way here too. “My hands hurt” he added in a whisper.
“We will take a lunch break and be back soon,” Jessica said before turning in the direction of her office.
The office was in the backroom and Jessica had designed it to her taste. On the door, it read Head Chef. She pushed the door and it opened a small office compared to Xavier’s but a big one to her.
He dropped the things in his hands to the center table before taking a seat on one of the couches.
“It’s a surprise to see you here and by this time too,” Jessica said as she sat down too.
“I was too drunk, woke up late, and could not make it in time for work so I decided it would be best to come to see you, clear up any misunderstanding, and make sure I did not make a mistake yesterday while I was drunk,” he said trying to summarize everything.
“Well, there is no misunderstanding and you did not do anything out of the ordinary yesterday,” she said looking at the carton box on the table.
She was actually getting hungry but she did not want to stop her interviews to get any food.
“But, what are the flowers and food for?”
“No one apologizes without a gift. I got this so you do not feel burdened” he told her.
She nodded. He was correct. If he had bought anything too fanciful she would have felt too burdened to accept it. But the meal and flowers could do for now.
“Why don’t we eat then?” he asked unpacking the meal by himself.
“Sure, that’s a good idea”
“Thank you so much for the meals. It really changes my perspective about you” Jessica said as she used the napkin to wipe down the table.
“Your perspective about me?”
Xavier echoing what she had said back to her made her realize what she said. She was not supposed to say that out loud in any way and most especially not to him.
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.
“It’s nothing, just drop it,” she said quickly standing to her feet with the box in hand and walking towards the trash can.
“It can’t be nothing. Your perspective about me is important” Xavier said standing up to follow him.
“It’s nothing really,” she told him again and dumped the content in her hand into the trash can.
“Hmm,” he hummed. “I don’t believe that. There is no way I can believe that”
“Well you know my perspective of you is the same as every other person out there who knows you one on one”
“What is it?”
“Are you trying to pretend that you don’t know or do you really not know?”
“Definitely not pretense, so what is it?”
“Well that you are rude and self absorbed. Did you not know that fact?”
“No, I did not. I thought I was charismatic and a role model to everyone”
“That’s a joke right?” she asked a laugh leaving her lips.Original content from NôvelDrama.Org.
His expression showed he was serious. She paused her laughter and watched his face intently.
“Surely someone must have told you this before” she murmured while biting her finger nails.
She should have avoided the conversation as much as she could. It felt like she shot herself in the foot.
“You know but now you’ve changed. I see how considerate and thoughtful you are these days. It’s like you have matured” she said quickly.
It felt like medicine after death but she needed to do it. He did something so nice for her but it was like she was against him or something similar.
“Wow, I can’t believe it” he exclaimed.
“Don’t take it to heart at all, I guess most of us do not know you that we’ll and that is why we jump to conclusions as such” she explained.
“It’s fine,” he said with a sigh.
“Are you angry by any means?” she asked him as he paced the room.
“No,” he said sharply. She hated how it sounded like a huge shut up but she swallowed it. She was the one who offended him so she should as well take it. It’s the least she could do.
“You are and I am sorry. I did not mean it in any form of disrespect”
“It’s fine,” he said before she could say anything more.
“I came here to make sure I was not an inconvenience last night and you already said I was not. I also wanted to make sure you have forgiven me for the kiss too”
His words sounded like they were laced with enough venom to kill. He put his hands into his pocket and looked at her. She gulped hard. She hated that it felt like whenever they make a little progress they end up going back because of her.
He turned to the door and walked out. “I am very sorry” she called after his retreating figure.