Love, Secrets, and Lies✔️

Her New Friend

Chapter 22

"Nice to meet you, Aylin. My name is Elaine."

Aylin smiles, shaking Elaine's hand, all the while thinking where has she heard this name before?

"Looks like you didn't recognize me."

"I'm sorry...I don't really read magazines and stuff. I don't know a lot of people."

"That makes me happy yet sad at the same time that I wasn't recognized."

Elaine pouts jokingly and then smiles,
"Well, who cares what our real identity is? Right now we met at the park and I am so grateful to you. Let me repay you."

"No, no. It's fine. It was fun playing with Leo."

"You can come to play with him anytime and I think he has taken a liking to you since he keeps tugging your clothes."

They turn to look at little Leo who was tugging Aylin's clothes to get her attention. He points to the toy car he was holding and adds,

"Look, it's wheels. This is an exhaust."

"Ohh wow. All of this makes the car go fast?"

Aylin responded to which he smiled and nodded.

"You know, you can play anytime you want with Leo. We usually come to the park daily around this time. Now that I think about it, it's my first time seeing you here."

"This is my first time coming here. I normally go to the beach when I feel like walking."

"Do you live near here?"

"Not exactly. My home is a fifteen-minute drive from here."

"Same. My husband dropped us off here today. He had some work to do."

"Ohh same here. My husband had some work to do as well so I asked him to drop me here."

Narrowing her gaze, thinking, Elaine remarks,
"We really need to stop our husbands from working on the weekends."

"True."

They both then chuckle. After an awkward silence, Elaine adds,

"Let's sit and talk."

They sit at the nearby bench. Leo also sits with them and plays with his cars.

"So, do you work or stay home?"

Elaine inquires.

"I recently started working. What about you?"

"I recently quit. I am more focused on my son. Although, I do some freelancing these days."

"I used to do freelancing but I quit like 2 years ago."

"By the way, you majored in business?"

"Yes."

"Which university did you go to?"

"It was a cyber university so it was online. I didn't have to attend."

"Darn, I was trying to make some connection to see if we went to the same university or not."

Giggling, Aylin asks,

"Well, which high school did you go to?"

"XXX. What about you?"

"AAA."

"Oh! My husband and my friends have gone there. Do you know them? Atlas, Tyler, Kate, Mike, and Amelia?"

"Oh! I don't exactly know them since they were a year above me but I have seen and heard about them. Also, Atlas? Are you that Elaine? His wife?"