Our Lies

Chapter 31

"Here is yours, Agata." A coworker passed her a glass of bubbly drink.

"I am not in the mood to drink tonight." Agata continued passing the drink to others. Her department was having a get-together at a nearby specialty restaurant after work.

"Girl, you are no fun. It's nothing strong. Come on, drink up."

Agata relented and sipped the offered mug a little. The smell reminded her of the physical sensation on her lips from a few days ago that she put the mug down.

"Woah... just a sip and you are red, Agata...??" Her coworker laughed. The friend looked like she was halfway drunk.

"I am going to the washroom for a minute. You guys continue." Agata left the private room and looked around for direction. She could hear someone murmuring vaguely from the room across theirs.

"... you think... the right decision..."

"The best person... right now, Sir."

"If only..."

Sounds serious, Agata thought. She saw an attendant coming toward and quickly asked her for direction.

"Should we head home now, Sir? It's getting colder and you are not in your best condition now."

Leo nodded. After his secretary left to pick up their car, he took his walking stick with him and walked to the partition door.

He was just one step outside his dining room when someone accidentally tripped over his foot and almost fell down before his hand caught the person's arm instinctively.

"Oh... I am so sorry!" Agata turned her head and quickly apologized. "I wasn't looking..."

The old man looked familiar, Agata thought as he studied the silver-haired gentleman dressed in high quality looking attire. He was still holding her arm. His grip was tight and his dark blue eyes looked... astonished.

Agata was about to call him again when he muttered softly under his breath. "Dara...?"

"Huh?" Agata opened her mouth. "Are you okay, Sir?"

Before Leo could answer, someone behind the door shouted. "Agata~~ aren't you coming in?? Let's toast!!" Her drunk cry was followed by a loud laughter.

"These people really..." Agata was embarrassed for her coworkers. She turned to Leo and pointed her finger at the room behind her. "My friends are waiting so..." Her eyes pointed to her arm still held by Leo. He quickly released his hand.

Agata picked up the walking stick that Leo had accidentally dropped when they bumped each other and handed it to him. "Do you need any... help?"

"No." Leo replied.

"Well then." Agata lowered her head and went back inside the loud room.

"Sir!" Leo's secretary ran toward where he was. "I didn't see you outside so... did something happen?" He asked because the old man looked lost in thought.

"Nothing..." Leo answered absentmindedly.

***

"It's Gia's grandfather! Leo Dignita! How could I forget!" The recognition finally down on Agata. She wanted to punch herself for not noticing it sooner! It could have been such a good opportunity to ask him about Gia.

"If only I can see him again..." She sat on her bed thinking. "I wonder if he is a frequent visitor to the restaurant..." Should she wait for him every day? Would that make her a stalker? What if he reported her for intrusion of privacy?