Valerie's Contractor ||Completed||

Platonic

Did I hear him rightly? Or were my ears failing me?

"What did you say?"

He looked at me carefully, maintaining an intense eye contact with me, then repeated the question by counting his words, in order to buttress apt coherence. "So... tell... me... something... Valerie... Okofu..., are... you... seeing... anyone...?"

Oh! And my ears heard well the first time. Where exactly did this question pop out from? And why was he asking me such? I thought this meeting was solely for the purpose of discussing the architectural design for the mansion. "Haha" I gave a nervous half-laugh. "Oh snap out of it, I heard you the first time," Heck! Way to go Valerie. Why would you disclose such information? If you heard him well the first time, then why on earth did you still ask him what he said?

He eased the intensity of his gaze, then gave me a mischievous grin. Obviously, he could see my confusion didn't come from the words he spoke but from the meaning of the message they carried. "I just thought to find out, before deciding to borrow you to go as my date at the upcoming reunion of the alumni students of BTS college, Apapa." Then his demeanor switched to a very innocent one "But I don't think that would still be considered borrowing now since there is no owner in the first place."

"Pfft" I sighed. "No one owns me," I said indignantly.

He smashed into laughter. His boyish grin reminded me of cute teenage Alan. "And the feminist side of you just had to pop up now, didn't it?"

"Whatever." I said jokingly.

"Chillax. I never meant to insult you, or your kind. I am sorry if that came out wrongly." He said.

"Nah. No worries. It's not as if I am a renowned feminist like Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. I just don't appreciate it when ladies are looked upon as a mere possession, that's all." I said.

"That's true, but that doesn't rule out the fact that you have a feminist side though. Do you remember that memorable day, while we were still in high school, there was this debate between SS2 and SS3...."

I cut him off mid-sentence "Hahaha. You still remember..." It was his turn to cut me off.

"No, no, no. Let me finish." He said. Ostensibly enjoying the way we reminisced. "You were my co-debater, and the motion was WOMEN ARE BETTER LEADERS THAN MEN. You were proposing the motion and I was opposing. The way you mercilessly whooped my ass in that debate sha, like as though I was a complete novice. Till today, I am still recovering from the trauma." He said, chortling. "Dear Lord, if not because we were already dating back then eh, I would have probably started punishing you on a back to back scale for no reason."

I laughed hysterically at his plight. "Poor you, I knew your ego was trashed... So trashed, that even when you walked me to the school bus at closing hours that day, you refused to help me carry my bag pack like you traditionally did. And your facial expression. lord! It was priceless. You looked like you were gonna explode, grunting to everything I mumbled " I said still laughing hard at the memory of his misery that day.

I was really having a nice time, recalling all the good memories we shared. This was quite unprofessional of the both of us, cuz this meeting was supposed to be about discussing the new architectural designs for the mansion, not a reminiscing session like it was turning out to be. I felt myself feeling all relaxed with him now. It reminded me of the fact that once upon a time, I shared intimate moments with him. Intimate enough to have shared a kiss with him, haha, it was more of a very brief peck on the lips. The thought of that made my cheeks flush.

He sat down quietly and observed me. The way he looked at me felt as if he could see right through me. I wondered if he could read my thoughts. A rueful smile lingered at the edge of his lips. He seemed to be admiring me and longing for the past at the same time.