Jason..
Few hours ago.
“Eve, you look beautiful.”
“Eve, you look stunning.” My mother and Grandma Nini sang praises to Eve.
I came out of my office and saw her looking beautiful in the dress.
“I picked the right dress.” I thought.
“Pigs will look the same if they get a makeover too.” I said and looked away because I could tell that shut them up.
I looked at my mother and she looked disappointed, Eve looked like she would cry and her best friend looked like he was going to throw a punch at me. I saw Eve hold him back and I scoffed. I walked away and went to the car to sit down.
“Honk.” I said to Clinton who sat in the driver seat and he did just that.
“Good.” I mumbled the moment I saw all of them scurrying out of the house.
I saw Eve let her friend go and she walked towards my car with a fallen expression.
She sat inside and Clinton ignited the engine.
She didn’t even spare me a glance as she continued to look outside the window until we arrived. It wasn’t until the windows were winded up that she turned to face the inside of the car.
“Don’t do anything, just listen to me.” I said sternly as I got out of the car. I went around it and opened the door for her. I extended my hands and she sat there looking at it.
“Are you going to sit there all day?” I mumbled but she didn’t hear because of the noises from the crowd of reporters there.
“Take my hands.” I said and she nodded.
We walked hand in hand into the company and the reporters kept asking absurd questions which I paid no attention to. Once we were inside, I looked at Eve’s face and it seemed as though she was bothered by the insensitive questions thrown her way by those reporters but I didn’t tell her not to mind them because I don’t care.
The main door to the hall opened and we walked inside to meet another set of reporters.
This time around, they didn’t ask any questions and just took pictures instead. I noticed Eve trying to give her best smile but my stoic expression didn’t falter.
We left the red carpet and began to mingle with the rest of the party. I dragged Eve all around to greet a few people and a few of them gawked at her which made me a little uncomfortable.
“Jason, you look stunning and your wife too.” One of those older women I liked to ignore said and I glared at her.
“It’s Mr Coleman to you.” I said glaring at her before dragging Eve away to meet other important people.
“Mr John and Mr Anderson, please to meet you.” I said as we stopped in front of two important shareholders of my company.
“Haha, if it isn’t the star of today, Jason Coleman.” Mr John said and I chuckled.
“You flatter me, Mr John.” I said, giving him a small smile.
“I see you got yourself a pretty one, aye?” Mr Anderson said and I pulled Eve closer by her waist.
“Possessive much?” Mr Anderson teased and they both laughed.
I bowed and excused myself as I dragged Eve to meet another equal set of important shareholders.
I tried avoiding those sly old men who wanted my father’s company for themselves but as they say, things you avoid will always catch up to you in the end.
“Jason, it’s rude to ignore elders.” One of them and I scoffed.
“My apologies.” I sneered as I pulled Eve closer and held her waist with more grip.
“Eve, you look stunning in that dress.” The other one said and I hissed.
“She’s not your daughter.” I said with venom in my voice making him shut up his foul mouth.
“And it’s Mrs Coleman.” I snapped as I dragged Eve away with a firm grip from the presence of those two idiots.
I don’t know why I was bothered by what anyone had to say about Eve.
“It’s all a show, Jason.” I assured myself. Yes, I was definitely doing all these because of my reputation. I wasn’t actually jealous of these old men gawking at her because of how beautiful she looked in that dress.
Beautiful? She’s not beautiful.
“May I have your attention please?” I heard someone say and it jolted me from the mental turmoil I was going through in my head.
“This is a tradition that we’ve held every year but this year is a bit more special.” Turns out my mother is giving a small speech. Typical her!
“This year, my son is married which is a very special thing.” She said and everyone clapped.
“So tonight’s anniversary is not just to celebrate the company but also my son and his beautiful wife.” She said smiling and a loud applause resonated inside the big hall.
She came down from the podium and walked straight towards us both.
“I didn’t get to say this but congratulations on your wedding.” She hugged us both.
“Thanks mom.” I said when we all disengaged from the hug. She shot me a look as if to say- I’m still angry at you and I looked away. I wasn’t ready to deal with her, especially not now.
After she left, a couple of people came to congratulate us on our wedding and it felt more like a marriage reception than a company anniversary party. Just like my mother wanted. Thank goodness, I didn’t teach Eve how to dance or it would have been worse.
While Eve was admiring the place, I noticed some of my friend’s gathering in one place.
“Stay here and don’t move out of my sight.” I tapped Eve and told her before leaving where she was and going to meet my friends.
This party was a lot of things now, it was a marriage reception, company annual anniversary and now a get together for alumnis.
“If it isn’t Jason the ice prince.” I heard one of them sneer and I smiled.
“I see you’ve not dropped the braces yet.” I mocked and he looked down.
Thought so!
“You’re still as vicious as ever with your smart mouth.” Another one said and I smiled but it didn’t reach my eyes.
“And I see you’re still as childish as ever, accompanying your mother to a party.” I said, making the rest laugh as he also looked away embarrassed.
“Long time no see Kendall.” I said, extending my hands to shake another person since he hadn’t said anything since or even laughed at jests we made of ourselves.
“Nice to see you too Jason.” He said smiling and shook my hands.
“Do you still have a crush on Jason?” Someone said and he laughed.
I was about to say something but a gasp from another interrupted me.
“She just likes to make an entrance, doesn’t she?” Someone said and I turned to face the direction from whence everyone was looking.
“Typical Alice.” I heard Kendall mumble and I chuckled.
Alice wore clothes that exposed most parts of her body but tonight, I wasn’t attracted to them even one bit. I looked away and looked towards where I left Eve before and it was like the light there was enhanced because she looked beautiful as if the spot lights were on her.
“Earth to Jason.” I heard someone say that and I looked away from Eve.
“She’s coming here.” Another said and I watched as Alice approached us all.
“Pleasure to meet you all again.” She said in a sarcastic tone making us all laugh.
“The pleasure is mine.” One of the guys said taking her hands and placing a kiss on the back of her palm.
“Jason!” She squealed the moment she saw me and put her arms around my shoulders.
“Alice..” I said coldly and tried to put her arms away but she didn’t bug me and so I left it that way.
“Don’t you think Eve would feel threatened if she sees your hands around Jason’s shoulder?” Kendall said and Alice rolled her eyes.
“I’ve met her, she’s an understanding woman, she knows we’re just friends.” Alice said in a high pitched voice and everyone laughed.
“Yeah, just friends.” I heard Kendall mumble and I looked away.
The party wasn’t really interesting as usual. This was the first anniversary party without my father and it was strange.
I have never attended parties like this without him. He was always the centre of attraction and yet he wasn’t here today to see him take up his footsteps. I wasn’t even listening to whatever they were talking about anymore but I noticed when they all kept quiet and stared at me. But they were not staring at me, they were staring at the person behind me. Eve..
“I thought I told you to stay put!” I snapped, feeling angry. Well, not anger, I wasn’t angry. I couldn’t explain what I felt but I didn’t want Eve under the eyes of my friends. They would ask insensitive questions and say insensitive things to Eve. I didn’t want her to be here but I spoke too fast as her smile faltered and she looked as if she wanted to cry.
“You don’t have to snap at her.” One of my friends said and I looked at him sternly. I had nothing to say to him. It was like I had lost my voice then and there. Why exactly did I snap at her? I couldn’t explain.
They all looked at me expectantly. I never backed down, I always had something to say but right now with Eve by my side, it was like I had become vulnerable.
“Why do I feel like Jason was caught doing something he shouldn’t be doing?” Another person sneered, making everyone but me laugh.
“Jason, don’t you want your wife to get to know your friends or are you too shy to introduce her to us?” Someone asked.
“Y’all should stop teasing Jason.” Alice said laughing as she removed her arms from my shoulder leaving a space in between us so Eve could stand in between us.
“Not at all.” I said suddenly finding my voice and brightening up.
“Jason, you have to keep the show going.” I told myself.
“I just don’t want others to see my wife.” I said drawing Eve closer and putting my arms around her waist.
“Oh that was cringy.” Someone joked and we all laughed.
My grip on Eve’s waist tightened and I could feel her trying to squirm from my grip.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Kendall.” Kendall extended his hands to her and I nudged her to shake him and she shook them smiling forcefully.
“Go back to where I asked you and stay put.” I whispered in her ears and she nodded then I let her out of my grasp.
“My lovely wife here just wanted to tell me something, she’s leaving to go back to her friends now.” I said with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.
“I never knew Jason was a romantic.” One of my friends said laughing. As Eve walked away, my eyes stayed on her as I spoke.
“When you meet the right person, you even become clingy.” I said and they laughed even harder.
“I never thought I would see a day where the iced prince would become warm like spring.” Someone said and I smiled. Genuinely this time.
“Sometimes, a person can change you.” I said and they laughed again.
“Enough with all the sentiments.” Alice said looking irritated and we began to talk about other things. Most of my friends were curious about my involvement with MI mobility and how I came to make it work.
How could I have landed a gig with Seoul’s best tech company? That was the kind of question that I knew was coursing through their minds and I knew I had to gloat.
“I have to use the bathroom.” Alive said not interested in what we had to talk about since she didn’t know one thing about business management and she was excused.
Kendall also left to God knows where and I was left with the other guys who were interested in my work.
I was so engrossed in giving an explanation as to why I wouldn’t monopolise a particular technology that I didn’t notice the commotion happening in the centre of the room.
“Jason.” One of my friends tapped me and I looked away from who I was explaining to, to the centre of the ball room.
Alice and Eve were having an argument of some sort.
“Shouldn’t you do something?” A friend asked and shook my head.
“Leave them be.” I said as I watched the whole drama unfold. It was quite the scene if you ask me.
However if I stepped in now, it would only bring trouble not only to Eve but also to my company and I was deeply trying to avoid that.
Luckily, Eve was smart enough to avoid escalating the situation and soon everyone went back to discussing whatever they were talking about before. Although some others thought it was right to base their new conversations on Eve.
“It’s always the quiet and poor ones.” I heard someone mumble.
“I couldn’t agree more with Theresa, I wonder how she managed to seduce that young man.” Another person said.
” You think she’s pregnant?” Another person joined the conversation with her own theory.
“Oh my! That’s why he married her?” The first person said with wide eyes.
“I noticed she looked fat in that dress.” The second lady said and I groaned. I’ve had enough of this bullshit and I can’t just overlook it.
I left the person who was standing before me and approached the three women that were gossiping rather loudly.
“If you want to talk about someone, at least do it discreetly.” I snapped at them.
“And she’s not fat or pregnant.” I said glaring at them and I turned to leave but then I wouldn’t leave without dropping a word of advice so I turned back to face them.
“You should stop eating those pudding and work on yourself, you look like an ogre.” I said and smirked before walking away finally.
Just who did they think they are?
I quickly went to where I saw Eve run off to after the argument with Alice but I didn’t see her. Instead her friends were there talking in hushed tones.
“Where is Eve?” I asked.
“Now you care?” Max said angrily at me and I rolled my eyes and repeated my question.
“Where is Eve?” I asked again.
“Why don’t you go find her yourself?” Max said moving closer to me but Ethan held him back.
“Don’t make a scene, baby.” Ethan said to Max and I sighed heavily as I walked away from them and left the hall.
Her friends are just as dramatic as she is.
I looked around the company but I couldn’t find her.
Was she kidnapped? How did she just disappear into thin air?
I went back to the ballroom only to see Max and Ethan sitting together with no sign of Eve.
“She’s not back here?” I asked and Max stood up and looked at me with a panicked expression.
“You didn’t find her?” Max asked, concerned and I nodded.
“Have you seen Eve?” I heard my mother ask behind me and I shook my head.
“Let’s spread out and look for her, I’ll go to the parking lot and tell Clinton to be on the lookout too.” I said and we all scrambled to look for Eve.
After telling Clinton to be on the lookout, I returned inside the company to go and check places that I hadn’t checked before. She couldn’t have gone far, the highest she would do is to hide herself in a broom closet.
I heard the sound of laughter and I walked towards the sound. And there she stood laughing with my friend Kendall in front of the… Emergency staircase door.
Was that where they were all this time?
In an enclosed place with another man? I don’t know why but the thought of Eve with another person riled me up and I glared at her and Kendall.
I cleared my throat to catch their attention.
“I’ll leave you be now.” Kendall nodded his head at me before facing Eve and smiling. And then, he walked away. .
“Where were you?” I asked the obvious as if I didn’t just put two and two together to know that they were in there together.
“In there.” Eve said pointing at the emergency staircase door.
“With another man.” I said irritated.
“I met him there.” Eve countered as she was trying to defend herself and it angers me even more.
“You went to an enclosed place with another man. An unmarried man!” I raised my voice.
“Why are you putting it that way?”
“It’s not like..” she tried to explain but was cut short by the sound of loud footsteps coming our way.
“Eve, where were you?”
“We looked all over for you.” Max said panting while I looked away.
“I..” she stuttered, unsure of what to say.
“Just go to the car!” I said coldly and she nodded. I watched her walk away and I turned to face Max and Ethan.
“We’ll be leaving.” Max said and walked away even before I could say anything. Ethan shot me an apologetic look and walked away too.
I ran my hands through my head and groaned. Eve!
You’re getting on my nerves and that’s for sure. I walked back to the ball to find that most people had already left since it was pretty late.
“She’s in the car.” I said to my mom the moment I saw her and she looked relieved.
“We’ll go home then.” Grandma Nini said and they also left, leaving me and a few others whom I assumed were talking about potential business deals in the ballroom.
“Jason.” I heard someone call my name and I turned to face them.