So that’s what happened. I left for Stonewick after we talked. I wanted to forgive him, but I was worried that it might happen again. I’d be pitiful forever!
Around eleven, I was close to Stonewick when suddenly my car’s tire burst. I didn’t have a spare tire either. Ugh, I’m so stupid! I immediately took out my cellphone to call Rhea for help, but I couldn’t get in touch with her. I didn’t have any other friends in Stonewick, so I reluctantly called someone I didn’t want to.
“Jamie,” Brent said on the other line.
“I need your help,” I informed him that my car broke down in the neighboring city, and I didn’t have an extra tire with me.
“Just text me your location and I’ll come right away,” he assured me before hanging up.
I knew my location was safe since it was still early, but I got scared to get out of the car. I couldn’t see any houses around. There were only trees, and only a few vehicles passed by.
After a few minutes of staying inside the car and getting bored, I decided to get out. My eyes were fixed on the road from Stonewick. Where could Brent be? My feet couldn’t stay still as I leaned against the car. What if he didn’t come and I was left waiting in vain? Oh no, he’ll drive me bald!
I was lost in my thoughts when suddenly a man on a motorcycle wearing a helmet stopped in front of my car.
“What do you need?”
The man removed the helmet, and there was Brent, smiling at me. “Why don’t you have Khalifa’s car? And a motorcycle, really?” My backside still hurt from the motorcycle ride I had with Samer yesterday, and now, Brent’s motorcycle.
“This is my service in Stonewick,” the man said.
I knew he had a car at his place in Stonewick, or the hotel’s car could have picked me up.
“Is there a tire shop nearby?” I asked him.
“I don’t know, there probably is. Let’s just check, and if there really isn’t any, I’ll call my cousin to come here,” he suggested.
“Hmmm, I’m getting hungry. Can we eat first before heading back to Stonewick?” It was still a few kilometers to Stonewick from my location, and my stomach was already waging war inside me.
“We can, but we’ll need to find a eatery first,” Brent suggested.
Eatery? I knew we were both thinking the same thing when he mentioned the word eatery. We both smiled as we journeyed into our memories from the past.
“Maybe if I didn’t leave back then, do you think we would have ended up together?” He suddenly asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Did you feel regret when I suddenly disappeared?” Brent asked me again, and to be honest, I was getting close to being annoyed.
“I didn’t feel regret, Brent. I was angry, and it meant something else,” I explained to him.
“I’m sorry,” Brent said to me.
“If you really want to apologize to me, give me ten million!” I said, and he looked at me from head to toe. Maybe he was wondering if I had gone crazy or something, but it was just a joke, of course.
After I hopped on the motorcycle, we immediately left to look for a place to eat. I hadn’t had breakfast because Samer and I had a fight. If the same thing happened to you while he was intimate with you, could you still swallow rice and viand?
I left the house on an empty stomach. Although I passed by a drive-thru, I wasn’t in the mood to eat or even have a drink. I almost had an accident because I was thinking about him too much.
I got used to being with him every day. I got used to talking to him every day. I also got used to how sweet he was to me.
Before I entered a relationship with Samer, I knew I could get hurt, but I didn’t hold back my feelings. I love him too. I was fooled by the wrong assumption that I could compete with Kate. I was fooled by the wrong assumption that Samer wouldn’t give in to temptation.
“We’ve gone so far, but we still haven’t found a place to eat,” I complained to Brent.
“We’ll find one eventually,” he said.
And just as he said, we found a place to eat. Actually, it wasn’t a restaurant, just a food stall selling rice cakes, noodles, boiled eggs, and many other things.
Brent stopped in front of the small shop and helped me get off, and when we both sat on a wooden table, he immediately ordered.
“I’ll have siomai and rice,” I said when I noticed the steamer on the side.
“Ma’am, we also have ramen, the kind that’s popular in Korean dramas, maybe you’d like to try it.” The vendor tried to sell it to us, but Brent and I exchanged glances.
What’s going on? Why are those scenes from before coming back? Does it mean something?
“Do you not want to have ramen, Jamie?” Brent asked me teasingly.
I glared at him because I knew what he was thinking. Oh boy, Brent’s playboy mode was activated again. “No, Brent, I don’t want it,” I snapped at him.
“It’s just ramen,” he insisted.
“For what? So that I can remember what happened before because of ramen?” I asked him, and he chuckled.
“So, you haven’t forgotten what happened,” he said.
“How could I forget? That’s the beginning of why I got hurt so much,” I replied.
“I’m sorry,” Brent apologized again, but I didn’t pay attention to him anymore because the vendor had placed the siomai I ordered in front of me.
“Why isn’t Samer with you?” Brent asked as we were heading home to Stonewick.
“He had something to take care of,” I lied. Whatever happened between Samer and me was my business alone, and no one else’s, including Rhea’s.
“Are you going to sleep in the hotel tonight?” He inquired.
“Yes, why?” I retorted.
“One of my benefits is having my own room in the hotel, so I’ll be staying there too,” he said.
“Fine,” I replied. “But what about my car? There’s no towing company nearby,” I was worried since the car was still new.
“I’ll take care of it, just relax,” Brent assured me.
“By the way, how are things with Michelle?” I asked him about his wife.
“Same as always,” he answered.
“Hmmm, Brent? Can you speed up a bit? It’s so hot outside,” I said, wiping sweat from my forehead. I couldn’t understand why Brent was driving so slowly, especially with the scorching sun.
“Your wish is my command,” he said, and I screamed as I held onto his shoulder.
I wanted to let go of him, but I was afraid I might fall and hit my face on the pavement. But when we were approaching Stonewick, I asked him to adjust his driving speed.
When we arrived, Rhea was surprised to see us, but I was even more surprised when I heard that something was going on between her and Kevin. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or not.
The first few days in Stonewick were fine; I wasn’t bored and enjoyed catching up with old acquaintances. They praised me for the positive changes and my success.
A day before the hotel opening, I called Brent to discuss the upcoming event. Stonewick was small, so I became the COO of Samer’s hotel.
“Hey,” Brent greeted as he entered the office.
It wasn’t just his smile that surprised me, but also his outfit. He looked like a heartthrob in his form-fitting blue suit with a shirt underneath. The button-down design emphasized his well-formed chest, and I had to stop myself from drooling.
“Why are you dressed like that?” I asked him.
“This is how I dress when I’m on duty, isn’t it suitable?” he replied.
What’s not suitable about it? I almost drooled over his impressive outfit. Quickly, I opened my cellphone’s gallery, searching for a picture of Samer because I didn’t want to cheat even though we were on a cool-off.
“Is everything ready for tomorrow?” I asked him about the preparations for the Khalifa opening.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’ve taken care of everything for tomorrow,” Brent replied.
“Can I rely on you to ensure the opening goes smoothly?” I wanted to make sure because I didn’t want any problems during the event, especially embarrassing Samer.
“Yeah, so don’t worry. Everything is ready for tomorrow,” Brent reassured me. “By the way, what time is your clumsy boyfriend arriving?”
I glared at Brent because he was belittling Samer again. “He’s not clumsy!”
“Then he’s not,” Brent retorted, not completing his sentence.
“Mind your manners, maybe some other employees will think I let you disrespect me,” I scolded him.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Brent replied, but I felt like he wasn’t taking it seriously.
“You’re getting too comfortable,” I told him.
“What do you want me to do, Jamie? I’ve been trying to be good,” Brent insisted.
“Nothing. Just do your job, do you understand? I don’t want any problems tomorrow,” I said, dismissing him.
After my conversation with Brent, Rhea entered the office with a beaming smile. “You seem happy, Rhea,” I commented.
“Hmmm yes. But you don’t look happy, why are you frowning?” Rhea asked, and I forced a smile.
I couldn’t tell her that I missed Samer so much, and he seemed to have forgotten about me completely. Not a single text message or missed call from him. Totally nothing! It was just weakening my heart since I used to be the one he always talked about, but suddenly he disappeared.
“He hasn’t arrived yet,” I lied to Rhea.
“Oh, that’s sad, Miss. Why don’t you call and ask where he is?” Rhea suggested.
“Right, why didn’t I think of that?” I pretended to grab my cellphone and dial Samer’s number. I pretended because I didn’t really intend to call him. We agreed to talk again once his situation with Kate was settled.
“By the way, Miss, there’s someone selling boiled bananas at the corner. Would you like some?” Rhea asked.
“Sure. If they have any cassava-based snacks, buy some for me too,” I told her.
“Okay,” Rhea said, and she quickly left.
Everything was prepared, so I didn’t have to worry anymore. I reviewed the guest list for the hotel opening when I noticed a group of bloggers. Personally, I didn’t think of inviting bloggers to the Khalifa opening, but Brent’s idea was right.
Having vloggers at the event would be a big advantage. Before I could talk to Rhea again, she came back, but she didn’t bring any snacks.
“I thought you were going to buy some snacks,” I said to her.
“I wanted to, but I saw that the boss had arrived… with his family,” Rhea said.
“Really? Where are they?” I asked.
“They’re still in the lobby, talking to Brent,” Rhea said, and concern was evident in her voice.
Rhea knew about what happened between Samer and Brent at the Khalifa Hotel and even at home. I was worried too, so I immediately stood up and went to see the newcomers.
“Join me,” I instructed Rhea because I didn’t want to look foolish when facing Samer.
When the kids saw me, they ran and hugged me. “Hey,” I greeted both of them.
“Miss Jamie, Baba told me that we can finally see the cows and pigs in your house,” Ameerah said.
I couldn’t help but laugh at what Ameerah said, and when I looked at Samer, he just smiled. I almost smiled back, but suddenly Kate held his elbow. I waited for Samer to reprimand her, but he didn’t. At that moment, I felt like hiding or disappearing.
“Are you okay?” Brent asked.
I didn’t notice Brent approaching me because I was too focused on Samer and Kate. “Why wouldn’t I be?” I replied.
“You didn’t mention that they got back together,” Brent said, and I smiled.
Was I being too plastic? I tried to remind myself that I had experience in dealing with pain. Damn Brent for reminding me.
“Thanks to you,” I said with a smile.
When I looked at Samer, he scowled at me, and his gaze was hostile. Wow, was it my fault again? He was the one who brought a woman to the hotel. Well, we were on a cool-off, so he could do whatever he wanted. There were plenty of fish in the sea, anyway.
When Ameerah went back to her parents, I decided to return to my office and continue what I was doing earlier. To be honest, I even considered resigning from Khalifa. If Samer and I got back together, staying in my current job would just hurt me every day. Anyway, I had enough money to start my own business.
As I poured out my feelings, it suddenly started raining heavily. Instead of holding back my tears, I let myself cry. I couldn’t let anyone hear me cry; they might think I’m weak or sensitive. That’s how I am, sometimes too fake.
While crying about Samer’s actions, I still hoped that he would follow me. However, I didn’t see him as I left the office. I could have asked the receptionist which room he would stay in, but I was too embarrassed to do that. He might find out, and it would be embarrassing for me. After all, I was the one who suggested a cool-off.
Brent said he would follow me to the parking lot, but when I arrived there, he was already there.
“You’re fast,” I said to him.
“Heartbroken people walk slowly,” he said. “Wait, what are you going to do at the church? There’s no mass today,” Brent added.
“I’m just going to light a candle for his dead feelings,” I replied jokingly, but it held a deeper meaning.
“Ah, alright, I’ll help you, but let’s hurry, it looks like it’s going to rain,” Brent said, looking up at the dark clouds.
“That’s far away,” I said.