A Step Closer to Love

Kieran and Arabella were left in the office because Arabella had told him in the morning that they should not draw suspicion by going together even though everyone already knew about their living conditions.

Arabella stood from her desk and glanced at Kieran’s office door, for some reason she was nervous about the situation. “It’s just a friendly dinner like between friends” she muttered to herself.

She took gentle walks to the door trying to stabilize herself. “When did you become friends,” she said with a sigh.

No matter how much she wanted to deceive herself she knew it was not possible to do so. Kieran was the one to blame for everything going on. If he had just kept his feelings to himself then she would not be having this torn back and forth of emotions.

She knocked on the door and then pushed it open. She stood at the door frame using her hand to support it open. “Everyone left already so we can go too,” she said pointing to the door.

“Oh” he said shuffling the papers in his hands. “I guess I can complete this tomorrow then,” he said standing up.

Arabella was not sure if she was grateful that he was ready to go or if she wanted to reschedule. “Let’s just get it over with” she mouthed to herself with a nod.

“What was that?” Kieran asked as he walked towards him.

“What was what?” she asked trying to play dumb. He had good hearing because even she who spoke was barely able to hear herself, how did he pick that she was trying to say something?

“I thought you said something”

“Oh no nothing” she said quickly trying to get out of the situation. They walked side by side quietly out of the office building and into the car. Kieran drove out and when he was on the road he turned to speak to her.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked and she looked out the window.

“I don’t know anywhere here so your suggestions would be a good idea” Arabella knew that if it were her sister with the time she had spent here she would have known every good eating and dating location by now.

“Okay let’s visit a sushi restaurant” Kieran suggested.

“Yay sushi,” she said sarcastically.

“You don’t like that idea do you?” Kieran caught on from her sarcastic tone.

“It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just that I have had enough of that to last me a lifetime when I was back home” Arabella responded. Her grandmother was a big fan of the meal and always found a way to include it in their meals.

“Oh I only suggested it because I thought it would be something you liked, should we change it up?”

“Yes please let us have something you like since I am the one treating you. You should choose something that fits your taste palate” Arabella rambled.

“Then I would take pizza”

“Pizza don’t you think that’s too basic?” she asked and he shook his head.

“Okay then to the best pizza place in the city”

“Are you sure this is okay? I could have afforded something more expensive” Arabella said as they brought out their pizza.

“This is fine, I thought you were going to treat me to a meal I liked?” he asked and she nodded.

“Yeah but you know considering your status, I would have thought that you would like something maybe more fancy and expensive”

“Considering my status?” Kieran blinked at her in confusion. “What is my status?”

“Come on you can’t tell me you don’t know what is being said about you” Arabella said and his eyes widened.

“Well, you aren’t as popular as one of those rich young masters but a lot of people praise you for your ability to invest in various kinds of works around the world” she explained.

“I know that but what has that got to do with my status?” he asked taking a pizza and biting from it.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Well, you are not on the same level as me, I see you from a different scope, I am like this daily nine-to-five worker where I depend on a salary” she started.

He gestured for her to finish because it could not possibly end there. She must have a bit more to say about the matter. “And you are this not-so-young man who is already up the ladder” she added.

“I am not up the ladder” he scoffed as he drank the juice placed on the table.

“My sister was able to find you at the click of a button,” she says and immediately regrets it because his eyes widen as his mouth turns to a corner and twitches.

“Your sister? Why was she looking for me?”

“It’s not what you think at all”

“What is it that I think?” he asked and she regretted her choice of words. She did not know what he thought so why did she say so?

“I am not sure but I know that it will be what you think” she said fast.

“Do you care to explain yourself?” he asked and she gulped. She could not believe that her mouth would put her in any kind of trouble in her life because she was usually one to think about her words ten times before she said them but here she was busy blurting out things to him.

“Well when I moved here at first I was going to explain who you were to her and then I noticed that we were working in the same place so I told her and she did some research and your name came out on top” she explained.

“So you both thought I was popular?”

“Well not popular because I had never heard of you, but may be influential in your sphere because a lot of other people know you and hold you in high esteem,” she said.

He nodded. “So do you now hold me in high esteem?” he asked.

“Well I have to commend you for being so good at your work” she said and wanted to end it there.

She was glad he did not prove it further because he pointed to the pizza in front of them and said. “Are you not going to have some?”