Kim and Jay were seated in the office discussing about something important. "There is a new gig and I feel I had to let you in on it."
"What is that?"
He passed the documents over to Jay and explained the details to him. "We will be going to California for a fashion show and from what is written there, you can see that our presence is very important."
Jay flipped the pages as he read the documents. "So you are saying that we are all going for this trip."
Kim nodded. "You, me, Madison and Charlotte."
Jay stopped reading when he noticed Kim stopped without calling Riele's name. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
"Who?" he pretended as if he didn't know what he did.
"Where do you leave Riele in all this?"
"It is not compulsory for her to be there."
"What is going on, Kim?"
"How do you mean?"
"I thought you were trying to build a bond with her but with what I am seeing, I feel like you are trying to distant yourself away from her."
"That's not true."
"Really?"
"Can we not talk about her and discuss about the matter on ground?"
"Charlotte can't come because she is pregnant. The only choice we have is to take Riele along. She knows the job and I am sure she would be able to do well. Besides, you are not suppose to mix personal issues with business. She is professional and you know that."
He was about to argue but he knew Jay was right. "Fine, I will hold a meeting to discuss this with everyone… You may leave."
Jay stood up and was about to leave but he turned and looked at Kim who was going over the document again. "You know…" he paused and Kim looked at him before he went on. "...you can always tell me anything, no matter what it is."
Kim looked at him and asked himself. How am I supposed to tell you that I am in love with the same girl you are in love with? I promised you that nothing is going to happen between us and I am keeping that promise no matter what.
"Everything is fine." he smiled at him and Jay smiled at him before leaving.
Riele was concentrating on the document she was typing that she didn't notice Jay standing right in front of her, watching her with grimace.
She decided to stretch her tired muscles and it was then she looked up and saw Jay standing there, staring at her with grimace.
"Why do you always do that?"
"'cos it is more fun watching you when you are so engrossed with work."
"You scared me, do you know that?"
"You didn't scream."
"I am not supposed to…" she brought his hand closer to her chest and made him feel her heartbeat and indeed it was beating fast. "...this is proof."
Jay was stunned at her action that he quickly removed his hand and didn't look at her for a while.
She was enjoying seeing him feeling that way.
"Are you done with work?"
"Not yet," she frowned. "He gave me a hell of work to do."
"Did anything happen between the two of you?"
She shook her head. "He…" she paused. She wasn't sure if telling him that Kim came over was the right thing to do so she kept it to herself. "He is just being Kim." She shrugged. "We didn't start out on a good note, so I shouldn't be surprised with his actions." I just hope he would continue being cruel to me and he wouldn't change.
"Let me leave you to work then."
"Thanks."
She went back to continue her work while Jay joined Madison in the change room.
~~~
Kim Utter arrived at Charlotte's house but he was too nervous to knock at the door.
He hesitated a lot of times until he mustered up the courage to knock on her door.
"Who is there?" her melodious voice answered.
He could hear her footsteps moving closer to the door. He tried to calm himself down before he faces her.
The door opened and immediately she saw that he was the one, she tried to shut the door but Utter was faster than her and he entered the house before she could shut the door.
"What do you want?"
"I just have one question Charlotte and I want you to be honest with me."
"You don't have any rights to ask me questions."
"The child you are carrying, is it mine?"
"No…"
"Then can I have a DNA test to prove that after the child is born?"
"I have just given you the answer you want, the child isn't yours and will never be."
"Listen, Charlotte, I just want you to be honest with me. I know you are not a bad girl that sleeps around and I remember that when I went into you that night, you were a virgin and I…"
"Just stop it!" she cuts him off. "Stop acting like you know anything about because you don't."
"Charlotte…"
"The child isn't yours, isn't that what you came here to find out?"
"Then, why do I have this feeling that you are lying to me?!" he shouted at her and it scared her. "If news gets out that I have a child, don't you know it would destroy my reputation?"
"Get out of my house, Kim!"
"If that child is mine, get rid of it."
"Get the f**king hell out of my house!"
She pushed him out but before he leaves, he turned to her and said, "Just make sure I don't find out that you are lying to me. You know how dangerous I can be, don't you?"
"Get out!"
"I will leave but I will be back and when I do come back, you won't like it."
She shuts the door angrily and ran to her room. She didn't know when she started crying. She touched her stomach and said, "I will never let him hurt you. I will protect you from him even if it is with my life."