After finishing her meal, Shelly quietly washed the dishes and wiped the table. She walked over and sat beside Denial, only to freeze when she saw him. He was completely silent, his body tense, and his skin looked unusually red.
Worried, Shelly leaned a little closer and called his name. Denial turned to her and said in a low voice,
"Shelly… can you do me a favor?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation.
"Promise you won't get mad first," he added cautiously.
"I won't. Tell me," Shelly said, tilting her head.
Denial hesitated, then blurted, "Please… will you sleep with me?"
Shelly's eyes widened. She shot to her feet, glaring at him.
"Oh! Now I understand why you called me to your house. This was your plan all along!"
Without another word, she marched to the far end of the sofa, pulled out her laptop from her bag, and started working on office files.
A few minutes later, Denial came back with a blanket and placed it on the sofa. "If you want, cover yourself with this. And when you're done with work, you can sleep in the bedroom. I'll be in the library tonight. Don't worry… I won't touch you."
With that, he walked away.
Shelly stared at his back, a pang of guilt forming in her chest. Did I overreact? she wondered. But instead of following him, she kept working until the clock struck 2 a.m.
Finally, she stood, walked to the library, and knocked.
From inside, Denial's deep, formal voice called out, "Come in."
Shelly frowned. "Really? Even with a friend you're so formal? Can't you be a little casual?"
She stepped inside and tugged his cheek playfully. "Still mad at me? Not even smiling?"
Denial forced a small smile and glanced at the clock. "Do you know what time it is? Aren't you going to sleep?"
"You said you had something to tell me," Shelly reminded him. "So, why didn't you?"
"I'll tell you in the morning," Denial replied. "For now, go to sleep. Oh, and… if you can, take three or four days off from work."
Her curiosity piqued. "Why?"
"I'll explain tomorrow," he said again.
"No, tell me now," Shelly insisted. "Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep."
Denial sighed, "Shelly, I said I'll tell you tomorrow."
But Shelly wasn't the type to give up easily. Suddenly, she plopped herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Come on, just tell me."
Denial's eyes narrowed. "Do you behave like this with Kiki and Lucy too?"
"Yeah… kind of," Shelly admitted, standing up with a small laugh.
That made Denial's tone sharpen. "Your male colleague at work is pretty handsome… why don't you date him?"
Shelly blinked in surprise, then chuckled. "And get beaten up by his girlfriend? No thanks."
"Oh… so if he didn't have a girlfriend, you would date him?" Denial asked, his voice dripping with jealousy.
Shelly's playful smile faded. "No! I told you, I'm not interested in being in a relationship at all."
Denial sank back into his chair and looked at her seriously. "Shelly, am I that unattractive?"
"Who said that?" she shot back instantly. "You're tall, muscular, handsome, with beautiful eyes. If someone says otherwise, I'll punch their nose."
Denial leaned closer, his gaze locked onto hers. "Then why won't you give me a chance?"
Shelly stepped back slightly, uneasy with the intensity in his eyes. "Because… I don't even understand what being in a relationship means."
She pushed him gently away and sat down on the opposite chair.
"You're not serious about me at all, are you?" Denial asked, frustration in his voice. "What are your plans for the future?"
"Hmm…" Shelly thought aloud. "I want more promotions, my own dream house, a car, and maybe even my own restaurant."
"But you already have all of that," Denial pointed out.
"Not bought with my own money," she replied firmly.
"And marriage?" he asked.
"Never thought about it," Shelly shrugged. "Just because someone says I should get married doesn't mean I have to."
Denial leaned back, silently wondering how he could ever fit into her carefully built walls.
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Continue.....