Chapter 6

Jennet left her house after having a hearty breakfast, alone, in her new kitchen. She was wearing a formal attire, a slim fit black blazer to match with the white shirt that she wore inside it, paired with black slacks. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail.

Since she moved to her new place, she had to drive for thirty minutes to get to her workplace. Unlike when she was still living in the apartment, it took only ten minutes to get to work as it was just close by.

At eight o’clock in the morning, Jennet arrived at a towering white building where she worked. There was a huge billboard on the outside of the high building, one that showed the name of the company; Happy Travel Agency.

As she walked towards the entrance after parking her car at the designated parking area, a voice called out for her. "Jennet!"

Jennet turned her head to the side and saw a good-looking man walking towards her. The man wore a black suit that showed his masculinity. As he made his way nearer, he showed her a wide smile.

Jennet smiled warmly as she greeted him. "Good morning Mr Tybelg."

Luca Tybelg, the owner of the company, the branch manager and also the heartthrob whom everyone dreamed of except for Jennet. He was the man who has been helping her since she started working in the travel agency company. Due to his affiliation with her, rumours spread around about her being a lecherous woman who leeches to him for his money.

"How many times have I told you to just call me Luca," he said as he stood before her. His dazzling black eyes flirted with her silently.

Jennet smiled, "Well, I am just used to it because it has become a habit of mine to call you by your surname." Her answer had always been polite as not to offend him for not doing as he told her to.

Luca smiled. "Well, I am used to call you Jennet instead of Ms Lockhart. So, you should do the same."

Jennet smiled. "Well, then, Luca, what made you come so early today?" she asked, changing the topic.

"I come to see you," he replied with a wide smile.

"Oh..." Jennet raised her brows in surprise. "Is there something that we need to discuss?" she asked again. It was rare for him to ask her out without a reason.

"No, I come by to see you," explained Luca, still smiling.

Jennet laughed awkwardly with brows knitted. “I don’t understand what you mean by that.”

Luca coughed softly and asked straight to the point, "I was wondering if you would like to grab lunch together with me today?"

“Lunch?” Jennet stammered in confusion. Her guard rose steadily.

"Just the two of us," Luca added with a wide smile.

Jennet was speechless for a while. She opened her mouth but then closed it. She wanted to say something but she couldn't say it. She didn't know how to say what she wanted to say. She didn't expect the heartthrob of the company would ask her out because this would be the first time he had ever asked her out for lunch although they had known each other for five years.

She looked around to make sure no one was around to eavesdrop on their conversation. Her awkwardness and troubled expression made Luca smiled. "You don't have to worry about what other people think. They have nothing to do with me. Plus, I am asking you out for lunch and not them," he said softly.

Jennet looked at him, contemplating. ‘It would be rude to refuse his kindness,’ she thought deeply. "Well, okay then. I will go grab lunch with you today," she answered while nodding her head in agreement.

‘Well, it's just lunch. Nothing special about it. After thirty minutes of lunch, I will be back to work as usual and no one will be getting angry at me,’ she mumbled to herself.

Keeping a peaceful relationship with everyone else had been her top priority although most were uncomfortable around her. Ever since Luca treated her nicely years ago, the other colleagues were envious of her. When she moved house, rumours spread like wildfires within the company. It was all about her being the acclaimed hidden mistress of the heartthrob but, no one could prove it though.

"Cool, then I will be picking you up from your office later this afternoon," Luca added, snapping Jennet back to her senses.

“Pick me?” She pointed to herself in surprise. Luca nodded, still smiling widely.

She coughed softly as her hand fisted by her side. ‘It will spell danger for me!’

"Umm, let's just meet at the place you chose. I will go there to meet you. You don't have to fetch me at the office." She made her mind. Better be cautious she thought. She was worried that if her colleagues see him coming to fetch her, it will only prove the rumour true about her being his mistress when it wasn’t true at all.

She doesn't want that. For all of the time, she has always been innocent. She had no romantic relationship with Luca!

Luca frowned at her. "Why? We're on the same floor. There is nothing to worry about," he spoke.

Jennet pursed her lips for a while before answering. "You see, it's uncomfortable for me. You know, your fans will kill me." She was practically pleading with him to understand her concern.

Luca looked at her troubled look that he had never seen as clear as day before. Somehow, he found her cute when she pleaded with him for mercy. He wanted to laugh and to pinch her face.

“Deal. I will text you the place and time. I will even call you if you forget about this date," he replied while nodding his head, not wanting to probe even further.

After hearing his words, Jennet was in confusion. ‘What? Date?’

She looked at him with a questioning look. "Date?"

Luca looked at her confused and blank face. "Yeah, I am treating you to a lunch date. You know lunch date among pals." He smiled.

Jennet inhaled a deep breath in silence. "Oh, okay," she answered with a smile but within she was still confused.

Does the term lunch date for pals even exist? What does it supposed to mean anyway? Dating and becoming friends?

The questions circulated in her head.

On the first day of work after a holiday, her mind was already messed up by Luca’s sudden lunch request.

Both of them went their own separate ways as soon as they entered the building. They worked in the same building and she worked in the administration office.

Jennet walked into the empty office. No one has arrived yet.

She headed straight towards her desk and found stacks of papers on top of her desk. There was a note stuck on top of the papers: Due in three days! Pass to me with complete itineraries before 9 am on March, 24th- Mira.

Jennet exhaled a deep breath. ‘Why is she always giving me the last-minute job and not someone else while I was on leave?!’ she groaned silently.

She stepped towards the window and raised the blinds, letting lights into the gloomy office. She sat down on her chair and turned on the computer in front of her. While waiting for it to run, she went to the pantry and prepared herself a mug of hot chocolate before taking it with her to her desk.

She sat down and drowned herself with the paperwork while cursing her bad day that knows no end.

…