Chapter 17: Lunchtime

**Althaea Cassidy’s POV**

It has been rested me for a few days since I got sick. I'm thankful that Greige is always keenly beside me. He did not complain anything. I sincerely appreciated his love for me as Athena. Accepting that was only possible here. It can't squeeze me into two people who love each other. That’s awful.

“Hey, Ma’am Thena! Are you listening?” I quickly stop from thinking when Terylene called me.

We were now talking for financial accounts last month right now.

“I’m sorry. What is that?” I instantly asked.

“Hey, I saw you were not tuning in of what I have been discussing here, Ma’am Thena. You look preoccupied this time.” She responded in a murmur.

“Is Sir Greige again? Do you love him now?” She asked curiously, but I denied.

“I’m not thinking of Greige.” I answered precisely.

She is leaning to me while arranging papers in a folder.

“But who?” Tery seems interrogating me. This woman is such talkative. I shall get her out if I were bad.

“Greige loves the real Thena, sis so she treats me like that way.” I explained to her with a serious reaction.

“I hope he didn’t know that you were just pretending. What if Ma’am Athena came back?” Tery continued.

“You’d better finish those while I’ll do something else.” Those prefer to the tasks we are working on.

I went to the computer again and resumed of making the balance sheet.

There so preoccupied of what I were doing until didn’t realize should be eleven o’clock. I heard that there's someone knocking the mini office and it stopped me when I saw him carrying food.

He asked me to open the door, and Tery looked surprised.

“Hi, Sir Greige. You’re so sweet that regularly have taken that meal. Hmmm, I’ll be back later and eat my lunch too, in the dining area. Ok bye.” Terylene added before she left us.

“Yaya Helena sent me here when I entered your mansion.” He introduced.

“I should be the one who could bring you food to the office, right? Why are you here now?” I asked.

“No. You don’t need to bring meal for me at work. I’ll be the one who come to your house and we’ll eat together here from now on.” He insisted while preparing for our meals.

“No. I have to send you a meal." I tried to be stubborn closely to him.

“Don’t worry, ok? Can I do it for you?” He smiled afterwards. He talked to his friend for a few hours in the office.

The next day, he brought some our lunch and I guessed, he had it somewhere. We want absolutely the cuisine, a reason I feel hungry when I got those.

“I also took apples and oranges for our dessert. Give it to Terylene afterwards and we won’t run out of it too much.” He said while we were busy fixing things around here.

“Thought that you’re recently missing your time for office? “I asked him as I peeled the orange.

“It’s okay that I would run out of time for my work, at least it just have time to be with you and bonding together isn’t?” He explained happily, then stood up to wash apples in the faucet.

It took a few minutes before he came back here again. “But your job still important, isn’t?”

“Don’t bother with that. I can handle work between our relationships. “He reasoned further.

“Look at you now. Seems have more wrinkles on your face for usually thinking of something you must have not to.” He said sarcastically, so I twisted my back on him.

“Hey, mi cielo. Are you mad?” He suddenly approached me romantically. I don’t talk to him because it still annoyed me.

“She’s really mad. I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to be stressed because we’re so young. The wrinkles in your face are bad?” I jgasped of what he said. Stood up to try to pull him out of the office and we went into the garden.

I want to get some fresh air with him.

“Hmmm, the breeze is pleasant.” I said as I closed my eyes when inhaled the air. There's suddenly the lips touched my cheek.

It surprised me of what Greige did that heart started beating faster.

“Do you remember anything about the place?” He asked. What is he referring to?

“None.” I replied when still remembering of the moment happened here, but can’t figure out.

“You forgot about it?” He chuckled. I don’t really remember as many memories as we built up.

“I didn’t forget and they don’t really remember.” As stated smoothly to him.

“What is that?” He sniffed and pointed out his lips. A kiss? Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait, hmmm.

“Do you remember it now?” He looked at me with a smile, so I averted my gaze from him again.

I remembered already, but I didn’t know how to say it. It’s been awkward.

“It was the time I realized that I love you even more.” He uttered that surprised me.

”So, I thought back then to kiss you here to look only for the feelings I would feel for you. Kiss proved it. “He told with a brilliant smile.

“You said nothing?” Greige said while still look at me.

“I am just nothing to say.” I spoke with a stuttering.

The next day he still bringing some meal for our lunch and having a pleasant conversation until it was already passed several days. Almost every lunchtime, our set-up becomes like this.

He already changed a lot therefore it has no longer a big problem with him and particularly to my sister.

Athena would be happy again with Greige and they would more happily together as I wished someday.

At eleven o’clock, he suddenly texted me about the restaurant where we going to meet. Afterwards, I suddenly showed up to him and ordered some foods. I have the Athena’s favorite and try to eat even though I don’t like the dish. I am here still to pretend as my sister in front of him. It’s hard to impersonate someone else because it’s also inevitable to show the true self.

“You have changed a lot, Athena. You’re now the woman I want to be always. You’re making me fall in love even more, mi cielo.” He said as he stared into my eyes that the reason I can’t move. I am really in love with him.

Afterwards we ordered halo-halo, I am little uneasy because I am not eating that kind of desert. My twin sister does. However, it is still pretending to be her which I have no choice but to eat.

After our lunch, we went in the park first and several minutes have passed we left the place. We went home to continue our job in the office and suddenly Terylene spoken when I entered the room.

“How’s your date?” She curiously asked that made me irritate a little because I don’t want to talk about us.

It seems like I am draining when keep mentioning about Greige and I.

“It’s fine and we just talking

a lot more.” My quick reply then she just nodded is a sign she agreed.

“Really? But it’s exceptional, you know? It sense complicated to pretend someone else. I am believing in your courage, Ma’am Thena.” She said.

“It seems hard to be like this. I feel it can’t do the things I wanted to do unlike before that have my own freedom. I can express more about my true self.”

When listening, Terylene can’t avoid to feel sad about my situation so that she tap my shoulder and we proceed again into our works.

Several hours have passed. I can’t imagine that it was already 5:00PM so that I saw Terylene getting ready now to her seat.

“I’m tired.” I heard her say. She faced me after putting some makeup on her face.

“Can I leave tomorrow, Ma’am Thena?” She asked. I was hesitant to allow her to leave, but I can do it on my own.

“It’s okay. How many days?”

“Hmmm, one week?” Tery said with a bit of confusion.

“Alright, no problem. I can do this alone while you are in a vacation.” I replied. I just wanted to be with her family. It’s time to have her attention on them.

“Thank you, Ma’am Thena.” She whispered. Later, I followed and immediately went straight to my bedroom to take a rest until I did not realize that I fell asleep.