Chapter 8

The chef stopped at Mr Fletcher's table first and they had a small discussion before he came to hre table.

"Are you enjoying your meal Ms Barnes?" The chef asked quietly, for which she was grateful. Didn't want to blow her cover.

"The food is magnificent and the flavours…" she stopped to dramatize what she thought of the flavours. The chef laughed out loud.

"I am so glad you are enjoying yourself. Your benefactor wanted me to remind you to have fun. The next course will be out soon. Please stay till dessert"

"I definitely will," The chef bowed a little and moved to the next patron and as promised within minutes the next course was brought out. She figured her fiancé didn't know who she was because he didn't seem to be making any moves that looked like recognition.

The rest of the meal was largely uneventful. Ri entertained herself with thoughts of what it will look like when they meet again at the gala and he hadn't recognised her at the restaurant. May be he was the kind who didn't see anything beyond his bubble. That would save her a lot.

At the end of her meal, she picked up the half finished wine and her purse to leave. She glanced in the direction of her fiancé to find him concentrating on a chicken dish with folk and knife. In an Asian restaurant. Ri shook her head and headed right out.

As she disappeared through the doorway, Blake picked up his phone and dialled.

"Stay on her," he spoke into it, a subdued "yes Sir" could be heard answering him before he put his phone down and resumed his meal.

..............................…

"I swear he didn't recognise me." Ri said as she narrated the events at the Thursday hang out. The girls had convened since D was determined to turn this back into a tradition.

"There is no way Ri." Silia said, "Remember he is the one who asked for you to be part of the company package."

"Who is to say my parents didn't offer me up?" Ri retorted, "God knows they have been dying to use me to get a rich man for ages."

"For one," Claire said, "He is the one who made the stipulation according to my follow up with Terence." she took a sip of her drink. "Secondly, you cannot force a man to marry if he doesn't want to, he had the power since he was buying the company."

"May be it was just convenient." D added, "Everyone knows that the Barnes have a daughter and may be he was being pressured to get a wife."

"Psh please," Ri scoffed "From what I hear he is not lacking in candidates."

"Babe, there is a difference between a woman and a wife." Silia said

"Indeed, when was the last time you were in the gossip rags? Unlike your brother who actively courts them" Claire asked.

"That just shows I have the good sense to keep my life private and work professional." Ri retorted

"Exactly what a rich relatively private man needs in a wife. Think about it." Dina said.

"But I also don't get it." Silia said "It is not like there are no pictures of Riona on the internet. How could he not know what she looks like?"

"May be he thought you do not know and didn't want to be the bearer of bad news." Claire thought.

"May be he did know but chose not to make it known and make you uncomfortable. You are a flight risk" Claire said

"Only you people know that!" Ri complained.

"I know it too Sugar." Bennie said on his way past their table. Ri sighed heavily.

"This was supposed to be a reporting session not an interrogate and incriminate." she sulked.

"No one is incriminating you but yourself." D stated, "Besides, what are you incriminating yourself about?"

"I may not have told BeeMan that I met my fiancé."

There was dramatic gasps all round the table.

"Tell me," Silia begun, "Do you may be feel like you are cheating on your secret admirer with your fiancé?"

"That doesn't even make sense Silia," D laughed

"Right?!" added Claire.

"Who needs friends when someone has you lot?" Ri asked. Choosing to ignore them and sip her drink. She still had a lot to do in preparation for the gala. She really didn't need this. As if Claire had heard her thoughts;

"Are you ready for the gala? It seems you will be putting some part of your repelling plan into action."

"I need a shopping partner. I need a killer dress. I am sure Bennie is set but I don't have anything done"

"What do you need done?" Silia asked her.

"The full work up. Hair, nails, skin, make up and the dress and shoes." Ri answered.

"So no work tomorrow," Claire surmised as she reached for her phone. "Let me make a call."

And that was why Claire was her Assistant. She knew how to get things done.

"So what is the plan for tomorrow evening?" Dina asked

"Well," Ri took a sip of her drink, "It is a meet and greet. I need to get a read of this guy before I start trying to turn his plans topside."

"True," Silia saluted her. Ri did have a plan but from the revelation she had on the night of her dinner, she didn't know the man that well. She could start something and it may not affect him which would be a waste of time. Her friends were right. There was any number of possibilities as to why he didn't approach her. She needed to get to the bottom of it and then try to get out of this with as little pain to her as possible, and that included her family becoming unbearable afterwards. The man may be in his own kind of trouble, or her family might just being impossible. It was anyone's guess at this point but the whole gist was it had nothing to do with her and them involving her was selfish.