84 Know Me...

"Who are you?" Andrei asked.

Again, Larson chuckled. "I'm Larson Benham. Thirty years old. I like cars, never been in a serious relationship, favorite color blue and yellow, and I'm scared of cats."

Larson answered Andrei's serious question in a joking manner and he was actually expecting Drei to punch him in rage but to his surprise, Andrei burst out laughing. "Cat's? You're actually scared of cats? That's so lame!" he teased him.

Larson frowned. "Well, for a mighty soldier like you, I guess that's indeed pathetic." he admitted. He was frowning, but deep inside he was happy to witness Andrei laughing. Such a breath-taking view to watch.

"No-no! Even if I'm just an ordinary person, I'll still think it's lame! What would you do if your fiancee actually loves cats!" he said and continued to laugh.

Larson thought for a while. "Well, I'm just scared of cats. I'm not allergic to them so I guess I'll just overcome my fear for her." he replied in a serious manner.

Andrei stopped laughing and looked Larson in the eye. "So, you actually like your fiancee?"

Without breaking eye-contact, Larson nodded. "I think I do." he answered.

Andrei became silent. He didn't know why but he felt something wrong with his heartbeat. Did it slow down? Did it skipped a beat? He could feel a trace of disappointment deep inside... but why?

"So...do you like cats?" Andrei then heard him say next...

***

"How are you?", Laura asked as she entered Bianca's flat. She walked pass Bianca carrying two large bags of groceries and put them down on the table before pulling a chair to sit down. "That was tiring. I had to climb several stairs to get here. There wasn't an elevator. How could you put up with this!" she complained.

"It's good exercise!" Bianca jested.

Laura looked at the woman and frowned. "Exercise? That's torture. Specially now that you're pregnant, you should be looking after yourself more! I think you should move out. I'll help you find a better place." Laura offered.

Bianca smiled a bit. "You've already done so much for me. I don't think I deserve your kindness."

"What! You're family! Even if Jun refused to take responsibility for the child, the Ji family won't abandoned you two!" she responded.

Even if Jun refused responsibility? "Did you tell him?" Bianca asked nervously.

"Liam told him you're pregnant, but he didn't think he could be the father of your child. He said you should move on with your new boyfriend and that he's not really mad at you. He still cares for you as a sister." Laura told her, trying to recall her conversation with the doctor over the phone. That's what Liam said, right?

Bianca slowly sat down and lowered her head. A sister? How laughable. He really doesn't like her one bit, does he? He didn't even want to acknowledge his child. Maybe Laura was right after all. She should stop chasing rainbows and just focus on her child. She turned her head and looked outside the nearby window.The cloudy sky seemed to foretell the coming rain shower... Or is it just her eyes becoming watery?

"I... will leave Chelsea and give birth to my child somewhere faraway..." Bianca mumbled to herself.

***

Andrei stood up when he saw Charmaine approaching them. Larson who was sitting beside Andrei just glanced at her though and smiled a bit. "Looks like you're having a good time here. What fun things are you chatting about?" Charmaine teased her friend as she finds herself a seat.

Andrei just looked away, trying to hide his embarrassed face. "Just random things." he replied.

Larson raised his brows when he noticed the other person's flustered expression. So he can make that face too? Looks like he's very comfortable with Leo's wife. They must be very close. "We're having a small banquet on Saturday. I'm asking him to come." Larson turned to Charmaine and told her. "How about you come, too?"

Charmaine paused. She displayed an awkward smile in front of the two of them. "No... I better not." she replied. She and Andrei going to a gathering together? If Leo hears about it, wouldn't he fly from Canada to Chelsea in a rage? She better stays out of trouble if she didn't want to awaken the devil in her husband!

"Then I'll have to pass as well." Andrei chimed in. Larson turned to him with a look of disappointment but didn't say anything. Isn't it understandable? Andrei is a hidden guard, or whatever they call it. He won't prioritize a party over his duty. Quite commendable if anyone would ask him. Anyway, there are still tons of chances to invite him in the future!

Charmaine saw the look in Larson's face and felt bad. Looks like she interrupted something important. She thought for a while and she dug into her old memories. Did Larson meet anyone special in his life in her prophetic dreams? She can't remember anything about Larson having a romantic encounter before. She even thought he's asexual, or maybe gay? Because he won't take women seriously. Should she match make them? He seems to like Drei a lot. "Oh, wait." she exclaimed when she remembered something. That weekend party before Leo's birthday, that's what Larson was talking about, right? How could she forget that day! In the life she lived in her dreams, she and Leo attended that party! It's a very unforgettable one but not in a pleasant manner. She really shouldn't attend that gathering. "Did you come to invite Vince to attend that party? You should give him an advice. I think the elders in your family will pair him with the beautiful and popular lady Miss Catherine of the Clemonte family. She's pretty but a faultfinder and is very difficult to please. He should go for the younger sister, Kirstin. She's nicer....." Charmaine stated before pausing a bit. "I think....." she added. Did she say too much?

Larson stared at Charmaine with raised brows. "You think? How did you know anything about the banquet my family has been arranging? Even I wasn't allowed to know the details. And who informed you about the elders arranging Vince to meet the Clemontes? You sounded like you knew both of them personally, too...."

The woman refused eye contact and averted her eyes. "Well, I knew them a bit." she replied. She didn't. Yet. But if her dreams are to be repeated, Vince will fall for Catherine's beauty only to be betrayed by the woman. He will later on develop feelings for the younger sister and marry her, so why not just make it simple and avoid danger from the start? "I'm not forcing you to believe me. You can just forget what I said." she then added.

Larson narrowed his eyes. Forget about what she said? If there's anything that provided him with the great luck in his life, it's that his hunches were always right. And right now, his gut feel was telling him Charmaine knew what she was saying. He stood up and put his hands in his pocket. "Alright. I'll go have a talk with my cousin first." he declared.