Chapter 10

_"Excuse you!"

Sophia seemed to hear an angry voice but that was not what mattered to her.

Her mind was still focusing on the liquid that was poured on the thin fabric of her brown blouse, making it almost transparent that the inside of it was almost visible, on the sticky sensation that the liquid caused to her.

_"Oh God! What is that!" exclaimed with displeasure reaching onto the part where the satin was .

First, the discomfort she felt on her skin. Secondly, the sight that her blouse was giving. And finally, the permanent stain that will be on her blouse. We could say that the blouse was good for the dash bin.

_"Oh my God!" She repeated again as if not believing it.

_"Uhum...uhum...-The stranger with who she collied faked a cough, obviously annoyed-is it finished? Your little drama, are you done with it?" He asked with an ounce of annoyance in his ton.

With that, Sophia's attention finally snapped to the stranger that was before her but god! Did she prepare herself for it?

Obviously not.

The person before her was an handsome man, with black hair that goes perfectly with his brown chocolaty eyes. He was tall and from the impact of their collision, it was clear that the man was blessed with a great body.

The man himself, looked at her with strange intensity in his eyes and for a good seconds, they stayed like a statute, maintaining an eye contact.

Composing himself, it was the man that first broke the eye contact, remembering that the girl before him spilled his drink, that reminds him of something.

_"Excuse you!" He repeated again but not with anger like before, this time, it was with arrogance.

Upon hearing the man, something boiled inside of Sophia.

Excuse you? Excuse you? ...the nerve of this man! How dare he? Was it me who didn't pay attention of where I was going or him? And look at what he did to me yet he still have the nerve to ask me to excuse myself? Is he kidding me?

With calm nature, those words arrived to awake something inside her: anger.

_"Excuse me?" She asked irritated. Those word that came out more like a question than an apology. But the man didn't care, with his arrogance, he took it like how he wanted it.

_"You are excused." He smirked.

Sophia didn't remember herself having wanted to kill someone that much and so irritated by the presence of someone like how was she feeling right at that moment.

And it was not common, mostly that it was with a person that she barely met...a complete stranger.

_"Wait...what?-Sophia asked astonished that the man actually thought that it was an apology. If not her irritancy, she would have laughed-It was certainly not an apology!" She said sternly.

_"But I think I heard an «excuse-me» minute ago Miss or will you deny that you didn't say it?" The man said with a defying ton, with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

_"Well yeah I said it-Sophia said quietly, recognizing her words-...but it is not what you mean!" She added defending herself.

_"Then enlighten me Miss! If an excuse doesn't mean an excuse me anymore then what does it mean?"

_"Well...it means an excuse me but..."

_"Aha! So that mean that you apologized!"

Exasperated, Sophia didn't push it any longer.

Talking to him was like talking to a child.

He hears what he just want to hear.

_"Whatever." She answered him and made her way to the exit of the fast food.

When she reached the door, she turn one last time at him and said "Oh! It WASN'T nice meeting you." and like that she was out.

The man was however amused, finding the situation funny, no, it was more like her reaction that he find funny.

_"Interesting." He mumbled to himself.

All the way out, Sophia desperately tried to get rid of the stain on her blouse but in vain.

The two women with her was impatiently waiting for her outside, wondering what took her so long.

Seeing her making her way towards them, Mrs Bridget complained.

_"Sophia, what took you so long?"

However Sophia didn't answered her, still occupied with her blouse.

It was only when Sophia was near enough that Mrs Bridget and Mrs Ambrose noticed her flushed expression and the stain on her blouse.

_"Oh God! What happened to you dear?" Exclaimed Mr Bridget with surprise seeing how frustrated and desperate Sophia looked while trying to remove the stain. "Look at your face and your clothe! What happened?"

_"Just an unfortunate meeting Nanny." She replied, not wanting to say more." Let's go, we still have a purchase to do but before, let's find an another blouse for me since I can't use this anymore."

The rest of the day after searching for an another blouse for Sophia, they searched for the perfect dress...again but of course, after Mrs Russell and Mrs Ambrose had lunch in one of those fancy restaurants that offers healthy food as they wanted.

Although they searched for the rest of the day, they still hadn't find any that was at their taste. It was Sophia's wedding yet it seems that it was Mrs Bridget and Mrs Ambrose that only have words with her dress.

If it depends only on Sophia, she would have liked a simple dress not like of those fairy dress that has too many details but of course, it didn't only depend on her.

The next day, it was decided that Anthony and Sophia went to jewelry store to pick up their rings.

As always, Anthony was not interested in it.

For him, they could have a rings made rope or whatever, he couldn't care less. As for the wedding, everything doing with it would be meaningless.

He was not ready and would never be ready to accept his wedding with Sophia Russell, as he thought, he would not even bare to make an effort to make it work.

But for Sophia, if searching for the dress was not really her thing, picking up the ring excited her. Those rings will symbolize the invisible bond that will tie them.

It will be the proof of their unison.

And even if it looks hard for her to imagine a life with a man such has Anthony with their last encounter, she at least was ready to try to make it works even if it will be hard for her to feel again what she felt once for someone, she was ready to try...try.

It was agreed that Sophia will meet Anthony at his work office at lunch and right on time, Sophia arrived at the Ambrose Enterprise.

As it was lunch time, there were some employee that get out while Sophia entered the building strangely, they all seemed to looked at her.

Sophia could feel their eyes on her, it was burning her skin.

She wondered why would they look at her that way.

Trying to focus on her way, she ignored their gazes and made her way to the reception desk.

Behind the desk was seated a young girl, focused on her computer that she didn't even remarked that there was someone.

Sophia stood there for a good couples of minutes thinking that the receptionist was maybe busy with works. Finally tiered of waiting, she decided to spoke.

_"Excuse me." She said quietly but nothing. The girl doesn't even seem to hear her so she tried again, a little bit louder.

_"Excuse me?" The girl finally heard her and turn her attention to her.

The first thing the receptionist did was checking Sophia and it was kind of uncomfortable for Sophia.

_"What can I do for you?" The girl asked Lazily after her checking.

_"I am here to see Anthony-at the mention of the name, how familiar she was, the receptionist's eyebrow raised automatically-Anthony Ambrose " Sophia corrected.

_"Do you have an appointment?"

_"No but..."

_"Then I am sorry Miss but you can't see him."

She cut Sophia rudely before she even finished her sentence.

_"Miss-Sophia tried to read the name that was tagged on her uniform- Rebecca if you would please inform him that Mrs Russell is here, I am sure he would agree."

_"wait a moment."

The receptionist took the phone and called someone.

_"Yes, Someone down here wants to see Mr Ambrose...No she doesn't have an appointment but she said that he will agree to meet her...her name?...wait a moment..."

The receptionist paused her call and turn to Sophia.

_"What was your name again?"

-"Sophia...Sophia Amelia Russell."

Then she returned to her phone call again.

_"Sophia Russell, that's her name...okey." The phone call paused for a moment before conversation restart again.

_"Okey, thank you Tina."

The phone call ended.

_"Twentieth floor."

Instructed Rebecca.

_"Thank you." Sophia thanked and gave her a weak smile. Rebecca didn't say anything back, she just looked at her wondering who that Sophia Russell could be.

Sophia waited for the elevator and when finally it was there, she got in.

It was only when she was in the elevator that she started to stress. The last time Anthony and Sophia talked was not that great and him with his prejudices, it was normal to stress.

If only that man was not so rude, arrogant and full of prejudice, everything would be okey. Sophia sighed.

The digging sound of the elevator informed her that she has arrived.

Her heart started to beat faster and faster. The idea of seeing Anthony made her at the same time anguished, mad, happy... So much inexplicable feeling were mixed inside her.

_"Hello, I am Sophia Russell...I am here to see Mr Ambrose." She addressed to The she judged secretary at the reception.

_"Hello Miss Russell, Mr Ambrose is currently with someone, please do wait him in this room." The girl replied heartily her, indicating a room.

It was the meeting room, seated next to Anthony's office.

_"Thank you." She thanked the Assistant and went inside the indicated room.

It was a spacious room, with big bord in front.

There was a table for twelve persons. Sophia took the chair that was the nearer of her, the one next to the door.

She waited there for good minutes, analyzing the room.

The Banging sound of heels attracted her attention, the door was not really closed allowing the sound in the room.

Through its transparent wall, that were made with glasses, she saw a man, so easily recognizable by his stature that was Anthony accompanying a girl, a blond girl.

Sophia couldn't see the girl's face, Anthony was the only one that she could see.

Looking at his facial expressions, he looked so different...like an another person.

He was talkative and serene. He looked happy.

Far from the man she saw.

Anthony seemed to be really close to the girl.

He murmured something to the girl and instantly, the need of knowing who the girl filled Sophia.

She was curious about who that girl could be and what relation do they share.

She didn't know why, she just felt that way. But what she wanted to know was something that she would never imagine.

Anthony and the girl disappeared of the hall, leaving there alone, Sophia's imagination and her head full of questions.

Minutes later, Anthony reappeared. His face all serious and stern. He almost appeared angry but Sophia was not sure of that.

What could happen to him in such a little laps of time Sophia wondered.

Minutes ago, he look relaxed and happy when he was talking to the blond girl and now that?

To say that he was bipolar.

Sophia in the conference room didn't stop even once, watching him.

He went to his secretary and talked. It looked that he asked for her since after their little chat, he went towards the room where she was all grumpy.

He entered the room without knocking.

_"Follow me." He commanded rudely.

Sophia didn't say anything, she just grabbed her bag and follow him in his office.

_"Close the door." He, again commanded rudely.

He didn't give a chance for Sophia to speak before he opened his mouth.

_"Listen, I do not have time to waste with such thing than buying rings or whatsoever. Do it on your own. Chose whatever you like even those with big diamond on it, I do not care, I will pay for it ."

The man didn't stop to amaze Sophia. He always find a way to insult her.

Did he think that low of me? Sophia questioned herself.

_"At your turn to listen to me Mr Ambrose..."

Sophia was about to retorted back but someone interrupted them.

_"Anthony! My good friend." A man from nowhere entered the office and hugged him.

Anthony and Sophia were both surprised of the irruption. But Sophia looked more surprised than Anthony.

_"What are you doing here?"

_"Always so welcoming and friendly as I see....well as you see, I am here to see my best friend-looking at the girl-and I think I have interrupted something... Well I am sorry but for my defense, I've already knocked but no one replied..."

_"So you invited yourself in?" Anthony cut him.

_"Well, yeah. If no one is going to do it, I'm gonna do it myself."

_"You will never change." Anthony sighed exasperated.

_"So will you introduce me to that beautiful lady here that is longing to know my name?" The man turned finally to Sophia.

Sophia just roll her eye.

Look like arrogance is their things.

_"This is Oliver Xavier, my friend..."

_"Oh Anthony, you hurt my feeling-Oliver faked an heart attack-we are not just friends, we are best friends!"

_"Hello Miss, I am Oliver Xavier." He extended his arm for an hand shake to Sophia.

Sophia was about to take his hand when realization hit her, and she was not the only one.

_"You?" They exclaimed in unison both surprised.

It was the man so annoying that she met at the fast food.

_"And this is Sophia Amelia Russell...My...fiance" the word fiance failed not to come out of his mouth.

Oliver's face was priceless, we couldn't say what he was more shocked about, to see the girl he met the day before or to hear that his best friend was engaged.

More socking to someone else than Luisa!

He looked at them, At Anthony then Sophia, at Sophia then Anthony and he burst out laughing.