The Date

Sophia got back home a little late, and without eating dinner, she took a shower and collapsed on her bed.

"I failed yet again" she said lost in her own thoughts.

"I miss you D.J" she said again and finally closed her eyes to sleep.

Meanwhile, Lord Aredian sent his personal assistant over to Ryan. He had picked a tuxedo suit for Ryan's first date with Sophia.

"Good morning Mr Ryan, Lord Aredian recommend this outfit for your date with Miss Walker tonight"

"Leave it there" Ryan said pointing to his bed. He stared aimlessly at a photo of Catherine on his phone, and when he couldn't take it anymore, he picked up his jacket and hurried out to his car.

"Hello Ryan, what's up with you?" Catherine asked as soon as she took Ryan's call.

"I need you Cathy, where are you?" Ryan asked as he drove.

"I'm at home, but..." Ryan hung up before she could say anything else.

"What's with him?" Catherine thought aloud, but few minutes later, she received a call from Ryan again.

"I'm at your door Cathy, open up" he spoke from the phone. Catherine slipped on her night robe and hurried down the stairs. As she opened the door, Ryan didn't let her ask him the reason he had visited so early that morning. He grabbed her, and pressed his lips hard against hers. Catherine struggled to get away from him, but his hands dug through her hair, caressing her head as he pressed her against the wall. Catherine gasped for breath, in an attempt to push Ryan away from her, but her efforts were futile. He lifted her off the ground and laid her on a couch closest to them. Still kissing her, he untied her robe and effortlessly slipped his hand into her night dress.

"R...Ryan what are you doing?" She asked still struggling to cover her already nude form, but Ryan was too busy undressing her. Catherine knew she was at the brink of loosing control of her emotions if she let Ryan proceed with his obsession so she thought of a way to distract him.

"R...Ryan, m...my m...mom's home" she blurted out. Alarmed, Ryan jumped off her in panic. Catherine in turn arranged her night dress and tied her robe properly before speaking to Ryan.

"What in the heavens is wrong with you?" She asked still trying to arrange her hair.

"You shouldn't be here Ryan, and...and not at this hour!" She yelled. Just then, Ryan realized he had been tricked, but he knew he had already lost his chance.

"I missed you Cathy " Ryan said collapsing on the couch.

"It's been a month since I last saw you." he said. Catherine stared quietly at him.

"You have a date with Sophia tonight right?" She asked, but Ryan said nothing in reply.

"You should leave now Ryan, my guests will be arriving soon" she said and walked up the stairs to her room.

"W...wait! What guest?" Ryan asked after her but Catherine ignored him. He sat alone for a while thinking of how to get out of the situation he was in.

Catherine struggled to hold back her tears in her room. But her efforts were futile. Her cheeks were already wet from her tears. She reached out to her phone and dialed Kyla.

"I'm loosing my mind Kyla" she said to her over the phone.

"Don't cry Cathy" came Kyla

"I'm coming over" she said. Downstairs, Ryan was also lost in his own thoughts.

"I need to tell Sophia about my feelings for Catherine, perhaps she could call this wedding off on my behalf" he said to himself, and quickly he ran up the stairs to Catherine's room, but she refused to talk to him and With the feeling of frustration, he left Catherine's house.

Sophia dressed up in one of the most expensive dresses in the city. She looked poised and gorgeous in her mild make overs, but something was missing, a smile. She walked into the five star hotel, owned by Lord Aredian in the company of her bodyguards and sitting before Ryan, the bodyguards excused them.

"Good evening" Ryan said casually, but Sophia remained unfazed.

"I'm in haste, I've got to catch up on something very important, can we get over with this ?" She finally spoke. Ryan smirked.

"It's obvious she doesn't like me, that's a good thing" he thought to himself.

"Of course" he said picking out the menu card.

"Any favourites?" He asked skimming though the menu

"Just a glass of wine" she replied. Surprised at her choice, Ryan ordered the same.

"You look..."

"There's no point in complimenting me, I'm aware of my beauty and my composure, I don't need unnecessary remarks from you, I'm only here tonight because of my father asked me to, and...

"Same here" Ryan spoke up.

"As a matter of fact" he continued

"I have someone I love, and I have no intensions of making you believe I'm into you either."

"Then why was this wedding arranged?" Sophia asked

"Just like your father, my father wants me married off to you, though for his own selfish reasons..."

"You mean the deal?" Sophia asked

"Yes." Ryan replied

"I'm in a fix right now, I don't want this e, but my father has threatened to separate me from the woman I love should this deal fall through" Sophia said nothing, but stared into space, and Ryan ceased his opportunity

"It's obvious you don't like me, so I suggest you tell your father about it and have this marriage called off" he said

"I cannot do that" Sophia replied

"Why? Why can't you?" Ryan asked worriedly

"If this was something I could pull off by myself I would have done that a long time ago. I'm in a fix right now, but you aren't. This is your father's deal, he has the power to call off the wedding without affecting the signing of the deal or offending anyone so why are you still hesitating?" He asked

"I've got my reasons, and you're not in the position to tell me what I should and shouldn't do, so please stay out of my business." Sophia replied. Ryan pinched his forehead in frustration.

"Listen Sophia" he continued

"I may not know what your reasons are, but I really don't want to get married to you. I will figure out a way to stop this wedding, with or without your help." He said

"Fine then!" Sophia yelled

"Do things your way, but you better not get me involved in it" she picked up her purse and stormed out of the hotel with her bodyguards.

"This is more complicated than I thought" Ryan muttered to himself. He gulped down his glass of wine and buried his head in his palms in frustration.

Just outside the hotel, Kyla watched as Sophia walked to her car in rage.

"My guess was accurate afterall" she muttered to herself

"Sophia Walker likes the bartender at "Dreams bar" she said, and surprisingly, a smile curled up her face.