Radiant and Glowing

Rose drew a heavy sighed once she's seated in the car. There was a turbulence in her mind that made her breathless. She had never expected things would progressed to this way: Jude and her. Is it possible between the two of them? She loves him, yes, she admitted that, but deep within she didn't feel secured because she knew he was the most sought after man after all, a popular male among the women. Hence all the women surrounded him wherever he went. That was... Troublesome.

A gentle touch on her hand brought her back to reality. She glanced at Jude who smiled encouragingly as if he knew what was going inside her head.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay." Jude assured her as their hands intertwined and he slowly brought her hand to his lip and kissed them.

"Er... I'm not worry about what we had done last night and this morning. We both are adults. So, I guess, we might need to take things one step a time." She paused a while before questioned him the next, "But... Don't you think it is too rush to start a relationship at this moment? Don't forget, the rumour between the two of us still widely spread." Rose tried to talk sense with him. Jude chuckled while starting the engine and drove off.

"And why not make the rumour a reality then? I don't see any problem with that. Rose," Jude paused a while and looked into her eyes, and spoke in a husky voice, "You are right, we are both adults though I am actually twelve years older than you and it might seemed a little older for you. But, I care about you. I have fallen for you from the first time I saw you and you are the first woman that I did what I did last night with." There was forlorness in his voice that made Rose to become even more shuddered.

Uh... Why did it sound so wrong at the moment? Rose bit her lower lip and force herself to think. The memories of yesterday flashed back in her head. The moments that she had shared with Jude, though it seem like they did it on impulse, she had no regret. In her twenty-three years of living, she felt it worth it to save herself for him. But what would happen next? It was then she remembered the diamond ring on her finger. She stared at it and was at lost.

"Hey! What are you thinking of?" Jude took a glance at the quiet Rose.

"I was engaged to someone else until few weeks ago before I becoming an ex-fiancee. Few weeks later, I'm engaged for a second time with different man. Wow! I couldn't believe myself." It was just right at the moment they had reached Queenie Majestic Gallery. Jude parked right in front of the gallery. He took her hands, gently squeezed them and stared into her eyes. Rose blinked her eyes numerous times before she bowed her head slightly and took a deep breath. She raised her head and stared back at Jude. But before she could utter another word, she was kissed passionately by Jude whereas she instinctively wrapped her hands around his back and reciprocated his kiss.

"Don't think too much of the past. What's important right now is us. You and me. Is that clear?" Jude told her while gently rubbing her cheek with his long and slender fingers. Rose nodded readily. She quickly unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her handbag, readily to step out when Jude suddenly grabbed her hand. She arched her left eyebrow, questioning him. Jude smiled.

"Where's my good luck kiss?" What the ... Rose's eyes opened wide and of course she was rendered speechless. Didn't they kiss each other earlier? What now? A good luck kiss? I have never heard that before! Rose was wondering whether she should give him his so-called good luck kiss when Jude pretended to be disheartened. Rose sighed and quickly leaned in and pecked his cheek before she ran away swiftly from him. Jude grinned like a Cheshire cat at the way she behaved. He slowly drove off to his own company.

"Look at you. All glowing and radiant early morning. Did something happened yesterday?" Leah hopped down from the sofa in the waiting area and sizing Rose up and down in a suspicious manner.

"Oh my God!!!" She exclaimed all of sudden with a booming voice that Jeremy, who just entered and was holding two cups of coffee spilled them on the floor. Even Ellie and Stephanie had ran swiftly to them, worried about bad thing that might happened to their lady boss considering the events that had happened last few days.

Leah ignored the rest and simply raised Rose left hand while her mouth opened wide, looking at the diamond ring, shining ever gloriously on Rose's ring finger. Rose swiftly retrieved her hand and hid them in her dress pocket before smiling guiltily at her employees.

"Is that a real diamond ring? Jude gave you?" Leah asked her. The other three were surprised upon hearing Leah's question. Jeremy of course knew that Rose had spent a night with his uncle, uh wait... spent a night with his uncle in the bedroom, which meant they were sharing a bed, were they not? But that was not the point. When did his uncle took his action to propose to his lady boss? He was out early that morning, so he didn't know that Mr and Mrs Townshend had actually came to visit.

"Rose!" someone called her name and all of them looked towards the entrance. There stood Miss Simon in her sunny-yellowed maxi summer dress with diamontes heels, be all smiles.

Rose took the chance to break free from her employees questioning look as she walked towards Miss Simon, beaming broadly. The two exchanged casual hugs.

"You looked extra radiant today! And your skin glowing. Are you in love?" Miss Simon casually questioned her that made Rose stunned. Is it that obvious? She blushed hard.

"Ah... I guessed I'm right. Tell me, who is the man? Is it really Jude Townshend? There's a lot rumours about you two. Even a picture of you two kissing each other last night was posted on the Facebook and Instagram!" Miss Simon showed her the post and the comments that flooded the post. This time she was totally floored.

"Maybe we can talk about this some other time. Right now, let's talk about your wedding which wll be taking place next week." Rose changed the topic and brought her to her office.

"Leah, let's have lunch together later." she said to Leah when she was walked past her. Leah gave her a knowing smile and a thumb-up as her gossipy heart ignited by the rumours too.