♡︎~Chapter 10~♡︎ KENDALL

Her brows furrowed and she leaned forward. "What?"

Of course she was beautiful. She appeared in suits—trouser and shirt—most of the time, then sometimes skirts. Her hair was always tied up in a ponytail, and every time, her makeups looked like she tried too much; bold dark lips, well drawn thick eye brows and plastered powder on her face. Or concealer, he wasn't sure what they called it. But that night, she was looking different. "Wait, were you somehow thinking this was a date?"

"What!" He hadn't expected her to yell that loud, "I was on a dress just yesterday at work!."

"Really? I don't believe you."His eyes squinted as he tried to trip her off from her lies.

Cora's lips opened like she was about to say something, but soon shut tight. Then, she opened them again. "Kendall Shay, what I'm wearing is not important. And no, I am not here on a date with you. I'm here to talk to you about what I heard from Tori." She mouthed her words slowly like he were deaf or so.

"Tori? What happened to her?"

"Nothing." She replied, flashing bright eyes at him like she couldn't believe him for asking. "She's starting a rumor that... that," there was an uneasiness in her tone. Her croaky voice said it all. "That you and I are in a relationship!" And with that, she spilled.

But he was waiting for more. Why would she think such a thing?

"And?"

"And what? That's it. She thinks that you and I are dating." Cora said in a low tone, displeased for some reason.

He hadn't believe that a clueless rumor like that would bother her. "So what?"

She stared at him with a perplexed gaze, dissatisfied at his question. "Kendall, well, I don't like it. I've been working for four years now with no nonsense talk like this. It might actually affect me--"

He chucked, cutting her off. "I can't believe you wanted to see me for this. You know people would always talk, and to be honest, you should have been aware something like this would come up. People wouldn't want to accept that you and I are just real close. They'll want to believe there has to be more going on with us, you know?"

She stared in silent, as if trying to process what he'd just said. "I guess so." She said, then lines of horizontal wrinkles began to form on her forehead. "But, why would you meet up with Steve to steal personal information about me?"

Kendall's eyes widened. "Well, it's just... You and I have been working for years and I just wanted to know who you truly were. That's all. For business purpose." He confirmed.

"Why didn't you just meet up with me and ask over coffee or something?" Cora questioned, her tone sounding high again.

"Well, it would have sounded off, don't you think?"

"Why do you suddenly need to find out information about me? Have you found out of a crime I committed? Do you think I'm a fraudsters? I don't get it?"

"Well, it's just..." He was out of words. He couldn't explain it because he had no explanation. For four years, why was he suddenly interested in her now? Then it hit him, and he sighed. "There's this friend of mine, a far far friend, more like a business client of mine who turned friend--"

"I think I get it, Kendall."

"Yea, well he told me of his staff who had bared four kids. And she claimed she was single. The nerve."

There was a silence.

"So?"

"And when I asked what you were doing back that evening --"

"--it was only yesterday--"

"--you couldn't give a reply. I just figured that, you know," he didn't know.

That she was married with four kids as well?

"That I was with four kids too? That I was running home to my babies?"

He couldn't even bring his head up. "You've never skipped a celebration party before, and we really worked hard on that deal."

"Exactly. I've never skipped a celebration party before." She paused, and he brought his head to face her. "Wait, I haven't skipped a celebration party before?" She asked, realizing that he'd been right.

"Yes, exactly. I had to worry." He said, defending his act.

"Well, I guess... I dunno. It just happened one time, it must mean that I was truly busy."

"Yes. With what?"

"With my personal life. I have a boyfriend, and I haven't been spending enough time with him. Yesterday night was supposed to be a romantic evening," she was saying, then muttered to herself, "until there was that that stupid accident."

"Accident?"

"Yea, yesterday I got hit by this crazy motorbiker."

"Oh no, were you hurt?" He asked instantly. "Will you be fine? You don't look too good."

Cora's face brightened, so did her eyes. "Are you kidding me? I look good. I am good, that's the only reason I'm here right now and not at the hospital."

"Oh right. Right."

They said nothing but stole awkward glances at each other.

Cora finally said, "well, I better get going."

"Right. Sure."

And they both rose up, neither of them touching the bottle of beer on the table.

✩★✩

"No offense if you felt I stole information you didn't want to share."Kendall said as they left the building. They were by his car.

Cora smiled, then her eyes squinted. "Wait, how did you get those infos anyway?"

"I dunno. Steve would be the best person to give you answers. I dunno how the dude gets his business done." He confessed.

"How many people have you ever spied on--"

"I'd rather we moved on to a new topic." He said, and they both laughed to that.

Then she asked, "but why do you think people are assuming we're dating? I wonder who Steve told when you asked him to find out about me?"

"Who else would he tell besides Tori?" Kendall replied, stating the obvious. Say he had been logical enough, he wouldn't have spoken to Steve about Cora. Steve was a secretive man but because the name of Cora Flames had been mentioned, he couldn't just keep his mouth shut. And with no one else to talk to, Tori got the news from him, and carried on spreading the rumor.

"Well, good night then." She said with a cheery smile on her face, turned, and began to walk away.

"Hey, there's no way you'll be getting a taxi here --"

And just as he spoke, a car parked right in front of her with the driver saying something to her as she peaked in from the window, and soon they were gone.

"Oh, she got a taxi. Great." He muttered out, somewhat a little disappointed.