Play the Games

"What if she is Janice at last?" Ian asked before Clyde could say it. With his expression, it is obvious that he is in support of Clyde getting married to Jasmine.

The silence that followed was heavy and uncomfortable, the tension in the room so thick that it was almost suffocating. The air was thick with unspoken words, as if the tension was choking the life out of them. 

After some few seconds of dropping the bombshell and the uncomfortable silence, Ian finally cleared his throat and swallowed hard. "All I'm trying to say is that there are possibilities that she might be Janice or may be Janice in disguise," he started in his defense. "But bro, don't you think you are rushing things. I mean, you getting married to Jasmine with just handful information you have about her is not okay," he said, trying to reason with Clyde whose mind was already made up. 

"Fine, seems your mind is already made up on this issue," Ian conceded after realizing that his words were just like pouring water on the rocks and expecting it to sink. "But if your mind is already made up on this, why do you still need our help?" He questioned, his frustration evident.

Clyde paused. "How do I get her to marry me?" He asked unhurriedly, looking straight at Ian.

"Bro, what?" Ian burst out in another round of laughter. He laughed so hard that his stomach hurt and when it felt like he would stop anytime soon, he would look at Clyde's stoic face and burst out again in a fist of laughter. Liam was not finding it funny on his own side seeing that Clyde was serious about pursuing this woman. He decided to try one last time to convince him even though it might be a wasted effort again. Ignoring Ian's dramatic self, he faced Clyde, his expression serious. 

"Clyde, you're treading a dangerous path by getting married to this Jasmine of a lady. Aside the fact that she could be Janice, getting married is not something to be taken lightly. Especially, not under this circumstance. She is an adult and you just cannot force your way into her life. You both are from two different worlds and your world is not somewhere she would want to be." He reasoned, his tone firm and his words concise.

"Bro, chill," Ian said, finally getting hold of himself. His mind finally made up to support Clyde in his decision no matter how crazy it sounds. He just felt that Clyde getting married to Jasmine is the real deal and he was ready to walk through that path with him. 

Ignoring Liam and his boring speech, he turned to Clyde, "why don't you seduce her?" he blurted before he could even hold himself back. Liam and Clyde's head snapped towards him. "No, no, that's not what I mean," he defended himself, "I mean, as much as I'm good in pulling ladies towards me, you can easily do that effortlessly if you want to. Have you seen how the ladies drool on your sight?" he asked, flattering Clyde. 

He stood up and strolled over to where Clyde was sitting, Liam and Clyde's eyes watching his every move. He rested his arm on Clyde's shoulder and said, almost in a whisper but to their hearing, "Listen, if you want this woman top fall for you, you've got to play the game. Don't you read all this romance tales? Such a boring man. Anyway, get her to fall for your trap." He said. With a smug of satisfaction, he returned to his seat.

"What's with the looks?" he asked, glancing from Liam to Clyde who were staring at him like someone who have said or done the forbidden. Clyde sighed, clearly exasperated by his actions. 

"It's a wrap guys," he exclaimed happily, ignoring their judgmental stares. "Take the lead from here and get yourself a wife. After all, your family is still waiting for an heir from you," he smiled mischievously at Clyde, wiggling his eyebrows.

The silence that followed was deafening, only the rhythmic taping of pen against the desk made by Liam was heard in the room.

…

 Jasmine has never been herself after the other night's incidence as she tries to process everything that had happened. Aside from a brief biography of Clyde that was spelt out to her by Ava – why he should avoid Clyde at all cost, how dangerous Clyde is, how heartless and inhumane he can be when the need arises and she ended with, "You must avoid him at all cost, Jasmine." 

She couldn't shake the feeling that there was some truth to what Ava had said. She sat up on her bed, picked out her diary from her bedside, and decided to 'talk' to it for a while. She has always been one to keep tabs of her life activities in her diary since her days with the Andersons. She picked up her pen and with every scratch across her diary, she felt her burdens getting lighter until the last full stop. It read:

"Dear me, it's been a while we last talked and I really miss you. How have you been? I am good from my own end, chuckles. I am lying. You know, I would not be talking to you if I were really okay, sad face. Don't get me wrong, I just love talking to you. But, it has not been easy on me lately. It seems like everything I hold dear, the memories, are all lies. Am I really Janice? Laughs, what am I saying? I don't even know anyone with the Janice of a name, how could it be me then? But, he called me "Janice." Thinking. Ava said he is dangerous and I should avoid him at all cost. Sigh. I know, right? I don't need to be told to know how dangerous he is. So aloof and cold, humph. But his eyes…."

"Jasmine, are you okay?" Brad gentle voice broke through her thought and the silence in the room. She looked up to see him standing at the entrance of her room, a worried expression on his face.

"Sure, why?" she asked, unhurriedly putting the diary back to the desk drawer. 

"I've been calling out your name since but you didn't reply and here you are writing? Is everything alright, you can talk to me, you know," he said, coming in and sat down next to her on the bedside, his gaze fixed on her. "I'm here if you need to get something off your chest."

"You've not been yourself since you passed the night at Ava's apartment. Did something happen there?" he asked, the feeling of mother hen watching over it chick engulfing him. "Alright, I know she took you to City Dot. She told me herself. So, if that's what you are hiding from me, it's fine. I already know. Don't be hard on yourself, okay?" he reassured her, ruffling her hairs, the gesture comforting and familiar.

Jasmine heart melted at the genuine concern Brad is showing towards her. She nestled herself into Brad's embrace. She has never felt loved and valued like the way Brad makes her feel and she continuously bless the night she left the Andersons. The night she met with Brad. She smiled widely at Brad and nudged him.

"I'm fine Brad, you worry too much. Look, you are already having wrinkles from worrying too much about me," Jasmine teased him, expecting his next reaction.

Brad freaked out and ran towards the dressing mirror, frantically examining himself for any wrinkles, "Jasmine, are you telling me the truth? Where is the wrinkles you little devil?" He bawled and turned to see Jasmine rolling on the floor, clutching her stomach while laughing aloud. She expected him to be dramatic about it but is this not too much? Brad's face turned red with anger, he stomped his foot hard and walked away muttering something about dinner.