"Is the house ready!?", Matthew asked clarked as they boarded the private jet.
"Yes sir, since we aren't staying that long, I bought a nice condo for you and I booked a hotel for me!", Clark answered, tablet in his hands as he pushed his glasses by the rim.
"Cancel the hotel, you'll be staying with me!", Matthew responded, going back to typing on his laptop.
His boss always seemed moody, but in moments like the one that just happened, Clark knew his boss had emotions. He was human after all.
"Please put on your seatbelt Mr Clark", The air hostess said, her signature smile on her face.
Following the arrival of the plane at the private hanger reserved for Austin, Elle and Trisha's family, the passengers didn't come out until minutes later.
Austin and Trisha stood by the car, waiting to take all of them to Matthew's Neely acquired house in landmark.
"Oh My God!", Trisha exclaimed seeing one of the men descending the stairs of the plane.
"He is a fine man!!", Austin said, chuckling at Trisha's reaction to seeing Matthew.
They walked a bit closer to them, Austin wrapping Matthew and Clark in hugs.
Trisha took in every detail of the man her attention had shifted towards, in his crisp brown suit and every other thing he wore so well.
'He looked like perfection, how could one man look like that', she wondered.
She just kept staring at the handosme man who she didn't realize had come closer, like a lot closer. He was now two steps away from her
"Trisha! Trisha! Trisha!", Austin called out, waving his hands in front of Trisha's face, trying to get her attention.
Matthew on the other hand wondered why the beautiful lady in front of him zoned out while staring at him.
He thought she was a very beautiful woman the moment he saw her as he descended the stairs. He also thought she was Austin's girlfriend so he didn't want to look too much.
"Yeah, yes, yes, I'm, I'm here, good! Good!!", She said, trying hard to tone down the red on her cheek and give a coherent response to the group of me butn that were looking at her like she was crazy.
"Are you okay!", Austin asked, obviously worried.
"I am!"
"Okay then, I should probably introduce you!", Austin said.
"Matthew, this is Trisha one of my best friends, we all grew up together. The other one isn't here as she has a date.
Trisha this is Matthew, my close friend and a business partner!", Austin said.
Matthew was quite happy for some reason( we all know the reason!), He stretched his hand for a handshake, and Trisha also stretched her hands for a friendly handshake, which lasted too long to be considered friendly.
As they went into the separate cars, both of them couldn't keep their eyes away from each other, one kept sneaking glances at the other and vice versa till they entered the separate cars.
Trisha didn't think she was going to need Alcohol anymore, that man was a walking drink.
Suddenly, the thought of wrapping her arms around him made her feel warm. When they had met earlier, she was far too entranced to process any of the words spoken.
Now, she knew there was no pixie dust or soulmate kind of fairytale involved in the last five to ten minutes, but the thought of him interested her.
Well, she started to fantasize, dwelling on the impossible till she realized that it was just a fantasy, and she just got out of a distasteful relationship.
"Uhm Austin, can you drop me home, I don't want the alcohol anymore. You can call me when you're done with your friend!", Trisha said her mood completely switching.
"Why, what's wrong!?, Austin asked, as he tried to focus on Trisha and the road, as he was driving.
"It's nothing, I just want to go home!"
Knowing better than to push it, Austin called Clark to notify Matthew of recent developments, and that he would meet him in his house.
~~~~
As Elle pondered on the topic throughout the day, barely getting any work done, she remembered Trisha's words.
'Its just one date, I mean, it's not like he would actually like me!', Elle thought before impulsively sending a message to her boss.
Elle knew she was lying to herself, because she definitely knew her boss liked her.
And that was why she had dressed up, down her hair and put on makeup, sitting in this private room, across from her boss.
When he picked her up, he couldn't look at her so intently like he was doing at that moment.
After discovering that the man was full on watching her, a huge smile on his face, not even sneaking his glances, Elle started to look everywhere but him, but he still didn't stop.
And that was why her hands turned clammy out of nervousness, 'was it her makeup?', 'or the dress!', 'was it the red!'. Trisha wondered as the man wouldn't take his eyes off of her.
"We, we, we should order!", Elle said, taking the menu and covering her face with it.
"Yes we should!", Alex said, bringing his chair closer to Elle.
"Why are you moving closer!?",
"We only have one menu!",
"Well, well, wait a while!! When I decide, I'll pass it to you!",
"I prefer it this way!",
"Uhm, okay!"
"Well, I have to tell you something!"
"Ohh what's that?!", Elle asked, wondering if he was going to bear bad news. She just hoped she would be able to take it.
"When I decided I was going to ask you out, I promised to act natural! But seeing you tonight, seeing you let down your hair, and wear a gown. I wasn't prepared for that beauty!", Alex said, a blushing mess looking directly at him.
Alex continued, "Well uhm, I like you a lot, and the lady from the other day, she's just my sister! I promise! And I really want this to work. I just can't keep this within me anymore!"
Elle, who was lost for words when she heard his first sentence looked like she had an allergic reaction by the time he was done.
Elle didn't know how or where she got the nerve, but, she grabbed Alex by the neck and kissed him.
~~~
Say no more, even I know his confession is shaky, not solid enough.
But, expect a lot of ELEX moments!
Thirty Nine