My life is actually pretty good compared to other women in my situation. It’s just that I got greedy and started coveting his heart. I forgot that life’s never perfect. We can’t have everything.” “Babe, I don’t like how you’re talking about yourself. You can’t blame yourself for falling for him. It’s totally natural that you want him only to yourself. What’s wrong with that? Besides, you’re really tolerant of him. If I were you, I would have broken his limbs,” Tiffany replied. Amelia smiled but did not answer. Tiffany rubbed her nose consciously and fell into silence.
She was just speaking her mind, but frankly speaking, if she had really fallen for someone, she would be heartbroken if that person had an affair. She would not even think about hurting him. Although she professed to stay single, she still yearned for love. She hoped her Mr. Right would come to her one day too. It was just that dream died out slowly after a wait too long. A knock came from the door. “Come in,” Tiffany said. The waitress came in. “Mrs. Clinton, your friend is here.” She moved aside and ushered Derrick in. Amelia was stunned when she saw Derrick. It took her a few seconds to finally come around again. No one could stand unfazed in front of such an exquisite-looking being.
Yet, despite her racing heartbeat and her awe of Derrick, she tried to compose herself. He walked in confidently and browsed at Amelia casually before landing his gaze on Tiffany. Amelia had already gathered herself when Derrick came closer to the table. A polite smile hung on her lips as she stood up and shook his hand. “You must be Mr. Hisson. Nice to meet you.” “Just Derrick will do. And you are…?” “Amelia Winters. Tiff and I share the same last name, but we’re not related. We’ve been friends for many years. Just call me Amelia,” she replied statement of factly.
Derrick took a quick and unnoticeable glance at Amelia as she introduced herself. He was impressed by her mannerism and demeanor. She had gotten on his good side just from their brief interaction. Given his position, Derrick had met many remarkable and elegant women on different occasions. But Amelia gave him a very good impression; most importantly, she was Tiffany’s most trusted confidant. Hence, he would like to be in her good book. “Amelia. That’s a lovely name. I’ve worked with Mr. Clinton a few times. I heard he’s married, but I never knew it was you.
Now that I’ve met you in person, I can only say that he’s a lucky man,” Derrick complimented. “It’s really nice of you to say that. I’ve heard about you from Tiff too. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to actually be so eye-catching. You’re just like a prince who walked out of an anime.” “Oh, Tiff talked about me?” Derrick caught the most important information and glanced at Tiffany. Tiffany met his gaze and her cheeks were pumped red instantly. Her heart began to beat faster at that question. Why am I like this every time I see him? This man will be the death of me. “Oh, yes! She talks about you a lot. She said you’re the one who discovered her talent, and that she wouldn’t be where she is today without you.
She’s really grateful for your help.” Speaking, Amelia elbowed Tiffany. “What’s wrong with you? Your boss is here. Aren’t you going to talk to him?” Tiffany took a deep breath and tried calming her racing heartbeat. “Good to see you, Mr. Hisson.” “Derrick, not Mr. Hisson. We’re not at work,” he corrected, his voice particularly gentle compared to how he talked to Amelia earlier on. Derrick was not interested in being her employer, or her patron—he wanted her. Tiffany evaded his gaze and disregarded what he said. “Take a seat, Mr. Hisson. Why don’t we order some food first?
I believe everyone is hungry now. Amelia’s pregnant now, so she needs to eat on time.” It was not until Tiffany mentioned it that Derrick realized Amelia had a baby bump. “It’s so careless of me. I should’ve realized. Guess I got carried away talking to you. The baby must be a few months old already. Congratulations.” “Thanks. Have a seat.” Derrick went over to Tiffany’s side and sat on her right. Tiffany glared at him from the corner of her eyes and her heart started racing uncontrollably again. “Mr. Hisson, I think you’re sitting way too close to me,” she said blatantly, “Don’t you think it’s a little…”
Tiffany did not know what else to say. It was not like she could say she was burning with embarrassment if he sat so close to her. Sometimes, being too attractive was not a good thing. “I said call me Derrick. I like it better,” he reiterated. Tiffany spared him a confused look. “Tiff, it’s already past working hours. And to be precise, you’re Derrick’s partner, not his employee, so he’s actually not your superior,” Amelia elaborated. Tiffany cast her questioning gaze at her friend. Babe! Why are you on his side? Why are you calling him by his first name? You have just met him! Amelia ignored her stare and continued, “Don’t you think it’s better to just go with ‘Derrick’ since we’re hanging out over a meal here?”
Amelia’s entreat made Tiffany felt like she was being petty. “Alright, Babe. Since when are you so naggy?” Tiffany caved, pouting her lips. Amelia called the waitress over to get the menu. “Derrick, Tiff is only so quiet when she’s with strangers. She’s actually very talkative. I’m sure you’ll like her if you spend more time with her.” “Babe, that’s enough,” Tiffany interrupted. Amelia dropped the subject and ordered a few dishes. “It’s our first meal together, so I don’t know what you like. Why not you order something you like, Derrick? It’s on me.” Derrick did not shy away and ordered four dishes. “There’s no way I’m letting you pay. This meal will be on me.” Seeing Tiffany looking at the menu without talking, Amelia spoke up to ease the situation.
“Oscar and I come here a lot and Clinton Corporations pick up the tab for us, so I’m buying this meal no matter what.” Derrick smiled and agreed. After they placed their order, Amelia started asking serious questions. “Derrick, I heard from Tiff that you’re calling off your contract with her. Is this true?” Derrick sipped his drink and put down his glass before answering. “That’s just a misunderstanding. She’s a prolific writer, and the stories she writes are engaging and captivating. I won’t let go of such a talented writer,” he said, glancing at Tiffany. Tiffany felt tongue-tied all of a sudden. She quickly got on her feet and disregarded Amelia’s frowning face. “I need to go to the washroom.”
Amelia looked at her friend trying to get away frantically. “There’s a washroom in here, Tiff.” But Tiffany was already out of the room. After the door shut close, the smile on Amelia’s faded away. “Mr. Hisson, I’m here to confirm something today.” Derrick knew just from the swift change in her expression that she was not just an empty shell. “Call me Derrick,” he said. “How I address you is not important. I just want to know if you’re ending the contract with her.” “I was just pulling her leg. I don’t mean it,” he said, shaking his head. Amelia put down her drink and took a good look at Derrick. “I’ll just go straight to the point, Derrick. Tiffany might look like she doesn’t care, but she’s a sentimental person.
She keeps everything to herself and she doesn’t open up about her feelings no matter how difficult it is for her. She takes her job seriously although she might seem unperturbed by the contract termination. She will burn the midnight candles in order to come up with a good story. She’ll even check through everything multiple times after writing. She’s successful as she is today because of her talent and her hard work. Yes, there’s an element of luck at play too, but if you’re to end her contract, it’d be devastating for her.” Derrick listened quietly as Amelia spoke. She let off a slight cough and smiled gently. “I must have said too much. I really shouldn’t have let it all out on you.
Please let me know if you find this a burden. I’ll just stop talking.” Derrick rubbed his fingers as a civil smile played on the corners of his lips like a fox concocting some unfathomable plans in his head. “I bet you know I like Tiff,” he finally said. Amelia was not expecting him to be so direct. Derrick was a handsome man. He was a knight in shining armor. As Tiffany said, they were both from different worlds. Just from how Derrick carried himself, one could easily tell he came from no ordinary family. In fact, he was a golden bachelor. Put his credentials aside, his looks themselves were enough to make most women fall for him.
It went without saying that his partner had to have a very strong sense of security, else she would end up worrying day and night if someone else would steal her man away. “But you know Tiff wants someone on par with her,” Amelia told him outright. “I can walk into her world,” Derrick said confidently. For a few seconds, Amelia stared at him, his words ringing in her ears. This meant Derrick was not only willing to understand her past, but he was also willing to make sacrifices to be part of her life and her future.
