His face is perfectly chiseled and his gestures are always reminded her of the elegance of a prince. He’s a ten out of ten. How can I not be moved when such a rare gem goes the extra mile to get to know me? I’m a best-selling author who’s written a plethora of novels, from romance, fiction, to horror. Yet, I’m never in any relationship now and neither have I had many boyfriends in real life. All of my past love stories ended in tragedies, either I dumped the person for being insincere or that I was dumped for not being gentle. I have mixed feelings about Derrick. His actions touched my heart, but I am also confused and fearful. It is the feeling of a poor person being blessed with a million in wealth out of the blue.
First, the person is stunned. Then, he feels troubled for not knowing how to spend it or worried that the money might just disappear into thin air. Anxieties crept up in her, causing her to feel uneasy. However, she had nothing to begin with. Therefore, she was not afraid of losing anything. Amelia’s lips curled upward. “Wow, it seems to me that Derrick, the big boss, is putting in a lot of effort to learn about the best-selling author, Tiff.” Keeping silent, Derrick continued serving Tiffany more food. Tiffany glanced at Amelia. “Babe, go ahead and stuff yourself, or Sweetheart is going to start a protest.” Amelia obliged. “Mmm… the food tastes so good today. I wonder if it’s because we have a real looker dining with us.”
Tiffany retorted, “Babe, don’t forget your status as a married woman. It doesn’t matter if he is handsome or not, it’s got nothing to do with you. Cast your dirty thoughts away and focus on the meal.” Amelia teased her, “I’m taken, but you’re not. Since your boss is still single and ready to mingle, why don’t you consider dating him?” Tiffany darted her a warning to keep her mouth shut. Turning away, Amelia asked, “Derrick, I heard from Tiff that the cover page for her new paranormal romance novel is done and it’s going to be published in two months. Is that so?” Derrick nodded. “The editing is completed. Two months from now, it’ll be sold on various online platforms and bookshops.
There’ll be a large-scale press conference too. If the sales are good, we’ll organize a signing event too. The team has put in a lot of effort working on Tiff’s paranormal romance novel. I’m sure it’ll be a new hit in the market.” Amelia agreed. “Wishing you all the best, Tiff, and hope it brings greater profits to your company!” Feeling happy, Derrick chimed in, “Please also wish me luck in marrying my dream girl.” Amelia followed suit, “I wish you all the best in claiming your beloved. However, I think she’s not falling head over heels for you yet, so you’ve got to work harder, Derrick.” “That’s for sure!” Tiffany ate quietly. They spent two hours having dinner. When they left the restaurant, they were greeted by a dark grey sky across the horizon. The city was well lit by dim street lamps and flashing neon lights. Derrick was a gentleman.
“Ladies, do I have the pleasure of driving you both home?” Amelia let Tiffany decide, but she declined right away, “Thanks for offering, Mr. Hisson. We drove this evening, so please don’t trouble yourself.” Derrick nodded helplessly. “All right then, drive safe. I’m glad to have a nice meal together with you both. I’ll be the host when we meet next time. Please allow me to exercise my duty as a gentleman.” Amelia said politely, “Sure, it’s your treat next round. Anyhow, by our next appointment, I hope to see you wearing a different identity instead of Tiff’s boss.”
A confident smug appeared on his face. “Most definitely!” Amelia winked at him playfully. “Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed.” Derrick turned to Tiffany. “Please think of me when you get home, Tiff.” Tiffany almost vomited blood out of annoyance. She avoided his intense gaze. “Have a safe drive home, Mr. Hisson.” Derrick quirked his lips slightly and said, “I’ll see you off first.” Tiffany bowed her head and pouted. “Suit yourself.” She then held Amelia’s hand and walked toward her car. Seeing how she sped off, Amelia asked, “Are you upset?” Tiffany hit the steering wheel lightly. “Babe, why do I have a feeling that you’ve sold me out to Derrick?” Amelia laughed out loud. “If he’s the one for you, I don’t mind doing that at zero cost.”
Feeling rather disappointed, Tiffany explained, “Babe, you aren’t blind and you can see the vast difference between us. You know how it’s like to be married into a prominent family, more than anyone else. Are you sure you want me to follow your footsteps?” Sitting on the passenger seat, Amelia responded, “Tiff, it’s not as complicated as you think it is. It all depends on your lover’s attitude. If you have him on your side, your marriage will be a blissful one even if when you are faced with multiple challenges. On the other hand, if you don’t have the right person with you, you’ll suffer in agony albeit presented with rare delicacies and priceless luxuries.”
That was the reflection of Amelia’s true feelings. Being the daughter-in-law of the Clintons, she was lucky to have met a mother-in-law like Mrs. Clinton, who treated her like her own daughter. She gave her a sense of belonging. Although the rest of the Clintons would jeer at her sometimes, they still tolerated her flaws. Amelia had never regretted her decision to marry into the Clinton family. Her only regret was giving her heart to Oscar, who could not return her with the same amount of love. To him, perhaps I’ll never be as significant as Cassie. Tiffany understood the meaning between her lines. “Babe, don’t overthink things. I was just babbling.” Amelia continued to ask, “Tiff, tell me how you really feel about Derrick.”
Feeling slightly irritated and annoyed, Tiffany subconsciously hit the steering wheel again. “I don’t know. We’ve been colleagues for two to three years now, but we’ve never spent a lot of time alone with each other. I usually communicate with my editor about my novels and the editor will report to the top management. I don’t know how he feels about me… He’s marvelous, indeed. Like a beam of shining light, he captures people’s attention wherever he goes. He’s always in the limelight. Everyone can tell that we’re from completely opposite backgrounds. So…” She shrugged. “I admit that he makes my heart flutter. But, so what? I don’t see that we have a future together. Hence, why bother giving it a shot?”
Amelia looked out at the night view through the window. “Tiff, this is uncharacteristic of you to be so timid. You sounded like a coward.” Tiffany smiled wryly. “Babe, you know me better than anyone else. I’m usually very courageous and bold, but I freak out every time I think about starting a relationship. My identity as a best-selling author doesn’t mean anything. I’m just an amateur when it comes to love.” Amelia could not hold back her laughter. Tiffany looked at her, baffled. “What’s so funny?” “Nope. It’s interesting to see how Derrick could bring out the philosophical side of you.” Amelia’s reply cheered Tiffany up. “Babe, I’m being all serious here while you think I’m being philosophical.”
Amelia shrugged her shoulders. Half way through the journey, Tiffany licked her lips and commented, “Babe, I see that you’re always putting in good words for Derrick.” “Why not? He’s an attractive guy, who is even more alluring than Oscar and Carter. Derrick can get any woman he likes in a snap of his fingers. Many know that he’s a poison ivy, yet they are still dying to pounce on him at all cost.” Amelia continued to analyze the man, “He’s really enchanting. I’m not surprised if you fell for him. I’m dumbfounded that you could still describe him as a fat pig though you know how charming he is.
You’re probably the only one on earth who would make such comments.” Tiffany’s cheeks instantly turned red. Silence filled the air. Moments later, Amelia advised her, “Tiff, I can tell that Derrick is serious about being with you. If you have feelings for him too, why don’t you go for it? Be brave in love. Even if you fail, there’s always me who’s willing to spend the rest of your life with you.” Tiffany corrected her, “It’s three of us, Babe, don’t forget about the bun in your oven!” “Oops, how could I forget to include my little bundle of joy.” Amelia scratched her head.
