Chapter 155 Oblivious To Her Feelings
“Gary, if you wish to date, I—” Riley stammered, too embarrassed to complete her sentence. “I—”
Gary found her really strange. “What’s your problem? Are you feeling unwell? I can approve a one-day leave for you. Otherwise, I could ask Howard to take you to the hospital.”
Is he stupid? She stared resentfully at him and said, “You’re a blockhead!”
Having said that, she dashed out of the room right away. When she bumped into Xander, who was completely clueless as to what happened, she shoved him aside and made off without any explanation.
Gary was baffled. Seeing Xander still standing at the doorway, he raised his voice and said, “Why aren’t you entering if you’re here? Are you fond of eavesdropping now?”
Xander entered the room, shrugging his shoulders. He smiled. “Gary, it seems you’re having great luck with the ladies. Riley waited this long to confess to you. It’s not an easy feat.”
Gary glared at him. “Stop spouting nonsense,” he chided. “Riley only sees me as a senior. Don’t make up baseless rumors and spoil her reputation.”
Xander couldn’t help but feel sad for Riley.
Gary was undoubtedly oblivious when it came to relationship matters. Otherwise, why would a wealthy man in his thirties not have a single girlfriend? It wasn’t because he didn’t have charm but because of his insensitivity.
As long as men had some spare cash, their looks didn’t matter. The women would convince themselves to accept the man as long as they were being financially supported. They would then brag about how strong their love was. But in the end, they themselves wouldn’t know for sure whether they truly loved the man or their money.
“Gary, if Riley were to hear you say this, she’ll cry to her death.” Xander shook his head.
Gary scratched his head in confusion. “Why are you talking about Riley again? We are purely co-workers. She entered the company at eighteen years old and is considered the youngest in here. Everyone’s used to doting her. I, too, treat her like my biological sister.”
Xander pulled out a chair and took a seat. He asked, “Riley came all the way to your office. Are you telling me you really have no idea of her intentions?”
Gary still couldn’t catch the gist of it. “Does she have someone she likes?”
Xander slapped a hand against his forehead, speechless. “When it comes to the management of the company, I deeply admire you. After all, if it weren’t for you, the company wouldn’t have made so much progress this rapidly and our wages wouldn’t have continuously increased. However, when it comes to relationship matters, you’re a real blockhead,” he said bluntly.
Gary threw the pen in his hand in Xander’s direction. “Xander Erikson, you little rascal. You dare to speak to me this way? I’ve selected three missions for you. You better get working!”
Xander’s expression turned disgruntled in an instant. “Gary, my dear boss, you can’t do that to me! I’ve been going on consecutive missions the last month. Every mission was also perfectly executed. As a boss, you can’t be this inhumane!”
“Oh? So you’re aware I am the boss. Since you offended me, this is your consequence,” Gary said unsparingly.
Xander groaned, “You sure are a sly fox. If anyone were to call you an honest person in the future, I’ll be sure to give them a good beating.”
Gary stretched out a hand, and Xander immediately placed the pen the former threw back onto his palm.
“Go back to work.” Gary waved his hand like he was shooing off a housefly.
Instead of leaving, Xander stood up and leaned forward, his whole body almost spanning the entire desk.
Gary looked at him in alarm. “What the hell is the meaning of this?”
“Gary, be honest. The two beautiful women you brought along earlier; are you interested in one of them?” Xander asked.
Gary looked at him calmly and answered his question with another question. “Why are you asking?”
Xander was a man after all. He looked at Gary intently and said, “Don’t you understand? This is the first time you have personally received a female client. On top of that, you even called for Riley, Howard, and me. If you weren’t interested in their beauty, why would you be so diligent? At first, I guessed that you liked Ms. Amelia. But it’s too bad that she’s pregnant. However, Tiffany is not too shabby either. She’s a looker and has a nice figure. Although she’s not as good as Ms. Amelia, she’s still gorgeous. The problem is, you’re too uncouth. I’m not sure if a delicate beauty like her would take a fancy toward you.”
Gary glared at him. “How am I uncouth? I have money, cars, and houses. I have everything that most men work so hard for. What’s a woman got to be unsatisfied about?”
Unsure if he was bold or simply stupid, Xander said, “Oh please! If it were a gold digger, perhaps she would be attracted to what you own. But Amelia and Tiffany Winters aren’t that types of women.”
Gary had felt differently toward Amelia from the beginning. She was indeed the type of woman he was attracted to. Whenever he was near to her, he could feel his heart thumping loudly against his ribcage, as if he’d returned to his adolescent years when he had a crush on a girl for the first time.
“So, tell me. How am I incompatible with the two of them?”
Xander scrutinized Gary from head to toe. He scratched his chin and grinned. “Do you really want me to be honest?”
“Shoot.”
“It’s obvious. You and they clearly belong in two different worlds. You could tell with one glance that they’re intellectual beings—poised and sophisticated. You, on the other hand, are almost twice the size of them, behave unrefinedly, are unromantic, and are completely ignorant of what women want. It’s far from the type of man women are looking for.”
Am I that terrible? Gary’s face looked terrible. I’m an easy-going person, am generous to friends, have a good balance between work and personal life, earn well, and can even cook. I am practically an all-rounded man. If I were to have a girlfriend, she’ll definitely be treated like a princess. Don’t women these days like men like me?
Noticing his mood, Xander bounced off the table and prepared himself to flee. “Don’t be mad.” He raised both arms in surrender. “Listen to me. Otherwise, you can forget about dating someone else’s woman.”
Gary inhaled a deep breath and pointed at the chair. “Sit,” he said. “If you do not make yourself clear today, you’re not allowed to take a single step out of this office.”
Xander patted his chest, feigning a look of horror on his face. “How can you do that?”
Gary’s body was filled with goosebumps. He truly couldn’t handle a grown man acting coquettishly. “Xander Erikson. Try making that expression again and I’ll let you have a go with a real torture chamber.”
Xander gasped. “This is violent suppression.”
“You irritating rascal! You still have the guts to mince my words.”
“Gary, I am merely teaching you how to pick up girls. Otherwise, based on your incomprehensible temperament, it would be impossible to catch any of the two women.”
Frustrated, Gary questioned, “So you say. Then tell me, which part of me am I inferior to other men?”
“Gary, you are an atypical Mr. Perfect. Women with your physique would most certainly take a liking to you. However, I reckon Amelia and Tiffany Winters prefer men who look gentle and refined. I highly doubt you’re the type of man they like. Moreover, the fact that they could hire bodyguards would mean they do not lack the money. Hence, if you like one of them, you best be prepared to be broken-hearted.”
This brat! All he can say about me is this bullshit?
Gary randomly picked up a file on the desk and threw it toward Xander. “You weasel! I haven’t even had a chance to date, and you’re already saying I can’t make it.”
Xander managed to dodge it with his quick reflexes. “Calm down!” he urged. “Listen. I personally think Riley isn’t too bad. She’s only a few years younger than you, has a decent-looking face, is considerate, isn’t capricious, and is your right-hand woman both in your work and personal life. Why don’t you consider her?”
Gary frowned. “Xander Erikson, you weasel. I see Riley as my own sister. I intend to see her get married in the future. I’ll skin you if you blabber all that nonsense one more time!”
Xander sighed. His skull is too thick. Nothing gets in. Poor Riley…
“Gary, you’ll break Riley’s heart if she hears you.” Xander shook his head disappointedly. “She’s carried a torch for you for so long, yet you’re so oblivious to it. I even suspect whether you’re doing it on purpose or if you truly have a piece of wood for a brain.”
Gary knitted his brows. “Riley and I are completely platonic. I only see her as a sister and she sees me as her senior. Stop saying rubbish or I’ll really skin you alive.”
Shrugging, Xander said, “You may see her as a sister, but how are you so sure she sees you the same? If you truly do not feel anything for her, then quit giving her the wrong impression. A young lady like her has no resistance when it comes to a Mr. Perfect like you. She’s already plunged way too deep, yet you’re still claiming she’s a sister to you.”
Gary was genuinely stupefied. It had never crossed his mind that the concern Riley showed him was out of infatuation. As Xander said, he was indeed a blockhead when it came to women he had no interest in. No matter how they try to fawn upon him, he always assumed it was platonic.
Xander decided he had said enough. With both hands at the back of his head, he did a little stretch and said, “All right, I’m going back to work now. Think about what I said. I still think you and the Winters ladies belong in two different worlds. If you really want to go after one of them, then you better be prepared to put in two hundred percent effort.”
Having said that, Xander left the office, leaving Gary behind as he moped in his seat.
Being deemed a failure before he even tried made him feel exceptionally displeased. Although he felt something for Amelia, it wasn’t that serious to the extent he would screw his principles and be a homewrecker. Therefore, it was unfortunate that he could only let that be a passing phase.
He raked through his hair in frustration, feeling utterly indignant. It took over thirty years for him to take a liking to a woman. Yet, fate had to let that woman be married and pregnant. Albeit he knew it was impossible between them, his heart would immediately begin to race whenever he pictured Amelia’s beautiful face. As for Riley’s feelings for him, he couldn’t and didn’t want to waste a second fretting over it.
After all, he truly saw her only as a sister and was persistent that she saw him the same way. Everything Xander said earlier had completely fallen on deaf ears.
