Irresistible Attraction

Chapter 8

Charlotte

We had lunch at the previous seafood restaurant. Maybe Caelan loved the foods here but I had to admit the dishes were amazing. Last time, I tried the fish and chips and I loved them. So, I ordered that again.

“You like the fish and chips,” he commented.

“I am.”

“You can order anything you want.” He started it again.

“I appreciate it but thank you. I can’t do that to you even though I have refused you to paid mine as well.”

“I don’t mind. It’s me who invited you anyway.”

“I’m working too, Caelan. And I have money.”

“I can’t let a lady paid for her lunch.” Again, that was very sweet of him and that charming smile just made me unable to open my mouth again.

Our drinks arrived and I asked, “How’s your book?”

“Doing well. I definitely made the right choice making you as my muse.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“You are. Writer’s block is author’s worst enemy.”

“Do you mind telling me what are you working on?”

Caelan drank his water. Putting down his glass and his elbows on opt of the table while resting his chin on his hands. His blue eyes were staring straight at the flower decoration in the middle of the table. “Redemption,” he replied and I blinked. Redemption? “I have two characters; male and female. The man is broken and lost. He closed his heart from anyone until this woman appeared.”

“And they fall in love,” I added.

He chuckled and directed his eyes to me. “The woman is but the man is so complicated. He doesn’t know if he’s in love with her or not. His soul is injured and he refused to have people within his space.”

“And this woman came and turned his world upside-down,” I added again.

“Correct. And that…is how I’m stuck. I can imagine the man clearly, how he looks like, how he acts, what he has been through, but it’s difficult for me to write down the female. I thought no woman could be brave enough to stay beside a challenging man such as my character. I didn’t write anything for a couple of months until I laid my eyes on you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You are just as perfect as I wanted to describe my female lead. Sweet yet brave. Vulnerable yet tough.” He saw me like that? Oh, my God. I didn’t know whether to be happy or not.

“I’m not like that.”

“You look down on yourself too much. I’ve seen how you interact with Greyson before.”

“You have?”

He nodded his head. “I was about to enter my car when I watched how you two talked. I saw how you talked with him loosely.”

“That’s because we’ve been friends since long ago.”

“I envy you, actually. I never had a childhood friend.”

“Do you have friends?”

“I have but not that many. You are a lucky girl for having Greyson as your friend.”

“Best friend.”

“Even better.”

Maybe I was indeed lucky. I had Greyson as my best friend. It couldn’t be someone else. It had to be Greyson. He was the one who protected me and stayed by my side. When I was bullied by the boys even when I lost my parents, Greyson never walked away. He always there, whenever I needed him when I didn’t even aware of it.

I loved him and I would never leave him too.

Our lunches arrived as the waiter put down our plates. As I was about to dig in, “This might sound awkward but I want to see you again,” he said. See me? Like…how?

“Sure, you can call me whenever you came to the library.”

He exhaled. “That’s not what I meant. What I mean is I want to see you again outside the library.” Outside the library? I was still confused. But I got the answer I needed immediately when he said, “Can I have a date with you?” And my eyes slightly bulged. Did he just ask me out for a date? Hold on. I didn’t hear it wrong, right? Or was this a dream?

Until he chuckled. “You didn’t hear it wrong, Lola,” he said like he could read my mind. “I wanted to get to know you more if I’m allowed. And of course, if you are still single.”

“Oh, I’m not seeing anybody.”

“Not even Greyson?”

“He’s my best friend, we don’t date.”

Caelan nodded his head. “I have to make sure or I will make somebody burning in jealousy,” he joked and I giggled. “You have a beautiful laugh. And you are pretty too. You must be popular.”

“I’m not.”

“Come on, I’ve seen how other guy users were looking at you every time you walked around pushing a tray full of books. They practically had their eyes on you all the time until you were gone.”

“How did you know that?”

“Because I was looking at you,” he easily said and my heart jumped out of me, doing the celebration dancing.

Caelan did not just say that. He was looking at me too? Oh, maybe because I was his muse so had to examine me.

I cleared my throat. “Some of them came to talk to me.”

“I know. That’s why I always waited until the line was clear.” My laugh boomed. He was so funny. “I was scared one of them is your boyfriend.”

“I don’t have any.”

“How about a crush?” I shook my head and he showed his gorgeous smile. “So, you are available then.”

“Available it is,” I repeated like he just told me to. Silently.

“So, Miss Summer? Would you like to go on a date with me?” he asked formally.

“Yes, I would love to.”

“I can’t wait for it then. Do you mind if I have your number after we finished our lunch? This is so inappropriate of me, isn’t it?”

“No, I don’t mind. I can’t wait too,” I assured, making him smile, I soon followed.

We both started our lunches.

I couldn’t believe Caelan just invited me for a date.

I couldn’t wait.

***

Greyson

“f*****g hell!”

“Yes! Eat that, asshole!” Owen cursed excitedly.

I still couldn’t f*****g believe it. How the f**k I lost to Owen? In my favorite game; Dragon Ball FighterZ? How the heck that happened? I was undefeated whenever I challenged Owen or my teammates. How the f**k I lost?

“f**k, yeah!”

“Shut the f**k up, Owen!”

“Whatever, man. That’s rare for you to lose. Are you okay?”

“I am.” Come to think of it, my mind was not on the right track when I suddenly thought of Lola and bam! I lost. Well, if I wanted to be an asshole, I could blame Lola but that would be so childish. I didn’t know why but I had a funny feeling about her.

I threw the stick and stood up. “Where are you going?”

“Out,” I replied annoyingly. I headed outside the garage while pulling my phone, dialing Lola’s number immediately, and put the phone on my ear. She didn’t pick up. What the hell? It was lunchtime now. s**t, I forgot to ask her if she had had her lunch or not. I tried again but the same result.

Now I was in panic mode.

Lola always picked up my call. So, I texted her.

Where are you?

Usually, she would reply in less than five minutes. But after I waited for solid three minutes, there was no reply. I could be getting a f*****g seizure now so I called her again. This time, she picked up and I sighed in relief.

“Hello?”

And I was back on a mission. “Where the hell are you?”

“I just came back from lunch. I’m not for not picking up your call soon. I was too preoccupied on something.” Preoccupied on what?

“Did you have lunch with your colleagues?”

“No, I was with Caelan.” That was it. My heart just got bulldozed by a f*****g truck. No wonder she didn’t pick up my call. She was being swooned by the professor.

“I see.” I tried to act calm even when my mind wanted to scream and swearing all the blue languages I could find. Lola would slap me clean in the face if I dared. “And how was it?”

“Good. He paid for everything.”

“What?” Good Lord, that mas must be having an ulterior motive for paying Lola’s lunch.

“I tried to refuse but he said no.”

“You need to be careful around him.”

“I don’t think he’s a bad man.” Oh, come on, Lola. You couldn’t be this f*****g naïve.

“Men are a wolf in disguise, Lola.”

“But you’re not.” See? Her naiveness just increased to a whole new level. Too naïve for her own good. She had no idea what kind of dirty minds I had stored inside my filthy head.

And she crushed my heart completely when she continued, “He wants to have a date with me.” Motherfucker.

“And what did you say?” I asked, knowing what she would say to him.

“I said yes.” Nice, I just got hit by a truck. Crushed by Lola. Now I was dead.

“I’m glad,” I lazily commented.

“Thank you.”

“Why you told me that?”

“I feel like to.”

“I don’t need to know that.”

“I’m sorry.” Great, I was officially a jackass.

“I just wanted to make sure if you had your lunch, that’s why I called. I’ll pick you up this evening.”

“Oh, Caelan will take me home.” f*****g bastard!

“What does he ride?”

“A Camry?”

Camry, a car, that should be safe…I hope.

“Fine. Just be careful, okay?”

“I will.” I ended the call.

Now I was pissed and kicked the tire next to me.

I was an i***t.

A big i***t asshole.