Loving My Best Friend

Ch 16 - The Dinner

“Erwin, when is that man coming?” Emily asked on the phone and sighed in frustration. She had been waiting for 10 minutes sitting in the cafe waiting for the private investigator to show up for their meeting. It was time she kept a check on her father for her family's sake.

“Ma’am, he’s just there, I promise. Just wait for a minute,” Erwin, Emily’s secretary replied.

“Ok, fine. I am waiting.” She glanced at her watch again.

Emily hung up and looked around. It was then she spotted a man walking in the cafe dressed in shabby clothing. He was dressed in an oversized coat, with a cap on his head and dark glasses that hid his eyes. He was walking towards Emily’s table and she figured out it was the private investigator.

She adjusted her sunglasses on her nose and eyed him closely.

The man appeared to be in his late forties and calmly walked up to her, asking, “Is that Emily?”

Emily nodded and he took a seat in front of her.

“I am Albert, as you know,” he said, and Emily nodded again.

“Albert, this is his file,” Emily said, passing a file to him discreetly. The private investigator, Albert, took the file and kept it inside his coat.

“You just have to follow him and report to me about his whereabouts. Make sure he doesn’t find out at any cost,” Emily said, and Albert nodded.

“Don’t worry, he won’t.”

Emily sighed and nodded at him. “Great, I will leave now. Your p*****t will be processed in two days.”

Albert nodded and then left quietly. Emily slumped down on the seat and wondered if this was going to work. She hired a private investigator to keep an eye on her father, but would that be fruitful? Would she be able to stop him?

She wished she could.

~~~~~~~~~

“David, are you ready?” Emily yelled from downstairs. She tugged at the strap of her beige dress that reached her knees and hugged her body highlighting her curves.

“Wait a minute!” David yelled from above and Emily gritted her teeth. Their parents had already left and Emily was to accompany David on the ride. She sighed and wondered what had gotten into her when she had agreed to share a ride with him.

She ran a hand through her dirty blonde hair and glanced at her watch. “We’re already late, David.”

They were invited to dinner by Bernard Hansen to celebrate Oliver joining their company. Bernard Hansen wanted to thank Emily personally for her support, so he had invited their family to dinner at his home.

“OK, let’s go.” David came downstairs and together they left for dinner.

Upon reaching the mansion, Emily took out the bouquet and gift she had bought for Oliver for a new beginning in his professional life, to congratulate him.

David and Emily walked inside the mansion and saw everyone in the lounge seated together, chatting happily. All the eyes followed the movement and saw Emily and David walking in.

“Emily, you’re finally here,” Eleanor said and came rushing to her. Emily hugged her back and smiled.

“Sorry, I got late because of David. He was taking forever to get ready,” Emily clarified, but Eleanor waved at her.

“It’s okay. You’re not that late,” Eleanor said, and took Emily to sit with her.

Emily greeted everyone else and sat down with Eleanor. It was then her eyes fell on Oliver, who had his eyes already on her.

She smiled hesitantly and then remembered the gift and bouquet she had brought for him. Looking around, she wondered if it was the right time to give him. She got up and took the gift and bouquet to him. Oliver stood up to meet her and looked straight into her eyes.

“Hi, congratulations on your new role. I bought this for you,” Emily passed the gift and bouquet to him and he accepted with a smile. The gift she had bought for him was personalized for him and Emily had put so much thought in it. She wondered if he was going to like it.

“Thank you, Emily. You didn’t have to,” Oliver said.

“No, you deserve it.” Emily said and he smiled reluctantly.

“Thank you,” Oliver said formally, and Emily wondered if he was being sarcastic or sincere.

After all, he hadn’t talked to her for the last few days, since he had left her company. Their last conversation hadn’t ended with good words and Emily wondered if they were going to be okay. She had tried to contact him but he hadn’t replied to any of her messages or calls. Emily had first presumed that he might be busy. She had hoped that the dinner would bring them back to good terms, but seeing Oliver being formal with her, she doubted it. Now she was sure he was deliberately ignoring her.

With a reluctant smile, Emily went back towards Eleanor and sat down. Because if he wasn’t interested in talking to her, why should she continue to humiliate herself? She had been trying to contact him for the past few days but it was him who was adamant on severing ties. She felt anger brewing inside her at his behavior.

After dinner, when Eleanor excused herself to tend to her infant son, Emily was left alone. She walked towards the terrace and looked around the scenery, feeling the fresh air on her and basking in the moonlight.

It was then she felt her phone vibrating. Upon taking it out of her purse, she saw the private investigator’s name on the screen.

“Yes, Albert,” Emily said into the phone.

“He has sent flowers to some woman on Tuesday and is going to meet her late tonight,” Albert said, and Emily frowned.

“Where are they meeting?”

“I will get the location for you in a while. Or I can follow him,” Albert said, and Emily nodded in thought.

“Follow him and take pictures,” she said and hung up. She turned around to go back to the living room but she was surprised to see Bernard standing there with a serious face.

“Is everything okay?” He asked and Emily nodded reluctantly.

“Yes, everything’s fine,” she said, avoiding his eyes.

“Emily, if you’re ever in trouble, you can consult me. You know I am here to help you,” Bernard said, and Emily sighed.

“I know you will, and I am grateful for your support.”

Bernard patted her head lightly and left.

Emily stared after him and tears filled her eyes. Bernard was the father she never had. Her own father was loving until she confronted him about his actions. After that, he was hostile towards her. But Bernard was always standing there for Emily like a father should be. He had also invested in her business so she could build a company of her own. But her own father… Despite having his own small business, he never bothered to even participate or even ask about the company or Emily’s work. It was evident that he was busy with whatever he had going on the other side.

~~~~~~~~

It was late at night when Oliver was looking at the gifts Emily had given him. He hadn’t bothered to open it and the bouquet was lying like a rag doll on the dresser in his room.

He glanced at the bouquet and Emily’s words echoed in his mind.

“Perhaps it’s better that you’re leaving… The sooner the better,”

He clenched his hands into fists in anger.

What did she think of herself? He was the one trying to make things better between them, but yet she acted like he was the culprit. Why was she pretending to be blind to something that they both knew was there and obvious? And wasn’t Oliver doing the best he could to maintain the platonic nature of their friendship? Then why was she acting like she was the only one affected by it? She was being a hypocrite by being upset when he didn’t tell her about his new role and then telling him to leave because she was troubled by the physical attraction between them.

In two long strides, he walked up to the dresser and picked up the gift and the bouquet. He stared at them for a moment and all they reminded him was how Emily kicked him out of her life both times. How she always had no trouble pushing him away. Was he that easy to discard?

He walked up to the trashcan in his room and dropped both items in it. He didn’t care about her fake concern or happiness for him.