My CEO Bestie And Me

Chapter 7... Her admirers

Ben chuckled, knowing he had been asking Lerisa out, yet she didn't want to accept him.

Lerisa was the first woman who had ever rejected his advances to date her, and he was determined to have her by force, whether she liked him or not. Ben believed that, with time, Lerisa would fall in love with him too.

He replied, "Does it matter how I got your number, Lerisa? The truth is that I want to hear your voice. I have been searching for your mobile number and finally got it from somewhere else."

"Where?" Lerisa asked, frowning, not wanting to have anything to do with Ben.

She knew that Ben was also from a rich family, not the first son, but he owned a hotel and was doing well at his age, despite being the same age as Anthony.

Lerisa asked him, "Why are you calling me?"

"Chill, babe. Why are you sounding so pissed off? Yesterday, I saw that you looked so sad, and that made me truly worried about you. I couldn't sleep well last night, which is why I am calling you now to know how you're faring."

Lerisa apologized, "I am so sorry about that. So why are you calling me now?" She repeated her question, feeling inclined to end the call with him. But she didn't want to be rude, as she wasn't brought up to be disrespectful.

Ben replied, "I just want to know how you're faring. Tell me, how are you doing now?"

"I'm fine now. Thank you for calling me," Lerisa said, and Ben responded, "Don't mention it. I'm glad to hear your voice and to know that you're fine. Can we see each other later, hang out somewhere nice, and chill out together? That will make you feel better and calm your nerves."

"No," Lerisa quickly responded, telling him, "I'm sorry. I cannot hang out with you today."

"Why?" Ben asked, trying not to sound annoyed with her rejection.

She said, "Nothing, Ben. Honestly, I just don't want to hang out with you." Lerisa didn't know how best to tell Ben that she wasn't interested in him.

She had told him countless times that she wasn't interested in being his woman. Yet Ben didn't want to listen to her refusal.

He said, "I can understand how you're feeling, Lerisa, but you can just give me a chance. Let me prove my love to you, and let us hang out first, even if it's just once." Ben begged, and Lerisa replied, "Okay, but probably not today."

"Why? But you don't work on Saturdays, do you?"

"No, but I have somewhere to be. Goodbye, and take care of yourself." Lerisa quickly hung up the phone, sighed deeply, dropped her phone back on her bed, and went to search for a gown to wear shopping.

Lerisa wasted more time searching for a simple gown until she finally picked out a wine-colored one. She placed it on the bed and went into the bathroom to take a bath. She stepped out, dried her body, and applied lemon cream.

Lerisa was very fair in complexion, finished applying her cream. She wore her wine gown, brown sandals, and finally combed her long blonde hair. Then she neatly packed it into a bun and glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

She was not the type of lady to apply makeup, preferring to admire her natural looks. The wine-colored gown was V-shaped.

She took her phone and car key, placed them in her red purse, and finally walked out of her room, all set to go shopping.

Lerisa wanted to purchase a new gown to wear to Anthony Gregson's 30th birthday celebration. She wanted to look new, even though she knew that Anthony wouldn't acknowledge her, seeing her only as a sister.

Likewise, she knew that Anthony was from a Christian family like hers. His birthday celebration would be a simple one in his family home, as his parents wouldn't support him celebrating in a hotel.

They still treated Anthony like a child and would reprimand him, not minding that he was a grown man, now 30-years-old.

Lerisa shut her room door and stepped out into the corridor, ready to leave her family house for the mall.

She walked through the corridor into the living room but didn't see her mother there. She walked back to the corridor, went to her mother's room door to check, and informed her mother that she was leaving for the mall.

Knock! Knock!

Lerisa stood knocking at her mother's room door, not hearing a response. She frowned, gently pushed her mother's door open, peeked in, and saw her mother sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Carefully, Lerisa shut the door, went out, and met her father and Anthony's father standing outside in their compound.

"Good morning, father. Good morning, sir," Lerisa greeted the two men standing in the compound.

Mr. Joshua smiled at Lerisa before responding to her greeting.

"Good morning, Lerisa. How are you today?" he asked, and she replied, "I'm fine, sir."

"That's good to hear. Thank you for taking over your father's position in the company. I can see your help and progress in helping Anthony manage the company affairs very well," Mr. Joshua Gregson praised Lerisa.

(He was wearing a brown shirt, black trousers, and black slippers. He was a 62-year-old Black man.)

Lerisa replied, "Thank you, sir. It's my pleasure to work with Anthony too."

"That's good. I hope you're attending the birthday celebration tonight at our home."

"Yes, sir. Anthony already invited me," Lerisa said, meeting Mr. Joshua Gregson's intense gaze.

He smiled again and replied, "That's good to hear. Mr. Fred, I have to start going home now. We will meet again on Monday to discuss the meeting with the chiefs and landowners here."

"That's alright. I will be looking forward to the result," Mr. Fred replied as he escorted his friend towards their compound gate. Lerisa said to her father, "Dad, I'm leaving the house now and going shopping."

"Okay, Lerisa, but don't stay out too long. Is your mother inside the house?" Mr. Fred asked after Joshua exited their gate and left the compound.

Lerisa replied, "Yes, father."

"Okay, go quickly and be back on time." Mr. Fred walked back into the house, and Lerisa opened the gate, as their gateman wasn't around.

Lerisa thought about employing another trusted gateman to manage the gate for them since her salary at LH. Group was substantial.

She drove her car outside the compound, stepped out to lock the gate, then she got back in and drove off to the shopping mall.