"I am sorry Jake; I didn't mean to be rude. I appreciate your efforts, I do. It's just today I am kind of disturbed".
"What happened Emma? You know you can talk to
me?"
"I don't know how to ask you this, but what do you think of Aunt Olivia?"
"Aunt Olivia? She is like a mother to me. I grew up in her care. Why what happened?" I read his expression. It didn't look good.
"Umm... nothing in particular. I think I heard her talk to someone about me. She seems to be a bit off. I think she doesn't like me." I found it hard to explain him in the right words.
"What are you implying Emma? She has been a part of our family since years now, I trust her blindly."
"I know, I am sorry. Ever since I got here, I have a feeling that someone has been keeping an eye on me. Today I felt my stuff was checked upon too."
"Emma, relax. I think you are just over-thinking. All this has been overwhelming for you. I trust Aunt Olivia. Nothing is off about her, I am sure."
"But I heard Jake..."
"Yes, maybe she generally talked about you to someone, it's okay if she did. She is still getting to know you. Don't feel paranoid. Trust me." He cut me off and then placed his hand on top of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze
I was not convinced at all, but clearly, Jake's years of trust on his aunt was hard to tear through. I felt terrible as he didn't trust my words immediately, but we had only known each other for a couple of months now.
I took a deep breath and decided to let it go, for now at least. I will just be alert for the time being and look for some proof before bringing up this topic again.
I nodded, looking deep in his eyes. He was oblivious to a lot of things around him. I needed to be on guard for his sake, if not anything else.
I smiled warmly at him, which immediately relaxed him as he smiled back. Soon our food was served, and we both hogged as we were so hungry.
"You know Emma. I think I have an idea to ease things a bit."
"You do? Like what?" I took another bite of my steak before replying to him.
"Too much happened too soon for us. You’re moving in, living in my parent's house, meeting my mom and then lunching with Erica. It's a lot and not normal at all."
I pondered on his words before nodding, "I agree. What are you suggesting?"
"I think you are entitled to have a breather. For starters, we start work tomorrow, which is good for both of us; and then you should invite your friends over. Having familiar faces around will feel like routine again."
"You mean we invite them over to your family house? Are you sure?"
"Yes, why not? I would like to meet your friends too. I hardly have met people who are close to you, your friends, your family. I would very much like to be a part of their lives too." He looked at me tenderly. His composed face emanated love and honesty.
You got lucky the second time Emma. He was always so thoughtful. My heart felt touched and was swooning over his gestures.
"That's a great idea, Jake. By the way, I told my mom about you today. I called her in the morning."
"You did? Did you tell her you are living with me?" His face lit up at my words.
"Umm no. I just mentioned we are dating. I did not want to scare her at a go. But I do intend to make you meet them very soon."
"Of course, Emma. Whenever you decide." He intertwined our fingers and lowered his head to kiss the back of my hand.
"Great. It's settled then. I will invite Niki and Britney over, and maybe Max and Barry too, you know? They can keep you company. And soon after we will visit my parents." I was excited. He did succeed in changing my mood, after all.
"Absolutely. This Thursday is off, by the way, it's kind of kiddish, but it's Halloween night. We can have them over and watch horror movies together. We can use our entertainment room."
"You have an entertainment room?" Even though he was a billionaire, but it still wasn't normal for me to have such luxurious resources available at our beck and call.
"Yes, in the west wing. It has the best screen and sound system. I will give you a tour."
"Remind me, who are you again? It's hard to keep pace with your rich, luxurious lifestyle." My tone and words were both laced with sarcasm.
"Well, I am sure you will get used to it. So, tell me, are you okay with this idea?"
"Yes. Sounds great." I had the widest grin on my face.
We both spent a good evening after that and then headed back home together. As promised by him, I enjoyed our private dinner a lot. On our way back, I decided to send a message to both my girlfriends together, so I started a group chat.
Emma - Hey, Girls! I am planning something exciting. This Thursday!
Britney - What is it, babe?
Niki - Oh! You finally found time to think about us. You have been ghosting on us ever since you moved in with him.
Niki had been a bit mad at me since the past week. She flipped when I told her about Jake's apartment and that we moved in together, that too right after the next day of losing my virginity to him. Long story short, she found all this to be dangerous, unreal and going at lightning speed. As always, she was worried about me and not entirely approved of the situation.
