Ella’s POV:
The room was quiet as I settled into the sofa, absentmindedly flipping through an old magazine, I didn’t rember picking up.
The pages were filled with glossy pictures of places I’d never been, of cities far away and unknown, as I absentmindedly run my hand over my belly, feeling the soft, reassuring movent beneath my fingertips.
I smiled, thinking of the little one growing inside , already so present in my world.
My phone suddenly buzzed against the coffee table, snapping out of my reverie. It took a second for my eyes to focus on the caller ID, but when I saw Arec’s na flash across the screen, my brows knit together in surprise.
Arec hardly ever called unless it was about sothing work-related. Most of the ti, it was so minor question about a report or a file, or a request for to dig through old records. And with the temporary secretary he’d hired, I couldn’t help but wonder if the poor man was even doing his job. Sotis, it felt like Arec just defaulted to calling , too used to relying on to bother giving anyone else a chance. I made a ntal note to talk to him about that before I picked up.
"Hello, Arec." I greeted, trying to keep my tone light but formal. "What’s up? Need sothing from the office?"
There was a small pause on the other end, and for a mont, I thought I’d been right. But then he cleared his throat and said.
"Hi, Ella," his voice slightly different, almost tentative. There was another brief pause, like he was gathering his thoughts. "I, uh... actually called for a different reason."
"Oh?" I leaned back into the couch, my interest piqued. "What’s going on?"
"Nothing’s wrong," he reassured quickly. "Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to join for a casual outing tonight. Sothing lighthearted, nothing serious. Just a chance to... unwind a bit."
I blinked, as I processed his words. An outing? With Arec? This was so unlike him. My mind flashed back to that awkward goodbye kiss we’d shared last ti he visited. It had been so quick, so fleeting, but the mory of it still lingered, making my heart race now as I thought about it. Was he... asking on a date?
But I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. This was Arec, after all, practical, reserved, and business-minded. I took a breath, trying to shake off the strange hope rising in . "Sure," I replied after a mont’s hesitation. "That sounds... nice."
"Great," he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. "I’ll pick you up at the penthouse around seven."
As I ended the call, a small smile played on my lips. A casual outing with Arec. My heart was still racing, a mixture of excitent and nervousness that felt foreign. I was about to call Kate and tell her, to get her opinion on what it all ant, but before I could dial her number, my phone buzzed again.
Joanne’s na popped onto the screen, and I groaned, sinking back into the couch. Joanne had beco increasingly present in my life lately, calling every other hour to "check in" or to chat about every little detail. Even my baby seed to kick in protest, as if they too were getting tired of Joanne’s constant calls. I took a deep breath, bracing myself before answering.
"Hi, Joanne," I greeted, trying to keep my tone polite.
"Oh, Ella!" she chirped, her voice full of enthusiasm. "How are you? And how’s the little one?"
"We’re doing well, thank you," I replied, bracing myself, expecting the usual run-down of endless questions, but she took a different turn.
"I’m so glad to hear it!" she continued, undeterred.
"Listen, I called because there’s an exclusive social gathering tonight. It’s going to be full of influential people. It’s a perfect chance to et people in Arec’s circle, to really understand his world.
This is an opportunity for you to understand his social circle and maybe even et so of the family friends. I managed to pull so strings and got an invitation for you!"
She barely paused to breathe, diving into a detailed description of the event, the guest list, and how much effort she’d put into securing my place. Her voice was bright and animated, but it felt like she was steamrolling , not even giving a chance to respond.
Eventually, she stopped, and I seized my mont. "That’s really thoughtful, Joanne, I really appreciate your invitation, but I already made plans."
"What ti should I co pick you up?" she asked, clearly not hearing my refusa.but I already made plans."
"Joanne," I repeated, a bit firr. "I already have plans tonight."
"What?" she asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "Plans?"
"Yes," I replied, feeling a twinge of awkwardness. "I’m going out with Arec tonight. I didn’t want to cancel on him."
There was a small pause, and when she replied, her tone was noticeably cooler. "Oh... a date with Arec. Huh?"
"Yes," I replied, feeling a bit guilty for disappointing her. Joanne was only trying to help adjust to Arec’s world, in her own way. I softened my tone. "Thank you so much for the invitation, though. It really ans a lot that you went to all that trouble. Maybe next ti?"
"Oh, of course. I understand," she said, but I could hear the edge of disappointnt. She lingered on the line a mont longer, then said, "It’s alright, Ella. Maybe next ti. Have fun tonight, then."
We said our goodbyes, and as I ended the call, I let out a deep sigh. Joanne was only trying to help, I reminded myself. She probably just wanted to feel more included, more connected to Arec’s world. But for so reason, the thought of going to that event with Joanne filled with dread, like it would just be another night of parading around strangers and trying to fit into an unfamiliar mold.
I run a hand over my belly. "Did you feel that, baby? I think we both dodged a bullet," I whispered, smiling at the little kick in response.
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