Kiri leaped on top of the table.
She sat on her hinge legs. Her pale purple eyes stared at her hooman. Ambryan leaned on the backrest, his hand shielding his eyes. Another button on his dress shirt was unclasped. He used the time interval for a quick rest.
Talking to three women exhausted him.
“Meow.”
Ambryan put his hand down, finally meeting his cat’s stare. Kiri wore a satisfied expression. Wet cat food stained her lips. He opened a different drawer and took out a tissue. He wiped off the leftover salmon flakes. The cat sneezed when he threw the tissue away.
“There you go,” Ambryan told her as she yawned. He grabbed the anti-radiation glasses from the table and put them on. Patting her head, he turned back to the computer. “Go sleep. It’s nap time”
“Meow, meow!” Kiri yawned one last time before she tucked in her legs and lied down. Her head nestled on her front legs. Her bushy tail wrapped around her, keeping her warm. A light snore vibrated in her throat.
Only two gray circles were left. The rest were moved to a tab that Ambryan couldn’t access yet. Once he finished these, he could finally go back to more important matters.
The 4th circle lit.
It revealed a beautiful girl with pale skin, light blonde hair and amber eyes. Her plump pink lips glinted against the artificial light. It also emphasized the gold hue in her eyes.
Ambryan exhaled sharply, clicking on the photo. He skimmed through her profile. He already knew this woman. She might be the only he’d recognized out of everyone. Her father and him had several business transactions over the years.
.
```
Name: Jane Wilson
Age: 24
Education: College graduate
Interests: Interior design, fashion, cosmetics
Bio: I’m Jane. I appreciate beautiful things. I invest in many couture items like bags. When taken care of, their value goes up and reaches double the original price. I personalized all my belongings. Just a little Jane kind of touch to them. I guess you can say, I always know what I want.
```
.
Ambryan felt a headache coming.
He wondered why his mother picked younger women. They still had the energy of teenagers—at least, the residue of it. They’d drain him more than his work ever did. Was it some kind of ploy? What would her reasoning be for this?
Shaking his head, Ambryan typed out his first message.
.
``Yan: Jane, why are you here?``
``Jane: Ambryan! Good to see you! And is that any way to greet a friend?``
``Yan: If you really are a friend then, you know that I go straight to the point.``
``Jane: Hmm...``
``Jane: Fair enough. I’m here because I wanted to help Aunt Avery. She gets really heartbroken every time she hears about your dating life. I told her that if there is any way for me to help, I’d be more than glad to do it. So here I am!``
.
Ambryan pressed his index fingers together, lacing the others. He placed them against his forehead and his nose. His violet shut closed as he scowled. This woman was the daughter of his business partner. It wouldn’t be good if this conversation ended on a bad note.
How did a person pretend to be nice?
A ping broke him out of his reverie. He flashed his eyes open and read his new messages.
.
``Jane: Hello? Ambryan? Lmao. Did I scare you off? Aw, come on. You know I don’t bite.``
``Jane: I won’t pounce on you. If I wanted to, wouldn’t have I done that by now?``
.
‘Maybe you haven’t but you did volunteer as my date before,’ Ambryan thought. There hadn’t been any witness but he’d been wary of her since then. When nothing else happened, he pushed it to the back of his mind.
Still, he kept their conversations civilized and around others.
This website belonged outside of his approved places.
.
``Yan: Even if you try, I guarantee it would be a failed attempt.``
``Jane: How cruel. Isn’t this site for you to become more open? You would need to be if you’d be dating for, at least, nine months. I’ll gladly give you tips if you’re unsure of what to do.``
``Yan: There is no need for that. I am more than capable of handling things in my own way.``
``Jane: Hahaha! If that were true, why does this website exist?``
.
‘Because mother didn’t approve of my methods,’ Ambryan replied in his head. How long did he need to keep this up for? The only thing positive about it was that Jane loved to talk. She could fill up the rest of the time by herself.
.
``Yan: Simply because there are people who disagree.``
``Jane: Then, by being here, aren’t you confirming their opinion?``
``Yan: I have my reasons.``
``Jane: Ohoo~ perhaps you have an eye on someone? Does Aunt Avery know? Are you using this as an excuse to become closer with her? Aw, I knew you weren’t that cold.``
.
Ambryan pinched the bride of his nose. ‘Was this brat delusional? How did her brain work for it to come up with that conclusion?’
.
``Yan: Ms. Wilson, think what you will but my reasons will remain private.``
``Jane: Booo. You are no fun. You should loosen up a bit more. Maybe a massage would help you?``
``Yan: I am perfectly fine without one.``
``Jane: I learned this trick overseas. It relaxes both body and mind. It’s A-MA-ZING.``
``Yan: I politely decline, Ms. Wilson.``
``Jane: And what is this ‘Ms. Wilson’ stuff? We’ve gone past that remember? You don’t need to treat me as a stranger.``
.
Kiri’s tail swept across the table, causing her hooman to look at her. Her face had a serene expression. Her eyes stayed close. Ambryan could see her back rise and fall. His hand reached out to brush her fur.
Somehow, it helped him relax.
Then before he knew it, he typed out a new message for Jane to read.
.
``Yan: Excuse me, Jane. I received an urgent call from the office. This conversation may need to stop here if I don’t get back right away.``
``Jane: Lol! I don’t know if you���re serious or not but I don’t mind. There’s still a week left, isn’t it? Aunt Avery may not see what the conversation is about but she can see how long they last. You’ll still need to reply until it ends.``
.
Ambryan minimized the chat window. If Jane decided to send anything else, he would not see it.
He took out his phone and dialed a familiar number. He may have lied that he received a call but he did have something urgent. Almost an hour had passed and his email remained unanswered. Someone seemed to be slacking on the job.
He considered that as an urgent matter.
“Richard Kingston, it’s almost 3 in the afternoon. What is Venus’ decision?”
“Yan!” His friend greeted him from the other line. “Wait… aren’t you supposed to be in a chat right now?”
Ambryan raised an eyebrow. His voice came out sharp. “So you think that’s a good excuse for you to delay the decision?”
“Of course not, one of our staff got sick. We are looking into pulling the numbers with someone else but that person is new. The progress is going slow,” Richard explained.
Ambryan gave him the benefit of the doubt. He delayed the investment for another hour. If the response was still unavailable, he’d personally visit the company. His presence would add the pressure that he needed them to feel.
Seizing the opportunity, his friend changed the topic. “Anyway, how are the ladies? Did you fancy anyone?”
Ambryan locked his jaw. He found the question difficult to answer.
“...”
“I’ll take your silence as a no then?” Richard chuckled. “Did Jane chat with you yet?”
Ambryan narrowed his eyes. “You know about her?”
“I, uh…”
Hearing the hesitation, Ambryan uncrossed his legs. “Richard, what did you do?”
Richard gulped. His response came out broken. “I-I may have to-told your... mother that-that… I think Jane has a crush on you? We were just chatting and having fun when it came up. I didn’t think that she’d take it seriously!”
Ambryan closed his eyes and groaned. He hit his forehead with the base of his palm. “You of all people know that I can’t stand her.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell that to your mother now, could I?!” His friend defended, half-yelling. “What would I even say if she asks for the reason? You never really gave one. You just said you felt uncomfortable around her.”
“You could come up with anything,” Ambryan pointed out. He glared out his window and reconsidered his words. “As long as you explicitly say that it’s your opinion and not mine.”
Richard sighed. He should have expected this. He recovered from his panic and elaborated more on the subject. “I didn’t think it would be a problem since there are four other women. She already knows you’re a workaholic so if you don’t reply right away, it’s not a problem.”
...
…
…
…
…
“Richard…”
“Y-Yes?”
“Why are women tiring?”
“Ugh, that bad, huh?” His friend breathed out, feeling relieved. “How many more are left?”
Ambryan turned back to the monitor.
The lone gray circle faded from the center, making its way out. A button nose peeked out. Followed by red lips stretched in a coy smile. One hazel eye shined at him underneath a soft-arched brow. The other had been blocked by a red clutch.
Wavy crimson hair framed her face.
When the photo finished its reveal, ivory cursive letters appeared under it.
‘Evangeline.’
“Just one.”
