On the other hand, Penny pressed on the doorbell of the Kent’s house belonging to Mayleen’s uncle.
During her discussion with Ms. Jenny Kent, who was also Mayleen’s uncle’s wife, she was informed that she would have to work for the whole day until before dinner time. She had to babysit her one-year-old son, Neil Kent during the time when Ms. Kent was outside working. However, she wasn’t alone in the house. Mayleen’s uncle, Mason Kent was also around. His work time was flexible and he often worked at home, but he would always be busy in his study. Ms. Kent would let her use the entire house to babysit Neil but she was not allowed to enter Mason’s study unless she needed help for something. She wasn’t allowed to do anything noisy that might disturb Mason Kent as well.
Penny was fine with all the terms because it was worth the wages. She was thinking idly in front of the door when the door suddenly opened to her. Lifting her head, she was surprised to see a familiar face in front of her.
“Sir?” Penny asked hesitantly.
The man seemed to recognize Penny as well. “Oh, it’s you! Such a small world, so you’re Mayleen’s friend.” Mason greeted with a smile.
Their encounter started a long time ago when Penny was working as a waitress in a cafe nearby during summer break. In those few short months, she almost saw him everyday as he was a regular customer at the cafe there. All the staff including the cafe owner knew him. It seemed that he was the cafe owner’s long time friend.
All the staff just addressed him as ‘Sir’ but no one knew who he actually was. He was also friendly and had some casual chats with the staff when the cafe wasn’t that busy.
He left a very good impression on her.
“I never saw you in the cafe anymore. They said you went back to study. Come on in.” Mason stood aside and let her in.
Penny was actually really relieved to see that he was someone she knew. When she heard about him from his wife, she imagined him as someone stern and scary. It seemed like she was overthinking it.
Penny just smiled coyly. “Yes, I’m still studying.” She answered modestly and stepped inside. It was a large house with two storeys. Mason wasted no time to lead her around the house, telling her the locations of the rooms.
“This is Neil’s room.” Mason ended the house tour and showed her Neil who was sleeping soundly in his crib. He then scanned Penny from head to toe, “You’ve grown up a lot.” He said, smiling like a gentleman.
“Um, I guess, since it’s been two or three years since we’ve met?” Penny tried to recall. Both of them left the baby room and went to the living room to talk.
Mason surely didn’t look like he’d aged at all. She knew that he was in his forties, but perhaps of his healthy daily routine, he didn’t look like his age at all. If anything, he only looked like he was in his thirties. His skin did look more tanned than before though.
“You didn’t seem to have changed, sir.” Penny replied politely. He was always such a friendly and gentle person.
“No need to call me sir, just call me Mason.” He said.
Penny just nodded.
After a short chat, Mason left her to her own bearings and went back to his study. Penny sighed in relief and went back upstairs to see Neil.
He was such a pretty boy, with fair skin and chubby cheeks. He really did look like an angel when he was sleeping. Penny smiled as she leaned at the side of the crib. This was such a happy family.
It was a peaceful first day. Neil slept most of the day and only woke up when it was late afternoon. He did cry and whimpered when he woke up though, but Penny quickly calmed him down with a bottle of milk.
Suddenly her phone notified her of a message. It was a message from Mayleen in their BFF group.
Mayleen: Girls, I’ll be late to Ziyaa’s place tonight. I’ll be there after dinner.
Ziyaa responded to her with a ‘punch you on the face’ gif before she wrote,
Ziyaa: Alright, come here early. I’ve got everything ready for a party!
Ziyaa then pinged Penny: Come immediately after work!
Penny smiled and replied yes.
—----
This is so annoying! Denson Cole thought.
He still remembered Mayleen Kent from their childhood. They were those kinds of kids who couldn’t stand seeing each other. Probably it was because they both had the same personalities so they despised each other a lot. It irked him more that he was forced to a dinner date with Mayleen Kent.
It was simply obvious that his family was trying to arrange a marriage with her family. But then, please leave them out of it because they both didn’t want any part of it.
Before going on the dinner date with Mayleen, he went to the drugstore to buy some stuff. It was then that an idea came to him. He still remembered that one time when Mayleen put something in his drink that made him fart the entire day. He was thoroughly traumatized and would never ever forget that humiliation and agony.
Great. It’s payback time. A devilish smile appeared on his face as he asked the drugstore staff to get him a drug that could make someone fart the whole day.
He saw the staff rummage through the drawers for a while before giving him a small sachet of powder. Denson just took the sachet and left the store after he paid for it.
It was only after an hour later that the staff realized he gave the wrong drug. His face grew pale in worry but his mistake could not be undone.
Unaware, Denson arrived earlier at the restaurant for their dinner date and sat like a thug on his seat. His manners looked inappropriate in comparison to his half-formal attire.
The waiter served him a glass of water and placed another glass of water at the vacant seat opposite him. He waited for a while and after seeing that no one was looking, he quickly ripped the sachet open and poured it all into the water opposite him.
After he did that, he grinned like a Cheshire cat and leaned backwards against the chair.
A few minutes later, Mayleen arrived. It was obvious that she was unhappy to be here as well, but she did wear properly for the occasion due to her mother’s persistence.
“Gosh, you haven’t changed even after so many years have passed.” Mayleen remarked as she went up to sit opposite of him.
Denson’s eyes widened in surprise to witness her beauty at first sight but that heart-fluttering moment quickly disappeared when he looked at her face.
She did look prettier after all those years but that attitude of hers still hadn’t changed.
“So do you. How have you been?” Denson asked back but anyone could hear the insincerity in his voice.
“I’m doing well. How about you?” Mayleen replied in a ladylike manner because that was how she was raised. Feeling thirsty, she took the glass of water and swallowed a couple gulps of it.
When she put the glass down, she saw Denson staring intently at her suspiciously. “What?” She questioned.
“Nothing.” Denson shrugged as he started shaking his legs. How long would it take for the drug to take effect? Gosh, he should have asked the staff when he bought it.
Mayleen just lifted her eyebrow. “Anyway, should we still order something to eat? I’ll have salad by the way.” She said.
“Oh yeah, sure.” Denson raised his hand and called the waiter.
After they placed their orders, they quickly discussed their current situation. Both agreed to end the date early after their meals.
“Huh, are you off to find your boyfriend in such a hurry?” Denson asked in a flippant manner. He was obviously not trying to leave a good impression on her at all.
“I have friends’ date.” Mayleen told him honestly. She then looked at him in disapproval. “Look at you, is this how you act in front of a woman?”
“Because I’m not bothered to woo you.” Denson said as he continued shaking his legs.
Mayleen crossed her arms. “Yeah, I don’t care. Better if we don’t see each other anymore so that our families don’t try to match both of us together again.”
“Exactly my thoughts.” Denson replied.
They reached a consensus after they ended their date which actually went unusually well for old acquaintances. It wasn’t awkward or anything and there was just an apparent rivalry between both of them.
It was almost at the end of her meal that Mayleen felt her body’s temperature becoming unusually hot.
She acted calm as they finished their meals and went their own ways. Denson actually forgot about what he did as he just started his car and drove back home.
