Published: July 25, 2019---Sept. 30, 2020

Nicole told them earlier that she had some juicy news to impart with them and telling it in the phone will not do.

Here she and Tess in the mall instead of going home straight from work, buying some food to eat, and waiting for her arrival inside the restaurant.

Good thing that Jared didn't ask her any further after she told him of her going out with Tess and Nicole, he only said that a driver would pick her up once she is ready to go home.

"Girls, I missed the two of you." Nicole's voice full of enthusiasm returned her to where she is.

Nicole kissed both their cheeks and then sits down on the empty chair. She has that look as if they had been away for a year instead of just three days.

"Oh, I miss eating this burger," Nicole told them as she saw it in front of her and, after using a hand wash gel from her bag, took a bite on it.

They already bought one for her, so once she arrived; they don't have to fall in line to order again.

Nicole eating the burger with gusto made her and Tess take a bite on their food too. Only when they had finished eating; thus, Nicole straightened herself ready to tell them.

"Well, as I am already full, I can tell you now, but I feel so bored there before anything else. Everyone so serious inside the office; the only thing that entertained me was this news."

"Come on, Nicole; tell us now what it is. We have already finished our food, and still, you did not start." Tess complained.

"Isn't it exciting to have a little suspense?" She smiled as if making them wait is so fun.

"Yes, Nicole, the time is running so fast, so tell us now," she also persuaded.

"First, let me take a sip from this," she told them at the same time take the soda in front of her. After a drink, she wiped her mouth and took a deep breath while the two of them looked at her, impatient.

"The news that has been going to the hotel was that Mr. Steele was there last night."

"Oh, really, he was there?" Katelyn clarified. "Finally, she knows where he went last night."

"Yes, and everyone who was there said it was because Charlize got drunk. Imagine our high and mighty Mr. Steele went out in the night just because of her." Tess's eyes bulge with the information, and Katelyn just lowered her head and think.

"She was right last night to think who came first to Jared."

"Most of the employees presumed that they had quarreled, and some said maybe she found out that he brought a girl to the hotel last weekend."

This information alarmed Katelyn of anyone identifying her, so she asked. "Did they say who the woman was?"

"As far as I know, they only said she is still young and beautiful. No other details."

Nicole's answer relieved her that even if a gossip came out, her identity was not known.

"Isn't it against the company policy to talk about the guest in the hotel?"

"Common Tess, do you think all those employees will stop gossiping, especially that it is about Mr. Steele? It's rare to see him behave as a common person, let alone at night at a hotel with his drunken girlfriend. Surely, everyone will be curious about what is happening."

"Yeah, you are right, even I will be curious too." Tess answered, and then a smile came out of her face as she added, "Oh! My Gosh, so Charlize finally met her doomed."

"Don't be happy yet, as I said Mr. Steele came, and they said that it seems like they are back together again as he brought Charlize home. So everyone pities the new woman as they said, she cannot out win the more than five years that the two had been together."

"If my sister will hear you and all those hopeful women, they will contradict it," Tess voiced her opinion.

"What is your reason to say that?"

"Well, I will give you the reason for my sister. She said that just to be photographed in the arms of Mr. Steele is already an achievement. It is because you are beautiful enough to get the attention of one of the most sought after bachelor, so how much more spending the night with him?" Tess looked at their reaction first before continuing, "beside Mr. Steele was only seen with other women in his arms on parties...take note...but aside from Charlize he was not gossiped spending a weekend in a public place with another woman, only with this one."

"What a shallow reason." Katelyn finally said while her mind is busy targeting Jared, "his action almost causes her doom, that crazy guy."

"Well, most of my sister's circle of friends is shallows, so don't be surprised."

"But still, in the end, Mr. Steele affection's is with Charlize, so it's like sure that she will be the future, Mrs. Steele.'

'I don't think so, Nicole." Tess objected.

"There you are again, always making disapproval."

"Granted that he loves her, but as a wife? I doubt it because my mom told us, the Steele heirs marriage is always not because of love but arranged."

"At this time and age?" incredulous of what she heard, Nicole asked.

Katelyn just looked at Nicole's unconvinced face and thought that is because she has the freedom to do what she wanted, so it sounds disbelieving, but if it happened to her, then she will know that it still exists in this modern times.

"Yes, they are and mostly to socialite."

It is where Katelyn contradicted Tess's assumption as she was the impoverished one. Meme did it for sentiments, but she cannot correct it out loud; all she can do is listen.

"Well, Kate and I will never be included in the selection unless she is hiding her riches in Britain," Nicole commented while looking at her.

"Oh...please don't include me there for the hopeful; money is what I don't have." Finally, she had said something honestly with them, her being without money even though she is of nobility.

Nicole then looked at Tess and remarked." You probably have a chance in the selection."

"He was my first choice before you know that, but now I prefer Blake. Besides, my sister will go crazy if I ever show interest in him."

"So, your parents can present your sister."

"But the problem is we don't mingle in the same circle with them, and it is not that easy to meet Mrs. Steele. The only person that Mom was able to be acquainted with was Mrs. Baker, but well, she is a different thing." Tess told them with a face that looks like as if mentioning her name made her sick.

"Isn't she going to be your mother-in-law?" Kate teased her.

"How I wished she is not Blake's mom."

"It only means that we have to contend with the guys that are within our reach. Anyway, I have already told you about the latest news in the company, and now I will tell you about my love life." with a beaming smile, Nicole changes the topic.

Eagerly she and Tess anticipate what she is going to tell them. "I am now officially the girlfriend of Michael."

"Oh, we are so happy for you." they both stand up and hug Nicole and, once finished, returned to their chair again. The bubbly Nicole said something also." I never even thought that Michael would ask me as we only get to know each other merely a month."

"So now it is only Kate and me who will be searching." Tess pointed out while looking at Nicole with a sad face at first, and then upon seeing Nicole guilty look, she laughed. "I am just kidding; we are so happy for you and hope that he will be your man in this lifetime, right, Kate?'

Katelyn answered with thumbs up.

Then they talked about their work for a bit until Katelyn suggested, "It's high time that we have to go home now."

Tess looked at her watch and answered," yes, you are right." They all stand up, and then Tess looked at Katelyn." I can drop you to your apartment."

"Thank you, Tess, but my cousin will pick me up."

"You never introduce us to that cousin of yours, and even your grandmother," Nicole commented. "At least let us meet your grandmother," Nicole added as she turned to Tess for affirmation in which the latter nodded.

Caught off guard but good thing her spontaneous speaking had become better, she answered." One of these days, I will ask you to come to the apartment where I live with grandma."

'We will await that," They both speak in unison. Then they all leave their chair, walked out of the fast food, and made their separate ways after kissing each other cheeks.

Katelyn made sure that they went out of her vision before calling Jared and then was told that the driver will pick her up in the usual place and be brought back to their apartment as he was still busy. Upon hearing what he said, she told him that she could go home alone, but he insisted.

She looked around the mall first before going down to the waiting driver. He then drives her back to the apartment.

Katelyn was coming out of the elevator floor when she saw Louis sitting in the lobby's lounge. Upon seeing her, he immediately gets up and walks to her direction with a smile.

"I had been waiting for you to get home," Louis informed her to her surprise.

"For what reason did the famous guy waited for me?"

He looked a bit shy as he massages the back of his neck before answering. "I have a concert coming, and it is a Saturday night. So I would like to ask if you can."

Taken aback by his statement, the only words from her mouth were," Oh!"

It never entered her mind that Louis will not forget her after their first encounter, brief as it was. With his celebrity status, meeting beautiful women is an ordinary thing for him, and to be remembered is flattery to her.

He groped something on his back pocket and then let out an envelope, he then handed it to her. "These are the tickets. You can ask your friends to watch with you."

"Thank you, but I am not so sure if I can go."

"Well...if you cannot go, at least give it to your friends, but I would be delighted if you can."

Seeing the disappointment in Louis's face made Katelyn remorseful of her response to his generosity and friendship and decided to retract her answer," Okay, Louis, I will attend your concert."

Katelyn saw the joy on his face upon hearing what she had said. She then felt him embrace her, "Sorry, Katelyn," he apologized while letting her go, looking surprised by his action.

She nods, and he continues apologizing by explaining his behavior. "I was just happy to hear from you coming to my concert that I forgot. It won't happen again without your permission."

"It is okay."

"I will introduce you to my band mates. I'm sure they will like you also."

To hear him told her those words made Katelyn think, "Is he attracted to her or what? No way, she is a married woman already."

"What will she do in case her suspicion is right? If she is not married, maybe she will be fantasizing about dating him as he seems to be a nice guy and the same age as her. Hopefully, her assumption will be wrong as she doesn't want to hurt any guy."

"Why can't she stay out of trouble?" The pleasure on his face made her stop to say anything more; else she will retract her decision. She then decided to go.

"Thank you for this," She said while holding out the tickets in her hands, "See you in your concert," She told him and immediately turned around, depriving him of asking her contact information.

"I will be expecting your presence, Katelyn." She heard him shout it out, and she just waved her hand without turning her back.

Once inside their apartment, Katelyn went directly to their bedroom to prepare herself to go to bed before Jared comes back home. Her plan of avoiding him must take effect starting from tonight, in a way that is not too noticeable, and the best step is to feign sleep.

After taking a bath, she wore the robe that was always prepared and then went to her closet to get her pajamas, the one with long sleeves. A shocking moment confronted her upon opening her closet, with different kinds of lingerie confronted her.

"Where are all my pajamas?" She wailed while holding a blood-red lace nightgown with a matching robe and underwear. Upon noticing what it is, she throws it on the floor as if touching it was an abomination.

She rummages inside the cabinet to look for her pajama, but not one was left.

She went to Jared's closet to get a t-shirt from him but only to see its lock. "Oh, even Mrs. Smith conspires with him." she thought out loud, dejected she slumps on the floor and look at his cabinet door.

"Didn't they know that her pajamas were expensive? They were all bought at Harrods, not from a thrift store. What a waste of money."

She remained in that position for a few minutes before standing up. Stubbornness made her think to wear her working clothes tonight and removed all those nighties in her closet, but reason changed it. If she contradicts Jared, it will be difficult to ask him a favor; hence, she decided to go back to her plan to sleep before he comes home.

Defeated, she picked up the thrown nightgown on the floor and wore it, then walked back to the bedroom to settle in bed.

She was already on the verge of loosening her consciousness when she heard the door opening and Meme's voice. "Oh, what a darling, she is already asleep," but Katelyn got up from the bed before she can close the door and shouted." Meme, is that you?"

The door then opens wide, and there her Meme was standing and smiling at her," she gets up from the bed, wears her sleepers, and then runs to hug her.

"Did I wake you up from your sleep?" Meme asked her at the same time, took a step backward, and touched her face.

"No, Meme, I was not sleeping yet," she immediately answered to appease the concern etch on her grandmother's face.

"Are you going to spend the night here with us?" she asked at the same time looked upon her shoulder only to see Jared with a smirk. She followed where his eyes were staring and saw it was on her bare legs.

That was when she realized in what state of undress she was, with just a skimpy, see-through nightgown, she looks like ready to seduce her man. She then looked at Meme whose looking back and forth between her and Jared, beaming with a smile.

On the other hand, Jared is not even moving an inch in where he stands, with his back on the door frame looking comfortably in her direction.

"Meme, I need to change my clothes first, then I will make you something to drink." she told her grandmother, taking a step backward and turned around, but a hand stopped her." Mrs. Smith is here, and she is preparing everything. You take your robe, and we will talk in the living room.

"But grandma," she protested while looking down on her attire only to hear her say." There is no other guy here except your husband, and I'm sure he will not be offended. Right Jared," she asked Jared without turning her back.

"Yes, Meme, I was even mesmerized by it," Jared answered.

"Go now and take your cover, and I will wait for you in the living room." Meme told her while walking out, pulling Jared with her and closing the door, leaving her alone inside the room.

She went back to her closet and took the cotton robe that she had used earlier and covers it to herself and then went out to where Meme is waiting.

She looked around for Jared's presence, but it seems that he was nowhere in sight, "probably he is in his study room."

Meme is sitting down on a couch, sipping on her cup while Mrs. Smith is holding the saucer for her.

"Tori darling, sit here beside me." She called her patting the space beside her after putting the cup on its saucer, Mrs. Smith then laid down the drinks of Meme to the side table and excused herself to go to the kitchen while Katelyn sits down.

After settling on the couch, her Meme teased her. "I don't need to ask about your adjustment in married life as I can see you and Jared are getting on well." Her answer was to smile shyly while her grandmother continued talking, "so how's working in the company?"

"Well, I had adjusted day by day with the work and my colleague."

"That is good to hear, darling." Gone now the tease Meme and for the first time, Katelyn had a glimpsed of her being a businesswoman as she speaks. "Put this in your mind, Tori, that even if you are in an arranged marriage and have constrained on it, you are the legal Mrs. Steele for the next year. I reminded you this because when I went today in the office and see that you were not on Jared's floor, I asked him."

Katelyn looks at her grandma and thinks that tonight is her lecture night, no wonder Jared cannot answer her until now about not letting her transfer in his office.

"In Baker's family, it is our tradition that each of the wives of the one that manages our business should work as his assistant. By doing it, the couple helped each other for the good of the company and made them closer. My father told my husband about it, and he saw the logic on it when I work with him, so it became Steele's custom. Do you understand what I mean by telling you this?"

"Yes, Meme, I understand it." that was all she responded while nodding her head.

End Part 16

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