’He refuses my invitation for this?!’
Max’s face soured at the thought of his failed attempts to set up Hugo with Ginnie. Even when he bribed him with a luxurious buffet, Hugo just kept declining.
The reasons?
“I’m busy.”
“Can’t make it.”
“Next time.”
Those were the repeated answers Max had gotten from Hugo over the past few weeks. Max had thought Hugo was genuinely busy, even though the man didn’t seem like the type. Who would have thought Hugo was busy with something else?
’Just how dense is this guy?’ Max clenched his teeth as he looked away from the oblivious Hugo. ’Damn, I hate him!’
As the silence stretched between them, Max couldn’t help but lift his eyes toward Ginnie’s back. His bitterness grew, but his expression softened.
’I failed to set them up again, and we’ll just have to bump into him with Kiara,’ he hissed in his mind, tempted to flip the world the middle finger.
To him, this world was just testing them all.
Max quietly grumbled and cursed Hugo for being insensitive, even though the latter was just happy he had a full stomach. Just then, an idea crossed Max’s mind.
His brows rose as he looked at Hugo’s side and then at the women a few steps ahead of them.
’Right,’ he thought, nodding to himself. ’I guess… this is a good chance.’
With that thought in mind, Max picked up his pace and left Hugo behind.
“Hey!” Max beamed at them, walking right beside Kiara.
Both women turned to look at him with slight confusion.
“Kiara, it’s been a while since we’ve last seen each other!” he intoned, grabbing her arm abruptly. His action almost made Kiara jolt, her brows knitting.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.
Max’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “Kiara, now that you’re here, I forgot I was actually planning to see you one of these days about something important.”
“Huh?”
“Business,” he blurted out. “How about you e with me, eh?!”
“??” Still confused, Kiara tilted her head to the side.
“e on,” he tugged her arm mildly while maintaining a forced smile. “Ginnie, Hugo’s with you, so he’ll walk you home.”
With that, Max tugged Kiara’s arm again. But just as he did and turned, Hugo was already standing just a step behind him.
“Ah—damn! Why are you so close?” Max almost gasped, his heart thudding in surprise.
Hugo didn’t answer, his eyes falling on Max’s hold on Kiara’s arm, then up to her face. When he met Max’s gaze, he spoke.
“Where do you think you’re taking her?” His voice, unlike usual, was low and authoritative.
But for someone who had fought with him for years, Max was unfazed. “Kiara and I are friends, and we have something to talk about.”
“You can’t take her anywhere,” Hugo returned almost immediately. “It’s not safe for her.”
“Not safe?” Max snorted. “She’ll be safe with me.”
He then shot Kiara a look. “Kiara, are you two dating? Why won’t you let her go?”
“Heh…” It was a long story that Kiara didn’t want to detail. She smiled at Hugo helplessly, peeling Max’s hand from her arm. “It’s fine, Hugo. Max is a friend, so I can go with him.”
“Do you even know the way back?”
“Don’t worry about that,” she reassured with a smile before facing Ginnie. “Ginnie, it’s nice meeting you. Let’s grab some coffee next time.”
Ginnie smiled back and nodded. “Be careful on your way.”
“Mhm.” With that, Kiara turned to Hugo again and nodded at him. She didn’t say anything, just gave Max a look to let him know they could go now.
Max grinned happily, putting a hand on Kiara’s back as he walked away with her. But before they could get farther, he looked back.
“Walk her home!” he yelled, referring to Ginnie. “She’s my future team analyst!”
And just like that, he happily walked away with Kiara as if he had pleted a mission. Kiara, on the other hand, glanced at him but said nothing.
’At least, he doesn’t have to drive me back,’ she thought, aware that Max asked her to go with him, not because of business. Whatever the reason, she agreed because she felt like her debt to Hugo kept increasing by the second.
At the very least, she didn’t have to bother him to take her home tonight.
Meanwhile, Hugo and Ginnie kept their eyes on Max and Kiara’s retreating figures.
“Why would she even go with him?” he wondered, puzzled.
Ginnie glanced at him and chuckled. “They were classmates since nursery and high school. They practically grew up together.”
“Right.” Hugo nodded. “I forgot we all came from the same school.”
“Anyway, Senior Hugo, you don’t have to bother yourself,” Ginnie nodded at him. “I can go home alone like this.”
Hugo studied her face and shrugged. “Your home is close, so I might as well walk you there.”
“If you insist,” she gave in almost immediately, knowing Hugo wouldn’t let it go once he offered.
As the two of them resumed their steps, walking in the opposite direction of where Max and Kiara headed, Hugo cocked his head back. Ginnie, on the other hand, raised her brows and studied his side profile.
“Senior Hugo, are you okay?” she asked, earning his attention.
“Mhm,” he hummed. “Just that… it’s strange.”
“Strange? What’s strange?”
Hugo shrugged. “That I’m irritated with Max.”
“Huh?”
“He offered to walk you home because he claims to be a gentleman and wouldn’t feel relaxed until he sees you reach your home safe and sound,” he explained, as if he were trying to rearrange his thoughts at the same time. “But now, he snatched my friend and asked me to walk you home instead. He just passed his responsibility on to me. I don’t feel good about that.”
Ginnie’s brows rose slightly, tilting her head to the side. “That’s weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“You being irritated by Max,” she explained. “Normally, you wouldn’t mind but instead brag that you are more reliable than him.”
Hugo pondered and nodded. “You’re right, but I’m annoyed.”
“Do you think… it’s because he took Kiara from you?”
“Huh?”
“Senior Hugo.” Ginnie stopped, facing him, narrowing her eyes as she studied him. “Do you like Kiara?”
Hugo blinked. “Of course.”
“No, not that kind of like,” she shook her head, knowing Hugo’s meaning of ’like’ wasn’t the same as what she was thinking. “What I’m saying is… do you want to date her?”
“Aren’t we already dating?”
“No? I don’t think your meaning of dating and the real one are the same,” she explained, raising a finger. “What I’m saying is, do you want to marry her? Like Zoren to Penny and your dad to your mom?”
Hugo rubbed his chin and looked up. After a second, the corners of his mouth hooked up as he met Ginnie’s eyes again.
He didn’t answer, but just grinned.
Ginnie tilted her head a little, confused at the meaning of that grin. “You know, Senior Hugo, you’re easier to read when you talk than when you just smile, right?”
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