Boston's Man-Eater

ix: Part II

"I read your article."

Her eyes stared at her picture on the newspaper.

Practically shitting myself; I couldn't help wiping my sweaty palms against the fabric of my black jeans.

"Yes."

"You put me on the front page," she fixated her icy eyes on me.

Again, she was wearing a bra laced with white, and something beige that peeped from underneath the desk.

"Yeah..." I replied, repressing a worried frown.

"This is a very nice gesture, Keith," she laid her delicate hand on mine—cue the rampant quickstep of my heart. "Thank you."

What is happening?

"You're welcome."

She gave me a small smile. A rare and beautiful smile. But then, she removed her hand and continued fingering through the newspaper.

"You're a very talented writer, Keith—very crisp. I wouldn't have believed that it's me you were talking about."

She was back to using her passive tone, masked with a placid face.

Did she actually mean that?

I hoped Derek had nothing to do with that.

"Thank you."

"As a token of my appreciation, you'll be accompanying me to lunch."

My face betrayed my surprise, and I almost dared to laugh.

The woman basically offered me to be in her presence as a reward—wow.

But hold up...Did she say she wants to go out for lunch...with me?

"Uhm sure," I said, and cleared my throat.

"Good."

"You mean now or?"

She arched her finely shaped eyebrow, silently asking if I was stupid.

"Yes now..." she stood from her desk chair, the tight beige skirt coming into hindsight as she wore a matching blazer.

"Shall we?"

"Okay."

Leaving her office, she elegantly walked beside me as we entered Zoe's segment.

"Zoe, I'm going out for lunch with Keith. You can do whatever you like or take a break for the mean time."

Zoe was shocked...Shocked that Tess was going for lunch with a mere journalist? I don't know.

The entire walk to the ground floor was suffocating, and I was shy.

I just didn't know what to say, and nothing about her was approachable.

But she seemed to enjoy the silence.

The looks the ladies in the lobby had made my face flame from embarrassment—Even I couldn't believe this.

It was so quiet, apart from my footsteps that were in discord to Tess'.

So, like any other person would do, I swallowed down my shame as she wore a pair of vintage Cartier sunglasses.

"Tess—Tess over here!" The paparazzi screamed as the inky blue Rolls Royce drove up.

She was unperturbed.

"Tess, is that your new boyfriend!"

"Tess did you break up with Derek!"

Tess this, Tess that.