“GIVE me back my phone!” Caroline shouted at her best friend angrily when she heard it rang twice.
Hyacinth shook her head. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
“What?! What if my client called me?” She caught her head. “Hyacinth, can you please stop this childish thing?”
“Wow, coming from you?” Hyacinth snorted. “If ever one of your clients happened to call you, I will tell them to call on our landline because you forgot your phone in my bag.”
“What a lame excuse—”
“Just like the excuses that you make every time you wanted to go to Benjamin?” Hyacinth rolled her eyes. “I will give your phone to you tomorrow, and that is final.”
Caroline sighed frustratingly. “Why are you doing this shit?”
“I told you to lie low at Benjamin. And for a start, you will ignore some of his calls,” she said and faced the full-length mirror. “Can you braid my hair?”
Caroline folded her arms. “Do you want to get bald at a young age?”
“Come on, I want a fishtail for IG stories,” Hyacinth turned to her and gave her a pleading look. “Please?”
Caroline rolled her eyes before she stood up and went to Hyacinth. She grabbed her hair, and jokingly pulled it. “You know that I can’t live without my phone—” She stopped when she looked at the mirror and noticed her bare neck. “Where’s my necklace?” She caught her clavicle, hoping that she was wrong.
“The expensive 18K Rosegold with a cloverleaf pendant that Lucas’s uncle gave you as a thank you token when you closed the property deal with him?” Hyacinth asked, brows furrowed. “You wore it last night, right?”
She nodded. “Am I still wearing it when I arrived in our office earlier?”
“I didn’t notice. Maybe you dropped it in your car?” she asked. “Go down and take a look—”
Caroline groaned. “My legs still felt like a liquid,” she said and slopped her shoulders. “My fingers are tired also—”
“And why?” Hyacinth glared at her reflection in the mirror. “What did you do to Benjamin’s house that made your fingers tired?”
Caroline scowled at her friend. “So, you’re an over-thinker now?”
“I’ve become an over-thinker since I met you,” she grunted and rolled her eyes ceilingwards. “Aren’t you going to look for your necklace? It cost thousands of dollars!”
“I’ll find it tomorrow,” Caroline said and started to braid her hair. “Maybe I just misplaced it. But, if I did drop it somewhere then…”
“Then, what?” Hyacinth asked with apparent regret in her face. “Gosh, that necklace can pay my family’s debt.”
“Don’t worry, Lucas will do that for you,” Caroline said and giggled. “So, did he call you after last night?”
A line between Hyacinth’s brows appeared. “Of course… And, he slept in the couch—”
“What? You let Lucas spend the night here?” Caroline asked in surprise. “Then, what happened?”
“Nothing!” Hyacinth answered defensively. “He doesn’t want to leave me alone here, so he insisted on staying.”
Caroline laughed. “Ninja moves.”
Hyacinth knotted her forehead. “Ninja moves?”
“When a guy did something unusual for his personality just to impress or to level up his connection with a girl, it’s called Ninja Moves.” Caroline chuckled, after explaining the millennial term to his old soul best friend.
“And, where did you learn that odd terminology?” she asked, still frowning at her in the mirror.
A sweet smile formed in Caroline’s lips. “I learned it from my future daughters.”
*
Benjamin looked up at the vast business building in front of him, where Caroline was working. He parked his coffee shop’s delivery motorcycle in front of the building. He’s been standing there for almost fifteen minutes, holding the green thermal bag where he put the bento boxes that he prepared for Caroline and her friend Hyacinth. He drew his breath, he doesn’t understand why he felt nervous now.
He looked at his watch, five more minutes before the usual lunch break for office hours. Benjamin hesitated to enter the building, but when some of the employees come out from the entrance, he decided to go then.
The security guards checked the thermal bag before they let him passed. He was about to ride the elevator when he remembered that he doesn’t know Caroline’s office floor number. He walked back to the guards to asked them.
“How come that you don’t have your customer’s delivery address?” the one wearing a black face mask asked him.
“I’m not a food delivery rider,” he said. “I’m here to bring these lunch boxes to Miss Caroline Valdez. I’m her friend.”
The security guards looked at him, not convinced. “You’re Miss Valdez’ friend?” the other one asked as he gave him a once-over.
“Ah, yeah—”
“You’re looking for Caroline?” a young woman in denim jacket asked him.
Benjamin smiled at the woman. “Yes, are you her co-worker? Can you please—”
“Are you also one of her sugar daddies?” she asked with an arched brow.
The two security guards murmured behind his back. But, Benjamin ignored them. “I’m sorry, Miss, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The woman looked at him from head to toe. “Did she change her target? The last time I saw her, she was with a business tycoon—”
“Benjamin? What are you doing here?” Hyacinth dashed towards him. “And, why are you talking with a professional gossiper? I’m warning you, she’s gonna suck up all your blood like a parasite.”
The woman rolled her eyes. “Bitch,” she hissed before left them.
“You’re describing yourself again!” Hyacinth countered with a smirk. “They’re the useless agents here who get paid by just talking about other people’s lives,” she said and turned to the two security guards. “And, those are the best examples of the gossiper’s male version.”
Benjamin scratched his head. “Thanks for the information, but I’m here to bring this to Caroline.” He fished out from his pocket the small pastel pink envelope. “She forgot her necklace in her house—”
Hyacinth’s eyes widened. “Oh! The Cloverleaf necklace,” she said and opened the envelope. “She thought she lost this gift from one of her clients.”
“A gift from a client?” Benjamin asked, brows slightly furrowed. “Wow, that’s too much for a gift.”
“That’s how Caroline’s clients love her,” Hyacinth said. “Anyway, Caroline will be here in a moment… oh, there she is!”
Benjamin turned to look, and he saw Caroline sauntering towards them when their eyes met, her face brightened, and a warm smile formed in her red lips. She hurried her steps even she’s wearing a stiletto.
“Benjamin, what a surprise to see you here!” she said excitedly.
Benjamin was stunned by her beauty. She was wearing a red dress topped with a brown cardigan that failed to hide her curves. Benjamin felt like he was looking at a goddess. And, he felt ashamed for his current appearance.
“I saw him talking with Michelle,” Hyacinth whispered to Caroline low enough to reach his ears.
Caroline’s expression didn’t change. She looked at him and smiled. “So, what brought you here, Benjamin? You missed me already?”
“Ah, I-I brought you lunch,” he stuttered and gave the thermal to her. “It’s for you and Hyacinth.”
Caroline blushed as she was taking the food bag from him. “Thanks, Benjamin. You come here just to give us lunch? You’re so thoughtful.”
Benjamin smiled. “I also brought your necklace. Anastacia found it under the table and…” He hesitated, he put his hands inside his pockets. “I want to ask if you have plans this coming weekend?”
Hyacinth brows raised, while Caroline gave her a surprised look. Benjamin held his breath.
“I’m free,” Caroline replied without a second thought.
“Like always,” Hyacinth muttered.
Benjamin released his breath. “Great! We’re planning to go to Bohol for my mom’s birthday—”
“Wait, Bohol? Where the amazing chocolate hills can be found?” Caroline cut off, her eyes were widened in excitement. “OMG, when is our flight?”
***