"That's so touching,"
She said placing her hands on her chest, she wasn't taking him seriously but that's okay.
"Okay, Mr. Time is up, I have to go home now, it was nice talking to you, or maybe not, anyway I have to go now,"
She said getting up and grabbing her bag, it was just past one and she was already leaving?
"I can drop you off,"
He offered, following her out of the office, the staff were looking at them weirdly and they must have heard their conversation, but he didn't mind, he didn't mind and wasn't going to feel embarrassed about it.
"I can drive myself, I got a license,"
She responded. Another thing that changed about her, there was so much change that he fear he might not know this woman anymore but he wasn't going to let that fear stop him, she can change all she wants, change is the only truly constant thing, his love for her too, he was going to let the changes he sees stop him, she was a good person and good people don't suddenly become bad and Nicole can't even be bad, he followed her to her car.
"Stop following me,"
She said looking up at him, she looked so cute at that moment that even while knowing she might be furious with him, he bent his head and kissed her on the lips, she was definitely shocked by his gesture and didn't see it coming but she didn't pull back either, it gave him the courage to continue, he heard her face and deepened the kiss that was met to be a peck, he missed these lips so much, missed her so much, she let him kiss her and his heart leaped for joy, this just proved that he could still get her back that he wasn't fighting a lost battle, he was still doing his happy dance inside when she pushed him and landed a slap on his face, he held his face as she touched her lips before looking at him.
"You are mad Rafael,"
She said. That wasn't the reaction she got, this was better, she wasn't as furious as he thought she will be, she was more in shock.
"Yes, baby, mad over you,"
, "No, I mean, you are crazy, you are mental, you are, God, I can't believe I let you do that, get the fuck out of my way,"
She said pushed him aside and got into the car which zoomed off, he stood there for a couple of minutes more, this day got more successful than he thought it would be.
"Let's do this,"
He said to himself as he got into his car, he has never been this determined to get something before and get her back he will, no matter how long it may take.
***
Over the next two weeks, he made sure not a moment pass without him doing something for her, he called texted, sent more flowers even when she told him she would have to deliver guy beaten up, then opted to send chocolates instead of the flowers, he was hell-bent on getting her back so he would do everything to get her back, what gave him joy was that with all her complains, his gift never got returned even when they carried a return address, and she always replied her text even if it was with a ride word or an emoji, she just didn't shoot him out, now he sat in his car back again at the Aron guy studio, even though he didn't like the guy he wasn't threatened by him, he just accepted that he was someone Nicole would always be around.
"You aren't tired of doing this every day? It's been over two weeks and she is not even giving you attention just give up already,"
The annoying voice in his head said, he didn't even know where his alter ego stood at, one day it telling him to man up and other times it wants him to give up, very confusing but he won't be confused, not when he had a goal, he got down from his car and walked towards her, she was so focused that she didn't see him, when she finally saw him, first she was shocked then the shocked expression transformed into a deep frown, will he ever see her smile at the sight of him? Would that ever happen,? He hoped it does because he know he can't live with this frown on her face, he hated that his presence made her frown even though he knew the frown doesn't mean she wants him gone, he just don't want to see her frown when she sees him, he wanted the smile she gives him back.
"What are you doing here Rafael? I thought I told you not to show up unannounced,"
She said in a harsh tone, okay, she was cranky today but it wasn't his fault he called her but she didn't take his calls and when he had gone to her office they told her she was here.
"I called you weren't taking your calls,"
"And now you are saying it's my fault? Yeah, Blame it on Nicole,"
She yelled in his face, okay this wasn't looking nice, she was finna pissed and he didn't know how to go about that right now, his appearance won't have had that much effect, this wasn't the first time he has shown up without telling her in the last two weeks and she let it slide, she was angry for other reasons.
"I am not blaming you, Nicole, I am just saying that I c***"
"Oh, please, I don't want to hear it, I was okay here but you had to come and ruin it for me, you can stay here, I am out of here,"
She yelled, went into the studio, came back out with the Aron guy and walked right past him into her car, and dove off, both he and the Aron guy stood there.
"What just happened?"
He asked.
"Well, you just witnessed an extremely hormonal Nicole, it happens,"
The guy responded, Rafael looked at him puzzled.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Huh, it's not in my place to tell, but a little advice, if I were you I would avoid her for the meantime, you have done enough and doing more might be choking to her and pressuring, if you can just take time off and regroup, and also give her time to think about what you want her to do, it will help a lot, rather than crowding her,"
"I am not crowding her,"
"Yeah, that's what you think but that's not what she thinks, I know it's not in my place to give you advice and you don't have to take it but for real, time off, let her have the time to think about it, anyway, good luck man,"
He said and went back into his studio, Rafael stood out there for a few more minutes before going to his car, he thought of what the guy said, was he really crowding her and not giving her a chance to make a choice? Was that why she was so angry today? He didn't want to take the guy's advice but it sounded so reasonable and the more he thought about it the better it was, yes, he was running out of options already, and as he stands he might be back to square zero with her, he needed time to regroup and like the guy said she needed space, he didn't want to crowd her, so he decided to take the guy's advice, he would stay away for a while...