Temptations

43. OTHER GUY

ELLIE

It had been a really bland day. The day started with sharing a breakfast table with Alicia and Nathan and having to listen to her flirt with him throughout. Well, it wasn't really flirting yet I hated how she always keep reminding him of the wonderful times they have had together.

I hated feeling the way seeing Nathan with other girls made me feel. I had no feelings for him whatsoever yet I feel jealous whenever someone else is at the receiving end of his attention. I don't remember being this pathetic ever, even when I was a teenager.

Nathan and I left together for the office but we kept our internations to the minimum. I knew the moment our conversation will wander to Alicia, I'll say something that will depict my irritation over her staying with us. And I didn't want to give Nathan this satisfaction.

Once inside the office, I resumed my work from yesterday. As the day passed, I tried my best to keep my thoughts on my work but Nathan somehow kept entering my mind one way or another.

Lost in the thoughts, I was walking in the hallway when suddenly, I collided against a hard chest and a pair of arms stopped me from falling backwards. I angled my neck to look at the person holding me and found Drake towering over me. His eyes were plastered to my face, making me conscious.

"Earth to Ellie?" He raised his eyebrows and I groaned in embarrassment. Entangling myself from Drake, I took a step back.

"Sorry I was just lost in some thoughts." I said.

"Yeah, I could see." He said mischievously. "Come. I'll order coffee. You could use some caffeine."

I nodded and followed him to his office. I sat down, facing him and he called the cafeteria to send two cups of coffees.

"Hungry?" He asked.

"No." I said although I was. I looked towards the clock and realized it was 4 and I had not eaten anything since breakfast. My stomach growled at the exact time, adding further to my embarrassment.

"When was the last time you ate?" He asked.

"I didn't have lunch today. I wasn't hungry." I said and he looked at me with disappointment.

"Let's have dinner together. I am sure Nathan wouldn't mind." He asked.

I know Nathan wouldn't say anything but going out with a guy would make a hypocrite while I had told him before marriage that I didn't want him to date anybody. I pondered over the idea of dinner and came to a decision that it wasn't the right thing to do.

"I… actually… I don't feel like eating outside today." I made a lame excuse.

"Okay." He sighed in dejection but didn't say anything further.

"How about you come to dinner this Sunday? I'll make Lasagna." I suggested so he may not feel bad. Drake was an amazing guy and I felt bad rejecting his advances every time.

"Sounds like a good plan." His eyes twinkled.

I was sitting with Drake, talking about a client while sipping the coffee when I got a call from Nathan. I excused myself and went outside to attend the call.

"Hey, how are you?" He asked from the other side of the phone.

"I'm fine." I said, shifting on my feet. Why did he call me? Did he miss me? "Do you need anything?" I asked.

"Actually, I wanted to tell you that the driver will pick you today." He said and the corner of my mouth dropped.

"Okay. Are you working overnight?" I asked and planned to visit his office with some food after I'm free from here.

"No actually, I have a dinner plan with Alicia." He said and my stomach flipped.

Here I was, rejecting other guys just for him while he was making plans with that woman. Suddenly, I felt like screaming at him in frustration. What a dick!

"Oh, I totally forgot. No need to send the driver. I am having dinner outside as well." I said, taking control of the conversation.

"With who? Max?" He asked inquisitively.

"No, with Drake." I said and there was a long pause from the other side. A corner of my lips lifted as I heard him sigh.

"Okay." He said.

"I'll ask him to drop me home." I said and there was another pause.

"Great." He said and cut the call.

Putting the phone in my pocket, I walked back into Drake's office and sat down in front of him. "On second thoughts, I am really craving Indian." I passed him a smile.

"Great. Let me make reservations." He said and picked up his phone.

********

Right now, we were sitting in a fancy Indian restaurant and the tantalizing aroma of spices was filling the air. The waiter had brought out our order that consisted of butter chicken, Naan, Lamb biryani and Lassi and I was ready to dig in.

"Red is your colour." He said, signalling towards my blouse.

I had taken off my blazer and thankfully, I was wearing a cute blouse underneath. I also untied my hair and applied some light makeup so I wouldn't look like I had come straight from the office.

"Thanks." I passed him a smile.

Drake had been a gentleman the whole time and he really knew how to treat a woman. Ever since we came here, we had been laughing and I was afraid the manager would throw us out for ruining the atmosphere.

While I was serving food on my plate, I lifted my head and found Drake staring. His eyes were deep and contrasted well with his light eyes. Drake was a beautiful man and truth be told, I always had a thing for blondes.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, lifting my brows.

"Sorry. It's just …" he sighed. "Has anyone told you you're really pretty." He said, smiling gently. Warmth crept up my neck and I tried to hide my face behind my locks.

"Thanks." I whispered. "You aren't that bad yourself."

"I know. Together, we could be really great." He said and my eyes widened at his openness.

"Drake…" I trailed off.

"Ellie," he whispered, bringing his hands towards me and then he held my hands. His hands were large and felt nice in this cold. "This isn't a traditional marriage. You are allowed to date whoever you want. Just talk to Nathan and give me a chance."

"I know. But I won't be comfortable…" He cut me in between.

"Do you like me?" He asked and I got nervous.

I did like him, but did I like him more than Nathan? Also, does it matter? Nathan doesn't even feel about me that way. If he did, he wouldn't be having dinner with her right now.

"I do." I said. "I like you a lot. You are a wonderful guy."

"Is there a but?" I asked.

"There isn't." I said. I myself didn't know why I was rejecting his advances. He was a great guy and I could use some peace of mind in my romantic relationships. "Fine. I'll talk to Nathan."

"Thanks." He said.

To be honest, I liked the attention Drake gives me and the way he behaves. That's something Nathan had been unable to do ever since we met. The only problem was, Drake doesn't make my heart skip a beat. He makes me feel good but he doesn't make my stomach jittery.

But maybe the butterflies are overrated. Maybe the right guy won't make you feel jittery but instead, he would make you feel calm. Just the way Drake makes me feel.

I passed him a reassuring smile and then dug into the food. My tastebuds exploded as I took the first bite of biryani and I almost moaned. Drake watched me with amusement as I finished the whole plate and then switched to the other main course.

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