Jade and Jake were sitted in his car, as Jake drove in silence. His mind was still bothered by what had happened at Jade’s house. He really hoped he didn’t act disrespectful or out of character. Things could have gone better than they did. He was distressed by the way things had suddenly happened. He should have done better, maybe he should have waited for her to talk first before opening his mouth to spew all the nonsense he said. His mind cringed when he replayed everything in his head.Jade noticed the creased line on Jake’s forehead and that he was been unusually quiet again. Being with Jake for such a short time she has come to understand what this look meant. When he was this serious, it could only mean that there was something on his mind. She was sure Jake was still worried about what had happened back at her house.”Mr Jake, you know you don’t have to be worried about what happened right?” Jade said. Jake turned to take a quick look at her before returning his attention back to the road.”Are you sure?” Jake asked doubtfully.”Yes” Jade nodded.Jake sighed, “I think I could have behaved better. I don’t want your mother to have a bad impression of me” Jake sighed again.”Well believe me she won’t have a bad impression of you. No one ever will. And just so you know, you look sort of cute when you’re in your mood” Jade said smiling amusedly, when she remembered all of Jake’s expression back at her place.Jade had not realized what she had said, but Jake had turned to look at her when he heard her.”You think I look cute?” Jake asked with a teaseful smile. Jade habitually bit her lip when she realized what she had just said.”Errm Mr Jake… What I meant was..” Jade stuttered with her eyes blinking rapidly. How could she have said that out! She almost bit her tongue as a sigh of reprimanding herself.Jake chuckled when he took another quick look at her. “You shouldn’t take back such nice compliments. It’s the first one you’re giving me as my friend, so please don’t take it back. I kind of like it” Jake said, his smile never leaving his face.This was something he wasn’t going to forget.Jade tried hiding her flushed face from Jake as she looked outside the window. She continued biting her lips out of embarrassment as she regretted not thinking about her words before uttering them. How could she have said he looked cute? Well it wasn’t a lie, but she shouldn’t have said it out loud.’How could you have said that?’ Jade cringed inwardly.She turned to a quick peek at Jake and she couldn’t help but smile when she noticed he was still mused by her words. His smile was still etched on his face like something good had happened to him.Jade took a quite a long look at him. She shook her head and turned her face away, again.Jake turned to look at her, his eyes lingered on her face. He couldn’t see the whole of her face, because she was looking outside, he had a feeling she was biting her lips and that thought made his smile widen. His eyes dashed to her dress and then to her hair that was packed in a messy bun. He couldn’t help but notice her beautiful neckline and how fair it looked.”Uhm” Jake cleared his throat to gain her attention, and he did, because the next second Jade turned to him with a expectant look waiting to hear him. She knew he had something to say, but it shouldn’t be about the thing she had said. She pleaded in her mind.”I wanted to tell you, you look beautiful in your dress” Jake said with a small smile. Jade’s eyes looked down at her dress and then back at Jake.”Thank you” Jade uttered. Another round of silence ensued after Jade’s response. Jake didn’t like the silence between them.”Did I tell you your mother is cool and beautiful, oh yes she is and I actually like her” Jake noted. He had liked the fact that Jade’s mother was being protective of her child even though she was an adult. It suddenly made him wonder if his mother would have acted in the same fashion had she been alive. Of course she would. He had no doubt about it.”Thank you” Jade said smiling at the compliment.”And I think your brother is so cool too. He seems like a great kid” He said briefly glancing at Jade. The way he kept glancing while driving, one would begin to wonder if he had an extra pair of eyes on his head.”Sure he is. But don’t let him deceive you, he can also be a handful.” Jade said. Jake noticed the proud and happy smile on her face as she talked about her brother.”I see you love your family a lot” Jake commented.”Sure. And why do you say that?” Jade turned to look at him, his eyes were on the road.”Because you haven’t stopped smiling since I mentioned your mom” He quickly turned to look at her again.”Oh” Jade said raising her hand to her face. And indeed she was smiling. She couldn’t help it. Those two were source of joy and happiness.”And that’s a beautiful smile. It’s one of those that silently speak of one’s devotion, love and care towards their family””And how do you know that?” Jade asked inquisitively.”How do I know what your smile meant?” Jake asked cocking a brow as he turned to her again, while Jade nodded.”That’s because I’ve come to work with people and I have come to learn alot about their every expression and what they meant. You should hear my secretary gloat about his family, you’ll know what I mean” Jake replied.”Oh” Jade slowly bobbed her head. “So what about your family?” Jade asked. Since they were talking about her family, she might as well get to know about his, this way they could both get to know each other more.”My family?” Jake asked. He was driving really slow so as to maximize the time they had to spend with each other.”Well, I have just my grandfather and my brother. Believe me that one is more than a handful and they’re all I have””What about your parents?” Jade asked when she noticed he didn’t mention them.”They’re late” Jake replied with a casual shrug.”I’m sorry” Jade apologized. She was sorry for bringing that up. She should have understood what he meant, when he said his grandfather and brother were all he had.”You don’t have to be sorry” Jake said as he took a turn out of the road. “It’s in the past” He said. But wasn’t that what they all said. ‘It’s past. It doesn’t hurt anymore’, when in reality they weren’t past it yet, and they still very much missed their loved ones who had passed away, and Jade understood this very well, because she was also a victim of such circumstance.And another round of silence yet ensued. Jade was still trying to get used to the fact that they were now friends and they could have more of casual conversations.”So where are we going?” This time, Jade broke the silence.”Somewhere I’d like to show you” Jake answered.” Somewhere like where?” Jade asked curiously, tilting her brow.”Somewhere like one of my favorite place” Jake said with a wink.After driving for a few more minutes, Jake finally stopped in front a huge building. Jade tilted her head to look at him when she saw the building right in front of them. It was a shopping complex.Was this his favorite ‘somewhere?’She raised a brow at him in a questioning manner, but Jake only responded with a smile. He turned off the ignition before looking at her.”Wait here I’ll be back soon” He told her, Jade was about to protest but she suddenly decided not to. Maybe this was not their destination.”Okay” She nodded. Jake flashed her his usual smile and Jade felt her heart thump hard against her chest. She watched as he stepped away, she has recently noticed how the rhythm of her heart changes when she sees him smile.Jade kept herself engaged with her phone till Jake finally returned. Her brows narrowed when he returned with alot of shopping bags, making her wonder what he might have bought.Jake opened the back seat and placed the bags in, before hopping into the driver’s seat.”Mr Jake what are those?” Jade asked staring at the bags. She was trying to make out some of the things in the bag, but try as she did, she couldn’t tell what was in them.”Supplies we’re going to need” Jake casually said.”Mr Jake…””Wait!” Jake interrupted her. “Why are you still calling me Mr Jake, I thought were friends?” Jake asked as he stared at her. Jade blinked her eyes in confusion as she returned his gaze.”I don’t think we should keep addressing each other with those honorifics. It places a lot of weight and boundaries on our friendship, and I don’t think that would be good for us. So why don’t we just drop all of that and call each other by our names…well only if you’re comfortable with it” Jake remembered to add. He didn’t want to impose or seem forceful in their newly found friendship.Jade remained question for a couple of minutes. It seems their friendship was moving fast. She remembered back when she had become friends with Lair, she had refused going out with him so they usually hanged out at her place, but here she was going out with Jake on the first day and they were about calling each other by their first names.Jade stayed quiet for a few more minutes before saying” Okay.”Jake lips broke into a happy and beautiful smile, revealing a side dimple on his face. His hazel eyes shined brightly making him look beautiful. Jade felt that sudden thump in her heart again. She could tell this way of responding to Jake’s beauty. In all honesty, Jade has always known Jake was not just handsome, but drop dead gorgeous, even from the first night she had met him. But the circumstances surrounding how they met had deprived her from appreciating this God given beauty. She lowered her eyes to avoid looking at his face before she’s found out.”So I can always call you Jade and not miss Jade?” Jake asked expectantly. He could feel butterflies in his stomach, as he waited for her reply, and Jade bobbed her head affirmatively.”Okay, thank you” Jake said in a happy tone. It wasn’t something extraordinary, but her response made him happy. His eyes were glowing with happiness. Everything little thing about Jade made him so damn happy. His smile influenced Jade and she couldn’t help but smile too.”So tell me where exactly are we going?” Jade asked again.”We’re going friend bonding” Jake chirped excitedly, as he playfully wriggled his brows at her, making her chuckle.”Friends bonding? What is that?” Jade asked amusedly.”Well it’s something I saw online and I thought it would be good for us. And that’s why we’re doing that” Jake was indeed excited.”Okay, and how do you intend to do that?” Jade asked. She was really trying so hard not to laugh. Jake’s attitude was so amusing.”By going fishing. And that’s why I got all these supplies” Jake said with a huge grin. Jake blinked in confusion when Jade burst out in laughter. She couldn’t hold it anymore, this was the height of it.”Fishing?” Jade looked at him with amusement and incredulity. Jake bobbed his head up and down with a childish and confused look on his face.Why does she feel she has become friends with a big baby.’Oh no, Jake was going to be the death of her’ Jade thought in her mind.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 69
