Sophia began by giving Charlize a thoughtful suggestion. “You should make Spencer draw a clear line between him and you.”
“I don't quite get it, Ms. Yarrow.” Charlize was a little puzzled.
“Simply put, him being demanding of you at work is normal behavior between a superior and his subordinate, but him asking you out to play badminton is a social interaction only friends do. Spencer is your superior, so technically, there is nothing wrong with him maintaining a professional relationship with you during working hours, then being friends with you after work.”
There, Sophia stopped and glanced at Charlize. When she saw the latter's bemused expression, she chuckled and rephrased herself more simply. “If you want to be more than friends with him, you should ensure that both of you remain just as friends for now. In other words, you should make him think for himself about whether he wants to be your friend or boyfriend.”
Even then, Charlize could not understand her. “Ms. Yarrow, I'm still not following,” the younger woman uttered sheepishly.
“If you don't get it, just do as I say.”
Although Sophia's statement was over Charlize's head, following explicit instructions was not an issue for her, so she nodded readily upon hearing the other woman's suggestion. “No problem. What am I supposed to do then, Ms. Yarrow?”
“Don't accept his invitation the next time he asks you to play badminton with him.”
“Why?”
“Because an employee has no obligation to play badminton with their higher-ups,” Sophia explained, smiling at Charlize, who finally seemed to comprehend what she was conveying.
“You're so smart, Ms. Yarrow!” the latter exclaimed.
Seeing the innocent smile on Charlize's face, Sophia could not help but wonder if the girl would still like her the same in the future, for she knew that Spencer—for the very least—would despise her.
Whatever. A young man like him should just say how he feels instead of pulling tricks to confuse Charlize. It peeves me.
The two women left the restaurant after they were done with dinner. Sophia was about to ask Charlize if she needed a ride home when the latter suddenly fell silent.
Intrigued, Sophia arched her brows and followed Charlize's gaze. A man with narrowly long, upturned eyes and chiseled features came into view. Clad in a neatly-ironed suit with a pair of thin temple glasses resting on his tall nose bridge, the man looked somewhat cold.
Sophia retracted her gaze after taking a mere glance at him. Wearing a smile on her face, she looked at the younger woman beside her and asked, “Is he your boss?”
Charlize seemed to have returned to her senses by then. “Yes. It's him,” she replied, nodding.
Sophia harrumphed, her gaze falling back on the man not far away. “Let's go say hello to him.”
“I don't think there's a need for that, Ms. Yarrow.” Charlize eyed Spencer, becoming inexplicably timid all of a sudden.
“He's your superior. You should at least greet him.”
While speaking, Sophia tugged Charlize over until they came right in front of Spencer.
“What a coincidence, Mr. Lacroix,” Charlize uttered with difficulty.
The man nodded in response and glimpsed at Sophia before fixing his gaze on Charlize. “Did you just have dinner with your friend?”
His tone was indifferent as if he was merely asking a casual question.
The truth was that Charlize had left work earlier with the excuse that she was not feeling well so that she could dine with Sophia. Alas, it so happened that she ran into Spencer right after their dinner. Met with Spencer's unemotional gaze, she became even more anxious.
While she liked that man, she was equally afraid of him.
After all, Spencer was known to be a strict boss and had previously scolded Charlize so severely that she was brought to tears.
Of course, she only ever shed tears in secret.
Finding crying to be an embarrassing behavior, she would never dare to bawl in the open.
“Y-Yes.”
Charlize nodded frantically as she pulled Sophia's arm. “Mr. Lacroix, Ms. Yarrow and I still have other engagements, so we'll take our leave first.”
With that, Charlize left with Sophia.
The moment the latter turned around to leave, she voiced unhurriedly, “Charlize, do you like that guy we met last time?”
Charlize nodded unattentively as she did not hear Sophia clearly, but Spencer interpreted her nod as an agreement to the question.
As Sophia watched Charlize incline her head, she could not help but look over her shoulder. When her gaze landed on the man's gloomy face, a chuckle escaped her lips.
Tch. Are you finally getting anxious now? I suppose you weren't desperate when you pulled all those tricks back then.
Sophia figured out Spencer's intentions when Charlize told her the man had asked her to help him buy a necktie.
I've always regarded Charlize as my younger sister, yet Spencer watches Charlize center around him like a fool, even though he clearly knows that she likes him. He may be pleased about it, but I'm vexed. This time, I'm just giving him a taste of his own medicine.
Chorlize seemed to hove returned to her senses by then. “Yes. It's him,” she replied, nodding.
Sophio horrumphed, her goze folling bock on the mon not for owoy. “Let's go soy hello to him.”
“I don't think there's o need for thot, Ms. Yorrow.” Chorlize eyed Spencer, becoming inexplicobly timid oll of o sudden.
“He's your superior. You should ot leost greet him.”
While speoking, Sophio tugged Chorlize over until they come right in front of Spencer.
“Whot o coincidence, Mr. Locroix,” Chorlize uttered with difficulty.
The mon nodded in response ond glimpsed ot Sophio before fixing his goze on Chorlize. “Did you just hove dinner with your friend?”
His tone wos indifferent os if he wos merely osking o cosuol question.
The truth wos thot Chorlize hod left work eorlier with the excuse thot she wos not feeling well so thot she could dine with Sophio. Alos, it so hoppened thot she ron into Spencer right ofter their dinner. Met with Spencer's unemotionol goze, she become even more onxious.
While she liked thot mon, she wos equolly ofroid of him.
After oll, Spencer wos known to be o strict boss ond hod previously scolded Chorlize so severely thot she wos brought to teors.
Of course, she only ever shed teors in secret.
Finding crying to be on emborrossing behovior, she would never dore to bowl in the open.
“Y-Yes.”
Chorlize nodded fronticolly os she pulled Sophio's orm. “Mr. Locroix, Ms. Yorrow ond I still hove other engogements, so we'll toke our leove first.”
With thot, Chorlize left with Sophio.
The moment the lotter turned oround to leove, she voiced unhurriedly, “Chorlize, do you like thot guy we met lost time?”
Chorlize nodded unottentively os she did not heor Sophio cleorly, but Spencer interpreted her nod os on ogreement to the question.
As Sophio wotched Chorlize incline her heod, she could not help but look over her shoulder. When her goze londed on the mon's gloomy foce, o chuckle escoped her lips.
Tch. Are you finolly getting onxious now? I suppose you weren't desperote when you pulled oll those tricks bock then.
Sophio figured out Spencer's intentions when Chorlize told her the mon hod osked her to help him buy o necktie.
I've olwoys regorded Chorlize os my younger sister, yet Spencer wotches Chorlize center oround him like o fool, even though he cleorly knows thot she likes him. He moy be pleosed obout it, but I'm vexed. This time, I'm just giving him o toste of his own medicine.
While Sophia and Charlize walked out of the mall, the former suddenly recalled one particular matter. “By the way, Charlize, you mentioned you wanted to meet Mason, right?”
As an avid fan of different celebrities herself, Charlize happened to have a roommate in university who was Mason's diehard fan. She had quite a good relationship with the roommate, and since the latter's birthday was coming up in another month, she thought of arranging for her to meet Mason, so she asked Sophia for a favor several days ago.
At first, Sophia gladly agreed to set something up but had not been able to do so due to Mason's tight schedule. Fortunately, he should have some time to spare the following week. Considering how things were between Charlize and Spencer, Sophia thought she could conveniently use the meet-up with Mason to Charlize's advantage.
As for Charlize, she heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that Spencer had not followed them. It was then that she had the leisure to look at Sophia. “Yes. Is Mason free?”
“He should have an event to attend next Wednesday, so go over with your friend if you two are free. I'll make the arrangements,” the latter replied.
Charlize was so delighted that, for a brief moment, she forgot about Spencer. “Really, Ms. Yarrow? My friend loves Mason! It'll be marvelous to meet him!”
Spencer, who had just caught up with them, heard the last part of her exclamations, and his face turned as black as thunder.
When Sophia caught a glimpse of his reaction out of the corner of her eye, she quirked her lips into a discreet smile and replied, “I mean it. Come on. Let me give you a ride home.”
“That's amazing, Ms. Yarrow! You don't have to send me back, though. I can call a cab.”
“Don't worry. I'm free today.”
Coincidentally, Charlize wanted more of Sophia's input on her dilemma, so she changed her mind and accepted the offer upon hearing the latter's response. “All right. Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.”
“Don't mention it.”
Smiling, Sophia led Charlize to her car before getting into the driver's seat herself.
When the car pulled up at the Johnson residence, Sophia bumped into Samuel, who happened to be leaving the place.
The man was startled to see her. Recalling what had happened earlier, Samuel felt inexplicably guilty. “It's been a long time, Sophia.”
Sophia wound down her window and tilted her head to look at him. “Mr. Schild, you don't seem very pleased to see me.”
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