Chapter 3: The Feeling is Mutual

Emily Foster

"Yes, I am her mother. She is my daughter, Lily Foster now you can go and see yourself out because you must be trying to come up with an excuse to get out of this situation now because no one wants to date a single mother which is why I am giving you an easy way out. Go!" I snapped at Lucas.

For the first time after Daniel I felt attracted to someone, I would say beyond attracted, the type of attraction I didn't even feel with my ex-husband but when he asked me if I had a daughter, I forgot about it and snapped. Lucas looked at me with a frown while Sarah pinched my arm and asked me to shut up.

"I am sorry if I made you feel this way, but that is not how I meant. It's just I was shocked to see that you have a daughter because you don't look like one.  That is coming out wrong once again. It's just I am nervous because I want to impress you and this is the first time I am like this in front of a woman.

Maybe, because I didn't feel like this with anyone else. What I mean to say is that you still look so young, beautiful, and perfect that it is hard to believe that you are a mother of a child. I love kids, and I did say that your daughter is beautiful and cute because she is. I am not trying to chicken out or anything.

I still want to get to know you. Not just you, but your daughter too because like it or not I feel so attracted to you and want to give us a try." Lucas informs, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Wow! The man is not lying about being nervous "It doesn't matter to me if you are a single mother or not. I still want to know you and take you out on dinner with me."

"Say, yes girl, say yes!" my best friend Sarah mumbles in a low voice, enough for me to hear.

"You want to take my mommy out for dinner?" Lily spoke with a smile as she looked at Lucas and pulled on the hem of his suit coat. Lucas smiled, leaned down, got down on his one knee to Lily's level, and held his hand forward for a shake.

"Hello, cupcake. My name is Lucas Bennet but you can call me Lucas or Uncle. Whatever you are comfortable with and might I tell you that you are the most beautiful girl in the whole universe? Your dress is so pretty and as for dinner. I don't just want to take your mommy on dinner alone. I want to take you too, with me only if you want to."

Lucas got into the conversation with my daughter, looking comfortable while talking to her, his words were genuine, not fake. The affection towards my daughter was real which really touched my heart. Lily giggled and shook Lucas's hands.

"Thank you so much. You are beautiful too and my name is Lily Foster, I am five, no soon to be six, I am in kindergarten and like Disney princesses and I would like to go on a dinner with you, Lucas." Lily gave all of her bio-data to Lucas and stood confident on her ground. That is one of my daughter's best qualities.

"Wow, that is so cool. I really like you Can we be friends, cupcake?" Lucas asked Lily who instantly agreed then looked over at me.

"Mommy, I am hungry. Can we go and eat something from inside?" Lily asked.

"Sure," I replied then turned to Sarah " Would you mind taking Lily to the buffet table? I will be there in a few minutes?"

"Sure, just think a hundred times before saying anything." With that said Sarah took Lily with her back inside to the ballroom leaving me and Lucas alone. Once, they were out of sight I spoke.

"Lucas, you are a very nice man but I am afraid I would have to decline your offer for dinner. My life is already complicated enough, I don't want to complicate it more. I don't have time to date because my whole focus is on my daughter only." I tell Lucas as politely as I can.

"Trust me, I won't be a complication in your life. Just agree to go on a dinner. One dinner tomorrow night with Lily's presence. That's what I am asking for. If you don't like my company and don't want to take things any further then I will understand but at least give me a chance to get to know you." Lucas pleads in a desperate tone like he really wanted to date me.

"My daughter has been through enough already, seen enough. I don't want to make her life full of pain. So, if I am agreeing to go on a dinner with you tomorrow then you have to make sure that I don't regret it, okay?" I asked "If I can be this calm and understanding, I could be a worst nightmare too if in any way to hurt my daughter tomorrow. You understand?" I asked.

"Totally, the only thing Lily is going to have tomorrow is fun. I will make sure that the smile doesn't leave her face. I promise you that you won't regret giving me a chance." he promised "It's just, that I am too attracted to you and this feeling is new to me, but in a good way."

"I won't lie that I don't feel that way about you, Lucas, but I have to think about my daughter too before me." I replied, "So, what brings you by to this charity gala?"

"My parents are the ones who organized this gala, I am just attending it to give my presence and donate to the unprivileged children." he replied " What brings you by, and if you don't mind me asking, where is Lily's father? It's not like I am trying to judge you or anything."

" I know. Lily's father is still in the picture but doesn't like to spend time with his own daughter. After my divorce with Daniel, Lily and I haven't seen or heard from him." I replied " The reason for my divorce is because my husband cheated on me with his secretary. I found him on my bed with his dick buried in the bitch's pussy while Lily was just next door in her nursery sleeping while I was earning to provide for the family. I could bear anything but not the betrayal so I finally got the courage and took divorce from him as I didn't want to raise Lily in that kind of environment."

"That bastard, how could he do that to his wife and his own daughter? If I had a wife like you, then I wouldn't let you go or cheat. That bastard deserved more than a divorce. He needed to be punished with something that he loves dearly in his life." Lucas growled and before we could talk any further a woman entered the terrace calling for Lucas and looked at me with a venomous glare out of jealousy.

" Lucas, your parents are looking for you. They want to talk to you about something. It's urgent." the woman announced getting close to Lucas and running her hand on his chest.

"Tell them I am coming," he replied in a curt and annoyed tone to her.

"They want your presence right now, Lucas, Come with me." the woman spoke with gritted teeth and took Lucas with her, not even giving him a chance to talk to me.

"Emily, please don't leave. I will be with you shortly. Don't go." Lucas shouts on the way back to the ballroom with the bitch. I groaned, rolled my eyes, and went in search of Sarah and Lily. I found them by the buffet table.

"Let's go. We are leaving right now." I announced dragging my friend and daughter out of the ballroom. I know he asked me not to go, but it was clear that the bitch is close to him and there is something between them which is why Lucas can't be trusted. I have learned my lesson with Daniel.  I was fooled once, not going to be fooled again. Happiness isn't meant for me.

Lucas Bennet

"What is so urgent that it couldn't wait for a few minutes?" I demand my parent in anger. My father glared at me while my mother stood silently beside him.

"Son, Draco and I have decided to get Isabella and you engaged. You will be getting married to her in one year." my father announced, throwing a thousand of watts bolts of thunder at me with this news.

"WHAT?!" I roared, my voice echoing around the whole ballroom gaining everyone's attention as everyone's eyes were now on me "How can you make this decision without asking from me? I am not interested. I won't let you do that. I will not listen to you on this, Dad."

"Shut up! This is not a matter to be discussed over here. My decision is final and you can't change it. Isabella and you will be getting engaged in two days or else you will lose everything." my father threatened "You are free to go anywhere now for now."

"You think I care about your damn money, father? I don't. You can have it and take it in your grave with you and I won't give it a damn."  I snapped, turned my back on my father, and walked away in search of Emily. A person who I need to explain or she will take the wrong idea about me and Isabella.

"Lucas...Lucas, wait." I heard Isabella calling for me as she followed me but I didn't dare to stop to listen to her. I am not interested in her, the one I am interested in is nowhere to be found which was making me super furious and mad at my parents.

"Lucas! Stop!" Isabella shouts grabbing me by my arm this time "Why won't you even look at me?"

"I don't want to talk to you or anyone right now. I am looking for someone." I snapped at her "Isabella, I am sorry, you are a nice woman, but I am not interested in you. I can't get engaged to you or marry you."

"Why? What is the thing you don't like about me? I will change but please don't refuse to become my life partner. I really love you and can't live without you. Please, give me a chance to prove myself. I will be broken without you. I have loved you since we were kids, Lucas." Isabella pleads.

"But, I don't love you, I am interested in someone else." I shout " Please, just leave me alone."

"Who the hell are you interested in that you are willing to reject my daughter?" Isabella's father Draco demanded when I shouted at his daughter with rage in his eyes.