CHAPTER 2

Layla didn’t answer and looked blankly at her laptop bag while remaining seated—and he didn’t like that reaction—or her lack of reaction. Ten out of ten women he asked to have lunch with him would accept it in a heartbeat. And he wasn’t being a chauvinist here, just stating a fact. He was always respectful of women and they most likely sensed that in him so they always felt safe with him. And what’s a little lunch? They would eat in a public place, where not a few people would probably gawk at them and monitor their every move. He had become some sort of a celebrity after Olivia won as Miss Universe. Some media people even tagged him as Mr. Universe, a moniker he didn’t relish. Certainly, a lunch date between two professionals was no big deal and he had done her a favor by agreeing to this interview so he had no reason to refuse. The interview would certainly help her career. In a civilized society, Layla refusing his innocuous invitation could be considered a terrible offense.

She finally stood up and, with evasive eyes, said, “I’m sorry, Ambert, but I have to give this interview to my co-writer right this minute.”

“You can’t reach your office within a minute,” he said, sarcastically.

She glanced at her cell phone, he didn’t hear it making any sound, and didn’t look at him.

“The lunch will only delay you by an hour,” he said and smiled. “I could chew faster, so it would only delay you by half an hour.”

“Every second counts,” she smiled sheepishly.

She really was rejecting him. “I’ll call Anika,” he said, eyeing his cell phone. “I’m sure she’ll allow you to have lunch with me.” He couldn’t believe that he was being persistent with a woman. Modesty aside, it was always the women who were persistent in dating him. Again, he wasn’t bragging, just stating a fact.

“Please don’t do that,” she said.

He looked at her, unbelieving. Something was urging him to sill persist, but no, she looked decided and he didn’t want to stretch his embarrassment. “Okay,” he said and sat again. “So you lied to me when you said you’re single.”

“No,” she said, quite vehemently. “I really don’t have a boyfriend.”

Then why are you refusing to go out with me? he wanted to ask. I will definitely not poison you or spike your drink. But he chose to be quiet so she could continue talking and explain why she was rejecting his invitation.

But she apparently didn’t have plans of elaborating; she turned her back on him and started walking towards the door but stopped before she could reach for the knob and turned towards him again. “I hope… I hope you won’t use this against me… it’s just that…”

His forehead wrinkled. “It’s just that?”

“It’s just that I really have to work on this interview immediately.”

“No, it’s okay,” he said. “I’ll tell Anika you did a great job.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Thank you,” she said, and got out of his office.

He watched the door close behind her, and he felt something inside him, in the vicinity of his heart, shutting simultaneous with the door.

What just happened?

This was the first time a woman refused to go out with him. No, those rejections when he was still an awkward high school student didn’t count. He got up from his chair and stood near the windows and glanced outside as if he could see the answer and the explanation there. He wasn’t even hitting on her, the offer was really harmless and wholesome. And he wasn’t a fumbling newbie when it came to women—he knew she was interested on him. He could see it from her glances, could sense it from how she was stifling her smiles every time he stared at her, from how her face would redden like a blooming rose.

He sat down again and grabbed his cell phone and dialed Anika’s number.

“Ambert,” Anika’s happy voice boomed from the other line. “I just got a text from Layla. Thank you for being so accommodating. How did she do?”

“She’s okay,” he said. “Some of the questions weren’t.”

“What questions?”

“Do you really have to ask about Olivia?”

“Olivia?”

“Yes.”

“Your gorgeous ex?”

“She’s the only Olivia I know.”

“There was a question about her?”

“Yes.”

He heard her laugh. “It’s been months since Olivia last crossed my mind, Ambert,” she claimed afterwards. “In fact, I have forgotten that you had a relationship with her.  In fact, the last time I saw her on TV, I remember turning the TV off. No, I don’t hate her, it’s just that she became uninteresting after your breakup. So no, I didn’t include a question about her.”

“So she was lying?”

“Layla?”

“She told me it was you who wrote those questions? The questions about Olivia and if I have a girlfriend right now?”

Anika laughed again, louder this time. “She really asked you those?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Anika said, sounding like she was trying to control herself from laughing hard again. “I’ll let you in on a secret. “The reason I asked Layla to do the interview with you is because I know that she has a crush on you.”

He winced. “Today’s the first time we saw each other,” he said, “unless you’re talking about our previous lives.”

“No, Ambert, my dear friend,” Anika countered. “Two months ago, you visited me in my office and Layla saw you and instantly had a crush on you.”

“And why did you arrive at that conclusion?”

“She told some of her friends.”

“I don’t know, why would she refused a lunch ate with her crushee?”

“You asked her?”

“Yes.”

“And she refused?”

“Flatly.”

“Oh, my God!” she exclaimed with clear amusement. “Did she tell you why?”

“She has a deadline, regarding that interview,” he answered. “And my guesting on your show.”

Anika laughed again. “That girl has some spunk,” she said. “What’s the deadline got to do with eating lunch? Deadline or no deadline, she has to eat lunch. Unless, you’re going to take her to your home after lunch and rendezvous with her on top of your bed for a week, then, our project will be compromised.”

“I will only delay her by an hour, I told her that.”

“She’s probably just overwhelmed,” Anika said. “She’s probably just daydreaming, fantasizing about you, then, suddenly, you’re asking her out. She probably felt like she was hit by an Intensity 9 earthquake. Your words probably felt like debris hitting her head. She got disoriented. Let her calm down, let her come to her senses then ask her out again. Do you like her?”

“I find her pretty.”

Her laughter was electrifying. “That’s also what you told me when I asked you about Olivia then, after your first date.”

“You remember it.”

“I find some things about love unforgettable.”

“I find Layla prettier,” he said.

“Really?” Anika said, seemingly amused. “Well, Layla being prettier than Olivia is debatable.  But Olivia being taller, sexier, richer and more famous than her is not debatable. But I am happy that you’re finding another girl interesting—how long have you been a single?— but people will be amused with your choice after Olivia.”

“Why would they be amused?”

 “Layla is a nobody.”

“No one’s choosing nobody yet.”

“Of course, but I find her pretty is your prologue to entering a relationship with a woman,” she uttered, chuckling. “It’s your wardrobe to the Narnia of love affairs.”

He smiled. “Anika, may I inform you that I have invited many women to lunch or dinner after Olivia and I am still single.”

“Did you find them pretty after your first dates?”

“No, I mean, yes, they’re all beautiful.”

“Okay, you know I don’t meddle on your or anyone’s love life,” Anika said, “I don’t even meddle with my son’s love life so I—

“Your son’s only ten years old,” he interrupted her.

“Yeah, but he has lots of crushes now and I don’t stop him from giving these ladies gifts,” she declared. “Even though it’s me from whom he asks for money to buy those gifts. So, yes, I won’t dip my finger in your personal affairs. I love love. Only love will save this world, not Superman, not the Avengers, only love. If you like Layla, I will even give you advice on how to pursue her.”

“Give it to me.”

“Give it to me,” Anika mimicked him. “Without an ounce of hesitation.” She chuckled. “Add her on F******k,” interact with her there,” she advised. “She’s a bit obsessed with F******k, I think. And don’t be surprised if you’ll find your pictures on her account, she’s been reading Internet articles about you.”

You’re friends on F******k?”

“Yes.”

“We’re friends on F******k, she should know that so why hasn’t she sent me a friend request.”

“The girl’s not a flirt, Ambert, you should have known that when she rejected your invitation. She just refused to go out with you, so why would she send you a friend request on F******k. Decent girls don’t befriend men they don’t know personally on F******k.”

“You just told me she has a crush on me.”

“I have a crush on lots on many men but I don’t send them a friend request.”

“It’s because you’re married.” He was also friends with Dennis, her husband, who was also a good friend of him.

“Dennis knows that my crushes are harmless,” she argued. “Now, go, add her on F******k, talk to her there, put a spell on her, and make sure that she won’t refuse anymore once you invite her to lunch again. By the way, a dinner date is more romantic.”

“You’re busy right now, aren’t you?” he said, smiling. Anika was now subtly driving him away.

“Glad you noticed,” she laughed. “Now, go, I have a deadline to meet.”

“Okay, tell me when you have the time to have lunch with me.”

“You’re inviting me to go out with you? Sir, I’m so sorry but I’m a married woman and I love my husband.”

He laughed and finished their conversation. He put his phone down the table and sat again—and thought about Layla. She had a crush on him? Well, he never had a doubt about it. He could sense it while they were doing the interview, like she could also probably sense that he liked her, too. That was why he was so surprised that she rejected her invitation. She was overwhelmed with the suddenness of things? Maybe. She probably was apprehensive that he was a player and that him giving her some real attention could be too good to be true. She was probably thinking that the harmless lunch date was just a trap and that they would be in his bed and her clothes on the floor even before she could order some desserts. Well, all he had to do now was to convince her that it was real, that he really wanted to give her some of his time and that he was player of some sports and not of women.

He got a hold of his laptop and logged into his F******k account. “Now, F******k, show her to me,” he thought as he went into Anika’s account and searched her friends.

There, he found her.

Layla Serrano.

He immediately sent her a friend request and he instantly became anxious about it—like she was also going to reject it, like she did to his lunch invitation. And he hadn’t experienced it, so he didn’t know how he’d react to a twin, successive romantically-related rejections from a woman.  Heck, he hadn’t experience even a single rejection from a woman.