Don't fall in love

Chapter 8

Alice's POV

I couldn't help but feel excited. Why? Because he was coming over today. Yeah, sounds ridiculous, right? We agreed to meet by noon, and I even decided to prepare something nice to serve him when he arrived. But all my cooking efforts ended in total disaster. Why was cooking so freaking hard? I tried making an omelet, but the motherfucker kept turning into scrambled eggs. I attempted to whip up some pudding, but it just wouldn't congeal. I even tried the simplest dish of all—Ramen noodles—but they got too soggy. You know what? I give up. My kitchen sink was now full of used plates and frying pans. I used an entire crate of eggs, and for what? Nothing good came of it.

After tossing my apron in frustration onto the kitchen counter, I searched for my phone and decided to order some decent food online. I didn't know what he would like, but since most people liked seafood, I opted for that. I hoped he wasn't allergic. After placing my order, I flung my phone toward the cushion and headed back to the kitchen to clean up the eyesore I had created. It took me twelve whole minutes to restore the kitchen to its former neat state. I really needed to get some cooking lessons. I always mocked Nick for being a bad cook, but now he was a better chef than I was. His jollof pasta tasted divine the day I ate at his house. He said he learned the recipe from an African friend.

Once I finished cleaning and washing the dishes, I rushed to the bathroom for a shower and hurriedly got dressed. It was already noon, and Alex could arrive any minute. I spent almost six agonizing minutes deciding what to wear before finally settling on a knee-length red dress. Sophia, my best friend, always told me I looked stunning in red.

I was still curling my hair when I heard a knock on the door. Was he already here? My heart began to race from excitement as I hurriedly finished the last curls and spritzed on some perfume. With a welcoming smile plastered on my face, I opened the door—only for the smile to vanish almost instantly when I saw who it was.

"Hey, babe! What's with the gloomy smile? Were you expecting someone else?" Sophia teased as she breezed past me into the living room. I had completely forgotten that I hadn't dropped by at her place after arriving yesterday.

"No, I was 'totally' expecting you," I replied, sarcasm thick in my voice. She laughed as she made herself comfortable on the couch, crossing her legs and scanning me from head to toe with a suspicious gaze.

"Tell me... who's got you doling yourself up like this? You rarely wear that red dress. So tell me, who is he?" she asked.

"Well... it's my fiancé," I said, avoiding eye contact, knowing I was about to get a good scolding from my best friend.

"That's why I came here today. How could I find out about my best friend's engagement from the news? Come on, babe! I thought we were closer than this," she said, hurt evident in her voice.

"I swear, I just found out yesterday after coming back from my trip. I'm sorry!" I tried to defend myself, mumbled an apology, and pulled a cute innocent look, but she just sighed.

"So, you mean this is like an arranged marriage or something?" Sophie asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Then why do I sense that there's something more? Look at you, all dolled up. You seem dressed to impress, in my opinion," Sophie said, and I lowered my head.

"Sophie, I think I'm in trouble," I confessed.

"Wait, don't tell me... do you have feelings for him already?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Yeah, kinda," I mumbled, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks.

"But from your explanation, didn't you guys just meet? How can you already have feelings for him? Make it make sense!" she pressed.

"I'm equally confused. I mean, I just feel an extremely strong attraction towards him. With Damon, I dated him for a year before I started having actual feelings. But this one is different... different from anything I've felt before. It's crazy, right? I mean, who falls in love after just two days of knowing someone?" I said, frustration bubbling up inside me.

"You need to find a solution to this before you fall in too deep. Unless you're ready to end up with another broken heart... Billionaires like him are known to be playboys. I bet his body count is over a hundred. He's seen and met a lot of women. You might be his fiancée, but I'm sure he takes this as a normal business transaction. Although I don't know what he looks like, I bet he must be really handsome..." Sophie said, and I nodded.

"You see what I'm saying? Most handsome men I know are players. They have so much confidence in themselves, and they believe they can win over any woman. So be careful, sweetheart. This is just advice. Don't fall too hard, you hear me?" she cautioned.

I nodded, but deep down, I wasn't convinced by her theory. Why was I in denial? I had absolutely no idea...just then, i heard the door bell ring and i looked up in excitement, my heart beating vigorously in my chest...

'He's here'