Hank had accompanied Chelsy to her apartment. Just as they were about to share a kiss with each other, Daniel called and interrupted the moment.
Chelsy was so embarrassed, and ran out as fast as her legs could take her.
Hank cussed under his breath. ''Damn you Daniel. You couldn't have picked the worst moment to call, you idiot.''
He answered the call and said nothing.
Daniel, at the other end of the line, asked with so much enthusiasm. ''Hey H. How was your time with Chelsy? I'm sure you guys had so much fun.''
Hank spoke with a very low and dangerous voice. ''Daniel, make sure I don't see you in the next couple of days. If I do, I will skin you alive.'' He spoke and ended the call.
Daniel was stunned. ''What the hell? Did Hank just hang up on me?'' Daniel muttered to himself.
Hank, who was sitting in his car with a furious look on his face, said coldly. ''Asher, take me home.''
Asher, who had been sitting quietly, praying not to get on Hank's bad side, spoke. ''Yes boss.''
He ignited the engine, and sped off into the dark alley.
It was the next day, and Chelsy had woken up quite early as usual. After taking a shower, she quickly dressed and left for the bus stop.
While on the bus, she sent Hank a quick message. ''Hey Hank. How was your night? I hope you are feeling much better now. Remember to take your medication and eat well. Have a blessed day.''
Chelsy added a mending heart emoji at the end of the message, which signified get well soon.
She pressed sent, and kept the phone in her purse.
Back at Hank's penthouse, Hank had fully recovered. He asked Gina to bring some files for him, because he was going to work from home.
That morning, he had an early morning conference meeting with his foreign partners in North America. He had been in that meeting for two hours, and had not had the opportunity to check his phone.
When the meeting was over, he picked up his phone and saw that he had an unread message from Chelsy.
The cold face and stern expression he had while in the meeting instantly melted when he read Chelsy's message.
There was an inexplicable smile on his face. He felt giddy and happy as he replied to Chelsy's message.
''Hey my little fairy. I am much better today, thanks to the amazing soup you made yesterday. Can we please have lunch together today? Will pick you up by lunchtime.''
As he sent the message, there was a knock on the door to his study. He thought it was Gina. But to his surprise, it was Daniel.
Daniel walked in elegantly with his normal witty voice. ''Hey H. I can see you are back to your old cranky self. How is my favorite cousin feeling today?'' He asked.
Hank didn't respond and concentrated on his laptop.
Earlier on, Daniel had called Asher to find out what happened last night. Asher had told him that he had interrupted the intimate moment between Hank and Chelsy.
Daniel felt petrified and knew that Hank was definitely going to skin him alive. He had come to Hank's house, to atone for his mistakes.
He cleared his throat and spoke with a shaky voice. ''Erm. Hank, I am sorry I called you at the wrong time. I didn't know you both were in the moment of.''
Before Daniel could finish his sentence, Hank cut him off. ''Daniel, will you just shut up already? Your incessant blabbering this early is giving me a headache. By the way, why are you here this early? Are you not supposed to be at work?'' Hank asked coldly.
''Well H, I came to check on my sick brother. But I can see that you are much better now, considering your cold, aloof and annoying self.''
Hank just looked at Daniel and said nothing.
Later that day, Chelsy saw Hank's message and sneaked out to the stairwell and placed a call. When it got connected, Hank's usual deep and husky voice sounded. ''Hey my little fairy. You finally called me.''
Chelsy chuckled and replied with her soft and charming voice. ''Hey gancarnagh. Sorry I am replying to your message this late. I have been so busy with work. Well, I am sorry, but I won't be able to have lunch with you today. My colleagues and I will be having lunch at the staff canteen. We could do this some other time, okay?''
Before Hank could say anything, Chelsy heard footsteps walking away from the stairwell. She quickly spoke up, ''Hey, I have to go now. I guess my little break has ended. Talk to you later. Bye.'' She ended the call and quickly rushed back to her desk.
All through, Nicole had been so quiet, and everyone seemed confused.
Cleopatra the nosey Parker, asked sarcastically. ''Nicole, are you okay? You seem quite different. Has a kind spirit possessed you or have you finally seen the light?''
Nicole's fists were clenched under the table. She could not put up with this facade kind of act anymore. She stood up like a wounded tigress, and decided to transfer all her bundled up aggression towards Cleopatra.
''Listen to me, you this little nitwit. Don't try pushing your luck.'' She looked at Cleopatra with piercing cold eyes and stumped out of the office room and into the bathroom.
As she glared at her infuriated image through the mirror, she spoke through clenched teeth. ''Chelsy, I will make sure you pay for this. I will do everything within my power to ensure I bring you down.'' One could see the hatred and anger that was in her face.
The week came by so fast and it was Friday. Both Chelsy and Hank had been so busy, and they hadn't really had time to talk with each other. Hank had gone to Manchester for a few days.
Chelsy got home and was preparing to have a long movie night and just enjoy herself at home.
Suddenly, her phone started ringing. When she saw that it was Hank, her face lit up. ''Hey Hank. How are you?''
Hank's voice sounded tired, but he seemed to be quite happy hearing her voice. ''Hey little fairy. I am okay. Hope your day was okay.''
Chelsy said yes and asked when he was going to come back from Manchester.
Hank smiled and asked in a cheeky voice, ''Do you miss me already?''
Chelsy's face was flushed as she stuttered at her words. ''Nn, No. I just asked because you weren't feeling so well, and I was only concerned about your health.'' Chelsy sounded stupid and didn't even know what she was saying.
Hank chuckled and teased her some more. ''Ouhhhh. So my little fairy is worried about me too. Don't worry, I am perfectly fine now, and I got back this morning. Wanted to surprise you. Anyway, what are you doing right now?''
Chelsy was a little stunned and asked, ''Why?''
Hank spoke up. ''Well, if you aren't busy, I would love for you to accompany me somewhere today. My friend came in from Liverpool today, and he wants us to go out tonight. I would love him to meet you. And besides, I have missed you and would want to see you too.''
Chelsy was a little surprised. ''You do have friends? I thought Mister Rivers was the only person you hung out with.'' She spoke with a surprised tone.
Hank gave a little chuckle and responded. ''Well, I do have another friend called Jeremy. We have been great friends since childhood. He is based in Liverpool. So please, would you accompany me as my plus one?''
Chelsy sat for a while before responding. ''Okay. So I guess I have to go get ready.''
Hank smiled and said. ''Thank you. Asher will pick you up at eight pm, okay?''
Chelsy said okay and the call ended. When Chelsy checked her time, it was already six pm. She had two hours to prepare.
At exactly eight pm, Asher knocked on the door, and Chelsy walked out looking exquisitely beautiful.
She wore a red bodycon knee-level dress and a black overcoat. She had black heels on and a black shimmery clutch. Chelsy had red lipstick on and mild makeup. She looked truly breathtaking. Chelsy had put in quite a lot of effort to look different this evening.
She took a one hundred and eighty-degree turn, from her usual demure and modest look, to a more fierce and bold style.
Was it to impress Hank and his friends, or was it to hide her shy and timid personality behind the fierce look?
When Asher saw Chelsy, he was dumbstruck. He stuttered and said, ''Miss Chelsy, you look quite different today.''
Chelsy felt uncomfortable and asked nervously. ''Is this too much? Am I overdressed?''
Asher hurriedly said, ''No. No Miss Powers. To be honest, you look truly beautiful. The look suits you.''
When Chelsy heard this, she was a little calm and said, ''Thank you, Asher.''
Asher ushered her into the car, and they drove away.
Twenty minutes later, Chelsy and Asher arrived at a very exclusive clubhouse in Central East London. When she got to the door, the security asked for her identification and she presented it.
When he saw the name, he spoke with a smile, ''Greetings Miss Powers. Please follow me.'' Chelsy smiled back and nodded.
She was let into a private room. When she got in, the whole room, which was full of chatter, became dead silent. Everyone's attention was focused on Chelsy. There were three men and three women seated and having drinks.
''Holy Mary, mother of God.'' One of the men exclaimed.
As Chelsy slowly walked into the brightly lit room, her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders in curly rivulets.
As deafening as the silence was, the sound of her stiletto heels could be heard clacking on the marble floor like an old typewriter.
Hank stood there, looking speechless. He couldn't believe that the woman standing before him was the woman he was in love with.
He slowly walked towards her, gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and spoke with so much tenderness in his eyes. ''Welcome Chelsy. You look so beautiful.''
Chelsy's smile broadened, and she felt a certain warmth that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She said sheepishly, ''Thank you.''
Hank took her by the hand and said, ''Come, let me introduce you to my friends.''
As they walked towards the table that the others were already on, Hank spoke up. ''Chelsy, meet Jeremy Adkins, my childhood friend, his sister Clarissa Adkins. She works with the Fitzwilliam Group. This is Lana Mendez, Daniel's girlfriend, and this is Lucille Baron, a friend of Jeremy's. I am sure you already know your boss, Daniel.''
He cleared his throat and continued. ''Everyone, this is Chelsy Powers. A very special friend of mine.''
Everyone on the table was stunned. Their eyes were wide open as if they were going to fall off their sockets. This was the first time they had ever seen Hank openly act so gentle and tender with someone.
Chelsy gave a warm smile and greeted everyone on the table. ''Hello everyone. It is nice meeting you.''
Jeremy was the first to speak. ''Hi Chelsy. It is nice to finally meet you. Hank never told me he had such a beautiful lady as a friend.''
He turned to Hank and gave a thumbs up and muttered, ''she is gorgeous.'' Hank just looked at him with eyes that spoke a million words. Eyes that said, ''she is mine. So back off.''
Lana, Daniel's girlfriend, was the next to speak. She was tall and had a beautiful face. She smiled at Chelsy and spoke with a gentle and sweet voice. ''Hi Chelsy. Nice to finally meet you. Daniel has said so many beautiful things about you.''
Chelsy returned the smile. The other two ladies, Clarissa and Lucille, didn't utter a single word. They looked at Chelsy with jealousy eminent in their eyes.
They all sat down, and the evening was going well.
Chelsy excused herself and went to the bathroom. Before she could leave, Clarissa walked in and closed the door behind her.
Chelsy gave a warm smile when she saw her, but she looked at Chelsy so condescendingly and said, ''So you are the one who is trying to creep her way into Hank's bed and wealth, huh?''
She looked at Chelsy from head to toe and spoke up. ''Listen to me, you this little thing. You are not in the same class as Hank. So you had better leave him alone and find someone who belongs in the same class as you. As for Hank, he is way out of your league.''
She spoke, opened the door, and left.
Clarissa was tall, beautiful and had a very strong personality. Her personality was so intimidating that it could send shivers down anyone's spine.
Clarissa has always been in love with Hank, but Hank has never for once paid attention to her. Since she was Jeremy's younger sister, Hank treated her like a younger sister too.
Chelsy stood there unfazed. She had met worse people than Clarissa.
Chelsy knew that hanging out with Hank was going to earn her more enemies. She had mentally prepared herself not to be intimidated by anyone. She was ready to defend herself and fight for what she wanted.
She just gave a smile and walked back into the room. When she walked in, she saw that Clarissa had switched seats.
She was now sitting between Hank and Jeremy. When she saw Chelsy at the corner, she tried standing and pretended to have tripped, and landed on Hank's lap.
She leaned forward and her face was so close to Hank's. She quickly wrapped her hands around Hank's neck and said softly in a voice that sounded like a cry. ''Oh Hank. I am so sorry. I wasn't looking. Thank you for catching me.''
It seemed as if nobody saw what Clarissa was doing and her intentions.
Hank quickly pushed Clarissa off his lap, and said sternly. ''Clarissa, be careful and watch where you are going to. Don't you know you might get hurt?''
Clarissa saw the sullen change on Chelsy's face after what Hank had said. Clarissa had a triumphant smile plastered on her face. Now my first plan is in action. Planting a seed of doubt in her mind. Clarissa thought to herself.
She spoke coyly. ''Hank, I am so sorry. I promise I will be careful next time.''
Chelsy stood in the corner and witnessed everything that had happened. She felt as if she could not breathe. Her heart felt so hurt in a way she could not explain.
She took a deep breath and walked back into the room with a smile that wasn't genuine. When Hank saw her, he asked affectionately. ''Why did you take so long? I was beginning to get worried.''
Daniel, who had been quiet, spoke up. ''Come on H. Do you think someone will steal your little fairy away?'' He gave a little chuckle.
Hank didn't respond and just looked at Daniel with piercing cold eyes.
Chelsy just smiled and said, ''Sorry about that, Hank. I think I will need to go back home. It has been a long day, and I really need to get some rest. Thanks for inviting me guys, and it was nice meeting you all.''
Lana stood up and walked towards Chelsy. ''It was really nice seeing you, Chelsy. Well, there is an ice hockey game tomorrow between the Jets and the Sharks. I was thinking of inviting everyone here to attend. My brother is a Shark, and he will be playing his first match tomorrow. Can you please come? I don't really have many friends here.''
Chelsy saw the kindness in Lana's eyes and couldn't say no. She just smiled and said, ''Okay Lana. I will be there to support your brother.''
When Lana heard this, she squealed like a little girl. ''Thank you, Chelsy. This really means a lot.'' She then turned to Hank and said, ''Hank, please can you spare two hours of your time tomorrow for my brother?''
Hank was not someone to attend such events. Because Chelsy had accepted that she would be there, Hank too just nodded and said in his normal calm but serious voice. ''Okay Lana. I will be there.''
As Hank accepted the invitation, everyone said they were going to be there to give their support.
It was the next day, and Chelsy was already prepared for the game. She dressed up and left for the stadium.
Hank had wanted to come pick her up, but she rejected the offer. She said she had some other errands to do before going to the stadium.
The others were already seated when she arrived. Hank had saved a seat for her beside him.
Chelsy was sitting between Hank and Daniel, while Clarissa was sitting between Hank and Jeremy. Hank, who had a baseball hat on, took out another baseball hat and placed it on Chelsy's head.
''This looks good on you.'' He whispered into her ears. Chelsy giggled and said, ''shush. Stop talking and concentrate on the game.''
Clarissa, who had been seeking Hank's attention and him not even bothered whether she existed or not, sat there feeling ignored like stale bread.
The first half of the match had ended. The sharks were leading. When the second half of the match started, the kiss cam at the arena was focused on Clarissa. She gave a wicked smile and quickly held Hank's head and turned it towards her.
Before Hank could realize what was happening, she quickly pressed her lips on his, and kissed him so passionately.