Chapter 84 - Born This Way
"Yes, let's do that." His voice was firm, leaving no place for compromise. They had only one way, they had to get to know each other in real life. They were probably hiding from each other and they could only see their real selves when the veil of the screen was lifted up, leaving them naked and vulnerable, ready for the other to see.
"What about you and your mother? We never got around to speaking about it." Katherine pouted.
"Ah, yes. I don't have much time now, but I used to go to every one of her recitals when I was younger. Now, I go when I have time. She still buys the tickets for me, even though I have the money for it, and if I am staying over at my parents… all my expenses are taken care of by them. I love them to pieces. I am truly blessed to have my mother. Can't forget my father either," he added with a laugh.
"My mom is the same way. My dad has always been strict with money and she never really had anything to her name apart from the little money I send home to her. But every time I go back, she will spend money on me like she is the queen. I can feel the love she has for me because I know she keeps aside some money from my father's purse so that she can enjoy with me when I am home. She is the person I go to if I have financial issues. She is my rock."
There was silence on the line. This was something else they had in common: irrevocable love for their mothers. It felt good to know that he was as much of a momma's boy as she was a momma's girl. There was just something about people who loved their mothers more than anything else. They were special.
"We… we need to meet before our trip to the mountains," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her breath hitched in her throat when she heard his declaration.
"I want to meet you, too," she whispered. "Where and when?" she asked enthusiastically.
"Let's go to Phoenix City mall a few weeks from now. We will decide on a date later on. I just can't wait to meet you, love. If Dr. Phil is right, I want to get to know you all over again. It isn't enough just knowing you over the phone."
"You say the sweetest things out of the blue. Where do you learn these lines?" she asked.
'Hours and hours of reading through scripts written by brilliant and third-grade scriptwriters gives you an idea about what exactly makes people swoon.'
"I was born this way, baby," he snickers.
"I don't even know your name," she said in a low, accusatory voice.
"And neither do I know yours," he replied. His voice was quiet, but he hid his guilt well. Of course, he knew who she was, but she had never once mentioned her name to him. He had no right to feel betrayed because he had also hidden so much from her. There was no way they could say anything about each other.
And what about when they met? She would know his name and he would just pretend like he had never heard her friend calling her over the call or that he hadn't seen her work? Of course, he would have to confess to everything and hope that he would be alright. Now, he wondered if he should reveal himself to her beforehand and see how her reaction was. Maybe it wouldn't be so drastic.
"What a pair of lovers we make." She scoffed.
"Did you just call us lovers?" he teased. The worry that plagued his mind slowly faded away and all that was left behind was delight about how they really were lovers, despite never having seen each other's face.
This was another thing. He hadn't seen her face. He had seen her body and her hair, but never her face. Her photographer friend had done a stellar job of keeping that part of her hidden. So there was no way of knowing how she looked. If he were a total control freak, he would have asked his manager to find out everything about her and see her face, but he had restrained himself from doing so. He prided himself over it.
"Phoenix City Mall. Confirm the location and the time." She hung up, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Cage looked at the phone in his hand and smirked. He had embarrassed her into cutting the phone off. Why was it that he felt so devious?
- - -
"Please?" Lily pouted, trying her best to convince her friend to go with her on a double date.
"I already told you I wouldn't go." Katherine continued to work on her illustrator. Her friend had been pestering her about going out on a double date with Lily and Jared. Apparently, they were going to call in a friend of Jared who was supposedly free on that day and willing to tag along.
"But why?" Lily whined, grabbing her friend by the arm and shaking her. Katherine glared at Lily for a moment before extracting her hand from her friend's.
"I consider it cheating." Her voice was firm, leaving no space for argument.
"How is it cheating if you aren't exclusive?" Lily objected.
"I am serious about Ray. I am not willing to go out on a date with another man simply because you want to spice up your date. I am not asking you to find me any."
"I know you are serious. I have spoken to Jared and he told me that his friend is not looking for anything either," Lily said, her palms pressed in front of her in prayer. "Please?"
It was hard resisting her friend, especially when their arguments were so bad. She did have a lot of time on her hands and she didn't know this boyfriend of her friend's who had lasted this long without a single fight about her. She had to meet him someday and he was rarely available to meet Angelina and her.
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