Chapter 27 Why Is He Still With You?
Matilda was talking a mile a minute, not giving Katniss a chance to say no. She threw in, "Katniss likes her food on the mild side. Pick a spot ahead of time and shoot her the address when it's go-time."
George saw Katniss was about to back out, so he jumped in, "Alright. And if you gotta hit the hospital, do it quick. I won't keep you."
With a wave, he hopped in his car. Katniss took a deep breath and got in hers. Matilda slid into the passenger seat, buckled up, and flashed a grin at Katniss.
"He seems cool, even if he looks a bit young. But he's got good vibes and seems into you. Since Mom set this up, you should give him a shot," Matilda said.
Katniss started the car, creeping forward. She glanced at George's car through the windshield and shook her head with a small laugh. "You think this is a good idea with everything going on?"
Even if she wasn't hitched, her messy thing with Tristan would just waste George's time.
"Still hung up on Tristan?" Matilda was surprised. "Didn't that Astor chick come back? The paparazzi are all over them. Why's he still hanging with you?"
Katniss was just as confused. What was Tristan's deal?
What were they now, anyway? Their simple hookup had turned into a tangled mess.
"Maybe he's in love with you?" Matilda guessed.
Katniss shot her an amused look, laughing at the idea. "No way. I'm not delusional."
Matilda was firm, "Why not? You're amazing. Besides not having a fancy family, what does Bella have on you? You're gorgeous, smart, a work beast, and real!"
"So you're saying I should go head-to-head with Bella for Tristan? You serious?" Katniss's blunt question shut Matilda up real quick.
Family background was a big deal. Even if Tristan was on board, the Astor family would never let it slide.
"Whatever, I still think George is awesome, and you shouldn't let this slip," Matilda insisted, backing up Sophia's push for Katniss to go for it.
Katniss stayed quiet. Sophia didn't know the full story, so she was nudging Katniss towards George.
But Matilda, bless her heart, was just being naive. She was young and didn't see the bigger picture. Katniss was probably gonna divorce Tristan soon, and the last thing she wanted was to jump into another marriage right after.
The hospital was its usual mix of gloomy and chaotic, but Katniss and Matilda's arrival brightened things up a bit. The patient in the next bed had been moved, so it was just the three of them.
Sophia said they shouldn't have come since they rarely got a break, but she was all smiles, and soon enough, the convo shifted to George.
"Mom, Katniss is still figuring him out. Why are you rushing things?" Matilda chimed in for Katniss, "She's having lunch with George today, so chill."
Sophia was over the moon and started pushing Katniss to get ready for her date even before eleven.
Katniss was practically booted out of the hospital. George had texted her the restaurant address half an hour ago, but there was still an hour to kill. With the sun blazing, she decided to head to the restaurant early.
She gave George's number at the door and got a window seat on the first floor. She ordered a juice, messed around on her phone, and waited for George.
Upstairs, in a private room with a glass wall overlooking the first floor, Tristan was fiddling with his phone while Nicholas wouldn't stop whining.
"Why'd you drag me along for lunch with Bella? I don't wanna be a third wheel, and look, it's already ten minutes past, and she's a no-show."
Tristan's eyes were glued to the Facebook friend request screen. Someone named George had sent multiple requests. He knew it was Katniss's young boyfriend, and after gaming, he'd sometimes hear the kid's voice in his head, "Katniss, I'll protect you!"
He smirked and ignored the request.
Nicholas turned to him, confused. "What's up? Realizing waiting for Bella is a waste?"
Tristan shot him a cold look and kicked his chair. "Zip it if you got nothing useful to say!"
Nicholas jumped up, not daring to argue, muttering a few curses as he stood by the window to see if Bella had shown up.
He didn't see Bella but spotted Katniss. Her juice was half gone, meaning she'd been there a while, glued to her phone, not in a rush since the meeting time hadn't hit yet.
He patted Tristan's shoulder. "Check out Katniss. She's a catch—smart, gorgeous, and real. She even shows up early for her dates."
Tristan turned, his clear gaze landing on Katniss. She had on light makeup and a light purple dress, the sunlight streaming through the window giving her a soft glow.
She had a tear mole at the corner of her eye, and her delicate features had this classic charm that you wouldn't notice when she was in her work clothes.
Right now, her gentle vibe was on full display, but it was for a date with another guy. Tristan's eyes darkened.
"Think your grandma would be cool if you married Katniss?" Nicholas mused out loud.
Tristan shot him an unreadable look, his brows slightly furrowed.
Nicholas thought he was about to get chewed out. "I'm just saying. Even if you wanted to marry her, Katniss might not be down. Her boyfriend's young, thoughtful, and way more attentive than you."
He glanced downstairs and added, "Oh, he's here. Look, he even brought flowers. Now that's a date. Unlike you, dragging me along!"
Katniss was surprised to see the bouquet George brought. The vibrant red roses' fragrance hit her from afar.
George's voice came from behind the bouquet. "Katniss, hurry up, I got pricked by a thorn!"
Katniss quickly stood up and took the flowers, noticing a thorn stuck in George's face, which made her laugh.
"My mom insisted I bring flowers. Don't read too much into it," George said, pulling out a tissue to awkwardly remove the thorn.
Katniss placed the flowers on the seat and then sat down, waving for the waiter to take their order.
Despite the flowers and the funny situation, Katniss and George interacted naturally, like friends, without any awkwardness.
But this natural interaction looked like a sweet, loving couple to Tristan.
"I'm late," Bella said as she entered the room, her face stiffening when she saw Nicholas.
Nicholas turned and grinned at her. "You're half an hour late. If it were anyone else but Tristan, they'd have bailed by now."
Tristan's expression remained unchanged as he pointed to the chair beside him. "Sit."
Bella sat down, adjusted her mood, and smiled at Nicholas. "Girls need time to do their makeup and change clothes. Waiting is basic etiquette for men. Don't you know that?"
Nicholas scoffed and leaned back, saying he was starving and asked the waiter to hurry with the food.
During the meal, Katniss felt very comfortable with George, like friends. He complained about his mom, and occasionally, he showed concern for her work.
After eating, George turned to call the waiter for the bill and suddenly spotted Nicholas in the upstairs private room. Nicholas grinned at him.
"Katniss, isn't that guy from your company? I remember seeing him at the resort," George said.
Katniss followed his gaze and not only saw Nicholas but also recognized Tristan's back. Even from the back of his head, she could tell it was him.
"Want to go say hi?" George asked.
Katniss just smiled at Nicholas and then looked at George. "No need. He's not an employee; he's a friend of my boss. He was the one who teamed up with us in the game last time."
George, thinking of something, stood up and looked at the private room again. "Is the guy who's really good at the game there?"
Just then, Tristan turned around, locking eyes with George.
George was stunned to see Tristan and instinctively looked at Katniss. "That's your boss?"
Katniss nodded. "Yes."
"And the woman sitting next to him is..." George, who only focused on games and didn't follow financial or entertainment news, had no idea about Tristan and Bella's rumors.
He only knew that Tristan had taken Katniss's room key and was now having a seemingly intimate meal with another woman. That woman was practically in Tristan's lap.
So, was Katniss being taken advantage of at work?
No wonder she could maintain her position as a top assistant in the industry; part of it was due to this kind of relationship?
He didn't despise Katniss; instead, he felt sympathy. It was obvious she was forced to be Tristan's lover to pay for Sophia's medical treatment.
He didn't expose Katniss's secret but instinctively wanted to protect her. He turned and pulled Katniss upstairs.
Katniss was startled by his sudden action and was forced upstairs to Tristan's private room.
When the door opened, she was confused as George pulled her into the room. Before she could react, George placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her tightly.
He uttered, "Hello, everyone. You must be Katniss's boss and friends, right? Sorry to intrude, but we just wanted to say hi since we ran into each other. Hope you don't mind?"
Bella and Nicholas were also stunned. Saying hi was polite, but why did it feel like George was laying claim to Katniss?
Nicholas's amused gaze fell on Tristan. "Tristan, you're the boss. He's here for you."
Tristan's eyes lifted slightly. He remained seated, unmoving, and with a slight smirk, he pointed to the seat opposite. "I don't mind. Have a seat."
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