Chapter 29

Back at the restaurant, Frank couldn t even identify what he was eating with the taste and had to look down at his plate continuously to remember. All his attention was on the two people eating opposite him. Sean is dating Athena? That was the most repeated question in his mind, but how, when and why? How is that possible? When did it start? Why is he dating her? For goodness sake, Sean can have any woman he wants on his bed, so many pretty ladies are his models and all without being told has a crush on him, so why, why would in all those women he would pick Athena? The classless, poor and dirty girl who has lived all her life in the slums, why her? Could there be that there is something about her that he doesn t know off and Sean does? Could she magically be the daughter of a rich man and her father he knows of wasn t really her father? Is she an heiress to a humongous wealth?
Suddenly, he remembered the story Sean told him the day he went to his office, what if it was possible? What if Athena is the girl in that story and her biological father had claimed her? He ran his thoughts on the recent news, but there wasn t any news claiming that a rich man has been reunited with his long lost daughter, or could it be that they didn t bring it to the news? For Christ sake, he has to know, why is Sean with Athena? Why does he claim that they are lovers? Of course he didn t believe him when he said it, he had seen the shock on Athena s face so it could mean that Sean just blurted that out, but why? Why would he lie about dating Athena, he means, Athena, what is so special about her that a man in Sean s status would even lie about dating her? No, something is fishy, something he must find out and if it turns out that Athena is miraculously the daughter of one rich man, then he is going to regret his action for the rest of his life.
Athena was finding it hard to swallow whatever she puts in her mouth, the constant gaze from Frank was boring a hole in her, she tried so hard to ignore him but it was so hard to do so when he wasn t looking away from her for as long as three seconds. She could feel Sean s presence beside her and how unaffected he was at everything that was happening, but how could he say that? How could he drop that comment so casually like he was just saying, 'this is rice, the food I want to eat For crying out loud, he introduced her as his girlfriend to Frank and Leo, why would he do that? She glanced up at him but all his attention was on his food and she looked back down at hers and tried to endure Frank intense stare.
Sean would be a liar if he said he doesn t know what was happening, he could feel Athena glancing at him from time to time and he knew she wants to ask him about his declaration of her being his girlfriend, the truth is, he didn t even know when he said that but he had already did and there was no way he could take it back. He just wanted to see the look on Frank s face and it was priceless, but in other to set things straight, when they would be alone, he would tell Leo that they weren t dating maybe that way, Athena wouldn t kill him with her stare.
Leo on the other hand was enjoying everything that was happening secretly, the secret stares were amazing and he was tempted to order for a box of popcorn so that he could watch them very well, it had been so long that anything interesting had happened in his life and there was hardly something he hadn t seen before. In his theory, life has nothing to offer to him anymore and he just lives every day as sluggishly as he could with nothing of interest to inspire him, but who would have expected that he would come back to Chicago to witness his friend fighting over a girl with a boy so tender to compare with him? From mere look at Frank, he knew he would be at his early twenties and Sean was so much older than him, and that left him asking, what game is his friend playing?
He glanced at Athena who was struggling to eat her food, poor girl, he thought, it must be so hard to cope with this, I wonder who knew her first and why in the world would Sean be competing with a mere boy? He chuckled secretly, damn, this is really interesting, who is going to win? Oh and there is Esperanza, I wonder why she didn t return to the room anymore, it would have added another fun watching her stare at Sean as well, oh old friend, what are you doing? This is going to be one hell of a fight and I m sure as hell not missing this.
The dinner finally came to an end with Leo the only one that enjoyed his meal; he gracefully picked up his glass and started sipping gently, watching and patiently waiting for another show. Frank was the first person to speak up after the waiter cleared the table, he cleared his throat and licked his lips, "I m sorry Mr. Brand, sir," he glanced at Sean and Leo, "but I have to take my leave, I still have to work on those designs."
Leo wasn t happy when he heard that, he wasn t ready for the fun to end so quickly but he really wants to speak to Sean and he knows he won t say anything with Frank in the room and neither would he agree to leave Athena alone with him. "Sure, we will continue our discussion some other time."
"Thank you sir," he stood up and picked up his briefcase which holds the designs he had wanted to show Sean but which he couldn t do so anymore, he still needs some time to process everything that happened tonight, "I will send you the designs as soon as I can, Mr. Brand."
"Sure, take your time," Sean smiled and he nodded and glanced at Athena one more time before leaving the room.
Leo chuckled and Sean glared at him but rather than shut up, he laughed louder, that was the difference between him and Sean s employees, while his employees and any other person will cower in fear at his glare, Leo would only laugh at it and Sean knows that.
Athena wanted some time to calm herself so she stood up and excused herself, Sean watched her leave, he wanted to follow her for he was afraid that Frank might still be around but seeing the way Leo was staring at him, he couldn t bring himself to stand up, he has given his friend enough fun for the night.
When they were finally alone, Leo spoke up, "alright, spit it out, what is going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sean, everybody might be afraid of you but you know that I would hold you and give you a hard knock on the head, so tell me, what is going on?"
Sean sighed, if there is anyone that he respect wholeheartedly in this world, that is Leo, not only does he know his root but he is the man he is today with all thanks to him and if it wasn t for Leo, he doubts if he would even still be alive, so the man has his undying respect. "What do you think is going on, you are a smart man and I know you already figured it out?"
Leo laughed, "of course, at thirty seven years there is nothing in this world that I don t already know of but I must tell you, tonight was priceless, I haven t laughed so hard in a long time."
Sean rolled his eyes, "I m not surprised."
"You do know Esperanza won t take this lightly, right? And not just her, including all those women that has a crush on you, so what are you hoping to gain from this?"
"Nothing, I m just helping a girl in need," and so he told Leo everything that happened and how he came to know Athena.
"Wow, I had no idea Frank is like that," Leo said then he glanced at Sean, "why does interesting things only happen to you? I mean, you did the same thing for, what s her name again?"
"Gretchen," Sean answered.
"Exactly and now Athena, do you think it would end the same way?"
"Of course, once the idiot realizes his mistake, I will let her go back to him."
"Are you sure?" Leo asked with a raised eyebrow, "because there are few things that I am noticing where different with Gretchen."
"And what could that be?" Sean asked casually.
"You are overly protective of this Athena, I know I m just seeing you two for the first time but I have been around you with a lot of women before, I m afraid a time would come and you won t let her go back to Frank."
"And why would that happen?" Sean asked, picking his drink to take a sip.
"Because you would be in love with her," Leo answered and Sean choked on his drink.
After series of coughs, he glanced at his friend, "stop saying nonsense, you know that can t be possible, I can t fall in love with any woman."
"Is that so? Then can you really say that while picturing her face in your mind?"
At that question, Sean was surprised for he realized that he doesn t have an answer for it.