Page 49 of Falling for My Ex Next Door

“Oh,” I was surprised. “I didn’t know of a prior arrangement.” My heart skipped a momentary beat.

“Oh,” he stared.

“Is Daisy going to come along?” I asked.

“No, as far as I know, I was only directed to convey you to the function.” He responded.

“Oh, give me a minute,” I said, hurrying to get my phone from the room. I missed a call from Jacob, so I returned the call.

“Hey.”

“Good evening,” he said coolly.

“Good evening. Did you order a chauffeur for me?” I went straight to the point.

“Yes, I called earlier to tell you that. He will get you to the venue.” He responded.

“Oh,”

“Yeah, is anything the matter?”

“No, no. I was only hoping I would join Daisy.” I expressed my disappointment.

“I’m sorry about that. Daisy had something urgent to attend to this evening. She must have texted you, or didn’t she?”

“It’s okay,” I glanced through my messages and truly, Daisy had texted. “Thank you,”

“Yeah, see you at the party.”

“Yeah,” I replied, my cheeks a bit warm at the prospect of being alone with Jacob.

The chauffeur, Gideon, dropped me off at the entrance of a massive building, and I was directed in by some smartly dressed ushers with smiles plastered on their faces. The venue of the function was a hall I perceived was a subsidiary establishment of JDB Investments for the building bore the company’s logo.

Inside, the setting was grand and elegant, from the plush carpets to the crystal chandeliers that twinkled overhead and the opulent arrangements of flowers in their brilliant colors. The stage was a vast, uplifted area with a backdrop of the company logo that glinted with an electric glow.

The guests, I knew, were public figures in the society. Their finery sparkled in the room, creating a more beautiful scenery.

I looked around, hoping I’d see either Daisy or Jacob, but I didn’t see any of them. The murmurings and soft laughters were punctuated by the occasional sound of glassware clinking, and soon, a waiter came up to me with a tray of wine.

“Thank you,” I helped myself to a glass of wine and attentively watched the happenings around me.

I saw a man go up the stage. It was Mr Bradley, Jacob’s father and the proprietor of JDB Investments. His presence immediately commanded the attention of the guests.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice resonating throughout the room. “We are here today to celebrate a milestone not just for our company, but for each of you.”

Shortly after, I caught a glimpse of Jacob. Standing among the crowd of his colleagues, I must say he looked very handsome in his tuxedo. I wondered if he could feel my gaze upon him. He looked quite attentive to his father. Meanwhile, I was strangely unable to take my eyes off him. Under the illumination of the chandelier, his features excited me, and I found myself staring at him.

Suddenly, he turned toward my direction, and our eyes locked briefly. Immediately, I looked away.

I felt my cheeks burn. When I glanced at him again, he was already making his way across the room. I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach as he neared me.

“I didn’t see you. When did you arrive?” He whispered when he was finally standing next to me.

Our eyes met for the briefest moment before I replied. “Not too long ago.”

“Before your father went up there…” I wanted to add, but the roaring applause that came from the crowd cut me off. It seemed Mr Bradley had finished his address.

“Excuse me,” Jacob said, dropping the wine glass in his hand on the tray of a passing waiter. He wormed his way through the crowd and went up the stage.

---