Office Diaries - Chapter 160

“It’s not really about Jena’s life per se,”Tohru answered. “It’s more about keeping secrets…”

His eyes that seemed to always been laughing or smiling were now serious that Yanee couldn’t decide how to react to his words. In her heart, there was a bit of apprehension and her insecurities that had been sleeping for a while since she accepted Tohru to be her lover resurfaced and she felt cold.

Secrets? What secrets could he still be keeping from her? She already met his family. She already knew who he was. What else could there be? Unless…

Remembering that Jena’s story’s life lesson was for him, she felt bad.

“Are… Are you hiding a love child somewhere?” she asked and Tohru was stumped.

“A what?” he asked back, unsure that he heard her correctly.

“Are you hiding a love child somewhere?” she repeated, this time, more severely that he choked.

“Of course, not!” He looked more than incredulous this time. “Why did you ask that suddenly? Do I look like a dad— ah, no that’s not the point! Do I look like someone so irresponsible to you?”

It was one thing to ɨmprėġnȧtė someone out of marriage. It’s another to hide it from the world. Yanee couldn’t imagine Tohru who was totally close with his family to be like that and shook her head.

Tohru seemed relieved at first and let out a sigh but then pouted, looking totally aggrieved.

“Why did you ask that suddenly then?”

Yanee smiled sheepishly. “It’s because I can’t think of any similarity between you and Jena’s life except… Well, that maybe you have…”

Yanee twisted her fingers on her ŀȧp and Tohru reached out and flicked her forehead with his fingers.

“Punishment for thinking silly thoughts,” he told her and they both smiled. “Any other silly thought?”

Yanee pouted and arched her brow at him. “You don’t have a secret child so how about being a closet gay?” she teased and Tohru’s eyes glinted, the smile on his lips stretched into a mischievous slant that made Yanee regret asking that one.

“Oh? Does my honey doubt my masculinity?” His eyes glanced to where Yanee’s room was before continuing to speak in a low tone. “We can take a quick trip to your room to check and prove that theory wrong, you know,” he invited huskily and Yanee fought heart not to have blood spurting from her nose.

“I was just kidding, you know,” she deadpanned which was an utter feat considering her mental state was almost in chaos over his sultry invite.

“Tsk! Damn, it’s a joke.” Tohru looked disappointed which made Yanee look scandalized.

The potato was serious?

“So what about the secret you’re talking about?”Yanee asked, changing the subject, but the other was not yet ready to let go.

Tohru looked at her hopefully with that sėxy smile of his. “You really don’t want to check if I’m gay or not?” he asked and Yanee kicked him.

“I don’t. If you were, Ami would have told me as soon as she laid her eyes on you,” she said confidently, making the other frown.

“Ami would?” he asked doubtfully.

Yanee grinned then. “Aside from being a dragon lady, my sister is equipped with a very strong gaydar that could quickly identify rainbows and buŧŧerflies. Well, aside from that, she could basically almost read your mind so she knows how to deal with people easily.”

“She does?”Tohru looked amazed. “Sister-in-law is scary.”

Yanee shrugged. “She’d be a bad businesswoman if not.”

Tohru seemed to think about it and then nodded. It seemed he’d heard about Ami Lee’s quirks form somewhere else before. He sure was glad she somewhat gave him the seal of approval, letting him stay alone with her sister in their apartment.

“So, what were you going to tell me?”Yanee prompted, returning the conversation back to the topic.

“You’re not going to interrupt me anymore?” he teased and Yanee gave him a face and stuck her tongue out like an angry kid making him laugh.

“Well, in Jena’s story, Big Bro Alvin was so scared that Jena would hate him when she found out the truth. It’s why he dragged it out for the longest of time which nearly put Jena and the baby in danger.”

Yanee nodded. When Jena broke down, her emotional state was dangerous to her body and the baby. If it was not settled quickly she’d had had some complications.

“But Alvin’s fear was understandable. I mean Jena thought she was rȧpėd and her life was derailed,” Yanee said and Tohru looked at her thoughtfully as if he was weighing things in his mind.

“So do you think it’s easily forgivable? He kept such a big secret for a long time,” he asked softly and Yanee inclined her head, ready to answer seriously.

“If I didn’t know his side of the coin, and if I were Jena, I might see things and feel differently. But I do know his thoughts and I am not Jena. I have nothing to begrudge him for keeping that secret.”

In any case, since Jena was able to forgive him so easily and accepted the status quo, who were they, outsiders not to do the same?

“Really?” he asked almost coyly, and Yanee nodded.

“Really.”

She already felt that he had something very important to tell her that might make her mood go down. He wouldn’t be this roundabout if it were something so easy to confess. She might be upset or angry when she found out. But she already promised herself that in case that would happen, as long as it’s nothing to do with him cheating on her, she would stop herself from saying anything harsh and think things through. She would wait for her bad mood to subside before she’d reply. But if it was not something so big, she wouldn’t drag it too long. After all, she really couldn’t think of any possible secret that she might be upset with.

Besides…

Yanee already accepted him as her man. Although she was still bashful about it, there was no longer any hesitation in her mind. They were a couple. One very important thing that she had learned from all the stories she had listened to so far was that communication between two people in a relationship was a vital thing. If they couldn’t get over this one secret that her boyfriend was brave enough to tell her regardless of his hesitation since he thought it would anger her, then this relationship was doomed.

“Then, the thing that I want to tell you— honey, it’s about me. I mean regardless of what I tell you later, know that I’m just the man who loves you. Okay?” he asked and Yanee lowered her eyes and nodded.

“You already know my family, right?” he asked after and she nodded again. “Actually, one of the reasons why I wanted to bring you there was so you could meet them before knowing who they were.”

Yanee’s brows rose. He brought her to the Cypress Gardens to meet the James family and get to know them in person before hearing about them?

“Honey, please don’t think I sound like a snob,” Tohru immediately tried to cajole.

Yanee knew he was thinking that she would misunderstand and think that telling her that he wanted to see her reaction to her family as individuals and not as the bigwigs of society was akin to not trusting her that she’d look at him as a man if she knew his opulent background.

Yanee laughed. “Don’t worry. Even if we’re not as rich as you, we’re rich enough to understandably have that kind of fear as well. But it doesn’t mean that we’re suspicious of everyone we meet. It was also understandable that status can intimidate people, and that’s what you were worried about. I knew you sincerely just want me to meet your family and nothing else.”

There was a huge gap between the Lees and the James, but money and status were not the reason why he took her home. She was aware that Tohru let her meet his family to increase his selling point. If she liked his family and felt their warm welcome, he’d increase his eligibility to be boyfriend material. She now understood why he took that opportunity to confess his feelings to her.

Smart potato…

If Yanee knew who he was, she’d be dead scared to meet his family since they were such big shots. Knowing her personality, letting her meet and stay with the James family before getting into a relationship with him was a good idea. She wouldn’t have to worry about meeting the family and going crazy with her insecurities.

“So, what’s the secret?” she asked again. Tohru had already dragged this too long today. She was not very curious.

“Actually, the family business, Arcus Iris… I’m not really stepping in for my dad. I mean he’s already retired and is just hanging on for another year for me,” he said quietly as he looked at Yanee uneasily.

She was quiet for a while, but not because she was shocked. It was because she was expecting something big— well, this was still big but she had already guessed as much before so she was no longer surprised. She was already expecting this was the case.

“That’s the secret? You’re Arcus Iris’ Chairman?” she asked and Tohru nodded.

“You’re not… angry?” he asked and Yanee laughed.

“You’re so silly. I already know that.”