✷Chapter Seventeen✷

"Teresa!" A familiar voice called out to her as she walked out of her working place. She gazes behind her to notice Gideon in his black suit and trouser, white tee shirt, black tie and black shoes. He appears like he had just had a business meeting. It's been a week since she last saw him. She knew he was busy with work, and somehow she missed speaking to him.

She smiled at the sight of him, even if she was extremely tired from today's work. Her close working partner Lydia had just been put to bed three days ago. Making work more stressful times ten. Teresa only wishes for Lydia to resume quickly, or if possible she'd inform Gideon for a temporary replacement in the meantime. Maybe he'd consider her state.

"Are you heading home already?" He asked as he joined her on the journey to the parking lot. 

Teresa's brow raised at his word. Her eyes skimmed to the wristwatch on her wrist. It says past six. "Do you plan on making me sleep here? From what I know, the closing period has passed." She implied, stopping her movement and wrapped her arms around her chest.

Gideon smiled in return, placing his left arm on her shoulder and turned her around forcing her towards the parking lot. "I just wanted to drive you home. Seeing you heading to the parking lot, I can only guess Alexa lended you her car?"

She nodded, before releasing her arms from around her chest. From afar she caught sight of Alexa's gray Chevrolet spark car. He walked her till she got to her destination. "Well thank you for guarding me and protecting me, my knight in shining armor." She sarcastically said, not being able to stop the smile that touched her lips.

Gideon chose to play along with her, as he gave her a small bow. "Anything for my princess."

She wanted to mess with him a little more, then said. "I'd very much prefer to be a queen."

He lifted his eyes clearly, finding her sudden behavior amusing enough for a chuckle to escape his mouth. "Well, anything for my queen."

She laughed out for a while with him, before giving him a hug which he returned. "I'll see you at work tomorrow." She whispered before turning to unlock the car and let herself into the welcoming space of the vehicle. She noticed him still standing there, probably making sure she drove off safely.

She turned on the ignition of the car wanting to pull off from the parking place, till a question popped up in her head. Her hand pressed a button, and she watched as the driver's side window wined down. 

Gideon gazed at her, surprised at her move. His smile did not leave his face for a moment. "You miss me already?" He joked only making her smile at his statement, before turning serious for her upcoming question.

She cleared her throat before speaking, for once not snapping her eyes away from his. "It's about Jacob." At the mention of his elder brother's name, Gideon's face in a flash became serious, like he wasn't smiling just a while ago.

"What about him?" His voice became deep in annoyance, like the thought of Jacob irked him a lot without control.

Teresa paused for a while thinking on how to approach the question without giving anything away. "Have you spoken to him since we left Lakewood? Did he get back home safely in Seattle?" She said biting her inner cheek hoping he doesn't find her question suspicious.

Jacob gave her skeptical look, clearly baffled by her question. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugs trying to play the nonchalant attitude, silently praying he buys her act. "Nothing. I'm just concerned? Shouldn't you be? I mean he's your brother, and family."

For a while he said nothing but stared at her, like he was studying her trying to see if he could get something out of her. He sighs, finally breaking the tension between them. "I spoke with him last week. He seems busy with work."

She nodded, forcing a smile on her face. "Okay. I'll see you then." She said nothing more, and rolled the glass back up, before carefully pulling the car from the parking lot, then to the main road.

There was a huge difference between both brothers. Gideon has always been the caring, calm, playful one. He never takes things seriously. His personality attracts people of both genders to him, she was aware that his personality contributes in helping win clients and help the business bloom more.

While Jacob on the other hand is what Teresa could define as mysterious and mischievous. He was mysterious in a way that he was very hard to read, and secretive at times that he likes keeping to himself. On the other hand, mischievous that he finds pleasure in tormenting people into bending the way he wants them to. He finds pleasure in doing weird things to people, just like he was doing to her.

It's been four days since she last spoke to him and stepped out of his penthouse. As time passed she thought for a moment he had probably forgotten about her and the deal he made with her. But to her surprise earlier two days ago one morning she'd received a huge bouquet of yellow tulips from Jacob. Teresa knew he had intentionally made the flower huge in order for her not to be unable to throw it away. At the top of the yellow tulip was a letter of invitation to an auction ball. 

Alexa on the other hand couldn't stop pestering her for who sent her the flowers. And the last thing Teresa would ever do is tell Alexa anything when it wouldn't take her an hour to spill the whole news to Gideon.

A few minutes later the lady who delivered the blue dress to her from Jacob four days ago, arrived with another box of dresses for the auction charity ball. 

Teresa gazed through the rearview mirror, to the pink box that held the dress Jacob had bought for her. Her eyes moved to the other box beside it that contained the dress she'd bought from eBay a few minutes after she had received the news of the auction.

She couldn't wait to see the look in his eyes when he noticed her dressing. He had told her to play hard to get and that's what it was going to do, even if that was what she had been doing all her life knowing him. She's very much ready to play his game, even though the thought of it scares her to bits.

Parking the car in a designated area, she transferred herself to the backseat of the car. It was beginning to get dark already and she had forty minutes to get to the event. 

She began changing her dress in the car which was very uncomfortable to do with the little space the car provided. Teresa knew she could have gone home to change, but two things prevented her from doing so. Time and Alexa.

After ten minutes of struggling with the dress, she finally buttoned the last button with a long sigh of accomplishment, then opted out to still wear the black stiletto she had worn to work. She immediately transferred herself back to the driver's seat, making sure to do a little touch up of makeup with the help of the folded mirror in the car. She was grateful her hair still had the wave she did this morning. Finding herself presentable enough, she began her journey to the auction ball.

It took her close to thirty minutes to get to the hotel holding the auction. As she drove through the driveway leading, she stopped not too far from the man she presumed must be the valet.

Teresa was brought to a stop the moment she stepped out of the car. "Ms. Teresa Andrew?" The valet asked, looking at her for clarification, as he gave her dress a baffled look. She nodded at him, before he continued. "Please drive to the back of the building." He said robotically pointing at the direction she should pass through.

Puzzled by his word, she slowly headed back to the car to do as he had instructed. She could only guess maybe that was the direction that leads to the auction ball.

After driving to the back, she noticed how the area had a lack of people in it. She'd have freaked out that she had fallen to a trap of being abducted if not for the familiar man standing still like a rock like he was waiting for her.

Teresa took in this attire for tonight's event. He is in a regular black suit and pants, a black bowtie, and black shining leather shoes. She could only guess that was the dress code for the men today.

She stepped out of the car sluggardly watching his expression as he took in the dress he was. Jacob chortles out in a gleeful way, clearly amazed by her rebellious behavior.

She let out a small smile, feeling proud of herself for her choice of dressing, and somehow in a weird way was happy to have brought that look on his face. "You like my dress?" She asked mockingly, as she swirling her dress around for him to see. "I got it from eBay." She taunted him, smirking at him. He had stopped laughing but she could see the twinkle of laughter lingering in his eyes.

The dress she had purchased was hideous. She wore a white satin gown from the oldies, probably from the nineteenth century. It was a body long gown, with fluffy puffs at the neckline, and long sleeves with a net curve at each end. She looked like a clown.

"Something happened to tell me it was a costume party." She added to which Jacob only laughed, making him age younger. She felt a strange fluttering feeling in her stomach while staring at him as he laughed out loud again. She immediately shook it off not wanting to understand what it meant.

Jacob stopped laughing after a while, his emerald eyes twinkling mischievously. "And something told me you'd do this," He smirks, as her smug look falls off her face. She wasn't in any way liking where the direction his comment was heading, "that's why I came prepared." He raised his hand revealing a scissor that he hid behind him.

Teresa saw the look in eyes. It clearly says; One point for Jacob, zero point for her.

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This chapter is dedicated to chrysanthiker1998