I’ll Sing To You, Mr. CEO

CHAPTER 8: CONSENSUS

One Thursday afternoon right after their class, Lhan sighed out of relief as she sat down. Today, Dunce went on a business trip so she thought she could relax a little without his presence. They were sitting on their favorite spot under an umbrella tree at the back of their library building. Her classes for the day just ended but she still needed to consult one of her Professors. Gideon and Elise joined her as both had vacant period.

"What's with the big sigh?" Gideon asked when he noticed her heaved a sigh.

"Nothing." Then she put her folded crossed arms on her books and rested her head on it. She looked dispirited.

"Hey!" Elise prodded her in the head to catch her attention. Gideon and Elise sat across Lhan. "I saw you hanging out with Boss Aljun's friend lately. Ardunce Arbiz, one of the youngest businessmen known for being allergic to women, snob and arrogant CEO of Frost Company. What's the deal? Is it still about the stained suit you've told me about?" Elise' family belongs to the upper class so she knew a lot of gossips about the most sought-after bachelors in town. It happened that Aljun and his friends belong to that group.

"No. He is pursuing me." The usual unconcerned expression was visible on her as she spoke these words as if it was just a common thing.

"Really?" Gideon couldn't believe her. He was aware that the person who always fetch her was rich but never expected that he was one of the richest in the country. "Ardunce Arbiz is the one who always wait for you at the gate? You're kidding me!"

"Yeah. The ostensible fate as you refer to was playing a trick on me. He is the same guy to whom I owe that expensive shirt." She confided.

"He also come here? Hey, you didn't tell me about it." Knowing that Dunce was a busy man, Elise could not believe that he was already at the point where he come to their school.

"You are always busy with your Thesis. I don't think that it was a big deal until last night he told me that he is courting me."

"He is so damn gorgeous. If I were you, I will say yes right there and then." Gideon gushed with enthusiasm and happiness.

"His pursuit is making me tired." While her two friends were excited and stunned, Lhan appeared shallow.

"You feel tired because you think too much. Tell us, do you like him?" out of curiosity, the two propped their chin closer to Lhan with their eyes widened and ready for gossip.

Lhan looked at her two friends. She held her tongue and immersed in deep thought as she herself wasn't sure what and how to answer. She made an eye contact with the two as if she could find the answers of all the uncertainties that she was suffering from lately through them.

"You like him!" It was Gideon who confirmed and blurted out when she didn't answer.

"What made you say that?" Since she didn’t know the meaning of what she actually felt, Lhan plumbed both her friends for more answer. Maybe they could enlighten her.

"Simple. You already hesitated to answer no." Gideon answered seriously.

"Then why do you think I feel uneasy. I feel like there's a constant battle between my right and left brain." Lhan curiously explained.

"Oh my gosh! You really do like him then." This time it was Elise who confirmed her feeling.

"Walk me through coz I can't understand how you came up with the theory that I like him." Still not convinced, she asked for more reasons that she really liked Dunce.

"That's easy. It is your first time to like someone else so it is understandable that those complicated feelings make you uneasy." It was Elise.

"Do you like looking at him?" Gideon look into her eyes.

"I guess so. His facial features are quite proportioned which, I haven't seen from anyone else yet." Lhan answered while pondering.

"Your word for handsome is funny." Gideon laughed a bit before he commented.

"Then tell, what made you say that I like him." Lhan continued.

"Before, you only had straight face. Now, your face shows confusion, a bit of excitement, fear, fight and plight mode, and you can smile a bit now." Gideon was back to being serious. Of course they have to take this matter seriously, since for them Lhan was like a child in this aspect that needed protection.

"That's it? But your face shows more exaggerated emotions than me. Does it mean you are also in love since I met you?" Lhan rebutted.

The counterargument was not because she didn’t like what they were saying but instead she wanted to be sure of what she really felt.

"We are different because we are always like this. You, on the other hand, transformed. And it started since you met him." Gideon was persistent to make Lhan understand her own feelings.

Lhan was starting to believe them but there was still a little doubts. "Convince me more."

"You like being with him, get annoyed if you never heard from him, miss him, feel relax if he's around, get jealous when he is with someone else." Elise contributed her thoughts as well.

"No, I don't get jealous. I never saw him with other girl." She said confidently.

"Aghh! Sometimes I really want to dissect your brain. Your reasoning is so out of this world." Gideon laughed at Elise' desperation.

"Why don't you try to be with him. Although he is intimidating to most people, I think he is kind to you and as you said you never saw him with other girls. He really treats you differently. That alone is a plus point." Gideon made a suggestion.

Lhan looked at Elise. "Elise, do you also think so?"

Elise nodded in agreement. "Yes. In fact, you really look different these past few days."

"Okay. I'll decide once Fleur completes the consensus." She said casually and bowed her head again to take a nap. She at least felt a little at ease hearing her friends thoughts. But still thought that it did not need too much of her attention nor did she need to focus all her energy unto it.

"Hey! Why do you have to depend your decision based on the consensus and logic. For once, can you just rely on your feelings and not on the so-called collected data." Gideon slightly smacked her head.

Lhan stared at Gideon with fury.

"Don't do that! Experts said that hitting once head may cause death to tiny brain cells." Lhan argued.

"You are not taking this seriously." Gideon.

"My feelings aren't reliable as I don't feel confident. Anyway, finish your work and let me sleep. I am really tired. I played until 5am so wake me up at around 4pm okay? I have to consult with Professor Marcs before I'll head home." She dropped the topic so easily as if she told them, period. Anyway, she was not in a hurry to know what she really felt towards Dunce. She needed to wait for Fleur's. Fleur’s always had the higher EQ among them that was why she trusted her decision the most among her friends. She thought she was the most reliable decision maker when it came to relationship-related topics.

Before she closed her eyes, Elise and Gideon berated her for spending too much time playing online games. They nagged at her for almost an hour leaving her no room for a nap without mentioning Dunce anymore.

At 4pm they separated, Gideon and Elise attended their classes and Lhan went to consult her professor. She sent messages to both friends of her before going home.

At home, she was about to cook instant noodles when the doorbell rang. She peeked on the peephole before opening the door since she wasn't expecting a visitor. It became a habit of hers to check first before opening the door as she was stalked before.

A delivery man was standing outside. The delivery man told her that a certain Mr. Arbiz paid for a food delivery addressed to Lhan Avila. She took the food and thank the guy.