My CEO Bestie And Me

Chapter 7

Ben chuckled over the phone call first, as he knew he had been asking Lerisa out, yet she didn't want to accept him.

She was the first lady who had ever rejected his advances to date her. And he was determined to have her by force, whether she liked him or not. He believed that, with time, she would fall in love with him too.

Ben replied, "Does it matter how I got your number, Lerisa? The truth is that I want to hear your voice. I have been searching for your mobile number since and got it from somewhere else."

"Where?" Lerisa asked, frowning and not wanting to have anything to do with Ben.

She knew that Ben was from a rich family, not the first son, but he owned a hotel and was doing well at his age, despite being the same age as Anthony.

Lerisa asked him, "Why are you calling me?"

"Chill, babe. Why are you sounding so pissed off? Yesterday, I saw that you looked so sad, and that made me truly worried about you. I couldn't sleep well last night, which is why I am calling you now to know how you're faring."

Lerisa apologized, "I am so sorry about that, Ben. So why are you calling me now?" She repeated her question, feeling inclined to end the call with him. But she didn't want to be rude to him, as she wasn't brought up to be disrespectful.

Ben replied, "I just want to know how you're doing, Lerisa. Tell me, how are you doing now?"

"I'm fine now. Thank you for calling me," Lerisa said, and Ben responded, "Don't mention it. I'm glad to hear your voice and to know that you're fine. Can we see each other later, hang out somewhere nice, and chill out together? That will make you feel better and calm your nerves."

"No," Lerisa quickly responded, telling him, "I'm sorry, Ben. I cannot hang out with you today."

"Why?" Ben asked, trying not to sound annoyed with her rejection.

Lerisa said, "Nothing, Ben. Honestly, I just don't want to hang out with you." She didn't know how best to tell Ben that she wasn't interested in him.

Lerisa had told Ben countless times that she wasn't interested in being his woman. Yet Ben didn't want to listen to her refusal.

He said, "I can understand how you're feeling, Lerisa, but you can just give me a chance. Let me prove my love to you and let us hang out first, even if it's just once." Ben begged, and Lerisa replied, "Okay, but probably not today."

"Why? But you don't work on Saturdays, do you?" Ben asked her.

"No, but I have somewhere to attend. And I have to be somewhere now. Goodbye, and take care of yourself." Lerisa quickly hung up the phone call on Ben, sighed deeply, dropped her phone back on her bed, and went to search for a gown that she would wear to go shopping.

Lerisa wasted more time searching for a simple gown until she picked out a red gown. She walked to drop it on the bed and went into the bathroom to take her bath. She stepped out of the bathroom, dried her wet body, and rubbed it with lemon cream.

Lerisa was fair in complexion, and she was through with her cream. She wore the red gown and brown sandals and then combed her long blonde hair. Then she neatly packed it into a bun and glanced at her simple reflection in the room mirror.

Lerisa was not the type of lady to apply makeup to her face, being content with her natural looks. The red gown was a V-shaped dress.

She took her phone and car key, inserted them into her red purse, and then walked out of her room, all set to go shopping.

Lerisa wanted to purchase a new gown to wear to Anthony Gregson's 30th birthday celebration. She wanted to look her best, even though she knew that Anthony wouldn't acknowledge her, seeing her only as a sister.

Lerisa knew that Anthony was from a Christian family like hers. She knew that his birthday celebration would be a simple one in his family home, as his parents wouldn't support him celebrating in a hotel.

They still treated Anthony like a child and would reprimand him, not minding that he was a grown man, now 30 years old.

Lerisa shut her room door and stepped out to the corridor, ready to leave her family house for the mall.

She walked out of the corridor into the living room but didn't see her mother there. She walked back into the corridor, went to her mother's room door to check, and informed her mother that she was leaving for the mall.

Knock! knock!.

Lerisa stood knocking at her mother's room door, not hearing her response. She frowned, pushed her mother's room door gently, carefully peeked in, and saw her mother sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Lerisa sighed, carefully shut the door, went out, and met her father and Anthony's father standing outside in their compound.

"Good morning, father. Good morning, sir," Lerisa greeted the men standing in the compound.

Mr. Joshua stared back at Lerisa and smiled before responding to her greeting first. "Good morning, Lerisa. How are you today?" He asked her, and she replied, "I'm fine, sir."

"That's good to hear. Thank you for taking over your father's position in the company. I can see your help and progress in assisting Anthony manage the company affairs very well," Mr. Joshua praised Lerisa.

He was wearing a brown shirt and black trousers with black slippers. He was a 62-year-old black man.

Lerisa replied, "Thank you, sir. It's my pleasure to work with Anthony too."

"That's good. I hope you're attending the birthday celebration tonight in the evening at our home."

"Yes, sir. Anthony already invited me," Lerisa said, meeting Mr. Joshua's intense gaze.

He smiled and replied, "That's good to hear. Mr. Fred, I have to start going home now. We will meet again on Monday to know the end of the meeting with the chiefs and landowners here."

"That's alright. I will be looking forward to the result," Mr. Fred replied as he escorted his friend towards their compound gate. Lerisa said to her father, "Dad, I'm leaving the house now and going out shopping."

"Okay, Lerisa, but don't stay too long outside. Is your mother inside the house?" Mr. Fred asked after Mr. Joshua exited the house gate and left the compound.

Lerisa replied, "Yes, father."

"Okay, go quickly and be back on time." Mr. Fred replied and walked back into the house.

Lerisa sighed and walked up to the black gate. She pulled it open, as their gateman wasn't around.

She thought to employ another trusted gateman to manage the gate for them since her salary at L.H Group was good and fair.

Lerisa then drove her car outside the compound, stepped out of the car to lock the gate, then she entered back into her car and drove off to exit the street and onto the main road.