Trapped between love and lust

Chapter 4 comfort

*Adrien*

"I'm leaving," I declared, placing my glass down. Anger boiled within me, my brows knitted together in disbelief at the audacity of my grandfather.

"Adrien, wait, at least let him finish," Camila pleaded, gripping my hand. She understood how upset and furious our grandfather's words had made me. "I'm not interested in hearing whatever he has to say," I retorted bitterly, my jaw clenched. Grandfather always had a controlling nature, meddling in my affairs even now. ‘His f*****g audacity’

"My private life is not a f*****g family affair."

"You have to give her a chance, Adrien. Get to know her and see if you'll like her. I'm not trying to arrange a marriage contract," he stated firmly, his eyes fixed on mine as I seethed in anger.

"But playing matchmaker?" I spat out my words in frustration. Grandfather and I stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, the tension gradually dissipating in the room.

"Just do this one thing, and I promise to keep him off your back and out of your business," Cam said, offering a reassuring smile. I trusted my sister's words.

"Just one meeting, and that's all," I agreed before walking out. It had been an exceptionally long day, and I hurried home for a good night's sleep.

Morning came too quickly; I barely got enough sleep. Today wasn't in my plans for work, so I headed to my home gym, did my morning exercises, took a long, hot shower, then had breakfast. As I wrapped up in the kitchen, a message notification popped up on my phone. Three from my sister and one from Noah. I opened my sister's messages.

“'I’m so sorry about yesterday, you know how Papa gets sometimes.' 'If she meant him being a pain most of the time, then I agree.' 'Can I make it up to you tonight? Drinks on me.'

'Oh, and there will be an annual gathering/party next month for the company (Ancient Artifacts Emporium). Grandfather says that’s where you’ll meet the "lucky woman," so you better be there. Love you, dumbass.'”

“Well, it all depends on how I’ll be feeling that particular day that will determine whether I’ll act like an ass or a gentleman.” I smiled so hard as I texted these words. My sister was a stickler for rules, so I made sure to take advantage of it.

“And about the drinks… Noah is coming too."

Noah and I drove to the pub, ready to meet my sister for drinks. As friends, we always engaged in the best conversations, and he had a knack for understanding me on a deeper level. I felt comfortable enough to open up about something that had been weighing on me.

"Hey, Noah, thanks for coming with me tonight. I promised my sister I'd meet her for some drinks tonight and I wasn’t going to let her bug me alone." I smiled.

"I’m always your wingman, you can count on me. By the way, I can’t miss a chance to see Camila’s beautiful chubby face," he remarked, eliciting a scoff from me. "So, tell me what’s been on your mind lately? You don’t seem like your usual self."

Taking a deep breath, I sighed, "You know how my grandfather can be a bit of an asshole when it comes to my love life, right?"

Noah chuckled, "Oh man, your grandfather is a legend! What did he do this time?"

I sighed again, continuing, "He's been trying to set me up with all these girls, thinking he knows who's perfect for me. A few days ago, he told me he had arranged a blind date with this girl I’m supposedly meeting at the annual party."

"Ah, the retirement party?" he clarified before adding, "Blind dates can be hit or miss."

"I don’t want to go through these motions, trying to please my grandpa," I shrugged, feeling a sense of frustration.

Noah nodded sympathetically, "Did you talk to him about it?"

"Yeah, well I tried, But he just won't give up. He really gets on my nerves sometimes, thinking he knows what's best for me."

"Gotta love grandpas and their matchmaking skills," we both chuckled in amazement. "But hey, you're a catch, Adrien," Noah grinned.

I smiled at his words, "Yeah, thanks, babe." Sarcasm clear in my tone.

“Hey… we’ll if anything, I can fill that gap for you since I’m your best friend.”

Noah placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I nodded, feeling a sense of relief, "I won't let anyone pressure me into something I'm not ready for."

"That's the spirit! Now, let's focus on having a great time tonight. Drinks, laughter, and good company. We've got this!" Noah encouraged with a grin.

"Couldn't agree more, my friend. Let's make some unforgettable memories tonight!"