章 10: What boy?

"He couldn't even call me. How annoying!" Joreen grumbled the next morning during breakfast, getting everyone's attention. Oblivious to the fact that all eyes were on her, she sighed and dropped her phone back on the table.

"What is wrong? Who pissed you off again?" Her stepfather, Jaime asked.

"Who else is capable of making Jo this angry? CEO Li obviously." Reen pointed out.

"Shouldn't you be happy then? You always complain he is like a hawk watching your every move. Now, you are away from his eyes—" Her mother started.

"But still—" Joreen hissed, "I think he is deliberately trying to piss me off whenever we meet." She narrowed her eyes and began to think seriously, "Why do you think that is?" She turned to look at all of them. From Reen to her mother and to her stepfather. "Why would a man normally want to annoy a girl?"

"You are asking me?" Jaime pointed at himself and raised a brow.

"Of course! You are the only man here. You should answer." Joreen bobbed her head up and down before dropping her chopstick.

"He limits me from doing everything. I am not the only young actress there but I'm the only one who is still being treated like a child because of him!"

"Well...." Jaime scratched the back of his head and began to think deeply while his wife focused on her meal.

"If it was a different case," Jaime started. "I would have assumed he probably liked you."

"Of course, he likes me!" Joreen nodded again.

"He isn't talking about that kind of 'like' Jo." Her mother, Cixi added in amusement and continued eating.

"What?" Joreen's eyes bulged out when she understood what they were saying.

"Hey! Come on, that's not possible." Reen said confidently. "Have you forgotten he has known Joreen almost all her life? He practically watched her grow up, saw her undress a couple of times and how flat and unattractive she looked—"

"Hey! What are you saying?" Joreen frowned at Reen. "I was never unattractive."

"You were!"

"And I am no longer 'flat'. Can't you see me? I'm a woman. I even have boobs bigger than yours." Joreen cupped hers, causing Jaime to choke on his meal.

"Can you all mind the way you discuss around me?" He asked with a displeased frown and a face red with embarrassment before turning to look at his wife who was chuckling.

"You're always easily embarrassed, you should get used to it." She whispered to her husband before standing up.

"So ladies and gentleman," She looked at the wall clock.

"In two hours, let's get ready to leave for the hotel."

The two younger ladies smiled excitedly.

"I hope we also get to bring a friend this year?" Reen asked.

"Definitely! Do you have a friend you would like to bring along?" Her mother asked.

"Yes... there is this boy —"

"BOY?" Joreen and Jaime asked at the same time with wide eyes.

Reen stood up and hurried to where Cixi was standing and linked arms with her, "Mum, let's talk in my room."

"Wait! What boy?" Jaime asked but the two women were already leaving the dining.

Joreen didn't want to be left out so she ran after them.

**********

"Why didn't you tell me you have a boyfriend?" Joreen asked as they got dressed inside her room to leave for the hotel.

"Hmm... I was waiting for you to return. Didn't want to tell you over the phone."

"You slept in my room last night, you could have told me." Joreen locked gaze with her over the dressing mirror.

"It's nothing serious actually. He's my senior in school and plays in the basketball team just like me, so we met during general practice one day and that's it." She shrugged.

Joreen sighed, "You are so lucky."

"If you don't like it, I won't bother asking him to join us—" Reen said seriously but was cut off by Joreen,

"It's fine. I really don't mind at all."

"Sure?"

"Come on, you know I always know how to have my own fun unlike you who easily gets bored. So you need company. Besides, I'd like to meet the guy who stole my promiscuous sister's heart."

"Hey! I'm not promiscuous." She threw a pillow at her but it didn't get to Joreen.

"Make sure you don't ruin my bed with those stuff." Joreen warned when Reen took out more of her cosmetics and dropped them on her bed.

An hour later, the whole family was out. Joreen's voluminous 3C hair was parted into two at the centre and left down. It was her favourite way of leaving her hair. She loved her curls with her life.

Reen had helped her with her make up because she was used to having lots of make up artists so she couldn't do much for herself. The weather was cold so she wore a multicolored turtleneck shirt, black denim, a coat which stopped slighly below her knees, with a black ankle boot.

Reen wasn't dressed very differently from her. She always liked to curl her short hair and today wasn't an exception. Her purple hair suited her pale complexion. She knew how to make herself look even prettier than she already was so her face was nicely made up. Her purple eyeshadow matched her hair. She wore a grey bodyfitted gown with a white coat and boot.

This wasn't the kind of meeting to dress casually. They had reminded themselves.

Even their parents tried to look their best. Jaime wore a suit while their mother wore a long turtleneck gown with long sleeves. Her hair was in a bun and her face was also mildly made up.

"I feel so proud right now." Jaime said with a grin before opening the front door of his car for his wife and the back door for his daughters.

"These pretty ladies are mine. Everyone is going to envy me today."

Reen rolled her eyes as she got in. "Only for a while. It won't be long before we get married."

"You also look very handsome Dad." Joreen said with a smile and kissed her father's cheek before she got in.

"Do not get so excited. There are a lot of pretty women in the family. Just make sure your eyes doesn't stray." Cixi warned and gave her husband the 'I am watching you sign' before she hopped in.