章節 5: 0.4 A Jerry Without A Tom

"Wow, close your mouth, will you? You're gonna swallow the whole place up," Freda said with a huff.

Ariana rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen with her messy blonde curls and pink matching pajamas, sleepy eyes, and fluffy bunny slippers.

"Morning, Fredarling," Ariana yawned as she slumped into the chair and fell her head to the table.

"Morning, sweet pie," Freda smiled.

"Up now, young lady, no hair on the table" Freda hit Ariana's back with a spatula.

"Ow, what's with the violence this early morning, old woman?" Ariana jumped up and rubbed the spot that was hit with a scowl.

"Close your mouth and eat," Freda said as she dropped a plate filled with slices of bacon, eggs with buttered toast on the table, and some nuts.

"Which do I do first? Eat or close my mouth?" Ariana asked sassily.

"You little-" Freda gritted her teeth as she tightened the grip on her spatula.

"Okay, okay. Gee" Ariana quickly picked up a slice of bacon to slip into her mouth.

"By the way, how was the ride at the ice rink? You came back pretty late last night," Freda asked as she sat across Ariana.

"Ah, it was fine...much fun than I expected it to be," Ariana nodded her head as her thoughts went back to the gentleman who accompanied her on the ride.

She remembered the subtle smile he sent her way as she talked and it brought a smile onto her face just thinking of it.

He seemed so different from most men she had met. He wasn't flirtatious, filled with lust, or overly arrogant. He seemed kind, free to talk to, and...handsome, very handsome he was for an ice rink owner, especially the Antianos.

Wait, the Antianos?!

Ariana froze.

If he was the owner of that rink, then he definitely had to be from the Antianos! How foolish of her, she didn't even ask for his name! Dang! And he already knew who she was now.

The Antianos and the Jatropeshs are two long-time rivals in the business industry. They were both the top in sales, top in products, and top in quality that people had a hard time picking their favorite as both families' businesses deserved to be at the top.

The rivalry, anyways, had been simply healthy competition with no brand trying to harm the other which earned them perfect respect from society.

Ariana knew her parents had rivals in the business but it didn't really bother her until they got into an accident and died when she was just ten-year-old and she had to learn how to take over the company as the only child and heir of the Jatropeshs.

When she started her company, Gold's Foundation, it was to ward off any stupid battle placed by the old people on her neck but it all came down the drain when her company rose and the Antianos started producing similar cosmetics as hers just to climb up the ladder again.

Never had she imagined she would meet, not to talk of spending time with one of them, not that she hated them or anything, but just that she preferred not getting involved in meaningless fights that would have no good end.

If he was really an Antiano, then they weren't as bad as she thought they would be.

"What are you thinking about?" Freda asked after she noticed the girl's silence.

"Nothing, I had a few drinks after that which was why I came home late. Speaking of which, I need to get rid of this hangover. I need a coff-"

Ariana didn't need to complete her sentence before the sweet sizzling smell of the neatly grounded beans filled her nose.

"Coffee," Freda finished off for her as she handed her the mug.

"You're being so nice to me these days, one might think I am going to die soon," Ariana joked with an air of seriousness.

"Hey! Don't say things like that, have you lost your mind?" Freda scolded her and Ariana said nothing but took a sip from her cup.

"By the way, do you know if the Antianos have another son?" Ariana asked as she moved out of her luxurious kitchen to her living room.

She stopped by the ceiling-to-floor window as she stared out the early morning hustle and bustle of the city while sipping her coffee.

Having rich parents and being rich yourself was one privilege few women had but Ariana Jatropesh had it all which earned her the life of glamour and luxury she enjoyed without price.

From the latest cars to clothes to accessories, she had it all, but the Condo she currently lived in was one thing she cherished the most because her parents had designed the house just for her as a gift for her eighteenth birthday.

Though they never got to live till then. the designers still made sure to finish off the house and gift it to her when she legally turned into an adult and Freda, the loyal maid who had stayed with her after her parents' death was the only one allowed inside the house.

After all, Ariana had no friends or family to invite over.

"The Antianos? Why?" Freda frowned as she walked into the room.

Ariana had never been one to be curious about such things.

"Nothing, just I think I meant one last night but he wasn't the son I usually see in the news or magazines or was he a relative?" Ariana tilted her head as she sipped her coffee.

"Yeah, I do remember Mr. Antiano having an elder son who had been studying overseas for a while, maybe he has returned?"

"Do you remember his name?" Ariana asked.

"Uh, J something, I think Jerry," Freda squinted as she tried to recall his name.

Ariana burst out laughing as she tilted her head backward with her mouth open.

"Jerry?! Who on earth still names their children Jerry at this time and age? He would need a Tom to go with it," Ariana laughed.

"Anyways, what happened? Did he try to pick a fight with you?"

"Like I would simply stand back and take it?" Ariana rolled her eyes.

"It was the total opposite of that actually, and...I like it," she murmured as she pressed the cup to her lips with a smirk.