Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 22

Hogan and Cecilia’s private room was right next door.

Talk about a crazy coincidence.

“It’s fate.” Darren said with his usual chill vibe, his voice gentle. “Hogan, mind if we have a drink. together?”

Hogan’s response came cool and distant, “Is that appropriate?”

There wasn’t any emotion in his voice.

Darren joked half–seriously, “Mr. Zade, are you giving me the cold shoulder?”

After that, he called them over to sit down.

The head of the table.

Cecilia had just taken her seat when her eyes suddenly landed on Darren’s camera bag. She exclaimed in surprise. “Wow, the camera bag Xaviera was so choosy about turned out to be a gift for Mr. Yearwood.”

Darren paused. “Choosy?”

Cecilia, ever the social butterfly, said in her sweet, soft voice, “Yeah, in the middle of broad daylight, Xaviera ran off to the mall. The sales lady said she took ages to decide.”

After Darren heard this, he glanced my way, a twinkle in his eye.

feel kinda

all, it was a return gift: too expensive or too cheap wouldn’t

way, it seemed like I’d gone to great

annoyed, hoping to get the meal

came, “Xaviera,

the seat next to

of Darren’s, didn’t know the backstory

like that, with his cue, all eyes, as if on cue, turned to

there were still two seats open, but if I stubbornly refused to go over, it would be a

make a scene and

I felt a gaze brushing

11:40

cleaning utensils for Cecilia.

I thought were only made for holding a pen were now tainted

after toasting

kept my head down and focused on my meal, getting to about sixty percent full when Cecilia’s sweet voice floated over from two guys away, “Xaviera,

up, her glass filled with

she put extra emphasis on “both.”

my chest all night suddenly spread in that second, rushing to my head.

to

it and spoke calmly, “Ms. Irwin, you are mistaken. Xaviera and I are just friends, but