In the bar, the three sat down to chat.
After ordering three pints of beer, Greg took a sip from his and studied Laney‘s face.
Finally, he sighed wistfully.
“Laney, you look exactly the same as you were before.You know what? When we were young, I thought you were so cool and really looked up to you.I heard that you‘ve become one of the top–notch bodyguards now.Why am I not surprised?”
Laney just smiled.
Hearing Greg retell the tales of their childhood, she felt nostalgic and sentimental.
“It was really fun when we were kids.You boys were all taller and stronger than me at the time.I practiced hard every day so that I could beat your asses.”
Greg shook his head helplessly and chuckled.He clinked glasses with Laney and the two caught up with each other happily.
It was already dark out by the time they stood up to part ways.
Before leaving, Greg handed his phone to Laney and said, “Can I have your number? I don‘t want to lose contact with you again.”
Laney smiled and put her number on Greg‘s phone.Since then, Greg had been calling and texting her almost on a daily basis.
“I haven‘t been around much since I moved to Barnes.Do you know any scenic spots here? If you do, can you show me around some time? I’ll pay you for your time!” The extroverted Greg was good at conversing.
When speaking to him, one could always feel at ease.Laney hadn‘t been in the city for long, so she answered him honestly.
“I‘ve only been here a month.I‘ve never been anywhere except home and work.”
After thinking for a while, Greg suddenly suggested, “Then let‘s get familiar with the city together.I can go with you everywhere.”
Laney didn‘t find such a proposal strange.She viewed Greg as a friend, so she agreed readily.
“Sure.My schedule‘s been pretty free lately anyway.”
And so the two of them went and visited several famous tourist spots in Barnes.It was a sunny day in April.
Standing by the river, one could see the vast endlessness of the cloudless blue sky.As the summer breeze washed over them, the two felt really relaxed.
“Did you see those two stone lions at the gate of the museum? They looked just like the ones at the training grounds we used to go to.I remember that you used to like climbing on top of it and barking orders at us like a commander.” It seemed that Greg really missed the good old days.
Whenever he talked about the past, he‘d wear a dreamy, wistful smile.It was so long ago that Laney had forgotten all about it.
“Are they still there? I haven‘t been back in so long!”
With a sad smile, Greg shook his head.
“I haven‘t been back either.I moved away after high school.We can go back sometime if you want.”
“I‘ll think about it.”
It was just a small talk, and Laney currently had no plans to go back and visit her childhood home.
*******
After sharing several meals, Greg and Laney quickly became close.Although sometimes they only met once a week or so, every time they met, Greg would bring her a gift.
“Check this out—it‘s from Singapore.”
Laney would accept his gifts and thank him.She asked curiously, “I called you two days ago, but no one answered the phone.Were you busy?”
When Greg got busy, Laney often couldn‘t get through to him.
“I‘m sorry I missed your call.Business has been hectic lately.I need to meet clients from all over the world, so I often go on business trips,” Greg explained apologetically.
“But since you‘ve brought it up, I won‘t turn off my phone again from now on.”
The reason why Laney asked this question was out of curiosity, not out of anger or frustration.
Hearing Greg‘s resolution, she felt a bit at a loss.
“No, no.You don‘t have to do that for me.I was just asking.”
“Relax.I just don‘t want to miss any of your calls.You don‘t know how happy I was when I heard that you were looking for me,”
Greg said, smiling at her dotingly.
Laney smiled awkwardly and averted her gaze.
Damn it! Greg must‘ve misunderstood her.
******
Ever since that fateful meeting, Greg had been coming at Laney.He kept asking her out for dinners and movies.
“I like you and want to see you more often.If you don‘t feel comfortable, just tell me and I‘ll stop.If not, I will keep doing this until you start to like me back,” Greg said frankly.
Laney was stunned.
As no one had ever pursued her like this, the straight confession of his love caught her completely off guard.She didn‘t have many friends.
The only one she could talk to about this was Natalie.
When Natalie heard about it, she was also taken aback.She didn‘t expect that Greg, whom she had only met once, would chase after Laney so soon.
“Well, what do you think of him?”
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“I don‘t find him annoying, but I‘m not sure if I like him or not.To me, he‘s still my childhood playmate.I don‘t know if I should start a relationship with him,” Laney told her friend, sticking out her lower lip.
“If you aren‘t sure whether you like him or not, don‘t accept him just because he likes you.Otherwise, you might regret it someday,” Natalie advised.
Somehow, Garrett caught wind that Greg had been pursuing Laney.
One day, he waited at the door of her apartment for a long time until she finally came back.
“What took you so long? Were you on a date?” Garrett asked unhappily.
Ignoring him, Laney said flatly, “It‘s none of your business.”
Then she headed towards the door.
“I‘m just telling you to be careful.That man might be onto something,”
Garrett shouted after her.
“You don‘t know much about him.You can‘t just trust him.”
Laney stopped in her tracks to glare at Garrett.
“You have no right to say that about my friend!”
After saying that, she turned around and proceeded to unlock her door.With her back to Garrett, she couldn‘t help but smile faintly.
Laney didn‘t reciprocate Greg‘s feelings; instead, she gradually put some distance between them.
At some point, she simply refused all his invitations.
Greg seemed to realize that this was her way of rejecting him, so he stopped coming at her.
Laney thought this matter was finally over.
However, a few days later, on a stormy night, Laney suddenly received a call.It was from Greg.She could hear the sound of the rain in the background, and Greg sounded weak.
“Laney, I want to see you.Please.”
Laney sat up in bed and asked, “Where are you?”
She had heard the sound of a car from both her phone and outside her window.She immediately got up from bed, trotted over to the window, and looked down.
Sure enough, standing in front of her apartment building with an umbrella was none other than Greg himself.
Laney quickly put on a coat and rushed to him.
“Do you think you‘re in a movie? Stop being so dramatic.
Even if you get sick from standing here all night, I won‘t feel sorry for you!”
Greg staggered towards her, and he looked listless, unlike before.
“I just wanted to see you.I drank a lot of beer today, and all I could think about is you.”