Chapter 43 - You Keep It!

"Why did you agree to let me take you home?" 

Jess creased her beautiful forehead as she glanced at Noah at the driver's seat. When she agreed to let him take her home, he dismissed his driver and drove the car himself.

"Why? Would you rather I didn't agree?" she asked, confused. 

Noah didn't answer until he turned the intersection. When they stopped at the red light, he faced Jess and said, "Well, I was expecting that you'd be angry at me?" 

"Why do you want me to be angry?" She chuckled softly.

She knew what Noah was trying to say. For she was just acting dumb, pretending not to understand the current situation they are in. After what happened at the hotel, Noah was expecting her to be mad.

That's the reason why she isn't mad. She smirked inwardly. As her aunt used to say, 'You don't give the enemy what he wants if you want to gain the upper hand.' 

Noah, furrowed his eyebrows, stepping on the accelerator once the red light turned to green. He was thinking that he doesn't like it that Jess wasn't mad. Because he doesn't know what his next step would be. 

Although she claims she isn't angry, he can't act friendly to her just like before because he knows she is. He had enough experience with women; when they say they are not angry that's the time that you have to watch your back.

He sighed, stealing a glance at Jess who was comfortably sitting on the passenger seat of his car.  He grimaced thinking, Jess is truly a difficult woman to catch. She always threw him off tracks. 

"The last thing I want to do is to make you angry." 

Jess stiffened on the passenger upon hearing what Noah said. He said the words in such seriousness her heart jumped in her chest. 

'He doesn't remember you,' She reminded herself as she took a deep breath before facing Noah. 

"And the last thing I would ever be is angry at you." she pouted, giving him a side glance under her long lashes. 

She watched the mole on the left corner of his lips, thinking she would love to run her tongue on that beauty mark of his. 

"Miss Zimmerman, stop pulling my heartstring," he chuckled. His blue eyes were dancing in amusement as he reached her face. He ran his knuckles gently on her temple. 

Jess bumped her cheek on his hand like a cat, then she purred, "My... Tiefenbacher, aren't you being too easy today." 

A roar of laughter emerged from Noah's mouth. His hand moved to the back of her head and ruffled her hair, shaking his head. 

"Miss Zimmerman, you are playing with fire." 

She just laughed and turned her attention outside the car's window. They are now cruising along the boulevard of palm trees, a few more corners and they would reach home. 

She was pondering if it's a good idea to invite Noah to her apartment for a cup of coffee. When a familiar song from the band Franz Ferdinand was heard inside the car. 

It was her turn to gape at Noah when he answered the phone call and speak fluently in Mandarin Chinese. 

"Sorry, about that," he patted her knees as they entered the basement parking lot of their apartment building. 

Jess noticed Noah enjoyed touching. Every time he would speak to her, he would touch her. 

"It was my daughter," he told her when he turned off the car's engine.

"Huh," she looked at him, surprised that he was explaining when she didn't even ask. "I see." was just the words that came out of her mouth as she unbuckled her seatbelt. 

"Your purse is still in my place. Would you like to get it now?" 

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." she slapped her forehead with her palm. "I've been thinking the whole day that I was missing something. It was my phone!" she laughed softly.

She quietly followed Noah to the elevator. Before he could press the arrow up, the elevator door opened and a man stepped out that Noah greeted casually. 

She knitted her forehead, thinking Noah knew the other resident of the building when he just moved into the building last month. She, on the other hand, has been living in this building for years but does not know anyone other than the doorman and the employees at the concierge.

"My daughter would be spending her summer vacation with me," he said, breaking the silence inside the elevator. 

"That would be nice." she threw him an awkward smile. 

She doesn't know what else to say or how to react. She was wondering why Noah has been telling her all about it. She is happy for him that he is going to spend summer with her daughter, but it has nothing to do with her. 

"What is your plan for summer?"

"I dunno." she cocked her head to her right, thinking now that Noah asked her about it, she realized she really didn't have any plan. "I usually travel with friends but come to think of it, they haven't called me." she pouted. 

Noah was about to say something but the elevator door opened to their floor, and Jess stepped out without waiting for him. She went directly to his apartment's door.

He opened his apartment and led her inside. 

Jess surveyed Noah's apartment. From the choice of color and furniture, it is easy to see that a bachelor is living in this space. 

"Would you like something to drink?" 

"No. I would like my purse, please," she answered him as she stood in front of a painting in his hallway. 

Jess didn't know where Noah went, but he came back with his purse. 

"Thank you. I'll take your offer of drinks next time." she got her purse and made her way back to the front door. 

"You are not forgetting something?" he asked in a serious tone, but Jess saw the naughtiness in his eyes.

"No. You keep it!" she turned on her heels and laughed. She knew exactly what he was talking about. But she would rather die, that take 'it' back!