Chapter 200 - Jealous

Lucy looked at Tom with disapproval, "If you continue this way we are going to get caught before we even get anywhere. Reverse the car and let's go to the office right now. You can't change everything on your schedule just to satisfy your whim!" Lucy chided.

"Wanting to hang out with you isn't just a whim," Tom said as a scowl replaced the grin which had been on his face a moment ago, "I just want to hang out with you, is that too much to ask for?"

"It is. I'm not going anywhere else with you when it is still work hours. We have to distinguish between business and pleasure. Mr. Harry sent me your schedule for the day, and you have several meetings that you need to attend this morning. So reverse the car right now," Lucy said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Do you really mean that?" Tom asked, not pleased with the fact that she wasn't as eager to spend some time with him as he was to spend his time with her.

Lucy took in a deep breath as she met his gaze in the rearview mirror, "We already made plans for the weekend, right? I'm sure you didn't build such a successful company by canceling meetings and going on dates during work hours. Let's focus on work during work hours, and date off work hours, please?" Lucy said with a placatory smile.

"How did I forget that you're a workaholic?" Tom muttered under his breath in displeasure as he reversed the car.

"You are not mad at me, are you?" Lucy asked a moment later when the silence in the car became deafening.

"I'm sure it won't make a difference to you even if I'm mad, so don't worry about it," Tom said as he kept his gaze on the road. 

"How can you say that?" Lucy asked, feeling hurt by what he had just said, but Tom said nothing as he drove into the company's parking lot.

"Are we still having lunch together?" Lucy asked as she reached for her door.

"I don't know. I might be too busy with work," Tom muttered under his breath as they both got out of the car.

Before Lucy could respond they both heard a familiar feminine voice, "Hey, Tom! Good morning!" The lady to who Tom had given his number the previous day called with a wide smile as she waved at him. 

"Have a pleasant day," Lucy muttered with displeasure as she walked past him, leaving him to deal with the lady.

"Hi! Good morning!" Tom greeted the lady who was now approaching him while his gaze remained fixed on Lucy's retreating figure. 

Wasn't it too early in their relationship for them to be having a fight? All he had wanted was to spend a couple of hours with her having breakfast at his home. Was that too much to ask for? Why was she acting like she cared about his company more than he did?

"Do you have a minute?" She asked with a smile.

"Do you want something?" Tom asked, trying not to let his annoyance sound in his tone as he looked at her with a polite smile even though he didn't really like that she was delaying him.

"Yeah. The number you gave me yesterday was missing a digit," the lady said with an awkward smile as she waved her phone at him.

Tom looked at her for a moment without saying a word, and then he sighed, "Do you like me?" He asked with a slightly raised brow.

On hearing his question a blush crept up her cheeks, "Yes. I do," she said looking into his eyes directly, surprising Tom who had been expecting a sharp denial. 

"Wow! Thank you. Although I feel very flattered right now, I'm in a relationship," Tom explained mildly so he wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't think of that," she said with a smile that managed to look both apologetic and disappointed at the same time.

"Why didn't you think of that? Because I'm a mere driver and you think no one would want me?" Tom asked with a slight frown.

"No! Not that. I just meant that it just didn't occur to me to first find out if you were in a relationship before making a fool of myself," she quickly corrected.

"So you wouldn't have been bothered about being in a relationship with a mere driver who works in the same company as you?" Tom asked curiously.

"I don't know why you keep referring to yourself as a mere driver, but at least you just said he works in the same company with me, right? I don't think the job description should matter, should it?"

"I suppose not," Tom said with a nod.

"Why did you ask though? Does it bother your girlfriend that you're a driver?" She asked thoughtfully, but before Tom could respond his phone started ringing.

He reached into his pocket to take out the phone and looked towards the entrance of the company when he saw that it was a call from Lucy. When he didn't see any sign of her at the entrance, he looked up to his office window and noticed that she was standing by his window.

"Excuse me for a moment," he told the lady in front of him before stepping away from her to receive the call, "Hey, what's up?" He asked Lucy curiously.

"You must be seriously enjoying your conversation with her," Lucy observed irritably, making Tom chuckle.

"As a matter of fact, I am. Why? Are you jealous?"

"Have fun then," Lucy hissed at him before hanging up.

Tom looked up and shook his head when he noticed that she had left the window. It seemed like they were bound to fight no matter what he said or did, Tom thought to himself with a deep sigh as he returned to face the lady.

"It's been nice chatting with you. I need to run now," Tom said with a polite smile.

"Uhm, I know you said you are in a relationship, but can we be friends? I just really like your personality and would love to talk to you from time to time if you don't mind," she said with a small smile.

Tom paused for a moment when he remembered Lucy's warning about giving his number out randomly. If she didn't like him giving out his number or talking to other ladies, she would definitely not like the idea of him being friends with her.

"Uhm... I'm sorry, I know you mentioned your name the other day, but I have forgotten it..."

"It's fine. People hardly remember my name as it's not a very common name. My name is Cora. Cora Anderson," she said with a friendly smile.

"I will try not to forget it this time, Miss Anderson..."

"Please call me Cora," she cut in before he could finish.

"Sure. About being friends, I can't really say. My girlfriend is pretty possessive of me and she doesn't like other ladies hanging around me," Tom said with an apologetic smile since he also liked her personality.

Cora let out a disappointed sigh, "I suppose I understand. I would be jealous too if you were mine," she said with a good-natured smile. 

"Thanks for your understanding. I guess I will see you around," Tom said with a polite wave as he automatically locked the car and headed in the direction of the company.

Meanwhile, seated in her office, Anita tapped her pen against her desk distractedly as she thought about her conversation with Lucy the previous evening, as she tried to come up with a plan. It seemed to her that Lucy was way ahead of her already, and she needed to step up her game. 

Lucy could claim that the CEO was just seeing her as a part of his family, but she wasn't naive or gullible enough to believe that was all there was between them, and even if that was the case, she knew how easy it would be for Lucy's best friend to want to start playing matchmaker between her best friend and her brother-in-law. She needed to do something before that happens.

Picking up her phone she scrolled through her contact list for a number she hasn't called in a while and dialed it.. She waited patiently for the person at the other end of the line to take the call, and once it connected, she took in a deep breath, "I have a job for you."