177 Hello Stranger!

One Week Later...

Agnes has been teaching Catherine how to input the daily sales report in the excel files for the last 5 days, she also brought her along to the bank to teach her how to deposit the stores' daily revenue to the owner's bank account, she was satisfied because Catherine is a fast learner. Agnes was more than impressed when all the crew of the stores' warm up to Catherine easily.

So far so good...

She finds it a bit odd that there will be times Catherine would become silent and lost in her own world. But Agnes respected her silence and avoid asking a personal question so as not to offend the girl.

"Catherine, tomorrow is Sunday, why don't you go with me to the mall? We will go window shopping!" said Agnes.

"Yes. I'll go with you!" answered Catherine.

"Good! We'll go tomorrow afternoon," said Agnes. "By the way, do you have a boyfriend?" she asked.

Catherine blinked twice. Does she have a boyfriend? "Right now? No," she answered quickly.

"Why---? You're so pretty! Why is it that you don't have a boyfriend?" Agnes can't believe what she just heard from her.

"I do have a boyfriend before but I'm no longer in a relationship. I just want to live a single life."

Agnes smiled at her shrugging her shoulders. "Why don't you try chatting with foreigners? I meet my handsome boyfriend Steve in a chatroom online. I thought I could never find a good man nowadays especially a foreigner...but we're going two years strong next month, our anniversary!"

Catherine smiled at Agnes. "Nah. I'm taking a break from men. I find them possessive!"

"Not all. But the possessive ones are the types that would love you unconditionally," explained Agnes.

Catherine suddenly remembers John.

Agnes sat down beside her on the sofa side and took some pictures of them together. "Smile to the camera, Catherine! I will send it to Steve. I told him the other day that I already found my replacement!"

Catherine smiled to the camera humoring Agnes.

"Do you have WazzApp in your phone?" asked Agnes.

"None. What is that---?" asked Catherine.

"It's a messaging app, let me download it in your phone because you and the owner will have to communicate on this messenger's app from time to time and you can also chat with me in this app in case you will have further questions about your work and needs my help in the future...," explained Agnes.

Catherine handed Agnes her phone.

A few moments later...

Agnes successfully downloaded Catherine's WazzApp profile and the messenger was already up and running in her phone.

"Cath, as you can see, you already have two friends in your messenger, the owner and me!" said Agnes. "You want me to download chatrooms on your phone? You can chat with other people online when you are bored," suggested Agnes.

"No need, Agnes. I'm terrible with chatting," she said smiling.

"Such a waste of beauty you have, girl! With your pretty face, you could easily become the star of every chatroom, men will be lining up to chat with you and get your attention," said Agnes.

"Nah. I'm not interested, but thanks anyway for the offer, Agnes. I will let you know if I'm in the mood for chatting with any random stranger online," having said that, she rose to her feet and bid goodbye to Agnes to retire to her room and sleep.

"Sweet dreams, Cath!" said Agnes.

"You too!" Catherine replied and closed the door behind her.

...

Catherine was staring at her old iPhone.

The time is already 11:00 PM close to midnight.

She can't sleep!

She checked her new phone...

The one that has been busy texting her is Sir Mike and she hasn't texted him back! She can't help but smile to herself every time she remembers him. Ever since she knew of his big secret being 'gay,' it amuses her to no end. Appearances can be deceiving indeed!

"Stop texting me!" she replied to him.

Suddenly her phone rings...she groaned, it's Mike calling her! She was debating whether to ignore his call or answer him?

She chose the latter.

"Stop texting me, please!" she said.

"Beautyyyyyy! OMG! you are not answering my calls! Did you receive all my messages? Why did you resign from the hotel? I was shocked when I learned that you already resigned from your job over there...you disappeared all of a sudden! What happened to you? I'm going nuts trying to find you! My wife, you shouldn't run away from your future husband!" screamed Mike, annoyed.

Catherine laughed.

"Whom are you calling wife?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"You! You are gonna be my future wife!" insisted Mike.

Which makes Catherine laughed even more.

"Are you crazy?" she said.

"I'm not crazy! By the way, kidding aside, have you thought about my proposal? Did you---?" asked Mike.

Catherine went silent for a while.

"I don't want to get married! I'm too young!" she said.

"Ohhh...I can wait, just tell me. Next year?"

"I dunno! Let's not talk about marriage!" grumbled Catherine.

"Okay. So what do you want to talk about?" he asked trying to lengthen their conversation because it's very hard to engage her in a conversation.

"I'm planning to enter into the convent after I turn 25 years old. I wanted to be a nun," she said out of the blue.

Mike who was listening on the other end almost have a heart attack!

"My goodness! No, my wife, you can't enter the convent! I will oppose to it! Your destiny is to marry me!"

Catherine burst into a peal of merry laughter with his reaction, she really finds Mike amusing now that she knows that he is gay.

"Marrying someone at this point in my life is the farthest thing in my mind right now. So don't count on it!"

She heard him sighing at the other end.

"Okay. Why don't you tell me your new address right now? Where are you working? I wanna visit you!" asked Mike.

"Am sorry, Mike. I can't tell you...," she said

"Oh, why not? By the way, are you still in a relationship with your boyfriend until now?"

"No. We no longer have any communication. In short, I'm single now."

"Wow! Fantastic! So, am free to pursue you now that you are finally single!" exclaimed the excited Mike.

Catherine smiled wryly, she sighed, Mike still doesn't get it!

"Cath, I want to invite you to a family dinner at my house. Mother would like to meet you! Can you come please?" he begged.

"No. I'm sorry I can't. As of now am focusing my attention on my work because am still new to it. I must not make any mistake to impress my employer," she said.

"No problem. Some other time then?"

"Dunno," said Catherine. "Listen, why don't you try to find another woman to marry?" she suggested.

"Because I only want you! I will only stop pursuing you if you get married to somebody else. But as long you are single then I will continue pursuing you!" declared Mike in a serious voice.

"Fine, whatever! You are wasting your time. I have to end our conversation now. I'm very sleepy!" she yawned.

"Sleep tight wife!" said Mike on the other end.

"Don't call me wife!" glared Catherine.

"Okay. Sweet dreams, Cath!" Mike chuckled.

Catherine ended the call feeling annoyed that he was intentionally calling her his wife to irritate her.