Chapter 117 - Personal Question

A simple breakfast of McDonald was all they were eating, but to Jake it felt more than that. Every little moment shared with Jade felt magical and he wished it could last for eternity. He could feel himself wanting more. More of her time and more of her.

Jake watched the way Jade ate slowly. Even the movement of her lips as she chewed on her food was enticing to him. He swore he was losing his mind.

Jake cleared his throat to gain Jade's attention. He didn't like the silence sitting between them as they ate. "Uhm..So tell me what does a girl like you find so interesting in the gaming industry?" Jake asked. He opted for this line of conversation because he knew this would be the most comfortable thing Jade would comfortably talk about, and he was also curious why a girl like her with all her great features would go for that line of job.

Personally, Jake will pick her for a model or an actress, something related to the entertainment world. Because to him, she has the perfect body and whatever it will take to ensure a successful career in that field.

Jade raised her eyes to him for a few seconds before she answered, "Because it's the only thing I like" Jade's response was a bit nonchalant as she opened up a bottle of water and passed it over to Jake. Jake lowered his eyes and looked at the water before returning his gaze to her. He raised the bottle to his mouth and took a sip as he pondered on her reply.

'What exactly did she like? Games or the industry' Not everyone who liked playing games go as far as working in a game company right?

Jade looked at him and she could see the confusion on his face, making her sigh.

"I love designing games characters and also programming the codes for new game. It's the only thing I'm good at" Jade said the last part with a sad smile which Jake didn't miss.

"I'm not sure that's true" Jake said.

"Huh?" What was not true? Jade asked herself.

"You don't look like someone who'll be good at just one thing. I look at you and from my few years of working with people and trying to understand them even from their looks, I can tell you're a multitalented person. You just haven't tapped into your inner self so you can harness those gifts locked up inside of you. I believe you know more and can do more than just game designing and programming" Jake said with sincerity hinted in his voice. He didn't know why Jade's countenance changed for that slight moment, but he felt like he should say something to cheer her up.

Jade gazed at him before her lips broke into a smile. "Thank you Mr Jake, those are kind words...But the truth is I like designing because its the only thing that connects me to my father" Jade explained. She was sure Jake might have misinterpreted her words when she said that was the only thing she was good at. Gaming was the only thing she liked because that was the only thing her father taught her, and she had enjoyed everything about it and decided to remain loyal to it.

She and her father would play games and draw several game characters all day long whenever he was less busy with work and throughout the weekends. Her father had worked with a gaming company just like her.

"Your father is a gamer too?" Jake asked with interest.

"Yes he was" Jade said with a proud look. In as much as Jake could see that proud look on her face like she was talking about the world's greatest man, he took note of the word 'was' which she used and that sad smile.

"He stopped designing?" Jake asked curiously. He liked the fact that he was getting to know her.

Jade fell silent for few seconds before muttering, "No, he died"

"Oh, Sorry about that" Jake apologized sincerely. He must have stroke a wrong chord and he was sorry for that.

"I'm sorry, for bringing up such memories" He apologized again.

Jade saw the guilty look he had on his face and she understood why. "It's okay. It's been a long time, I don't get too worked up over it" Jade said in an almost casual tone like she wasn't truly bothered. Few seconds of awkward silence ensued after that.

"So tell me about character designing" Jake said taking a bite of bacon.

"You want to talk about character designing?" Jade asked a little surprised.

"Yeah. I think it might be something fascinating" Jake said bobbing his head up and down.

"Okay" Jade said with a shrug. "it's true that character designing is indeed fascinating. It's like giving life to sketches and using them to tell a story even when they are just sketches. Creating your own character from scratch involves a lot of creative thinking. A lot of skill and effort has gone into making those familiar characters we know effective"

"Most character design starts with sketches and that is when the essence of the character is captured. So when working through your design, you try to maintain the original working style so as not to lose it's magic. Personally I try not to think of characters as creation, but as beings I have encountered"

"One thing you'll learn during character designing is you must start designing your character with the feeling you want to evoke..."

Jake listened attentively as Jade passionately talked about her job. His eyes were zeroed on her lips as they moved and curled with every word she said. From the way she was talking about her work, Jake thought it might be acceptable if it was indeed all she knew.

Jade noticed the odd way at which Jake was staring at her. "Sorry I must have said too much" She apologized with an awkward and embarrassed smile.

"You don't have to apologize. I was right when I said it would be fascinating and you did proved me right" He said with a small smile.

"You're done?" Jade asked when she noticed he has stopped eating.

"Yeah" He nodded. Jade stood up from her seat and started clearing out the table.

"Thank you" Jake said.

"For what?"

"For taking care of me, even when you didn't need to" The guilt in Jake's heart was beginning to increase by the moment. Jade was taking such great care of him and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable by it. It would have been better if he was truly sick, then he'll know that her efforts were not being wasted and then his heart would be at peace.

Though this was also serving a purpose of getting to know her and spending time with her, he still didn't think it was completely a right decision.

But what should he do? He has observed the girl was being really careful around him, he wouldn't blame her for that given the circumstances at which they met. He also knew Jade was different from the other girls he had met, so her being cautious of him was fully understood. He has a bad record with women.

For the first time Jake was beginning to regret the kind of life he had led. If didn't have a promiscuous history with girls and even her, he might have had the courage to tell her that he was very much attracted to her and that he loved hanging out with. And maybe he would ask and plead with her to spend even more time with him and maybe also tell her of the crazy feelings he was experiencing inside of him, because they were becoming unbearable and he was beginning to think he might need to talk to someone about it.

"Mr Jake, you don't need to thank me. It's nothing. If its anything at all, I'm happy to help" Jade said with a smile.

"Can I ask you another question?" Jake asked. 

Jade paused from what she was doing to glance at him.

"Sure"

"It might be sort of personal" Jake said, his heart was racing like there was a tornado about to rupture inside of him.

Jade's gaze at him suddenly became intense. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about his question. What sort of personal question was he about to ask? Should she say no? That would be the best option so to save herself the embarrassment just in case it was something she couldn't bring herself to answer. But on a second thought, she'd love to hear that question.

"Sure, as far as it's not too personal and I have an answer to it" Jade's curiousity got the best of her. She stared at him intensely, patiently waiting for his question.

Jake felt like taking his words back and ask a none personal question, but the question in his mind right now was already forming on his lips and it made him very nervous.

He slowly opened his mouth and the question that came out was,

"Do you have a boyfriend?"