Chapter 39
Brenda and Leo get sour
There was a high silence inside the car, and due to that, Leticia was feeling so uncomfortable that she thought she was going to pass away.
"Oh, my world. Could it be that he is falling for me?" She asked herself feeling a little bit excited and Rowan who kept a smiling face, he couldn't help but to ask himself some good questions as to how and where she was coming from.
He had realized that he knew nothing about her and that was so much of a pity, as he wanted something more with her.
"Are you okay?" Asking that question Leticia simply nodded. Looking around and trying to get an excuse for him not to drop her off at her place, Rowan let out a bump, which made her body to shake and that was something she wasn't expecting from him.
"I saw the gift you got for Tessa. It is beautiful."
"It's nothing, Mr. Rowan. She is a little girl that has touched my heart and she deserves the best. Also, it did not cost me that much and I know that it will be so lovely on her."
Her expression was that of a person who is down to earth and that was exactly the kind of behavior he wanted and was searching for.
His heart leaped inside his chest and he asked himself what the wait for and why he wasn't jumping on the opportunity to make her his woman right away.
"I think you should come home and hand that over to Tessa you know! She is already so used to you and she likes you too very much." Rowan pressed on the conversation but that came out too abrupt and she did not have that in her mind.
Yeah, Leticia had a scheme and motive for approaching him, but she had no idea that it was going to be so fast, considering how cold of a human being he is.
"I am sorry, but I do not think I can make it to see Tessa today. But I will definitely come around to see her some other day." Leticia deviated from the subject matter, while she hoped that he wasn't going to make things so difficult for her.
But her plans didn't work as the next question that she got was the most shocking of all day.
"Are you in a hurry to go and meet with your boyfriend?"
Yeah, that was the big question that she had been waiting for, just that it came at the wrong time and place. Asking herself why he had not asked her such a question before, Leticia cheeses her words inside her mouth as she wanted to scream out no, but there was something that was holding her back from responding.
Leo and Brenda were peeking at each other but Brenda couldn't hold that stare for too long and she kept on taking her eyes away. She wanted to be so arrogant, but no something was stopping her.
"Won't you at least hear me out, Brenda?" Leo being a gentleman, asked but Brenda shakily her head, she did her best to squeeze up the tears that were threatening to flow out of her eyes, and the moment she could control her voice, she began talking as calmly as possible.
"Leo, you have nothing to explain to me honestly, and to be sincere, I am not mad at you for having a life. Plainly, I wasn't expecting anything from you and nothing has changed."
She made an effort to look like she was normal before her, but still, he could tell that she was failing it and the hurt that she was feeling deep down in her was huge.
Leo attempted to say a word more but Brenda not being able to bear the pain that was inside of her, cut him short with her head lowered as she thanked him for the food but added that she needed to get some rest.
That was not the Brenda that he knew and she had changed. He blamed Cherry for that nit he needed to give her space so that she doesn't feel as though he is pressuring her to hear him out.
Accepting her request, he apologized again and told her to not hesitate to call on him if she needed help with anything. After saying those miserable words, Leo walked out of the apartment, leaning on Brenda who cried so hard because she had no idea why she was in so much pain.
The tasks he had asked for last night before going to bed were already taken care of and he got out of bed smiling as Leticia was the first person that appeared in his mind.
Rowan got into the bathroom and took his bath to get down for breakfast before leaving for work.
After his bath, he came back into his room to choose a dress amongst his suits.
He was done with his attire and he sprayed himself with his expensive perfume looking at himself in his mirror when he saw that everything was good for him, he left his room first to his mother's room before going downstairs to have his breakfast.
He closed his door behind him and left for his mother's room where he knocked on her door twice calling her name as a sign of waiting to hear her answer to know if she was inside.
The fact that he did not get any response, made him push the door to one side slightly open, and send his head looking at her room to see if she was still sleeping or if she was not in her room at all.
His mom's bed was well-arranged from what he could see, so he entered inside to be more certain whether she was not in the bathroom.
"Mom are you in the bathroom?" he asked walking towards the bathroom and calling her out.
The maid came in and saw him, almost turning to leave the room so she asked,
" Sir Shepherd, are you looking for your mother? if yes, she is downstairs at the dining table," she told him walking in to keep the bedspread she was holding in her hands.
Rowan thanked her and before leaving, he told her to make sure that his room is thoroughly cleaned up before he gets back as he did not like the way that it was cleaned the last time.
After instructing the maid, he left for the dining room as he had to discuss something with his mother.
He went down and before he could even be seen in the dining, his mother called out his name with a smile on her lips.
"Rowan my son, I am happy that you are all set for work, come and have breakfast with me, I cooked your favorite dish," she said with an energy that made him wonder what they were celebrating.
Rowan was happy but knowing his mother, he was not too comfortable as he was spotting something fishy.
He was dumbfounded at his mergers efforts as it had been a while since they had a peaceful time and she suddenly does this in the morning.
" Am I save with her actions?" he asked himself as he walked slowly sitting down.
Mrs. Shepherd who had noticed the worried look on her son's face, walked to the other side of the table holding his cheeks in her hands just like she will always do when they are in happiness.
"I know that you are wondering what this is all about, and why I had to do all these?", she said telling him that she did not want them to fight anymore.
Rowan who was very attentive to anything that could happen at the table took a deep breath and relaxed while his mother served them food to eat.
His mother was trying to play her game well so as not to get him upset or push him to the brim.
Rowan is his food diligently, feeling happy that his mother had finally decided to let him breathe for a while with marriage and baby's issues.
" Do you love the food?" she asked making sure that he was well relaxed before shooting her shot about what she wanted.
Rowan nodded in agreement as a child that had not tasted his mother's meal for a long time said that he was enjoying every bit of it and also used that medium to apologize to his mother for all the quarrels and fights as he does not want them to fight anymore.
His mother smiled with joy as her son was beginning to become soft and it was the perfect timing she was waiting for so that she could talk about the lady he had met yesterday.
Clearing her through and dropping her spoon as she reached for her hand, she told him gently that she has something to discuss with him.
Rowan hearing this swallowed the last fractions of food that was left in his throat as he was already changing his mood.
"No you do not have to be in such a good son as what I want to discuss with you is not for us to quarrel but for us to live in harmony".
Rowan prepared his exit from the table, he asked his mother why they can not have a moment of peace between them without her ruining anything.
With silence she looked at her son and tapping her hands on his she said,
" The lady you saw me with yesterday when you returned home, is the daughter of a friend of your late fathers and she just came back into the country and I ran into her at the supermarket the other day when she was with her mother," she narrated the story taking her time.
Rowan listened carefully to his mother, though his mind was already made up about his decision, he just wanted to give his mother the satisfaction of her thinking that he was going to fall for her schemes.
His mother went on narrating the whole story in detail to him so that he could understand her.
She was planning on using her most secret weapon if the situation had to come to the worst just so that she could convince her son to do what she wants.
Rowan told her that he was not interested in what she wanted him to do and that he had some other things bothering his mind.
"I am not asking you to do anything with her son, I just want you to get to know her better and you both can hang out when you are free," she said shedding tears as she left his hand.
Rowan could not resist his mother's tears for anything in the world, and he was also aware that she was just always using that to blackmail him emotionally but what could he do as his mother was the only family he has left?
Drinking water to push down his heart from exploding with the scheme that she was putting up, he touched her hands saying he was going to be friends with her as long as that will make her happy.
On hearing that the son was going to do what she wanted, she jumped out of her chair and hugged him, screaming all over the house that she was going to become a double grandmother in no distant time.
Rowan could not believe what his ears were hearing but he got up and walked out of the house wishing her a splendid day as he left for the office.
His mother was so Aliyah that she picked up her phone and called Aliyah telling her that the job was done and that it was left for her to play her part.
Aliyah was glad to hear that and she asked Mrs. Shepherd for his golf address as she will like to pay him a surprise visit.
Rowan's mother gave her the address without any stress as she desire for them both to bond as soon as possible.
She hung up the phone and looking at the mirror, she said to herself,
" Rowan Shepherd, you are going to be mine and no one else".
Aliyah had already pictured her life as Rowan's wife without even getting to know him better.
All she was interested in was the title, money, and fame that attracted most of the ladies that Rowan had met in his life as well.