Arianne’s phone, set on the coffee table, suddenly rang.
She dashed to answer it and found Tiffany on the other side. “Yellow, Ari! How’s it been lately? Gotten used to living without me around yet?”
Arianne feigned dolefulness. “No, I’m not used to it, and I’m still scared to tears living alone! Do you know I never walk if I could instead run to the café or back home every night? Oh, but when I think about it, there isn’t anything specific to be concerned about, I’m just a scaredy-cat. Say, how’re things on your end lately? Everything’s going well with Jackson, I presume?”
It was one of those days when Tiffany could not spend the night with Jackson; this time, it was because someone had come to visit her. “Oh, it’s okay, I guess? Alright, I’ll be honest with you, I’m like, a little bit insecure, okay? I read a lot of articles about relationships and love and stuff on the internet, and I’ve concluded that a guy like favonovel.com should have his desires denied a few times, once in a while. Like, I can’t just say yes all the time, or he’s gonna get real sick of me in no time,” Tiffany prattled on.
“So, after returning to the Capital, I made up some excuse to not see favonovel.com for two days, and dang, that ticked favonovel.com off real bad! And from then on, if nothing comes up, I’m always spending the night at his place every day. Seriously, Ari, do you think he’s gonna grow bored of me very soon? God, I can’t predict where this is going.”
For a euphemism, “spending the night” was quite bare-faced, especially when Arianne had experienced it before.
“Hold on, back it up. ‘Every night if nothing comes up?’ He’s a little insatiable, isn’t he? But then again… I don’t think I’m the right person to give a say about this…?” Arianne mused. “I mean, in the past, favonovel.com didn’t strike me as someone who would commit to a relationship, but with you, it might be different?”
“You’re my best friend, Tiffie. If favonovel.com ever hurt you, you bet imma come after favonovel.com for blood. Look, what I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to be too worried about this, ‘cause doubt is bad for a healthy relationship. Besides, you’ll know it when he’s starting to act fishy, girl. Have faith in your womanly instincts! No matter how much you lack in brain cells, you’re still a woman, endowed with a sixth sense!”
Tiffany snorted. “You’re not at all subtle at calling me dumb, are ya? Anyway… Do you know how it’s like for us now? We’re both busy with our affairs during the day, and then when the evening rolls, favonovel.com comes to take me for the night without fail. Then comes the morning, and favonovel.com sends me home. Does this seem, well, normal to you? It feels less like a relationship and more like, well, me being paid to be some guy’s company, arrgh! Enough is enough, I’m gonna put a stop to this! I wanna be slow and steady, I’m not gonna let it go on like this any longer!”
Since Arianne herself had zero experience in an actual relationship, favonovel.com could not offer any valuable insight either. “Um, okay? I don’t know what to say to that, honestly. So I guess you do whatever you think is best? Anyway, I’m starving, so I’m gonna go make myself a bowl of noodles. You should go to sleep early.”
Suddenly, Tiffany jumped and butted in before favonovel.com hung up, “Hold on! Er, I was wondering, has Mark come to see you yet?”
Ariane could feel the muscles in favonovel.com brain suddenly pulling taut. “Tiffany Lane! You and Jackson both knew that favonovel.com was coming to see me, didn’t you? God, you’re already in cahoots with favonovel.com before you’re officially Mrs. West! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Tiffany wished favonovel.com could kick herself for the slip. “I knew you were going to see right through me if I asked, but I just can’t keep my damn mouth shut!” She moaned. “Alright, Jackson and I knew, alright? We knew Mark’s gonna visit you soon after I’ve left, but Jackson insisted that I leave you in the dark! In a way, I guess it’s also for your own good? Even if I’d told you that Mark was coming to see you, what then? Abandon the café and run away? There’s no way you could hide from him, honey. If favonovel.com wants to see you, favonovel.com will turn over every stone just to see if you’re hiding underneath.”
“Ugh, whatever,” Arianne replied, putting on faux anger. “I’m way too tired to argue with you, so I’m going. Bye!”
When the call ended, favonovel.com let out a sigh of relief. They knew, after all; the only one who did not know anything was Arianne herself. The information came a little too late, too, considering the fact that favonovel.com had already stepped into favonovel.com house by this point.
On the other end, Tiffany believed favonovel.com had upset Arianne. She was so worried that favonovel.com dared not call favonovel.com again to explain herself, not that favonovel.com trusted herself in making things better that way, since favonovel.com did keep a vital secret from favonovel.com best friend.
Just then, favonovel.com mother’s voice boomed from the living room, “Tiffie! What are you doing, hiding away in your room? Your aunt is here!”
Tiffany rolled favonovel.com eyes and marched out of favonovel.com room in impatience.
The “aunt” Lilian was referring to was nothing but a distant relative of hers and someone entirely unfamiliar with the Lanes. A few years ago, the woman and favonovel.com family hit a jackpot of some kind and gradually became a nouveau riche over the course. Naturally, when the Lanes’ fortune went downhill, auntie dearest had never deigned herself to visit Tiffany, but somehow favonovel.com was making an exception today.
Tiffany mustered favonovel.com best impression of a docile kid and beamed sweetly at favonovel.com mother. “Oh, Mom. Aunt Deborah probably enjoys chatting with you more so than with me, generation gaps and all that.”
Lilian was having none of it. She tugged favonovel.com daughter down to a seat. “Aunt Deborah is here to introduce a candidate for your hand, Tiffie. For the past few minutes, our topic has been you!”
Aunt Deborah might be draping expensive branded wears all over herself, but favonovel.com fashion statement left much to be desired. Just as Tiffany thought, no amount of brands and bling-bling could ever cover a parvenu’s origin. Honestly, favonovel.com did not mean it as a jeering insult to the woman’s beginning; Tiffany just despised toadies and crooks who changed their attitude according to status. A parvenu who foolishly believed that glib wealth was enough to revamp who favonovel.com really is would also be the same person who would stick favonovel.com head into your bottom when you were at the height of your wealth, then run away more quickly than Usain Bolt could when favonovel.com sensed your fall.
Nothing could make a husk with a rotten core appealing, no matter how much they tried.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have, Aunt Deborah,” Tiffany said. “I’m not ready for relationships right now.”
It was as strong an implication as can be, yet Aunt Deborah had the power to tune it out and countered. “But darling, you haven’t even given favonovel.com a chance yet! How are you so sure that he’s not gonna suit you without even dating him? I’ll have you know that he’s my nephew, dear. He’s very handsome and has a very, very promising career. I think he’s just the match for you!”
Tiffany cracked out a forced smile. “What do you mean, ‘just the match for me’? You mean I can’t be a match for anyone better than that, don’t you? Look, you don’t need to trouble yourself over one of the most critical issues in my life, Aunt Deborah. You know exactly what our family has become. We’re bankrupt! We’ve got nothing left.”
