Louis' POV
I watched her from across my office windows, the ones overlooking her desk at the far corner of the office lobby, looking buried in paperwork. She is moving with an effortless grace, unaware of my pressing gaze on her.
She suddenly jerks up as her phone rings. She seems to receive a call that puts a halt to her work. From my office, I can faintly hear her confirming a meeting at a restaurant. I try to read her lips and I think I catch the name.
Lumiere?
That sounds familiar, it's the small cozy restaurant right down the road. I recall having a few casual meetings with some partners there. It really is a cosy place.
After ending the call, she turns off her computer, shoving some files into her bag and ready to go.
She heads to the waste bin to throw out some trash paper. When she grabbed her bag and headed toward the elevator, something in me tightened, compelled. A subtle instinct, a pull I couldn't explain, told me to follow.
I don't question it, I don't miss a beat. I wait a bit, biding my time till she leaves.
From outside the glass windows, I see her approaching, she must want to inform me of her clocking out.
I was right, that's exactly what she did, she knocks at my door, I peep her cautious stance from my peripheral.
"Mr. Smith, I'll be taking my leave now, Goodnight." She says from the entrance.
I fully glance at her and nod. "Goodnight, Claire." She lets out a polite smile and exits my office quietly.
I wait for a ding from the elevator and I stand to my feet.
Taking my wallet and phone, I take the next elevator down, searching for the directions to the restaurant I overheard her mention. I already know that it's close to the office, which leads me to also deduce that she would probably be walking over to the restaurant.
I stepped out quietly, keeping just enough distance to remain invisible. I notice her small frame walking down the road, thankfully, with her short steps, I didn't miss her on the way to the restaurant.
The city hummed around us, but she seemed untouched by it, her mind elsewhere. I traced her steps without hesitation, letting her lead me.
I'd just made my decision. If I were to get married within the time frame set by my grandparents, I would need to work on it now.
It is currently almost the end of the month, if I were to get married I'd need a bride and seeing as I don't even have a girlfriend or even a prospective partner, I'd have to find one on a contract. And my head is set on who to propose to.
Claire.
After following her silently, a few blocks down from the office. I find Claire slip into a small, cozy restaurant tucked between the city's sleek towers.
I suddenly wonder who she is going to meet in there, a friend?, a man?. After making a mental picture of her with a man at a restaurant, I feel a sudden twitch in my heart at the thought of her meeting a man. It's highly likely that she is but then again, I wonder what man would be so tolerant of her busy schedule. She definitely isn't in a relationship, I'm convinced.
I wait outside, leaning against the brick wall. Letting her settle in before looking through the window.
From afar, I can see her settle at a table with her friends, female friends, which leads me to immediately sigh in relief. She is not meeting up with a man. That's good.
She is talking and conversing with her friends and the laughter spilling around her like sunlight. After a while, I can see her lost in thought, I wonder what she is thinking about.
She looks really beautiful, even after a long day as no touch up to her appearance. She still looks adorable.
Her friends are directing questions at her and she looks quite uncomfortable, sipping from her wine glass with a shy look. She seldom lets out forced smiles as she spoke with her friends.
Unable to deal with the curiosity, I step into the restaurant, wanting to be a bit closer to her. I made sure that I took a seat at the corner of the restaurant, at a blind spot she'd never be able to find me at.
I'm trying to listen in on their conversation after ordering from the menu. And then I heard it
"…. I'm seeing someone," she said, and I froze.
And it hit me before I even processed it.
I hadn't even seriously considered a situation where she'd not be single. But almost immediately, a piece of information I overheard tugs at my brain. I remember overhearing her telling one of her work friends about how she was single and didn't have the time to date at the moment. This was just from about two weeks ago. It is highly unlikely that she found herself a serious boyfriend in that short period.
'What spare time did she even have?' I think to myself.
I smile to myself, what a beautiful liar. She probably lied to save face. Hence, the forced smiles and fake laughter. She felt uncomfortable to admit she was still single.
I watched her smile at them, shifting uncomfortably, completely oblivious that I had followed her , completely unaware that her little secret had just been discovered. I didn't move. I didn't want to confront her, at least not yet.
For now, I simply observed, letting the image of her lie settle into my mind, knowing that tomorrow, everything between us would shift.