Chapter 43: Embarrassed

Chapter 43: Embarrassed Genevieve sat on the plush leather chair behind her massive desk, her hands clasped together as she studied Stefan with a wide, almost dreamy smile. She was still struggling to believe this moment was real. Jamal Jonas was here. He was right here in her office. When she reached out following her father’s request she had not expected him to respond positively. It had been twenty years already and she expected him to have moved on and forgotten all about Dawn, yet just one text from her and here he was. In the past couple of days she had tried to find as much articles and news on him so she could learn all she could about him and she had found out just how wealthy and successful he was. She had also found out he was single and not in any romantic relationship at the moment. Seeing how handsome he looked, she was happy to know that he could be hers if she played her cards right. Although she had never met him before but the moment she laid eyes on him earlier, something had clicked. A sense of familiarity, a pull she couldn’t quite explain. It was as though she knew him. As she watched him, Stefan in turn watched her, wondering what she was thinking, but most of all he wondered why Jamal had pulled such a stunt and what Jamal planned to do next. "I’m so happy to see you, Jamal," she blurted out suddenly, unable to keep her excitement in. Stefan chuckled softly, leaning back against the chair opposite her. "I’m surprised you suddenly remembered me after all these years. What happened?" "I can’t even explain it. I was just lying on my bed and all of a sudden a memory popped up. A memory of us talking! I can’t believe I didn’t remember you all these years. But now, it’s all coming back in bits and pieces," she said, her voice filled with genuine excitement. "I still can’t believe you’re here." Stefan watched her, his lips curving into a small smile. She was practically glowing, her eyes dancing with enthusiasm. She looked quite pretty. "Well, I can’t believe it either," he said, shaking his head in amusement. She grinned. "Why didn’t you reach out? Did you forget me, too? Why did you stay away? Look at you now, such a handsome gentleman." Stefan chuckle, "You didn’t remember me. There was no way I could reach out to you." "You could have tried. There’s social media and all and I have active accounts," she said with a pout. Stefan nodded knowingly. "Yeah. I’ve been following you for years," he admitted, since he knew that was true. Genevieve’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "For real?" She asked, wondering how much he knew about her. "Yeah I’ve been following up on you all these years," he admitted, his tone casual as he watched her reaction. "For how long?" She asked, and he shrugged. "Long before you went to the university," he said, and her lips parted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her wide eyes. Before she went to university? That means he knew about the sex tape? She remembered her father saying the Hanks had been keeping an eye on her, but she had not cared about that. But now that she was interested in Jamal, she was worried that might affect her. "I guess you saw the scandal then," she said, looking down at her hands. Stefan wondered what she was thinking and why she asked that question. "I’m sure everyone that knows you did," he said, and she looked up at him. "Now I feel embarrassed," she said with an awkward smile. Stefan raised a brow. "Why?" He asked, and she sighed softly. "Well, to tell you the truth I honestly didn’t care about that then. But now I’m ashamed of myself," she admitted. Stefan’s brow pulled together as he watched her. "If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you care?" "I guess you can say I going through a phase. I just wanted my Dad’s attention. I thought he might care..." she trailed off when she realized she was saying too much and then she laughed, "What’s this? Therapy? I didn’t realize you were a therapist," she said, trying not to appear flustered. Stefan eyed her with curiosity. He had half expected her to make up an excuse or deny it saying it was photoshopped or something. What he hadn’t expected was such honesty. "Well, we all make mistakes. It is okay. You’re not defined by your past. It is what you do going forward that defines you," Stefan assured her, thinking that was the kind of bullshit a nice guy like Jamal would say. Surprise flickered in her face before something else replaced it— something softer. "You really think so?" She asked, and Stefan nodded. Okay, maybe it wasn’t entirely bullshit and yeah, he would say the same to anyone too, not just because she was looking at him with such hopeful hazel eyes. "Yeah. That’s the reason I’m here after all," he said, and Genevieve smiled. "So, you really never forgot about me all these years?" She asked, and Stefan chuckled, tilting his head. "How could I possibly forget you? You meant a lot to me," he said, and Genevieve let out a quiet breath. She glanced away for a moment. A pang of something bitter settled in her chest as she thought of Abigail and how lucky she was to have someone who never forgot about her. Someone who cared enough to keep up with her life even when they were apart. It was totally different from her own experiences. Even if her father didn’t care about her. She had no one at all. She had nothing, whereas Abigail had everything, including their father’s affection because she was smart. Stefan noticed the shift in her expression. The way her excitement dimmed just a little. His brows furrowed slightly. "What’s wrong?" he asked. Genevieve quickly shook her head, forcing a small smile. "Nothing." Stefan wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t press. "By the way, don’t you have an assistant?" He asked, changing the subject. "I do. The last one quit two days ago. The new one will be resuming soon by Monday," she said, making a mental note to make sure Jamal never sees Abigail. She didn’t care that Abigail’s looks had changed. She just didn’t want them in the same space.