Chapter 49: Be My Girlfriend
"You guys go ahead and play."
Asher Keating glanced at his phone. Leah Sinclair hadn’t said a single word to him all night, nor had she texted him. He had just sent her a message, but she hadn’t even spared him a look. ’This girl is probably jealous,’ he mused. ’How should I soothe her?’
Leah Sinclair was indeed jealous. She didn’t want to talk to Asher Keating right now. Although she knew she had no right to throw a tantrum, she couldn’t help but feel wronged.
He’d said he had something to do, but that "something" was having dinner with Madeline Sterling. He even let Madeline link her arm in his, and he’d held her hand. The thought of that scene made Leah’s chest tighten.
Even though it was just for the brief moment the door was open, she had seen it. The two of them, one standing and one sitting, looked like they were posing for a wedding photo. They were a perfect match.
Ethan Shaw pulled her into a game of dice. The six of them—he, Riley Sterling, Leah Sinclair, Zion Sawyer, Todd Coleman, and Leo Lawson—were playing, but her heart wasn’t in it. Her dice skills were average at best, so Riley and Ethan seized the opportunity to keep calling her out.
Another round. Leah Sinclair stared speechlessly at her dice cup. With six people playing, she had called eight 3s. She had four herself, yet somehow the other five people couldn’t even come up with the remaining four.
"Leah, I did my best." Zion Sawyer had two, but it wasn’t enough to help. Todd Coleman only had one, and the rest came up empty.
Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling looked at Leah Sinclair, gloating. ’Hmph, this is what you get for making fun of our low alcohol tolerance last time.’ Leah, of course, knew exactly what those two were thinking. She secretly rolled her eyes at them and picked up her glass, ready to drink.
"Leah Sinclair, I’ll drink for you," Todd Coleman said quickly, seeing that she’d already had several glasses.
"Ooh~~~ Todd Coleman, drinking for someone else means two glasses, you know. Playing the hero to save the damsel in distress?" Zion Sawyer and Leo Lawson started jeering again.
"Two glasses is two glasses. A piece of cake!"
"Why do I feel like I’m smelling a hint of gossip?" Riley Sterling asked, watching the others hoot and holler.
"President Shaw, Mr. Sterling, you guys don’t know? Todd Coleman is trying to woo our Leah!"
Zion Sawyer shouted it right out. Leah Sinclair choked. Forget her—even Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling choked on their cigarettes, rendered speechless.
Asher Keating heard it too. He put down his phone and looked over. Leah’s heart tightened. ’It’s over, it’s over. I was so focused on being jealous, I forgot about this whole thing.’
"I don’t need anyone to drink for me. I can handle it myself." Leah Sinclair quickly downed the drink and then slipped away, using the excuse of going to the restroom.
Leo Lawson nudged Todd Coleman. "See that? Leah Sinclair is just shy. Go for it, man."
"Yeah, what a great opportunity! If you don’t confess your feelings now, what are you waiting for, Christmas?" Zion Sawyer continued to egg him on.
"Is it possible... that she’s not acting this way because she’s shy?" Ethan Shaw said, looking at the three of them with a complicated expression.
"Huh? If it’s not shyness, what is it? Don’t all girls get shy when a guy is pursuing them?"
"..." Ethan Shaw’s peripheral vision darted to Asher Keating’s seat—it was empty. He and Riley Sterling exchanged a look, both silently lighting a candle for Leah Sinclair in their hearts.
There was a restroom inside the private room. Leah had just used it as an excuse to go wash her hands. Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Asher Keating cornered her inside. Seeing him enter, Leah was so startled that she quickly shut the door and pressed her ear against it, listening for any sounds from outside.
"What’s wrong? Afraid your little boyfriend will hear?" Asher Keating said, pinning her against the door and kissing her.
"What... what little boyfriend? There’s no one."
"He’s trying to woo you?" Asher Keating’s hand caressed her waist through the thin layer of her clothes.
"I only just found out during dinner. I’ll make things clear with him later." The stroking tickled her. Leah wanted to squirm away, but he held her firmly in place, making it impossible to move.
"Make what clear? Aren’t you happy someone’s pursuing you?"
Leah Sinclair suddenly felt a surge of anger. She reached out, cupped Asher Keating’s face, leaned in, and bit his lip.
She didn’t dare to bite down hard, though. Then she mumbled, "It doesn’t matter if I’m happy or not. You must have been very happy tonight, having dinner with a beautiful woman and even letting her link her arm in yours!"
Asher Keating hissed from the bite. Hearing her words, he laughed instead. He pinched her cheek. "Jealous, are we?"
"...Yeah," Leah Sinclair hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
Asher Keating hugged her and gave her a kiss. "She won’t be appearing again. Try not to get jealous over such nonsense."
His words instantly dissipated the unhappiness in Leah’s heart. Asher Keating didn’t actually need to explain himself to her, but the fact that he was willing to meant he didn’t want her to overthink things.
’It was the same last time, and it’s the same this time. If we were in a normal relationship,’ Leah thought, ’Asher Keating would definitely be a great boyfriend. He’s good with his words. He clears up misunderstandings right away and never leaves a girl to her own wild imagination. He’s so much better than those domineering CEOs in novels and TV shows who can’t seem to talk and just end up breaking the heroine’s heart.’
They had been in the restroom for several minutes. Afraid that Zion Sawyer and the others would get suspicious, Leah furtively opened the door, and seeing that no one was paying attention, quickly scurried out. Not long after, Asher Keating surprisingly came over and sat next to them to play.
Leo Lawson went off to sing with a few others. Ethan Shaw proposed a three-on-three game. With Asher Keating on the opposing team, Leah’s side lost miserably. It seemed that no matter how he shook the dice, he always won. Eventually, Todd Coleman couldn’t drink anymore, and Zion Sawyer wasn’t doing too well either.
Asher Keating raised an eyebrow at Leah. "One-on-one?"
Leah Sinclair looked at Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling’s gloating faces, and a stubborn streak flared up. "Bring it on."
First round, Leah lost. Second round, Leah lost. Third, fourth, fifth round... Leah still lost.
Zion Sawyer watched from the side, completely stunned. "President Keating, how are you so good at this?"
Asher Keating lit a cigarette, leaned back against the sofa, and curved his lips into a smile. "Just a bit of psychology and a little luck."
He glanced at the time. It was past eleven. He sent Leah a text: "Time to go home. I’m going to get the car. I’ll wait for you downstairs."
The word "home" in his message warmed Leah’s heart. She quickly replied with an "Okay." Asher Keating then stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I’m heading back first. You guys have fun, and be safe on your way home."
"Okay, President Keating. Bye-bye."
Leah asked Zion Sawyer, "How are you getting home later?"
Zion Sawyer looked around and shouted, "Leo Lawson, can I get a ride with you later?"
Leo Lawson, still singing, made an "OK" gesture. Not wanting to make Asher Keating wait too long, Leah excused herself after a short while, saying she was tired. Todd Coleman insisted on seeing her out, and she agreed, thinking it was a good opportunity to make things clear with him. Seeing the two of them leave, Ethan Shaw quickly sent Asher a text.
Asher Keating had only had a single sip of wine with Madeline Sterling at The Paramount earlier, and the alcohol had long since worn off. He had come straight from the office, telling Sean Yates not to drive him, and had driven another one of his Bentleys himself. He pulled the car over, turned off the engine, and waited with the window rolled down, smoking a cigarette. In the distance, he saw Leah Sinclair and Todd Coleman appear at the main entrance.
"Leah Sinclair, I’m just going to say it. Will you... will you consider being my girlfriend?"