Rui gulped seeing the scrutinizing look of Cali"s friend at him while they were introduced to each other. Cali informed him she would visit him with a close friend of hers, and since Rui was miraculously free, he agreed.Cali handed him the box of cookies and said, "It should have been two boxes here but Shane s.n.a.t.c.hed it and finished it all off…"
Rui laughed and accepted the box. He was again touched upon knowing that Cali baked it herself for him. "Thank you for this," he whispered and walked near his desk to hang his lab gown on the stand while the two visitors sat down on his couch.
"Do you also accept crazy patients Dr. Rui?" he heard Shane directly asked.
"Yeah, I do…" Rui answered and soon came and sat opposite the ladies. Cali already told him about Shane so he was aware of her closeness with cali before meeting her in person. The two were both twenty-one and were very close like sisters. He would say that he could a.s.sess it was true just by seeing how those two could be clingy to each other, especially Shane.
"Are you uncomfortable if I"m too close with Cali like this?" Shane asked when she noticed Rui looked at her hands pinching Cali"s arm.
"No, why should I be? It"s actually nice seeing two people bound by a powerful connection of heart with each other and not just by blood or relations." Rui answered with a smile.
"I like him." Shane murmured smiling at Cali pointing her finger on Rui directly.
Cali made a face to her friend and said, "Sorry, but he"s already mine…"
Rui was amused watching them bantering in front of him like he was not there. It was like a breath of fresh air despite the toxic situations he usually dealt with.
A glimpse of weariness crossed his eyes as he looked at Cali"s beautiful face. She was s.h.i.+ning with her bright smile. An enjoyable lifetime of youth and who was he to cut it short for her?
He did not believe in love at first sight because for him love was something you could learn to grow in time. But he believed in fate. In things like if a person was destined for you then no matter what, you eventually would still end up together.
"Will we end up together? I guess with time we"ll find out…" Rui inwardly thought. He adored Cali for being such a brave woman who always found a way to follow her own path in life.
He suddenly s.h.i.+fted his gaze at Shane. No wonder he felt a sudden cold feet. It was because Shane was staring at him with her teasing smirk.
Rui gave her a smile and he offered, "Do you both have any plans later? I think I"m free and will be able to treat you both to dinner. It"s the least I can do for receiving these wonderful cookies."
Rui did treat the two girls to a nice dinner later where they both kept entertaining him with their chattering. He was quiet most of the time and just listened to Cali and Shane who were both talkative and bubbly.
"I heard you have agreed to let Cali do whatever she wished to while you two are engaged. Does that also mean that Cali can still entertain other suitors?" Shane asked because she was curious to find out his thoughts about it.
"What a nonsense question." Cali hissed with her rounded eyes and pursed her lips on Shane. Her friend"s bluntness and shameless questions worried her and she looked at Rui with an apologetic expression.
"Haha… It"s okay. Cali can do whatever she wants to. So everything depends on her as long as she wants to enjoy her youth." Rui a.s.sured.
"Wow!" Shane gasped and even clapped.
"Where can I find someone like you? How I wished my family would also partner me with someone so liberal like you." Shane voiced out because she would also soon meet the person her family had arranged for her.
Cali"s face cracked because Shane"s family had strict customs that they followed when it came to marriage. Her face crumpled just with the thought of Shane not being happy with what had been arranged for her.
"Hmm… I"m afraid Shane, I"m one in a million." Rui jested.
"So Cali… Rui can also have a girlfriend even though you two are engaged?" Shane nonchalantly asked.
"No!" Cali quickly answered in a loud voice, which made Shane giggle.
"Oh no! I mean... what I mean is... no restrictions… yes no restrictions for him too. That"s what we have agreed on so Rui can also do whatever he wants to." Cali mumbled a bit stuttering while she spoke and at the back of her mind she was choking Shane to death for asking too many unnecessary questions.
"But I still don"t get it… Did you both set any span of time? I mean is it a few months or a few years? Like five years? If both of you are still single then will you both get married?"
"Five years?! Of course not! It is too long a time to wait" Cali exclaimed.
Rui chuckled, watching the two women talking terms, accepting and rejecting, between them. He realised that he too had overlooked that part in their terms of agreement. "So how many years Rui?" He asked himself inwardly.
"Five years is a long engagement! Rui"s family will also be suspicious by then. I think one year will be more than enough." Cali stated, hoping Rui would agree because for her even one year was too long already.
"Hmm, that"s a bit quick. How about three years?" Rui suggested.
"Yeah three years is a good idea. You both can do a lot in these three years in your separate activities. We can focus well on our new business Cali." Shane seconded because getting married and having a child could be tiring and distracting also, so it would be better for Cali to be single and focus on their business at that time.
Cali would definitely kill Shane as soon as they went back home.
Shane was grinning ear to ear, because she knew how irritated Cali was inside while showing those beautiful and sweet smiles to Rui. She too was curious what could happen in three years.
Would that Josh manage to enter the picture? Or it would still be Rui in the end for Cali? What would happen in the life of her dear friend Cali? Three years… Well it would be an interesting ride to witness.
"But how about you Shane? When will there be someone you can call yours?" Her inner self asked. She only hoped to run away from an unwanted arranged marriage!
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