Mr Bodyguard, Protect Your Heart!

After all that delaying, that Dove did, and there was nothing left, Lisa looked at her, and said, "And...?"

Dove sighed and said, "What do you want to know?" Lisa on hearing Dove say that, looked at her in disbelief as if she has just asked the stupidest thing in the whole wide world. "Nothing except from the start. Thank you very much."

Dove’s lips pressed into a straight line, before she sighed and started recounting every thing from the start.

She recounted on how, she met Dante after returning back to the country. And how Grandfather had asked Dante to guard her, even though Dove did not at all think that she needed it. She thought that her grandfather was just being paranoid.

Lisa clicked her tongue mid talk, and interrupted Dove, "Alright, Darling. I know this part of the story. Now please elaborate about Mr Dante, in reference to what ever has happened today! He doesn’t seem like you regular bodyguard to me, please!"

Clearing her throat, Dove has, "Actually, Dante owns Fort Group."

Lisa furrowed her brows, as she had just lifted a glass of juice. "Oh?" And then the second she sipped from it, her mind came crashing down, splashing all the juice out of her mouth.

Dove, who had somehow, already expected this to happen, smiled at her apologetically, before she kindly extended her handkerchief for her to take. Lisa stared at Dove with wide eyes, grabbing the handkerchief from her hand she said, "F- Fort Group?"

Seeing the smile in Dove’s face, Lisa shook her head and asked, "Dove? Are you speaking of the same Fort Group that I am thinking of?"

Dove nodded her head with the same smile on her face. And at that, Lisa slumped backwards on the couch, her head lightly hitting the recliner at the back, as she stared at the beautiful celling above, with her mouth slightly agape.

Dove sat quietly staring at her friend, not knowing what should she do or say. Honestly, there was much more to say, if Lisa wanted to know everything. But Dove could just give her friend a moment to process what ever this was.

After what seemed like eternity, but not actually, Lisa uttered a word, ’Wow."

Dove looked at her, when she sat back straight, her friend’s eyes gleaming with a new found realisation.

"Baby girl, you have hit large!" Then the next instant, Lisa shook her head, and corrected herself, "No, No! I mean, you are already a big shot! I know, I know! But you are getting what I mean, isn’t it? You have like hit big-BIG!!!"

And this was Dove’s turn to get confused. She frowned ands asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Lisa giggled, as she eyed and elbowed, giving her a suggestive look, said, "Come on, Dove! You don’t need t0o hide it from me. I can, and the whole world can, clearly see the budding romance between you both! And oh my god! The way he interacts with Gavi and you, a complete hot and reliable husband package! Hihi! If I did not know better, anyone who sees you both wouldn’t even doubt that you both are not husband and wife! Haha- ah!"

Lisa froze before her eyes began with even more intensity, and she yelped in another realisation, "Oh!! And now that I think about it! I can finally connect the dots! Doesn’t it look like Grandpa Sterling, actually wanted to play a match maker between you both?! Otherwise just think about it, why would he even put him next to you, as a 24 hour bodyguard when there is clearly no need for it apparently."

But Dove, unlike Lisa sat there stunned frozen. Her heart clenching, as she thought, that maybe Grandpa was really trying to set her up with Dante, and maybe he really thought that it would be good to settle with Dante. But the talk about having mutual feelings for each other? How she wished!

How she wished her feelings to not just be her wishful thinking. How she wished, those could be reciprocated. Pressing her lips in a tight smile, she shook her head as she corrected her friend who was getting more and more excited with every passing second. "No, Lisa. You are getting it wrong here."

Lisa looked at Dove in question and blinked her eyes, "Huh? Confusion? What confusion?" She was not getting what kind of confusion were they having. Because from her eyes, she could see everything very clearly.

Dove bit her lips, as if it was physically hurting her to clear it. "I and Dante... we are not having anything like that between us." Her words coming out soft.

Lisa furrowed her eyebrows slightly, still not getting it completely, as she spoke, still with the light smile, "I know you both did not make it official, but I am talking about the feelings!"

Dove shook her head again in denial and said, "You are not getting it, Lisa. He doesn’t see me in that way. He doesn’t have any feelings for me romantically. In fact, he has someone else in his heart."

Lisa’s smile instantly faltered, as her frown deepened and she leaned in to her friend, and asked, "Are you overthinking it, Dove? Has he even said it from his own mouth?" Lisa was about to say more but Dove cut in and nodded her head, "Yes, Lisa. He said it himself. He is in love with a woman. And that woman is not me."

The atmosphere turned weird, as both the girls stared at each other. Dove then laughed a little, on seeing the displeased expression on her friend’s face, she said, "Haha. Why are you frowning so much. What is the issue about it? It was just a misunderstanding, isn’t it? Dante doesn’t think anything like that about me. He was just being respectful and friendly towards me. That’s all."

But even after her saying so much, Lisa did not reply at once. She continued to stare at Dove. And then asked all of a sudden, "And what about you? Do you like him?"