Chapter 304: Distracted
Chapter 304: Distracted
Jen could barely pay any attention in class because she kept thinking of how Lucas behaved that morning. Michael kept on looking at her in confusion as her behaviour was very abnormal. He had nudged her countless times in class because of how much she was spacing out in the middle of the lecture.
"Are you okay?" Michael asked Jen as he looked at her with his eyes filled with worry. He was normally oblivious when it came to people's emotions, but even he could tell that something was going on.
"I'm okay, it's nothing," Jen said, but Michael did not believe her words at all. He could tell that something was bothering her, but he was not curious enough to pester her on what it was, so he just left things as they were for now.
"Okay then, I'll be going to work. I'll see you tomorrow," Michael said as he picked up his things and left his seat. He hesitated on his way out to look at Jen, who was spacing out again before leaving the lecture hall. He had a very interesting expression on his face as he couldn't figure out what could be bothering Jen to the point where she didn't act like herself.
"Did they fight?" Michael asked himself under his breath, but the more he thought about it the more he got confused so he just stopped thinking about it.
Jen packed her things and went to the library while texting both Nancy and Leanna that she had gone straight to the library. If she did nothing to occupy her brain soon, she would find herself going back home since she felt like she would decide that she isn't the best condition to be studying.
It felt like her mind was calming down when she walked into the quiet library. She could find an empty cubicle this time since she had arrived earlier. She happily sat down and took out her laptop and notebooks and refocused her mind into studying.
*
Lucas, on the other hand, had started thinking about how Jen would have interpreted his actions from the moment he left the house. He knew that what he said came out of nowhere and even though he had initially intended to say it as a joke, he couldn't find it in himself to belittle his genuine thoughts like that.
He did not pressure her for a response and tried to make it sound as lighthearted as possible. It was something that he wanted Jen to think about seriously. He didn't want what they have to be something she would talk about with her friends later on as him being the rich young guy she dated when she was in university.
Even though he knew that she was in love with him, he did not want it to end there. He wanted her to look at him as a person who she would spend the rest of her life with.
It was early in their relationship for him to propose, but he wanted her to expect him to propose. He never felt like there was any pressure on him to do anything, and as much as he appreciated that she was not unreasonably demanding, he liked it when she was.
He had been in a very weird mood from the moment that he came into the office, and David noticed immediately after seeing his face. Even though he knew that Lucas' mood was weird, he was not sure whether it was in a good way or a bad one. So he decided that to be safe, he would just avoid him.
In the afternoon, Michael arrived at the office with lunch he had picked up for David. He had noticed that the only other person who neglected themselves more than Lucas was David, and he couldn't just ignore him since they were in the same office.
David didn't waste time and started assigning tasks to Michael from the moment he sat down. He had a lot to do since Lucas was not as productive as he normally was.
"Do you have to go through these things too?" Michael asked as he looked at the files in front of David.
"I have to do a quality check. Was Jen okay today?" David asked Michael after a short pause.
"She was weird, why?" Michael asked, but David did not answer his question and was sporting a thoughtful look on his face.
"It's nothing, just take care of the work I assigned to you," David said, as he went back to his work. He had already concluded that he was going to be very busy since it seemed to be something that involved Jen. Fortunately, it did not look like a fight, so he just concluded that it would be okay.
After a long day of work, Lucas finally got out of his office when it was a bit past working hours. He found both David and Michael hard at work at their desks. When he saw Michael, he remembered the conversation that he had had with Jen earlier that day.
"Michael," Lucas called and Michael raised his head to look at Lucas.
"Yes, Mr. Lucas," Michael responded. Lucas briefly closed his eyes in exasperation but did not bother complaining about the form of address. He had learned from long ago that it was fruitless to do so.
"I heard that you'll be having exams in a few weeks, do you think you can handle the workload?" Lucas asked as he put one of his hands in his pocket.
"It's not too much, I can guarantee that I handle it. I'm learning more with the practical experience," Michael said with a smile. Lucas looked at him for a bit longer but did not discourage him from working, before nodding in understanding.
"Okay, you can call it a day," Lucas said as he walked out the office. David was planning on staying in the office for longer, but he received a text that made him dismiss those thoughts.
"You can go home early today," David said to Michael as he started packing up his belongings.
"But," Michael started to say but was silenced by just a look from David.
"I'll see you tomorrow," David said not allowing any room for discussion. Michael watched as David left and blankly looked at the closed door. If dating made people change to this extent, then he was considering staying single. Michael thought to himself as he packed up his things.
Lucas took his time driving back home because he knew that Jen would be coming back late anyway. He left the office early because he was not being productive at all, and he did not think he was ready to work late only for David to blatantly point out how unproductive he had been all day.
He parked his car and went through the motions to get back to the penthouse. He went to take a shower with the hopes of quelling his curiosity about what Jen was probably thinking after what he had said to her that morning.
He had gone through the whole day while being a nervous wreck. He tied a towel around his waist and slung another one over his shoulder before going back to his room. He looked at his phone while contemplating whether or not he should call her. He had already lost count on how many times he had been contemplating this that day.
[]
This chapter upload first at NovelBin.Com