Date The CEO.com

"Wow! They still sell those?" Andie exclaimed, dumping bags of chocolate into the cart. She quickly walked over to Eve and grabbed a box of Nerds. An astonished scoff rumbled in her throat. 

She flipped it over, reading the back. "I don't know when was the last time I saw one of these. This is so nostalgic. Everyone tried to be the 'cool kid' by trying not to cringe as they ate a handful. Ha! Now, I wonder if Jarrett would succeed."

Eve didn't hear most of her words. She scowled at the box, thinking of what to do.

Andie flickered her gaze at her best friend when the latter didn't respond. She dropped the box into the cart and folded her arms over the railings. Her stormy blue eyes narrowed. "Earth to Eve? Last time I checked you don't like sour candy. What are you staring at it for?"

"Huh?" Eve blinked out of her daze. She put the candy back on the shelf. "It's like you said. It's nostalgic. I just had some flashbacks."

Unconvinced, Andie stayed in place when Eve pushed the cart. She cupped her cheek and analyzed her best friend's face. "And you just so happen to look at the sour candies?"

"Yes?" Eve raised an eyebrow. What was this sudden interrogation? She leaned forward, maintaining eye contact. "Not everything has a reason, Andie. They used to sell it near Madame Isabelle's studio. The other kids would run during break to buy them while I opened my pack of NmNs."

It only took one obnoxious kid to convince an entire class that only tough guys could handle the candy's sourness. A battle commenced on who could eat the most without their faces flinching. Two kids would chew at the same time while the others watched and judged. 

Needless to say, the results seemed predictable as she looked back on the memory now.

"Wait… Aunt Eva never packed chocolate in your lunch," Andie pointed out. She straightened her back and put her hands on her hips. "Just where did you get that chocolate?"

Eve shrugged. The wheels rattled once again as they continued their shopping journey. "I may or may not have found it in the studio."

"You hid it there, didn't you?"

"Maybe? Maybe not. Who knows really?"

Andie rolled her eyes at the poor lie. She checked her watch and marched over. "We better get a move on if we want to surprise the girls. Their classes end in two hours."

She and Eve left the grocery store in half an hour. 

All of the paper bags went into the trunk of a silver BMW M3. They hoped the weather wouldn't be too hot for the chocolates to melt. Even if they had shells, the coatings could slide off sometimes. They held more importance since the display was about the colors.

Eve drove the car and headed for The Magical Symphony. 

The traffic flowed moderately. Andie turned on the speakers and connected her phone. They cruised down the four-lane main roads. A lot of vehicles used them but it was still the shortest route to the music school. The top songs of the charts played in the car. 

Andie bopped along to the beats, staring out the passenger window. Her gaze beheld the sight of a tall building in the distance. She grinned. "Oh, look. It's Eros Headquarters where your boyfriend works."

Eve hit the brakes. It only lasted a second but a car honked behind her. The corner of her lips pulled down, exposing her teeth. She quickly maneuvered the car to another lane when she spotted an opening. Hopefully, it would get the driver off her tracks.

"Don't call him that when I don't have the red wig on." She scolded Andie, shaking her head. She—She—She just removed him from her head! Now, her lovely best friend just had to put him back again. 

This was supposed to be an Ambryan-free weekend! 

Why was the world torturing her?

Andie raised her hands in surrender.

"Ugh, fine," she groaned, making an exaggerated face. Her eyes glanced out the window again and saw the same building. "Oh, look. It's Eros Headquarters where your future husband works."

"Andie!"

"What?" She whirled her head towards the driver's seat. Then, she titled it sideways. "Should I say fiancé first?"

"You should say nothing other than he's my boss!" Eve practically shrieked. Although they were in an enclosed space, they were still outside. She might not be the only who'd slip. It was best to keep this topic inside their apartment and nowhere else.

"Do you still see him like that?" Andie thought out loud. It had been almost a month. Some lines should have blurred. Granted, they only saw each other twice in real life but… that phone conversation showed how much closer they were.

Compared to their work positions, at least.

"Of course!" Eve defended and turned on the blinker. She steered the wheel to the right, entering a narrower street. "We have a professional business relationship."

"Uh-huh, sure." Andie thought of a counter argument and said, "Didn't you force him to get glasses?"

"His health is important. He can't be sick. Otherwise, I get more work," Eve explained. "I also have to make sure the other executives find time to accomplish his tasks."

It was true. If the CEO was suddenly sick, he would need rest to fully recover ASAP. In order for it to happen, he wasn't allowed to touch any report, any concern or any inquiry. He also relied on his vision a lot since he always faced a digital monitor. 

Although he could still function with prescription glasses, prevention was still key.

"Boo-hoo."

Eve glared at her best friend briefly. 

"Look, we're here!" Andie pointed towards a two-storey building ahead. 

The school looked the same as Eve remembered it. It had the white walls and an orange asphalt roof. Music notes decorated a large window at the front. It also still had the same limited parking spots like in her memories.

Andie checked the time and nodded towards the store beside the school. "We still have an hour to spare. Want to check out that bookshop?"

"Don't you have enough cookbooks?"

"I don't know. Don't you have enough web novels?"

Eve clamped her mouth and chose to park at the bookshop. Since they'd spend time in the store, it should be fine. Andie climbed out as soon as the engine stopped running. She shielded her eyes from the sun and peeked through the window. 

The shop seemed rustic inside. 

Old bricks lined up the walls. Books occupied the mahogany bookshelves. If she wasn't mistaken, it even had a stone fireplace that also had books. It looked more like a library than a shop—not that she was complaining. It also had velvet furniture for customers to use while reading.

Andie had high hopes for it already!

Eve double checked the lock on the car before following inside. She walked around the center displays and didn't find her best friend. That was when she spotted the stairs. 'Andie must have climbed up…' 

Debating whether to go upstairs or not, Eve saw a section of children's books. Her legs moved even before she could think. She crouched and browsed through the selections. Colorful covers greeted her eyes. A few of them seemed interesting. Which ones should she pick of the twins?

Eve sat on the floor with her legs crossed. 

She read about ten pages of a book when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her mind hadn't left the story's setting. She just found out that the farm chickens had telekinetic powers. A fight broke out inside the coop. It was an engaging plot.

The next events moved in slow motion.

Eve twisted her head to the side, aiming for behind her shoulder. Her brown eyes blinked still fresh from reading and imagining the scenes. She perceived nothing until her gaze landed behind her back.

Large black eyes greeted her sight. They stared right into her as if locking onto a target. Long brown antennas stuck out on either side of them. Thin pincers poked her in the nose. Spiky legs shook as if crawling towards her. 

"Hi, Eve," the cockroach spoked and she jumped.

"AH! Get away from me!" Eve yelled. Her hand slapped the cockroach away. She panted for breath. What scared her was how close it was. The moment she saw it, the pest covered her entire vision and left no room for reality. 

Who wouldn't be startled when it was as large as a cat?

Andie dropped to her knees, laughing at the whole scene. Her grip on the picture book loosened and fell onto the floor. The cockroach turned out to be a pop-up image from it. They had magnified its size and elevated it off the page. 

Eve slammed the book closed. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She'd rather forget the entire incident. Even without the physical photo, the picture was vivid in her head.

She hit Andie with the book. "You—You—You! Wait till I tell Jarrett!" 

"Oh, please." Andie snorted as she wiped her tears. A few giggles still flowed out of her mouth. "He loves me too much to do anything. I bet he'd even join me in scaring you. Maybe even Am—your future husband would too."

Rolling her eyes, Eve rose to her feet and dusted off her bottom. "When I meet telekinetic chickens in real life, I'll ask them to hang you on the top of the Eiffel Tower."