The Third Wheel - Part 24

Jordan stepped out of his grey Peugeot 408. Today, as the owner of the car, he drove to the Mayura Hotel. He was alone, and was wearing a fancy suit for the occasion. As he stepped into the fancy elevator with the big mirrors, expensive carpet and lobby music, he pressed the button for the lobby floor. When he reached the lobby, he stepped out of the elevator and was greeted with the smell of fresh flowers, presumably lilies, and the cool air due to the strong wind from the air-conditioner. He glanced at his watch. It was only 10 a.m. He was two hours early. He didn't mind, it gave him the advantage to study his surroundings. As he sat on the comfy sofa at the resting lounge, he took out his Blackberry. He read the message that he just received when he was driving before. It was from Robert and Samantha. The message told him that they would be arriving in an hour. He placed his Blackberry in front of him, on the coffee table. So he had an hour of his alone time before meeting up with Robert and Samantha. He leaned back in his chair, remembering what he just witnessed the day before, way before he met up with Sophie.

*flashback*

"Are you sure about this?" Jordan asked Robert, who was having a worried look on his face. "I'm pretty sure. Sophie told me that she lives here" Robert replied as he stared at the door in front of them. They were at the highest floor of Westmoreland Condo. It was said that it was a fancy condo, but the higher it gets, the fancier and expensive it is. In other words, the person they were going to meet was a very rich person. "Well, we did ask the lobby dude her name, right?" Robert assured Jordan. Jordan, though hesitant at first, rang the doorbell. At first, there was no reply. So he pressed it again, longer this time. They heard the alarm door clicking, then the door opened. To his and Robert's surprise, they were greeted by a handsome man with a towel on his head. "Come in" he said. Jordan couldn't help but notice the man had a rich voice. If he was a girl, he would be in love with the man's voice. He shook his head. This is not the time to admire a man's voice! Jordan scolded himself. The person he was expecting was a woman, yet a man answered the door. 

As they entered the condo, Jordan couldn't help but notice how spacious it was. The condo's view overlooked the beautiful town, and you could see the blue colour of the sea. Jordan also noticed that the man who just greeted them was wearing nothing but only a wet towel which was covering his lower part of the body. He was tanned, and there was a faint scar at his back. Must be an old wound, Jordan thought to himself. The man gestured at them to sit on the sofa while he excused himself. Jordan sat beside Robert, who was having a calm expression. "Who was that? He looked quite familiar" Jordan couldn't help but ask at Robert. "I'm not quite sure. I think that was Eric Lebeau, the eldest son of the Lebeau family" Robert said seriously. 

Jordan almost gasp out loud when Robert said this, but he refrained from doing so. "The Lebeau family?! You mean the famous family that was as famous as the Mayuras? I heard rumours that the Lebeaus and the Mayuras were family friends, but seriously?!" Jordan whispered to Robert in pure awe. Robert nodded at this. "Yeah. They were close. I heard that Lynn and Eric were promised to be married since young, but don't tell anyone that" Robert warned Jordan. Jordan nodded at this. He leaned back in the sofa, too shocked to say anything. Knowing Lynn so far, he never thought that the mischievous girl that he just met was capable of knowing such a powerful person. And to be in one roof with him. Wait, one roof...? 

Before Jordan could piece the puzzles in place, he heard a door clicking open. Eric Lebeau walked out of the room he just resided in, now fully dressed. It was casual, but Jordan could see that Eric's fashion sense wasn't a joke. He wore a dark vest over over a shirt with a shade brighter of the vest's colour. He was wearing dark brown chinos. But what Jordan noticed was his face. He knew that Eric was handsome, but now that he was perfectly-groomed, he could see that Eric's face perfectly for the first time. He had reddish brown hair which was slicked back, he had semi-dark brown eyes and a strong jaw. As Jordan saw earlier, he was tanned, and had a strong frame. He was tall, too. Jordan guessed he might be 186 centimetres. Eric gave them a polite smile as he sat on the sofa in front of Jordan and Robert.

"Sorry for the late introduction. I am Eric Lebeau" he hesitated, "childhood friend of the owner of this condo. Forgive me, she seems to be sleeping at this hour, I hope you understand. If I'm not mistaken, you are Robert Parker, yes?" Robert nodded at this, "and you are Jordan Watson. I could recognise you just from hearing Lynn's stories" he said.Lynn talks about me? Jordan thought to himself. "Lynn said you were such a gentleman to get her Sophie's heart" he said, amused. Jordan blushed at this, though he controlled himself. "So I guess you know why we are here" Jordan said. Before Eric could answer, they heard a door clicking open. 

"Eric...what's with the noise?" said a female voice, which Jordan recognised as Lynn's. He was right; the person who was walking towards the living room, where they were, was Lynn, the person they intended to meet. She was wearing a dark blue kimono-style bathrobe, loosely worn, obvious that Lynn just woke up from her slumber. "Lynn" Eric said, which Jordan noticed, in a soft tone. Lynn looked half-asleep at first, but when Eric called her name, she already took in the situation. "Robert, Jordan. You guys are here. What time is it?" she asked them, sitting beside Eric, Jordan noticed, very close. "8.10 a.m." Robert answered obediently. Lynn yawned at this. "I guess the night caught up to me. I shouldn't sleep late next time" she said, now leaning on Eric.

"I'm surprised that you didn't have any fit when you woke up" Eric said, now stroking Lynn's hair. Jordan noticed that Lynn's hair wasn't in a pixie cut, it was actually longer than it looked. She must have styled it in a way to make it look like a pixie cut. Seems that I've been noticing too much things today, Jordan thought to himself. "I guess we should begin?" Jordan asked Lynn.  "Wait, you didn't serve them anything?" Lynn said indignantly at Eric, who was now looking guilty. Lynn stood up, then went to the kitchen without answering Jordan. Three minutes later, she came back with a tray of coffee. She poured for, Jordan noticed, the three of them. She didn't drink anything, making Eric stand up in return. He went back to the kitchen, then brought a mug. Judging from the colour of the drink, it was hot chocolate. "Sorry, I didn't serve the drink for you guys. Now we can begin" she said, scowling at Eric while sipping her hot chocolate.

They discussed about the message, which Lynn obediently wrote for them. She only hear their plan, then gave her views on how to strategise their moves. She didn't quite like the Robert and Peter being 'interrogators' but she said that if she gave them an idea, Phillip would notice that it was planned by her. "Such a fearful man, Phillip" she said. During their discussion, Jordan couldn't help but noticed that they kept holding hands. In the end, they reached an agreement where Lynn wouldn't be involved except for her writing. They got ready to leave, with Eric and Lynn seeing them to the door. After bidding farewell, Robert and Jordan got out of the condo. When Jordan came out after Robert, he closed the door, only to glance at Eric pulling Lynn closer to him to kiss her. By the time Jordan reached the elevator where Robert was waiting for him, his cheeks were so warm that Robert asked whether he had a fever.

*now*

When he thought of Eric and Lynn's relationship, he wondered what would have happened if he still wants to pursue Kimberley. Like him and Kimberley, Eric and Lynn were childhood friends. Seeing Eric taking the hot chocolate for her, seeing her leaning casually on Eric. It was a small gesture, but he could see the warmth in their relationship. The way they held hands like it was the most natural thing in the world. He strayed his mind to him and Sophie. He asked Robert if that kind of thing would happen to him and Sophie, but Robert just shrugged in reply. "It's all up to you" was what he said. He tried to imagine him and Sophie like that. He actually blushed when he imagine kissing her. He also realised that they were close to kissing the day earlier. What should I do? How should I face her? he frantically thought to himself while touching his now warm cheeks. He found out about the marriage meeting from Samuel, who confessed that he saw his father's file that contained Sophie's picture and profile. Samuel told him to do the same, and he found the exact same thing in his father's file. 

"What are you doing?". Jordan looked towards the direction of the voice, only to see Samantha looking at him weirdly. Robert was catching up to her while talking on the phone. "Peter's not going to make it, so we have to make do with our troop for now" Robert said seriously. Samantha gestured at the three of them. "Troop, meaning, us three, right?" she said, amused. "Well, even if you guys are here, you're just going to watch what will transpire, right? Seriously, the plan was only for yesterday" Jordan said, annoyed by this. "Well, we have an hour to kill time, so what should we do? Oh yeah, you haven't asked my question yet, Jo" Samantha said, her tone dark. Robert, confused, looked at Jordan and Samantha. "What?" Jordan said, panicking. "What were you doing before we arrived?" she asked, her face evil. "I didn't do anything. I was just sitting on this comfy sofa while enjoying the cool air from the air-conditioner" Jordan answered, his face pale.

"Oooooh, really? You were red as a maiden in love before I interrupted your maidenly fantasies" Samantha pushed on.

"Was not!"

"You were. Robert, help me out"

"Did he looked like he was having a fever?" Robert asked blankly.

"He sure did" Samantha replied.

"Then he was thinking of his future prospects with Sophie" 

"Robert" Jordan said darkly.

"Future prospects? Like them being a couple and end up getting married?" Samantha teased, making Jordan blush. Robert took a glance at Jordan, then looked at Samantha. "My answer is yes" Robert answered to the now fully amused Samantha. Jordan by now was blushing furiously, making Robert and Samantha pat his head. "Aww, don't worry, we will leave you alone with her later, just let me tease you for trying to take her away from me, all right?" Samantha teased. Jordan fidgeted in his seat as Robert and Samantha took their seats in front of him. "I never knew you were such a sadist, Sammy" he told Samantha, making her shrug. "I've always been that way. It's just that Lynn's overpowering aura and more sadistic ways just didn't show much. I mean, we both clicked, right?" she said. They killed their time with small talk until it was already 12 in the afternoon; the time where everything begins.

Jordan bid his farewell to Samantha and Robert, and left to walked towards the hotel restaurant. He could see two people approaching, too. At first, he was vague in guessing who it was. But as they walked nearer, he could tell who they were. Sophie and Matthew walked alongside each other as they walked towards the restaurant. Sophie was wearing a dark red dress that complements her pure white skin and her hair was let loose, held by a diamond-studded scarf. Matthew was wearing a formal suit, which fills him perfectly. He could see a few glances from females around them, admiring Matthew. Jordan bowed slightly at them as they approached him, and he shook hands with Matthew. 

They enjoyed their lunch at the restaurant, and Jordan couldn't help but feel calm. Even though Matthew was known as the goofy Mathematics teacher, he was very mature and gentle when having conversation. Sophie smiled and talked to him politely. After finishing their main course and was waiting for their desserts to arrive, Matthew spoke up. "It must be weird, to see your Mathematics teacher in front of you" Matthew said, his expression uncomfortable. Jordan shook his head at this. 

"No, not at all" he replied.
"You don't feel awkward?"
"I would be lying if I said no"

"You're not curious about why I have two names? And the fact that Sophie is actually my baby sister?" Matthew countered. This made Jordan stop for a second to collect his thoughts. "I want to know. I want to be the one for her" he said, though he kicked himself mentally. Why are you confessing your love to her brother? he thought. Matthew let out a smile. "I was quite unsure about letting Sophie to mix herself with you. But I know you. You're my student and also Robert's close friend. I could trust you. In fact, you're quite lucky that the chaperone for today is me. If it were anybody else, they would have cut off ties with you" Matthew said. "But I must warn you. Loving her is like choosing to love a rose with thorns. Sophie may be beautiful, but her, no, our complicated past will make your journey treacherous" Matthew continued on, sounding wiser as he went on. "If I weren't prepared for that, why would I be here? I would have chosen another way; taking her away from you. But that's not the proper way. That's as if I want to run away from the real problem, isn't that right?" Jordan countered. 

Matthew chuckled at this. "Seems that you've found a person worthy to treasure, Sophie" he said to Sophie, who was now staring at the both of them coldly. Jordan presumed that she was angry by the fact that she seemed to be invisible in their conversation. "I guess we should go somewhere cozy?" Matthew asked Sophie. "You think it's the right time to do so?" she asked Matthew. "Well, since your feelings go both ways, I think the time has come" Matthew replied. Jordan, puzzled, just looked at them back and forth. "Jordan, come, follow us. And you can invite Samantha and Robert too" he said as he stood up. "Just follow our car" Sophie said, giving him a gentle smile. 

When Jordan, Samantha and Robert entered Jordan's car, they followed Matthew's car, which was a black BMW 5 Series, from behind. "Where do you think he's taking us?" Samantha asked from the back seat. "No idea" Jordan replied. Robert remained silent along the way. After an hour passed, Jordan heard Robert gasp. "What's wrong?" Jordan asked him, worried. "I think I know where we're going. No, I'm sure" he said softly, as if talking to himself. Jordan, puzzled, just drove on. Where are they going exactly?

TO BE CONTINUED