He could not afford to admit that to her, especially not after making it out like he was just here to while away time.

”That’s all right,” he said calmly, rising to meet her. “Song Yu and I will drop you off at home, then. Come on,” he said, starting to leave.

He paused when he realized she was still standing. “Is there a problem now, Red?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

”Well, thank you for the offer, sir, but I would really like to go alone. I’ll be just fine.” She hurriedly left, finding her way to the small service elevator, and merging with the crowd already milling out of the arena. The ride home was riddled with thoughts of Edward.

Thoughts of how many times she wanted to reach out and take his hand. She knew he felt it too. Because there was no other reason why he put down his bag of chips right next to hers.

And even more intriguing that he became extra careful in picking up bits of his food with a deliberateness that said he was trying too hard to look like he was not trying at all.

She smiled in a lazy, dreamy manner that earned her a few stares from fellow passengers on the bus. But she could not be bothered. She just wanted to savor this feeling however long it lasted.

*********

”Edward, you ripe bastard! Do you mind telling me why you missed bar night?” Henry asked, slamming the door behind him as he settled down on one of the seats in Edward’s study.

Edward paid him no attention, taking small sips out of his crystal glass somberly.

”Yah Henry, you fool, you nearly tore my face off when you slammed that door,”Jun Mo, thundered, announcing his presence in his friend’s home.

”Stop yelling at me for a second and focus on Edward instead. Silly bastard is acting up and I demand an explanation. He doesn’t even consider us worthy of being spoken to.”

Henry mocked playfully, poking at his friend’s arm. Edward remained silent, finishing off the rest of his drink and getting up to pour some more.

”You, what did you do upset Edward now?” Jun Mo, the most reserved of all of them asked, smacking Henry upside the head playfully after he had dropped the large bag of snacks they had brought with them on the floor.

”Ow! Jun Mo, what was that for?”

”You guys, seriously. Shut up for a second,” Edward shushed the men who were busy arguing like toddlers.

”Edward, you haven’t spoken since we got in here and you missed bar night. What exactly is going on?” Jun Mo asked looking at Edward with concern.

Bar Night was the one night in a month that they all got together to drink beer and catch up with each other.

No one was allowed to miss it except good reason and with prior notice. Edward had not bothered with either one. And that was making his friends worry.

When Edward still did not answer, Jun Mo took it upon himself to ask again. “Is it something with work or those investors?”

Edward remained silent, so Jun and chipped in. “Did anything happen with the business number two? According to the news, there’s been a series of insecurity issues in town lately, is it that? I can almost bet that the upheaval is throwing stones in the path of your search.”

”Seriously Edward, you’re worrying us. Can you **ing speak? “Jun Mo probed; his face frowned in worry. The earlier playful atmosphere of the room had ceased as everyone now felt tense.

They waited with bated breaths for Edward to say something. This was out of character for him. He was a lot of things but moody and distant was hardly one of them.

“Well then, Edward, if you don’t speak up right now, I’ll assume you’re experiencing girl trouble,” Henry said, throwing his hands up in exaggerated exasperation.

”Oh, please,” Jun Mo responded, with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Edward would never have trouble with women. He is far too calculated and practical for such foolery,” he concluded.

But come to think of it, a girl, making Edward Wu upset? That was just impossible, Jun Mo said to himself, shaking his head as if to clear it of the preposterous thought.

There were only a few people Edward cared about except himself and they were his “parents, god bless them, his sister, and the two men who currently occupied the room with him.

And maybe Mei Mei Chung. She was like his grandmother. But apart from those people, Jun Mo could almost swear that no one else mattered to his friend.

No one could believe that he was sulking because of a woman, and it would have remained that way if he had not taken in a sharp breath at the word, girl.

”Wait a second, Edward is it really a girl making you all moody and **? A woman? An actual female? I can’t believe this,” Henry cackled, throwing his head back.

”Shut up Henry, you don’t know what you’re saying. Come on Eddy, tell us what the problem is, you’ve worried us enough.” Jun Mo demanded, refusing to believe his ears.

”Get off my back, you **ing idiots,” Edward finally spoke up. He did not know what to do with himself. He had been drinking since he arrived home, unable to grasp how Amy could muster the nerve to walk out on him like that.

It was even worse because now he was second-guessing himself and wondering if he had in fact deserved it. He was being a jerk after all, he supposed. But he had only tried to be honest

. It would suck for the poor girl to get all up in her feelings only to have them thrown right back in her face. But now, why was he the one suffering for the display of lack of tact, he wondered.

And now, his idiot friends would not shut up about him and girls. Perhaps, he ought to have sweet-talked her and told her that it was in fact a date? Would that have made her stay, he wondered.