<b>Chapter </b><b>624 </b>
Whatever. I’ll just let fate take the wheel.
My ticket to the United Kingdom was already booked, and thepany had sorted out all my amodation over there. They handed me a stack of books<b>–</b>all in Englysian. Good thing I hadn’t been cking; whenever I hit something I didn’t get, I just searched it up on myptop.
“Ms. Murphy, over here!” A sweet voice called out, waving enthusiastically at me.
I spotted ine Rowe–she was about my age, rocking a shoulder–length bob and radiating a bright, bubbly vibe.
“Hi, Ms. Rowe. I remember seeing you at thepany conference,” I greeted her with a smile.
“Of course, I remember! With a gorgeous boss like you, Ms. Murphy, who could ever forget?” ine teased yfully.
I blushed <i>at </i>herpliment. “Thanks in advance for looking out for me during the trip.”
“Ms. Murphy, I studied in the UK before, so if you need any help, just ask,” ine chimed in.
I blinked in surprise, suddenly getting this weird feeling–like Jared had deliberately arranged for ine to tag along, just so I’d have a built–in guide.
‘Am I just reading too much into this?‘ I wondered to myself.
“Ms. Murphy, mind if I gossip a little? Are you and Mr. Hob getting back together?” ine asked, grinning mischievously.
I shook my head. “No way, that’s not happening.”
“But everyone’s talking about it! They say Mr. Hob’s been turning down all the flirting just to get back with his ex–wife. Isn’t that true?” ine leaned in, giving me a nosy look.
I gave a dryugh. “Rumors are just rumors, so don’t buy into it.”
ine just went, “Oh,” and let it go.
With ine by my side, the whole journey was anything but dull–her bright, cheerful personality kept things lively and interesting.
When wended in the UK, thepany had a car waiting for us at the airport. ine and I headed straight to an apartment that was just a short ride from campus.
At the apartment, I was cramming to improve my spoken Englysian, with ine as my conversation partner. She was incredibly patient, always helping me
fix my
mistakes.
As evening settled in, ine gave me a secretive smile. “Ms. Murphy, how about we go out and rx a little?”
I <b>nced </b>at the clock. Tve <b>got </b><b>ss </b>tomorrow<b>, </b><b>so </b><b>better </b><b>not </b>go out tonight.”
“Ms. Murphy<b>, </b>work isn’t everything<b>–</b><b>there’s </b><b>a </b>whole world of fun out there. Don’t you want to check it out?” ine <b>was </b>definitely the <b>type </b>who lived life <b>to </b>the fullest<b>. </b>
I asked, curious, <b>“</b>Where are <b>we </b>going<b>? </b><b>Just </b>the <b>two </b>of <b>us</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
ine blushed, looking a bit embarrassed. “<b>I </b><b>was </b>thinking of inviting my ex–boyfriend. Don’t get idea–he’s single <b>now</b><b>, </b>and he’s from the UK.”
the wrong
I blinked in surprise<b>. </b><b>“</b><b>If </b><b>you’ve </b>already <b>got </bpany, go have fun. I’ll just stay in and read for a bit.”
“Ms. Murphy, don’t worry. We’ll be back by ten–we won’t stay out toote,” ine said, leaning in and nudging my arm like a yful kitten. “Come on, just go out and have a little fun. I promise I won’t tell Mr. Hob anything. Our little adventure will be our secret.”
I squinted at her, suspicion creeping in. “Spill it—-did Jared send you here to keep tabs on me?”
ine jerked upright, looking startled, then melted back against me with a sheepish grin. “Alright, you got me. Mr. Hob did give me instructions to watch out for you. But he also said, as long as it’s safe, I should help you soak up some local vibes and let you see what the UK has to offer. He even mentioned you haven’t really traveled much before, so he wants you to get a taste of something new.”
Her words struck a chord in me.
In my previous life, I was like <i>a </i>bird huddled in a cage–the door was always open, but I never found the courage to fly out.
“Alright, I’ll go with you,” I said, feeling like something inside me had finally opened up. Before I knew it, I found myself agreeing to her.
AD