Chapter 112: Superfluous Talents

Zane, who was usually talkative, was quiet at the table. He had complemented Mina on her performance, but he did not gush over her like everyone else. President Lee had also given her praise, but it came in the form of him saying, 'better than I expected.' Only Lisa did not say anything positive; she was still harping over the fact that her attempt to embarrass Mina, had actually backfired. Her man, who had largely ignored her the entire night, was now silently watching Mina's every move. He seemed to be studying her facial expressions as she ate and while Lisa did not know this, Ian was making a mental note of the things Mina liked, disliked or was indifferent about.

Mina, who was feeling uncomfortable with the couple boring holes into her with their eyes, turned to Zane and whispered for only him to hear.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"I'm fine," he said flatly.

"No, you aren't," Mina answered back. Zane looked up at the girl, she had only known him for a day or two, yet she was astute enough to realize he was not okay. Forcing a smile, he replied.

"It's really nothing." Mina side eyed Zane and took a deep breath before she leaned in closer to him.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but if you change your mind, I will listen." Zane smiled affectionately at Mina. For the longest time, he only had the Lee siblings as friends, and while they were great, it felt good to have someone other than them pay attention to him.

---

Ian, who had also noticed the change in Zane's behavior already knew why the man had become sullen. There were several lines in Mina's song that reminded Ian of things Zane had told him about his ex-girlfriend. Especially the parts that were about 'others being able to see you, but not have you.' Ian knew that Zane would probably be at the Lee mansion, drinking up half of Ian's personal store later in the evening.

Still focused on Mina, Ian watched her whisper something he couldn't hear to his friend and the man's mood lightened a little. She seemed to have a way with men. There was no suggestiveness in her mannerisms, but there was a look on her face that could only be described as endearing. Ian was so jealous that he laughed out loud and startled everyone at the table.

----

Lisa was startled by the sound of Ian's laughter. She had heard it a few times before and she loved it every time, but this laughter did not seem happy.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You have a good eye for match making," Ian said somberly. Lisa turned toward the other couple and they did seem friendlier. She would have also believed that they had hit it off, but the sinister look on both of their faces as they glared at Ian told her otherwise. Neither person was interested in the other for reasons unknown. Lisa was not blind, she could see that Mina was a very beautiful girl, but she was a bit too conservative and was dressed like a prude. Zane on the other hand, was gorgeous and flashy. He was tall, muscular and everything he put on his body was an invitation for someone else's eyes. Based on that alone, Lisa could tell that an attempt to push the two together would be futile, but it did not discourage her from joining Ian in his jest.

"Maybe we should leave and let them be alone for a while." To Lisa's surprise, Ian agreed and the two of them left the restaurant.

----

Zane was stunned. His friend had abandoned him over the words of a woman. When he looked over at Mina, wanting her to share his outrage, he saw that her shoulders had slumped forward, but it wasn't disappointment, it was relief. He had not realized how tense she was with the other pair around and he felt bad for not having noticed it sooner.

Now that Mina felt like a ton of bricks had been lifted off her shoulders, she was livelier. She used her fingers to stuff a bread filled mushroom cap in to her mouth, and Zane took the opportunity to grill her.

"You are a liar," Zane said playfully and Mina shrugged.

"Sometimes," she admitted, not really knowing what he was referring too. Zane's eyes widened at Mina's confession; he had not expected her to answer without a follow up question.

"Hey, I'm serious, you said you never dated before."

"And I haven't," Mina replied looking at him through the corners of her eyes.

"That song then?" Zane really wanted to know. The song that Mina sang, had it come at the right time, would have perfectly captured his feelings for that woman back then.

"That song was written for my sister and her boyfriend. I wanted to surprise them at their engagement party but when I sang it for them in private, they both attacked me." There was a smile on Mina's face as she recalled the memory. "They forbade me from singing the song until after they were married. I thought they hated it, but when they helped me acquire the copyright, I realized that they were just embarrassed." Mina laughed. "To me it was so obvious that their relationship had 'blossomed'." Zane caught her meaning right away and laughed.

Still shaking her head at the memory, Mina took another stuffed mushroom then turned to face Zane.

"Now, are you going to tell me what was wrong with you a little while ago? Could it have been my song?" She asked with a curious expression, and at that moment she looked like a puppy. Zane sighed before speaking.

"That song reminded me of someone I used to love."

"Bad break-up?" Mina asked and Zane nodded.

"She cheated on me." Mina looked bewildered. If she had to guess, she would have thought Zane was the unfaithful party.

"She cheated on you?" Mina asked disbelievingly.

"With my father no less," he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh. Mina gasped and held her face as if she were in some sort of drama.

"That hussy!" She said, and while she was serious, her outburst made Zane laugh hysterically.

"Who in modern times uses the word hussy? It's okay to call her a b*tch," Zane said while wiping away the tears that welled up in his eyes. He really needed that laugh.

"I don't curse." Mina said, frankly. Zane was curious about Mina, but he was even more curious about how she remained single.

"Mina, can I ask you a personal question?" He said, not expecting the girl to answer with a simple 'shoot.' "Why haven't you dated? You are beautiful, smart, and talented. With your talents your prospects should be great." Mina shook her head from side to side, apparently trying to weigh her response.

"There was someone that I wanted, and it clouded my judgement against others. It's not that I wasn't interested, it's that, no one could compare to the man I had in my head. Does that make sense to you?" Zane nodded. It was like that for him too. He kept trying to find replacements for the woman he once loved, but he was almost always disappointed.

"Dating aside, how come you aren't a famous singer or songwriter?" He asked and Mina scoffed.

"You think I suffered through a triple major to take a risk with superfluous talents?"

"You call that superfluous?" Zane answered her question with his own while pointing to the stage. Shaking her head Mina reached for a glass of wine and took a huge gulp. It was delicious! With the awkward atmosphere eliminated, Zane and Mina continued to enjoy their night.