Biggest Charm

Sitting inside one private room of a luxurious restaurant, Jason Hayes repeatedly glanced at his wristwatch. There were still a few minutes before the time he was supposed to meet Catherine for dinner but still, he can't stop himself from looking at the time again and again.

He was nervous and at the same time, he found himself looking forward to Catherine's arrival.

It's a complicated feeling, right?

When Catherine agreed to have dinner with him, he almost offered to pick her up at her office but when he thought of how she must felt, he barely refrained.

He didn't want to push things.

Finally, the wait was over for the eager yet nervous Vice-Chairman as the door was opened and Catherine made her way inside. She was still in her business attire just like when he met her in the morning and when she approached him, Jason rose from his seat and stepped up.

"Do you wait long, Mr. Hayes?" Catherine asked him and glanced at her wristwatch. "I think I'm on time," she declared with a relieving smile.

Jason Hayes simply smiled and helped her take a seat by pulling out the chair for her like a gentleman. Then he returned to his seat.

"I don't want to let you wait, so I arrive early," he explained in a calm voice that suited his calm smile.

"I think I start to feel bad," Catherine jokingly commented. "I make the powerful Vice-Chairman of Hayes Group wait."

"You're too modest, Miss Sage," Jason responded in a tone that was equally playful as hers. "I think everyone will agree that you're the one who controls the security of our whole Esparia."

"That's an overstatement, Mr. Hayes," Catherine mused. "There's a government for that."

"I'm a businessman, Miss Sage, and not a politician," Jason wittily replied, eventually making Catherine laugh.

"I give you that," she shrugged. "I think I now understand why the media coined you as one of the most intelligent businessmen. You will be great at making the heads of the reporters spin."

She talked as if she had heard about him or... paid interest on him before and somehow, Jason Hayes liked the feeling that it gave him. Before he could comment on that, the waiters brought in the dishes that he had ordered before Catherine arrived.

As they both were well-known in Esparia, they felt a bit awkward with the waiters around but in no time, the waiters' work was done and they left the two alone.

Catherine Sage looked at the dishes laid out before her and realized that all of them were her favorites. Then she recalled the time they talked about food two weeks ago when they cooked together in the outdoor lounge of the Hayes family mansion.

Each of the dishes was the ones she mentioned as her favorite that night.

A little smile crept across the CEO's face but she didn't say anything and simply lifted the spoon and fork. Then she started eating while Jason Hayes did the same.

"How's Emery?" Catherine asked while they were in the middle of eating. "Is she feeling better?"

Jason Hayes recalled how Emery was acting strange since yesterday. "It's hard to figure her out but I believe that it will be fine soon," he muttered. Looking at Catherine with a little smile, he added, "Don't worry too much, Miss Sage. My sister will be stronger than you think."

"I don't worry even if she's not strong, Mr. Hayes," Catherine Sage replied. "She has a brother like you and that's worth everything." Her lips curved into a little smile when she looked at Jason and added, "You know, Mr. Hayes. I really envy the bond that exists between you two siblings. You make my desire to have a sibling even stronger."

Jason Hayes gave a brief yet serious thought and said, "I think it won't be hard for you to have such a bond with Emery. You know that she really looks up to you."

Thinking of what the Vice-Chairman said, Catherine ended up flashing a bright smile. "I'm glad to hear that. If that can happen, it will be so much fun."

Jason exchanged her smile and they ended up continuing their dinner without saying anything for a few minutes. Though Jason Hayes wished to say something, he felt tight-lipped and Catherine wasn't much different.

As she slowly ate while maintaining her silence, Catherine was reminded of the questions Emery asked her yesterday.

'What do you think of my brother?'

'Do you like my brother?'

The more she spent time with Jason Hayes, the more uncertain she became.

Nevertheless, what surprised her the most was that these days, she often spent her time thinking of how Jason Hayes thought of her.

As the CEO of a security company that provided security to almost every conglomerate of Esparia, she had met and was acquainted with many heirs of powerful corporations. However, Jason Hayes was nothing like them.

He was too unique but according to Catherine Sage, that's his biggest charm.

Since she became acquainted with him two weeks ago, he kept on confusing her and she didn't like that at all.

Ever since she was young, she always hated when she was confused or discouraged. It can't be helped; she was born that way.

"Can I ask you a question, Mr. Hayes?" She finally broke the silence and the moment Jason heard her, she had all his attention right away.

Jason Hayes nodded, feeling quite curious.

Catherine saw through the Vice-Chairman's curiosity and it even made her think twice. However, she decided to stand her ground. She was never a coward no matter how much pressure she felt.

"Why are you so good to me?" She finally inquired.

Her instincts weren't good when it came to this type of thing. Maybe because she had no experience. All she ever did was work and play judo.

The expression on Jason's face proved how he wasn't expecting such a question! He immediately struggled to answer her while Catherine observed his every reaction.

A few seconds passed and she asked him another question again but... it was even harder to respond than the first one.

"Do you like me, Mr. Hayes?"