Chapter 11

What was wrong with the guy? Sophia questioned herself. Why out out nowhere would he laugh like that? Sophia wondered. Was there something funny with what Anthony said?

Obviously, she didn't understand the behavior of the man. Oliver seems to be crazy to her. Of course, it was odd for her since she don't know more about Anthony's life but if only she knew Anthony like how Oliver do, she would tell that Oliver's reaction is normal and understandable.

Just imagining his best friend madly in love with someone, that he didn't miss to show to anyone, that not even for a second has ever planned to live his life without her and telling him suddenly that he is engaged to someone else of course, he wouldn't trust that especially when he was there, all the time, seeing how his best friend was going crazy and crazier for the girl.

Sophia had strange feeling inside of her feeling uncomfortable seeing the man laughing so hard before her. Was there something funny about her and Anthony being engaged she asked herself. Something was odd and she could feel it but whatever was in her mind nothing could explain why the man was acting like that.

Sophia then just stared at the man with uncomprehension while Anthony was staring at him with annoyance.

"That is really a nice joke Anthony" He said between his laugh.

Couldn't take it anymore Anthony finally spoke:

"This isn't a joke" he said firmly but Oliver seemed to not believe him yet.

"Seriously Oliver, this isn't a joke, I am really serious." He said looking at him in the eyes, without a glimpse of amusement.

Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing but seeing the look of Anthony's face, only then that Oliver tried to compose himself, understanding that indeed, he was not joking. But then, he couldn't believe that yet...he was shocked.

"Is it true? Are you really engaged to this girl?" He said with shock all over his face, pointing at Sophia.

"How is that even possible" he said.

If not for the situation, Anthony would have loved seeing the face that his friend made, for the first time of his life, he managed to shout his mouth thing that was kind of hard to do.

"So you really are engaged to this girl" his said pointing again at Sophia.

"Yes" Anthony responded with nonchalant face.

"To this girl?" He repeated as if making sure that they were talking about the same girl.

"Yes." Anthony replied annoyed.

He couldn't understand his friend, it was so unbelievable that he was going to marry someone else. He himself was not yet convinced about it so how can he expect other, mostly Oliver to believe this circus. Of course, he would explain everything to Oliver but not in front of the girl.

Finally, Oliver managed to compose himself. Then great Sophia who was assisting the scene with misunderstanding.

_"Hello Miss... Sophia right?" He looked at Anthony like a child waiting for an approval to his mother if what he said was the correct thing.

_"I really am honored to meet you ...again...as my best friend's fiance" the word fiance go out more like a sarcasm "...that he didn't judge important to mention to me." He finished while looking at Anthony with killing gaze that asked for explanation and finally turned to the girl and smiled at her.

_"Again"? Anthony asked. "Do the two of you know each other?"

_"No!" The both said in unison.

_"It was just an unfortunate encounter." Sophia said remembering how they meet.

_"Yeah, some girl that didn't look where she was going collided with me then get he drinks smacked all other her clothes and accused me." Oliver retorted back.

As for listening to them, they sounds like too little children arguing.

Thought, Anthony didn't pay attention to them...more exactly to Sophia, he didn't care less, her life wasn't interesting him at all. His question was directed more to Oliver, his friend like how could he possibly know a girl like her.

Sophia didn't reply at all to the man, she knew from her first experience when meeting him that talking to him was useless so she let it cool even though she would have loved to clarify things.

Suddenly, Sophia's phone rang. It was her nanny wondering if she and Anthony had already reached the jewel store, only then that she remembered the main reason of her visit to Anthony. Because of Oliver's interruption, the too of them was cut in the middle of their conversation. Thanks to the phone call that reminds them.

Sophia then told to Anthony that it was her nanny that called her if they were already at the jewel store. Like it was interesting him!

_"So you guys are going to buy your engagement rings?" Oliver , once again interrupted them with excitement. Looking like he really love going between their ways.

_"Yes" Anthony replied "but I won't be able to accompany her." He said with stern voice. "I've got a lot of meetings to attend to."

No, he didn't had anything important to do, of course he could have made time for it but he didn't just want to. He was avoiding as possibly as he can to be in contact with Sophia, he didn't want to spend time with her. Whenever he sees her, all he thought, wished was that it was Luisa instead of her but that was not the case. Of course, if it was Luisa in her place, he would have assisted to the preparation for the wedding, making it pass before anything else. But it was Sophia. At the end it was not question of time but question of what is important to him and this wedding wasn't.

Thought, Sophia didn't had any bad thought about it. She knew how business was working. Not once in a second had she thought that Anthony was just trying to avoid her. But there was one problem.

"But I don't know where the jewelry store is." She said with worried voice. Of course, she was new to the city.

"I'm going to show you where it is." said Oliver with excitement.

Anthony was surprised about that but he didn't mind it. It was even favorable for him so that he won't have to accompany her but Sophia didn't feel at ease, it was strange for her to to be accompanied by a stranger, an another man to choose the rings but she didn't have a choice, Anthony couldn't make it and she didn't know where the jewelry store was.

Oliver and Sophia then go to the jewelry store. They took Oliver's car. She got on the passenger's side. All the way, the car was filed with an unconformable silence. None of them uttered a single word. The situation itself was strange.

To break the silence, Oliver turn on the radio and played one republic songs... Sophia was indeed delighted about his choice since she was a fan of one republic.

_"So you too love one republic as I see." Oliver noticed.

Sophia just looked at him with questioning eyes like HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT.

Seeing Sophia, hearing her thoughts, he said:

_"Oh, that's because when I first played the song you looked delighted...and then you started mumbling the lyrics...you didn't even notice that you were singing he said" laughing a little bit.

_"Yes, I love them...they are a great group, don't you think?" She replied enthusiastically.

_"Sure they are."

Along the way, the unconformable silence between them vanished completely, thanks to the song. They started chattering and it happened that they got along very well. They've got the same taste and at the same time completely opposite liking too.

Sophia would have never thought that they were going to get along with the man on the driver's side. Her previous thoughts about him like how the man was insupportable, full of himself...changed completely...well, not entirely but some of them changed.

Soon enough, they reach the jewelry store.

Sophia was going to open the door but Oliver stopped her. He got quickly out of the car. Sophia didn't understand yet his behavior until the car's door on her side open and saw Oliver opening the door for her, and extended his hand for her.

_"Wants to look like a gentleman?" Sophia made fun of him while taking his hand.

_"Oh no, I don't want to look like a gentleman...I already am a gentleman." Oliver look at her with confidence and arrogance.

_"Please." Sophia said while rolling her yes. Then they looked at each other and laugh at the same time.

The Jewelry store was so luxurious, all bright and shiny, where rings, necklaces and jewels of all sorts where displayed proudly to lure the customer.

Entering the store, one female seller with a blue skirt and white blouse great them.

_"welcome Miss and Mr." While eyeing Sophia from head to toe probably judging how she looked while to Oliver, she gave him one of those seductive smile.

They both noticed her behavior, Sophia didn't mind at all, she was used to it...and Oliver too in a kind of way which boosted even more his arrogance. They looked at each other, speaking between their look where they were the only ones who could understand each other :Oliver saying like LOOK HOW HANDSOME I AM and Sophia Replying NO KIDDING .

_"Thank you... Regina." Oliver finally replied with charming smile while looking at the name-tag on her. blouse.

The girl sees that as an approval and continue her behavior but she didn't know that Oliver was doing that just to prove no...to show to Sophia how can he get every woman he wanted but Sophia couldn't care less.

Indeed, she didn't pay no mind to his behavior which encourage him more. He wanted her to acknowledge his grandeur but she didn't which infuriated him more.

_"hum...hum.." Sophia fake a cough to interrupt their moment.

_"Are you done flirting?" She wishpered to him.

Catching Regina's attention, she composed herself and finally directed them inside.

Inside, one male seller received them but this time with a lot of professionalism.

_"Hello Miss..." He said looking at Sophia "...and Mr" looking at Oliver.

_"So what can we do for you?" He asked them.

_"We are searching for an engagement rings." Replied Sophia.

_"Oh... congratulations." Said the seller, with bright smile and happiness and mistook for a couple.

_"No, we are not getting married ... " Sophia replied too quickly, embarrassed, wanting to makes things clear. "...the rings are for me and my fiance, but he couldn't make it today so this man here proposed to accompany me."

_"My apologize for that Miss...it was really a bad move from my part."

_"Well, it is ok... don't worry."

_"You two were together and searching for an engagement rings, looking like a couple, that's why I thought that...like every couple that searched together their rings." Said in his defense.

_"Yeah, it's okay... don't worry about that." Sophia reassured him with a nice smile.

Oliver looked at Sophia, realizing how gentle she was with others. Of course, he knew the Russell family, how powerful and rich they was...he even knew about the mysterious girl of that empire but has never saw her since she lived abroad. He would have never thought that she was someone so simple and so nice, treating others with respect even though they didn't come from the same world. She was not like how he imagined her, one of those rich's kids...

_"So, what kind of ring are you searching for?"

_"Well, I am searching for an elegant ring...not too extravagant... simple yet elegant." She replied, wondering if she could find one like the one in her mind.

The seller, showed her a lot of models, but she didn't convinced with any of them. All the models were beautiful, don't misunderstand her...but they all looked a little bit extravagant to her taste.

Oliver, didn't stay with her. Looking into catalogues was not his thing. Plus he didn't come there to help Sophia choose the ring, he accompany her just to show her the store. He didn't stay in place, he just wandered inside the store, not searching for anything in particular but just to make the time pass.

Going to shopping with a woman was never an easy thing to a man we can say. Women see a lot of details that men don't often pay attention to. Women give importance to details that men don't and that is way it took them a lot of time to chose , to find the right item.

While, rooming around, a ring catched his attention. He looked more closely to it and found it beautiful. He remembered what kind of ring Sophia was looking for simple yet elegant. The ring before him was he thought simple and elegant, maybe that Sophia would love it he thought.

Without hesitation, he came to Sophia and the man who were busy to find the ring that matches her expectations. He gave her some poke and he got his attention.

_"Come with me would you?" He said and Sophia just gave him a questioning look.

_" I saw a ring, maybe that you would like it." He explained.

_"oh, okey...we can give it a look." She agreed.

_"should I be afraid?" She joked. "I really doubt that you have a good taste." She laughed at him.

_"I am sure that you will love it." He assured her...with arrogance.

_"We'll see that." Sophia replied not convinced at all.

They reached the spot and Oliver showed her the ring.

Indeed, it was beautiful.