Smug

After Olivia agreed with Noah's suggestion, she felt herself being in a state of disbelief and shock. She thought that she had used up all of her luck on yesterday's interaction but it seemed like the universe had more for her in store. Being as unaware as she was, Olivia said to herself, "This goes to show that good things do happen to good people who work hard. Soon that Laila will be out of her life and she will regret letting such a good catch go." Once she had given herself enough time to let what had happened sink in, she smugly called Jake to let him know of her good news and prove him that she had been right and he had been wrong in thinking that she was just letting herself be played. Because she, after so long, had finally managed to get a chance to go on a date with Noah!

Jake picked up her call after only two rings and he appeared to be equally smug. Thinking that he was right and Olivia had called him with her tail between her legs. In some degree being so convinced of his own right that he thought Olivia would admit that she had been stupid and wrong for trusting Noah and Laila into her home. Though in reality he was right, there was no way for either one of them to prove it. Making him the one who was about to be made to look a fool. But he did not know that yet when he answered the phone with, "Well, back so soon. Ready to tell me that you were wrong now?"

But Olivia replied with a 'ché', before she said, "It is YOU who needs to get ready to tell me that you were wrong." Jake was surprised but felt himself being curious. So, he asked, "Oh, how do you figure that?" Olivia had intentionally replied in such a way without any clarification in order to build up some suspense before she would make her grand reveal. She let out a snort and said, "Because today, just now, I got another call. This time from none other than Noah, who called me of his own accord, and, you won't believe it, asked ME out for a date for tonight. Well I guess it isn't that unbelievable since I am a much better fit for him than that Laila ever was or ever will be. But still. Can you believe it!?"

Jake couldn't utter a single word or sound other than a flabbergasted, "W-what..?" But Olivia didn't notice nor care about his change in tone, or the fact that he might be shocked in a negative way by this sudden news, and just cheerfully continued her story. "Yeah! Shocking right? It seems he and Laila have been fighting about what I told them about you and that is why he didn't want to go home to have dinner with her. So, instead he asked me!" With a bit of a chuckle, one that revealed once more how happy she was with what had happened, she said, "So, in a way I have you to thank for this."

Jake on the other hand had been stunned into silence. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. His emotions were all over the place. He started with feeling shocked and surprised that Noah had actually shown interest in Olivia over Laila. Though he had to admit that Olivia had improved in looks over the years but she had a different air about her than Laila. Laila had a kind of natural beauty that you can't really obtain with make-up or plastic surgery, of which Olivia clearly had had plenty. He had dated enough models to know what the results of plastic surgery looked like. All the more because he knew her before her procedures, making it easier for him to notice the differences.

But more importantly than being shocked, he felt angry. He couldn't believe that Noah would betray a girl like Laila. Laila trusted him. He had been her friend since they were babies. His betrayal would crush her and break her heart into a million pieces. So, in his head and partially underneath his breath he started cursing at Noah. "That bastard. How could he do that. Always pretending to be holier than now and then he goes around and does the same thing that he had judged me for so harshly back in the day. Making Laila unwilling to give me another chance. At least I was just a kid, a teenager with raging hormones. What excuse does he have. That vermin."

But Olivia, who interrupted his bad-talking of Noah, caused for a different emotion to come over him. Something that he hadn't felt for a while. The feeling of hope. "Why are you so mad. This is a good thing. If Noah gets together with me, that means that Laila will be single again and she will be vulnerable since she will just have her heart broken. Once she finds out, you can be her shoulder to cry on. You can show her that she can count on you. That you can be trusted this time and from there you can win her back. Don't you see, this can be your long-awaited second chance. All you need to do is be at the right place at the right time and don't f**k it up this time around."