Chapter 15.2: Greeted by the harsh reality

She parked her car next to his as she went to ring the doorbell since he stayed on a two floors unit but the main door was on the ground floor.

"Ivy?" He greeted as he opened the door and Lucky was already pounding on her. Lucky was standing on his own two feet leaning onto Ivy. Ivy picked him up and cuddled him. "Hey… I have some questions to ask before I start tomorrow. Am I disturbing?" Ivy asked gently as he opened the door wider inviting her in.

"Here, come upstairs instead." He led her as she followed with Lucky still in her arms. The view she saw the moment she stepped up to the second floor was spectacular. There was a balcony overseeing the streets and there were three rooms. She walked into the balcony and saw he was enjoying his glass of wine. "Can I have a glass of wine too?" Ivy sat and sighed as she patted Lucky who was sitting on her lap.

Jason could tell something was bothering her from her gentle and tired voice. He thought of giving in to her request but remembered he should try prying a little of information to get to know her more.

"Not till you…" He said but was interrupted by Ivy. "... tell me what happened." She sighed as she turned facing the night sky instead. "Does everything come with a price when it's with you?" She mumbled. Jason decided to pour her a glass as he walked over and offered it to her.

"No, not everything has a price tag but it wouldn't harm you to share your problems to a listening ear?" Jason coaxed as she grabbed the wine glass and wanted to take a sip but Jason halted her as he clinked their wine glass.

"Congrats for winning the debate." He smiled while taking a sip and slowly watched her smile. "This was unexpected…" Ivy mumbled to herself before enjoying her first sip.

"Thank you." She sighed again while her smile quickly disappeared as Jason squatted next to her. "This isn't the reaction of someone who just won… What's up?"

"It's the first time I went home and…" She paused as she looked into Jason's keen eyes, eager to know. "... figured there was no one to share the good news with although Sandra's mother, Sandra and Andrew threw a celebration at my grandma's first noodle stall. It's just… trying to accept the fact." Jason patted her shoulder as Lucky fidgeted on her lap and stood on her as though knowing she was sad. She held Lucky's body trying to put it back on her lap.

Jason watched in awe at how Lucky, his beagle, was once a protector of him from strangers but could sit with Ivy as though she owned him. He mustered up his courage to ask Ivy about her sleep disorders.

"Ivy… I have been wanting to ask... About your nightmares…" Jason paused as Ivy paid attention to him. Ivy knew she should explain to him since he was there when she injured herself in sleep the first time.

"Yes, it was a disorder which I grew up with. I do fear the dark and snakes as I would wake to a portal with serpents hovering around me… Sometimes, it will take me a while to feel my muscles and move them again but that night, it was my first time waking up to an injury. I'm sorry about that. It must have scared you but I'm fine." Ivy explained as she finished her wine in one shot.

Jason shook his head. "It's fine. But have you tried to seek help medically?" "I don't think it was necessary as it was under control when I had my grandma as a companion. Now, I just have to avoid dark places. That's why I usually need a table lamp." She explained as she twirled her empty glass wine.

He kept quiet awhile as she patted her shoulder. Ivy thought she should give him some assurance that she would be fine. "I'm fine. Don't worry. Guess I will be even more fine tonight after having a confession from someone unexpected." She said in a much relaxed voice.

"Confession? Tell me about it?" Hearing the change in her tone, Jason played along. "Hmmm… Do I get another glass of wine?" She teased him with her empty glass.

"That would depend on how worthy your piece of news is…" Jason teased back as she rolled her eyes. "I wish I didn't tell you that…" She said as she put down the empty wine glass on the table and decided to just tell him.

"Lance, one of the friends in school who always was a hot topic among the girls for being a hot couple with Laura, another friend, had turned out to actually be just a rumour. That hot guy was confessing to me earlier and was caught by Laura." Ivy explained. "And? Why didn't you accept? It's a hot guy…" Jason teased.

"Of course I won't. He is just not my type and out of my league!" Ivy exclaimed. She knew Jason was teasing her as she smacked him lightly on his right arm before continuing her explanation while he chuckled.

"I used to cherish our friendship and from now on, I guess things will turn awkward." She sighed as she recalled her purpose of coming over to find him. "Oh yes, speaking of which, could you brief me on my task in your office? What exactly am I to do?"

Jason was catching up with her train of thoughts as he acknowledged how fast she could change topics in conversations. "Don't worry. It's stuff which is manageable for you similar to the ones during the trial sessions… You know, preparing the payment vouchers for claims and knowing which accounts to post them to. That would be for a start. In time to come, I will integrate business management skills into your program…" He stood to fetch the bottle of wine after seeing his glass was empty too.

"Meaning?" Ivy asked. "Meaning, there are chances for you to join me in meeting clients and listen to our discussion to learn business management skills. Speaking of which, you know a lot about business management for a young college girl like you." He praised her as he remembered how she mocked him the first time they met as he poured them both another glass of wine.

"I have to… I intend to help manage my grandma's business when I graduate." She said as she took the glass of wine he offered.

"Are you sure you can handle this much alcohol in one sitting?" Jason checked as she nodded.

"I used to accompany my grandma's drinking session with her old buddies in her stall late at night to stay by her incase she was too drunk but she never once was drunk before. I will sneak a glass of wine every time she gathers and it is quite often, say at least three times a week."

Jason nodded in satisfaction as he changed the topic. "But you're a queen of debate… shouldn't you take on law instead?"

Ivy sighed. "That's the reason I decided to do an internship during my foundation year. Am still deciding."

Ivy realised she spoke a lot about herself but she knew so little about him. "What about you? You have known so much about me but I don't know much about you… Rahi's business management is your only business?" She asked.

"Yes.. established six years ago. I'm expanding the business as more roadshows requests are coming in and they bring in a lot of revenue compared to normal talks or fairs." He explained.

"And the emcee job?" Ivy asked. "That's a hobby. I love being on stage and in fact I started to counter my stage fright with the emcee jobs." He replied as he sipped his wine.

"I thought this would be a family business of yours…" Ivy said. "I decided to not meddle with my family's business. I just wanted to build something of my own and even if they were to perish, I wouldn't have any regrets as it's all mine." He said while being reminded of the times when his parents were against his decision on starting up his own business. He rebelled, causing himself to leave the family house. Occasionally his mother will come by his apartment to check on him and he would be forced to attend family dinners because his grandma missed him but his father had given up hope on him which drove him to prove himself even more.

Ivy was enjoying the company of Lucky who was so gentle and playful while Jason watched them. He decided he should own up to his promise of tutoring her. He stood to fetch his extra house keys in his room and passed them to her.

She raised a questioning eyebrow at his gesture. "What's this?" She asked. "My house's spare keys. You can drop by anytime you want and there is an extra room which you could stay in when our tutor session runs overtime." He explained as she recalled his promise to tutor her on accounts.

"Oh yes! I nearly forgot about that. Well, you don't have to really tutor me since my job scope would cover accounts…" Ivy said. "But I want to tutor you and ensure you can pass your accounts since you don't attend classes and I have the experience. If you have any questions, you can just drop by anytime to ask and we can go through the syllabus together on every Thursday and Friday nights if you want or either nights?" Jason offered as she pondered on it. "It's not a bad idea." She thought at least she had alternative resources.

"If there aren't any weekend jobs then we can resort to twice a week but if we need to fly then it would be on Thursdays only?" She tweaked his offer as he instantly nodded in agreement at the arrangement and smiled. He gave her the house keys as he sat next to her, enjoying the last bits of wine while she played with Lucky. "You could stay tonight for a start. I am worried about your tipsy self driving home so late." Jason teased as he pinched the tip of her nose while Ivy smacked him.

"I don't intend to head home for the night in fact… This is not a bad idea…" Ivy thought to herself as she continued to play with Lucky.