X
Chapter 229
Chapter 229
Ron’s words instantly made me think of Hayden, and what Steve had mentioned yesterday about a friend with the last name ‘Hart‘ who had invested a ton of money in OceanixCorp.
I turned to Ron. “When you say ‘manly,” what exactly do you mean? Or do you have a friend like that?”
Ron cleared his throat. “It’s hard to explain… I mean, someone with a strong presence, stands tall, like…” He trailed off, pointing at the cafeteria’s TV screen.
The news was showing a flag–raising ceremony, soldiers standing tall and straight, radiating discipline and strength. It reminded me of Hayden again, and I had a feeling Ron was hinting at something.
The last name Hart?
Manly?
A soldier?
It couldn’t be, could it?
I watched Ron’s face, but he was focused on the screen, deep in thought. I decided to throw him off a fittle. “Is your friend’s name Hayden?”
“Huh?” Ron blinked, looking at me in surprise. “What did you just say?”
I couldn’t tell if he actually didn’t hear me or if he was just playing dumb.
“You have a friend named Hayden?” I repeated, trying to keep it light.
“Hayden?” Ron echoed, shaking his head a little too quickly. “Uh, no. Who’s that?”
He gave me a smile, but there was definitely some unease in his eyes.
I smirked, raising an eyebrow. “You know, the ‘manly‘ guy you were talking about.”
“Heh,” he laughed awkwardly. “Really? You know someone like that? So, what’s your deal with this ‘manly‘ friend? Are you two close or something?”
The curiosity was all over his face. “Wow, you’re really into this, huh?” I teased. “I’ll have to introduce you two sometime.”
“Sure, but… would that be cool?” Ron asked, pretending to be all hesitant.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” I teased.
He gave me a sheepish grin. “I’m just worried about, you know, misunderstandings. Like how your buddy got all territorial yesterday and pretended to be your boyfriend.”
“You’ve got a friend with the last name ‘Hart.‘ What’s his first name?” I asked, steering the conversation and totally throwing him off.
“Uh, I mean… yeah, I do have an old buddy…” Ron stammered, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
“Oh, like ‘old‘ old?” I pressed.
His expression tightened. “Not old–old, but not young, either. He’s in his mid–thirties and still single.”
Chapter 229
+25 BONUS
I nodded, playing along. “Think I could meet him sometime?”
“Huh?” Ron’s eyes widened, a mix of surprise and mild panic on his face.
I just smiled. “You said he doesn’t have a girlfriend, and I don’t have a boyfriend…”
Ron’s mouth twitched, and he let out a couple of awkward chuckles “Wow, I didn’t expect you to be so upfront about it. Setting yourself up like that–impressive. He even gave me a thumbs up.
I grinned. “Good guys are hard
try, right? As they say, you gotta
Come by these days, so when there’s a decent one, you’ve gotta at least fight for your happiness.”
Ron had no response to that and just nodded along. “Yeah, yeah. You’re really something else.”
“So, does that mean you’ll help me get in touch with your friend?” I pressed on.
“Uh, sure, sure,” Ron agreed, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “But I’ll need to check with him first. He’s kinda got this girl he’s been secretly into, and I think they’re finally getting somewhere.”
“Got it,” I said, acting all disappointed.
“Yeah, so… it’s probably not gonna happen,” Ron added, clearly trying to let me down easy.
But that just made me more curious. “As long as he’s not married, I’ve gotta give it a shot, right? Who knows, maybe when he meets me, he’ll realize I’m the one.”
Ron was totally speechless.
“Come on, Mr. Shane, do me a favor,” I teased with a grin. “They say helping people find love brings good karma or something. I’ll be waiting for your update.”
