A Billion Dollar Exchange

''Dinner by Eight, Ecstasy Restaurant''

Xin Yong said and walked away. It took Jin Yue a few seconds to realize that she just fixed a dinner date with him.

She was going to have dinner with him!

He couldn't explain the profound joy that filled his heart at that moment. Does it mean that she read the letter and forgave him afterwards?

Was she going to be with him now?

Jin Yue asked himself a million questions; and no matter how much he thought about it, he felt that she had forgiven him. She no longer got angry when she saw him and she was okay with having dinner with him, which could only mean that she had forgiven him.

Jin Yue felt like walking up-to her and hugging her tightly but he stopped himself; he would wait till she told him by herself that she had forgiven him. After the party, Jin Yue offered to take her home and she didn't object. Throughout the journey, a happy smile plastered unfalteringly on his face and although he tried his best to cover it up, it was still evident.

Xin Yong noticed but pretended not to; she remained transfixed on the trees and houses till they arrived at her home. She thanked him and turned to alight from the car but before she could open the car door, Jin Yue had walked around and opened the car door for her.

Xin Yong was stunned by the gesture and waited a few seconds before alighting from the car. As she stood up, the distance between them closed up a bit. Xin Yong did not realize how close they were until she raised her eyes to look at him.

Their eyes met and at that moment, she found herself staring into the most perfect ocean blue eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't remember the last time they were this close, the last time she had admired his handsome face this close.

 God! How would a man be this handsome!

 She really wanted to look away but she could not bring herself to move, her legs stood rooted on the spot.

Her heart was beating rapidly against her chest and to make the matter worse, Jin Yue's eyes weren't faltering, he was staring at her with the same intensity.

After a long while of staring, Xin Yong summoned a great deal of strength and pulled her eyes off him, after some seconds she cleared her throat.

''Thank you for the ride… and don't forget, dinner tomorrow by eight. ''

She forced a smile before walking towards the house.

''Yeah… thank you. ''

Jin Yue replied as he watched her retreating form.

 He felt it, and he knew she felt it too. The connection between them, it was so strong; and no matter how much she pretended not to know, not to feel it, it wouldn't just go away..

As soon as Xin Yong was safely inside her house, she slumped beside the door and clutched her heart.

She knew how hard it was for her to look away, to walk away. She knew how much she didn't want her heart to beat when she looked at him but she couldn't stop herself. She couldn't help herself.

Maybe after tomorrow, it would become more bearable. She had said she would not love him anymore but just one stare was almost reducing her to a pulp.

Xin Yong used her both hands to cup her face as she thought of her decision, again and again.

There was no way she was going to run back into his arms; even though she loved him she had said that she wasn't going to be easy anymore. If she got hurt again, she would have herself to blame.

After thinking for a while, she rose from the ground and dragged herself to her room.

…

The next day, things started out well for Jin Yue. When he arrived at the office, his secretary presented the audit files; and as he had earlier said, it was an unrecorded cash outflow. After a meeting which he was barely attentive in, Jin Yue left the office by half past four in the evening.

Throughout the day he had been thinking of her and their dinner that night.  He wished that time could move faster so it would be eight pm already.

After taking a shower and putting on a nicely tailored suit, he checked himself out in the mirror before leaving the house. When he arrived at the restaurant, it was still a few minutes to seven, so he remained in his car till it was almost eight before walking into the restaurant.

He sat on a table by the window, where it was easy for her to see him when she walked in. At around ten minutes past eight, Xin Yong walked into the restaurant. She was putting on milk colored short dress and heels.

When Jin Yue saw her, he stood up involuntarily from his seat with a smile plastered on his face. She walked towards him, and as she approached she noticed the suit he was putting on.

She remembered telling him that she loved how he looked in that suit; she didn't know why but she felt that he had worn it because of her.

''Sorry for coming late ''

She said, sitting down beside him. Jin Yue sat down afterwards.

''Oh no, you don't have to apologize, you aren't late. ''

Late? He should be the one apologizing for being there too early.

''Thank you '' Xin Yong said, pushing some strands of hair behind her ear as she adjusted on the seat. Jin Yue waived the waiter over and took the menu from him, giving it to Xin Yong.

She ticked a few things before handing the menu back to him.

''I will have the same. ''

Jin Yue gave the menu back without even looking at what she had selected.

When the waiter left, the table became silent. Xin Yong, who noticed Jin Yue's unfaltering gaze on her, took out her phone and busied herself with it.

Throughout that day, she was really having a hard time coming to a decision on whether to go along with her original plan or not. After hours of contemplating and reaching a decision, right at that moment, sitting in front of him and with him staring at her like that, her mind was thrown into a state of chaos.

She really wanted to forgive him and let it all go, but the hurt was too much, it wasn't that easy to let go.

Maybe it was for the best, maybe they weren't meant to be in the first place.

If they were meant to be together, she really wouldn't need to put in much effort, they would eventually come back. But if she went back to him and something worse happened, she would not be able to forgive herself.  

Never.