I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 264

Madelyn was about to head back to London for work, so she sent Natalie a shopping list, asking her to pick up a few things. Natalie roped Arianna in for help, and the two of them spent the whole day wandering through malls and markets.

That night, Natalie took Arianna out for dinner at a fancy club to say thanks.

“So, when are you leaving?” Arianna asked, popping a bite of food into her mouth.

“Early next month. I’ve got a little more than a week left,” Natalie said.

Arianna let out a sigh. “I can’t believe how fast time flies. You’ve been back in Cabinda for a whole year already.”

It was true. So much had happened in that year that it sometimes felt like life was just one wild ride.

Natalie took a sip of her juice. Arianna kept going. “How long will you be in London?”

“I was supposed to stay about a week, but headquarters has some extra things for me to handle, so it might be closer to two weeks.”

Natalie did a quick mental check. By the time she got back, it would probably already feel like fall in Cabinda.

“By the time you return, Alexander Ramirez and Camila White will probably be engaged,” Arianna said, almost offhand. Then she realized what she’d said and immediately regretted it. Why bring them up during a nice dinner?

She glanced at Natalie, apologetic. “Sorry, Natalie. I didn’t mean to say that. Sometimes I just blurt things out.”

Natalie just shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. Even if you didn’t mention it, I’d find out eventually. It’s all in the past.”

Mr. Ramirez’s engagement would be everywhere. Unless she somehow managed to avoid all news and gossip, there was no way she’d miss it. Still, she’d be in London, and with her workload and the time difference, she probably wouldn’t have time to pay much attention anyway.

Alexander seemed to sense someone watching and glanced over at their table.

Natalie had already looked away, but Arianna leaned in, whispering, “He’s looking at you.”

With her back to him, Natalie couldn’t see anything, but she could feel his eyes on her.

“There are a lot of people here. He could be looking at anyone. Let’s just eat,” Natalie said, acting like she didn’t care. She picked up some food and put it on Arianna’s plate. Alexander’s gaze only lingered for a second before he disappeared into the elevator.

Arianna was starting to feel like the night was cursed, running into people they’d rather avoid. She was just about to suggest catching a movie instead, when someone walked over to their table.

“Hope you two don’t mind if I grab five minutes,” Bruce Ward said, stopping beside them.