"I'm not comfortable walking with you while holding my hand. I can walk on my own," Nina said to Philip as she yanked his hand off her wrist.
Philip sighed and replied, "It's not proper to let a beautiful lady like you walk alone. It would be ungentlemanly of me." His voice remained calm and soothing despite her harsh reaction.
"Besides, I'm just trying to protect you," he added, his expression showing concern.
Nina chuckled wryly. "You should be more concerned about yourself because you're the one who might get into trouble if you don't watch out." She continued walking on her own, but Philip persisted in holding onto her.
"Why should I be afraid when I have my guardian angel with me? I'm a man and can defend myself if needed..."
"And you have refused to protect yourself against this trouble that's about to befall you."
Philip gasped, his eyebrows raised as he watched Nina speak. "What troubles?"
"I mean, if you don't leave me alone and go your way, I'll scream and make people think you're harassing me. I'm pretty sure you know what that will result in, right?"
Philip chuckled and asked teasingly. "What would it result in?"
"Then you should see that for yourself because actions speak louder than words."
She was about to scream when Philip sharply placed his hand on her mouth. "Do you really want to set me up, my guardian angel? Why save me then?" he whispered in her ear while looking at those casting odd looks at them with a smile to convince them it was just a play.
"Then let me be and go. Is it wrong to save someone?" Nina grunted with Philip's palm still covering her mouth.
"Okay, I'll go but..." He surrendered but took out a card and forced it into her hand. "Just in case you ever need me for something, I'm available anytime and any day," he added.
"I don't need you and will never need you. Can you go now?" Nina replied rudely, already annoyed by Philip's relentless persistence.
Philip sighed with disappointment. "Do you have to be rude to me?" He glanced at her face, and it seemed like his words added salt to an injury, which made him decide not to press further.
"Well, I'm sorry for getting on your nerves. I was just trying to connect with a like-minded individual."
"That's my building over there, and it's only interior design that remains for it to be completed," Philip said as he walked away from Nina.
However, as Nina heard the mention of the interior design, her eyes widened for a second, and she rushed after him.
"I'm sorry for how I talked to you. I don't really feel comfortable with strangers I don't know," she said with a forced smile.
Excitedly, Philip quickly accepted the apology, saying, "It's fine. I understand you're after your safety."
"Yeah. So you mentioned your building needing interior designing?"
Philip nodded with a creased forehead. "Yes. We're yet to find a good designer who understands the type of design I want."
Nina breathed a sigh of victory, deepening her hand into her handbag and brought out a business card. She forced it into his hand and commented, "My friend and I actually run a small interior design business-that's our work, and I would be glad if we could work on your project." Her voice was pleasant and convincing.
Philip chuckled and was silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on Nina. He was mesmerized by how Nina, who had been rude and aggressive to him, suddenly changed and became nice.
Before he could compose a sentence, Nina had already taken out her phone. She went to her photo gallery and shoved the phone in his face. "These are some of our designs. We deliver outstanding designs," Nina stated, gazing at his face to see his reaction as he checked the photos.
Philip breathed a heavy sigh after scrolling through some pictures. "Well, not bad," he said with one of his eyelids raised.
He scrolled to the next photo and nodded with satisfaction. "Amazing. I must say that you and your friend have unique skills. This is exactly how I want my office to be."
Nina swallowed hard and sighed lightly. "So does that mean we're getting the deal?" She asked eagerly.
"Yeah. I look forward to working with you guys," he replied and feigned a smile.
"Thank you so much. I promise you won't regret this," Nina said happily and quickly embraced Philip in a tight hug.
"Thank you, guardian angel. So when do you think is perfect for you to start work?"
"Tomorrow is fine; we can start tomorrow," she responded with enthusiasm.
"Tomorrow?" Philip repeated, gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes as he thought. "Well, it's fine. I actually have a business meeting tomorrow with one of my business associates. The company is close to mine, so would it be convenient for you and your friend to come to the company? Then I'll take you to mine after the meeting since it's close by."
"Sure. What's the name of the company?" Nina agreed without thinking twice. She really needed that contract, at least to ease Kiara of the stress of running social media ads in search of contracts. They had just started this work, so they had few clients.
"Shade Pack Enterprises. I think ten o'clock in the morning is perfect to come. By then, we'd be done with the meeting."
"Shade Pack Enterprises?," Nina asked with her mouth open. She was familiar with the company. In fact, it's one of her no-go areas in this city.
"Yes. Have you done a project for them? Is there a problem?" Philip asked as he noticed the uneasiness on her face.
"No, not at all," she forced out a smile.
Philip sighed, "Maybe you'll need to discuss it with your friend since it's not something you're doing alone." He wasn't comfortable with her initial reaction, so he concluded she made the decision under duress.
Nina's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you so much. It really requires her opinion as well. I'll call you tonight to inform you of our conclusion."