Chapter 8. Ralph Meets Frank

He silently drove her home with a grim face. Just before stopping the car in front of her house, he suddenly broke the silence.

"Do you have a date tonight with your boyfriend?" He asked her. Raven thought for a second. A family dinner wasn't actually a date.

Seeing her thoughtful expression, Ralph grunted with disgust and parked his car.

"N no," said Raven but he was already out of the car. Raven climbed down too, puzzled by his behavior. Where was he going? To her dismay, he just locked his car and walked towards the front door.

"Are you going to stand there and stare or get inside your home?" Asked Ralph without looking at her. Raven came to her senses and came up to stand beside him. He rang the doorbell and her mom opened the door. She went pale seeing Ralph with her daughter.

"Hello, Mr. Van Halen. Raven, go inside and greet Frank. He's been waiting for you for the last two hours," said her mom, looking displeased with her. Before Raven could go inside, Ralph walked inside. Her mom glared at her for arriving late and that too with her boss.

Ralph glared at a blonde young man. He seemed four or five years younger than him with a slightly pampered appearance, not lean and muscular as him. He wasn't as tall as he was and his blue eyes flashed indignantly at him, showing his displeasure at Ralph's presence. Raven and her mom followed him into the room.

"Hello Raven, I was expecting you to be here," said Frank, sipping his wine and eyeing her with displeasure.

"I was busy in a conference at my office, Frank," she told him. "This is my employer, Ralph Van Halen," said Raven to her boyfriend. Then turning towards Ralph, she introduced Frank. "Sir, that's Frank Bradley, he's in his final year studying medicine at the University of Manchester. " Frank gave her an odd look but didn't bother shaking hands with Ralph.

"Hello, soon-to-be Dr. Bradley, " said Ralph, amused at Frank's childish attitude.

There was a tense atmosphere in the room as Raven's parents looked at one another wanting Ralph to leave but to their horror, Ralph sat beside Frank.

"I'm also her boyfriend, " said Frank proudly with a smirk looking at Ralph in the eye. A muscle twitched as he clenched his jaws at the statement. How he would want to punch him hard to remove that smirk from his face. An idea started forming in his head.

"So, I heard. Come, Raven, sit down, " said Ralph.

"Can I get you some wine or something, sir?" Asked Raven, ignoring Frank's glare. In fact, her mom should have offered Mr. Van Halen something to drink instead of sitting angrily with her dad.

"Just water will do. I have to drive back, " he told her and she nodded and got him a glass of water. He sipped it slowly as Raven sat on the couch beside him. He noticed a strange indifference between Raven and Frank. They didn't look like they were very much in love. In fact, they didn't even look like they were in a relationship.

"So what do you do Mr. Ralph? Maybe a start-up venture?" Asked Frank with a twisted smirk. He was very proud of his intelligence and his chosen field and looked down upon everyone else.

"Sir owns JC Group Inc, one of the leading Fashion Houses in the whole world," informed Raven and Ralph watched her expression minutely. She looked too proud of his company, more than he himself was. Her parents excused themselves and left the room expecting a fight.

"Ah, fashion? I'm not interested much in fashion, " he told them with a shrug.

"Then why are you wearing a branded shirt? You should wear sacks and rugs," said Raven, getting up to take the empty glass from Ralph's hands. Ralph controlled the happy grin that was trying to break free at her words. Frank finished his wine.

"Raven get me a refill, " he ordered. Raven sat down beside Ralph without paying him any attention.

"I'm not your maid. Get it yourself. Next time if you want something done, learn to say a please," she told him.

Frank grunted at her words. "Learn to act more like a girlfriend, Raven. I plan to propose in six months. Till then you should practice how to be a good wife, " said Frank, getting up from his couch. Raven's blood boiled at his words.

"First you need to learn to talk respectfully to your girlfriend. Only when you learn that come to propose to me," she told him with defiance. Ralph watched the two with amusement, loving every moment of it. Frank scoffed at her first.

"Change your attitude, lady," he said, before opening the door and leaving her house angrily. Raven sighed. Now she would have to get ready to be lectured and judged by her parents. After tonight, Frank would surely complain to his dearest mamma and she would talk to her mom, asking her to put some sense in Raven's head. It was always like this.

"Come to the office early tomorrow, Raven, " said Ralph as he quietly stood beside her, watching her as she stood immersed in her thoughts.  Raven stared blankly at her boss. When did he come so close? How long had he been watching her?

"Yes sir, I will," she said, taking a backward step to put some distance between themselves.

"Won't you see me outside?" He asked her, his eyes not leaving her face. After seeing her interaction with her boyfriend, Ralph felt a strange excitement in his body. All hope's not lost after all. How long would she tolerate that junk? A few hot, wild kisses and he would compel her to get rid of that horrid boyfriend of hers. Raven nodded and walked with him to his car.

"How do you tolerate that junk of a boyfriend?" He asked her curiously.

"He was never like this before. I have no idea why he behaved in such a way with me tonight," said Raven with a sigh.

"Maybe he was jealous," said Ralph.

"He has no reason to be," mumbled Raven. Ralph looked at her with disbelief.  Of course Frank had a reason to be jealous. If only he knew about their kiss!

"Of course he has, do you need to refresh your memory?" Said Ralph, standing beside his car, his eyes glittering in the darkness. Raven's eyes widened with disbelief.

"You wouldn't tell him," she whispered.

"Why not? I'm no saint," said Ralph, staring at her with a determined look on his face.

"I don't believe that you could stoop so low," she said with dismay.

"Then kiss me again, I might consider it, " he said, pinning her with a penetrating look. Raven gaped at him with disbelief. Ralph stared at her open mouth, his eyes dark with desire.

"I-I can't, sir. This isn't right. I'll see you at the office tomorrow, good night," she mumbled with panic as she turned and rushed inside the house, closing the door and leaning onto it. What had she gotten herself into? She just hoped that he would forget his crazy request by tomorrow morning.

Ralph drove home with a grim but determined expression. He needed to plan this well. He would compel her to get rid of that boyfriend of hers and make her kiss him once more. He parked his car and strode up to his room. "Roo, you're late again? Don't you ever wish to spend time with your old granny? I won't be always alive, you know," his granny spoke from the kitchen. Ralph rolled his eyes and went towards the kitchen.

"Nothing's gonna happen to you granny. This weekend, I'm all yours, happy?" Asked Ralph.

Granny clapped her hands. Just what she had wanted to hear. "That would be great. A few girls would be coming over for lunch. You would have to choose one of them," said granny in one breath. Ralph looked like he was thunderstruck.

"What girls?" He asked with dread. God! Not again? His granny had once paraded single and available women in front of him for him to choose and get settled. They were all daughters of her friends or acquaintances and Ralph really dreaded it.

"Roo, do you realize that you're twenty-eight already? If you don't settle down now how will I get to see all my grandchildren before I die?" Said granny and Ralph groaned. "You won't choose anyone. So allow me to do the honors? Be there on Saturday, " said granny sternly not taking no for an answer. She stomped all the way to her bedroom. Ralph dragged himself up to his room thinking of the fresh problem that had cropped up. As if the office problems were not enough now this fresh one was created by granny.

He changed and lay on his bed recalling with horror the last time his granny had called five women for him to choose. No, he couldn't go through that again. He closed his eyes and the innocent face of Raven came into his mind. Why couldn't he marry her and kiss her all the time?