LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 44 Rick and Gloria [2]
Chapter 44 Rick and Gloria [2]
Chapter - 44
After she thought she had the initiative, Gloria couldn't contain it any longer, and she decided to address the the lie that had lingered in the air.
"Rick," Gloria began, her voice tinged with suspicion, "Why on earth did you lie about being hospitalized? If you don't want to work for me, that's fine, but what I can't stand are liars. Just come clean."
Hearing her question, Rick shifted in his seat, feeling a little trapped, "You see, Gloria," he began, "I wasn't exactly lying. I really was hospitalized recently. It's just that the reason might sound a bit... unusual."
Gloria raised an eyebrow, frowning. She thought Rick was preparing to tell her another lie, "Unusual how?"
Rick leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice, "I got struck by lightning," he confessed with a sheepish grin.
Gloria's eyes widened in genuine shock, and for a moment, she seemed to be at a loss for words, "You got struck by lightning? Seriously? Lightening?"
Rick nodded, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Yeah, I am not lying?"
"And you are still alive?" Gloria couldn't help but look at Rick as if she had already decided that Rick was lying to her, making ridiculous excuses.
"Well, I have to admit, that might seem like quite an unique excuse. But seriously, I was really struck by lightening. Not directly, but even my clothes were burnt and I had to spend a night at the hospital."
"Ay dios mío! You serious? You are not lying?" Gloria had her eyes widened.
"Nope, not in the slightest," Rick spoke, shaking his head.
"But the good thing is that I am fine now, good as new." With a wave of his hand, Rick dismissed any concern she might have started to develop.
"Then why did you not tell me?" Gloria narrowed her eyes, "You had time to go buy some jewelry with some girl. But could not message me?"
[
1. Tell her, you can buy something for her (Temptation +5)
2. Teller her, it's not her place to be nosy in his affairs (Temptation -20)
]
Looking at the prompt, Rick had an itch to go for the negative temptation, but the drop was just too big.
"Are you feeling jealous? No issues... I can take you to shopping. Think of it as a gift from me," Rick said, grinning.
"What are you saying? Shsshh..." Gloria shook her head, unable to stifle her laughter. "You always manage to keep things interesting..."
"I don't want you buying anything for me. But do you care to explain what you were doing with a girl in a jewelry store, fighting over her with another man?" Gloria slowly began to let go of the embarrassing incident from earlier, and getting a bit more casual.
Rick scratched his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face as he recalled the unwanted conflict, "Well, you see, that was a classic case of a misunderstanding." Rick told Gloria.
Gloria didn't seem entirely convinced, but she let him continue.
"That girl is actually my friend. As for the other guy," Rick continued, "He was cheating on her, so she wanted to break up. And just like some loser, he made the scene."
Gloria's skeptical expression didn't waver. "And what about that pendant? Where did you get the money to spend $35,000 on it?"
Rick chuckled nervously, realizing he couldn't spin this one into a lighthearted tale. "That pendant. I thought I was making a savvy investment. And I even made an impression."
Gloria's eyes narrowed as she processed Rick's explanation. "So, you spent a small fortune on a pendant, all to impress a girl in a jewelry store?"
Rick winced, realizing how ridiculous it sounded when he put it that way. "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound pretty dumb."
Gloria leaned forward, her expression suddenly serious as she adopted a motherly tone, her accent adding a touch of warmth and wisdom to her words.
"Rick, let me tell you something, mijo," she began, her eyes locking onto his with a knowing look. "Falling too deep for girls, especially when they're already tangled up with another man, it can bring you nothing but trouble."
Rick couldn't help but be amused by Gloria's lecture. Here was this gorgeous, alluring woman, lecturing him on matters of the heart like a concerned mother.
He nodded, playing along. "I hear you, Gloria. It can be tricky."
Gloria chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Si, something like that. But you see, it's not just about the danger, mijo. It's about respecting boundaries and not getting tangled up in messy situations."
Rick leaned back in his chair, pretending to be deep in thought. "So, you're saying I should just keep my distance and let people sort out their own love lives?"
Gloria nodded, her expression firm but caring, "Exactamente, Rick. Don't be the guy who stirs the pot and causes unnecessary drama. It's not worth it."
Rick couldn't help but smile at Gloria's unexpected wisdom. "You know, Gloria, you're like the latino mom I never had."
Gloria laughed heartily at that, her voice filling the room with warmth. "Well, mijo, someone's got to look out for you and keep you out of trouble. I can be your mother."
[
1. Accept her as your mother (Temptation +5)
2. Why settle for just being her son, when you can me much more (Temptation +10)
]
Rick couldn't resist smirking at Gloria's motherly advice, but then, his mischievous grin took on a suggestive twist as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a playful purr.
"Hey, Gloria," he said, his tone dripping with innuendo, "Why be a mother when you could be my girlfriend? You're not that old, you know."
Gloria's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as Rick's words hung in the air, the sexual tension between them suddenly palpable. She tried to maintain her composure but found herself momentarily flustered.
With an exaggerated, playful wink, Rick leaned back in his chair, waiting for Gloria's response.
Gloria, regaining her composure, gave Rick a coy smile, her accent adding an extra layer of allure to her voice. "Mijo, you are quite the charmer, I must say. But it won't work on me, remember?"
Rick feigned disappointment, his voice filled with mock sadness. "Aw, come on, Gloria. You mean you're not tempted by my irresistible charms?"
Gloria's laughter filled the room, a sultry, melodic sound that sent shivers down Rick's spine. "You are trouble, Rick, but I won't deny that you have a way with words."
Rick leaned in closer again, the air between them thick with anticipation. "So, what you're saying is, there's a chance?"
Gloria shook her head with a playful smile, as she pushed him back, "Mijo, I'm your boss, remember? You can't joke with me like that."
Rick leaned back with a theatrical sigh, but his eyes never left Gloria's. "You're right, Gloria. But hey, a guy can dream, can't he?"
Gloria's laughter was like a seductive melody, and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Of course, mijo, dreams are what keep us going."
[
Quest: Make Gloria's heart race (And what does Mijo mean?)
Time Duration: 20 minutes
Rewards: Temptation: +15; Ero points: 5600
]
"Hey Gloria... What does Mijo mean? You keep saying that," Rick was also curious when the system mentioned it, "You aren't cursing me with a smile on your face, are you?"
"Absolutely not. It means belo..." Gloria felt bewildered but when she wanted to explain, she stopped mid sentence, 'What if he took it the other way?'
"It doesn't mean anything much, just a common word we use..." Gloria said avoiding Rick's gaze, "We were talking about you. So..."
But, Rick undeterred by Gloria's attempt to redirect the conversation, reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his touch sending a subtle electric jolt through both of them.
"So?" Rick asked with a charming smile on his face, stepping up the ante.
Gloria's breath hitched for a moment as her gaze met Rick's, her heart skipping a beat. She barely managed to squeeze out her words, "Rick, you really need to stop with the flirting. It's distracting."
Ding!
The quest was done.
Rick leaned even closer, his lips dangerously close to her ear as he whispered, "Distracting, huh? That's one way to describe it."
Gloria's eyes widened, and her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. "Rick, don't push your luck."
[
Quest: Be a little poetic with your words
Time Duration: 10 minutes
Rewards: Temptation: +15; Cash: $5,000 ]
'Poetic? That might be tricky,' Rick thought. But good thing he read a lot. He could surely come up with something.
Rick was on a roll, and he wasn't about to back down, "What if I told you I can't help myself? It's like you have this magnetic pull."
Gloria chuckled softly, her fingers lightly tracing a pattern on the table as she played along. With the increase in temptation, the target tends to let their guard down without even them knowing. The system gave Rick that edge.
"Magnetic pull, huh? Well, I suppose it's hard to resist my charm."
Rick flashed a dazzling grin, his hand now lingering on Gloria's shoulder, "You got that right. It's like you're a beautiful oasis in the middle of a desert, and I'm just a thirsty traveler."
Gloria's laughter rang out again, and she shook her head in amusement. "You really have a way with words, Rick."
Rick leaned in even closer, his lips dangerously close to Gloria's ear as he whispered, "Words are just the beginning, Gloria."
Ding!
Gloria's breath caught in her throat as she felt the warmth of Rick's breath against her skin. Her chests rose and fell in perfect harmony, the tempo of her breaths rising in tandem with the heat between them. Her mind began to feel hazy.
"Rick," with her eyes cloudy, Gloria somehow managed to speak. Her voice earnest as she implored Rick, her accent adding a touch of sincerity to her words. "Rick, I need you to understand. Don't set your hopes too high, alright? I am a complicated woman."
"And I seek complicated," Rick nodded, a hint of mischief in his eyes, "We're just having a little fun, right?"
[
Quest: Kiss Gloria
Time Duration: 15 minutes
Rewards: Temptation: +5; Cash: $5,000 ]
kiss her, his lips tantalizingly close to hers, when a faint buzz on the table disrupted the moment.
Just as the conversation seemed to be taking a more cautious turn, Rick reaching out and gently tilting Gloria's chin upward with his index finger, causing her to look directly into his eyes. It was a move that left many women weak at the knees, and Gloria was no exception.
As Rick and Gloria found themselves dangerously close, their breaths mingling, the sexual tension in the room became palpable. Rick was on the verge of leaning in to kiss her, his lips tantalizingly close to hers, when a faint buzz on the table disrupted the moment.
Gloria's eyes widened in surprise, and her breath caught in her throat as her heart raced. She was dangerously close to succumbing to the magnetic pull between them. Rick had a way of making her forget all her reservations.
Gloria, completely ensnared by the electrifying moment, didn't give a damn about the buzzing phone. Her eyelids drooped seductively, her mind entirely engulfed by the magnetic chemistry pulsating between her and Rick.
But just at that moment, as Rick was about to make his move, he saw Gloria's phone buzz on the table. Her phone's screen displayed the word "Daughter" with a heart sign beside it.
Rick's eyes darted to the phone, his heart sinking as he saw the name flashing on her screen. Gloria was too lost in the moment to even notice the buzzing device. Her eyes remained closed, and her lips were tantalizingly close to his.
But Rick couldn't ignore it. One thing he deeply cared about was a relation of a mother with her children. Maybe because he felt something personal about it. With a sigh of frustration, he leaned back slightly, breaking the spell between them.
Gloria finally opened her eyes, her gaze still filled with desire, but there was a flicker of confusion as she saw Rick's expression. "What's wrong, Rick?"
Rick hesitated for a moment before glancing at Gloria's phone on the table. "Your phone, Gloria. It's buzzing."
Gloria's eyes widened as she quickly turned to look at her phone. When she noticed the call from her daughter, Gloria quickly picked up the phone and answered it, her voice filled with concern.
She picked up her phone, her tone softening as she spoke to her daughter, "Hola, mi amor. ?Qué pasa?" she said lovingly, shifting her attention away from Rick.
Rick, on the other hand, watched as Gloria talked with her daughter.
* * * * *