Crashing into an Old Flame
Chapter 109: Sexual orientation

Chapter 109: Sexual orientation

Mary was astonished. Didn’t they say that Diana was a business graduate? She was even mocked for that. How... then... Even if her diagnosis was wrong, she seemed knowledgeable enough about how she deduced the condition and symptoms. As she was deep in thought, Maxim looked at her and mumbled ’’Indeed’’ before he calmly turned around and left.

Mary blinked in confusion. Hmm... Indeed what? What was Dr. Warner agreeing with her on?

The head nurse sat there in a daze after the pair of ’friends’ left her befuddled but once she started working, she forgot about it all.

In the evening, Diana did not lurk in the hospital anymore.

She hailed a cab at the first chance she got and got inside it without waiting for anything unexpected, especially distinct ’honks’ to happen, ’’Arkell Hills,’’ she told the driver who took a second look at his rich customer when he heard the address.

Diana did not think much about it as she took out her phone and started typing.

She typed a few words and backspaced them again and again until she finally made it to the end of the question.

’Is it normal to be physically attracted to your friend?’

There were some similar searches to her question. And she found the relevant threads that had the same question on top.

’PHYSICAL ATTRACTION towards a FRIEND. Normal or not? How to deal with it?’

Diana nodded her head like she was possessed the moment she saw the question and the follow-up question accompanying it. It was as if she was looking for strawberries but god gave her strawberry pie.

She inched to the side and pressed her phone on the glass panes, her eyes widening in anticipation as she started reading the answer with the most likes.

’You are physically attracted to someone? Just sleep with them once. If it doesn’t go away, keep doing it till you are not interested in their body. If your feelings still don’t fade, then it’s a sign for you to understand that might not just be physical. As simple as that. Period.’

"_"

Diana’s expressions turned weird by the time she finished reading it. Her cheeks were slightly tinted as she scoffed, ’’These people... they...’’ the driver glanced at her strangely when she talked to herself and she clamped her mouth shut.

These people were too forward. And was it even logical? Then, won’t every fangirl of Jack Dawson sleep with Leonardo DiCaprio to discover the depth of their feelings for him?

How exaggerating. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to read the next response.

’You don’t suddenly get hot for your friend. You just don’t wake up one night and decide that you are lusting over him. Nah. Nope. It never happens in platonic friendships in that manner unless you always had a thing for him or some inciting events that propelled your thoughts in that direction. It’s absolutely normal but there are again two aspects of it. First, you might be catching feelings for him and naming it as physical attraction just because you don’t want to ruin what’s there between you right now...’

Feelings? What are feelings? Can you eat them?

Diana rolled her eyes heavenward at the statement as she continued reading.

’Second, this might just be a phase that will eventually pass. It is like how certain angles make us look effortlessly stunning in the pictures. Certain circumstances show us a different side of the person we have always known, and we, knowingly or unknowingly tap into the forbidden part of that relationship.’

Diana nodded at this statement. It was a normal thing after all... She sighed and continued reading.

’You need to decide which category you fall into. If it’s the first, you can communicate and see how your friend feels about you and your feelings. If it’s the latter, then keep your distance from him and take a breather to clear your head. Regardless of what he thinks about the whole situation, don’t just lead him on if you are uncertain about what you feel. Don’t be a red flag...’’

Diana did not continue reading as the car suddenly came to a halt, ’’What happened?" she glanced at the driver.

’’Ah, Miss, apologies, someone blocked the way...’’

His words were yet to finish when the door of the cab opened and a huge palm was stretched towards her.

Diana’s mouth opened and closed like an exquisite koi fish as she looked at Maxim who was standing in the middle of the road, extending his hand towards her like a royal prince as if he had just not done something so bizarre like blocking the cab.

It was her turn to apologize to the driver. She paid him double and got off the cab, without taking the man’s hand.

Maxim did not seem affected.

She had just taken a step forward when she felt the warmth of his palm settling on the small of her back.

’’What is this behavior?" Diana asked as soon as they got inside his car.

She did not look at his face as she spoke. The last thing she wanted was to be muddled by everything that happened earlier this day inside his office.

’’What behavior?" Maxim asked.

Sensing how calm he sounded, she tilted her head and glanced at him hesitantly only to realize that he was back to his usual self. He seemed composed and cool as if he had not left her bothered in that silly office of his. She almost doubted if that incident, that conversation that played between them earlier was just a figment of her imagination.

’’Yesterday, you said you had some work left. What is it today? You were still in the hospital,’’ she checked her watch, ’’It’s way past your working hours, Warner,’’ her emphasis on his surname reminded her how he demanded she call him by his first name.

No chance in hell!

’’I was watering succulents today and lost track of time,’’ Maxim said with a straight face as he handled the steering wheel with one hand.

Diana’s eyes were almost blinded. Don’t look. Don’t look. In the end, she peeked at his hand and fingers a few more times, ’’S-Suc-culents.’’

’’Mm,’’ he tilted his head to look at her when she stammered.

She swallowed and forced herself to look away, ’’Why did you follow my cab? You even blocked the way. It’s almost a stalker move,’’ she narrowed her eyes, ’’Creepy.’’

’’What’s creepier is that you would trust random strangers in this unknown city,’’ Maxim shot back without batting an eyelid.

Diana blinked, ’’Many people do that. That’s how cab services work, don’t they?"

’’You are not a part of ’many people’ to me,’’ Maxim switched the hand on the steering wheel from right to left as he placed his right elbow near the windshields and raked his fingers through his hair, ’’What if one of them is your father’s business rival or someone with ulterior motives?" his gaze met hers.

She choked on the words of argument she was ready to spout, ’’Don’t make me paranoid.’’

’’Cautious,’’ he replied.

So, he was saying that he was trying to make her cautious, not paranoid? Diana thought about it. Although the chances were less than 1 percent of something that tragic happening to her but god forbid... who knows if she was a magnet for tragedies?

’’That doesn’t change the fact that you were stalking me.’’

’’I didn’t,’’ he said and turned to look at her as the car took a right turn. When she frowned at his words, he added, ’’You want me to stalk you?"

Diana’s gaze dropped to his lips. The temperature in the car went up a hitch even as Maxim looked back at the road.

She coughed, ’’Then how did you find my cab?"

’’I was passing by.’’

"_"

Passing by a road full of vehicles and accidentally spotting her cab? Sure.

When Maxim and Diana reached the mansion, they were greeted by the sight of an unexpected guest sitting in there.

An awkward expression appeared on Diana’s face when she saw Maxim’s mother feeding Angel.

Ivy stood at the side and cheered for Angel to take her last bite.

Diana stood rooted in her spot, without showing any intention to move. Last time they met at the police station where she had lied about being engaged to Maxim.

And the woman had seen through her lies.

She did not know how to face her.

’’Oh my, you both are back,’’ Hazel’s eyes lit up with two burning stars when she saw Maxim and Diana side to side. That dumbhead son of hers. He overreacted when she sent Diana to his side for the job. At the end of the day, look at the progress they were making, ’’My sweeeet daughter-in...’’

"Cough,’’ Maxim coughed twice, interrupting his mother as his eyes narrowed at the woman.

Hazel jutted her lips out in a pout, ’’My sweeeet daughter,’’ she smiled at Diana.

Diana smiled at her warm manner, ’’Auntie, why are you here?" she took Angel from her arms when the girl reached towards her.

’’I was here to meet you but I clearly had lots of fun with Little Izzy’s daughter,’’ Hazel glanced at Angel lovingly, ’’Apparently, she loves me too.’’

Diana’s smile turned wider, ’’How do you know she is Daisy’s?" she glanced at Maxim but he shook his head.

’’Ivy told me that she is your sister’s. Who else is your sister other than Daisy, silly girl?" Hazel sighed.

Ivy nodded at Diana.

Diana remembered that she had mentioned to Ivy that she was Angel’s aunt.

She wanted to tell the woman that she was not usually this silly. It’s just that her son was frying her brain cells lately.

’’Such a blessing,’’ Hazel mumbled as she glanced at Angel before she turned to look at her son, her beautiful face resembling a wilting lotus as she whispered, ’’If my son was surer about his sexual orientation a few years ago, I might be holding two babies in each arm,’’ she sighed regretfully.

Diana: "_"

Ivy: "_"

Maxim’s face resembled a bottom of a pot.