Chapter 87 - Dinner Invitation

Tom lay on the couch as he thought about what Bryan had told him earlier. Sonia's brother had committed suicide because of Lucy? What sort of relationship did they have for him to have done that? Was that why she wasn't interested in guys? Was she still mourning him? He couldn't help feeling very concerned and curious. He really wanted to know more about her.

He picked up his phone when it started ringing, and sighed when he saw Harry's name displayed on the screen, "Don't you have something better to do with your time?" Tom asked dryly once he received the call. 

Harry scoffed at that, "You hurt my feelings," he said in a mocking tone as he paced around his living room aimlessly, "What are you doing right now? Let's hand out," Harry suggested, since he was very bored and in need of company.

"I know you don't know much about ladies, but that is a line you reserve for ladies, not me. You need to go out more and..."

"I learnt something new about Miss Perry today," Harry said, interrupting Tom whose ears perked up immediately at the mention of Lucy. 

"What is that?" Tom asked eagerly, unable to hide his curiosity.

Gotcha! Harry thought with a smirk, "If you come over to my place within the next thirty minutes, I will tell you," Harry offered, making a scowl appear on Tom's face. 

"Why can't you just say it over the phone?" 

"Because I'm bored and I'd rather tell it to you over a game of Soccer or Mortal Kombat. It's been long we did that," Harry suggested with a grin. 

"I'm not in the mood for games."

"Then let's have a nightcap and maybe you can sleepover. How about that?" Harry asked making Tom narrow his eyes suspiciously.

"Why do I feel like you have nothing important to say to me and I'm just going to waste my time by visiting you?" 

"You will never know if you don't come, will you?" Harry asked, hoping Tom would bite the bait and come keep him company, "Plus we need to talk about some other important work stuff as well," Harry added, knowing that was the extra motivation Tom would need to be on his way. 

"Work? What work stuff?" 

"Don't you think you are asking me too many questions? Do I even need to give you reasons to come over to my house when I want to see you? You know what? If you're going to come, then be on your way. If not, then goodnight!" Harry snapped at him impatiently and hung up before Tom could say anything else. 

Tom glanced at his phone in surprise wondering why Harry was acting up all of a sudden. He contemplated Harry's invitation for only a minute before ordering for a taxi ride. He walked into the bedroom and picked up a t-shirt and three-quarter shorts from his luggage which he was yet to unpack. Once he changed into the clothes he walked out of the house.

He stopped in front of Lucy's door and briefly contemplated checking on her before leaving. He raised his hand to the door, and dropped it at the last minute, deciding it was best to let her be for the evening. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Maybe she would think about him more if he didn't bother her for some time. He wouldn't text, call, nor show up in front of her until it was time for their dinner date. With that thought in mind, he walked away. 

"Hey!" 

Tom turned around when he heard Jasmine's voice, and saw her smiling and waving at him as she walked up to him with Alicia beside her, "Hey!" He greeted back awkwardly. 

"Looks like you're going out," Alicia observed as she looked at him with gleaming eyes. 

"Yeah. Need to meet up with a friend," Tom said, not knowing what else to say to the ladies. It seemed like he never really had much to say to ladies unless it was Lucy. He had realized that he seemed to always have something to say only to her. 

"Cool. Alicia and I were planning to bring some pies over to your house to welcome you to the neighborhood officially. I'm so glad the other couple moved out. They were never really friendly and always looked down on us," Jasmine said, wrinkling her nose distastefully as she thought about the previous occupants of Tom's apartment who were homophobic. 

Tom's heart skipped a beat when he realized that they could blow his cover if Lucy so much as found out that she had even moved into the neighborhood before him. How was he going to explain to her that it was mere coincidence that he had moved into not just the same neighborhood, but the same building with her the next day after their one-night stand? Or how he had also gotten a job as her driver two days later? Lucy seemed to be a very deep thinker, and he wasn't sure she would buy whatever story he would give her. 

"There won't be any need for that. And I will appreciate it if you don't let Lucy... I mean my boss. Don't let her know I recently moved into the neighborhood," Tom said with a pleading smile, and both ladies exchanged a look. 

"Why not?" Alicia asked curiously, and Jasmine giggled in embarrassment as she jabbed Alicia's side with her elbow to stop her from asking him such a personal question.

"Sure. We won't say a word to her," Jasmine said much to Tom's relief, as he wasn't sure what excuse he would have given. 

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. So how about we invite you over for dinner?" Jasmine asked hopefully.

Tom scratched the back of his ear, "Sorry. I'm not sure I will be coming back tonight," Tom said with an apologetic smile. 

"No. Definitely not tonight. We are asking about tomorrow. Will you be available?" Alicia asked hopefully.

"I already have dinner arrangements for tomorrow," Tom said with a wince. 

"Oh-oh!" Alicia exclaimed sadly and her face fell in disappointment, thinking Tom didn't want to have dinner with them. 

"What about Sunday night?" Jasmine asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes as she didn't want Alicia who was looking forward to the dinner to be disappointed. 

"Sunday? Can I think about it?" Tom asked thoughtfully.

"Sure you can. But it really isn't a big deal. Just dinner between us neighbors," Alicia assured him with a small smile. It really was going to be a simple dinner since all they wanted was to get to know him better so they could see if he was good enough to father their child. He has the physical qualities they needed. But now they wanted to know about his intellectual qualities as well as his background.

"Alright. I hope you don't mind if I bring my boss with me?" Tom asked hopefully since he didn't want to be alone with these ladies that looked like they wanted to devour him. He realized that he didn't even know what the relationship was between both ladies, but he assumed they were either sisters or friends, and he wasn't curious enough to ask them anything. The only person he wanted to know anything about was Lucy, and maybe during the dinner, he could observe how well she interacted with others. 

Alicia and Jasmine exchanged a look again, and Alicia shrugged her shoulders, giving Jasmine the go-ahead she needed, "If that would make you more comfortable, I don't see why not. You can bring her along," Jasmine said with a cheerful smile, and Tom nodded.

"We could also invite her over that way it would make better sense for you both to come together. How about that?" Alicia asked, and Tom flashed her a smile.

"I will appreciate that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I suppose that's your cab over there?" Jasmine asked, pointing to the cab that just drove into the street. 

"Yeah. I have to run now so I don't keep my friend waiting," Tom said with a wave as he hurried away in quick steps. 

"Something is going on between them, don't you think?" Alicia asked thoughtfully as they both watched Tom get into the cab. 

"Yeah. I wonder what it is though," Jasmine said, pursing her lips thoughtfully.

"I guess we can find out on Sunday. It's not too late to invite her for dinner, is it?" Alicia asked, staring in the direction of Lucy's apartment.

"Let's see if she will answer her doorbell," Jasmine suggested as she slid her arm across Alicia's waist and they walked over to Lucy's house. 

Lucy who had been about to doze off while reading was jolted awake by the sound of her doorbell. She glanced towards the living room anxiously, wondering why Tom was there. Did he perhaps change his mind about what he had to do, and wanted them to have sex tonight? She wondered with a yawn as she looked down at the oversized top she was wearing. 

She was just going to see what he wanted and tell him to come back tomorrow night as planned. She was feeling too sleepy and was in no way ready for sex or any company tonight. With that thought in mind, she stood up and headed for the door. Her brows shot up in surprise when she opened the door and saw Jasmine and Alicia standing there with a smile on their faces, "Hi!"

"Hi!" She responded without stepping back to let them in. It was late and the last thing she wanted was anyone's company. 

"Hi! I'm Alicia. We are your neighbors," Alicia said conversationally.

"I know," Lucy replied curtly. 

"We were hoping if you will be kind enough to have dinner with us on Sunday night?" Alicia asked, looking at her hopefully.

Lucy looked from one to the other before saying, "Okay.." Surprising both ladies.