LOVER MONSTER!
56. Asmara Rival

Jake Allendale stopped by back at Elixir today, and like pouring gasoline on a fire, his arrival coincided with Demian's arrival. Two people who had become rivals in fighting over Angela's heart were now throwing sharp delicacies full of hostility.

Unlike before, when they would hide their displeasure with each other, now, the two were showing off their hatred in an obvious way.

Ethan had trouble stirring coffee because the atmosphere at the counter was so tense and made the body freeze in nervousness.

Jessica did not know about it because today she accompanied Elliot to check the supply of Elixir kitchen materials that just arrived at the warehouse and make payments to loyal suppliers.

Jessica has no idea that Jake and Demian are ready to stab each other in hate.

"You still have the face to come here, huh?" Demian attacked first. Although his voice was not aggressive, the meaning of his presumptuous speech was already worthy of a sword.

"Of course" said Jake lightly. "I don't feel the need to hide my face, especially here. At my own girlfriend's cafe."

"Huh?" Demian almost spouted coffee from his mouth. "Who's whose boyfriend, you idiot? Are you delusional?"

"I'm just telling the facts." Jake speaks at will.

"Ah, this fucker..."  Demian shook his head, inexhaustible there. "Jessica's not your boyfriend, you moron. Did you go crazy until you made her your imaginary girlfriend?"

Did Angela decide to drive this motherfucker crazy?

"Not yet, rather." Jake smiled as he returned Ethan's shocked gaze.

Of course Ethan is surprised, he doesn't even know that Jessica is that close to Jake for a special relationship.

Ethan agrees with Demian, Jake must be crazy!

"Jessica's nobody's boyfriend now, she doesn't belong to anyone." Jake-in the middle of a gaze that questioned his sanity-continues to speak. "Therefore, I will claim it as mine. We've dated a couple of times, so, being her boyfriend isn't something that's impossible."

"My big date, Jessica accompanied you out just because she sympathized with you who kept whining to get her to meet."

Although Demian does not know what the reason Jessica always obeys Jake's invitation, it's definitely not because they are dating. Jessica couldn't possibly date this mole rat.

"I don't know about it" Jake smiled as he rubbed his chin. "We were pretty close in every meeting. I guess, rather than sympathize, Jessica might start to fall for me."

Waaah, Demian is so inexhaustible with the arrogance of this bastard. Does Jake Allendale really want to die? Why does this bastard constantly provoke his emotions?

"I don't know why you guys suddenly mentioned Jessica's name" Ethan interjected. "I thought you were talking about Angela."

Angela makes more sense for both of them, because from the beginning they are rivals who put their hearts to Angela with spills.

Jessica's existence so far is no doubt a figure in front of the two, so why now they make Jessica as the main character?

Ethan doesn't accept his best friend being contested like an item.

"Me and Angela have closed the book" Jake's answer is the truth, but it makes Demian wince unhappily. "I believe the person Angela's boyfriend is now you, right, Demian?"

The accusation should have made Demian nod with pride and pleasure.

If this situation had happened a few months ago, when he was so longing for Angela and wanted her in his arms, Demian would probably have been very happy for Jake to pull back from their rivalry.

But now the situation is different.

Demian's heart feels unwilling when Jake accuses her of dating Angela. Not just because the allegations are untrue, Demian...

"I'm not dating Angela" Demian said. His heart felt worry.

"Oooh, but I think it'll happen soon. Considering you guys are so compatible and so close, Angela will definitely pick you." Jake provokes.

He knows where Demian's heart is now, and Jake realizes his own position is not profitable. To win Jessica over, Jake doesn't need another competitor ruining his path. Jake needs to get rid of Demian immediately before the man realizes the contents of his heart.

A feeling of uneasiness rippled in Demian's chest right now.

"I seemed to have misunderstood" Ethan said later. "I thought you were still rivals."

"I couldn't help but let Angela go completely to Demian." I want nothing more from him than suffering.

Jake sipped the coffee in his cup with complete calmness. "By the way, where is Jessica? I came here to see it."

"He's outside right now."

"Ah, so? Too bad, when I came here to see him." Jake hands Ethan a piece of money back then as payment. "Tell Jessica I came looking for her, I want her to prepare for my next date."

"W-uh?" Ethan gaped. Did he not hear wrong?

After Jake's departure, Ethan turns to Demian, who grips his coffee cup with anger. The date word Jake said just made his blood boil hot.

Demian won't let Jake take Jessica away from her. The girl is his, not anyone's!

"Demian," said Ethan. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good..," Demian said. Even though his palms are cooling. He's very kind.

*

Helping Elliot in the barn is not a fun activity, but Jessica must do it. Although on several occasions he whined and wanted to stop, Jessica again stood up straight and continued her work in participating in checking and sorting carefully the food that arrived.

The summer that never subsided at the end of August was added to aggravate the situation. Jessica was bathed in sweat from toe to head. His face was like an oil refinery in the middle east. Very dirty and sultry.

"Other than this, the rest is safe." Elliot spoke to Jessica. Fortunately, there are only three boxes of rotting tomatoes, and the supplier who sent the goods has agreed to replace them with new stocks.

"Then, I'll go back to Elixir first."

While removing her gloves, Jessica, who was still gasping for air from exhaustion, sauntered towards the exit.

The clock shows at 14:39 when Jessica comes out of the barn. The sun above the Vegas sky still shines very scorching head. Jessica, who was bathed in sweat and bones that had almost broken, waltzed in a small alley connected to the door of Elixir's kitchen.

Arriving in front of the counter, Jessica makes an order to Ethan who greets him with concern.

"Is it done?" ask Ethan.

"I guess, I guess..." Jessica responded while fanning her face with her hands. Although he was in the air-conditioned room, the heat he brought from outside was still attached to his body.

"Drink..," Ethan then handed over a large glass of lemon tea with ice cubes to fill half the glass.

"Thank you, Ethan."

"M..."

While Jessica enjoys a glass of lemon tea that Ethan has given her, Ethan, across the table, looks at Jessica with doubt in his eyes. The memory of Demian and Jake's visit comes to Ethan's mind, reminding him of Jake's message to convey the man's arrival.

Of course, Ethan will deliver Jake's message. Ethan's memory isn't just that message. Ethan remembers the conversation between Demian and Jake earlier, regarding Jake's desire to make Jessica his girlfriend.

It's not that Ethan wants to be a bucket guy who can't keep a secret, it's just that, keeping that knowledge to himself makes Ethan feel a bit overwhelmed. He doesn't usually hide anything from Jessica.

"I know I'm such a badass right now, you don't have to glare at me." Jessica was apparently aware of Ethan's gaze.

"Is there a pretty rug?" Ethan makes a joke.

Jessica is too tired to talk, so she responds to Ethan's jokes with a bland laugh and a shoulder end. Right now, all Jessica thought about was taking a bath. However, before that, he needed to finish off the lemon tea Ethan had given him first.

"Jesse" said Ethan. This time while handing a plate of fresh strawberries on the table. "Someone came looking for you earlier."

"Someone?"

"Jake Allendale."

"Oh? Is he back?" As Jessica recalled, the last time they texted, the man said he would be on a business trip to Canada for a few days.

"Are you guys very close?" Ethan started an investigation. Ethan is curious, who knows Jake's words are the truth, if he and Jessica are close enough and can move up the ranks to a girlfriend.

"She's informed me several times regarding her situation," Jessica responded without really caring. Jessica never thought that her closeness to Jake would be in the 'very close' category anyway.

"So, what else did he say?" Jessica reached into my pocket. He picks up his cell phone and wants to call Jake who has come to the cafe to see him. Something might want the man to tell her.

"She said she wanted to see you again when you had some free time."

"Oh, well.., I pretty much guessed it." Jessica mangosteen. Jessica has a lot of free time, actually. He doesn't mind accompanying Jake out. After all, traveling with Jake is fun.

"Jess..."

"mm?"

"Are you and Jake dating?"

Jessica's forehead was tied for a moment. Strawberry who was about to greet his mouth, hung in mid-air following his motion which froze instantly.

"Are you crazy?" Jessica glared at Ethan in astonishment. "What the fuck...? Where could we date."

"Finally, you've been walking alone with him."

Jessica's expression turned wry. "Normal. What we do is normal. What's wrong with two friends going out? Ethan, yeah, why are you being so cute as Dania?"

"E-uh?"

"I'm not dating Jake. Throw away those skewed speculations. Duh, can't women be friends with men now? You should have asked me if I was dating Elliot, because we've been spending all day in the barn!"

Jessica nagged long.

No, that doesn't mean Jessica's mad at Ethan. Jessica is only careless about the assumptions that continue to arrive regarding her relationship and Jake Allendale.

Not enough Angela who corner him and call him a woman who chases Jake, now his dear friend even asked the problem of his closeness with Jake again.

Jessica, who is already sultry due to her energy-draining activities, becomes excruciatingly upset when Ethan's question greets her ears. Jessica's blood was still hot because of the sun that had stung her head earlier. Jessica can eat people if she's irritated.

"You're ruining my mood, Ethan.." Jessica jumped down from the barstool, picked up one fat strawberry from the plate and devoured it in one bite. "Don't ask any more bullshit, okay?"

With a clumsy smile, Ethan swallows his guilty feelings for suspecting Jessica.

"I'm sorry" he said. In Ethan's head right then and there, what Jessica said made sense. If Jessica is indeed dating Jake, she will definitely tell her friends. Ethan should not draw any conclusions.

Ha~

All this because of Demian and Jake's talk of poisoning his head.

Leaving Ethan, Jessica contacts Jake during his journey to the room. It didn't take long, the call was connected on the second ring.

"Hello," said Jake kindly.

"I heard you stopped by the cafe today. "

"so. I came to visit you."

"I'm busy in the barn, I'm sorry.." Jessica climbed the stairs to her room. "How was your trip to Canada? What's exciting?"

"Nothing is exciting. I just focus on working there. Finished taking care of the work, I'm straight back to Vegas right away."

"You shouldn't be in a hurry, it's still summer.., you're supposed to go to the beach and meet cool women."

"I've got my cool lady."

"Oh, Angela?" Jessica didn't think Jake was still thinking about Angela. Well, it seems true that not everyone has the ability to move on as fast as lightning.

"Why did you mention his name, it just ruined my mood."

Jake's words surprised Jessica. "Y-yeah..., end of it, the cool woman orbiting your head is just him, right?"

"If I had only Angela in my head, I wouldn't be calling you right now."

"meaning?" Jessica is too short of a sunburn to understand Jake's mystical speech.

"I mean..."

"Wait a minute" Jessica interrupted Jake when he arrived at the room.

Now, instead of listening to Jake say, Jessica was staring at Demian on the couch.

"When did you come?" ask Jessica.

As Jessica recalled, the agreement she made with the handsome curly was, Demian could only visit if Jessica was in her room. If Jessica wasn't in the room, Jessica wouldn't want Demian there.

I mean, Jessica, who knows what the curly criminal's head is? What if he hides dangerous things in Jessica's room?

"From this morning." said Demian.

"Jake, I'll call you back later. Something important happened. No, no.., hahaha. Relax, it's not a serious matter. Anyway.., bye."

Demian who had been sitting relaxed on the sofa finally stood up. Eye of the jelly.

"Have I heard you, or did you just mention Jake?"

*