The Master Programmer

In the car, the silence was heavy between them. The hum of the engine and the occasional honk from other drivers filled the void. Jason turned to Veronica, studying her profile. She was beautiful as always, but this time there was a coldness to her, that felt like it was chilling the car. As the car began moving, Jason turned to look at the road ahead, making sure to not look at her and give her even more pressure from the eye contact. This was a good time to bring it up. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "I'm fine," she replied curtly, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. Jason blinked a few times. Yeah, right. If you were fine you would have given me a million smiles already. You're both soft and hard. You're not cold like this, Veronica. Not to me. Jason thought this far and then pressed on. "Really? Because it feels like something's off." He was leaving things extremely out in the open, hoping that as he was leaving the rope out, she would come in and grab it. And when she did, he would be able to pull her in, making her come back to him. She scoffed, glancing at him briefly. "Maybe you should ask yourself that question. Who's the putting distance between us here?" Jason gazed at her without responding, and that seemed to drive her even more furious. It was very clear what was happening here. She was deflecting. Deflection was a self-defence mechanism, and that was how Jason knew that he had her. She only did this because she did not want to confront her feelings. Jason chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat. "You're the one who said you're not my mother. I didn't think I owed you an explanation for my life choices." Veronica's grip on the steering wheel tightened. She opened her mouth to retort, but Jason cut her off, his voice calm but firm. "Veronica," he said, leaning toward her slightly, "this isn't like you. You're upset because of the mark on my neck, right?" Her eyes flashed with anger. "You mean the hickey you lied about? Yeah, Jason, I'm upset that you felt the need to lie to me!" Jason smiled faintly, shaking his head. "No, you're not upset about the lies, Veronica. Neither are you upset about the hickey. You're upset because you think I'm looking at other women. That's what this is really about." Veronica slammed on the brakes at a red light, turning to face him. Her eyes burned with indignation. "Jealous? Of some random girl from the club? Get over yourself." Jason shifted in his seat, turning his body fully toward her now that she was looking at him. He held her gaze, his voice low but steady. "You're jealous, and it's okay to admit it. I want you to know something, Veronica—I want you. And I'll prove it to you." Her breath hitched, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "You're unbelievable, saying that stuff with a mark on your neck that came from another woman," she muttered, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and something she couldn't quite name. Jason didn't care though, speaking and saying, "I think it's funny how sometimes the things we see can sometimes hide what we don't see. What I'm saying is that people can get close to me, yes. But I don't just let anyone in. I value deep connections. You know… the kinds that don't need an explanation… the kind that we have. You and me. I believe it's something rare, something I don't feel with anyone else." Veronica smirked, now a bit confused, but she still managed to say some words. "That's quite the line. And when you talk about connections... What connection? Would you talk about that kind of thing when I saw how you have Nina wrapped around your finger too? You must say that to all of the girls. " "Only when it's true," Jason said, leaning back calmly. "Veronica. I'm not here to impress you. You already have enough people in your life to do that. I'm here because I respect you. I care about that thing that's behind that sharp and the cool exterior. That's where I want to be with you. But you... You're not the type to open up easily are you?" "What are you saying?" Veronica said, turning to the front noticing the green light, and then starting the car again. "I'm a very open person." "If you were open, then everyone else would be completely transparent. See something in you, Veronica. There is strength and independence, but there is also something else. You're someone who deserves to be understood, not just admired. I don't want to hurt you or complicate your life. I'm here to give you my truth." Veronica was quieter now, her cheeks slightly reddened as she turned to glance at Jason, who was speaking with a softened tone. "You're… such a philanderer. I don't know what to say to that. And the worst thing is... I can still see the hickey..." Jason leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "It's okay. The hickey doesn't matter. And if you don't know what to say, I'll say it for both of us. You're not just some conquest to me, Veronica. You're my main mission. I'm not here to play games. I'm here to show you, through my actions, that I'm serious about you." For a moment, Veronica was speechless. Jason's words weighed them, a sincerity that was impossible to ignore. She swallowed hard, her eyes narrowing. "And what makes you think I'll just fall for your little mission, Jason?" Jason smirked, leaning back. "Because I'm not just saying it—I'll prove it. Watch me. If you're ever ready to talk about what you're feeling, what you're truly feeling, I'll listen. No judgement, no expectations. And when we get to that point, I will make sure that you will never have to worry. I will expose all of myself to you." By reframing Veronica's emotions, he shifted her focus from anger to curiosity and attraction. He mirrored her concerns, validating her feelings without directly admitting fault. His confident declarations planted seeds in her mind, leaving her questioning her own emotions and the dynamic between them. In the end, he even encouraged her to open up to him emotionally in the future, and even if she didn't then he would have won either way because she was even thinking about it. After saying that, Jason turned away from her, looking at the road. And then she would occasionally look at him then look away, saying nothing. They drove like that, completely quiet, the atmosphere, a bit sweeter and warmer than it was before. Veronica's posture relaxed, and a faint smile played on her lips. When Jason saw this, he knew he had managed to turn a potentially disastrous conversation into an opportunity to deepen their connection. "So… how's work?" she said after clearing her throat. Jason turned to her, seeing the flushed neck and he smirked. She was so adorable. "Fine. I'm going to be swamped though, at least for the next few weeks." "Why's that?" "Samantha, My boss, has commissioned me to automate the processes of every department. It's a system-wide shift." Veronica turned to him with a glint in her eye. "Wow! It's only been two weeks, and you're already being given such a huge workload. Are you going to be okay?" "I'm going to be fine," Jason said, turning to the road. "Anyway, I might quit the job after a few months. Might start my own business depending on how it goes." Veronica nodded, turning to the road. "What is the business going to be about?" "Some service-based business. Probably AI-based. I'll see how I go about it though," Jason said, turning to her as she stopped at his stop. "Veronica. Thank you so much for driving me to work again today. When I get my commission, let me take you out to have a bit of fun. What do you say?" "Fun?" Veronica said and immediately she thought of the word this guy might have been reluctant to say. Date. This was a Date. "Sure. If you do well, we can go celebrate somewhere." Jason smirked and then he got out of the car, stepping onto the pavement, leaning forward towards the window. "See you tonight, Veronica." Veronica stared at this guy, whose smile seemed to have a vice-grip on her and sighed. "See you tonight. And there's no need to lie to me anymore… I hate that." "Never again. I have already started telling you the truth, and I will continue like this in the future too. Don't blush too much when I do that." Veronica smirked. "Alright, get outta here, bad boy." "Yes ma'am," Jason said stepping back and standing there. She smiled and drove away, leaving Jason there. It seemed she was still not going to admit her feelings. But to Jason, it was so obvious though. |———————————— || Master Programmer System || Stats | Missions | Items | Store | ————— Your Current Missions: —> Make your Sexy Boss Fall For You (59% done) —> Take Revenge on the Grumpy Middle-Aged Landlord (33% done) —> Build a Syndicate! (20% done) ————————————| |———————————— | Master Programmer System || Stats || Missions | Items | Store | ————— Name: Jason Cross MC (Master Coins): 400 Level: 22 Stats: (No Change) ————————————| Jason knew just how to deal with this woman. He had to mirror her emotions subtly and deepen the rapport between them. And then he had to reinforce her feelings of being valued and understood. But at the same time, he could not rush her. What was understood didn't need to be said. Jason had said enough to make sure Veronica couldn't ignore the growing spark between them.