Here's another chapter since the last chapter I uploaded yesterday was a tad short. Enjoy!

Chapter 9.

For the next six months, Jellal and Erza have agreed to meet twice a week to talk about the merger. Jellal would always schedule it at dinner time and will always insist to pick her up because he's the one to decide where the meeting will be anyway. It was usually in a fancy hotel... Altairis, Grand Chariot, Sema, Abyss Break, The Tower, Paradise, Tenrou or Nirvana. And always with a strawberry cake ready, so she doesn't complain. He was also a gentleman in their meetings, not the playful Jellal but more of as expected to a businessman when it needs to be and a pleasant date at the same time.

In one of their dinner meetings, Jellal decided that it was time to take their relationship forward.

"Even with the merger, no one will have to be terminated. The employees' positions will remain intact."

"Good. Fairy Tail also believes that the employees must not be affected much by the merger. I believe that our companies have the same position regarding the importance of taking care of the employees."

"Very well then." Jellal put down his fork and knife. "For a change, why don't we talk about what happened to you after I left the uni?"

"There's not much to tell Jellal, we don't have to tell personal stuff, small talks are not needed in our conversation," Erza, talking formally.

"Come on, Erza, we used to be very good friends, is it so hard to talk to me about it? Let's try to be cordial with each other please."

There was an awkward pause between them. "I became President of the Student Council when you left," she said after a while.

He was overjoyed at her reply. He was hoping that she'd cave in but he's not expecting much. He's willing to wait if it needs to be, but it was a pleasant surprise that she was now giving him a chance even only after 3 meetings.

The night went on, and they started enjoying the conversation. They didn't realize that they were laughing already at some lame story happened at the uni, reminiscing the fun moments. They called the night off later than their usual dinner. He drove her home and parted with, "Great to hear you laugh again, Scarlet." Erza smiled and just as she closed the door of her apartment, she sighed.

Their next dinner meetings became relaxed after that. There were no more heavy tension between them. And they talked everything after that, trivial or not, whether personal or professional. Books, movies, food, the latest craze... Not just the boring business topics.

He was even hanging out with her in her Saturday dinner with her college buddies. With Gray giving him the death glares everytime, "I'm watching you, I know what you did to her," he warned.

Siegrain said that it was just coincidence that he was in the same resto with her, but it was actually Cana who told him when he asked. They met again 'coincidentally' the next Saturday, and treated them for dinner. "Oi Erza, didn't know that Siegrain is actually cool," Natsu, especially happy as he ordered his favorite expensive food on the menu. Since Natsu and Lucy are getting comfortable with him, they asked him to join them whenever he has the time. He happily obliged, taking advantage of the opportunity presented to him. Erza was delighted, it gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling that Jellal was having a good time too with her friends.

They were just like the old times, she thought. And her heart thumped.

"By the way, what's with you and Bacchus?" disrupting her from her trance.

"Huh? What's with me and Bacchus?"

"Well you were at a party once and he had put his arms around you," he clenched his fist as he remembered the scene, he forgot to ask Cana about Bacchus' relationship with Erza when she called for her daily report.

"Hmm... he just can't get over me."

"What?! He's your ex?" his voice higher than usual. Shocked at the information he's receiving coming from Erza's mouth herself.

"What? No. He just can't get over that I always defeat him in our Karate sessions when we were in high school. He's just comfortable with me since we both studied in Crocus."

Jellal sighed in relief. He's such a possessive man when it comes to Erza, he doesn't even think that any other man should lay a finger on her, gently or otherwise.

-x-x-x-

Erza just received a document from the government agency, giving some recommendations on some issues of the merger and some additional requirements for their pending approval. And although she can ask the messenger to send it to Jellal's office, she decided to pay him a visit. Upon entering the lobby though, she saw his office door open and Sherry was nowhere in sight. She was shocked at what the scene she saw, Ultear was kissing him. He was leaning on the side of his table and Ultear was kissing him.

She turned her back, went straight to the elevator and didn't look back. She felt her heart being stabbed. Pain shot through her, a pang of jealousy hit her. She was stupefied. But then reality kicked in, she doesn't have the right to get mad at him. They don't have a relationship. She planned on playing at first but its now backfiring, she has to stop before it further escalate.