“It’s just the two of us having a meal. There’s no need for such extravagance. Let’s just go to any private room.”
Emery thought for a brief moment and finally nodded in assent. “Alright then. But I want you to bring us your best wine available. We’re here to celebrate my venture into a new business. Lead the way then.”
“This way, please,” the manager said politely while leading us down a long corridor to the left.
Even though this was not my first visit to the restaurant, I was still in awe looking at all the opulent private rooms that lined up on both sides of the corridor. A few familiar faces could be spotted along the way when the waiters flitted in and out of the rooms. They were all prominent businessmen and politicians in K City.
The VVIP room was at the end of the corridor. The manager stopped at the room right across and said to us, “We’re here. Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable while I bring over the menu and your wine, Ms. Moore.”
“Don’t worry about the menu. We’ll have all your seafood specials today. Bring me your best wine. You can leave us to attend to the VVIPs next door. Just get another waiter to serve our table,” Emery said to the manager as she waved her hand and led me into the room.
Despite being the new owner of the restaurant, she was not one of those pompous, self-absorbed snobs who would insist to be served by the manager himself. Her gesture only reflected her belief in excellent customer service.
With a standard smile on his face, the manager retreated from the room courteously.
Not long after, a young waiter came in with trays of grilled salmon and butter codfish. In addition, the manager had taken upon himself to send in some foie gras and A5 wagyu beef.
For the past few weeks, I had to follow the nutritionist’s approved diet strictly. Now that I had the opportunity to dine outside, I quickly dug in without caring so much about the poison in my body. As the first bite of foie gras melted in my mouth, I could feel myself being enveloped in a world of happiness.
Emery was sipping on her wine from the DRC. Then she looked at me quizzically with one raised brow. “How long has it been since you last had meat?”
“I can’t remember.” I shrugged and placed my glass of wine under my nose and took a whiff of the fermented aroma before putting it down with satisfaction. “Not much since I came back from M Country.”
“Your suffering seems endless…” Emery intoned sentimentally. “Life is too short. We should enjoy it while we can. I had a first-hand experience when I was getting my surgery done in M Country. After spending some time overseas, I’ve realized that it’s completely okay to be single. I think I’ll just stay away from men from now on. God knows what kind of trouble they will bring. Most importantly, they’re like a sticky gum that I can’t get rid of.”
I burst out a laugh. “I believe the last part is what you’re most afraid of.”
What’s life without a mixture of joys and sorrows? With age, we learn to let go of many things that’s out of our control.
“Can’t you join in without killing my buzz?” Emery rolled her eyes at me and shot a glance at the waiter, who was quick to fill up her wineglass.
I finally conceded. “Alright, alright. It’s my fault. Please stop tempting me with the wine. You know I have to abstain from alcohol now.”
“Fine. I’ll let you off this once.” There was a satisfied smirk on her face.
Just then, a male voice rang from the door, “Isn’t this Ms. Stanhope? What a pleasant coincidence!”
It was Marshall Tiedemann, CEO of Tiedemann Industrial. I met him once at a gathering, but we never hung out privately as friends.
A group of men and women were standing outside the door with him. They appeared to be some important people he wanted to butter up to.
Marshall strode into our room as though we were close friends. “It’s so good seeing you here. Why don’t we join you two lovely ladies for a meal? Manager, reset the table,” he said while gesturing his friends into the room.
Despite feeling annoyed by his self-serving attitude, Emery and I were not ignorant of common social etiquettes. Since he meant no harm, we half-heartedly accepted them into our room.
The manager, on the other hand, was crafty enough to wait at the door for Emery’s confirmation before excusing himself to sort out the table.
Marshall solicitously invited Elliot to sit next to me, while another woman sat between the two men. The rest of their friends started to whisper among themselves. Judging from their expressions, I was sure my name was one of the topics.
Sighing helplessly, I planned to finish my food and get out of there when Emery suddenly nudged my elbow and made a gesture for me to check my phone.
Within seconds, my phone lit up with a WhatsApp message from her.
The woman sitting next to Elliot seems to be Ezra’s only daughter, Katharina Grant. Looks like someone is playing matchmaking.
Katharina Grant.
I muttered the name under my breath.
If what Emery said was true, my mere presence seemed to have disrupted the matchmaker’s plan. That might explain Katharina’s icy stares on me earlier.
I looked around the table disinterestedly and brought my attention back to the food before me.
Emery, on the other hand, couldn’t contain herself as she whispered, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Not really.” I shrugged and sighed wearily. “I don’t want to meddle in something that doesn’t concern me. It would be better if we keep to ourselves and mind our own business.”
Just because I never made a public stance against the rumors circulating on the internet, that didn’t mean I had to associate myself to Elliot in any way. He and I knew it was just a publicity stunt hyped up by the media.
Away from the limelight, our social circles couldn’t be farther apart from each other. Even if we were dating, we still had all the freedom in the world to seek other potential partners before marrying.
Emery nodded and fell silent.
In the meantime, Marshall was talking boisterously, whereas Katharina was as meek as a bunny throughout the meal. She did nothing other than a few polite nods and filled up Elliot’s plate from time to time.
Elliot, being the perfect gentleman, accepted her kind gestures graciously while maintaining a respectful distance from her.
Their lukewarm exchanges did not escape Marshall, and he involved me in the conversations. I deflected them all by playing dumb.
As time went by, Elliot started to ignore the passionate gazes from Katharina as his vision fell on me overtly.
Sensing he was about to say something from the corner of my eye, I stood up abruptly. “Excuse me, I’m going to the washroom.”
I moved my chair, strode purposely, and bumped right into Anthony and Thora when the waiter opened the door. My feet were suddenly glued to the ground.
Of all days, Lady Luck has to choose today to let me stumble upon all these people that I’ve been avoiding!
“Ms. Stanhope, you live such a busy life. While holding on to your ex, you’re also flirting with.” Thora made a snide comment after she noticed Elliot in the room.
Anthony glanced at me briefly before he shifted his piercing gaze around the room. His vision fell on me again as I caught an inexplicable yet meaning look in his eyes.
Hold on a second. I did nothing!
I instinctively balled my hands into fists and tried to explain myself. However, before I could utter a word, a figure zoomed past me from behind and stopped next to Anthony. “Mr. Featherstone, what a pleasant surprise to see you here! I have missed you so many times trying to secure a meeting with you at your office. Now that you’re here, please join us. And I’m not taking no for an answer this time!” Marshall said cheerfully, while holding onto Anthony’s arm.
“Such an honor to meet you too, Ms. Ziegler. Please come in. This must be my lucky day!” Marshall was so all over himself he had completely failed to comprehend the complicated relations between the few of us.
The next moment, a sense of despondent overtook me as I watched Anthony and Thora sat down together.
What’s this? The Last Supper?
As though he was in a contest with Elliot, the expressionless Anthony’s mere presence exuded the demeanor of a victor.
Resigned, I reluctantly returned to my seat at the table.
Emery was the only person who found the whole situation amusing. She stifled a chuckle and muttered, “Things are about to get really interesting.”
“Just zip it.” I rolled my eyes and poked at her arm as a warning.
“Mrs. Featherstone,” an oddly familiar male voice called. I turned around in surprise. A third person was with Anthony and Thora.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply