Chapter 6
I asked, "So this seat was saved for me?"
The private room fell silent for a moment.
A few caught onto the awkward undertone but dared not take the bait, forcing out nervous laughs to ease the tension. "Of course it's for you."
I held onto the back of the chair as I sat down slowly, then passed my bag to the waiter behind me.
"Glad to hear that," I said with a smile. "Thought I was late and might end up in someone else's spot."
Chris looked down at me, his fingers lingering on the chair's back for a moment, but ultimately, he kept quiet.
Halfway through the meal, we'd already had a couple of rounds of drinks.
Everyone was talking about projects, the market, and the direction of our recent partnerships.
Chris looked as composed as ever. He chimed in with replies, clinked glasses, and kept the situation under control, just as others described him, a man who always had everything well in hand.
I sat next to him, occasionally chiming in, but most of the time I kept my head down and ate.
There was this fish dish, and the chef had done a great job. There were no bones left at all.
After a couple bites, a memory from years ago suddenly popped into my head.
Back then, Chris wasn't where he was now. It was his first time tagging along with me to meet a bunch of senior folks.
Halfway through dinner, someone purposely ordered a whole fish, shot me a grin, and joked, "Ms. Simmons, you're always so busy. Do you even have time to deal with all those tiny bones?"
I didn't look up. I set my fork down.
Before I could say a word, Chris, sitting right beside me, quietly took the plate, spent ages picking out the bones, and then placed the cleanest pieces back onto my plate.
Some folks at the table joked about how he was acting all doting.
Chris's ears went bright red, but he kept his head down and said quietly, "She's got a sensitive stomach. She needs to eat slowly."
Back then, he was pretty clumsy picking out the bones, and the plate looked like a disaster zone by the time he was done. But somehow, that fish tasted insanely good to me that day.
"What are you thinking about?" Suddenly, Chris spoke up beside me.
I came back to my senses and saw him watching me.
"I was thinking you used to be pretty good at taking care of people," I said.
He arched his brow slightly, as if he understood, or maybe he didn't. "So I can't do it well now?"
"You still are," I said, smiling at him. "But I wonder if you've been caring for the wrong person."
Chris said nothing. As he reached for his glass, the waiter pushed open the door and served dessert: Black Forest cake.
It was beautifully made. The cream was smoothed to perfection, and the chocolate shavings were scattered evenly on top.
Henry, sitting across from Chris, was the first to chuckle.
"Mr. Ford, your tastes are getting younger these days. I remember you never touched sweets before," he said.
Chris looked up, replying casually, "It's not for me."
The private room suddenly fell silent.
Someone followed up, "Then who's it for?"
Chris paused with his glass halfway to his lips, his eyes quickly scanned the table, and finally landed on me.
I looked at the Black Forest cake and couldn't help but smile.
"Guess it's for me," I said.
As I spoke, I reached out and pulled the plate in front of me.
Chris frowned.
"Didn't you say you didn't like this?" he asked.
"I didn't like it before," I said, picking up my spoon and taking a small piece. "But now I want to give it a try."
The first bite was pretty sweet.
Actually, it was sickeningly sweet.
I swallowed slowly, then glanced at Vivian.
"Do you like sweets, Vivian?" I asked.
She paused, her fork hovering in midair.
"I... I'm fine with it," Vivian replied.
"Guess you're more fortunate than me," I said, setting down my spoon with a smile. "My stomach's not great, so I usually can't have things like this."
As soon as I said that, Vivian's face turned visibly pale.
It wasn't because my words were harsh.
It was because she understood what I meant.
I wasn't really talking about dessert.
I was letting her know, in my own way, that I was already onto her.
Chris watched me from the side, his eyes darkening.
But I acted like I hadn't noticed a thing, turned to chat with Henry about something else, and poured another half glass for the person beside me.
I steered the mood in the private room back to normal in no time.