“Oh! All right,” she answered reluctantly.
He was also stunned, wondering who was the man holding her at the airport? Best friend?! There was a sneer on his lips, and then it flashed away. He teased, deliberately lowering his voice, “Are you reluctant?”
As he said that, he held the steering wheel with his left hand and put his right hand on the back of her side. She suddenly became nervous and said, “Mr Hughes, you, drive safe!”
“Sylvie, don’t you think you have something to say to me?” His voice was gentle, but there was a provocation in his tone.
“I, what do I have anything to say?” Sylvie asked.
She really didn’t know what happened to Marley, who was not his usual self suddenly. She was really puzzled that he made such a frivolous act of putting her hand on the back of her chair!
Fortunately, her cell phone rang.
She lowered her head to hold the mobile phone to avoid this kind of flustered mood. The light blue screen reflected her slightly flustered eyes. She looked at the flashing number in a dazed. Seeing it was from Ryan, she did not answer the phone.
Being with Marley, she was a little reluctant to speak.
Seeing that she didn’t answer the phone, Marley withdrew his hand and asked, “Why didn’t you answer?”
“Nothing urgent!” Sylvie said.
The caller didn’t give up. Instead, he called over and over again with high frequency. It could be seen that the automatic redial function was used.
The phone rang three times, and Sylvie finally surrendered and pressed the answer button. “Hello, Ryan? What’s up? Is there anything urgent?”
“Sylvie, just let you know that I get home!” Ryan’s clear voice came.
“Oh! You can eat by yourself. There’s something in the fridge. You can cook it by yourself or go out to eat. When you get out of the neighborhood, there’s a restaurant. Sichuan cuisine, which you love.”
“When do you get off work? Shall I pick you up?”
“No, I have something to do at night. I may go back very late!”
“Oh! Well, I’ll pick you up at night! Where is it?”
“Thanks, but no need. Ryan!” Sylvie said with a frown, feeling that he seemed to be different.
“Happy birthday, Sylvie!” Ryan said suddenly.
“Ah.” Sylvie was in a daze. Was it June 15th? Was it her birthday?
“I knew you forgot. No matter how late it’ll be, I will pick you up and celebrate your birthday.”
Hearing his words, Sylvie was a bit moved. She never remembered her birthday, but every year, Ryan remembered it. She sobbed, “Thank you for remembering it every year. In fact, it’s unnecessary and not an important day!”
“How can it be? It’s your 22nd birthday.”
“What’s to celebrate? Getting old?” Sylvie joked. At the same time, she felt bitter thinking that Sadie never celebrate her birthday.
“Well, come back early!” Ryan hung up.
“Oh.” Sylvie was still in a daze after putting down the phone. Marley tightened the grip on the steering whee, pursing his lips.
The car drove directly to a Western restaurant.
“Get out of the car!” His tone was cold.
Sylvie got out of the car with obedience, following him with a bag on her hand. He suddenly becomes very serious. It was a little terrible.
When they entered the restaurant, Marley found a VIP position by window, held the chair out politely for her, which Sylvie found it unacceptable of his sudden change. Especially, she was astonished when he helped her pull the chair, but she still sat down.
Marley ordered food without asking her. What shocked Sylvie was that he ordered cake.
As soon as the waiter left, Marley looked at Sylvie who was confused. He said slowly, “Happy Birthday!”
Sylvie was completely shocked. How could he know her birthday? Besides, she spoke in a very low voice on the phone. Did he hear it when she was in the car? Sylvie couldn’t help bu sigh, “what a clever man!”
“Isn’t it your birthday today?” Marley asked, raising his eyebrows.
Sylvie nodded slightly, and neither of them spoke.
Soon, the waiter came with the cake that Marley ordered, on which there was a candle on and a note, which said, Happy Birthday.
“Secretary Sylvie, happy birthday! Blow the candle!” he said after lighting it.
Although there was not too much words, Sylvie was moved to tears. As the tears blurred her eyes, the man in front of her was looking at her. With black and fresh short hair, clearly defined face, he said in a pleasant voice, “Oh! Do you want to make a wish?”
“No, no! Thank you, Mr Hughes!” She immediately straightened up her look and blew out the candle, keeping the wish to herself!
This was the second person to celebrate her birthday, which was unexpected to her. She thought he hated her. At this moment, she also felt that he was the kind man of that year. He was still as kind as he was five years ago.
She was very moved.
After blowing the candle, she didn’t eat cake.
“Why don’t you eat the cake?” Marley asked.
“It’s good to look at it,” she smiled shyly.
It was better not to break it by eating it. Looking at this beautiful 12 inch delicate cake, Sylvie was very satisfied, unwilling to make a change of it, afraid to destroy it.
Inexplicable, Marley was surprised and looked at her with deep eyes. The shy smile on her face was different. This girl was complicated. Sometimes she was so mature and calm that made one frightening. But sometimes she was as shy and simple as a child. He met countless people, but he was unable to see her through!
Sylvie explained with a smile, “The cake is beautiful. To cut it will make it less beautiful!”
“How can you not eat cake for your birthday?” Marley cut the cake himself. “If you don’t eat, it will goes bad. Isn’t it more wasteful? It’s better to eat it!”
Sylvie smiled with embarrassment, and she said sweetly, “It seems to make sense.”
He cut a large piece of cream and put it on the plate and handed it to her.
“Thank you.” Sylvie took it and ate it with a spoon.
The cream was smooth, and it was sweet and greasy. The sweet taste was conveyed to the mouth through the tip of the tongue, making her feel sweet. “It’s delicious. Try it!”
Seeing that he didn’t eat, Sylvie cut a piece to put it in front of him, only to find that he just looked down at it, instead of taking a bite. She was embarrassed at once. Generally, men didn’t like sweet food. She made a mistake. Marley might not want to eat at all.
Marley, however, looked down at the cake, as if he was staring at the enemy, with a little surprise, a little hesitation.
“Well, if you don’t like it -”
As she said, he tasted it with a small spoon. She was surprised and then smiled sweetly. “Is it delicious?”
“Yes!” He nodded, with a strange tone, frowning.
The cake in this restaurant was much better than the cake in the cake room outside. He said it was just OK. Sylvie couldn’t help thinking that he was a man with high standard. As he said, he always tried to reach the acme of perfection in work!
She lowered her head and focused herself on eating the cake quietly.
Then the waiter served them goose liver and drinks.
There was no wine, just fresh juice. Marley had no habit of drinking wine at noon, because of the company’s strict regulations, no drinking allowed at noon, and he was more strict with himself.
“Secretary Sylvie, happy birthday to you again!” Marley toasted, holding up a cup of juice.
“Well! Thank you Sylvie also took a sip of the apple juice. It tasted great for its freshness! She felt so good after taking a sip of it.
She ate only cake and juice, and was full before eating the foie gras.
Marley was very elegant when eating Western food. There was no sound from knives and forks, which was enjoyable.
Seeing her not eating foie gras, he said, “Why don’t you eat?”
“I’m full!”
Taking a look at the plate at her desk, he found that she ate only one piece of cake. “You ate so little?”
“I’m really full!” She ate like a bird. In the past, with poor economic conditions, she ate a little, so she had a poor appetite. As she had drunk a large glass of juice, she was so full that she couldn’t have more. “I didn’t take a bite of the Goose liver. Why don’t you help yourself!”
She suddenly realized that she was saying something wrong. Although she didn’t want to waste food, it seemed a bit wrong to let him eat her food.
He narrowed his eyes with a faint smile on the corner of his lips. He asked, raising his eyebrow, “Are you sure you are not going to eat it?”
Sylvie was in a daze. In front of Marley, a little face with little embarrassment, which was as red as lotus with dew, was visually attractive.
But Marley suddenly put on a serious expression and said in a magnetic voice, “You’d better eat some, otherwise you will be hungry. The dinner party will be after seven o’clock, I am afraid that there is no time to eat!”
Sylvie hesitated and shook her head. “I’m really full!” she said.
Looking at her clear eyes, Marley could tell she was not lying. Marley took the plate. “OK! I’ll sacrifice myself for the sake of not wasting it!”
Marley quietly cut foie liver, which was so elegant.
With a faint smile, Sylvie looked down.
Marley finished eating, took water and gargled. He looked at the opposite face of the woman, who had a half smile, wordless. He found her attractive.
Sylvie, who was a little absent-minded, thinking that this was her first birthday with Marley and they might devoice when Hughes Group got through crisis next year, and this might be the only birthday she had spent with him. The thought of this saddened her. She was also annoyed that she started to be swayed by consideration of gain and loss!
She told herself in her heart that it was no longer meaningful to think about it. For herself and him, God had made the best arrangement for her. They were destined not to be together. She shouldn’t allow herself to think too much.
Thinking of this, she took a deep breath and calmed down.
After leaving the restaurant, he took her to buy a dress, and chose a purple dress. She went to try the dress, and Marley waited outside. When she left the fitting room, Marley was stunned seeing her in the purple dress.