At that moment, Bianca was puzzled. They were in a big city where any apartment in that area would cost millions of dollars, let alone such a spacious one in a luxurious neighborhood.
Dave wasn’t wealthy, so how could he afford such a place?
It turned out to belong to his friend.
Bianca was tempted by the offer, but Dave was a man. It didn’t seem right for them to live together.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” she hesitated.
“Why not? Are you afraid of me?” Dave asked, looking at her with a touch of warmth.
“Of course not!”
Bianca twiddled her thumbs nervously.
“Then come live with me. We can split the rent,” Dave repeated casually.
Bianca doubted she could find another place to live on such short notice. After hesitating for a while, she finally nodded in agreement.
“Mr. Evans, since we’re moving in together, can you tell me your full name now?” Bianca suddenly realized she didn’t even know his first name.
“It’s Dave Evans,” Dave answered casually. “Remember it.”
Bianca smiled, unaware of the meaning behind his words.
“Of course, I won’t forget.”
In the evening, Bianca went home to pack her things. Luckily, nobody was there; Peter must have taken Stacey and Ashley out for dinner. Bianca smiled bitterly at the thought. It was a relief not to see them, but her father’s betrayal still hurt.
She didn’t have much luggage. Dave offered to help, but she refused, insisting he wait for her at the neighborhood gate.
Soon, they were in a taxi heading to Dave’s place. After paying, Dave grabbed the luggage and held Bianca’s hand as they walked towards the gate. The guard didn’t know who Dave was exactly, but he recognized his luxury car. He assumed Dave was a wealthy and important person.
“Good evening, sir,” the guard greeted respectfully.
“This is my fiancee. She’s moving in with me,” Dave explained.
Bianca was initially shocked, but she quickly composed herself. Maybe he was just saying this to avoid any issues.
The guard nodded politely at Bianca. “Alright, I’ll inform the property manager to add your fiancee’s information to the community database as soon as possible.”
This was Bianca’s second time at Dave’s place, but it felt completely different. She took her luggage into a guest room, feeling a little excited. Dave had already arranged for his cleaning lady to tidy up, and even the bedding was fresh and new.
After unpacking and changing into comfortable clothes, Bianca walked into the living room with a bright smile.
There, she found Dave wearing gold-rimmed glasses, reading a book on the sofa. He looked relaxed in his navy blue robe, white T-shirt, and blue pajama pants.
The soft yellow light from the lamp cast a warm glow on his face, making him appear much gentler than usual.
When he saw Bianca come out of the room, he asked casually, without looking away from the book, “Did you have a fight with your family?”
Bianca pursed her lips. She knew there was no point in hiding it from him, so she admitted, “Yes.”
“Is it because of what happened at the engagement party?”
“No,” Bianca quickly replied, shaking her head. She didn’t want Dave to blame himself. “We fought over something else.”
Frowning, Dave set the book aside and turned to look at her. “So, the woman we saw that day was your sister?”
Knowing he meant Ashley, Bianca smiled bitterly. “Stepsister, actually. We’re not related by blood. She just graduated recently, so she’s back.”
“It sounds like you have a tough relationship with her.”
“Beyond that, we…” Bianca trailed off. She had many grievances about her family, but she didn’t want to burden Dave with them. So, she simply said, “It’s no big deal, really. Just some family drama.”
Sensing that she didn’t want to discuss it further, Dave let the topic drop.
Looking around, Bianca noticed that the apartment seemed a bit plain. Aside from the basics, there were no decorations, making the place feel a bit cold and empty.
“Mr. Evans, I have an idea,” she said, turning to him with a sparkle in her eyes.
“What’s on your mind?” Dave put the book down and sat up.
Bianca hesitated before saying, “I feel like the apartment is a bit bare. What if we buy some decorations to spruce it up?” She watched his reaction carefully, hoping he’d agree.
With a raised eyebrow, Dave studied the apartment and agreed that it could use some sprucing up.
“Good idea. But let me handle the expenses, alright? This is my friend’s place, after all.”
“But it was my suggestion,” Bianca insisted stubbornly. “How about we split the cost fifty-fifty? What do you think?”
Dave couldn’t help but feel something different about Bianca compared to other women he’d known. She seemed hesitant to take advantage of anyone.
Her determined gaze made him realize it was pointless to argue, so he simply nodded.
“Alright.”
“Awesome!” Bianca beamed. “Let’s go shopping tomorrow since it’s Saturday!”
Dave nodded. He knew he didn’t have any prior commitments aside from a meeting in the evening.
“Sounds good! We’ll head to the wholesale market tomorrow morning.”
“Wait a second,” Dave interrupted with a frown. “The wholesale market?”
Bianca nodded eagerly. “Yes! They have great deals there. We can save a lot of money! Now that I’ve moved out of my family home, I need to be more careful with my spending.”
Dave couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”
“You should get some rest for our early start tomorrow. Good night, Mr. Evans!”
Bianca beamed at him, her eyes shining with excitement. Without waiting for a reply, she headed to her room.
Dave watched her go, a smile lingering on his lips. “Good night,” he whispered to the closed door.
Bianca woke up early the next day, eager to start the day. She quickly grabbed some breakfast items and set the table.
As she approached Dave’s door, it suddenly swung open, revealing a partially undressed Dave coming out of the bathroom, his skin still wet.
Both of them froze at the unexpected encounter.
Bianca recovered first, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Mr. Evans, why didn’t you… uh, why didn’t you get dressed before coming out of the bathroom?” she stammered.
Caught off guard by the situation, Bianca couldn’t help but feel incredibly embarrassed. She couldn’t believe that she had to witness this scene.
Living together as a man and a woman was proving to be more challenging than she had anticipated.
Feeling mortified, Bianca closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could disappear on the spot.