Looking at the gray sweater in the cab driver’s hand, her eyes welled up. She did not know why she cried, but she just felt sad.
The cab driver, a middle-aged man, saw Summer crying and grabbed his hair in a panic. “Please don’t cry, lady. People will think I’ve done something wrong to you.”
She broke out in laughter, tears still in her eyes. “Thank you, but I’m not afraid of the cold. You’re working late into the night, aren’t you? You need the sweater. I’ll be fine. I’m strong enough.” She really was, and she was feeling warmth in her heart.
Thinking that Summer must have found his gray sweater too frumpy, the cab driver did not force her to accept it.
Summer then got out of the vehicle. Watching the cab leave into the distance, she took out her mobile phone to call Jessica. Seconds later, she heard a familiar ringtone nearby, followed by Jessica’s voice.
“Hey, have you arrived?”
Summer hung up and waved at her. “I’m here!”
Jessica jogged over, covering herself like a dumpling with an overcoat in hand.
“Damn, my Show White! It’s almost minus ten degrees, and you come from the party wearing only this?” While she spoke, Jessica flung the overcoat on Summer.
Summer sniffed. “Yeah, everyone looked at me as if I was mad.”
…
Jessica brought her back to her house in no time. She poured Summer a glass of hot water as soon as they stepped into the house. Jessica was seldom at home, and her house looked a little messy, but at least it was warm enough inside.
Not noticing it while they were on the outside, Jessica could now make out the red eyes on Summer’s face under the bright ambient light. She knitted her brows as she sat down beside Summer.
“What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Nothing. I got too emotional just now. The cab driver wanted to give me his sweater when he saw me wearing so little.”
Judging from her looks, Jessica knew she was not kidding and nodded. “There are still many good-hearted people in this world.”
As if something crossed her mind, Jessica started to lament. “A small gesture from a stranger can easily touch us, but when the person closest to us makes a little mistake, we make a mountain out of a molehill. No matter how good he’s treated you in the past, it just doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Are you talking about Carl?” Summer asked.
“Who wants to talk about him?” Jessica smirked. “Men!”
Summer leaned back slightly, saying nothing.
“Let’s drink if you feel blue. It’s been a long while since we last drank together.” While she spoke, she went to get some wine.
We just went to the bar not long ago…
…
Jessica liked wine, but that did not mean she was an alcoholic. She would drink when necessary, but she never did it at work, and she would only drink with people close to her. She was the one who taught Summer how to drink after all.
After finishing half a bottle of red wine, they both got a little tipsy. Leaning their heads against each other on the sofa, they mumbled away.
“I think Carl is a jerk!”
“Same goes to Leonardo!”
“Carl, that bugger, with so much gossip about him flying around, he still has the nerve to tell me he’s innocent. He must think that I’m blind!”
“Hm… it seems like Leonardo… doesn’t have that problem.”
“Carl—”
The ringing of the mobile phone interrupted Jessica. She squinted at her phone screen, finding a string of unfamiliar numbers. She hit the “Answer” button.
“What’s this about? Insurance? I’m not going to buy it!”
“This is Leonardo,” a low male voice said on the other end.
Leonardo? The name sent a jolt to Jessica’s brain. She felt more alert now. Just as she was about to say something, Leonardo spoke.
“Don’t say anything. Let me ask you the questions. You just need to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.”
“Okay,” Jessica answered on autopilot, but then she felt a little puzzled about why she had to listen to Leonardo?
As if Leonardo could read her mind, he said, “Carl wants to be your manager.”
“He’d better perish the thought!”
“Mm.”
However, Jessica suddenly remembered Leonardo was her boss.
“Is Summer with you?”
Jessica glanced over at Summer, who was still swigging back on her wine. “Yes.”
“Did she take a cab there?”
“If not? You sent her?” Jessica got a little worked up when she spoke on the issue.
Summer had told Jessica what happened at the party and her conjectures. As always, Jessica spoke in a straightforward manner as she dug at Leonardo.
As though he had not heard the unfriendly tone in her voice, Leonardo said, “Don’t let her drink. Sleep early.”
“Too late. She’s downed half a bottle, and I still have a whole cabinet of wine!”
Summer leaned closer, her eyes half-closed. “Who are you talking to?” It just felt good to get drunk right then. With no outsiders there, she could let loose. Reclining on Jessica’s body, she said, “Now I remember! Leonardo’s clear of gossip, but he has love for someone else! Talking about men!”
There was dead silence on the other end.
Shuddering at the thought of something, Jessica pushed Summer away. “Stop it.”
However, Summer was now a runaway train. She leaned back on Jessica and continued, “I tell you what, it’s lucky for men like Leonardo to get married. He’s like a bomb without a timer, scarier than a woman during menopause.”
Jessica tried to mentally tell Summer to be quiet. Just as she was about to hang up, Leonardo’s low voice came again.
“Don’t hang up. Let her speak.”
Jessica was caught between a rock and a hard place, with the rock being her boss who could banish her with the snap of the fingers, and the hard place being her bestie; they were as thick as thieves. What should she do?
Before she could decide which side to choose, Leonardo was knocking on her door. Standing at the door, Jessica looked at Leonardo as if she had seen a ghost. “Boss, how-how long have you been here?”
Leonardo said nothing but just looked past her. Jessica stepped aside, and he got a better view inside. He saw Summer snuggling on the sofa in casual home wear, swigging back on a glass of red wine. His face darkened.
Jessica was swallowing big time. Her mind worked overtime, trying to find a way to get herself out of this. As if Leonardo had forgotten about his instruction to not let Summer drink, he looked at her.
“Should I take off my shoes?”
Jessica was transfixed, nodding away. “Yes, please…”
After he bent down and took off his shoes, Leonardo walked straight toward Summer. Jessica looked at the expensive custom-made leather shoes, her jaw dropping to the floor. The boss was asking for her permission! He was not that despicable after all, she thought to herself. He was so polite and not overbearing at all. She was seriously thinking of switching camps.