The two settled on a time and place.
When she hung up, Cherry ran in. She stared at her all wide-eyed and asked, “Mommy, are you really taking me to have lunch with Daddy tomorrow?”
Nora rubbed her head and said calmly, “You have classes tomorrow, so how am I going to take you out for lunch?”
“…” Cherry hung her head dejectedly. “I knew it!”
A mischievous look flashed across Nora’s eyes.
Pete went to the Quinn School of Martial Arts every Tuesday and Friday. Apart from those two days, he spent the rest of the time studying at home. She hadn’t seen her son for three days.
The next day, Nora sent Cherry to the kindergarten.
She stopped the car at the roadside as usual. Then, she took Cherry’s hand and led her to the door where a teacher was waiting.
Cherry was wearing a school uniform that the kindergarten had custom-made and carrying a big schoolbag. She looked extremely adorable.
The teacher greeted them. “Are you Cheryl Smith? You’re in Class A. I’m your teacher. Shall I bring you in?”
Cherry was about to run in when Nora held her shoulder. Nora said, “I’ll say a few words to her first, Miss.”
The teacher nodded. She was already accustomed to this.
Parents were generally reluctant to part with their children the first time they sent them to kindergarten, and would say things like “Tell the teacher if someone bullies you”, “Don’t cry. Mommy will pick you up on time”, and so on.
The thought had only just formed when she saw the woman in front of her coolly instruct, “Don’t bully the kids, don’t pretend to cry, and don’t bully the teachers. Do you hear me?”
The teacher was bewildered.
When she looked again, the little girl, who was happy and excited just now, had straightened her back. She grinned and said, “Cherry will take good care of the teachers and the other kiddies, Mommy. Don’t worry!”
The teacher felt a chill go down her back. Suddenly, she wondered to herself, ‘What if that newly-enrolled little girl’s no little princess but a little devil instead?’
Nora watched as Cherry, whose hand the teacher was holding, hopped and skipped into the kindergarten. Before they even went through the school building’s entrance, Cherry said something which made the teacher laugh. She picked her up straight away and brought her to the classroom.
Nora was rendered speechless.
The little fellow sure was capable of getting along with everyone.
After dropping her child off, a relaxed Nora stretched and looked at the time. When she saw that it was still early, she decided to go back home and take a nap.
At 11 am, she finally woke up lazily and got ready to head to the restaurant where she was meeting Justin.
Before she left, Melissa stopped her and said, “There’s a dance party in a few days, Nora. I’m thinking of taking you there to meet more people…”
Nora answered casually, “Sure.”
She left right after that.
Melissa, however, looked hesitant.
Simon asked, “What’s wrong?”
Melissa sighed. “A lot of people will be attending the dance party. I’m afraid Nora doesn’t know how to dance…”
Simon was a man, so he wasn’t concerned about as many things as her. He said, “Just don’t dance then. We’re just going there to socialize anyway.”
Melissa stared at him speechlessly for a moment. If she didn’t dance at a dance party… Others would only think that Nora wasn’t fit to be seen in public!
Besides, all the ladies of wealthy families were skilled at song and dance, and had no lack of talent. Nora was so pretty; there was no doubt that they would make things difficult for her there.
Worried, she picked up the phone and said, “I’ll call Sheril’s dance teacher and have her give Nora a crash course! At the very least, she should master the waltz first.”
—
Justin had picked the restaurant. After all, New York was his turf.
After turning several corners in a small alley according to the address he gave her, Nora finally saw a courtyard. There was only a small sign at the entrance.
If she hadn’t seen the house number, she would probably have never noticed that the place was a restaurant.
The exterior was decorated with blue bricks while the interior was a whole different world on its own.
Past the entrance was a pathway paved with tiles that exuded a rich classical flavor. There was a fountain at the front, and meticulously maintained bushes lined both sides, making it look like a garden in a palace. The decor was very exquisite.
Nora followed the service staff into the private room.
She had arrived ten minutes early, so she thought that there was no one inside yet. However, when she pushed the door open, she instead saw a tall figure seated at a table in the room.
The man, whose long legs were crossed, wore a black suit. An elegant landscape painting was hanging on the wall behind him, and he was drinking from a coffee cup.
The man didn’t appear to be out of place at all even in a room as full of classical flavor as this.
His skin was fair, and the beauty mark at the corner of his eye was alluring and charming. It was as if he had merged with the decor around him, making him seem like a princely young man from olden times.
At the sight of Nora, the man placed the coffee cup down gracefully. He glanced behind her before he gestured to the seat opposite him and motioned her to take a seat. He asked, “Where’s your daughter, Miss Smith?”
“Oh, she has classes.” An unabashed Nora said without batting even an eyelid. She sat down across from him and asked, “Where’s your son, Mr. Hunt?”
There was a smile in Justin’s deep-set eyes as he said, “He has classes, too.”
“…”
Had she known her son wasn’t coming, she might as well have stayed home and slept!
That scumbag!
Nora dissed him silently. She picked up the coffee cup that was just served to her and took a sip. The coffee was very rich and fragrant—it was Geisha coffee. On top of that, it seemed like Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha coffee?
The coffee required unique cultivating conditions, and only a certain amount was grown every year.
She didn’t think that a humble little restaurant like this would actually have it and even serve it to guests.
Unfortunately, in her eyes, good food and good drinks weren’t as practical as a night’s sleep.
Justin found himself amused at the sight of her finishing the coffee in one gulp as though someone didn’t know how to appreciate it. He asked dispassionately, “Miss Smith seems particularly concerned about my son?”
Nora lowered her eyes and replied, “Yes. After all, Pete is smart, cute, and lovable.”
Dim light flickered in Justin’s eyes when he heard her reply.
The look in his dark eyes was unreadable. It was hard to tell whether he believed her or not.
The service staff knocked on the door at this point and started to serve the food.
The food portion was small but exquisite and varied.
To foodies, it was a great option.
However, to Nora… This was too troublesome!
A single dish wasn’t even enough to fill up her mouth. She could’ve filled her tummy with just a few bites, but in the end, she was forced to spend several times longer than usual to eat.
She felt very frustrated.
She could usually fill her tummy in two minutes, but ten minutes had already passed and yet she still wasn’t full.
Nora glanced at the man—he was eating slowly and elegantly. She couldn’t help but think that he was doing this on purpose.
Ah, well.
She wasn’t really here to eat anyway.
Nora suddenly spoke. She said, “It’s so boring, Mr. Hunt. Why don’t we play a game?”
Justin asked, “What kind of game?”
Nora’s lips curled into a smile. She picked up a wine bottle from the side and replied, “Truth or dare.”
She spun the bottle.
Justin, however, reached out and pressed the bottle down gently. He looked at her with a faint smile in his eyes and said, “You can just ask whatever you want to, Miss Smith.”
That woman sure was doing everything possible to get to know him better.
As soon as the thought formed, he heard the woman ask, “How did you and Pete’s mother come to have him, Mr. Hunt?”
