"All right, I'll let you be. Have a good time over there," Debbie said.
"I will. Bye, Mom," Evelyn replied.
Debbie hung up and turned to Miranda, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her news about her granddaughter. "Piggy said she is fine. She is out having dinner."
"Did she sound happy?" Evelyn's mood was Miranda's biggest concern. She had been diagnosed with depression, after all. Everybody in the family was worried about her. They wanted her to be happy, above all.
Debbie reflected on the phone call. "She sounded relaxed. She said the food is delicious. I think she is happy, Mom," she said with a smile.
Miranda was relieved to hear that.
After Evelyn had finished talking to her mom on the phone, Sheffield bought her some steamed sweet potato with cheese.
She frowned at the smell of cheese.
He opened the foil. It was so hot that steam erupted from it. He spooned some and placed it near her lips. "Have a taste. There was a long line in front of the store. It should be delicious."
Evelyn shook her head. "I don't like it."
Sheffield was surprised. "The sweet potato or the cheese?"
"The cheese." She hated cheese.
Sheffield ate the entire thing without another word.
Evelyn had a lot of food. All snacks. Touching her huge belly, she said, "I'm stuffed."
She hadn't eaten so much in a long time.
"Are you sure? I can take you somewhere else for some staple food." Sheffield didn't think she had eaten much. He was worried that she wasn't used to these kinds of street foods.
"No, thanks. I'm too full already." She had always been strict with her diet while she was home, and took additional care with her dinners.
But now, she wasn't home. The restraints were lessened. And she was here on vacation, seeking relaxation and peace of mind. Deep down, she longed for some change of her lifestyle. And the snacks had looked too yummy to resist.
"Okay. Give me a minute." Sheffield quickly ate all the food that Evelyn couldn't finish, rinsed his mouth with some water and left the food street with her.
Next to the food street was the bar street, which came to life as night fell.
In front of the bars, young, good-looking men and women were soliciting business. Sheffield chose a quiet, fancy-looking bar and walked inside with Evelyn.
The place was dimly lit. A man was playing the guitar and singing, "I'm a thinker, never good at expressing my feelings with expressions. I am always hoping and always disappointed…"
Heads turned to Sheffield and Evelyn as they stepped into the bar.
Men stripped Evelyn with their eyes. Some even stood up from their chairs with the intention of picking her up. Sheffield could sense the carnal desire flowing out of those men's eyes. He took her hand in his to make a point. Seeing that, the men sat back.
Even though she had agreed to come to a bar with him, Evelyn was worried that he would order liquor for her. That would definitely change her opinion of him.
Luckily, he did no such thing. He put the menu in front of her and asked, "What would you like to drink?" Then, he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "The liquor in this city is shoddy and the wine is likely to be counterfeit. Beer would be the best option. We can also order a fruit platter and some nuts. When we are back in Y City, you can have whatever drink you like."
Beer was okay with her. So, she nodded. "Beer is fine."
Sheffield ordered a few beers. After taking their order, the waiter turned to leave. But Sheffield called out to him, "And a fruit tea, please."
"Yes, sir."
Evelyn was confused. "Fruit tea? I thought we were having beer."
Nodding his head to the music, Sheffield explained, "It's for you. You said you were stuffed. Beer will only make it worse. The beer is for me."
She sighed and turned to the singer without saying anything.
"You seldom come to this kind of place?" he probed.
She nodded. "I have only gone to bars a few times while I was in Y City; same in America." She didn't like bars and their atmosphere.
Sheffield had guessed it right. "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"
"To pick tea leaves or go to the border." A small town in D City adjoined A Country and Q Country. It was well-known for its beautiful view.
"The border is a dangerous area." Sheffield sounded hesitant. After giving it some thought, he continued, "But if you want to go, I'll go with you."
"Don't you have to be with your colleagues?"
At this point, the waiter served the plate of nuts they had ordered. Sheffield pushed it towards Evelyn. "They're boring. You're more fun to be with."
He was being sincere, but Evelyn thought he was flattering her.
"Tayson can keep me company. You should be with your colleagues."
Sheffield was peeling the macadamia nuts for her. He stopped and his eyes dimmed. "Are you tired of me already?"
That was not what she had meant. But she nodded, "Yes." He wasn't upset.
"It's okay, I have super thick skin. I won't leave you even if you really are sick of me."
"Is this how you always chase women?"
"I have never chased any woman. They chase me." His tone dripped with arrogance. He handed her the peeled nuts. "This is my first time pursuing a woman. I'm a greenhorn at this kind of thing. So, if I'm doing something wrong, please forgive me."
"Do you really expect me to buy that?" She wasn't born yesterday. Everything he did told her that he was an experienced man in this regard.
Sheffield smiled. "You will believe me some day."
The fruit platter and the tea were served soon after.
Sheffield rose from his chair and said, "Excuse me for a minute. Be right back. You go ahead and have some fruits."
"Where are you going?" she asked in a hurry.
He chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not leaving you."
Evelyn blushed. "I wish you were."
After he left, she took a deep breath to steady her racing heart.
In less than two minutes, the singer finished his piece and got off the stage. A moment of silence followed, but it was soon broken by sudden screams. "Wow! He is so handsome!"
"Is he the new singer?"
"He is so hot!"
Evelyn heard the screams, but her mind was on Sheffield and she didn't pay attention to what was going on on the stage.
Then a familiar voice said, "This song is dedicated to my Evelina." There was no response from the woman. "Evelina… Please look at me!"
he said in such a sad, pleading tone that the screams turned into a fit of laughter instantly. The customers' eyes followed Sheffield's gaze and landed on Evelyn.
It was only then that she realized he was talking to her. She stared at him in disbelief.
She hadn't gotten used to her false name yet. She had thought that some other man was dedicating a song to his girlfriend.
Evelyn was so beautiful that the people around her couldn't take their eyes off of her anymore. Some men even bought her drinks.
A woman's male friend ordered a drink for Evelyn. No doubt that she got jealous. "She is that hot guy's girlfriend. They walked in hand in hand. You're wasting your money."
The man didn't care. "I'm not wasting money. It's an honor to buy a drink for a beautiful woman like her."
