Chapter 244 A Thrice-Married Man Has No Market
Nathaniel decided to grow a thick skin.
When faced with the choice between his pride and Aurelia, he mentally weighed his options.
If he was gonna win her back, he wasn't about to throw in the towel over a little bump in the road; quitting just wasn't his thing.
Caleb followed the address his assistant gave him and led Aurelia into the private room.
Nathaniel trailed behind and plopped down next to Aurelia.
The waiter brought over three menus, and they started to order.
Caleb said, "I'll take the Texas BBQ."
Nathaniel grinned, "Aurelia's into seafood. Let's get the grilled South American shrimp."
Caleb shot back, "Shrimp's too basic. Their Wagyu beef is the real deal!"
Nathaniel added, "Doesn't matter how fancy the dish is, it's gotta be shared with someone special. Let's get the black pepper sauce; that's Aurelia's fave."
Aurelia held the menu, barely getting a word in as the two guys ordered a ton of dishes.
The waiter kindly reminded them, "Sir, if it's just the three of you, you've already ordered plenty. Need anything else?"
Nathaniel glanced at Caleb and chuckled, acting like money was no object, "Mr. Sinclair, you don't treat often, so let's go all out. Bring us one of each of your signature dishes."
Caleb suddenly closed his menu and looked up, realizing Nathaniel was here to mooch. He sneered and told the waiter, "Do what he says. It's just a meal; I'm not the kind of guy who auctions off his wife's jewelry!"
Aurelia, watching these two grown men act like kids, finally spoke up, "Hey, I'll just have a BBQ sandwich."
The waiter smiled and nodded, putting away the menus and leaving.
Aurelia played on her phone out of boredom, feeling the tension in the air. Sitting between these two and listening to their snarky comments, she had no desire to talk.
She opened Facebook and scrolled through messages from a few days ago.
Seeing a post from the "client," who was actually Nathaniel, she had added earlier, her eyes lit up. She clicked on the picture of a brand-new Bugatti, her dream car.
Then she noticed the "client"'s profile picture had changed from black to white.
She didn't think much of it and kept scrolling.
While waiting for the food, Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, casually draping an arm over the back of Aurelia's chair, which greatly displeased Caleb.
Caleb suggested, "Aurelia, wanna switch seats with me? You're right under the air vent; you might catch a cold."
"Sure." Aurelia got the hint; she didn't want to sit next to Nathaniel either.
She stood up and switched seats with Caleb, who now sat in the middle, feeling smug. As long as Nathaniel wasn't next to Aurelia, he could deal with sitting next to him.
Nathaniel was irked hearing Caleb call her Aurelia so casually. Not long ago, she had told him in the office to call her Anne.
She didn't bat an eye when Caleb call her Aurelia.
'Is this a double standard?' he thought.
Nathaniel, seeing Caleb next to him, pulled his arm back in annoyance and placed it on the table.
The waiter started bringing out the dishes.
Nathaniel picked up a piece of grilled fish and put it on Aurelia's plate, saying sweetly, "Aurelia, eat more fish; it's good for your eyes."
Caleb placed a piece of Wagyu beef in Aurelia's bowl, saying warmly, "Aurelia, have some dessert to cheer up. Don't let some annoying people ruin your mood."
Nathaniel picked up a shrimp, saying, "Aurelia, you should eat more shrimp; it's good for your health."
Within minutes, Aurelia's plate overflowed with food. Watching these two guys compete, she suddenly lost her appetite.
The meal dragged on for an hour, and Aurelia only managed to eat two sandwich wraps, spending the rest of the time watching them bicker.
Finally, the annoying meal ended.
Caleb called the waiter to settle the bill.
Nathaniel glanced over and cautiously asked, "Aurelia, can you come with me for a sec? I got something for you in the car."
Aurelia replied coolly, "I don't accept gifts without reason, Mr. Heilbronn. Save it for your wife; it's not appropriate for me."
Nathaniel was left speechless. In front of Caleb and the waiter, he couldn't push it further and had to back off for now.
After leaving the restaurant, the three walked down the street and headed back to the Anne Studio building.
Aurelia stopped and said, "You two go on; I need to get back to work."
Nathaniel's car was parked nearby. He glanced towards the parking area and asked again, "Are you sure you don't want to come over? I have something for you that I've kept in my safe for over four years."
Aurelia cracked a fake smile and said, "Something from four years ago is even less appropriate for me. Keep it for yourself, Mr. Heilbronn."
With that, she turned and entered the office building, leaving the two men outside in the sun.
Aurelia returned to her office and called Aurora, "Distribute these flowers to everyone."
Aurora, with a curious expression, asked, "Anne, which flowers should we distribute? You don't like either?"
Aurelia rubbed her temples, saying with a bit of helplessness, "Take them all out."
Aurora agreed and carried the two bouquets out.
The office quieted down, and Aurelia received a notification on her phone. She opened Facebook to see a message from a client. As she was about to exit Facebook, she noticed the client she had added a few days ago had changed their status to, 'My world is either black or white.'
She collected herself, turned off her phone, and buried herself in work.
Downstairs, Caleb and Nathaniel still hadn't left.
By some coincidence, their cars were parked in adjacent spots.
Each sat in his car, windows down, neither starting their engines.
Nathaniel, holding a cigarette between his fingers, elbow resting on the window, raised his voice for Caleb to hear. "Mr. Sinclair, you seem to have a lot of free time, taking my wife out for lunch on a workday. Aren't you worried about indigestion?"
Caleb, who didn't smoke, quickly popped two pieces of gum into his mouth and smiled nonchalantly, "Mr. Heilbronn, you seem to be forgetting your place. You're just her ex-husband now. Do you know what that means? You two are over. A thrice-divorced man like you shouldn't expect much anymore. If a woman shows interest in you, you should graciously accept it and cease indulging in impossible fantasies."
Nathaniel took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled a ring of smoke, saying, "At least, it proves I'm her type. That's an inherent advantage. You, on the other hand, have never been her type. Stop wasting your time and focus on growing your company."
Caleb chuckled, "So what? Don't overestimate yourself. I won't give up."
With that, he stepped on the gas and drove off.
Nathaniel lit another cigarette, frustrated that he hadn't been able to give his gift. He sat in his car until the afternoon.
"Well, I'll come back next Monday," he thought.
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