Chapter 1115 Clearly Sharp and Sarcastic
Elowen shot her a sideways look and teased, "Why you talkin' like Alfred's the best thing since sliced bread? You sure he's just a friend?"
Samantha sighed, "I regret it."
"Regret what?"
"Regret saying yes to this camping trip. It's not just a physical workout, it's a mental marathon too."
"How's it a mental marathon?" Thalassa asked, curious.
Samantha replied, "You gotta be on your toes all the time, outsmarting and outwitting folks. Isn't that exhausting?"
She was talking about her back-and-forths with Elowen. Everyone cracked up.
The barbecue stand was the park's main attraction. Alfred and his crew got there early and snagged a spot. Before long, all the stands were taken.
They hit up the sales area and bought a ton of ingredients. The guys grilled while the girls snapped pics, working like a well-oiled machine.
"Samantha, didn't you say your cousin was coming? Where's he at?" Alfred had mentioned Ryan was a looker, and Lykke was curious to see just how good-looking he was.
Samantha said, "He just texted, he's almost here."
Right then, Ryan's voice called out from a distance. "Samantha, Alfred."
Samantha looked up and saw Ryan heading their way.
Ryan was rocking white casual wear, showing off his tall, lean frame. His eyes sparkled with a natural charm.
"My cousin's here." Samantha waved him over. "Ryan."
Lykke checked Ryan out, thinking, 'He looks good. But a guy like that? Total chick magnet. Ryan's gotta be a player, not my type at all. Alfred was just hyping him up to keep his word.'
"Ryan, let me introduce you to everyone." Samantha did the honors.
Ryan greeted everyone and then plopped down next to Samantha.
Seeing the table loaded with barbecue, Ryan grinned. "Showing up late has its perks. Perfect timing."
Ryan was starving, and the smell of the food made his stomach growl.
Lykke saw Ryan about to dig in and said, "Enjoying the fruits of others' labor, huh?"
Ryan paused and glanced at Lykke.
He'd met her once before. Back then, Lykke and Alfred had a date at Gourmet Restaurant, and he knew she was being used by Alfred to get under Samantha's skin. Her sharp words now made him wonder if she was onto the truth and pissed.
Ryan pulled his hand back and smiled. "You're right. Gotta have some self-respect and not take what's not yours. Alfred, let me give you a hand!"
He got up and headed to the barbecue stand.
Lykke watched him go, mulling over his words. 'One should have self-respect and not take what doesn't belong to them. Is Ryan throwing shade, telling me not to chase after Alfred? He's got a sharp tongue.'
At the barbecue stand, the guys were busy grilling. Alfred looked at Ryan and remembered his promise to Lykke. "Ryan, tonight everyone's pairing up. How about you team up with Lykke?"
Ryan raised an eyebrow, glanced at Lykke chatting with her friends, and joked, "Isn't she here to hang with you? You should pair up with her, and I'll team up with Samantha."
Alfred knew Ryan was kidding and said, "You know how I feel. Just do me a solid and keep her busy."
Ryan smirked, "You mean, act like I'm into her so she focuses on me instead?"
"Yeah. You've got more charm than I do; you can definitely handle her." Alfred looked a bit guilty, but he owed Lykke.
Ryan was flattered by the compliment. "Alright, even though Lykke isn't my type, you're my buddy. I'll sacrifice my good looks to help you out."
"Thanks, man."
Now, it was up to Lykke and Ryan to see if they clicked.
The Woodhouse family was loaded, and Ryan had been spoiled since he was a kid, always having people to cater to his needs. So he could only critique food, not make it.
To fake falling for Lykke, Ryan started grilling under Alfred's guidance. Soon, he had a few skewers ready.
Seeing Lykke alone at the barbecue stand, Ryan walked over with the skewers. "Wanna try my cooking?"
Lykke was playing on her phone and looked up at Ryan. "For me?"
She thought, 'We aren't that close, right? Why would Ryan offer me his barbecue?'
"Yeah, I've never done this kind of thing before. Wanna give it a shot?" Ryan smiled and handed a skewer to Lykke.
Lykke hesitated but took the skewer, saying, "Do you get friendly with everyone this fast?"
That didn't sound like a compliment. Ryan smiled. "Only with people I'm interested in." It meant he was interested in her. Lykke looked at Ryan. "You're Samantha's cousin, right?"
Ryan said, "Yeah, we're pretty tight."
Lykke nodded. "Then you should thank Samantha."
Ryan was puzzled. "Thank her for what?"
"If it weren't for her, I might have cursed you out right now."
Ryan was speechless. He thought Lykke would thank Samantha for introducing them. But she said she would have cursed him. Clearly, she didn't like him.
Ryan looked intrigued. "Why?"
Lykke said, "Do you know what animal I hate the most? A self-righteous, smart-aleck peacock!"
Ryan thought, 'Lykke is calling me arrogant. How does she come to that conclusion? Just because I offered her food?'
Ryan wasn't mad and joked, "This might be the harshest insult a peacock has ever received."
Lykke ignored him and started eating the skewer.
Ryan sat beside her, watching with interest. Originally, he had agreed to pretend to pursue Lykke for Alfred, but after talking to her, he found her quite interesting.
He was handsome, and many girls wanted to be with him. But besides Samantha, no girl had ever caught his eye. Lykke was different. "Lykke, just a heads-up, don't be short-sighted."
Lykke took a sip of juice and said, "I'm a simple-minded athlete."
Ryan realized Lykke wanted him to dislike her and got even more interested.
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