Chapter 155 Blind Date
I was also caught off guard by what Nathan said, but I wasn't as surprised as Katniss. No wonder Nathan has been acting like he has something on his mind these days, turns out he's been thinking about this issue all along. I believe Nathan must have thought long and hard before making this decision. The most important reason is because of his relationship with Katniss, maybe he's also afraid. By finding a partner, he can completely solve this problem. With a partner, he can rebuild a new family with someone else, thereby forcing himself to cut off the ambiguous relationship with Katniss. At the same time, finding another woman can also lessen his love for Katniss and shift his focus. In short, everything is because of this relationship with Katniss. It's never too late to mend the fold sheep, so it's best to act before things become unsolvable.
"Dad, are you serious?" I couldn't help but ask Nathan, seeking confirmation.
"Of course, I just explained the reasons. This time, I'm serious. Just fulfill Dad's wish." Nathan took a big sip of wine, indicating that this request wasn't as willingly made by him as it seemed.
"Alright, Katniss and I will look for someone for you. If we find a suitable match, we'll introduce her to you." I couldn't make a decision right now, as I didn't have enough time to consider. I had to agree first and then decide later.
After Nathan mentioned this request, Katniss, who was lively just a moment ago, noticeably became quieter, with a hint of melancholy in her eyes that she was trying hard to conceal. After dinner, Katniss and I lay in bed playing with our phones. However, Katniss seemed distracted, scrolling through her phone quickly, perhaps not really focusing on it at that moment.
"Wife, what do you think about helping Dad find a partner?" I casually asked while playing with my phone, but my eyes were always on Katniss, observing her every move.
"Dad is getting old, we must fulfill his request and give him happiness in his later years." After hearing my words, Katniss, who was scrolling through her phone, paused for a moment but quickly resumed. However, before speaking, she subtly took a deep breath, and from her tone, it was clear she lacked confidence in what she was saying.
"In that case, let's help Dad find someone, gather more information." Since things had progressed to this point, it was best to go with the flow. If this led to Katniss and Nathan cutting off their ambiguous relationship and Nathan finding a suitable partner, it would ultimately be a good thing.
After playing on our phones for a while, we turned off the lights to sleep. However, both Katniss and I had concerns about Nathan finding a partner, and perhaps neither of us could fall asleep. Katniss tossed and turned almost all night, while I remained relatively calm in comparison.
The next day, the three of us all woke up with dark circles under our eyes, indicating that it wasn't just me and Katniss who hadn't slept well, but Nathan as well. After breakfast, I went to work at the company and posted on my colleagues' Facebook about the requirement to find single women over 50. Looks didn't matter, but character was essential – they had to be stable, know how to live, and be thrifty. When my colleagues and friends heard that I was helping single Nathan Montagu find a partner, they couldn't help but praise me for being filial, and so on. This small act also earned me a good reputation.
It's worth mentioning that news about finding a partner spread quickly. Just by noon, a colleague informed me that there was a woman in our company who met the requirements. We all called her Jennifer, a company janitor from a rural background. Her husband passed away from illness a few years ago, her daughter was already married, she was 52, simple and decent-looking. It was evident that she was quite beautiful when she was young in the countryside. In short, she was a perfect match for Nathan.
I oversee administrative work in the company, and janitorial services fall under my supervision. I was familiar with my subordinates, but I didn't know much about their personal lives. Before leaving work in the afternoon, I called Jennifer to my office under the guise of discussing work matters, but we actually talked about personal matters. I subtly hinted at this matter with her, without any work-related pressure. When it comes to love, older people don't have as many requirements as we do when we're young. I just had a brief conversation with Jennifer and found out that she didn't have any special requirements regarding this matter, as long as the economy could ensure a normal life. Given our current financial situation, it far exceeded her expectations. Also, I was several levels above her at work, so she was willing to meet my father. In this era of information, with the advancement of smartphones, I took a photo of Jennifer's phone and planned to show it to Nathan when I got home in the evening.
Holding Jennifer's photo, I spent the whole afternoon contemplating in my office. Things had come to this point, was I truly willing? Or was there a hint of regret, considering I had initiated everything and now had to bring it to an end. The journey to this point had been quite challenging, never did I expect it to lead to today. However, everything has a beginning and an end, and this ending is a satisfactory one, much better than any trouble that could arise. Letting go of my inner struggles and burdens, I focused on my work, waiting for the end of the workday.
In the evening, when I got back home, I showed Nathan Jennifer's photo at the dinner table. Nathan took a quick glance and readily agreed, saying he didn't have many requirements regarding looks, as long as I thought she was good, he was fine with it. Seeing Nathan's indifferent expression, I became more certain of my suspicions. When I took out Jennifer's photo for Nathan to see, Katniss, who was having dinner, couldn't help but stop chewing, looking at me and Nathan. Although she didn't show any unusual expression, her tightly gripped chopsticks betrayed her. She held the chopsticks tightly, with her knuckles turning slightly white, showing how much effort she was putting in.
"Since Dad has no objections, I'll arrange a time to invite Jennifer over for dinner at our place. It's necessary for you two to meet, after all, it's about finding a partner." Seeing Nathan's agreement, I put away my phone and said to Nathan.
"Sure, you can arrange it for me. Also, if I'm with Jennifer, I plan to move out."
"Why do you have to move out? Isn't it good to live with us? You can cook for me and Katniss." Nathan was getting older, and I was genuinely worried if he moved out. Besides, if Nathan moved out, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was kicking him out of the house.
"If you want me to be happy, agree to let me move out. After all, the environment I desire is different from yours. You must live in a bustling city, while I prefer a quiet and elegant country life. Arrange a rural residence for me, it won't cost much for a house in the countryside." Nathan said indifferently, but in his eyes, I could still see a hint of bitterness. Just like the emotions in Katniss's eyes, there was a sense of reluctance towards me, towards Simon, and most of all, towards Katniss, his physical lover.
Katniss gave him true love, and I believe Nathan's deep love for Katniss was something my mother never experienced. After all, Katniss's appearance, education, and cultural knowledge far surpassed what my mother had in her lifetime. Katniss's physical and sexual charm was unmatched, but all of this was coming to an end. For Nathan and Katniss, it might take a long time for both of them to adapt, and perhaps only they knew the inner pain. Katniss was also filled with reluctance, but besides the affirmation in terms of physical love, was there any love for Nathan in her heart? I couldn't understand all of this. As everything was about to end, there was no point in dwelling on these matters anymore.
The next day, while I was at work, I conveyed Nathan's desire to meet Jennifer to her. She decided to discuss it with her daughter Emily before giving me an answer, as her only close relative was her daughter, and such matters required Emily's consent. It must be said that once you decide to do something thoroughly, some things develop more smoothly than you imagine. After obtaining Emily's approval, we decided to arrange for the two of them to meet that evening. Since it was their first meeting, we decided not to have Jennifer come to my house.
I booked a restaurant and informed Nathan. It was much more convenient for Jennifer this way. When it was time to leave work in the evening, I took her directly to the restaurant, and Jennifer's daughter also came along. With everything arranged, I called Katniss, informing her of the time and location.
"Wife, everything is set. Tonight, Nathan and Jennifer will meet at The Maple Diner, and her daughter will also be there. At 6 o'clock tonight, just take a taxi to The Maple Diner after you finish work." Everything was going relatively smoothly, and my conflicted feelings were somewhat relieved. I tried not to let my mind wander aimlessly to avoid affecting my current decisions. Since this ending was perfect, I decided to proceed according to this conclusion.
"Okay." When Katniss heard that everything was arranged so quickly, her first response sounded surprisingly taken aback, showing a hint of astonishment. After a long pause, she finally responded, highlighting her inner turmoil. Although Katniss had been concealing it all this time, her sense of loss was still evident. However, the proportions of her loss, reluctance, jealousy, and nostalgia, I couldn't determine.
After hanging up the phone, I waited for the end of the workday. Normal cleaning staff worked later than us, as it was more convenient to wait until everyone had left before cleaning. As a senior company leader, I arranged for Jennifer to leave work early. Emily had also arrived at the company early, and I placed them in my office. Jennifer's daughter was just an ordinary urban white-collar worker, with a much lower social status than me. Although we were both children of the elderly, she seemed a bit reserved when facing me, given the difference in our status. As I sat at my desk working, Emily looked at me with envy in her eyes, which satisfied my vanity a bit.
Finally, when the end of the workday arrived, I led Jennifer and her daughter out of the office building, hailed a cab, and headed to the restaurant we had booked. However, while in the taxi, my phone suddenly rang. I picked it up without much thought, and it was Katniss calling.
"Honey, I feel a bit unnecessary going there. I won't come tonight. Let Nathan and Jennifer, you and Jennifer's daughter talk. I don't need to be there. I'll just go home and have something to eat. I feel a bit tired." After answering the phone, Katniss's voice sounded quite low, tired, and anyone who didn't know the situation might think she was just tired from work. But I knew that Katniss was tired not because of work, but because she couldn't face all of this.
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