Chapter 419 Mr. Harriman Doesn't Like Eating Pasta
They were supposed to meet up in the evening, but she was still stuck at the Harriman Group by noon.
Gabriel hit her up, "Hey, you hungry? Need some grub?"
"Nah. My agent and the crew are still chillin' in the car downstairs." She said, heading out of the office and dialing up Zoey.
When Zoey picked up, she asked if they were hungry and wanted to grab a bite nearby.
Zoey shot back, "We just ate. Lynn hooked us up. We figured you'd be eating with Mr. Harriman, so we didn't wait for you!"
Jessica paused, thought for a sec, and then strolled back into the CEO's office.
Gabriel heard her coming back and turned to look at her.
Jessica was holding a hat, not wearing it yet, her long hair just hanging loose. She glanced his way, clearly trying to get used to their new vibe.
After two years apart, Jessica made the first move, "They've already eaten. Let's grab something."
She checked the time on her phone, "But it's already 12:30. I know you're swamped on Friday afternoons. Going out might be a hassle. No need to go out of your way. Let's just hit up your company's cafeteria."
She was curious about the Harriman Group's cafeteria food. This big-shot company was famous for its killer employee perks, and she heard their cafeteria food was better than a lot of restaurants. Since she was here, she wanted to check it out.
Gabriel always seemed to grant her wishes, whether it was two years ago or now.
When they rolled into the Harriman Group's cafeteria, it was almost 1 PM. Most folks had already eaten and bounced back to their offices. After 1 PM, it was back to the grind.
So, only a few bigwigs were still munching in the cafeteria, with most employees already gone.
Jessica had expected the cafeteria to be like a college dining hall, but it was more like a fancy restaurant, just way bigger, fitting thousands of people. There were long tables and small round tables, with super comfy seating, making it feel more upscale than a fancy restaurant.
The dining area was split into sections for served meals and self-service, with tons of options.
Even though most employees had finished eating, the chefs were still on duty since execs often ate at this time.
Seeing Mr. Harriman in the cafeteria and recognizing Jessica from the media, the staff were buzzing. The news had already blown up on social media that morning, so even the busy chefs had heard about it. Their presence caused quite a stir.
Of course, the excitement was low-key, since Mr. Harriman was right there. Employees exchanged curious and surprised looks.
Mr. Harriman had just dropped the bomb about his marriage, and now he was bringing Mrs. Harriman to the cafeteria. Were they here to try it out, or were the nearby restaurants not cutting it?
Gabriel headed over to the self-service area. The execs nearby quickly stood up, not expecting to see their boss in the cafeteria. They greeted him with a respectful, "Hey, Mr. Harriman."
"Hey."
Gabriel, usually all business and no smiles, rarely showed any emotion at work. The execs might catch a glimpse of him in meetings, but chatting with him? Almost never. Their greeting was more out of respect, not expecting a reply.
But to their surprise, Gabriel actually responded with a "Hey."
He seemed to be in a good mood.
Seeing Mr. Harriman with Mrs. Harriman, the execs exchanged excited and nervous glances, sneaking peeks at the couple.
Jessica wandered around the cafeteria and ended up at the cooking station, ordering a bowl of freshly made beef pasta.
She turned to Gabriel, "Want some pasta?"
Gabriel glanced at it but didn't say anything, grabbing a sandwich instead. Seeing she'd have to wait a bit, he headed to the coffee machine nearby.
The chef cooking the pasta quietly said, "Mrs. Harriman, Mr. Harriman doesn't like pasta."
Even though Gabriel rarely ate in the cafeteria, his assistant often grabbed food for him, so the chefs knew his preferences. It was no secret Gabriel wasn't a pasta fan.
Jessica looked at the chef, surprised. Gabriel doesn't like pasta?
Then why did he seem to love the simple egg pasta she made?
Jessica was puzzled but didn't press the chef. When her pasta was ready, she thanked the chef, grabbed her tray, and turned to see Gabriel coming back with a cup of coffee.
They found a nearby round table to sit at. Since they were already there, they didn't avoid the other execs eating nearby. After all, there were only a few people in the cafeteria at this time.
Jessica took a bite of the pasta, finding it delicious. She looked at Gabriel, who was clearly used to the company's cafeteria food, and said, "This is even better than the pasta place near my place. Did your company steal the chefs from other restaurants?"
"Maybe, but I don't handle that. If you're really curious, you can ask Wayne." Gabriel placed a plate of fruit in front of her.
He had a cup of instant coffee, not the fancy, rich stuff he usually drank in the office. Sitting here, he didn't seem picky.
After a few bites of pasta, Jessica looked at Gabriel and finally asked, "They said you don't like pasta. So why did you seem to love the one I made?"
Gabriel looked at her curious eyes and answered without hesitation, "Because you made it."
"Really?" Jessica raised an eyebrow, "I remember you also liked the porridge I made, which had no flavor. Was that also because I made it?"
"Of course," Gabriel calmly added, "Even your plain boiled water tastes great."
She had intended to tease him, but ended up being the one teased.
Jessica lowered her head to eat her pasta, pretending she hadn't said anything.
