Chapter 125 Appearances Everywhere
Back at her desk, Willow's colleague Dawn, who was still working on their project, noticed her and asked her to join them for lunch.
"Willow, let's grab some lunch. I found a new place last week when you were away on business. Their pickled cabbage fish is out of this world. I'm splurging today to treat you there." A coworker pitched with a nudge.
"Sure, I haven't had a good pickled cabbage fish in forever. The last time was at my sister's. Oh, how I miss it." Willow Nelson reminisced, longing for another taste of that homey dish. She contemplated crashing at her friend Matthew's place just for a meal, but his icy demeanor always dampened her enthusiasm.
In the end, nothing beats the value of simply being alive.
The two of them walked arm in arm as they took the elevator down and strolled to the nearby restaurant.
As soon as they'd settled at their table, Willow caught her colleague, Dawn, making a funny face across from her.
"Something wrong with your eyes?" Willow joked with a laugh.
"Psst, look over there, in that corner. Isn't that our President Jonah?" Dawn whispered.
Willow noticed the suggestion and glanced over to see Mitchell with a young woman a few tables away. It was the same girl he had been with at the mall the day before. They had discussed her as a potential match for her brother in private, and now she had just called him to join her for lunch on the stairway.
Just as they had speculated, the two seemed comfortable together, possibly hinting at mutual interest.
Willow sneaked a glance and then redirected her attention to the menu while Dawn buzzed with chatter. It wasn't every day one stumbled upon juicy news about their boss at a lunch spot.
Indeed, who would have thought? If only she had known, she would have skipped the fish today. It was amusing how some claimed to dislike certain foods, only to yield in the right company.
"Willow, it's my first time seeing President Jonah having lunch with a woman. Do you think she's his girlfriend? They seem well-matched," Dawn mused aloud.
"Yeah, they do seem well-matched," Willow replied, her eyes on the colorful dishes on the menu but suddenly without an appetite.
"Wow, this is the closest I've ever been to the big boss. To think he likes pickled cabbage fish too."
"He doesn't like it," Willow blurted out unthinkingly.
"How would you know?" Dawn's curious gaze made Willow a tad nervous, her smile revealing her gossip-hungry mind.
"I just guessed." Willow backtracked clumsily.
"Why come here then?" Dawn genuinely thought the boss shared their taste for pickled cabbage fish, which, in her mind, brought her a step closer to understanding the enigmatic leader.
"Maybe it's what others like," muttered Willow Nelson, her head buried in the menu.
"What?"
"Nothing, let's just order already. We'll run out of time if we don't hurry up. Pick something, quick."
Willow slid the menu across the table.
"Let me take care of it. You're going to love it," said Chad Morning as he grabbed the menu and started scribbling down choices. In no time, he had everything picked out.
The lunch crowd was thin, so the dishes came out promptly.
Chad had ordered a mix of house specialties. Pickled cabbage fish, crispy pork bites, cheese balls, boneless chicken feet, and a dessert to finish.
"Isn't this too much? There's no way we can finish it all."
"Nah, it's not too much. I rarely get to treat you, and it's about time I return the favor for all the free meals I've mooched off you." He laughed heartily.
Willow Nelson smiled coyly, "All right, I owe you one. I'll take you out for a feast next time."
Once served, they ate earnestly, paying no further attention to Mitchell's whereabouts. They hadn't even noticed when he left.
Perhaps the pickled cabbage fish was just that delicious—it wasn't that she deliberately ignored him. She was engrossed in her meal.
Chad went to the restroom, and Willow waited outside, looking around. Surprisingly, she saw Mitchell and a blushing young woman getting into his car parked by the roadside. Mitchell opened the door for her, and they both got in and drove away together.
Someone tapped her shoulder from behind. "What luck today, huh? We can't help but bump into President Jonah wherever we look. It looks like he's dropping off his girlfriend after lunch."
Chad was never one for subtleties. She had also seen the two drive away.
"Right? We never get this lucky at the office."
"Tell me about it. Normally, we'd be lucky to see him once a week, but today, twice during one meal."
Willow didn't respond, "Let's go. We can't be late."
"On it."
Side by side, they walked back to the office.
They returned just in time for the afternoon shift. Willow was immersed in her work for the whole afternoon until a Facebook notification from Daniel reminded her that the day was almost over.
Time always flies when you're busy.
"Willow, leave on time. I'll head out first and meet you at the school's back gate," messaged Daniel.
"Got it."
As quitting time approached, Willow packed up her things five minutes early. At 5:30 sharp, she shut down her computer, grabbed her bag, and was ready to leave.
The project manager happened to walk by, chuckling as he saw her with her bag and computer off, "In such a rush, got a hot date or something?"
Willow Nelson was about to retort when she turned around and spotted Mitchell behind the project manager. Her words got caught in her throat. For some reason, she had run into him more times than she could count today, as if they were cosmically linked. She forced a smile and said, "Yeah, I gotta dash, boss, or I'll be late."
Then, she bolted toward the elevator.
Mitchell watched her retreat, baffled that she had seen him yet had said nothing, especially after overheard her mention that she had a date. His gaze grew heavier at the thought.
By the time Willow arrived at the university's back entrance, Daniel was already there, holding two cups of iced coffee, waiting.
"You're early today. Didn't you have to be on set?" Willow asked as she approached, playfully slapping Daniel on the shoulder.
"You scared me," Daniel said, turning around and patting his chest.
"You didn't answer. Why are you so early?"
"Playing hooky!"
The two, each nursing an iced coffee, made their way to the barbecue joint, teasing each other as they walked.
The BBQ spot only opened in the evening, and they arrived just as it was starting up. Willow had been coming here since she was a student, continuing the tradition even after graduating.
The owner's wife recognized her. They sat at a table, ordered food, and as dusk fell, students filled the place. Surrounded by youthful faces, Willow and Daniel felt like they were back in college.
They were happily munching on kebabs and chatting when an unexpected underclassman approached, asking for her Facebook.
“Hey, can I add you on Facebook?” The sunny boy sporting a bright smile was evidently a junior from her alma mater.
Holding a skewer, she paused, caught off guard.
‘Were first-year students really so bold these days?’
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
