Chapter 127 Candlelight Dinner
After waiting a bit inside, she tentatively ventured, "Big Bro, are we still going?"
Mitchell responded icily, "I'm not in the habit of being anyone's driver."
Realizing the situation, Willow quickly moved to the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and sat up straight. "Let's go," she said firmly.
Mitchell turned and locked eyes with her, saying nothing. Feeling his gaze, Willow turned and gave an awkward chuckle.
"Idiot," he muttered.
Then he started the car, and they drove off.
Willow felt irked at being insulted out of the blue. However, she kept silent, unable to express her annoyance. With Daniel gone, the awkwardness between them escalated.
Inside the car, silence enveloped them, broken only by Willow's hand reaching out to switch on the radio. Soon, the melancholic notes of a piano ballad filled the space.
"Who was that guy earlier?" Mitchell's voice suddenly broke the quiet, and there was no discernible emotion in his tone.
It took Willow a moment to realize he meant the younger guy at the barbecue place who had asked to connect on Facebook. "Oh, that's River," she explained.
"Do you know him?"
"We just met at the BBQ place," Willow Nelson replied. Unsure why Mitchell was probing, she told the truth nonetheless.
"What does he do?"
"Uh? I guess he's probably a student," Willow mumbled hesitantly. She'd seen him hanging out with a group at the restaurant, and one of them seemed to be wearing a letterman jacket. They were all from State University.
"Probably?"
"I mean, we just met, so I'm not certain," Willow said. She didn't understand his insistence on questioning someone else, especially since she knew little herself.
"Don't just hop into strangers' cars," he cautioned her.
"Oh." Willow nodded vigorously, wanting to show that she had taken his advice to heart, though she couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "I didn't get into anyone's car."
At the red light, the car came to a halt. Mitchell sighed with a mix of frustration and concern, "I'm just worried you might get deceived by someone."
"I get it," Willow grumbled, put off by his almost parental attitude. He was fussier than her brother Matthew and even more nagging than her dad.
As the green light signaled, the car started moving again, pulling up at the base of Willow's apartment building. They sat in silence until she opened the door and stepped out.
"Thanks for the ride home. I'll head up now. Drive safe," she said politely.
"Willow~" Mitchell called just as she was turning away.
"Yeah, bro? Anything else?"
Looking into Willow's clear eyes, Mitchell said, "Take care of yourself over breakfast."
"You, too, have a good breakfast rest," she replied.
He nodded, and as the car drove off, Willow watched the taillights disappear before turning to head to the elevator.
*
In a peaceful world of their own, Quentin Garcia and Hannah Garcia were nearly back from summer camp. The kids had a fantastic time, not wanting to leave, and each evening, they would video-call their parents to talk about their day and the fun they had. It all went smoothly, and they even made new friends.
Toward the end of the workday, Matthew made a call to Madison.
"Honey~ Quentin and Hannah are coming back tomorrow."
"I'll pick them up after breakfast tomorrow." Madison had already known the pickup time from a video call with the kids last night — the nursery would bring them to the gate, and all parents had to do was collect their children.
"Honey, that's not what I'm talking about!" Matthew couldn't hide his disappointment. His place in her heart did come after Quentin and Hannah. Was his hint really that hard to catch, or was he just being too demanding lately?
He began to ponder his behavior.
"What are you trying to say?" Madison genuinely didn't catch on and asked, perplexed.
"There won't be time for just the two of us tomorrow. Let's go out to dinner tonight," Matthew said, his voice tinged with a sense of grievance.
Madison chuckled, amused by his antics.
"All right. Since Matthew is treating, we'll go somewhere fancy." she teased with a laugh.
"Honey, I'll pick you up after work, and we'll go for a candlelit dinner. I have to head into a meeting now." Madison heard Brian calling Matthew to a meeting on the other end of the line, and then he hurriedly ended the call.
At 5:30 PM, Matthew arrived at the studio's entrance in his Rolls-Royce. Madison, having received his call, grabbed her bag and left, getting teased by Rachel. It was a routine everyone at the studio was used to. Matthew always dropped Madison off and picked her up twice a day.
Madison slid into the passenger seat of the car, having changed into a different skirt at the studio in anticipation of their candlelit dinner. Matthew couldn't take his eyes off her as she got in. "Honey, you look beautiful," he remarked.
Madison smiled and playfully accused, "Smooth talker."
Unruffled by her teasing, Matthew drove them to a restaurant they had frequented before.
After dinner, Matthew and Madison didn't drive home. Instead, they walked to a lakeside pathway in the city center, where the night view was glittering and picturesque. Hand in hand, they strolled by the lake, the night air cool, especially since Madison was wearing a dress. Concerned she might get cold, Matthew suggested they head back, but Madison shook her head. The beauty of the night, the shimmering water with boats gliding slowly, was too precious to leave.
"Let's walk a little longer tonight before we go back."
"Sure, are you cold?"
"Not at all. Let's sit on that bench for a while," Madison said, leading him to a bench nearby.
Despite her assurances of not being cold, Matthew draped his jacket over her shoulders.
Together, they sat hand in hand, watching the hustle and bustle around them, immersed in a serene moment that felt as though time stood still.
Madison glanced at the bubble tea shop, which was not too far away. "Want some bubble tea?"
Before Matthew had a chance to reply, she was already eagerly getting up, "I'll go get some bubble tea."
As soon as she stood up, Matthew took her hand and pulled her back down, "I'll buy it."
Remembering Madison's preference from their last movie outing, Matthew ordered two warm bubble teas just the way she liked them.
Madison watched him as he stood at the storefront, turning to look back at her. Their eyes met, and he flashed her an indulgent smile while she grinned back a bit goofily.
Matthew approached, carrying a bubble tea, Madison's coat still draped over her. Dressed in his white shirt and holding the drink, he seemed surprisingly fitting.
Taking the bubble tea from him, Madison took a large sip, her mouth full of the tapioca pearls, "Aren't you having any?"
Matthew bent down and took a sip straight from Madison's straw, "Just one sip."
They exchanged smiles.
"Let's head back. We've had our drinks. Time to go home."
"Okay."
Matthew took Madison's hand, and they walked toward the parking lot.
Back at home, Madison went to shower while Matthew got a call from Victor.
"Matthew, Hawkeye's in Horizon City."
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