Chapter 143 Invited to Lunch
<Chapter> Chapter 143 Invited to Lunch</Chapter>
The elevator reached the first floor, and Willow stood at the entrance, quickly said goodbye, and took off with her purse in hand.
She wasn't dating anyone, but if her colleagues saw her going out to eat with Declan, it would be hard to explain. They would surely come running with a barrage of questions.
So, the best strategy was to make a swift exit.
Willow raced to the front door and spotted Declan standing by the curb, exuding youth in his sporty outfit. She silently admired how great it was to be young.
She approached him quickly and stopped in front of Declan, greeting him a bit awkwardly, "Hi, have you been waiting long?"
Declan greeted her with a sunny smile that never seemed to fade, "I just got here a while ago. What would you like to eat?"
Actually, the two had mostly chatted online and only met in person a handful of times. Recently, they hadn't even been talking much, leaving Willow feeling somewhat out of her element.
But Declan seemed extroverted, and she wondered how else he could have added someone on Facebook right at the restaurant. Despite Willow's awkwardness, he naturally took her purse from her hand, enthusiastically listed nearby restaurants, and asked what she wanted to eat.
Willow eagerly tried to retrieve her purse; this was too awkward—they weren't a couple, and it didn't seem right for him to carry her bag. "I can carry it myself; it isn't heavy."
"It's absolutely fine. A man must carry a lady's bag. You wouldn't deny me the chance to be a gentleman, right?" Declan cheekily refused to let go.
Willow blurted out, "What kind of man?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mitchell and Luca preparing to leave the company. She quickly grabbed Declan and hurried him along, "Let's go eat, I'm starving."
Declan, pulled along by her, suggested, "Senior, how about some soup? I know a place nearby that's pretty good."
"Sure, sure, sure." Willow needed to be in the mood to think about food. Getting away quickly was her top priority, so she sped up and dragged Declan away.
Meanwhile, Mitchell and Luca left the company to discuss business, waiting for the driver to bring the car around.
They both saw Willow from afar.
Luca, in the tone of an elder, said, "That girl Willow, she claims she doesn't have a boyfriend. Jonah, look, isn't that Willow with someone already waiting for her right outside the office building? They're probably sneaking out for a date during lunchtime."
Mitchell stared at the retreating figures of the young man and woman, watching as they walked away talking and laughing, his face set in a grim expression, and he remained silent.
Luca kept talking incessantly, "The kid looks pretty young from the back, almost like a student…"
"Let's get in the car," Mitchell interrupted, not wanting to hear any more about Willow as the car pulled up. He was rushed to get in.
"Alright, Jonah," Luca complied with a whiff of resignation.
At the negotiating table, Mitchell was clearly distracted. Luca was the one sparring with the other party, who had pushed the price to the bare minimum. Seeing that Mitchell remained silent, only frowning slightly, Luca's thoughts were preoccupied with the image of Willow leaving with that person. If he wasn't mistaken, it was the same young man Daniel had mentioned before, the one willing to take Willow on his motorcycle. Was Willow dating this kid? He looked like a student, and they knew nothing about his background—what if he turned out to be a fraud?
He didn't realize he was worrying too much.
Thus, he needed to truly listen to what the representatives on the other side of the table were saying. Frowning, he felt that it may not have been a good day to discuss work, ready to tell the other party that he wasn't feeling well and suggest rescheduling when they suddenly agreed to give in another 2 percent. He gestured for Luca to take out the contract, and both parties signed.
The contract was successfully finalized.
Luca, beaming with the contract in hand, followed Mitchell out. It was unbelievable—Jonah himself made such a difference. Not only did he secure the agreement, but he also managed to get an additional 2 percent from the other party. It was a total victory.
Once in the car, Mitchell leaned back in his seat, eyes closed. Luca, finally perceiving the situation, assumed he was tired and needed to rest, so he quieted down.
With his eyes closed, Mitchell's mind was flooded with images of Willow laughing with Declan. That girl was so unguarded that she could be taken advantage of without even realizing it.
In any case, Jonah couldn't shake off the concern.
*
Declan took Willow to a restaurant in the mall adjacent to the JK Group building. Although it was right next to her office, Willow had never been to this place before. She handed the menu to Declan, "You ordered, and you seem to know all the best food spots."
Declan smiled as he took the menu without hesitation. "You got it wrong, Senior. I just like to do my homework beforehand. Is there anything you don't eat?"
He casually marked choices on the menu while asking.
"No issues. I'm pretty open to trying new things," Willow said. She is not too picky about food, always ready to eat more if it's delicious and less if it's not to her liking.
"Well, since you trust me so much, I definitely can't disappoint you," Declan said with a smile.
In just a few minutes, Declan had ordered the soup. The place was crowded around noon, with most tables filled. However, the soup arrived promptly. Declan had ordered three different soups and a dessert.
The waiter first brought out a loaf of bread, and Declan started to cut it, "Try this. It's their signature soup. It comes highly recommended."
Willow took a bite and found it rather delicious.
Declan watched her with anticipation, fork in hand, waiting for her verdict, "Well? What do you think?"
Willow nodded in approval. "Yeah, it's good. I made a solid choice; there are no disappointments here."
They both laughed.
Willow managed to wrap up lunch at just the right time. She had to rush back to work and didn't want to delay any longer. After they finished, Willow was ready to pay, but the cashier informed her that the bill had already been settled. Confused, she glanced over at Declan, who was standing by the entrance on his phone, and couldn't quite understand what was going on.
She walked out and stood by him, "Didn't you say you were broke and that I should handle it?"
Declan hung up the phone and took Willow's bag from her, "Yeah, you invite, I pay. No problem with that."
Willow was at a loss for words.
"Alright, let me drive you back. Next time, you can invite me, and I'll pay," Declan said, marching straight ahead toward the elevator.
"Let's go. You don't want to be late for work," said the young man at the elevator, smiling brightly as he held her bag.
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