Chapter 165 Dinner Together
Silence enveloped the room. Everyone was stunned by Liam's words.
The color drained from the actress's face as she stood frozen, her expression a spectacle of shock and awe.
Willow inwardly gave Liam a metaphorical thumbs-up. Bold indeed!
Holding a glass of juice, Ophelia stiffened on the couch, her cheeks flushing rapidly red as an apple—thankfully obscured by the bar's dim lighting.
What... What... Madison!
The bald man shattered the quiet, his composure unshaken and tinged with a hint of apology as he gathered the women and retreated to his position, his expression adorned with a congenial smile. "My apologies for the interruption. It seems I was unaware that Jonah was engaged in a private meal. That's on me. Allow me to compensate you on another occasion—agreed drinks are on me for everyone?"
With that, the group withdrew, a collective air of subdued humility trailing behind them.
After a brief interlude, Daniel continued to rally everyone to dance while Patrick hopped onto the stage and declared that he wanted to sing. He then invited Willow to join him for a duet.
The duo settled on a song that had been around for quite some time.
Patrick's voice was surprisingly on par with the original singer's, while Willow's tones were more serene. Together, they created a harmonious blend that felt incredible. Even Daniel and Ophelia, who had initially been eager to dance, found themselves entranced by the music. Ophelia whispered to Daniel, "I didn't expect Patrick to be such a good singer. He's got some real talent."
"Patrick's a bit of a dark horse. He doesn't usually show off his chops, but he's in fine form today," Daniel replied with a grin.
"Looks like we're in for a treat then," Ophelia said. The two women exchanged smiles.
As the song ended, Patrick stepped down from the stage, and the three women hit the dance floor. Each had a background in dance, and they showcased their array of talents, especially in jazz.
By the end of one energetic song, they were drenched in sweat, feeling liberated and thoroughly enjoying themselves. They understood why the girls at the bar dressed so lightly as they shrugged off their jackets, feeling the heat and the sweat coursing through them as they danced.
Returning to their booth, they immediately asked for bottles of mineral water, each downing a small one.
Mitchell, engaged in conversation with others, glanced over at Willow, who was flushed with a post-dance rosy glow that only accentuated her beauty.
The group had a blast, staying until the early morning hours before finally dispersing.
During that week, the JK Group was abuzz with activity, particularly with Matthew and Mitchell at the helm. Matthew was scheduled for a business trip, and a plethora of tasks needed to be delegated. The two convened meetings with department personnel almost daily, hoping to finalize decisions that required Matthew's approval before he left to avoid any delays in project timelines.
So, while the entertainment division of JK continued as usual, the other departments were especially busy.
Willow's project team was so occupied she barely had time to glance at her phone. Thus, she was taken aback when she received a call from Declan at lunch. He said, "Hey, can you make it to dinner tonight?"
Willow reflexively asked, "Where to?"
"Didn't you see the Facebook message I sent you this morning? I mentioned I wanted to treat you guys to a meal. Our basketball club is having a get-together tonight, and we'd love to have you and the others join us."
Willow expanded the call to speakerphone to continue listening while she opened Facebook. Only then did she notice Declan's message from eight in the morning. Upon arriving at the office, she plunged into work and hadn't checked her phone since, so it was only now, through his call, that she learned of his invitation to dinner.
She spoke somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry about that. I didn't check my phone this morning and have been swamped at work. I probably won't have time to come over tonight."
Willow wasn't rejecting the invitation because she didn't want to go; she genuinely was busy. Indeed, she was going to have to work late yet again that day, and she wasn't even sure what time she'd be able to leave the office and head home.
Declan couldn't hide a tinge of disappointment upon hearing Willow's reluctance. Nevertheless, he said, "Okay, then, senior, let's make plans some other time when you're free."
"Sure thing, have fun without me. Talk to you later."
Ending the call, Willow headed downstairs to pick up her takeout. Lately, she'd been craving spicy hot soup, but she didn't want to waste time dining out, so she ordered takeout for lunch.
Lunch was quickly dealt with, and then it was back to work. She looked up from her computer when it was 8 p.m.
After stretching her arms and shaking her head to wake up a bit, she decided to call it a day, planning to grab some food and return tomorrow to continue the grind.
She tidied her desk, grabbed her bag, shut down her computer, and prepared to head downstairs.
The elevator arrived on the 15th floor, and Willow, head down, didn't notice if anyone else was inside as she walked in—until a familiar voice from behind startled her awake, "Leaving so late?"
Willow turned to see Mitchell standing behind her.
"Oh, Mitchell, working late too?" Willow greeted him politely, trying to seem energetic.
"Yeah, I'm going to grab a bite and then come back," Mitchell explained, and inside, Willow was impressed. Being a boss was tougher than being an employee, having to work even longer hours. And wait, if the boss was still working late, should the employees leave before him? That seemed a bit...
"Have you had dinner yet?" Mitchell continued.
Willow shook her head, "No, not yet."
"Then come on, let's go eat together. My treat. Remember that good Italian place you took me to last time? Feel like having pasta?"
"Sure." Willow hadn't decided on what to eat anyway, and that Italian restaurant was indeed excellent.
They walked out of the JK Group building together. The Italian restaurant was nearby, so they decided to go on foot.
At this hour, the Italian eatery was not crowded, which lent a serene atmosphere where they could enjoy watching the chefs craft the pasta from scratch. That sort of experience made the pasta even more enjoyable to eat.
Hungry, Willow didn't just finish a bowl of pasta; she also indulged in some appetizers.
On the other hand, Mitchell ate a single plate of pasta and then patiently waited for Willow, affectionately watching the girl beside him eat with gusto, unabashedly taking generous bites. It was endearing in its authenticity.
Willow became aware of Mitchell's gaze and, slightly embarrassed, pursed her lips, pretending to be ladylike as she took small, delicate bites. In front of Jonah, she usually didn't care much about her image; she'd eat heartily and wasn't very ladylike at all.
"What's up? Are you full?" Mitchell noticed her sudden loss of appetite and asked quickly.
Willow decided against keeping up the facade, realizing that in Jonah's presence, maintaining an image was pointless since it never influenced his affection anyway. She opened her mouth wide and took a big bite of a meatball, speaking with her mouth full, "No, can I have another skewer, please? It's so late, I probably shouldn't be eating this much, but... their food is just so good."
Mitchell was momentarily taken aback, but he couldn't help but widen his smile as he replied, "Sure."
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