Chapter 171 Picking Up Ravioli
Mitchell returned to the office from Willow's apartment and got busy with overtime work. So, when it was time to clock out, he did something out of the ordinary—he didn't stay for overtime and left directly. Following Willow's address, he set out to buy ravioli.
The rest of the project team exhaled a collective sigh of relief. As soon as Mitchell left, Luca jovially alerted the office it was time to call it a day. "Don't say I never give you folks a chance. Today, you all get to head home early. Those who've got kids can join Madison with hers, and if you've got dates, go out there and have fun!" Everyone cheered and thanked Luca, and then they quickly shut down their computers, grabbed their bags, and raced for the elevator. It had been a grueling week of consecutive late nights; usually, around this time, Jonah would just be preparing to gather everyone for a meeting.
Mitchell drove to the ravioli shop and realized what the hype of a trendy spot meant. Shocked to see the line for Ravioli required at least an hour's wait, he was about to turn on his heel and leave. If Willow hadn't specifically craved Ravioli from this place, he absolutely would have done so.
Resigned to his fate, Mitchell parked his car and joined the end of the line. The sight of a handsome man in a suit and tie stepping out of a Maybach to queue up for ravioli turned the heads of the women nearby, their stares fixed on him as if he were a panda at a zoo. Even someone as usually oblivious as Mitchell could feel the circle of eyes bearing down on him...
A beautiful and bold woman ahead in line approached him, holding two freshly packed servings of Ravioli. "Hey, handsome, waiting for Ravioli? It's a long line; let me give you one of mine," she offered cheerfully.
Mitchell frowned slightly, looking up at the woman surrounded by a few of her friends, who were all watching him with amused, suggestive smiles.
He was inclined to decline, but given the number of onlookers, he opted for a polite smile instead. "Thank you. Could I actually take both?" he asked.
Without missing a beat, mesmerized by his charm, the woman responded, "Sure."
Mitchell took two hundred dollars from his pocket, handed it to the woman, and took two servings of ravioli before he walked off.
Her friends enviously and admirably remarked, "Oh my goodness, he's so handsome. I would love to have soup with him. I didn't know good-looking guys ate Ravioli."
"Yeah, I thought handsome guys never ate!"
"And he got two servings. Is he eating alone or with a girlfriend?"
"He's got to have a girlfriend looking like that."
"And driving a Maybach, too—he's rich and good-looking."
The debate continued in a flurry of conversations as Mitchell, carrying a takeout container of Ravioli, briskly walked toward his car, eager to leave the dangerous area. Because he had somewhat skipped the line, Mitchell arrived at Willow's apartment before seven o'clock.
Willow was surprised when the doorbell rang and saw Mitchell standing at the doorstep. "Jonah, how come... you're so early!" She knew too well that famous Ravioli place where she had once queued for a full two hours.
Given Jonah's usual finishing time at work, she had expected him to arrive with takeout by eight. This early arrival prompted a teasing thought – perhaps being good-looking provided some perks!
Still holding the Ravioli, Mitchell walked into the apartment without answering Willow's question, headed straight for the kitchen, and got a bowl and spoon. Pouring the Ravioli into the bowl, he urged, "Eat it while it's hot; it won't taste as good once it gets mushy."
Willow closed the door and eagerly followed him to the table, where he started eating. "Wow, this is really delicious, Jonah. You should eat, too." Though it was takeout and lacked the restaurant's freshly made flavor, the short travel time meant the taste could have been better.
Their local Ravioli shop had risen to fame overnight after a popular social media influencer posted a video recommending their food. Before the buzz, Willow had been a patron, loving their thin dough and generous fillings – all freshly made. She thought their quality was excellent, and their flavor remarkably similar to the Ravioli made by Mrs. Jonah. However, since the shop had become a hotspot, Willow rarely visited due to the daunting queue that left her starving before she could even order.
Facing each other, Mitchell watched her stuff her mouth, bite after bite, concerned she might choke. "Slow down, there's no rush," he told her.
With elegance, he scooped some into his spoon and tasted it, realizing Willow was watching expectantly.
Seeing that Mitchell had not commented, Willow asked, "What do you think? Isn't it great?"
Mitchell tried to suppress a laugh, nodding in agreement as he saw her cheeks puffed out with Ravioli, resembling an adorable little squirrel, "Yeah, it's delicious."
Her confidence bolstered, Willow boasted, "I told you my recommendations are solid. When it comes to food, I definitely rank second."
Curious, Mitchell asked, "Who's in the first place?"
"Patrick, of course. I wouldn't dare challenge him for the top spot."
Mitchell couldn't help but let a smile play on his lips, noticing how often Patrick must have taken her out to eat.
"Do you often go out to eat with Patrick?"
"Yeah, whenever Patrick finds something delicious, he calls on me and Willow to join him. Last time, we went to a Homestyle Cuisine place; it was really good, too. I'll take you there next time..."
Mitchell quietly enjoyed his Ravioli, listening to Willow's chattering about their culinary experiences, the unvisited eateries, and the untried delights as if her words were making him hungrier, eagerly anticipating the next dining adventure with her.
This may be what serenity looked like.
With a lively buzz around them, even a simple bowl of Ravioli brought immense joy and satisfaction.
After finishing their Ravioli, Willow quickly took the lead in washing the dishes. Refreshed after a full day of sleep and bustling with energy, she thought it would be a sin to let Jonah clean up.
Watching her snatch the bowls and dash to the kitchen sink, Mitchell couldn't help but chuckle.
"Seeing you so full of life, I guess you could head back to work tomorrow?" Mitchell said with a smile, looking at her silhouette by the sink.
"Definitely! I'm bright-eyed and bushy-tailed now; I'll be at the office on time tomorrow morning," Willow responded loudly.
"Hmm, I'll head out then. Tomorrow at the office, I'll get the project proposal Luca discussed this morning and give it a thorough review."
Hearing Mitchell was leaving, Willow hastily rinsed the dishes and placed them on the rack to dry. She wiped her hands dry with a paper towel, speaking as she did, "Let me walk you down, Jonah."
Mitchell moved to the door to change his shoes. "No need, my car's just downstairs. You get some rest early, don't stay up late, and end up feeling unwell tomorrow."
"Oh..."
Willow stood inside, watching Mitchell open and close the door, leaving.
Inside, she felt a bit gloomy. Jonah and Marigold... Well, that's that, she had no place to ask anything!
That night, she dreamt again. In the dream, two little figures were fighting – one encouraging her to seek out young love, the other urging her to stay true to her original affections, to keep waiting...
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