Chapter 9
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“It’s been a while, Ms. Jamison,” Samuel said.
Once again, he was dressed in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and a tie that added a sense of formality to his outfit. He exuded a natural air of sophistication that made him the center of attention among the patrons at the cafe.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Quillan?” Yvonne asked. She was surprised to see him. “Did you have work in the area?”
“Yeah. I just finished a meeting.”
After glancing at the laptop and documents in front of Yvonne, Samuel asked, “Is the exhibition keeping you busy, Ms. Jamison? Would I be disrupting you if I joined you for a cup of coffee?”
Yvonne looked over at Hover Group. There was still no sign of the man she was hoping to meet, but she chose to keep waiting. She refused to give up.
“You’re not disrupting me at all,” she replied as she organized the documents on the table before a thought struck her. “Don’t you have to head back to your office, Mr. Quillan? If I recall correctly, we’re supposed to have dinner tonight, but I’ll only be free after 6:00 pm.”
“I’ve gotten off work now, so I don’t need to head back to the office,” Samuel said.
He ordered himself a cup of coffee. The sun had started its descent, and the sunlight coming in from the window by the table was a little piercing to the eye.
Samuel looked at Yvonne with a meaningful gaze.
“I envy you for getting off work early. I’ve had to work late a lot recently.” Yvonne was still tending to her work, but she made sure to maintain polite eye contact when addressing Samuel.
“I can see that you take your work very seriously, Ms. Jamison,” Samuel said. His voice turned a little deep as he asked stoically, “If you don’t mind my asking, Ms. Jamison, have you been on blind dates before?”
“Nope. This is my first time,” Yvonne answered, looking a little awkward.
Samuel noticed her expression and asked a follow–up in a somewhat casual yet careful manner. “Did you agree to go on a blind date because your family wants you to get married, or was it out of your own volition?”
At the mention of marriage, Yvonne’s gaze grew a little distant.
“You don’t have to answer the question if it’s too direct,” Samuel added.
“It’s fine. It’s a common question when it comes to blind dates.” Yvonne rested her chin on her hand and stared out the window as she continued, “It’s a little embarrassing to share this, but ever since I was a kid, I’d thought about when I’d get married and have children.
“My mom respects my choice and doesn’t urge me to get married. I’m the one who feels like getting married now that I’ve reached this age…”
She paused for a moment before saying, “But marriage is a huge deal. There’s no right or wrong when it comes to timing, but there is definitely a right or wrong person. Anyway, what about you, Mr. Quillan?”
“It’s my first time going on a blind date too. My family hopes that I’ll get married soon,” Samuel replied truthfully.
“It sounds like you feel pressured by your family’s eagerness to see you get married then.”
“That’s true.”
Now that Yvonne had someone to chat with, the continued wait didn’t feel all that hard to bear.
Samuel checked his watch before pulling his phone out while asking, “What would you like to have for dinner, Ms. Jamison? I’ll make us a dinner reservation now.”
“Anything’s fine by me. You decide,” Yvonne said before closing her laptop and standing. “Please excuse me while I use the restroom.”
Just then, she got a call from an unfamiliar number. After a brief hesitation, she took the call.
“You’re Yvonne Jamison, right?”
The caller had a slightly rough voice. He sounded like someone who had to drink often during business engagements.
“I’m Harold Quillan. We’d set up a blind date last week, but I was so busy that I ended up forgetting about it. Fonly remembered about it when my uncle called me the other day, so I decided to reach out to you.”
Dumbfounded, Yvonne looked at the man sitting by the window.
Did this mean he wasn’t Harold Quillan?
She couldn’t believe she’d mistaken him as her blind date! But then again, why had he assumed Harold’s identity and chatted with her anyway?
Meanwhile, Harold seemed irked by Yvonne’s silence.
“I’ll only be free on Saturday night, Ms. Jamison. Let’s meet then.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Quillan, but I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. Let’s not meet for the time being,” Yvonne replied.
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After ending the call, she went back to the table.
Samuel looked up and flashed her a gentlemanly smile, saying, “I reserved us a table at a restaurant that serves decent steak. Shall we head over there now?”
