Vania's POV
I frowned as I stared at my suddenly disconnected phone, the urgent busy tone in the receiver sounding like error notifications on the Chicago subway.
"What on earth has Cliff been taking lately?!" Fingertips unconsciously tapped out a jazz drumbeat on the glass coffee table.
"What's wrong? Did your husband look for you?"
Grace "click" opened the third can of sardines, and the silver fork gleamed with a dangerous light under the lamp.
At this moment, she removed her makeup, but she still remained an extremely charming mature woman.
Since the day Theodore introduced me to Grace, the two of us quickly became acquainted.
Although this is only our second meeting, in the past three days of Facebook private messaging, we have become gossip buddies who can talk about anything.
"Cliff didn't know what happened, suddenly he asked me to report my whereabouts to him in real-time starting from tomorrow," I shook my head helplessly.
In my memory, the previous Cliff never cared about what I was doing. Today's sudden action really baffles me.
"Darling, the way your husband was checking up on me was just like being tailed by the narcotics bureau." She licked off the olive oil from the corner of her lips.
The silk robe slipped off, revealing the wheat-colored shoulders. "If you ask me, I should learn from Selma in 'Thelma & Louise' and kick this controlling man into the Mississippi River. Then find a new husband!"
"Who would it be then?" I asked, puzzled.
"I think Theodore is really nice. Why don't you two try to get along?" Grace said bluntly.
Grace's words were too direct, and I almost sprayed out a mouthful of chocolate milkshake. I quickly refused, saying, "Forget it, it's not suitable."
"Why is it not suitable anymore? Isn't Theodore handsome? He is much more handsome than Cliff!" Grace said defiantly.
"I didn't say he wasn't handsome," I explained.
"That wealth and power, they are equally matched!" Grace continued.
"It has nothing to do with all of this," I shook my head again, "Emotions, you can't just have them because you want to."
"Oh no, it seems Theodore doesn't stand a chance anymore," Grace said with a disappointed expression. Then she continued to ask, "So, what do you really feel about Theodore? Do you like him or not?"
"I wouldn't say I liked him, but I definitely didn't dislike him either. In fact, I thought he was a pretty decent person," I answered truthfully.
"Listen, sweetheart," Grace suddenly leaned in, her Croix pendant brushing against my flushed cheek, "When a man starts checking your schedule, the next step is to slip some obedience potion into your coffee."
The phone vibrated frantically at this moment, and the lock screen displayed a direct message on Instagram from Theodore.
"Holy shit!" Grace snatched the phone and whistled, "Look at that waist-to-hip ratio! I bet he could place top three in the Manhattan Marathon."
She suddenly shoved her face in front of me and said, "Now tell me, did your wolf have... when you saw this photo?"
In my panic, I accidentally knocked over the sunglasses case, causing the GUCCI lenses to reflect countless abs of Theodore on the ground.
Just as I was about to pick it up, I suddenly caught a glimpse of Grace's dropped phone screen - the ongoing FaceTime call displayed Theodore's damn handsome face!
Theodore's POV
Hearing the noise from the other side, I quickly hung up the phone, furrowing my brows tightly.
Derek sat on the side, eating canned sardines, and upon seeing my expression, he asked, "Why the long face? What did Grace tell you?"
"How can one truly have emotions?" I asked, looking perplexed.
"Ah?" Derek looked confused, "Why did she ask you this?"
I frowned and continued to ask, "So, what exactly does it take to have feelings?"
"Stick to her, generally speaking, girls can't resist boys who keep pestering them. The more you pester her, she might even like you more!" Derek gave his advice. Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly asked nervously, "What's going on? Is Grace dating someone again?"
"No," I said in a flat tone, "It's a friend of mine who told me that the girl he likes doesn't have any feelings for him."
"Your friend, could it be yourself?" Delhi asked cautiously.
I glanced at Derek and he quickly raised his hands, saying, "Alright. Consider me not saying anything."
I was originally pondering Derek's words earnestly when I inadvertently caught a glimpse of the sardine can on his table out of the corner of my eye. I then asked, "I thought you didn't like eating this?"
"Ah, Grace likes to eat and insisted that I order her a portion, so I decided to get myself one as well, just to see how delicious it really is!" Derek explained.
"Was it delicious?" I asked.
"It's alright, just a bit fishy," Derek said, shaking his head continuously. "Last time Grace even asked me to get her some blue cheese, women's taste is really unpredictable."
After listening, my brows furrowed even tighter. I thought carefully and said, "I understand."
"What did you find out?" Derek looked at me with confusion.