Chapter 38: More Than A Gentleman (1)
Oh, shit.
What the hell had I been thinking when I chose this restaurant?!
A rooftop date?! What kind of moron was I? He must’ve struggled just to get up here, and I forced him to climb stairs?!
"I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!" I grabbed his hands, tears welling in my eyes as the awful image filled my mind about Lando struggling step by step just to meet me here. "I’m such an idiot for forgetting something that important!"
But then again, why hadn’t he said anything? When I texted him about celebrating our marriage on the rooftop, he didn’t protest at all, not even a hint of complaint.
He should’ve scolded me! At the very least, he should’ve told me I was crazy for picking so many damn stairs!
Forget about the ten grand, now I felt like I didn’t deserve it at all! I didn’t even deserve a single penny after making him suffer like that!
"That’s alright, it wasn’t a big deal. My staff are used to helping me," Lando said as he handed me a handkerchief to wipe my tears. "Don’t cry. Didn’t you spend so much time getting this makeup done?"
Hearing his last words only made me even sadder, because my hundreds of dollars’ worth of makeup was now ruined by my tears. "I did ...."
"I spent almost two thousand dollars on this makeup and dress." My voice cracked as I wiped my face, only to realize the handkerchief was taking my makeup along with the tears. I burst out crying harder. "Now I’ve ruined it and become ugly!"
Fortunately, there were no other customers on the rooftop besides us, so no one could witness my dramatic outburst, whether it was caused by the wine or just me being naturally dramatic.
But why wasn’t there anyone else here? Based on the reviews I read online, this place was always crowded with visitors. Yet for some reason, tonight I didn’t see a single other guest, even the first floor was empty.
I was sure I hadn’t reserved the entire restaurant for us.
Well, maybe I was just lucky. After all, I still had my lucky buff.
"You don’t look ugly," Lando said at last. "Your makeup might be a little messy, but that doesn’t mean you look ugly."
Oh, was this my chance to finally make him say that I was beautiful?
"Really? I don’t look ugly?" I asked quickly, leaning in, almost desperate.
I pouted at Penny’s sudden voice echoing in my head.
[Besides, didn’t you just think a moment ago that you don’t even deserve your reward anymore?]
’Really? When did I say that?’ I snapped back in my mind, my lips twitching as I tried to keep my face neutral in front of Lando.
Truthfully, I still remembered it perfectly, but oh, come on! I was drunk, so my change of mind could be justified!
"Yes, you don’t look ugly at all." Lando’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I was about to ask the forbidden question, but luckily I managed to bite my lip and change it instead. "So ... how do I look?"
Lando’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, as if he was really taking his time to think about it.
"You look ... presentable," he said at last.
My jaw nearly hit the table. Presentable?!
Of all the words in the English language, that was the one he chose?!
I wanted to throw my fork at him, or maybe bury my face in the red velvet cake just to scream into it.
Alright, I gave up. I fucking gave up! This quest was ridiculously hard!
I downed more glasses of wine until I was completely wasted. By the end of dinner, Lando had no choice but to ask Mr. Silo and one of his aides to carry me to the car.
"No ... I want to be in the same car as my husband!" I protested, squirming as Mr. Silo gently tried to guide me inside.
Even though I was drunk out of my mind and barely able to think straight, one stubborn thought still clung to me: I could use the ride home to my advantage.
I would make sure he called me beautiful before we got home!
So the moment I plopped down beside him in the car, I turned my whole body toward Lando, my face just inches from his. "Husband ...." I slurred, gripping his arm like it was the only thing keeping me upright. "Tell me ... how do I look tonight?"
Lando glanced at me, his blue eyes calm but a little wary, like he was already bracing himself for trouble. "You look ... fine," he said carefully.
Fine?!
I nearly exploded on the spot. Fine was what you said about soup that wasn’t too salty. Fine was what you called a pair of socks. I didn’t spend almost three thousand dollars today just to be called fine!
I shook his arm stubbornly, my voice rising into a whine. "Nooo, not fine! Something else. Say it properly!"
Lando sighed, clearly amused but trying to stay composed. "Helcia, you’re drunk."
"And you’re stingy with compliments!" I shot back, pouting so hard my cheeks hurt.
The car fell into silence for a moment, the only sounds were the hum of the engine and our breathing. The driver and aide sitting in the front remained quiet, completely ignoring the chaos happening in the back seat.
"Here, drink some water first," Lando sighed again, handing me a bottle. "Maybe then you’ll feel a little more sober."
I huffed, crossing my arms stubbornly. "I don’t want water until you say how I look today."
Lando let out a heavy sigh at my drunken rambling. Yeah, I guess I really wasn’t sober anymore.
"Haven’t I already answered you before? More than once, if I remember right." He replied to me, but surprisingly, he didn’t sound the least bit annoyed by my drunken tantrum. "What’s the exact word you want to hear?"
I immediately turned my head toward him, shocked that he would ask so directly. But his tone didn’t sound like he was mocking me at all.
Did that even make sense? He even looked so patient and calm that it almost sobered me up a little.
"It wouldn’t be good if I said it," I whispered at last, dropping my gaze to my lap. "Forget it, I’m sorry. I think I’m really drunk."