Chapter 83
Lisette snapped out of her daze, glanced at the Chamomile Tea next to her, then at Tobias. After hesitating a moment, she pretended not to hear anything and turned her eyes towards the window.
Tobias: p>
Their odd back-and-forth didn’t go unnoticed-Owen picked up on the weird vibe right away.
“Did you guys get into a fight or something p>
The second he spoke, he drew everyone’s attention.
Only then did Tobias seem to acknowledge him, casting a look at Gabriel sitting beside him.
So these were the coworkers Lise mentioned?
Heh. Both of them showed up, huh.
Elliot had never seen anyone as clueless as Owen. Couldn’t he tell the boss was in a bad mood? Yet still insisted on trying to be seen?
He crossed himself dramatically over his shoulders and lit an imaginary candle for Owen in his head.
Tobias gave a humorless chuckle, his gaze cold to the bone.
No shouting, no harsh words, not even a glare-his vibe alone skyrocketed like a missile.
Owen felt a chill run straight down his spine, froze in place, and didn’t dare move a muscle.
Only when the waiter started serving dishes did Tobias finally glance away towards Lisette, and Owen managed to thaw enough to rub at his icy fingers.
What the heck just happened?
He was still spooked.
That aura was scarier than getting beat up by Hannah!
“Here are your dishes. Is there anything else I can get for you?” the waiter asked politely.
Tobias eyed what Elliot had ordered, took the menu, then quickly pulled up a list of “Period-Safe Foods” on his phone, cross-checking before carefully adding, “Chicken noodle soup, roasted sweet potatoes, dark chocolate with strawberries p>
Huh?
Lisette sneaked a peek at him from the corner of her eye.
Back home, whenever she had her period, the housekeeper would make exactly these things to help with blood circulation or whatever.
One or two might just be coincidence, but three? Four?
So… he really did order them for her?
Lisette spiraled into confusion again-
On one hand, she thought “Wow, Tobias is actually super sweet and thoughtful,” on the other hand, “Why does he feel the need to know so much? Kinda creepy p>
Right as she was lost in thought, Tobias looked up-and their eyes met.
He gave her a calm, gentle smile like he always did.
Lisette jerked her gaze away like she’d been shocked, awkwardly lowering her head and grabbing the Chamomile Tea for a sip.
Pfft-
The sweetness shot straight up her throat. Jeez, it was sugary.
She frowned, “Ugh, why is this so sweet p>
The next second, Tobias rinsed a glass with hot water, poured in half a cup, swirled it to cool it slightly and then slid it in front of her. “Here, wash it down p>
Lisette stared at the glass for a moment, then finally accepted it. “Thanks,” she muttered.
Just those two words were enough to light Tobias up. The ice in his expression melted, and he said gently, “Sip slowly, it’s still hot p>
“Mm p>
Lisette held the cup, quietly drinking like her life depended on it.
The air between them softened again.
Elliot clicked his tongue in amazement. Lisette was literally the boss’s emotional on-off switch. One glance, one word from her, and their usually unshakable boss turned into mush. Love really is powerful!
He cleared his throat, raising his glass, “Hannah, happy birthday! I didn’t get you a present, but consider this meal my gift to you p>
Hannah shot him a look of utter disdain. “Lisette paid for it p>
Elliot shrugged. “But I ordered it, though. Look,” he pointed at several dishes, “these are all your favorites. I picked them just for you p>
Hannah snorted, “Please, like there’s anything I don’t eat p>
Elliot: p>
Alright, you got me. You win. Watching Elliot get roasted speechless by Hannah, Lisette couldn’t help but chuckle. The gloomy mood from earlier was instantly lifted. She raised her glass in a toast to Hannah, followed by everyone else chiming in with well-wishes and cheers.
In no time, the atmosphere was buzzing.
Feeling a bit hungry, Lisette picked up a piece of pre-shelled crab meat and placed it into her plate. Just as she did, a pair of fork suddenly swooped in and stole it right out from under her.
Her eyes snapped in that direction.
Of course-it was Tobias.
The little fire that had just died out in her chest flared right back up. She frowned and snapped, “Hey! Why are you stealing mine? Don’t you have hands p>
Tobias stayed calm and cool. “You’re not supposed to eat crab today p>
“Huh p>
“Cold-natured food,” he added simply.
Lisette clenched her jaw. Seriously? She got that he meant well, but she really, really wanted that crab! Getting it swiped like that was driving her nuts.
She huffed, “Come on, just one bite won’t kill me, right p>
He shook his head. “Nope p>
She gave him the silent treatment, scooped up some bok choy, and munched away a bit aggressively, glancing up now and then only to find his eyes still on her. Annoyed, she tapped his fork with hers and muttered, “Eat your food, will you? Quit staring like I’m on the menu p>
Only then did Tobias finally start eating.
Lisette waited for her moment, and as he lowered his head to focus on his meal, she quickly grabbed another bite of crab meat like she was pulling off a secret op.
But-damn it-his fork landed on top of hers.
Busted.
She stared at him in disbelief. How did he even see that with his head down? What, did he grow eyes on the top of his head?
Well, no way she was backing down.
She puffed up her cheeks and gave him a soft, sugary “Please? Just one bite, okay? Just one! I swear that’s it p>
She was practically making a pinky promise with her eyes. That pouty, pleading look of hers made Tobias’s lips twitch into an almost smile. He raised his brows a little, and dragging out his words to match her tone, said, “Nooope p>
Then he turned to Elliot and ordered, “Take it all away p>
Lisette nearly choked on her own frustration. She couldn’t yell, couldn’t cry – so she just glared at him furiously.
Tobias expected the glare. But when it came to stuff like this, he never gave in.
He pushed a bowl of red bean porridge in front of her. “Drink this p>
“Hmph p>
Lisette shifted her gaze aside. She was obviously throwing a fit.
Tobias softened his voice. “Come on. Be good and finish it. Next week, I’ll take you to Marbell city. Best crab in the country. Deal p>
Lisette bit her lip. “You better mean that p>
“I promise p>
And just like that, she was pacified-sort of. Pouting hard, she picked up her spoon and took a sip, looking like she’d just swallowed a bitter pill.
Owen witnessed their whole exchange with a pained expression, mentally screaming, “Oh come on! You monster, let the girl go and give me a chance!” But on the outside, he simply crunched down on his bok choy with extra emphasis, trying to stare Tobias down-only to get crushed by the man’s scary calm aura.
After everyone had eaten their fill, Tobias handed a card to Elliot and told him to take Hannah and the others out to have some fun. Then, without giving Lisette a choice, he dragged her along and headed home together.
Inside the car.
With one arm resting lazily on the edge of the passenger seat, Tobias turned his head and looked back. Lisette, stubborn as ever, had refused to sit in the front like always and was curled up in the backseat. He chuckled, “Still mad p>
She stared blankly out the window, ignoring him completely.
He sighed, then asked, “So… why’d you call me a freak this afternoon p>