"Useless? That's not what you said the night we met. As I recall I was pretty good at it." Kevin said with a crooked smile, regarding Leena playfully. Leena was dumbstruck by his words. He was a devil in a suit. He couldn't be more brazen, could he?
"Er… I want to go home now." Leena could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment. If she were an ostrich, her head would be buried in the sand. How could all men be so wicked nowadays?
"Let's get lunch first. I'm starving. And we need to talk, don't you think?" Kevin frowned. He was afraid he'd miss her, so he stayed where he promised he would be, waiting. Even during the lunch break he'd sit in his car, keeping an eye on the spot where she might appear.
"What? Haven't you had lunch yet?" Leena looked at him apologetically. It was all her fault. But she really didn't mean it!
"It's fine. We can still get something to eat now. Let's go." Kevin reached out and held her slender soft hand, so naturally, as if he had done it a thousand times before.
His hand was thick and huge. Leena's heart skipped a beat. It was the second time he took her hand and the feeling was so strange that she couldn't put it into words. Her heart was warmed by the sensation.
Kevin looked over Leena's dazzling Porsche. He could see from the car that she was from a wealthy family. He was curious about the slings and arrows of the future. What kinds of problems might come up? And would he be well-equipped to take up arms against a sea of troubles?
They drove separately to the Mochan Restaurant. Kevin booked a private room where they could have a good talk. The suite was elegant and warm, as if to reflect their present mood.
It was much earlier than dinner time when they arrived. Only a handful of people were dining there. Their order was served quickly and the food was appetizing.
Kevin's table manners were impeccable. Born into an elite family, he was raised in all the ways of courtesy. He was hungry, yet his movements were graceful and elegant throughout the meal. He might be a soldier, but he knew his way around a knife and fork, chopsticks and washing bowl.
"Hey, don't look at me like I have bad table manners." Kevin said. Leena sat opposite him and kept staring at him since he started to eat. He was good-looking but he knew this wasn't the reason why. He was not as captivating as Edward, who could even take a man's breath away.
"I… I was thinking, should I call you Mr. Kevin, or Kevin?" Leena was struggling with this important question. She was definitely not dazzled by the man's grace.
"Do you think anyone would call her husband 'Mr.'" Kevin rolled his eyes at Leena, almost speechless. What was it like in her funny little brain?
Leena's mouth twitched as she heard the word "husband".
"Kevin, must I live with you on base?" Leena followed his suggestion and called him Kevin. But it was weird since Kevin was much older than her.
"No. I have a duplex apartment downtown. I'll get it furnished. We can live there." Kevin bought the apartment two years ago. The decoration was simple, but warm. She would love it.
"What? A duplex apartment? Soldiers make so much money? Or do you... take bribes?" Leena gave him a shocked look. She couldn't believe she married a corrupt soldier! Damn it! He would go to prison for this. What would she do then?
"Don't be silly. I make an honest living and never take bribes." Kevin said. The girl had her thoughts written all over her face. After all she was only a simple and innocent little girl.
"Oh! So you get a really high salary, right?" Housing prices in the city were super high. A duplex apartment in the city center cost about two million dollars. Of course, Edward -- the dirty businessman -- was behind all this. FX International Group invested almost half the houses.
"I don't get paid much. You'll have my bank cards later on. I made a fortune by investing in my friend's pub and bought the house. The pub is the one you went to last time." Kevin paused and cast Leena a playful look. The pub is where the story began. It started as a fling but led to marriage.
"What? So you own part of that pub?" That pub was unbelievably lavish and luxurious! It was a place where you would max out all your credit cards.
"Yeah! But I just put my money into it and stay out of the operation. Soldiers can't run businesses. It's against the regs." Kevin was completely frank with Leena about his life. She was his wife now, and he wouldn't hold anything back from her.
"Um. Will there be problems if they find out about your investment? Like suspensions or investigations?" Leena paused uncertainly, biting her lip. Investing was still counted as a business, right?
"Good. You are worried about me already." Kevin teased her, smiling.
"I'm not interested in being a widow." Leena curled her lips, suggesting that she was serious about this.
"Don't worry. You're not going to be a widow. How could I leave my new bride?" Kevin leaned back in his chair, staring at her playfully.
"I am glad my ignorance amused you." Sly as Leena was, she soon realized he was teasing her.
Kevin just laughed and said nothing. He had mixed feelings about Leena and wasn't sure how to act around her. It wasn't about the age gap. It was more of a personality thing. How would she react to this or that? He wanted to proceed carefully until he knew.
Leena, tell me about your family. I want everything set up before the military exercise. As a soldier, Kevin never like running away from problems. He was used to getting things done quick and clean. He was determined to met her family as soon as possible.