Kevin's face had been grim all the way. He knew that he had gone a bit too far and it was rude to treat a lady like that. It was just that he had to. He must give Louisa the message that she wouldn't stand a chance to enter a relationship with him.
The beautiful scenery outside the window kept passing by but Louisa was in no mood to appreciate it. Kevin's silence had blown up her worries as time passed. She wanted to start a conversation and defuse the awkward ambiance. The only problem was how was she supposed to begin when Kevin seemed all cold and distant with indifference clearly written across his face.
Kevin, how did the emergency go last night? Was everything okay?" she finally asked while smiling embarrassedly. She was still bothered by how he left abruptly last night.
Yes." Kevin replied without any extra word. He showed no interest in chatting with her at all. Apparently, he would like to distance himself from her.
Louisa bit her lip. It was evident that he was annoyed. His attitude towards her hurt. She had never been cold-shouldered since childhood. She had always been cherished. Kevin was the first person, or more specifically, the first male to have snubbed her. If only she wasn't into this man and trying to win his heart, she would never put up with him.
"Tell me the specific location in case I go the wrong way." Kevin finally spoke once they reached downtown. Nevertheless, his voice was still eerily cold.
"It is that 4S store. The one by the crossroads," answered Louisa in a low voice as she cast him a glance. Her pride bled a bit upon realizing that there could be a man who would not be attracted to her.
"I get it," responded Kevin in a monotone as he finished his sentence with a mouth shut. He wasn't acting like a gentleman as he normally would, but rather like the ruthless Duke.
"Kevin, did I ever offend you? It seems to me that you dislike me very much," asked Louisa after a brief silence. She looked up at him innocently with tears in her eyes. The tears kept gathering in her eyes as she spoke.
"No, not at all. I'm afraid that you might be thinking too much," replied Kevin. He turned and looked at her upon hearing her shaky voice, but then his face remained stoic.
"But I can tell that you are very upset along the way," blurted Louisa. It was true that she was a bit thick-skinned but it didn't mean that she was too numb to feel his displeasure.
"Am I? Sorry about that. I was just feeling tired after long work hours." Kevin faintly smiled. It would be impolite to further wear a sour expression since she had expressed her worry.
Really? I'm so relieved. I thought you were unhappy because I have caused you trouble." Louisa breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his words. She could still think of other ways to win his heart as long as he still appreciated her presence. Otherwise, it would basically destroy all her hopes.
"No, you haven't. It's no bother. We are going in the same direction anyway," explained Kevin. Although his attitude was not as good as Louisa had expected, he did shift to a milder manner that time.
"I can see the store now. Please pull over and drop me there," said Louisa as she readied to get off. Originally, she intended to invite him for dinner, but changed her mind as she thought that today was not the right time for advancement. It seemed that he was not a bit happy seeing her after all. Haste makes waste. It would be rash to make further actions unless she knew the reason for his aloofness.
"You mean here?" Kevin slowed down, turned the car around, and pulled over. He just moved into that place thus, he hadn't discovered that there was a 4S store around the area yet.
Yes! Thank you so much, Kevin. To show my gratitude, let me treat you to dinner some other time," said Louisa as she flashed her most charming smile.
Don't mention it. Just forget about the dinner. By the way, can you make it on your own?" Kevin refused and was only being polite when he asked about her car. He wasn't even looking at her as he talked. His focus was on the 4S store as he mentally sized it up.
"No problem. I can pick it up myself. Sorry to have troubled you again," answered Louisa with her bright smile still on. She then opened the door and got out of the car. At the same time, she tried hard to control the expression on her face to avoid Kevin from knowing how disappointed she was.
"Okay. I have to go now. Goodbye." After nodding to her through the window, he stepped on the gas and sped away. Louisa didn't head to the store until his car was out of sight. It was only then that she took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and then walked to the store with her nose held high. Kevin passed a supermarket on his way back home. The fridge was nearly empty, so he thought about stocking up on food. He dropped the idea when he remembered that he was a bit dusty and dirty. He'd better make do with what was left in the fridge tonight or else, he would cause eyebrows to raise if he shopped looking like that. Meanwhile, Leena had prepared a big and wonderful dinner at home. There were seafood dishes and high-class cuisines that required complicated and refined cooking processes. It took her over two hours to fix all of them.
She glanced at her watch while putting the finishing touches on the foods. It was nearly seven and Kevin should be home soon. All was almost ready except for the chicken soup. There was no need to worry though, she thought, for Kevin never got off work on time.
Grabbing a ladle, she scooped up some soup to have a taste. She frowned when she found that it was a bit too bland. After pondering for a while, she decided to toss in some chicken powder seasoning to make sure that the soup tasted more delicious. It was the pleasant smell of food getting cooked that welcomed Kevin as he opened the door. He noticed that the lights were on and it seemed that someone was in the room. Who could it be?
He went on alert and slowed down at once. He lightly closed the door and walked towards the living room almost on tiptoes. It was then that he saw two big suitcases lying on the ground. He let out a sigh of relief. Those suitcases just gave away who was playing tricks on him. He was suddenly overwhelmed with joy and went to the kitchen with a spring in his step.
As expected, his petite and gentle lady was busy cooking dinner. She didn't realize that he was back. 'Good one.' Kevin grinned and squinted at the familiar figure before him. He wasn't expecting her to play that joke on him. So, she turned off her cell phone because she was on the plane, and not because she had to bury herself in the graduation thesis! Come to think of it, she should have reached home this morning. Why didn't she call him when she arrived?
You little liar. Are you having fun tricking me, huh?" He crept up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Leena got startled and nearly dropped her ladle with a shriek. How could he just show up without making any sound?
"Oh… Kevin! you're back!" she exclaimed. Leena felt warm breathes on her ear, shortly after her shock wore off. It was then that she realized that he was hugging her tightly and literally pressing himself against her back. Her heartbeats started racing. Blushing, she couldn't tell whether she was sweating from the heat in the kitchen or from the passion he had aroused.