A few seconds later, there was a strange sound typical of a hungry stomach coming from little Shine's stomach. And Alice immediately let go of their embrace and asked Shine back.
"Are you hungry? Haven't you had dinner yet?" Alice asked Shine, but Shine didn't answer and just kept quiet.
Alice immediately turned her questioning gaze to Sean.
"He doesn't want to eat. I already explained to you, didn't I? Ever since he woke up, Shine has been gloomy until before meeting you now," Sean replied.
"Why is it like that? You'll get sick again if you don't eat. Come on, let's eat now! I happen to cook quite a bit tonight. And I wonder how I spent it!"
"And tonight, you'll be my little hero again, because I don't have to waste food, do I?"
"Thank you, Darling! Come on now let's eat! Alice invites little Shine to the dining table.
With soft language and full of praise, Alice made little Shine love her even more. Not to forget, Alice also invited Sean to join them.
Sean who saw Alice's closeness with Shine was increasingly convinced that Alice was a good woman without hiding any specific intentions. Alice's sincerity in loving Shine could be seen from the unfailing smile on her face.
A beautiful smile on a naturally beautiful face that even without makeup, Alice's beauty was radiating.
Sean's heart beat faster as he looked at Alice. Being close and talking to her like this, made Sean feel comfortable.
For some reason, Alice made Sean think of the woman from his past that was still vague, even though Sean had tried to remember her many times.
***
Alice carried the food in from her small kitchen to the dining table. Vegetable Soup, Fried Chicken in Sweet and Sour Sauce, and Spicy Beef Stir Fry served on the dining table complete with warm, freshly cooked rice.
"Mr. Sean, I'm sorry for not being able to welcome you to my house properly and this is the only food I can offer you. Hope you guys like it!" Alice said reluctantly because this is the only treat she can give to welcome Sean Garendra.
"It does not matter. I am so grateful for being greeted so warmly like this. I should have brought something when we visited here. I apologize for our impoliteness," Sean bowed his head slightly at Alice to thank and apologize for disturbing Alice's comfort with their arrival.
Alice went to get the rice on the plate and prepared the rest of the food for the two different generations of men.
Alice looks so deft serving Sean and Shine. To make Sean smile even more feeling admiration for the young woman who was so charming.
"Mr. Sean, please taste the food. Sorry, if the taste is very different and far from the standard cooking chef at your house!" Alice invites Sean to enjoy the dishes she makes.
Sean started eating and tasted the food on his spoon. Sean's chewing stopped when he saw Alice seriously looking at him as if asking about Sean's assessment of the taste of her cooking.
"Nice!" Sean's one sentence with a smile from his thin lips, made Alice's feelings float. Alice quickly turned her gaze to the little Shine and tried to cover her embarrassed red cheeks.
'What do I feel about this? Why does just seeing his smile make me blush like this? There seems to be something wrong in my head!' groaned Alice in her mind.
"If I may know, what is this much food made for? If you're alone, why cook so much?" Sean started talking again.
"Hmm, I want to celebrate my graduation this afternoon. I passed the latest commercial audition at Wing Entertainment. Usually, when I'm happy, my appetite will be big, so I cook quite a bit, I didn't expect the result to be this much!" Alice replied cheerfully and masked the anxiety of feeling suspicious.
But it's true because Alice cooks a lot to celebrate her success with her men.
"So, congratulations to you! Congratulations on your success. Welcome to Wing Entertainment. Let's have a toast!" Sean congratulated Alice and made her a toast by raising the glass in his hand in front of Alice.
Alice was silent for a moment because she did not expect the first congratulations and invitations to toast her from Sean Garendra, the big CEO who will be her big boss after tonight.
Alice also raised the hand that was holding the glass, then gently hit Sean's glass until it clinked. They toasted without ignoring the glass of little Shine who was also about to join the toast.
"Thank you, Sir. I didn't expect to get a thank you from a great CEO like you. Moreover, you are the big boss where I work from tomorrow. I was so embarrassed!" said Alice while flashing a genuine smile from the bottom of her heart.
Sean who looked at Alice for a moment immediately turned his gaze to another direction. His heart was beating even faster now. Thankfully the ringing of the cell phone in his pocket saved his face that was already reddened by Alice's smile at him.
Sean went to pick up his cell phone to the veranda where Alice's men had come out.
***
While outside Alice's modest apartment. On a long bench in the garden courtyard at the front of the building, there were five men gathered there at this time.
Mark, Ben, and Rick sat on the bench. And there were also two other people, who were Mark's men standing in front of the three of them. Each of them held a can of coke in hand.
Rick's stomach rumbled continuously, interrupting their hearing and conversation.
"Rick, can you stop that sound of your stomach? It's so noisy!" Ben grumbled at Rick who looked relaxed, even though his stomach rumbled.
"Then what should I do? I'm so hungry. You guys are lucky because you guys help the boss in the kitchen. How about me? I just eat dust!" Rick grumbled because he was so hungry.
Rick compares his job cleaning the room, while his two friends get to taste a lot of food for helping their Boss in the kitchen.
"So, who just chose to clean the room? Enjoy your choice now!" Mark joins in laughing at Rick of his own choice.
The five men there laughed together. While eliminating boredom while waiting for their Boss guests to leave there.
***
While Sean was on the phone with someone else, Alice tried to converse with little Shine.
"Hi, my little hero, is my cooking good? Is it too spicy or what? Say it, so I know what to add when I cook this meal for you another day!" Alice asked kindly. However, only a smile Alice received in response to little Shine.
"Why are you silent, huh?" Alice started to tease the little one to talk by tickling the little one's waist which made Shine laugh.
"Can't you talk, Honey? Come on, you will look even more handsome if you can express what you want and what you think with words!" Alice tried to explain and again only a nod she received from Shine.
"Hah, fine! I give up. Please if you just want to smile and don't want to talk, after all, your smile is so charming and this face is also getting more handsome. So keep smiling as much as possible, okay!"
Alice finished talking to the little one and started to get up from the dining table to bring the dirty dishes to be washed immediately.
And after cleaning, Alice looked at the clock on the wall that said it was late. And that means soon the guest will leave this house.
Thirty minutes…
Sixty minutes…
'It's enough! This is outrageous!' Alice muttered under her breath.
Sure enough, it had been two hours after they had finished eating, and the guest didn't look like was going to say goodbye either. And as seen, Sean and Shine seemed to be silent with each other's drinks and food that gradually disappeared as they ate.
'Are they stalling? Ah no! No way, why would they want to linger here? We're not that close at the moment either," Alice muttered to herself.
'But wait! They could be stalling for time because the little one wants to be with me longer. If it's true, then it doesn't matter. But, what if all of this was Sean's idea?' Alice glanced strangely at Sean who was calmly sipping the soda bottle in his hand.
Alice kept thinking about what words she would say to ask Sean and Shine's intentions for lingering here. Without having to offend and make them feel left out. But is it polite? Yeah, that's what's hard because small talk isn't Alice's forte.
"Mm, sorry Mister Sean, looks like it's late for the little one. And his condition has not completely recovered. I'm afraid that if he's too tired and cold in the night wind like this, Shine will get sick again," Alice hesitantly said her words.
After Alice said that, Sean seemed to be speechless with no expression on his face. As if thinking of something. And a few seconds later, Sean moved and got up from the sofa and stood up straight facing Alice, and turned his eyes to little Shine.
"Shine, let's go home. You've heard that Miss Alice is worried about your health. So obey, son!" Sean said calmly to Shine.
However, the little one seemed reluctant to hear and did not move a bit from his sofa and instead lowered his head.