Me After Meeting You

That meal really was devoid of any enjoyment. All throughout dinner, they watched Trysta and Frank display their ‘love’ for each other and the baby in her stomach. Frank was quite disgusting in how calmly he behaved in front of two women who both had unclear relationships with him.

Amber didn’t feel like eating, and Ian didn’t even bother picking up his chopsticks.

Trysta teased him mercilessly. “Director Axton, if you’re not here to eat, then what are you here for?”

Ian’s answer was simple and direct. “For her, because she’s here.”

Trysta and the others laughed, but Amber didn’t. She looked at him, searching his face for a hint; his expression was as calm as ever, and she couldn’t detect any deep emotion. But the fact that he would say something like this was more than enough to show how profound his feelings were.

She stretched out her hand and grabbed his from underneath the table. As her fingers slid across his palm, their fingers interlaced together.

That was the first time that she had ever taken the initiative to hold hands with him.

He looked over, and his lips slightly curved up. The mirth in his eyes was easily recognizable, softening his sharp facial features.

What Amber gained from this meal was a sudden deeper understanding of her own feelings ‘I simply can’t resist him, so why not truly accept him?’

‘I could treat him as my real boyfriend and man, and love and cherish him’.

‘And as for later, why think about that now?’

So when they split up from Trysta and the others, Ian said, “Then, I’ll be going.”

Amber pulled him back. “Just like that?”

Ian mechnically replied, “It’s not the eighth today.” But what he really meant was that it wasn’t one of their date days yet.

Amber smiled. “Then why did you come over?”

And Ian seriously answered, “I missed you.”

These serious responses used to make Amber speechless, but now, she felt that these responses were so cute that they were irresistible. There were many pedestrians on the street, but she threw all caution to the wind, thinking that no one would recognize them here anyway.

She stood on her tiptoes, quickly kissed him on the lips, smiled, and leaned in as she whispered, “Then, I’ll bring you on a date you today, alright?”

Ian didn’t even have the chance to speak before Amber retreated. She then heard a crisp voice by her ear. “Dr. Camille? Ian … Ian Axton?”

Amber was shocked. “….”

‘What happened to no one recognizing us?’

She turned around, and her elated heart came crashing down. There were two people standing beside them, and they were more than mere acquaintances; their relationship with her was actually quite complicated.

Calvin and Melody ….

‘How could there be such a coincidence?’

The two seemed to have just finished shopping, as the two were holding hands while Calvin was carrying a few bags, both large and small, in his free one.

When the two of them saw Amber and Ian, Melody’s face was one of shock while Calvin’s was expressionless.

Ian was rather expressionless himself. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even bother greeting anyone he wasn’t ‘familiar’ with, and even glancing at them was an honor. His coldness was especially apparent at a time like this; making a sound and interrupting them was very impolite, no?

So Amber had to intervene. Perhaps it was because she had just been ‘secretly’ kissing Ian, but her face still had the remnants of a smile. After a brief moment to recover from her slight daze, she smiled and said, “Oh, it’s the two of you … Happy New Year!”

Melody politely responded with a “Happy New Year” of her own. She looked at Amber, and then at Ian. “The two of you ….” She made a vague hand gesture. “Are you two dating?”

It seemed as if love was magical. After she had gotten together with Calvin, not only did her emotional stability improve, but even her mood seemed to have livened up.

Amber smiled as she nodded. “That’s right.”

“Then did we interrupt you?”

Amber smiled without responding.

At this point, Calvin suddenly opened his mouth. “Let’s go. Stop bothering them.” He pulled on Melody’s hand, trying to leave.

Melody followed along, but at the last moment, she turned her head around and said, “Dr. Camille, we’re getting married at the end of the month. You have to come!”

Amber was still frozen.

Her emotions were still running amok when she felt a sudden pressure on her hand, slightly cold fingers were pulling at her fingers.

When she turned around, her face once again had a smile on it. She looked at him and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Ian calmly said, “Let’s go on our date.”

And then the two walked down the other side of the road and into the theater to watch some mindless movie.

When they exited the cinema, Amber suddenly had a small breakthrough in understanding why Ian had to ask Billy for ideas and advice about dating. Even though she had said that this was a date, she also didn’t know what young men and women did.

Eating-they just ate.

Playing sports-she would only get wrecked.

Shopping-even Amber wasn’t interested in this, let alone Ian.

So, in the end, out of ideas, they could only watch a movie.

The good thing was, despite the movie being quite poor, their relationship had nonetheless deepened considerably. They had entered holding hands, and they also exited holding hands.

When they were finished, it was already past 10 PM. Under normal circumstances, if Amber didn’t say anything, Ian probably would not think to send her home. But today, he did so on his own.

***

When they arrived at Amber’s apartment complex, Amber asked, “You didn’t even eat dinner today. Are you hungry?”

Ian staunchly replied, “Yes!”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Then quickly go home, eat something, and go to bed.”

Ian didn’t say anything in response, only shooting a steady gaze at her. His face was still expressionless, but Amber felt that she could some hidden bitterness in those stoic features.

She couldn’t stop herself from laughing out loud before she waved her hand at him to bid goodbye. “Good night.”

As she prepared to leave the car, Ian locked the car door, started the car up again ….