Chapter 34
On Thursday afternoon.
Emily: Have you decided to go?
Vanessa: Yes, I will. It's Krencher Forum. If it were you, wouldn't you go?
Emily: Of course, I will.
Emily: But are you really going to attend a forum or date?
Vanessa: (Expression of a grin)
As a matter of fact, Vanessa had decided to go to the forum on the night when it was mentioned. But she didn't have time to talk to Emily until today.
As for the board and lodging together with Shawn, Vanessa knew it was just a joke.
Vanessa didn't really think he was going to do anything. It was Krencher Forum.
After saying that to Emily, Vanessa cleared up the table and went to Zoie's office to ask for leave.
"Krencher Forum?" Zoie was so shocked that she didn't hold the pen in her hand steadily. "You're going to attend it? How can you attend it? We don't have qualifications this year."
Vanessa touched her nose and said in a low voice, "Shawn will take me there."
"Shawn?" The pen in Zoie's hand dropped directly under the table. "He will take you there?"
Vanessa nodded, "Yes, it's exactly what you heard."
Zoie looked Vanessa up and down from head to toe, which made her nervous.
"Well... You can go..." Zoie waved at her. But when Vanessa turned around, Zoie stopped her. "Wait, why will Shawn take you there? What's your relationship with him?"
Vanessa turned around and saw that Zoie's two fingers pressed against each other. "Is that kind of relationship?"
This move was quite cute. Vanessa burst into laughter. "If you want to ask, just ask. Why have this move?"
Zoie withdrew her hands and asked seriously, "Is it?"
Vanessa sighed, pursed her lips, and shook her head slightly.
Vanessa wanted to say "Not yet." But before she could say anything, Zoie said, "I knew it was impossible."
Vanessa said nothing.
Zoie waved her hand and said, "Well, you can go. Remember to ask for leave with OA."
There was still half an hour before getting off work. Vanessa turned off her computer, packed up, and was about to go home.
"Where are you going?" Tracy looked at the time and asked, "Is there a mission?"
When Tracy asked, Sophia looked up at Vanessa, eager to get off work earlier.
"You can't leave early." Vanessa pointed at Sophia's forehead and turned around to say to Tracy, "I have something to deal with and asked for a day off."
"What's the matter?" Tracy asked.
The seats in the office area were one by one. Vanessa didn't want to make it public, so she said casually, "My father is on holiday. He is coming to visit me. I'll accompany him for a few days."
There wasn't much work these days, so Tracy didn't think too much.
Vanessa took a taxi home before the rush hour. After having a simple dinner, she packed her luggage for the trip these days.
As it didn't take long, Vanessa took a small suitcase, put two clothes and daily necessities in it, and sent a message to Shawn.
Vanessa: I'm ready.
Vanessa: When shall we set out?
Shawn: Go downstairs and the driver will pick you up.
Vanessa immediately went out with her suitcase.
Before she walked out of the community, she saw the shining Rolls-Royce parked on the roadside.
The suitcase crunched on the slate road. Vanessa walked quickly out of the gate of the community. When she was about to cross the road, she suddenly heard someone calling her.
"Vanessa."
The voice sounded a little strange at first. But when Vanessa heard it carefully, she felt it familiar.
Vanessa turned around.
The searchlight was turned on in the security Pavilion. Jackson stood in the dim light. His hair was yellowish in the light and a few strands of hair were hanging in front of his forehead.
He looked a little depressed.
Vanessa just took a look at him and was about to walk forward. But Jackson immediately trotted two steps forward and pulled her.
"What are you doing?"
Vanessa wanted to shake off his hand, but the difference in strength was too great. It was useless.
Jackson clenched her hand more tightly. "I ... I've been waiting for you here. I have something to tell you."
"But I don't want to listen to you." Taking a glance at the car opposite, Vanessa said impatiently, "Let go of me. I'm busy."
"Just give me a few minutes, Vanessa." His voice trembled slightly, and his hand, which was holding Vanessa's hand, began to burn. His eyes were full of determination.
"You..." Vanessa stopped struggling.
She wasn't softhearted, but she didn't want to make a scene on the street.
"OK, I'll give you two minutes. Just say it."
As usual, Vanessa came straight to the point, but Jackson seemed to have something to say but stopped on second thought.
When he saw that Vanessa was about to leave again, he asked in a hurry, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Vanessa suddenly stopped. She looked at Jackson in confusion, "What business is it of yours?"
Jackson frowned extremely, as if it was difficult for him to say his words.
"You can have a new boyfriend. I'm not qualified to care about you. But... You... Are you with a married man..."
He stammered, as if he was quite distressed.
"Are you insane?"
As Jackson acted as if he was a sage, Vanessa was annoyed, "Do you think that I have the same eccentricity as your girlfriend? I'm sorry to disappoint you guys."
She thought Bianca and Jackson were two funny people. Bianca became a bitch, but instead, she taught Vanessa like a sage.
Bianca and Jackson were too shameless.
Jackson was stunned and didn't know what to say.
Last night, Bianca told Jackson vaguely that Vanessa seemed to be very close to the CFO of their company and some details.
As far as Jackson was concerned, he didn't think it was necessary for Bianca to slander Vanessa.
But he still had some doubts, so he came here secretly today to wait for Vanessa, not telling Bianca.
"Jackson, do you think you are kind enough?" Holding the lever of her suitcase tightly to prevent herself from slapping Jackson, Vanessa looked at the movements of Shawn's car from time to time and said, "Are you still here to warn me? Be honest yourself first. Get out of the way. He is waiting for me. I have to go, and I don't have the time to talk to you here."
As Vanessa kept looking over there, Jackson found the car too.
Jackson recognized the logo and the plate number.
"He..."
Seeing that Jackson was staring at the car, Vanessa couldn't help but roll her eyes. "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen any luxury car?"
Jackson looked back and forth between Vanessa and the car there and stammered, "He is... You..."
"Yes, that's my real boyfriend-to-be."
Vanessa shook her head and said, "So what? Is it any of your business?"
Jackson was too shocked to say a word. After a while, he said in disbelief, "Vanessa, why ... why did you..."
"What's wrong? We love each other and are a perfect match. Do we need your approval?"
After saying that, Vanessa was in no mood to talk to him and left directly.
Jackson's words were surprising.
"Vanessa, are you revenging on me?"
Vanessa stopped and paused for a moment. Then she turned around slowly with a sneer, "Jackson, you think too highly of yourself."
After a pause, she continued, "Well, but you do have to call me aunt sooner or later. We will be relatives in the future. You'd better respect the elders and don't pull me casually."
After saying that, she pulled her suitcase and went straight to the other side.
Jackson helplessly watched the driver get out of the car and open the door for her, and then put the suitcase into the trunk.
After that, for a long time, Jackson stood still at the gate of the community, watching the car drive away. The tail light flickered, dust rose, and the word "aunt" kept ringing in his mind.
...
However, Shawn was not in the car.
"Mr. Yeats has something to deal with. He has gone at noon." The driver said, "I'll drive you there."
Being pestered by Jackson for no reason, Vanessa was in a bad mood. Knowing this matter, she became more and more depressed.
She had thought that Shawn would go there with her.
"OK, I see. Thank you."
She answered and leaned against the window, without saying anything.
Boynton was not far away. It was a three-hour drive. It was more convenient to drive directly.
The driver was bored on the way, so he found a topic to talk about with her. He found that she was not very interested, so he stopped talking and played light and slow music for her.
Vanessa slept and woke up, woke up and slept, and finally arrived at the hotel at 10 p.m.
After the driver accompanied her to check-in, the hotel lobby manager took Vanessa to her room in person.
Since Shawn offered to bring Vanessa here, the hotel was booked by his secretary. Vanessa had received a message two days ago.
Vanessa had expected to check in this suite alone.
Shawn wouldn't live in the same suite with Vanessa.
But she was curious about where Shawn was.
Vanessa: I'm in the hotel.
Two minutes later.
Vanessa: Where are you?
For a long time after the two messages were sent, there was no response.
After sitting in the hotel for half an hour, Vanessa finally felt annoyed.
In fact, she felt a little lonely when she stood alone in this strange city.
Shawn took her here, but he left her alone in the hotel.
Besides...
Vanessa touched her belly.
She didn't even have dinner.
...
At this moment, in the box shrouded in smoke, after people had drunk much, waiters were still changing bowls and dishes and adding new wine.
In the past two days, many people in the industry all over the world gathered in Boynton, so there were inevitably dinner parties.
The cups went gaily round. They talked endlessly. Most of them offered an invitation for cooperation and were busy.
However, all the people present were heavyweights and had relationships of interest with each other. No one would be distracted at this time.
It was not until ten o'clock that someone went to the bathroom that Shawn took time to ask Barron if Vanessa had arrived.
Barron nodded at Shawn.
When he raised his head, Shawn responded to a partner on the other side and looked at his phone at the same time.
In the past hour, Vanessa sent him several messages intermittently.
Vanessa: Well, someone is enjoying dishes with generous amounts of meat and fish, while someone is hungry.
Vanessa: No problem. I'm fine.
At this moment, the waiter beside him refilled the glass in front of him.
Shawn quickly typed one word: Busy.
Then he put down the phone.
"I'm sorry." All of a sudden, Shawn stood up and interrupted the conversation. "I have something to deal with. Excuse me."
After saying that, he raised his glass and drank up the new wine. Then he turned around and walked out of the box.
There were few people in the corridor. When Shawn was talking to Barron sideways, they suddenly met the person who had gone to the bathroom before.
This man was on good terms with Shawn in private and spoke much more casually.
However, he was a little drunk and staggered. Seeing that Shawn had left, he asked, "Are you leaving?"
Shawn said, "Yes, I have something to deal with."
The man asked, "What's the matter?"
Shawn glanced at the elevator and said indifferently, "Feed the cat."
"What?" The man thought he had misheard. "You take a cat with you when you are on a business trip? Is it so clingy?"
Shawn didn't want to be entangled with him anymore. He walked forward, but he didn't forget to reply to him.
"Yes, a little fierce. If it isn't fed while it's hungry, it should scratch me."
...
The Spring Festival was approaching. Even though it was late at night, the streets of Boynton were still ablaze with lights. Many people didn't want to go home early in the cold wind.
Knowing that Shawn had drunk a lot today, Barron deliberately reminded the driver to drive slowly.
"No, thanks."
Shawn was sitting in the back row, looking down at the phone, and said casually, "Normal speed is OK."
Then he dialed Vanessa's number.
"What are you doing?"
There was some noise on the other end of the phone, and Vanessa's impatient voice sounded.
"I'm having fun."
Shawn looked at the phone screen and asked again, "What did you say?"
"I said I was having fun."
Then Vanessa hung up the phone.
In a roadside barbecue shop, the stall was placed at the door. The jasmine was spread out the food and the fire roasted it. The fragrance stimulated the most primitive taste bud. Vanessa was indeed having fun.
But Vanessa didn't expect to stay outside for so long. Wearing a pencil skirt and exposing her shanks in the wind was not so happy.
"Add more pepper." Vanessa stretched out her hand to warm herself with the fire while pointing. "No. No. No. No shallot."
She didn't get any response from Shawn until it was almost eleven o'clock. She was so hungry. Then she realized why she was waiting for Shawn like an abandoned woman.
So she got up, put on a coat, and went out for food.
Maybe it was because of her good luck that she smelled a pungent fragrance just a few steps out of the hotel.
According to the fragrance, she found a barbecue stall with good business.
Hearing the sound of the stove and the noise around, Vanessa was attracted and couldn't leave anymore.
However, when she was waiting for the food here, the men sitting at the table inside drinking and having a finger-guessing game frequently looked at her.
In the middle of the night, they were drunk. Someone was successfully urged on by the others.
When Vanessa was standing there, a man in casual clothes stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder.
"What's up?"
Vanessa looked back at him.
The man had a ferocious look on his face, and there was a very frightening pattern on his hand. He smiled, and the flesh was so squeezed that his eyes could not be seen.
"Are you alone, beauty?"
Ignoring him, Vanessa moved aside.
"Let's eat together." The man pulled her sleeve and said, "It's cold outside. Let's have a drink to get warm."
"No, thanks."
Vanessa shook off his hand and continued to move aside.
However, when they were talking, another two men at the table came over and blocked Vanessa's way.
The acrid smell of smoke around them could not even cover the smell of alcohol. It was inexplicably disgusting when they were smoked by the fire.
"Hey, beauty, are you here alone?"
"For my sake, let's have a midnight snack together and make friends."
"Yeah, it's still early. Let's go to KTV after it."
These people were probably hooligans. The owner of the barbecue shop took a look at them and wanted to persuade them. But he was afraid that they would make trouble in the evening, so he finally gave up. He had to quickly pack up the food ordered by Vanessa.
"Miss, here you are."
Vanessa didn't want to talk to them. She took the food and left.
But she was surrounded.
"Don't go. We will become friends. Sit down first."
Someone went straight to take the thing in her hand. Vanessa dodged sideways and became angry.
"You..."
"Fuck off."
Vanessa was in the middle of what she said when she was suddenly stunned.
The voice just now...
She turned around and saw Shawn close to the shop.
The light flickered with the unstable frequency, making Shawn's eyes sometimes cold and sometimes gloomy.
As if there was an invisible pressure, the people surrounding Vanessa retreated.
Vanessa was still in a daze. When Shawn looked down at the box that Vanessa was tightly holding in her hand, he frowned and took her away.
After a while, those men realize what had happened.
"Who the hell are you..."
Shawn turned his head and glanced at those men. The man asked just now shut up and even took two steps back with fear.
Shawn did not need to speak. The sense of oppression from different social stratification made those men fear.
...
They kept silent all the way.
Vanessa was gripped tightly by Shawn.
He strode towards the hotel, not caring whether Vanessa could keep up with him or not.
Vanessa stumbled and lost her temper.
He took her here but left her alone. He didn't even show up. He only replied "Busy" long after Vanessa sent him massages.
At this moment, he suddenly appeared and pulled her away coldly, without saying a word. The more Vanessa thought about it, the angrier she became.
When they entered the elevator, Vanessa got rid of Shawn's hand, rubbed her wrist, and said discontentedly, "What are you doing?"
Shawn looked down at her and said in a colder tone than the wind outside.
"Why did you go out alone at night?"
"I'm looking for food outside."
Vanessa shook the barbecue box in front of him and asked, "Couldn't I do this?"
Shawn said, "Did you need to dress like this to buy food?"
Vanessa lowered her head to take a look at her clothes. Except for the short skirt, she looked good everywhere.
"What kind of clothes am I wearing? Am I not looking good? Is it of your business?"
She got angry and her tone was aggressive.
"Yes, you look good." Shawn looked at Vanessa coldly, smiled, and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't you know how attractive you are? Who would be in trouble as you went out like this at night?"
Vanessa didn't reply but looked up at Shawn.
After a moment of silence, a sly smile appeared on her face.
"Are you praising me or scolding me?" She smiled and asked, "Have I attracted you?"
Shawn pursed his lips and stared at her for a long time.
It was so long that she smelled the faint smell of alcohol from him.
It was strange that the same smell of alcohol didn't disgust Vanessa at this moment.
Perhaps it was because of alcohol, Vanessa felt that Shawn's eyes behind the glasses looked gorgeous.
It was like a dark tide surging under the calm sea.
The elevator door slowly closed, as if it would isolate the world apart from the two people.
The atmosphere was gradually filled with love in the elevator.
Vanessa's heart suddenly beat wildly.
She stretched out her index finger and poked Shawn's chest cautiously.
"Think it over before answering."
Suddenly, her index finger was pressed by a warm hand, and then her whole palm was pressed on his chest.
Shawn slowly looked at Vanessa's face and glanced at her lips.
The cramped space was airless, and the distance between the two was very small.
In Vanessa's eyes, Shawn's face was getting closer and closer, until his breath with the smell of alcohol touched her lips.
"You'll know after you feel it."
After saying that, he turned his head slightly to kiss her.
The air in the elevator seemed to be sucked out at this moment.
One could hardly breathe.
It wasn't a soul kiss. He had her lips in his mouth.
Just like teasing her, he wasn't impulsive. The wet feeling touched her lips and teeth and disappeared in an instant.
He raised his head with affection.
Then he held Vanessa's hand and asked in a low voice, "What do you think?"
She hadn't come to her senses. She could only have shallow feelings.
Vanessa didn't feel whether his heart was pounding.
She felt her heart in her mouth.