Chapter 11

The shopping mall I was in was four subway stops away from the studio. If I hadn't overheard Cindy mentioning a dinner date earlier, I would have suspected that she and Bruce had surveilled me. But since we crossed paths, I had to go ahead and greet them. Cindy glanced at the camera bag in my hands and asked, "Nance, are you into photography too?" I replied gently, "I was just browsing." "Well, that's a coincidence." Cindy gave Bruce a knowing look, then turned to me and said, "I was just worrying about making the wrong choice. Nance, could you help me decide?" She pointed to a camera on the premium display. The price of this particular camera boasted five digits, which was almost equivalent to two months of Cindy's salary. She could speak so casually, presumably because Bruce would foot the bill. "Sorry, I haven't had lunch yet." I declined her request and said, "You can consult the sales assistant as they are more knowledgeable than I am." Cindy's smile froze momentarily, but she quickly said, "Sorry, I didn't think it through." Then, I smiled and stepped into the crowd. I had bought the gift, but giving it to Douglas was still a problem. I couldn't just appear at the birthday party without a word. That said, it's not like I haven't done such foolish things before. It was Bruce's first birthday after he took the initiative to hold my hand. He subtly asked me to leave first in front of everyone, which wasn't a pleasant memory. My thoughts were then interrupted by a message notification. As if on cue, I received an invitation from Douglas. The message read, "Will you be free tomorrow night?" I wasn't particularly keen on attending the birthday party, but giving him the gift without being there would be impolite. So, I asked, "Who else is coming?" "Just a few friends, you know them all." He didn't mention the birthday celebration, as he probably wanted to save me from expenses. After a moment of hesitation, I replied, "Send me the address." Coincidentally, he sent me the address to Rico Restaurant, where Kate invited me last time. Frankly speaking, the chef there was skilled, so I was looking forward to it. … The next day came quickly. After finishing my work, I began to tidy up my desk. Seeing this, David teased, "Nancy, don't be in a hurry. Douglas won't blow out the candles if you're not there." While I was about to respond that I needed to catch the train, Cindy's office door opened suddenly. She looked at me curiously and asked, "Nance, do you have plans tonight?" I responded briefly and heard David say, "Let's go, Nancy. Douglas informed me to ensure you arrive at the restaurant safely and accurately." As a tech geek, David had a surprisingly sharp tongue. The car sped all the way and finally arrived at the location at 7:30 pm. There weren't many people inside. Aside from Douglas, there were two former classmates, Lilian and another guy who seemed familiar. All of us were peers. Seeing David and I, Douglas immediately came over and said, "You must be hungry. I'll have the kitchen prepare the dishes." David jokingly said, "Don't be in such a hurry. Our Nance here even brought you a gift." Douglas' eyes flickered with surprise, and his gaze was filled with joy. "Really? You shouldn’t have!" David continued with a teasing smile, "Douglas, can you control your expression while you speak?" Douglas glanced at David, then turned to me saying, "Let's take our seats first." I gave him the gift and wished, "Douglas, happy birthday." While Douglas was pulling out a chair, he turned around upon hearing my words. His gaze fell on the camera bag in my hands. Suddenly, a crack appeared in his joyful expression. It seemed he wasn't very pleased. The guy beside him exclaimed, "A Leica camera! That's hitting Douglas right in the heart." As soon as he finished his words, the door of the private room inexplicably opened. All of our attention was directed to the entrance at that moment. Bruce's tall figure immediately caught my eye. His gaze paused on the camera bag in Douglas' hands, his pupils trembling slightly. Then, Cindy's face emerged from behind him. "I knew I heard Nance's voice," Cindy said proudly while holding Bruce's arm. "It's her indeed." It turns out that Bruce and Cindy had reserved the private room next door. It was such a coincidence, almost like it was planned in advance. "This is fate then," Douglas, who was always good-natured, said warmly. "Bruce, join us for a drink if you don't mind?" Bruce responded in a calm tone, "Will that be appropriate?" His emotions were hard to discern. Douglas said half-jokingly, "Is Mr. Harold deliberately trying to embarrass me?" After speaking, he gestured for both of them to take their seats. As Cindy sat down on the main seat at the head of the table, her eyes suddenly fell on the camera bag on Douglas' seat. She exclaimed, "Oh, so the camera Nance chose with great care was actually meant for Mr. Irvin!" Douglas' expression paused, "With great care?" As a naturally outgoing person, Cindy responded in a sweet and soft tone, "Yes, Nance purposely went to the mall at noon. According to the sales assistant, she took a long time to decide." After hearing her words, Bruce glanced at me with sparking eyes. It made me feel a little embarrassed. After all, choosing a gift was a delicate matter. But Cindy's description made it seem like I had gone to extreme lengths. I felt uncomfortable and thought of finishing dinner quickly to leave early. Just then, David reminded me, "Nancy, your seat is over there." He pointed to the seat on Douglas' left. He was Douglas' junior high school classmate and didn't know the history between Bruce and I. With his reminder, everyone's attention seemed to be focused on me. Although there were still two empty seats in the eight-person private room, refusing to join would make Douglas look bad. As such, I quietly moved over without making a fuss. Subtly, I sensed a pair of eyes glancing at me. When I turned to face them, I only saw Bruce carefully placing a napkin over Cindy's lap. Those long fingers, originally only meant for holding a pen, seemed to be influenced by a young woman. As the food and drinks were served, everyone toasted Douglas, then began to chat and drink. As I ate and began to feel full, I heard Cindy's soft voice, "Nance and Mr. Irvin, I've had a wonderful evening thanks to you both." She then stood up, holding a glass of juice with utmost courtesy. She looked exceptionally obedient. However, she emphasized the words "you both". The displeasure that lingered in my heart all night suddenly surged, clouding my mind. I was on the verge of an outburst. Douglas seemed to sense this and calmly said, "Ms. Lane, you’ve misunderstood. Nance and I are just friends, but I appreciate your gratitude." After speaking, he raised his glass and downed it in one gulp. Cindy blinked rapidly with her eyes full of astonishment. She seemed to be at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, I thought you and Nance were..." She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear. Given that she was Bruce's partner, no one would have said anything, even if something she said had caught me off guard. Moreover, she was just a young woman. Who would bother arguing with an innocent person like her? Bruce, on the other hand, seemed a bit restless. He raised his glass slightly and declared, "Let me apologize on Cindy's behalf." Although he said this, his tone was quite rude. Even the gesture of holding the glass was casual. I felt compelled to respond at this point. Thus, I also raised my glass and politely said, "Mr. Harold, you're overthinking it. It's not a big deal, and besides..." I paused, glanced at Douglas beside me, and continued, "It's an honor to be compared to such an outstanding young man as Douglas."