Chapter 40
At the hot pot restaurant, while waiting for the food to arrive, Emily received an unexpected call from Mrs. Zimmer. Surprised, she still picked up.
“Hello, Mrs. Zimmer?”
“Miss Yates, do you have a moment? I’d like to ask you something,” Mrs. Zimmer said politely and warmly on the other end.
“Of course, go ahead.” Emily respected Mrs. Zimmer, who had treated her kindly over the past three years.
“Well, Miss Yates, you used to help organize Mr. Yates‘ travel clothes. Now that you’ve left so suddenly, I’ve had to take over, and I’m not used to it,” Mrs. Zimmer said carefully, her tone cautious.
“Earlier today, I took far too long packing his suitcase, and I’m worried it might affect his work in the future,” she added, clearly nervous. “Could you put together a list for me? It would make coordinating his outfits much easier.”
Emily froze for a moment. “Is Justin on another business trip? Did he make things difficult for Mrs. Zimmer while she was packing?” she thought.
Even though she resented Justin for hiding the truth and using her as a stand–in, Mrs. Zimmer had always been good to her. There was no reason to ignore her request.
After thinking back, Emily said, “In my old vanity drawer, there should be some pre–printed outfit guides. You can use those as a reference.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Miss Yates! I’ll check right now,” Mrs. Zimmer said enthusiastically and quickly found the guides.
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Zimmer.”
Emily hung up just as the meat and vegetables were brought to the table.
Sean, while adding ingredients to the hot pot, casually asked, “Who’s Mrs. Zimmer?”
“She’s the housekeeper who looked after me before,” Emily replied calmly.
Sean, quick to catch on, guessed who Mrs. Zimmer worked for. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you in the future. If you like Mrs. Zimmer, I can hire her for a high salary and take her abroad to keep looking after you.”
Emily was startled and put down her utensils, giving him a serious look. “Sean, this is the time for you to focus on studying and getting into college, not on relationships.”
“Who said I’m not focusing on studying? Besides, school and love aren’t mutually exclusive,” Sean countered confidently.
Emily wasn’t naive. When she first met Sean, she could brush off his words as harmless jokes.
But now, after all this back–and–forth, even following her to Bay City, how could she not figure out what he was thinking?
“You should date girls your age, not someone older like me,” she said, her tone patient but firm.
“Who says an older woman and a younger guy can’t work? Studies show that relationships where the woman is older lead to happier lives and better relationship satisfaction,” Sean said, delivering his “facts” with a completely serious tone.
Chapter 40
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Emily frowned. “Sean, you know my situation. I’m not interested in a relationship right now.”
“I’m not saying it has to happen now. I’ll stay by your side and wait. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here. Just turn around, and you’ll see me,” Sean replied confidently, completely unfazed.
His unwavering determination left Emily at a loss for words.
After dinner, Sean drove them back to the hotel and insisted on walking Emily to her door.
“What time is your meeting tomorrow to submit your artwork?” he asked.
“I’ve already sent the submission online, but I need to confirm the details in person. The meeting’s at 2 p.m.,” Emily replied after thinking back to what the contact had said.
Sean glanced at his watch. “Alright, I’ll pick you up at 1:30 tomorrow. Don’t turn down my kindness, and don’t feel pressured.”
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