Free Web NovelChapter 373: Chapter 371: You’ve Had a Secret Crush on Him All Along?
"They spouted a bunch of jargon I didn’t get." Simon Adler had just wanted to ask her out; he hadn’t really been paying attention to their progress.
"If you want to know, I can call the person in charge and have them explain it to you in detail."
"Forget it." Mia Grant shook her head. "I’ll ask Felix Sinclair some other day."
If even Simon Adler couldn’t understand it, there was no way she would.
Mia Grant didn’t want to torture herself.
"So where are we going now?"
"Lunch." Simon Adler tapped his watch. "You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I figured you wouldn’t eat this early."
Mia Grant nodded. "Alright. After we eat, you can drop me off at the Sinclair Family’s place."
After sending her reply, she put her phone away and casually rested her hand to the side. Her fingers brushed against something...
She glanced down and noticed a bag on the center console. Inside were two takeout containers.
She could see a patch of vibrant green through the plastic bag.
’Hmm?’
Mia Grant was puzzled. "I know the Grant Corporation doesn’t pay as well as the Hughes Corp, but are things so bad that you have to be frugal enough to bring your own food to a restaurant?"
"Are you sure they won’t kick you out?"
"If it’s really that bad, this one’s on me."
"..." Simon Adler was speechless. His lips moved, as if he wanted to explain that this was Silas Grant’s handiwork.
"It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to put on a brave face if you’re struggling. Pick any place you want—a pricey one. It’s on me."
Mia Grant waved her hand magnanimously. "It’s no big deal."
"..."
"It’s not what you think, actually..."
"Say no more." Mia Grant held up a hand to stop him. "I get it."
"I said it’s my treat, so it’s my treat. Don’t worry about it."
"..." Simon Adler snatched the takeout bag, threw it on the floor, and kicked it further under the seat. Then he silently closed his eyes.
Simon Adler chose a Japanese restaurant. The moment Mia Grant walked in, she pulled a card from her wallet, slapped it on the table, and said, "Order whatever you want."
"..."
’Look at her, showing off her wealth.’
Simon Adler handed her the menu, his face impassive. "Spoken like a true boss. You used to be so tightfisted, but look at you now, so generous."
"Heh." Mia Grant took the menu without looking at it, tossed it aside, and said directly to the server, "We’ll have one of everything."
"..." Simon Adler, who was flipping through the menu, froze.
"Are you insane?"
He couldn’t believe those words had just come out of his mouth—and directed at Mia Grant, of all people.
Mia Grant took a couple of sips from her glass of water. "You probably won’t get to eat a meal this nice for a long time after today," she said. "Who knows when the next chance will be? So, let me spoil you. Eat up."
"..."
"Even if you eat until you’re bloated beyond recognition, it’s okay. I won’t skip out on the bill."
The menu was taken from his hands, and Simon Adler could only watch as the servers began bringing a never-ending stream of dishes to their table.
For the first time in his life, Simon Adler felt like he was at a banquet with an endless conveyor belt of food.
’And I’d even picked a high-end restaurant.’
But as exasperating as it was, he had to admit it was rare for Mia Grant to treat him to a meal, let alone be this generous.
’Oh well. If she wants to misunderstand, let her.’
’If this makes me look like a charity case... then so be it.’
’Sigh.’
Simon Adler ate the entire meal with a heavy heart.
In the end, with a table still laden with food, they simply couldn’t eat another bite.
Mia Grant called Simon and her other men in. Like a relay race, a new team took over and continued eating.
Mia Grant paid the bill and told them to stay and finish up. She and Simon Adler went out to walk off their meal.
Near the restaurant there was a mall and a park.
Mia Grant was not in the mood for shopping.
Mostly because that one meal had just cost her an entire month’s allowance.
’Can’t spend another dime.’
So she and Simon Adler went for a walk in the park.
The rain had stopped, and the air smelled great.
Mia Grant loved walking on the rain-slicked pavement. Beside her, Simon Adler glanced down at the cuffs of his trousers.
Yep, they were speckled with water she’d kicked up. At least there was no mud, so he didn’t look like a complete mess.
Once she was tired of her game, Mia Grant sat down on a bench to rest and asked curiously:
"Did you get Silas Grant a gift?"
"What gift?" Simon Adler paused mid-motion as he was about to sit down.
"A birthday gift, of course. Don’t tell me you didn’t know it was his birthday?" Mia Grant eyed him with suspicion. ’They grew up together, there’s no way he wouldn’t know.’
"Oh." Simon Adler glanced at the date. "No wonder you’re here today."
"You came to celebrate his birthday?"
"...Then why did you come back from Jynsia?" Mia Grant tilted her head. "I thought you were here today to give him his gift."
"I’m not Santa Claus, and I’m not his girlfriend. You think I’d cross half the country just to give him a birthday present? I don’t have that kind of time or inclination."
Even someone as dense as Mia Grant could detect the sour note in his tone.
She rubbed her nose. "You two are such good friends. Why be like this?"
"I didn’t want it to be like this either. He’s the petty one."
"..." Mia Grant was at a loss for words. "So childish."
Simon Adler was unfazed.
"What’s wrong? You seem angry that I didn’t get him a gift."
"Why would I be angry? I just don’t think you two need to act this way."
"When he had a falling out with Yates Donovan and the others, did you try to play mediator then, too?" Simon Adler suddenly asked.
"No," Mia Grant answered honestly. "Actually, your relationship with him is different from his relationship with Yates Donovan and Kian Keller."
"Their relationships are built on mutual interests. Yours is different. Didn’t you used to say it yourself? That it wasn’t worth tearing your friendship apart with Silas Grant over a woman and some petty issue?"
Simon Adler gazed into the distance and replied quietly, "That was then, this is now."
"If he hadn’t sent me those two dishes of vegetables today, I might have actually listened to you and gone to get him a belated gift."
’He knew Silas Grant didn’t celebrate his birthday. Still, in previous years, he’d always made a small gesture. A gift was expected.’
’It wasn’t that he’d intentionally skipped it this year; he had genuinely forgotten.’
"...He sent that to you?!"
"Hmph." Simon Adler scoffed, his face a mask of contempt.
Mia Grant didn’t get it. "See? You still have a place in his heart! He remembered to look out for you, telling you to eat more vegetables. Such a touching display of brotherly love."
Simon Adler: "..."
"What did you get him?"
"A golf club."
At that, Simon Adler raised an eyebrow. "Good choice."
"Does he really not like to golf in his free time?" Mia Grant caught his underlying meaning.
"More or less. I’ve never seen him play, except when he has to for business."
"What made you think of giving him that?"
"Because I remember the first time I ever saw him. I was watching him play, and he looked so handsome."
"The... first time you saw him?" Simon Adler didn’t quite process that.
"Yup." Mia Grant cupped her face in her hands. "He doesn’t know. I was hiding far away, watching in secret."
"He got a hole-in-one that day. It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen."
"What year was that?"
"Hmm... I can’t tell you that."
"Anyway, it was a long, long time ago."
"So, you’ve had a secret crush on him from the start?"
Simon Adler asked instinctively, "Then what was Hayes Hughes?"
