Substitute Bride For Young Master
Chapter 5's
Raymond pulled Lorie's hand to a restaurant that was not too crowded, but also not too quiet. A waiter greeted them at the door and escorted them to a seat on the inside side of the restaurant overlooking the river. It just so happened that there was no one else near the seat other than Lorie and Raymond.
“Do you want to order food now, Mister?” ask the waiter politely.
Raymond thrusts the menu book in front of Lorie while saying, “Choose first. The food here is very good, I highly recommend *risotto* and *polenta e schie*, there is also a very good tiramisu for dessert,” said Raymond enthusiastically.
“*Baccala mantecato* and *bigoli* are also our flagship menu, Miss,” added the waiter, still while sharing a wide smile that looks sweet.
For a moment Lorie wanted to order and try everything. Raymond gave a smile looking at Lorie's very serious expression while choosing food.
“If not, you just order them all. Do not be afraid, I will help you spend it,” Raymond said as if knowing the anxiety that Lorie was experiencing.
“Really?” asked Lorie without even thinking twice. The offer is very tempting, the same as the photo of the dish on the menu.
Raymond nodded confidently as he replied, “Of course. Choose whichever you like.”
Loria grinned widely. His eyes looked more radiant when replying, “Then I won't hesitate any more.”
After saying that sentence, he immediately pointed to the eight menus that were on the list. Raymond laughed at the grin of satisfaction that adorned the face of the woman before him.
“Truly it has been a very long time not to meet,” the man said as he stared fixedly at Lorie, “How are you?”
“Pretty good,” replied Lorie. “How about you?”
Raymond shrugged his shoulders and spread out both hands.
“As you can see. I'm fine,” he said.
“Good ... oh, by the way ..the last I know you went to the Middle East. How can I meet you here?”
“That's a long story.” Raymond chuckled softly and propped up his chin with his right hand. “I was visiting my lover who attended fashion exhibition here.”
Lorie's eyes are breaking. “Love?” tanyakanya.
Wasn't the last time the man before her went to with a broken heart for not being able to get Kinara Lee?
However, it was indeed a long time ago .. time is very capable of changing a person, right? The shocked expression on Lorie's face slowly faded when remembering that time was the most efficacious remedy to treat a broken heart.
Seeing Lorie's reaction, Raymond was not offended at all. His laughter just got wider, making him look more attractive because of the wisdom of maturity that appeared on his face.
For an instant Lorie fell silent and felt a single loud jolt in her chest from seeing Raymond laughing like that. He took the water on the table and drank it slowly, hoping that the discomfort in his chest would soon disappear.
“You think I can't get a lover? Is my face that ugly?” raymond asked after his laughter had subsided.
“Before I thought you would languish until old age,” replied Lorie, honestly expressing her heart.
The answer made Raymond laugh again until his eyes only looked in line. His deep and soft voice was very pleasant to hear. Lorie could not help but laugh with the man.
“Really? Very good then ...” Lorie took another sip of mineral water in her glass. “I want to get acquainted with him.”
“Hum. Hopefully Alice has some free time between her road show schedule.”
“I hope so.”
“By the way, did you settle in Venice?”
Lorie shook her head quickly hearing the question. “No. No.. Saturday I'll be back Broocklyn. I'm here on business.”
“Oh ...”
“Yourself, how long is it here?”
“We'll—“
Raymond's words were cut short when two servants came and placed the dish they ordered onto the table.
“Thank you,” said Lorie to the two maids.
“Please enjoy, Miss,” reply the waiter. He bowed politely before turning around and leaving.
“We will go to Boston after from here.”
“You followed him around the world?” asked Lorie while raising her eyebrows. He could have predicted that Raymond Dawson was a romantic man, but he really did not think that the man was willing to follow his lover everywhere like now.
“Yeah ... how else .. This is our only chance to meet. He was very busy and I had a hard time getting a leave of absence. Coincidentally this time I can take an annual holiday, so ... all the streets ...”
Lorie chuckled at the explanation of the man before her which sounded more like that complaint.
“After dinner, I opened the opportunity for counseling and confiding, just think of it as payment because it has been traded by you,” said Lorie. He took a spoonful of risotto and tasted it.
Raymond picked up the spoon and fork, then scooped the dish on his plate in a very elegant gesture.
“It's so good,” praise Lorie while nodding in satisfaction.
“You know, in Broocklyn .. there are only sandwiches and orange juice,” he continued,
Raymond smiled at me. “No one cooks for you? Or go to a restaurant?”
This time Lorie shook her head helplessly. “Too busy. I don't like waiters, and don't like going to restaurants without friends.”
“Busy it?” raymon asked as he looked at Lorie with a look. “What are you working on now?”
“Being Alex's right hand. She's more busy taking care of her kids now, so ... you know ...” Lorie flicked her shoulders indifferently and did not finish her speech.
“That's cool,” praise Raymond earnestly. “It's worth your appearance to be different, making me not recognize you earlier ...”
Lorie laughed at the confession.
“Indeed my appearance was that bad?” his grunts glared at Raymond.
Instead of fearing Lorie being offended, Raymond instead nodded quickly as he said, “You were so ugly, your clothing style was too stiff, also so fierce ..it doesn't look like a woman at all.”
Lorie almost choked. She knew she wasn't feminine at all, but she didn't expect Raymond to say it so bluntly.
“Session counseling and venting canceled,” grunts, pretend sulking.
“OK .. okay ... it's my fault.” Raymond raised his hand into the air like a schoolboy who made a mistake to his teacher. “I errat, since the first time your appearance is very stunning. Is that okay?”
Lorie grunts. “Not sincere at all.”
“Hey ... it is very sincere .. anyway counseling sessions and confiding cannot be canceled!” raymond protested, making Lorie's face again filled with smiles.
“Alright, you have 30 minutes to tell me all about your lover. How?”
Raymond pretended to be thinking seriously before replying, “I think that's fair enough.”
Acting gurgling in the calm flowing river water, the two old acquaintances continued their dinner while reminiscing about the past ....
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