Miller replied solemnly, “Please don’t be offended.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m truly grateful for your continued guidance.” Boyce bowed at Miller respectfully. Regardless of what Wendy said, he would always be grateful for Miller’s continued mentorship. Nothing would change his respect for Miller, much less what happened today.
“That’s because of your own capabilities. If you have none, I won’t even take notice of you. Give me a treat another day.” Miller and Alan Meyer were upstanding men and would not allow their professionalism to be tarnished by nepotism. If Boyce did not have the right capabilities, he would never have promoted him. Miller was impressed with Boyce’s talents.
Boyce replied, “Come over to my place and I’ll cook for you.”
Miller chuckled, “Oh? You can cook?”
“I had been single for such a long time. As long as you are not picky, I’ll ensure that you’ll enjoy my cuisine.” Boyce joked.
“Can’t wait. See you!” Miller waved goodbye.
Boyce bade his farewell to Miller and Mrs. Miller before leaving with Jasmine.
When Boyce had left, Miller’s expression turned for the worse and demanded, “Speak up, what were you up to?”
Wendy grabbed her hair in frustration and was speechless.
“You were the one who wasn’t satisfied with him. Based on my understanding of Boyce, he would have treated you very well and taken very good care of us. But you refused to listen to me. So now, after all that you’ve gone through, you are regretting now?” Miller huffed furiously and continued, “Don’t you know how much harm you’ve caused to you and your father’s dignity by what you had done? How would Boyce think of us now?”
He clarified once again, “All of Boyce’s achievements were due to his own capabilities and not because I had favored him.” It was true that Miller recommended Boyce to become the assistant superintendent but he was definitely capable to take up that position. What his daughter had said that night seemed to suggest that Boyce could not rise to that position without his support. Miller was extremely upset because she seemed to suggest that Miller had engaged in nepotism and hence was unprofessional.
“Okay, it’s because of her divorce…”
“So she’s using divorce as an excuse?” Miller interrupted his wife as he knew that she was trying to find excuses for his daughter. But even if she was in a foul mood, she must not harm others with such sinister comments.
“Preposterous!”
Mrs. Miller kept quiet and did not respond. She knew that her husband could read a person well and saw that Boyce was honest and ambitious. It was her daughter who did not cherish the opportunity and now she could not blame anyone.
“When did Boyce start a relationship? Why hadn’t you mention it previously? Mrs. Miller asked.
Miller was frustrated and slammed his chopsticks on the table and stood up furiously, “Why? Do I now have to report to you?” Thereafter he stormed out of the dining room.
Mrs. Miller asked Wendy, “You weren’t interested in Boyce so why did you speak to him in this manner? Look at how much you’ve upset your father!”
Wendy apologized, “I’m sorry Mom, I don’t know what caused me to do that.” In fact, she felt that Boyce’s achievements had been due to her father’s influence so Boyce should be grateful to them. Thus, she felt that she always stood a chance to be with Boyce. When Boyce brought Jasmine for dinner, she suddenly felt slighted and became frustrated.
“You’re upset because he brought his girlfriend?” Mrs. Miller asked. She was not sure about how Wendy felt about Boyce. If she was interested in Boyce, then why did she reject him in the past but if she was not, then why did she react this way tonight? Mrs. Miller was dumbfounded.
“No.” Wendy denied.
Mrs. Miller could not bear to question Wendy further as she knew that Wendy was still in a bad mood because of her recent divorce.
“Go and apologize to your father so that he can calm down.” Mrs. Miller advised her daughter.
“Why does father like Boyce so much? Could Boyce be his illegitimate child?” Wendy joked.
“What are you talking about?” Mrs. Miller immediately reproached her, “What if your dad heard that?” Mrs. Miller was certain about her husband’s character. He was not a womanizer who fooled around. “I’m just joking. He definitely treats Boyce better than me.” Clearly, he did not spare any thought for her feelings tonight.
“Of course your father loves you. He indeed likes Boyce but he was so concerned for you that he could not sleep the entire night when you divorced. Alright now, ask your father to come to continue his dinner.” Mrs. Miller glared at Wendy to make peace with her father. Wendy obediently stood up and went to comfort her father.
Boyce and Jasmine got into the car and drove off immediately. He was solemn as he drove the car. Jasmine asked as she was curious about the relationship between Wendy and Boyce, “Do you know her well?” They seemed to be so.
Boyce replied, “I suppose.”
“Then she likes you that’s why…”
Boyce interrupted Jasmine as he knew what she was wondering, “She doesn’t like me. We were introduced but she didn’t think that I was suitable for her.” Even he was perplexed as to what happened tonight. “Really?” Jasmine still felt that Wendy liked Boyce.
Boyce smiled, “Don’t you believe me?”
Jasmine denied and then asked, “Where are we going now?”
“Back to your University.” Boyce calmly said.
Jasmine asked curiously, “Aren’t you treating me to dinner? After all, I helped you tonight and pretended to be your girlfriend for the entire afternoon. I’m famished.”
Boyce snapped back to his senses and replied awkwardly, “What do you like to eat? My treat.”
“You decide since you’re paying for it.” Jasmine laughed.
“Okay.” Boyce hardly went to the high-end restaurants unless he was with Armand and Cormac. He was a civil servant and whose standard of living was incomparable with the two of them. However, since Jasmine had helped him, he wanted to choose a nice place to dine with Jasmine.
As they entered the restaurant, Boyce said to Jasmine, “Go ahead and order whatever you like, it’s my treat.”
“Great, thanks!” Jasmine replied excitedly.
“I hardly splurge.” He chuckled as he seldom went to such nice restaurants on his own.
Previously Jasmine had been to such high-class restaurants as a waitress but never as a diner.
They were led to a quiet corner by the server and the server presented the menu.
“She’ll order,” Boyce told the server.
Jasmine frowned as she browsed the menu carefully. A plate of bean curd appetizer cost 15 dollars. It had a fancy name such as Emperor’s Icy Jade in thick broth. But it was still bean curd! She felt that it was a rip-off! She continued to browse the menu and the rest were the same.
The cabbage puree was just cabbage and cost 20 dollars.
The French roast duck was 55 dollars each!
The sweet and sour pork ribs were 18 dollars a plate!
Jasmine could not continue and felt that it was clearly a rip-off. The dishes were fancily named and the ambiance was high class but that was no reason to have such outrageous prices!
She closed the menu and gave it back to the server and said, “We won’t be ordering.”
Boyce was startled and asked, “Don’t you like it?”
Jasmine nodded, “There isn’t anything that I like here. Let’s go somewhere else.”
Boyce stood up and said, “Fine, let’s go somewhere you like.”
Jasmine smiled. The server kept quiet as Boyce was in his uniform and he was obviously someone with authority. She also noticed the age difference between Boyce and Jasmine and figured out that Jasmine would be spoilt by Boyce.
Once out of the restaurant, Jasmine spoke freely, “That was a rip-off! How can a bowl of bean curd cost 15 dollars? What kind of bean curd would cost that much?”
Boyce did not expect Jasmine to be upset because it was expensive and chuckled, “That was your only chance to have a fancy meal with me. You won’t have another opportunity.”
New Book: Beginning with a Daring Encounter
Celsie was tired of being labeled as an introvert, workaholic, and dull virgin by her friends. Determined to prove them wrong, she made a bet that she would do something daring on her 25th birthday. Now that the day had arrived, it was time to fulfill her promise. On her daring to-do list, there was one task: a one-night stand with someone.