Chapter 11: Only Us
Patrick asked Candice out on a dinner date in the evening, during which she ran into Byron for the third time that day.
There were very few restaurants near the hotel. After all, it was in the suburbs, and this was the most upscale one in the area. Byron and his company booked a private room but later moved to a table near the entrance.
There were more than ten of them, and they were chattering boisterously.
After observing for a while, Patrick said, “Your friend seems rather familiar to me.”
“He’s a doctor,” Candice replied perfunctorily.
“Is he from the urology department?”
“You recognize him?”
“There are posters of him at the subway station. I took a photo of it, actually. Our boss has kidney problems and has gotten a prescription from his department,” Patrick answered while helping Candice to some food.
Candice had been rather listless since the food was served but she perked up the moment she heard that he had taken a photo.
“Can I see the photo?” she asked.
Patrick swiped the screen of his phone to open the photo. She took a look to see that it was really Byron.
There were five director–level doctors in the photo and Byron, the only one with the “professor” title, was standing right in the middle with two doctors each on his left and right. Harry was right beside him.
Although he was clad in an ordinary white coat, Byron looked incredibly domineering due to his unique demeanor and aura.
Noticing that Candice was getting carried away staring at the photo, Patrick asked, “Are you on good terms with that friend of yours?”
“Not bad,” she said against her will.
“He’s
ery nice to you.‘
“That’s just the way he is.”
Candice was baffled that Byron, who was usually incredibly aloof, would be willing to be part of a hospital ad.
She stared at the man who was just a short distance away. Seemingly having sensed her gaze, he stared at her for a while.
Breaking away from the eye contact, Candice looked down sheepishly while picking at her food. Meanwhile, Byron’s gaze landed on her face for a few seconds before he looked
away.
“Candy, I just found out you love shrimp,” Patrick said as he
Patrick swiped the screen of his phone to open the photo. She took a look to see that it was really Byron.
There were five director–level doctors in the photo and Byron, the only one with the “professor” title, was standing right in the middle with two doctors each on his left and right. Harry was right beside him.
Although he was clad in an ordinary white coat, Byron looked incredibly domineering due to his unique demeanor and aura.
Noticing that Candice was getting carried away staring at the photo, Patrick asked, “Are you on good terms with that friend of yours?”
“Not bad,” she said against her will.
“He’s not very nice to you.
“That’s just the way he is.
Candice was baffled that Byron, who was usually incredibly aloof, would be willing to be part of a hospital ad.
She stared at the man who was just a short distance away. Seemingly having sensed her gaze, he stared at her for a while.
Breaking away from the eye contact, Candice looked down sheepishly while picking at her food. Meanwhile, Byron’s gaze landed on her face for a few seconds before he looked
away.
“Candy, I just found out you love shrimp,” Patrick said as he
handed her an entire plate of shrimp.
“What did you call me?”
“Candy,” he said, his eyes full of anticipation.
Candice shivered and said, “That’s too intimate and inappropriate.”
288 Vouchers
“Why is it inappropriate?” Patrick went on, “Candice, I had to hold back any feelings I had for you before you got divorced, but now I can be open and up front…“.
Candice wasn’t interested in hearing what he had to say. Feeling that the situation was getting out of hand, she secretly texted Harry under the table, asking him what time he would be back at the hotel and telling to come to her.
She waited for half an hour but there was no reply.
While picking up the food, Patrick tried to test the waters by hinting at cohabitation and remarriage. He didn’t broach the topic bluntly and instead beat around the bush. Not wanting to dig her own grave, Candice panicked and called Byron.
He took a look at the incoming call and hung up without answering.
Candice then received a text message from him.
—[Speak.]
—[Where’s Doctor Harry?]
When the phone vibrated, Byron picked it up and looked at it before raising his eyes slightly. After taking a brief glance at
her, he looked away again.
Candice felt really stupid for asking about Harry when Byron had extended a rare helping hand to her.
She immediately resent the text.
—[Professor Wilson, I have nowhere to hide.]
However, Byron didn’t reply and stopped paying attention to her.
The man at his table teased, “Josie, don’t you miss Byron? Let him give you a lift home.”
One of his female classmates chimed in, “Byron is staying in the hotel next door. Why would Josie go home when she can sleep right in his bed? You’re underestimating women.”
Josie blushed and subconsciously glanced at Byron, who was holding half a cigarette in his mouth, the tip of his tongue against a wisp of smoke. He looked indescribably mysterious and sexy.
Josie’s face began to burn up.
With a glass of wine in hand, the man inched closer to Byron and said, “Byron, I heard that things are over between you and Vicky.”
“Yeah,” he answered languidly.
“That woman is too wild while you’re stable and mature. The sooner you’re done with her, the sooner you will be relieved. What do you think?”
Byron dusted his cigarette and exhaled some smoke as he asked,
“Am I not wild?”
“We all know you’re a good man.”
“Who told you that? Does a good man sleep around without taking responsibility?” Byron said with a look of
nonchalance.
“It depends on the situation. Some women are only after benefits. Well, you can’t possibly give yourself to the,, can you?”
Candice picked at her food without any appetite.
Nancy’s last breakup was due to the fact that her ex had too many friends who were bad influences. She didn’t get it at first but now she did.
He was too radical and misguided.
The man moved his chair and sat down before asking, “How long has it been?”
“Why do you care?”
He deliberately took the chance to say, “I’m just concerned for Josie. She has been waiting for an opportunity.”
“An opportunity for what?” Byron asked, still as nonchalant
as ever.
Byron’s classmate pointed across the table and said, “You know what I’m talking about. For your sake, Josie has been
staying single for seven years since she graduated.”
They laughed and Josie leaned towards Byron in an attempt to get his protection.
Byron shielded her as a gentlemanly gesture, his eyes slightly glazed over even though he clearly hadn’t been drinking.
“Cut it out,” he said.
“Look how upset he is. Byron was such a jock in school back in the day and so many girls had crushes on him. We were so jealous of him. This punk caused me to be a singleton for four years!” the man said as he tapped his fork against the plate.
Byron laughed and raised his glass as he said, “My apologies.”
After finishing his drink, the man said, “I tried to court Josie too! But she didn’t like me, and the principal told me personally that she didn’t want to marry anyone but Byron.”
Byron’s gaze lingered on Josie, who pursed her lips silently in a way that made her look pitiful.
The next moment, he moved Josie’s glass away and said, “Don’t drink too much.”
He then poured her a glass of juice.
Seeing this, Candice wiped her mouth and said, “I’m full.”
Caught off guard, Patrick hurriedly settled the bill and followed her.
As she passed Byron, Candice deliberately slowed down her pace to attract his attention. With his arms on the back of the chair and the buttons of his shirt completely misplaced, he exuded an unkempt, masculine charm.
He didn’t even give Candice a second glance.
When she returned to the hotel, she felt so disgruntled that she didn’t notice that a room card was missing until her colleagues, who had been away all afternoon, suddenly retreated. Amid the glistening candlelight, Patrick held a bouquet of red roses and got down on one knee with deep affection and devotion in his eyes. It was a scene he thought was so romantic and sweet that no woman could resist it.
Rufus had done the same thing before and successfully fooled her into believing his pretense as a repentant husband.
The impact of that scene would eternally be unforgettable for Candice. In fact, she was afraid that she might lose control and wreck this placè.
The daft and insensitive Patrick insisted on confessing, “Candice, I truly…”
“I can’t accept you.”
He suddenly stopped, dumbfounded.
Candice stepped back and turned on all the lights before continuing, “I’ve never had the intention to date you. Maybe I’ve been too careless with my interaction with you and caused you to misunderstand. I’m sorry, Mr. Patrick.”
Patrick’s expression was completely blank and he was stunned for a long time before asking, “You don’t like me?”
Candice simply shook her head and said, “I haven’t had any ideas about that.”
“You haven’t had any ideas about me or remarriage?”
“I have no intentions of getting remarried.”
Since he was her superior at work. she couldn’t exactly fall out with him. Instead of hurting his pride, she might as well make a sweeping statement and make it seem like all men had no chances with him.
Patrick suddenly hugged her thigh agitatedly and exclaimed, “But Candice, I’m in love with you and I swear…”
The bed was right behind her and she lost her balance, causing her to fall onto it.
“Mr. Patrick!”
She struggled in desperation and the doorbell happened to ring at this moment. Flustered and panicking, Candice pushed Patrick away and made a dash for the door. She thought that they were all there but Harry was the only one who appeared.
Candice peered over his head and asked, “Where’s Professor Wilson?”
Leaning against the protruding wall, Harry asked with folded arms, “Are you asking for help or putting on an act? I can just help you out of this situation.”
Even though it was true, Candice couldn’t help but be disappointed.
She was certain that Harry must have told Byron about it and that the latter just couldn’t be bothered to take it to heart.
If a man was particularly aloof towards a woman and even ignores her, it would be unlikely that things would work out between them.
“Is he… with Josie?” she asked, feeling incredibly indignant.
Harry clucked his tongue slightly and said somewhat helplessly, “He’s smoking on the first floor.”
“Does he know about this?”
“It doesn’t matter even if he does. Except Vicky…”
Candice didn’t want to continue listening, for she was sick of hearing Vicky’s name. In fact, Harry couldn’t be bothered to bring it up either but he had no choice but to do so.
Even the most aloof man on earth is bound to feel emotional at some point and Byron was no exception. However, apart from Vicky, no one else could really affect him or have any control over his emotions.
He had been in misery, gotten drunk, hurt, and involved in fights, all because of her.
All the emotional ups and downs he had had in the 32 years of his life were related only to Vicky.
Before coming up, Harry reminded him that Patrick was
going to make his move on Candice but Patrick simply chuckled calmly and said, “Does he plan to die together with her?”
He clearly didn’t take Candice seriously and there was nothing Harry could do to help.
Harry followed her in the door, only to be dumbfounded at the grease and smoke in the room.
“Was there a fire in here?” he remarked.
Patrick was a little embarrassed by the presence of an outsider so he immediately got up from the ground and asked, “Are you here to see Candice for something?”
“I just stopped by to say hello as I was passing by. Is this a proposal? I’m not getting in the way, am I?” Harry asked as he–rummaged through the pile of candles and found the ring
box.
“No, no, not at all. Please take a seat,” Patrick said as he took the ring box.
Harry looked around without moving.
“Mr. Patrick, why don’t you let her rest while we have a drink in my room?“!
Patrick never expected this to happen. He thought he would be spending the night in Candice’s room as he expected her to agree to his proposal.
Hence, he stared at his watch pretentiously before saying, “It’s almost 11pm. Why don’t we drink tomorrow instead?”
Harry dragged him out without further ado while saying, “I’ll get Professor Wilson from NY General Hospital to give you treatment for free if you have any fertility issues in the future. You’ve met him at the airport before…”
After they left, Candice did too. Refusing to believe it, she headed downstairs to look for Byron.
He was taking a call at the elevator, and the person on the other end seemed to be a woman.
“I just got back to the hotel,” he said gently.
The person on the other end probably wanted to see him, and Byron said, “It’s too late. It won’t be safe for you to travel here.”
Afterwards, he chuckled and said, “You’re still the same as before.”
Still the same as before.
His accommodating tone didn’t sound as doting and affectionate as a lover would but they were definitely more than friends.
Handsome men like Byron were so popular among women that his girlfriend might easily lose him to another woman at the slightest negligence.
Candice walked over and called out to him.
He frowned, ignored her, and threw his cigarette into the
trash.
“Byron!” she yelled.
Her voice echoed in the hallway as he held down the button and the closed elevator doors opened again. Candice was outside the elevator while he was inside.
After a moment of stalemate, Byron’s brows furrowed deeper and he asked, “Are you coming in or not?”
“Do you hate me?” Candice asked with reddened eyes.
“A little bit,” he answered rather truthfully.
She rushed up to him and asked, “What have I done to make you hate me?”
Byron was greeted by the overwhelming odor of wine as soon as Candice spoke. It was particularly intense in the cramped elevator. Since Byron was familiar with wine, he could tell that the red wine she had drunk was rather strong.
He had only interacted with her a few times but he knew clearly that she could not hold her liquor and Patrick was obviously aware too. He reckoned that Patrick had probably fed her such a strong wine with ill intentions.
He wanted to take advantage of her.
Byron had a different mindset from ordinary people. The more difficult Candice was, the more it proved that she wasn’t lying about being a loyal lover.
At the very least, she wasn’t the type that any man could get.
The lights in the elevator were dim and Byron’s gaze was gradually turning hazy.
In the end, he replied, “I don’t hate you that much.”
Candice was truly puzzled by his unusual behavior tonight as she asked, “Have you been drinking again?”
“No,” he answered, loosening his collar.
The elevator stopped on the 22nd floor and a couple walked in, kissing with no regard for the presence of strangers. The sounds of their lips smacking against each other made Candice feel dizzy.
The elevator stopped at the 33rd floor, where Byron and Candice’s rooms were.
They remained silent without moving. The elevator moved unimpeded to the first floor where the couple walked out and Byron pressed the button for the 33rd floor again.
As if she was giving a silent hint, Candice leaned against his shoulder with tears in her eyes, which looked so hazy that they would easily tug at heart strings.
This time, Byron didn’t avoid her.
It was a hot night in a foreign land, suffused with the temptation to break the rules.
Candice tilted her head, almost hitting his chin.
“That’s the first time we were in the same elevator, Professor Wilson.”
Byron looked down and glanced at her before looking away.
“What’s there to be happy about?” he remarked.
“Of course I’m happy.” She turned sideways like he did and their reflection could be seen in the elevator door. One was dressed in black and the other, red.
“Besides, there’s no one in here except us,” she added.
“What are you trying to say?” Byron asked.
Women who weren’t capable enough would usually be too scared to approach him because doing so would just be a waste of effort. He was already sick of seductive vixens throwing themselves at him but innocent–looking ones like Candice who would cry easily were rare. He found her to be pretty interesting.
Staring at Candice’s thick and lustrous hair, he asked, “Do you want to date me?”
With her head buried in his chest, Candice assented in a muffled voice.
“Look at me,” Byron ordered.
She raised her head obediently and he stared at her for a long time, finding her face to be rather simple and pure without any lust or superficial desires. He couldn’t find any trace of ill intentions from her gaze.
He thought that she had hidden her agenda well.
He didn’t believe that she didn’t have any ulterior motives.
No matter how charming he may be, it shouldn’t be likely for her to have fallen in love with him right after leaving her ex–husband, whom she had been head–over–heels in love
However, no matter what she was thinking, it didn’t stop him from getting ideas about having some fun with her.
Byron held onto her waist without saying anything.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Candice shivered vaguely
After dealing with Patrick, Harry was about to return to his room when he ran into Byron and Candice in the corridor. They were half a meter apart and they weren’t speaking to each other but they soon entered Room 3311 together. It was Candice’s room.
Harry was stunned and when he came back to his senses, called Byron, “Which hotel did you check into?”
he
Byron gave the name of a hotel that was quite a distance
away.
“You’re there?”
He assented.
Glancing at the closed door of Room 3311, he burst into laughter and said, “Sweet dreams, Doctor Byron.”
