Chapter 13: Smile, Little Girl
Arianna felt terrible. All she wanted to do was go home, get in the bath, and then go straight to bed.
She scrutinized Travis as he ate. He was the slowest eater on the planet, she thought.
Since Arianna was sick and grumpy, she had no extra strength left to please him.
Travis said with a little pity, “You really don’t want to try the food here? The chef is moving the restaurant across the country. You won’t have a chance to eat it later.”
“I don’t have the chance to eat many things.”
He ignored her sass and responded calmly, “You look very pale and uncomfortable.”
She kept silent as she leaned back in her chair.
“Smile, little girl. Don’t you think that today is a memorable day?”
Arianna finally cracked, “Travis Cooper, can you spare me the nostalgia? No more memories, okay?”
He smiled softly and sighed, “The past really is unbearable, isn’t it?”
“Would you want to be constantly reminded of your stupid and innocent past?” She asked bitterly.
“Stupid and innocent.” He repeated before continuing. “I don’t remember if I had this kind of past. But if I did, I would love to always remember it.”
His mocking smile made her want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him.
Arianna looked back at the lights to calm herself. But Travis was just getting started, “Arianna, maybe you were stupid and innocent, but you were lovelier than you are now.”
The arrival of her tea saved Travis from her attack. A slice of lemon cake accompanied it.
Travis asked her, “Would you like to add some honey?”
She did, but since it was his idea, she sternly declined. She would not be taking any of his suggestions right now.
The waiter bowed to her, which astounded Travis. He knew the workers to be stone-cold to everyone.
Arianna drank the tea slowly. It instantly made her feel better. With a clearer mind, she reminded herself not to be too stiff with Travis; otherwise, she would suffer later.
She met his gaze and studied his face. How much did she offend him today?
However, he seemed to be more tolerant than usual. He never once took offense to any of her childish remarks.
He told her, “Today is my birthday.”
Arianna raised her eyebrows in suspicion.
“Do you want to check my ID?”
She shook her head.
It was possible. They had known each other for ten years now. Aside from their first year and this year, they never spent his birthday together.
Arianna replied sincerely, “Well, happy birthday.”
“That’s it?”
She got up from the table and swiped the box of matches from the waiter’s station. After lighting the match, she stuck it into her lemon cake and pushed the dish towards him.
“I would have gotten you a cake if I knew.”
As cheesy as this gesture was, Travis enjoyed it. He blew out the match without any complaints.
Arianna didn’t expect him to be so cooperative. She thought he would mock her.
“Can you guess what I wished for?” He asked her.
She was frightened by the innocent look that suddenly appeared on his face. Arianna had no idea what to say.
Fortunately, a timely phone call rescued her from responding. Travis left the table to take the call. He didn’t say anything important on the phone, aside from the occasional “ah” and “okay.”Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
He still carried his pleasant attitude, though. Even his cold voice had a little warmth.
Arianna didn’t want him to think that she was eavesdropping, so she started to swirl the remaining of her tea with a spoon, giving the occasional clink.
However, her hearing was too good. She could hear that it was a woman’s voice on the line. Additionally, she heard Travis tell the woman of his whereabouts.
At the end of the call, the woman seemed to say, “Travis, I miss you so much.”
Then Travis replied softly, “Get some good rest. I will see you in a few days.”
Arianna was satisfied with what she heard. She sincerely hoped that it was a female confidant.
This would mean her days of freedom were near. Arianna hoped the confidant would soon be taking over her role in Travis’s life, especially if he trusted her with his stories and secrets.
Like in the misty mornings, she just needed to wait for the fog to clear up before the sun appeared.
Travis returned to his seat and was surprised that Arianna’s expression was very soft now. She even looked a little happy.
He looked at her strangely, as if infected by her sudden mood swing.
****
Instead of taking Arianna to her apartment, Travis took her to his villa.
He owned many different properties. This ensured that their “dating” venue was never fixed. They’ve stayed in apartments, hotels, cottages, and so on. Wherever he decides to take her, it always depends on his mood.
They usually met late at night. Sometimes, they had dinner, but they always had wine. They’d return back to his residences a little drunk before performing the act of lovers. She slept with him until morning and always left soon after waking up.
Sometimes, if the venue was convenient and she had enough energy, she would leave at night.
She rarely paid attention to where he lived, nor would she remember the appearances of the servers at the houses.
This villa was likely Travis’s main residence in the city. She came here more frequently.
It was spacious with a simple interior design. Though there were little signs of luxury, every piece of decoration had a story and a notable price. But at first glance, this house was too empty and plain. It lacked a human presence.
It was more like an art gallery than a residence, but that was consistent with Travis’s style.
Travis greeted his butler graciously when they entered the villa and gave him some instructions before leaving.
The old butler led Arianna up the stairs courteously. He seemed to be familiar with her, but she didn’t recognize him.
She assumed that the butler would first take her to a separate room, but instead, he took her directly to the main suite. He politely asked her what she needed for her stay.
She held her breath and scribbled the necessities on a sheet of paper. She asked for some painkillers, a hot water bag, and a long list of other things.