Filed to story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
How wonderful it would be if time could stand still at this moment? He could quietly admire her lovely face, stay with her in this blissful instant.
Suddenly, a violinist in the distance struck up a majestic opening, his high-pitched notes shattering the silence and beauty.
Mirabella saw the violinist approaching while playing and, perhaps not expecting such a performance arranged by Sean, she flashed Romeo a smile, her grin as bright and warm as the sunlight on the water.
“The violinist’s timing couldn’t have been better, appearing just when they ran out of things to say.”
Steward couldn’t help but praise, “Ms. Collins didn’t know this was your arrangement, yet she smiled at Mr. McMillian, showing she’s quite pleased with this part.”
Sean watched them, feeling a tinge of envy. Oh, how he wished his sister would smile at him like that.
His past impression on his sister had been too awful. If only he could have a chance to meet her all over again.
“This piece Sean picked out sounds quite unique,” Romeo chuckled, looking at Mirabella.
One would expect a romantic, soft tune for a couple’s date, but this piece was grand and powerful, like a thundering charge of a thousand horses.While Mirabella listened, Romeo sneakily used his phone to capture her features. After the performance, Mirabella nodded in thanks to the violinist, who bowed gracefully and retreated.
Romeo flipped through the photos on his phone. Each one could be a wallpaper, utterly flawless.
Whether it was the girl’s face, the lighting, or the setting, everything was just too perfect.
Sean, sitting in a corner with a scowl, grumbled, “What’s Romeo doing? On such a romantic date and he’s playing with his phone? Is that more interesting than my sister?”
Steward also glanced over. Romeo was indeed looking at his phone, and Ms. Collins, seemingly with nothing to do, sipped her lemonade and took out her phone to browse.
“Could it be they have nothing to talk about? Being their first date, not knowing what to say, both seem a bit reserved?” Steward speculated.
“He’s really not setting the mood.”
Leaving his sister hanging like that was a bit much!
Romeo sent the photos he had just taken to Mirabella for her to save, and then said, “I’ve set the first photo as the chat background.”
“The second one is actually better,” Mirabella opined.
“I’m using the second for my lock screen wallpaper, the third my phone wallpaper, and I’m thinking of combining the rest into a desktop wallpaper. That way, I can see you every time I turn it on.”
Sean and Steward, unable to bear it, watched them intermittently chat and browse their phones.
“What on earth is Romeo doing? Chatting with a girl and he doesn’t even look her in the eyes?” Sean felt like storming over to bang on the table and demand whether Romeo knew how to date at all!”Sean, calm down. Maybe Mr. McMillian is at a loss for words, looking up topics online, chatting while he searches?”
“Is he that clueless? A grown man and he can’t chat?”
Steward wanted to say, “Sean, you’re not great at chatting either, often leaving people speechless,” but he dared not voice it, only silently thinking to himself.
“Get the food out here,” Sean was getting disgruntled.
Steward hastily texted the restaurant manager, and before long, the manager himself appeared, wheeling a small serving cart.
Seeing that Romeo had only ordered three dishes and a soup, Sean could hardly believe his eyes. He quickly sent Steward to get the full story.
“Sean, it’s really just three dishes and a soup,” after getting the details from the manager, Steward was just as incredulous. Could Mr. McMillian really be this tightfisted? This was a date with the Collins family’s darling daughter.
If it were Sean, he would have ordered a feast, the kind that filled the table to the edges.
“Is Romeo always this frugal? If my sister ends up with him, is she destined for a life of hardship?”
Sean became dumbfounded and his annoyance grew, “Tell the manager to bring all the good stuff, the works.”
“Got it,” Steward thought to himself that it was a good thing Sean had shown up; otherwise, Ms. Collins would’ve felt quite slighted. A first date and to be treated with such indifference.
While it was commendable to avoid waste and practice thriftiness, this was taking it to an extreme.
Mr. McMillian was being a bit too much. When dating a girl, one should at least spring for a few extra dishes. And this guy was supposed to be a billionaire? It seems his fortune was built on penny-
pinching.
“Isn’t this a bit too modest?” Romeo served Mirabella some food, but his eyes lingered on the sparse spread. If Bella hadn’t insisted, he would have ordered more.”It might actually be too much,” Mirabella responded, not wanting to waste food. Besides, it was a bit early for lunch, and she wasn’t very hungry.
“This restaurant, well, these are the few items you like; the rest either have too strong a flavor, contain ingredients you don’t care for, or are laced with alcohol.”
There were plenty of reasons not to order more, and Romeo had considered them all.
Sean’s irritation lessened seeing Romeo attend to Bella. At least the guy knew how to serve a lady.
“Have some yourself,” Mirabella reciprocated, filling Romeo’s plate, which moved him, and inadvertently, stirring a twinge of envy in Sean. He wished he could enjoy a meal served by his sister’s caring hands.
Suddenly, the restaurant manager arrived with two waiters and three serving carts, adding thirty-two more dishes to their table.
Mirabella’s gaze shifted to Romeo, who immediately clarified, “It wasn’t me.”
Realization dawned on both of them. Could Sean have thought their order too meager and decided to supplement it himself? With this thought, they exchanged a knowing smile, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
“Does Ms. Collins might think these are Mr. McMillian’s doing, seeing him as generous and being quite pleased with him?”
That would be a misunderstanding. It was Sean, not the frugal Mr. McMillian, who had ordered the feast.
“Is Sean going to think I’m stingy?” Romeo mused with a light smile, feeling his image had taken a hit.
He’d have to clear things up with Sean later.”Feel free to try something else if you don’t like the ones with alcohol.”
Despite his words, Romeo realized the dishes Sean had sent over weren’t to Mirabella’s liking. Some were too rich, others contained raw ingredients; with the current weather, he worried it might upset Bella’s stomach.
Plus, with Bella recovering from an injury, it was best to avoid spicy and stimulating foods. So, looking over the lavish spread, he was at a loss as to which dish to serve her first.
Mirabella gazed at the spread before her, thinking it was all Sean’s doing after all, his way of showing he cared. Determined to honor his efforts, she tasted each dish, savoring the flavors.
But it was simply too much. As the meal wound down, she discussed with Romeo about the leftovers.
Romeo signaled for the manager to come over and pack them up.
Sean was taken aback by Romeo’s thriftiness, but what really set him off was when his sister took out her credit card to pay. He seethed, “What’s up with Romeo? Can’t even shell out for a meal? And asking for a doggy bag?”
Steward was equally shocked, “This is just not done.”
Leaving aside the small amount of dishes he ordered, he let the girl pay the bill, and was even going to take leftovers.
“He’s gonna get a piece of my mind.”
Sean was about to stand when Steward stopped him, “Sean, if you make a scene now, Ms. Collins will just be embarrassed, she paid, and that’s that. My guess is, Ms. Collins’s not one to be pushed around.
Maybe she figured he’s not the right guy, just wanted to have a meal and not owe him anything. That’s why she insisted on paying.”
“I bet he thinks Bella’s sweet and easy to bully,” Sean fumed, convinced that Romeo would have the guts to behave like that as knowing he was there. What would happen when he wasn’t around to protect her?
Seeing Mirabella settled the bill, Romeo then took her by the hand and left the restaurant.
The manager bowed respectfully, “We hope to see Mr. McMillian and the lovely lady again soon!”Sean scowled. No way was there going to be a ‘next time’. He resolved then and there to keep his sister away from Romeo.
In the elevator, Romeo turned to Mirabella, “This card has no limit. I know your brothers spoil you with pocket money, and your parents too, but from now on, this is all you’ll need.”
Mirabella hadn’t used the card Romeo gave her weeks ago, even when he asked why. But today, she decided to treat and paid with it, which delighted Romeo. That she finally accepted it made him feel over the moon.
But to Sean, Romeo’s delight was just the glee by taking advantage of her. Right now, Sean was seething with fury, barely subduing his impulse of cutting him into pieces.
“Let’s catch a movie?” Unaware of Sean’s grudge, Romeo drove Mirabella to the cinema.
Steward followed close behind, “Sean, looks like they’re heading to the movies.”
“After all this, they’re still going to a movie?”
Sean whipped out his phone, intending to check in with Mirabella.
He hadn’t really chatted with her since friending her on WhatsApp, remembering how she complained about him meddling with her love life the day before. He didn’t want to annoy her but eventually sent a simple message.
[What’re you doing?]
Mirabella, in the passenger seat, saw the message and noticed through the rearview mirror that a car was trailing them. Steward’s tailing skills were laughably obvious.
She replied, [Heading to the movies with Romeo. What’s up, Sean?]Sean asked tentatively, [Wanted to see if you were free. Was thinking we could catch a movie. How about ditching Romeo and going with me? Bet the flick he picked isn’t that great.]
Mirabella was surprised at his words, [You don’t seem like the movie-going type.]
“Don’t I? Do I look like I don’t enjoy movies?” Sean looked up and asked Steward, who was driving.
Steward glanced in the rearview mirror and deadpanned, “You look more like the action-hero type.”
Sean kicked the back of his seat, annoyed yet cautious as he crafted his next message. Before he could send it, Mirabella sent another, [I already promised Romeo. Maybe next time.]
Sean’s heart sank upon seeing it. His sister preferred a movie with Romeo over him. Well, it made sense. Romeo might be a miser who didn’t respect women, but Sean had been the one trying to give her hard time.
Who his sister would pick was a no-brainer.
