Chapter 59 Unease
Jennifer didn't know when she fell asleep, only that she woke up the next day with a bit of a headache. She heard water running in the bathroom, which soon stopped, and Francis came out in fresh clothes. He'd been working overtime all night and only had time to come back for a shower in the morning. Seeing Jennifer sitting on the bed in a daze, he walked over and kissed the corner of her eye, asking in a hoarse voice, "Didn't sleep well last night? Did you miss me?"
Jennifer wrapped her arms around his waist, acting a bit spoiled. "Yes, I couldn't sleep." Francis carried the fresh scent of water, which helped clear her head a bit.
Francis asked, "Then why don't you sleep some more? I have to rush to the hospital soon, you don't need to get up with me."
Jennifer replied, "I have something to do today, the jewelry design competition registration is starting. You didn't come home all night, and now you have to go back to work - can your body handle it?"
Francis held her, breathing in her faint fragrance, and said with a smile, "Don't you know better than anyone how good my body is?"
Jennifer pushed him. "You're such a tease!"
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore, I still have things to do." Francis got up to leave. Jennifer got out of bed barefoot to help him with his tie, and they kissed for a while at the entrance. Watching Francis's departing figure, Jennifer clutched her chest. Just one kiss and her heart was racing. Maybe she really had fallen in love with Francis.
Not long after Francis left, Jennifer changed clothes and put on light makeup, then headed out with her prepared registration materials. There were many people at the registration site, and she waited in line for half an hour before finishing the process. Just as she squeezed out of the crowd, she got a call from Sandra, the director from her former company. Jennifer found a quieter spot to take the call.
"Jennifer, are you registering at Silverpeak Tower? I think I just saw you." Sandra was direct, "I happen to be nearby too, want to grab a coffee?"
Jennifer hesitated for a few seconds. "Okay." Sandra had treated her pretty well at the company before, and even though she'd left, Jennifer didn't resent her.
At the agreed coffee shop, Sandra sat at a table by the window and waved to her, asking how she'd been lately. After the waiter brought their coffee and left, Sandra couldn't wait to speak. "You know what? Layla quit a few days ago, I heard she went abroad."
Jennifer's hand paused while stirring her coffee, and she said with some surprise, "I didn't know; I haven't been following her news."
"Right, she was always the one watching you at the company, targeting you." Sandra took a sip of coffee, "She just left so suddenly, didn't properly hand over several clients, and I've been dealing with the mess she left behind."
Jennifer's expression remained calm. "She could be irresponsible sometimes." She remembered back in college, Layla had caused a problem by forgetting to order food for club staff. They were still friends then, and Layla just cried without thinking about solving the problem. It was Jennifer who offered to take everyone to a restaurant, which resolved the issue. At the time, Layla said she was very grateful and wanted to be best friends forever. When did their relationship start to change - was it because of Eugene?
Sandra sighed a few times, then asked. "Jennifer, you came to register for the Luminous Charm Jewelry Creative Contest preliminaries today, right? Since Layla's already gone, no one at the company will bring up your side job anymore, so why don't you come back? I suppressed her complaint email back then just for this day."
Sandra looked at her with caring and sincere eyes. Jennifer was a bit touched - Sandra really appreciated her design talent. But she still gently shook her head. "Although entering under the company's name would skip the preliminaries, I'm ready to do this on my own now. I already have some ideas for the preliminary design work."
"Losing you is the company's loss." Sandra sighed, but didn't try to persuade her further. Instead, she asked about Jennifer's recent situation, "I heard your boyfriend is Francis, which made all the young girls at the company so jealous." Before Layla left, she'd spread the news about Jennifer getting together with Francis. She wanted to vent her frustration and get people to criticize Jennifer with her, but Jennifer was well-liked, so few people agreed with Layla.
Talking about Francis, Jennifer shyly lowered her head. "Yes, he treats me pretty well."
Sandra gave her some advice. "He's a perfect man, and you better hold on tight - there are so many girls out there wanting to win his affection. Don't blame me for being nosy, but while he likes you now, you should get some real benefits in hand. Don't regret it later."
Jennifer bit her lip. She'd been so immersed in the sweetness with Francis lately that she rarely thought about the future. Actually, she'd known all along that Francis was a playboy, just that he was currently interested in her, so he pampered her like this. And she still remembered that special ringtone - Francis had a woman in his heart he couldn't forget.
Jennifer was in a bit of a low mood when she got home. For the next three days, Francis didn't come home at night. She couldn't help overthinking - was he really working overtime? Did he have several homes like this? She tossed and turned in bed until midnight without falling asleep, and finally clutched her phone to send Francis a message. "Still working overtime? Don't push yourself too hard."
Unexpectedly, Francis called instead, startling Jennifer so much that her hand shook and she dropped her phone. She fumbled to pick it up and answered.
Francis's voice was hoarse. "Why aren't you asleep yet, having insomnia again?"
"Yes, thinking about when you'll be able to rest." Jennifer's voice carried a hint of grievance.
"Come downstairs in thirty minutes." Francis dropped this line and hung up. Though puzzled, Jennifer obediently changed clothes and went downstairs. She stood by the roadside, timing it, when a black Bentley screeched to a stop in front of her. The door opened automatically, and Francis in the driver's seat lifted his chin. "Get in."
Jennifer gathered her skirt and got in the car. After fastening her seatbelt, she turned her head slightly to look at him. Francis looked a bit haggard, with stubble on his chin and faint dark circles under his eyes, but his back was still straight, giving him an indescribable attractiveness. He tapped the navigation and started the car without a word. Jennifer said with concern, "Is the hospital that busy lately? You haven't been getting enough sleep these past few days."
Francis kept his eyes straight ahead. "It's not the hospital; it's my dad. Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you." His tone became a bit irritable, and Jennifer didn't dare say more. There were few cars on the road late at night, and he drove very fast.
It wasn't until she saw the roadside getting more and more deserted that Jennifer couldn't help asking. "Where are we going?"