Chapter 77: Celebrate Your Birthday with You
Two days later, Jennifer saw Mia post photos of a family dinner on social media. In the group photo, Aaron was holding Mia's hand, the two gazing affectionately at each other, with a large bouquet of red roses and Hermès shopping bags on the chair beside them. Mia's parents were smiling warmly too, and the whole family looked happy and harmonious. Jennifer liked the post, thinking the two of them must have made up.
A message notification suddenly rang—it was Francis saying he was coming home for dinner. Jennifer opened the fridge and looked inside, asking if pan-fried steak would be okay. She'd been busy all day preparing to open her studio and didn't really feel like going out to buy groceries now. Francis quickly replied, "Sure, just make whatever. You're the main course anyway."
Jennifer gritted her teeth, wanting to curse at him but afraid he'd say something even more shameless. Whatever, she put down her phone and went to prepare dinner. Since Isabella's last visit, Jennifer and Francis had returned to having sex frequently, and their interactions had become more harmonious. But Jennifer knew clearly in her heart that she and Francis only had a surface-level relationship—keeping things at physical communication was enough. As for the mutual understanding she longed for, supporting each other through life together, Francis couldn't give her that.
That evening, after Francis finished the steak Jennifer had pan-fried herself, he nodded with satisfaction and commented, "You controlled the doneness really well this time." He loved thick steaks medium-rare with a bit of blood, while Jennifer preferred medium-well, so the previous few times she hadn't quite mastered the timing. This time she didn't put much thought into it, just casually flipped it after a bit, and it turned out just right. Many things in the world are like that—when you try hard, it doesn't work out; sometimes when you do something casually, you get great results.
Jennifer smiled faintly, "As long as you like it. I just threw it together, definitely can't compare to a restaurant chef."
Francis wiped the corner of his mouth and said after a moment's thought, "Even though it's not as good as a restaurant chef's, yours has its own special flavor." He didn't know how to describe it—Jennifer's cooking sometimes wasn't quite to his taste, but somehow it was very comfortable to eat. And the suggestions he made, she would actually take them seriously and remember them, and the next time he could taste her improvements. She was a woman who took life seriously and was very attentive to him. Some people might flatter him on the surface, but he could tell they weren't sincere.
Jennifer didn't act modest anymore and got up to clear the dishes. Francis wrapped his arms around her from behind, his chin resting lightly on her slender shoulder. Jennifer tilted her head slightly and said, "Don't do that, it tickles." If he bothered her like this—what if she dropped a plate?
But Francis stroked her forearm, his tone seductive as he said, "Don't clean up, leave it for Rainey to do tomorrow. You smell so good, you smell delicious." As he spoke, he took a deep breath behind her ear—the fresh fruity scent mixed with a hint of charred meat. Her long hair was pinned up with a metal clip, with a few loose strands hanging by her ear, swaying as if teasing him. He stuck out his tongue and licked, pressing those strands against the skin behind her ear.
Jennifer's hand trembled, and the beautiful limited-edition plate almost fell. In her shock, she stepped back onto his toes. The slipper sole was soft, so it didn't hurt, but it was enough to remind Francis she was angry. She frowned and said, "Stop being horny! At least let me put these in the sink."
Francis finally let her go and spread his hands, "How can you still be so easily teased?"
Jennifer shot him a look and couldn't be bothered with him. She put the used dishes in the sink and rinsed off the scraps. Just then, her phone on the table rang. Francis glanced at the screen and asked, "It's Marlowe, should I answer?"
Jennifer looked at her wet hands and said with difficulty, "I'm not really available right now."
Francis helped her decline the call, but Marlowe called back immediately. Jennifer had no choice but to have Francis answer and put it on speaker. She walked over wiping her hands and asked, "Marlowe, is there something urgent?"
Marlowe's voice was full of concern, "Jennifer, have you been too busy lately? Did you forget what day tomorrow is?"
Jennifer blinked, "Is tomorrow some special day?" David's birthday had just passed, and Skylar's death anniversary was still two months away.
"Jennifer, tomorrow is your birthday!" Marlowe said with a laugh. "If you don't have other plans, celebrate with us. Your dad's been doing much better lately, and the doctor says he can leave the hospital for a day." In the past two years when Jennifer was with Eugene, Eugene had celebrated with her. Now that Jennifer and Francis's relationship was unclear, David thought Jennifer was single and worried she'd be lonely, so he wanted to help her celebrate.
Only then did Jennifer remember her birthday was coming up. She was about to agree when Francis reached out and hung up the phone. She looked up at him in surprise, "Francis, why did you hang up my call?"
Francis pulled her over with one hand and into his arms, his eyes looking somewhat dangerous as he looked down, "It's your birthday tomorrow, how come I didn't know? Make up an excuse to turn her down, I want to celebrate your birthday with you." Jennifer had been with him for so long and never asked for anything, and he suddenly wanted to give her a birthday celebration, as a reward.
Jennifer looked up at his jawline and slowly blinked a few times, "Why? Actually, you don't have to."
Francis didn't let her finish the sentence before lowering his head to kiss her, blocking her mouth. After exploring her mouth thoroughly, he licked his lips with satisfaction and said, "It's perfectly normal for me to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. We can invite friends over to make it lively and introduce you to people."
Jennifer answered dully, "Okay then." So he was just using her as an excuse—she might as well go keep David company. But David's surgery was thanks to him, so she couldn't burn her bridges. She could only agree.
Francis left the party arrangements to Casey. Even though it was after work hours, Casey quickly came up with a plan. He suggested holding it at the upscale Golden Harbor club "The Gilded Parlor." Because Francis had a permanent room there, and with time being tight, "The Gilded Parlor" was efficient and very experienced at hosting this kind of birthday party for friends. Francis agreed after a moment's consideration.
The next day, Jennifer made time at noon to go to the hospital and have lunch with David. She made an excuse that she'd already made plans with friends for dinner that evening, but she appreciated David's thoughtfulness. Marlowe pulled her aside and asked quietly, "When I called you yesterday, was Francis there too?"
Jennifer answered softly, "Yes, he insisted on celebrating my birthday with me."
Marlowe sighed and said, "I shouldn't say too much about you young people's relationships. But I still hope you can be happy. If he treats you well, you should cherish it too."
Jennifer shook her head gently, "Marlowe, I can't think about all that right now. I just want to get my studio up and running. As for relationships, I just want to let things take their natural course."
Marlowe's eyes were full of sympathy. She squeezed Jennifer's hand, "Jennifer, you've been through so much."